Read the note at end.

To say ridhima was shocked would be an understatement. She was numb because of the person before her. Never in her dreams, she had thought she will come across him again but here her past itself came knocking on her door scaring her to the core.

Today she was expecting Advik and aarav to come over as she has promised Aarav that she will bake his favourite chocolate cake for him. Thinking that they were here she had happily opened the door only to be stood dumbfounded later.

"Ridhima

A soft whisper broke her out of the trance and Before she knew she was taken into a bone-crushing hug.

Vansh wrapped his arms around her burying his face in the crook of her neck as he cried in happiness. His tears flowed down his cheeks to her neck making Ridhima close her eyes.

Realisation dawned on Ridhima. If he is here before her, hugging her as if his life depended on it, crying his heart out, then he must have come to know the truth. And he was here to ask for forgiveness.

But wasn't it too late?

Angre's eyes moistened seeing them. He made his way back to the car giving them privacy.

"Kitna dhoonda maine tumeh ridhima. Pichle paanch saalon mai ek pal bhi aisa nahi guzra Jab maine tumeh yaad na kiya ho. Mai har roz Mar Raha tha tumahre Bina yeh sochkar ki na jaane tum kahan hogi, kaisi hogi."

Ridhima stood still as vansh was hugging her tightly refusing to leave her.

Vansh didn't wanted to part from her. He wished for time to stop so that he can bask in her embrace. To convince his heart that she was real and not his dream or hallucination.

As Ridhima couldn't bear him anymore she tried to push him away from her but he didn't even budge. In fact, he tightened his arms further making Ridhima's breath hitch.

"Leave me," Ridhima said with gritted teeth.

Vansh snapped open his eyes as he heard her. It took him a few seconds to understand the words she said and when he did he reluctantly and with a heavy heart unwrapped his arms around her and took a step back just enough to look at her face. His breath still fanning her face. He looked into her eyes which were blank at the moment staring at him emotionless and it would be wrong if we say that it didn't crushed his heart.

Five years ago those eyes held so much love and care for him but now they were empty looking at him like he was a stranger.

Had he become a stranger for her now?

Even if he had, he shouldn't be complaining?

Should he?

Ridhima averted her eyes from his face and herself backed away from him. A tear rolled down from his eyes which he instantly wiped.

He gazed at her with all the love, adoration and longing. She looked gorgeous and breathtaking as ever. Even more than before. She looked similar yet different. He noticed her hair. They were short just till her shoulders.

Oh! How much he loved her hair.

Feeling a strong gaze on her Ridhima couldn't help but glance at him. Her breath hitched as she stared at him. He looked very similar yet different from the vansh raisinghani she knew. From his dominant personality, he looked the same but one look in his eyes and anyone could guess the sadness and pain he carried. No arrogance, no ego, not that blank and mysterious look he carried always. His eyes had dark circles with tears telling the tale of his painful and sleepless nights. But this time she refused to acknowledge it.

She composed herself. She will not fall weak before him again. She has to be strong for she will not let this man play with her or her life again. NEVER.

"Sweetheart," Vansh whispered longingly. He just wanted to hold her in his embrace and never let her go but stopped himself from doing that.

"What are you doing here?" A shiver ran down his spine hearing the coldness in her voice.

She shot him a pointed look akin to rage making him close his eyes.

Blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes he looked helplessly at her.

"I-I came for you,"

"Me?" Ridhima raised her eyebrows at him almost mockingly.

" May I know why Mr.Raisinghania?"

Vansh fell silent. He couldn't gather himself to answer the question. Lowering his eyes he stood before her silently.

"Oh! I get it. You must have gotten to know the real truth from your sister about me that's why you are here or you didn't get satisfied enough by making my life hell, you came here to ruin it more?" She spat angrily.

"No!" Vansh almost shouted widening his eyes.

"I would never do that again sweetheart. Never again."

"Don't you dare call me sweetheart! You have no right to do that."

Ridhima didn't want to stand there anymore. She felt suffocated in his presence. His face, his voice, his words everything of him reminded her of the pain she had gone through.

