Rishabh's Pov:

It had been two days since Viraj had left Mumbai and he is surviving his pain alone in Goa. From past 2 days I tried connecting with him but he has been unreachable since then.

Out of concern I pick my phone, and thought to try connecting with him once more. After dialing his contact I waited for him to receive the call, and after waiting for a minute which seemed forever to me he finally responded to my call.

"Viraj are you mad or what? Why were you not responding to my call?" I fumed out of frustration however he remained silent.

"Viraj please for God sake let me know if you are doing well or not do you want me to come and be there for you." I asked.

"I had dropped you a text two days ago to keep a watch on Kavya. She is alone and in a valuable state so please do me a favour and protect her in my absence." He replied back which infuriated me further.

"You got to be kidding with me right now I know she is your wife but instead of communicating with you with an intent to resolve the misunderstandings and trying to analyse your circumstances she slapped you and judged you. She forgot the moments you both have spent together and instead of choosing her own husband who had protected and shielded her at each and every step, in return she decided to go against you because of certain vague incidents." I whisper yelled and heard my friend cursing back at me.

"Rishabh how many times I have told you she is not at fault--" I heard him saying and with increasing annoyance I interrupted his statement in between and said "Then whose fault is it? Mine?"

"Look Viraj I know that you love her deeply and I respect your feelings but you also need to understand that we cannot keep her in dark for a long time she needs to know the entire story and more than that she needs to know the truth about you and when I say that---I mean that she needs to know about your sufferings, about your pain which probably she still does not know because the entire time you have been brave for her that you forgot your own wounds."

In return all I could hear was my friend chuckling a little.

"You are saying all this stuff because you still have not met that one person who would be able to bring that emotion out of you who will make you a mess--but a positive one. That person who will be your top priority, once you meet that lucky one who would soon realise that it is you who is lucky to have fallen in love." I heard Viraj saying and with that being said he disconnected the call post asking me to take care of myself and Kavya.

I can't see you in this pain any longer I know you have asked me to keep my mouth shut but I can't see both of you ruining your futures like this. Now the time has come that Kavya should know the reality.

I whispered to myself and immediately stood up to meet Kavya.

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Kavya's Pov:

I was sitting inside my room staring blankly at the ceiling when I heard a little commotion in the living room. I stood up and went downstairs to see what was happening.

The moment I came down walking from stairs I saw Rishabh standing in the corner and speaking with my Masi and Masa Ji.

"What are you doing here? Has your friend asked you to come here and pitch in on behalf of him?" I questioned him with an evident exasperation in my voice.

"Sometimes I really feel pity for you Kavya. Oh! how much clueless you are." Rishabh countered back.

"I don't want to indulge myself in further conversation with you. I don't want to hear anything. I'll be taking my leave." I said and was about to walk away from the scene when I heard Rishabh laughing loudly.

"Honestly you are right, I shouldn't pity you it should be Viraj instead. Like on a serious note he is a literal fool to love somebody so passionately without understanding the fact that his feelings were never reciprocated. It's his fault that he choose you instead of his own life, it's his mistake that he prioritised you in each and every moment.

He is dumb because he believed in worshiping his wife, he is an idiot because he felt that you would never leave him alone but poor him never knew that just a mere photobook would be enough for you to form a different interpretation about your own husband." Rishabh stated making me feel dizzy. His each and every statement was like a slap of reality to me.

"Kavya, I know it's not easy for you. I know that digesting such a big information regarding your past memories is not an easy task for you but can I ask you one thing did you ever loved my friend genuinely."

I heard Rishabh saying which made me stumbled. Ofcourse I loved him! He is still my husband how can I erase those feelings which are present in my heart. This is what I wanted to say aloud and more but all I could do was to sob uncontrollably.

"I know I am being harsh with you but this was required Kavya and I'll be very honest with you I know that you love my friend that is why I don't need your validation regarding your feelings. I have not come here to hurt your emotions or humiliate you but I have came here to let you know about Viraj." Rishabh said and took a few steps towards the leather couch in the centre of the living room.

