The lingering sweetness of the cake remained on her tongue long after, even when the party ended, even during the car ride home, even when she went to sleep that night. She could sense her taste buds craving attention, demanding another bite of that delicacy. Her skin erupted in goosebumps every time her mind wandered back to that moment, when they had been standing too close. Her anxiety, usually a constant presence, seemed tamed in his company. It was unacceptable how comfortable she felt around him.

And the design on his kurta—it was hand-drawn and unique. It felt like her memory had taken a xerox of it. She sat up abruptly, the design resurfacing in her mind. She wanted to incorporate it into her final year project. Ritu quickly reached for the drawing pad and pencil on her desk and started sketching the intricate details.

She became lost in the act, as she often did, until a knock on her door broke her concentration. Ritu raised her eyes and saw Shreya standing there in her white nightdress.

"What is it?" Ritu asked, irritated. She had never really warmed to her sister-in-law after she agreed to marry her brother. At first, she had thought Shreya was an opportunist, using the infamous clip of her and Abhimanyu in an intimate moment to secure her place in the Roy family. It seemed convenient at the time—too convenient. Ritu believed Shreya had taken advantage of the situation for her own gain.

But as time passed, Ritu realized the truth. Shreya was anything but an opportunist. A few months back, what Ritu perceived as opportunism was actually Shreya's sacrifice. She sacrificed her own dreams and desires to protect Abhimanyu and their family's name on Priyasha's one request. She had entered into a contract marriage not for personal benefit but to shield the family from scandal and disgrace. And that's what grated on Ritu more than anything—Shreya's soft, selfless nature, her willingness to put others before herself.

Shreya had set aside her own happiness to protect the family's reputation, marrying her stoic brother in a marriage that held no love, only duty. And for what? A life of endless sacrifice. It was infuriating to Ritu, who wanted nothing more than for Shreya to stand up for herself. But Shreya's steadfast dedication to others made Ritu feel conflicted, torn between admiration and frustration.

How could she do that when her own life was falling apart? Not only that, she sabotaged herself countless times in order to comfort and support others. She always put other people's needs before her, and it made Ritu's heart ache for her. She wanted her to finally put herself first, but her selflessness was so unyielding. It made Ritu feel inferior to her exalted nature.

Shreya came in and sat down beside her on the bed. "Are you working on your project?"

"Can't you see?" Ritu snapped rudely. She shifted her gaze from Shreya back to her drawing pad and added, "What do you want?"

Shreya sighed quietly, then she said something that made Ritu's hand freeze on the paper immediately.

"I told you to stay away from Jai Basu."

She raised her eyes and stared at Shreya, in shock. How- how did she- what? When? She was so confused she couldn't even form any words or ask her any questions to clarify what she meant.

Shreya noticed her stupor and spared her the anxiety by clarifying on her own. "I saw you talking to him in the party. I don't think you should've done that, Ritu. I warned you. This is not going to end in a good position."

"What do you even mean, Shreya? Do you think I was talking to him intentionally? I was just having..."

But Shreya didn't let her finish. "I don't want an explanation from you, Ritu. You're an adult. More importantly, you're the daughter and sister of the renowned Roys. People will talk the talk if they happen to catch you talking with your brother's rival. You should've known better, Ritu. Fortunately enough, Maa didn't see you with him in the party. Otherwise, I don't know how things would've folded out."

"You are saying this?" Ritu couldn't believe what she was hearing. "It was you who took the strawberry basket from him at the market. What about that? Wouldn't people talk about that?"

Shreya sighed. "Look, Ritu. I'm the daughter-in-law of this family. Perhaps, in a few months, I might not be that too. But you are the daughter. You cannot escape it. People might talk about me, but they'll soon move on to other subjects when they'll see I don't have much value once I'm not anymore, the wife of Abhimanyu Roy." She hesitated for a moment, the weight of the word hanging in the air between them. But quickly, she regained her composure and pressed on, pushing aside any trace of vulnerability and continued, "But you. You are different Ritu. They'll always bring you, because you are his sister. There are many rivals to your father and brother. They won't think twice to ruin the names of Roys through you. That is exactly why I am advising you to act wisely."