Vansh gulped painfully but she was right. With what right he was calling her that when he himself snatched her identity of his wife. When he was planning to not recognise her.

"I am s-sorry. I- " He choked on his words.

Ridhima said cutting him off, " Why are you here? What is the Vansh Raisinghani doing here? At a middle-class woman's house. For what? "

The disgust while saying his name was clearly noticed by him.

Taking slow steps towards her he did something which Ridhima had never thought he would do.

Vansh raisinghani fell down on his knees before the woman he love with all his heart that too for the second time.

No doubt he had done this before but this time he carried the weight of his guilt and regret. When five years ago he had thought he would never see this woman again. Today he was on his knees before her. Certainly, everything doesn't go as you have planned.

He held her hand and no matter how much she wanted she couldn't pull it back as he touched his forehead on the back of her hand while breaking down.

He cried and cried revealing everything that happened in the past five years after he left her alone in that damn hotel.

"I am sorry Ridhima, I am truly sorry, I regret everything I did with you, Trust me, I regret badly. I shouldn't have done that. I had no right to do what I did with you. I am sorry sweetheart. Main apne badle aur ego mein itna andha hogaya tha ki mujhe tumahra pyaar aur tumahra dard dikha hi nahi. Maine tumahre saath bohat bura kiya. Uss ahana ke saath milkar tumari Jaa-jaan khatre mein daldi. Tumeh uss hotel main ak-akela chhod diya. Aur itna hi nhi, main toh apne badle mein itna gir gaya ki sirf tumeh dard mai dekhne ke liye Ahana ko poore media ke saamne apni wife announce kar diya iss soch Mai ki tum aavogi aur dekho gi." Ridhima closed her eyes in pain remembering his brutal plan.

" Lekin tum kabhi aayi hi nhi sweetheart. Tum kabhi aayi hi nahi. Meri aankhe taras gayi tumeh dekhne ke liye. Mai tumeh dhoondhna chahta tha Ridhima lekin phir se mere ego ki wajah se maine apne dil ki baat ko andekha kar diya aur trust me unn sab gunaho ki saza muje milli. Siya ne hosh Mai aakar sab sach bata diya. Tab se tumeh dhoondhne ki koshish karaha tha par tumahre kahi pata hi nahi chala. Paanch saal beet gaye. Inn paanch saalon mai bohat kuch badal gaya. Jin logon ko hamesha apni family maana,unnuh ne toh kabhi meri parwah hi nhi ki. Mai kaisa hu kis haal Mai hu kisi ne nahi pucha. Siya mujhse aaj bhi naraz hai, woh toh shehar chhod ke chali gayi. Dadi, jisse itna pyar Kiya uss ne mujhe sab se bade dokhe mai rakha. Koi mera apna nahi tha uss ghar mein. Tab jaake mehsoos huwa ki tumeh kaisa lagta hoga khud ko itna akela paakar. Uss mansion mai mujhe woh pal satate the Ridhima Jin mein main ne tumahre saath bohat bura kiya. Mai waha se chala gaya. Agar main zinda tha toh iss ummeed mai ki aaj nahi toh kal tum mujhe zaroor milo gi. Please mujhe ek aur chance de do apni galti sudharne ka. Chahr toh muje kaisi bhi saza dedo lekin please mujhe ek moqah dedo woh sab kuch theek karne ke liye jo Maine bigada hai. Please sweetheart.Mai tumahri maafi ke kuch bhi karu ga. Sirf ek moqah." He sobbed after he spoke his heart out. For five years he had kept all these things to himself. Today atleast he felt light after pouring out his feelings in front of her.

Ridhima went into deep thoughts. Her heart constricted at the pain in his voice. She chuckled sadly in her mind at the irony of life.

Five years ago, she was the one who begged him for forgiveness and a second chance but this man's heart didn't melt a bit. He did what he had planned.

So with what right he was asking the same from her now? Why is it that still every person only expects her to give?
But not Now.

She knew for sure that she didn't want anything to do with this man now. She doesn't love him anymore so, giving him a second chance is not even a question.

