Third person's pov!

Days passed by without waiting for anyone. It's just a week away from the scheduled launch of BelleAura.

Dhruv and Vedant have been in extensive meetings since morning regarding the final details of their merger.

"I am famished, man. Let's have lunch." Dhruv said and Ved nodded.

"Sure. Should we go out or order something? I am actually too tired to go out." Ved said as he leaned back against his chair.

"I have got lunch, Ved. Shraddha packs lunch for me." Dhruv said with a smile.

"Packed lunch? What are you? A school boy?" Ved asked with a chuckle.

"Well, as a school boy, I was never lucky enough to get packed lunch. I am just enjoying the newness of it all." Dhruv said and Ved's smile dimmed.

"Uh! Sorry man.." Vedant said apologetically.

"It's all water under the bridge now.." Dhruv just waved it off dismissively.

"Okay then. Let me order something for myself." Ved said.

"Shraddha packed enough for the two of us. I had mentioned last night that we have a day-long back to back meetings lined up. So, she packed for you too." Dhruv said.

"That was sweet of her." Ved said with a smile.

"She is sweet," Dhruv said with a smile.

"When are you introducing her to me? I have been waiting for the dinner invitation for a while now." Ved said as he watched Dhruv set the thermosealed lunch boxes out and together they moved to the small connecting room from Dhruv's cabin.

"I was thinking of introducing her on the launch night. Dinner seems impossible until the launch because by the time I reach home these days, I am dead on my feet." Dhruv said and Ved nodded, because it was the same for him too.

"That would be a good idea. You can officially introduce your wife to everyone." Ved said.

"Yeah! That's the plan.."

"Any news from Diya?" Ved asked.

"Yes. She called two days ago. They are flying over to Kerala for vacation. Sid took a month long leave from his work it seems." Dhruv said.

"A month long? That sounds odd. Who goes for a month-long vacation?" Ved asked. He doesn't remember having a two day vacation in his memory. And someone is taking a month-long vacation. It sounded too luxurious to his ears.

"Maybe Sid is trying to work on his relationship with Diya. Now that Shraddha is completely out of picture, he might have decided to go back to Diya." Dhruv said, his voice hardening.

"You back to that, Dhruv? I don't really think there was any affair or anything close to that going on. Diya must have misunderstood. Sid loves your sister. It is so easy for anybody to see. There is no way he might have got an interest in Shraddha. And you know Diya. She always had a habit of making a mountain out of a molehill. She suspected Sid was having an affair with the new nanny. She called you seeking help to get Shraddha out of their lives. And the overprotective brother is on his way to save his sister's marriage. Stupid brother and stupid sister." Ved said, rolling his eyes.

It was a painful whimper that caught their attention. Both of them turned towards the door and found Shraddha standing there, her eyes filled with tears. She was staring at Dhruv with heartbreak written all over her face.

Dhruv paled seeing Shraddha.

She had come here, as the class she was attending now got cancelled due to some emergency their tutor had. And she had come over to Dhruv's office, as she wanted to surprise him. Sai had guided her to where Dhruv was. And she happened to overhear something that had the power to change the entire course of her life.

Shraddha felt as though the ground beneath her had given way. The voices of Dhruv and Vedant echoed in her mind, each word etching itself painfully into her heart. She hadn't intended to overhear the conversation, but now the weight of his words settled over her like a suffocating veil, tightening around her with each passing second.

The words replayed in her mind, relentless and unforgiving. Was that truly what Dhruv wanted? Had he only brought her into his life because of his mistaken belief that she'd been involved in Siddhant and Diya's marriage? Her hands trembled, but she held them together tightly, trying to steady herself, her mind reeling with betrayal and hurt.

Overprotective brother... save his sister's marriage...

Had Dhruv ever really seen her for who she was, or had she been nothing more than a pawn, a disposable piece in his attempt to protect his sister's marriage? Every moment they had spent together, every shared glance, every soft smile—it now felt tainted, as if the warmth she had felt had been no more than a cruel illusion.

A memory surfaced, unbidden but strong—Dhruv's gentle hand reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, his gaze softening as he promised her a home, a place where she belonged. Had all of it been part of some intricate plan to remove her from the picture as he had said to Vedant?

'I was nothing more than an obstacle to him.' The thought cut deeply, each repetition driving the realisation deeper into her heart.

She felt Dhruv's hand reaching out for her, but she flinched, her body recoiling on instinct. She couldn't bear to be touched, not by him—not after knowing what he truly thought of her. And yet, her heart betrayed her, aching for that same touch, for the warmth she had come to trust. But that warmth had vanished in an instant, replaced by the harsh, cold reality.

'How could I have been so blind?'

"Shraddha..." Dhruv's voice was soft, filled with an urgency she had never heard before. But the sincerity she had once trusted now felt hollow, leaving her feeling exposed and raw, as if every emotion she had laid bare before him had been exploited.

She blinked back her tears, lifting her gaze to meet his.

"You... you planned to just remove me from their lives?" Her voice was barely a whisper, each word carrying the weight of her broken trust. "Was that all I ever meant to you?"

The shock in his eyes, the sudden guilt, did little to soothe her. It only solidified the ache in her chest. She needed answers, but the hurt in her heart was too great, threatening to swallow her whole. The truth, harsh and bitter as it was, stood in stark contrast to the dreams she had dared to weave around him.

Without waiting for him to respond, she turned away, her chest tight as she fought to hold back the sobs threatening to break free. She would not let him see her crumble. Not now. Not ever.

Shraddha stumbled blindly out of the office, her vision blurred with tears. She barely registered Dhruv's urgent footsteps and his voice calling her name as he followed closely behind. Every instinct screamed at her to keep moving, to put as much distance as possible between herself and the man who had shattered her trust.

"Shraddha, wait! Please, just listen!" Dhruv's voice was desperate, but she couldn't bear to look back, couldn't stand to see the man she had thought she could finally let herself trust. The thought of facing him—of confronting the truth of what she had heard—was too much to bear. She pressed forward, her pace picking up as she neared the door to the building's exit.

But as she burst out into the street, she barely registered her surroundings, too consumed by the torrent of emotions raging inside her. She was so focused on escaping that she failed to notice the busy road ahead, the rush of cars weaving in and out of lanes.

Behind her, Dhruv had just reached the entrance, his heart pounding as he saw her nearing the edge of the sidewalk.

"Shraddha, stop! Watch out!" He shouted, his voice thick with panic. But his warning barely registered in her mind.

In her haste to escape, she took a step into the street, too lost to check for oncoming traffic. A loud horn blared, jolting her back to reality, but it was too late.

With a sickening thud, the car struck her, sending her sprawling onto the road as the world spun around her in a blur of pain and shock.

"Shraddha!" Dhruv's scream pierced the air as he bolted towards her, his heart hammering, his mind blank with horror. He reached her side in moments, dropping to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he took in the sight of her, lying there bleeding profusely.

"Shraddha," He cried out in agony...

A/n

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Love,

SF❤️