"But why the fuck do you think I'm acting rashly? I wasn't really talking to him!"

"But I saw both of you standing rather...closely to each other." She raised one of her eyebrows critically making Ritu wince.

"Oh! You're definitely reading the invisible lines, Shreya." Ritu threw out her hands in exasperation. "It's nothing like that. And I won't give you any more explanations than this. You can have a false understanding of me, for all I care. I'm not here to fix your false assumptions or defend myself against baseless accusations. Just leave me alone."

Shreya sighed. "I didn't mean to upset you, Ritu. I'm only looking out for you. First, Pihu, and now..." She let her words hang in the air, unfinished but heavy.

Pihu. The name snapped something in Ritu. Amidst all the chaos, she had completely forgotten about her. She had to call Pihu, ask for her help in finding models for her designs. But the thought of her totally escaped her mind.

Ritu didn't say anything to Shreya; instead, she pushed the drawing pad aside and collapsed onto the bed, sulking. She wasn't in a mood to argue with her now.

Shreya, ever perceptive, took the hint. She rose quietly, but before leaving, she paused. "Just think carefully before you act, Ritu. Not everything is as simple as it seems." With that, she walked out, leaving Ritu to her swirling thoughts.

The next day, Ritu called Pihu while she was in a meeting. Pihu suggested they meet at a restaurant two days later to adjust her schedule and Ritu agreed.

~~~

24th April

As she finally got ready and was about to leave the villa, Priyasha emerged from her room and stopped her.

"Ritu, wait. Where are you going?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

"Oh, I'm going to meet a friend, Maa. I'll be back in an hour or two," Ritu replied, trying to sound casual.

Priyasha nodded, but her expression remained serious. "Is Irfan going with you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Rehan will also accompany you," Priyasha added quietly.

"What?" Ritu looked at her, flabbergasted. "But why?"

"Because Manyu assigned him to you from today."

"But Maa! Irfan has been with me already. Why Rehan too?" Ritu's voice rose in disbelief.

"Because Manyu wanted it," Priyasha replied firmly.

"But why suddenly? Why am I having two of them? It's really impossible to move about with two men in black suits. It's uncomfortable! Maa, please—talk to Dadabhai. Irfan is enough."

"If you really think Irfan is enough, then discuss it with your brother tonight. But for now, you have to endure it," Priyasha declared.

Ritu complained with a frustrated groan, "This is ridiculous, Maa! Dadabhai cannot make all the decisions by himself. I'm an adult now!" She crossed her arms, feeling the weight of the restrictions pressing down on her.

"And you're a girl too. No girl is safe in our country. Absolutely no girl! The monsters don't spare anyone. Babies, toddlers, adolescents, teenagers, adults, elders, even the deceased aren't spared. Haven't you heard what happened to the doctor recently?" Priyasha said in a harsh voice, her eyes narrowing with concern. "My love, you simply cannot trust men."

"Then how do you trust these men in black suits, Maa?" Ritu challenged, her voice rising.

"We trust them because we know their backgrounds—where they live, their families, their bank details. Everything is known to us. And it is very unlikely that your brother would make a mistake in recognizing someone's true character."

Ritu rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Maa, this is just not fair. I'll talk to Papa."

"Don't bring your father into this, Ritu. He's already occupied with various important issues at the moment. I just hope he won't overdo it and let his health deteriorate," Priyasha replied with concern, her brow furrowing. "Your safety is invaluable to us, Ritu. You're our most beloved daughter. We don't want anything to happen to you. Your brothers have suffered enough. We don't want you to endure that kind of pain." She paused momentarily, her voice softening as she sighed deeply. "I don't want you to go through the trauma I experienced in my early life. The pain is insurmountable. It took me almost my entire life to heal from it. Sure, your father helped, but the fracture in my soul is not something that can be reversed."

Priyasha closed her eyes, inhaling steadily as she gathered her thoughts. "My soul is broken, Ritu. The hurt I bear is irreversible. Yes, life has gifted me many things, replacing my sad days with the joy of being loved by your father, filling my heart with his devotion. But what I lost will never return to me. It's lost forever. Life is not fair, Ritu. The universe doesn't care about your intentions. If you are weak, you'll suffer. That's the law."