A look of determination passed across her face. And she knew what she had to do. Strengthening her resolve she said the words which shocked vansh to the core.

"I forgive you."

Vansh snapped his head towards her in shock.

"W-what?" He stood up slowly facing her not believing what she said.

Did he hear it right?

Staring right into his shocked eyes she repeated the words while snatching her hand from his taking a few steps back maintaining a good distance from him.

"I forgive you"

"Isn't that what you wanted. That's why you are here. Isn't it?"

Vansh tried to speak but she shut him down by saying coldly,

"No, don't say anything. You don't have to do any emotional drama here. I am forgiving you. I hold no grudge against you. I am forgiving you for everything you have ever done wrong with me. "

Vansh's eyes filled with more tears seeing her nonchalance. He never expected her to say these words. At least not this soon.
He did want forgiveness from her but it was so obvious to him that she didn't say it by heart.

"I want to earn your forgiveness sweetheart." He whispered looking helplessly at her.

"Cut the crap!!" Ridhima spat angrily.

"I am never going to fall into the trap of your words again. And this earns forgiveness, a second chance, mending things and all the crap. if I remember correctly, these words don't come in your dictionary right. So now what happened? Were these rules only at the time of me?" Questioned Ridhima.

Vansh lowered his eyes in shame and regret. Her words cut through his soul But Ridhima wasn't done yet.

"Actually you know what, I don't care now but you see l am not like you. I can never be. So that's why I am forgiving you because I don't want even the shadow of a man like you in my life."

Vansh looked up in fear.

"No sweetheart, Please listen to me."

"Did you?" Ridhima backfired.

"Just tell me one thing Mr Vansh Raisinghani." Ridhima crossed her arms.

"Would you have been here if Siya hadn't woken up? Would you still have been here if you hadn't got to know the truth?"

She asked the most dreaded question.

Although both knew the answer vansh feared to say it out loud. It made him curse himself.

Ridhima chuckled sadly.

"We both know the answer. You wouldn't have even bothered to look for me. I agree I made a mistake but what you did do. You left a girl at a hotel alone. You attacked me with that Ahana. You were planning to humiliate me. You didn't even bother to check on me too if I am okay at least. Anything could have happened to me"

Ridhima's eyes filled with tears remembering the initial days after he left her. They were too painful for her.

"Only after Siya told you the truth you started looking for me. Was this your love for me Vansh? " She complained softly.

Tears flowed down from his eyes because probably she didn't notice but he did as how she called his name so softly for the first time today and it made his insides burn.

"It's too late vansh, too late. I have learnt to live without you. I am happy and safe. I sleep peacefully at night knowing that there is no one to hurt me. I am living and breathing peacefully. Go Vansh. Go away from me. Please let me live my life. Never show me your face again.Please"

Ridhima knew how much her words were hurting him but she couldn't help it. She has come to the point where letting him stay in her life and accepting him back will be like killing herself everyday.

Vansh fell down on his knees with a thud and cried hard hearing her as he realised that indeed it was too late to mend anything now. In his revenge and ego he had long ago lost his sweetheart, his love forever.

After a while he wiped his tears and stood up. Coming near her he cupped her face softly as he kissed her forehead,closing his eyes cherishing the moment for one last time.For he knew it will be the last time he would see her.

Ridhima inside churned as she felt the soft touch of his lips on her forhead.

Backing away reluctantly vansh gazed at her beautiful face trying to memorize her every feature.He gulped down the pain and spoke the words which killed him internaly.

" I will go away sweetheart.I will go far away from you.I am happy and grateful that you are safe. Thats all i want."

With his heart paining he took back steps which will take him away from her and even before ridhima knew vansh was gone.

This time forever.
 

****

I had said that i will publish it on 22 may but couldn't because for some unfortunate reasons the internet connections were suspended in our city. So sorry for that.

I will publish an alternative ending tomorrow (a happy one) (both together).

I had ended this on a abrupt ending but i guess its better.I don't want to prolong it more.

Thanku so much all my readers for your patience and love.

❤️❤️❤️❤️