"I have known him since we were 15 years of age. We met in an orphanage in Mumbai. The moment we met we had just clicked together instantly and I was aware that we are going to stay together for a long period of time. He told me about his real parents that he had lost them in an accident while he was at his home at that time. Whatever had happened was really unfortunate. You know Kavya I hated when I used to see him getting nightmares where he used to scream and cry for his parents.

It was one summer when we were 17 years old that an old lousy man came in our orphanage, he was one of the investors of that place he had came there for a meeting but in the end of the day he took both of us under his care. Initially we thought that probably we are among those fortunate onces who are able to receive the love of a family again but how wrong we were. When we arrived at his place, we were dumbfounded to see that it was not a small and comfortable home that every child looks forward to rather it was a humongous luxurious mansion that was screaming danger.

The moment we stepped inside the mansion we were informed that he was not some typical businessman rather he was one of the biggest Mafia leader of that time he took us under his care to help him in his illegal activities. There was not even a single day when he had not tortured us like animals. There was a fixed protocol where each and every person was trained harshly. We were forced to stay inside that cage, though it appeared like we were living but the harsh fact was that our hearts were dead long back.

He had forced us multiple times to take part in his criminal activities and do murders or abductions for him however our concious had never allowed us to do so that is why he shifted us to another team where we were responsible for keeping a watch on our targets or doing some basic deliveries.

Viraj was a wanderer. We used to spent days and nights in loneliness and somehow we were bound to get addicted to our loneliness. However one day he meet someone special as if he have known them all his life.

I don't know what exactly it feels but I'll tell you his words he used to tell me that in you he found his own reason to live. It seemed as if he had found a whole new reason and purpose to live all over again.

All throughout our lives, we meet a lot of people but not all of them become an integral part of our lives but when it does, we tend to find the real meaning of living all over again.

On the contrary do you even know how you use to behave with him?

No right? Let me elaborate it to you. The main reason he never told you about his past, his work or his profession was because the reality is that you use to hate him and you never liked his presence. Your parents were angels who used to cherish us like their own sons on the opposite you felt as if we are rowdies and would harm you and your family although that's not your fault that is exactly why he never told you about his identity because he knew that his past extremely messy that you would never believe him.

Tell me on your own Kavya if he would have told you that he was a mobster would you have accepted his love?

Just think about it Kavya take your time and then you can let me know but just to be on very transparent note, let me tell you that yes you were engaged to some other man but despite that Viraj used to love you from aside. Though I came here in agony and I wanted to tell you each and everything about your so-called ex-fiance but I can't do that to my friend. He had refrained me from doing so, and I would not go against his words--atleast I don't want to lose him.

Just think and tell me that should really your's and Viraj's past matter now?"

Rishabh's words were a harsh reality check for me, his each and every word made it hard for me to stay balanced. I stumbled down and began to cry hysterically now realising that how much my actions and words have had hurt my own husband. My body hunched over, as if carrying the weight of my unspoken grief on my shoulders. I clenched my fists and found it hard to breathe next. All I could see was Viraj's pained expressions in my eyes. I didn't know when it had happened but I felt exhaustion washing over me and suddenly sleep took over me. From my peripheral vision I could see my Masi, Masa Ji and Rishabh running towards me screaming out my name.

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Hey Guys 👋

•Another update back to back 🤭🤧 How was the chapter?

•Do you think this was a much needed reality check to Kavya?

•Do you think Rishabh handled the situation properly?

•I Wanted a help from all the reader's of this book. Can you all please tell me that if the book doesn't seem too dragging. I know the main plot of this book is the truth and reality of Kavya's life but I can't put that directly without portraying the character's feelings. So kindly mention a yes if you feel that the story is going smoothly without any rush. Any other opinion is also welcomed. I would appreciate maximum feedback.

Till Then
Bye Fam 🫂