Her words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the world they lived in and the darkness that loomed just outside their door.Ritu's heart ached as she heard her mother's heavy words. She was aware of her mother's tragic past.

Ritu still remembered how the room went silent that day when her aunt unintentionally brought up the subject. She was approximately six years old at the time. Her entire family went to her mother's native house, where her grandmother, uncle, and aunt lived. They were the parents of Tiyasha, their cousin. It was a terrible time for everyone, as Tiyasha had just given birth to Dev. It was a teen pregnancy. Tiyasha had an affair with her classmate who was the son of a well-known lawyer and got pregnant at sixteen.

Around that time, Ritu barely had any understanding of the complications. She knew something was wrong, but the gravity of the situation was beyond her little brain's comprehension. When they went there to see the newborn baby, Priyasha had already taken her decision. Priyasha wanted to bring Tiyasha and Dev along with her to the city. She was adamant on her decision. So, when she expressed her thoughts to Tiyasha's parents, they reacted differently.

In the past,

Ritu was playing with Gyan while the adults sat around discussing Tiyasha's situation. Abhimanyu was around 13 at that time. He was reading a book sitting beside them. But soon the conversation had taken a darker turn. Back then, Ritu didn't fully understand what they discussed that brought shadows of miseries on her mother's face. But eventually, she learned the fragments of Priyasha's past and glued them together to recognize her parents' deep, unspoken history.

"Well, I'm not sure about this. Would you really be able to take care of them?" Upasana directed the question at Priyasha, her voice low and laced with doubt. After saying so, her eyes immediately spun towards Abhiraj, who was standing near the windows with his arms crossed, his jaw clenched. His silent, brooding aura was overpowering the ambience without any words.

Priyasha was cradling the new-born baby in her lap. She looked at her sister-in-law and questioned, a little confused, "Why don't you think I'll be able to take care of them?"

Upasana paused for a brief moment before responding quietly, "Well, at least Tiyu wasn't brutalized like you were in the past by Romeo," she murmured, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. "I know he stole so much from you, but I don't want Tiyu's view of the world tainted by being too close to... you."

Although her words were said in an undertone, they seemed to shake the room like a sudden crack of thunder in a silent sky.

Everyone flinched. The silence that followed was unbearable. Priyasha's grip on baby Dev tightened, her face paling, while Abhiraj's eyes darkened with a cold fury. He uncrossed his hands and reduced the distance between him and his wife in a blink. He placed a hand on her shoulder, for he knew she needed that at the moment.

Meanwhile, Vikash immediately shot Upasana a look of disapproval. "Upasana!" he snapped, his voice harsh. "Watch your words. Not in front of the kids."

He then shifted his apologetic gaze on Priyasha and said, "I'm sorry, Chini. She shouldn't have said that." He sighed deeply and added, his voice filled with regret. "We should've protected you better. I'm sorry."

Priyasha glanced at him, her lips pressing into a thin line. "It wasn't your fault, dadabhai. It was no one's fault but that vile's."

Tiyasha, sitting quietly at one corner of the couch listened to everything quietly while Ritu stared at the adults, sensing the tension growing inside the room. She didn't understand everything at the time, but she remembered the slight tremor in her mother's voice and the way her hand shook slightly as she adjusted Dev in her lap. She also remembered Vikash looking devastated, like he carried the weight of that night. On the other hand, Abhimanyu left the room while they were having that discussion, and Gyan followed him out as well.

Upasana seemed to realize her mistake, her lips pressing together in regret. But the damage was done. She apologized softly, "I'm sorry, Chini. I shouldn't have brought it up." Her voice barely audible, she hesitated before adding in a slightly firmer tone, "But at least he's gone now. Abhiraj made sure of that."

The tension in the room deepened as Abhiraj, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, his voice calm yet cold. "After what he did to Priyasha, I couldn't let him live. Killing him was the only justice I could offer her. But even that... it wasn't enough."

Priyasha's gaze shifted toward her husband. Her eyes softened with a mixture of love and sorrow as she quietly agreed. "No, it will never be enough. I love you more than anything, Abhi, and I know how much I mean to you. But Romeo... he stole something from me that I can never get back. No matter how many years pass, no matter how much love and healing I receive, that wound—it's still there. It always will be."

The room fell into a heavy silence, her words settling over everyone like a shadow, the weight of the past impossible to escape.

Ritu, barely understanding but feeling the tension, watched her mother close her eyes, exhaling slowly as though trying to push the past back down. She watched her father, a pained expression crossed his face as he was unable to provide his wife the warmth at the moment.

Abhiraj moved his hand from her shoulder and gently brushed his fingers against Priyasha's cheek from behind. A tender yet bittersweet gesture. The intimacy of the moment contrasts with the shared pain they carry. Priyasha leaned back, seeking comfort as her head rested against her husband's stomach. A shadow of their tragic past hung between them. In that moment of vulnerability, their silent understanding was screaming of their resilience. They knew they could endure any pain and find solace in one another no matter the situation.

Upasana looked down at her hands. "I know it's not something you can ever fully heal from, Chini, but I'm glad you have Abhiraj. He's always stood by you."

Priyasha nodded and opened her eyes. There was a soft smile pulling at her lips for the first time in that conversation. "He's my strength. He was the only one who knew how to fight for me when I couldn't fight for myself. And now I have my family, my own world. But still... the damage that night caused can't be undone."

Ritu was too young to fully understand the gravity of her mother's words then, but now, as she reflected back on that day, she realized just how much pain her mother carried.

It was a day Ritu'd never forget. Even if her memories malfunctioned sometimes, this particular memory would never get erased.

Priyasha turned towards her with a serious expression, "I don't want you to go through the same hurt I've gone through, Ritu. You won't be able to bear it the way I did. It's too costly. No one deserves it."

True, no one deserves the pain. Life certainly is cruel toward the soft-hearted. Those who have nothing but light in their hearts, those who have lots of empathy for others, are the ones who get hunted by the narcissists. They get stolen of their innocence and their light. They start to see the world as a cruel manifestation of the devil. Their perspectives about a lot of things change overnight, because of that one small incident. These soul-shattering incidents change the most soft-hearted persons into stone-cold personalities. They turn into rocks and lose their fears and expectations. They turn into survival mode.

Ritu knew her mother was lucky enough to meet her father, who took care of his wife like a precious treasure. As if he has won some lottery by marrying her. But there were thousands of other such women who never received such blessings in their entire lives. They lived their lives continuously fighting against the trauma and flashbacks till the very end.

She couldn't refute her Priyasha's words anymore. Her heart ached for the pain and trauma her mother must have endured. She was broken, but still, she survived. They might have a lot of disagreements in a lot of things, but she could never deny that her mother was a strong individual, and Ritu would always look up to her for her strength to carry on and perseverance.

Healing is very different for each individual. Everyone has a different time frame to heal their wounds. Nonetheless, these wounds cut so very deeply that they rarely dissolve into the skin like before. The scar remains forever. It is that irreplaceable loss, something that damages the soul itself. No amount of healing can completely mend the broken pieces together. Once you damage something, you can't make it return to its original state. Just like when you crumble a paper, it can never go back to being its original smooth version. People use the crumbled paper to clean something and throw it away afterwards. They don't respect the crumbled paper anymore. While a new, smooth paper is used to write something beautiful, like poetry or an intricate painting, that used and crumbled paper is only used to clean a dirty surface. It is the same for human beings.