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SHIVANSH'S POV:

I was still sitting on my knees and saw Inayat walking away, leaving me. It felt like my life was leaving me. I felt as if my heartbeats were stopping. 

She said "die," and I wanted to die. I closed my eyes. My breaths were halting; I thought I was going to die. But then something flashed in front of my eyes, and it was the smiling faces of my children. 

Yes, for me, Advay, Aahana, Advik, and Adwit are my children, and they completely depend on me. I have to stay strong for them. I couldn't make the same mistake again. I tried standing up, gathering all my courage. 

I was about to stumble when Advay held me. Thank God the kids weren't here right now, otherwise they would have started hating Inayat after this, but I don't want that. 

Advay left me, and I turned around just to find Aahana standing there. And looking at her face, I knew she had heard everything.

But before she could go outside, I quickly held her and pulled her back. When she looked at me, I shook my head, signaling her not to say anything to Inayat. 

She jerked my hands away and shouted, "No, she can't leave like this. She can't just walk away after hurting you so much. How can she do this to you?" 

I sighed, pulled her towards me, and hugged her, resting her head on my chest while patting her head. I said, "It's okay, bacha, I've done more wrong to her." 

She looked up at me and said, "No, bhai, you've been apologizing for so long. You've done everything you could for her. But still, she only humiliated you, and now she's crossed the line. 

How dare she say that 'die' line to you? I will never forgive her. If she didn't want to talk, she could have stayed silent. What was the need to say all that? If she doesn't want to stay with us, why does she keep coming back?"

My heart clenched seeing her cry like that. I hugged her tightly again and said, trying to calm her down, "Aahana, she loves you so much. Don't say things like that." 

She hugged me even tighter and replied, "Bhai, I also love her a lot, but I love you more than her, and I can't see you suffering anymore. If anything happens to you, I don't know how I will survive." 

I sighed and glanced to my side to see Advay. When our eyes met, he just turned around and went to his room. I know why he is behaving like that. He thinks that once again, for a girl, I will leave all of them. But this time, that is not going to happen.

I pulled away from Aahana, wiped her tears with my shirt sleeves, cupped her cheeks, and said, "Aahana, understand this clearly: nothing will happen to me, and I will never leave you all and go anywhere. What is happening to me now doesn't bother me because this is my punishment." 

She shook her head again and said, "No, bhai, it's all my fault. If I had listened to Inu dii and not gone into the kitchen that day, none of this would have happened."

 Saying this, she started crying again. My heart was aching so much. Because of me, everyone is crying and unhappy.

I pulled her into a side hug and started walking towards the kitchen. I made her sit on a chair at the small dining table in the kitchen. 

Going near the fridge, I said, "Nothing happened because of you, and this is the last time I'm saying this. If you ever mention it again, I will never talk to you. You are all children. I don't expect you to not make mistakes. 

You will make mistakes, but I should have acted thoughtfully, which I didn't, and in this matter, no one else is at fault except me. So, I warn you, if you ever say this again, I will not talk to you ever." 

I said this in a very stern voice and then took a bowl of ice cream and gave it to her. She took it and started eating it silently.

I then sat in front of her, took her hands in mine, and said, "Aahana, I have told our jet to come, and you, Advik, and Adwit will go to Delhi to mom and dad and stay there for a while until everything here gets better." 

She was about to say something when I cut her off and said, "Bacha, those two are too young to be involved in all this, and you know I can't send them there alone, so you will have to go too. It's just for a week, and after that, I will fix everything.

 I promise you that. But right now, listen to me because this is best for everyone." She didn't protest further and agreed.

I then got up and said, "Okay, I have told the jet to come early tomorrow morning. Go and explain to Advik and Adwit. You are their older sister; it is your responsibility because they won't listen to me, and I can't deny them.

 So, you explain to them and sleep early because you have to wake up early tomorrow." 

She just nodded, hugged me again, and went away. I know she is very sad, but right now, it's best for them to stay away.

 Because nobody knows what Vikrant is going to do next, I can't take any risks. Thinking this, I also went to my room.

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RHEA'S POV:

I was in shock, my emotions a tangled mess I couldn't even begin to unravel. What Inayat had said was horrifying. I know, I know I'm her best friend, maybe more than that, but what she said today crossed a line. 

I couldn't believe Inayat could be so harsh. Yes, she was hurting, but the way she reacted was beyond unreasonable.

I went behind Inayat to stop her but before I could reach her she drove away so I also decided to go behind her to her place and talk to her.

Driving to Inayat's apartment, my heart pounded painfully in my chest. I parked my car and rushed toward her building, my mind a whirlwind of frustration and confusion. 

I rang the doorbell, and when she opened the door, I walked in without a word.

"I know why you're here," she said, her voice flat and weary, devoid of any warmth.

I nodded, struggling to keep my emotions from spilling over. Before she could say anything else, I began, my voice strained with a mix of anger and sadness. 

"Inayat, I'm not here to take sides. I'm trying to make you understand what's happening. If you're ready to move on, then just do it. If you want to go to the US, go. But don't keep coming back into his life. There was no reason for you to go to Ashiyana with Vikrant. 

If he wanted to discuss Shivansh's life with you, you should have refused, because you don't want to be connected with him, right? So don't involve yourself in his matters or drag others into this mess. If you want to leave Shivansh, then do it properly. 

Move on. What you're doing now isn't moving on; it's just coming back over and over, causing more pain, and dragging Vedant into this chaos for no reason. Please, just try to understand what I'm saying."

I looked at her, hoping for some reaction, some acknowledgment. But she just stared at the floor, her expression unreadable, and the silence between us felt like a suffocating weight.

Frustration and resignation surged within me. I sighed heavily, nodding once more, and turned to leave. 

As I walked away, the oppressive silence lingered, and I felt a deep mix of anger and helplessness, unsure of what, if anything, had been resolved.

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SHIVANSH'S POV:

 I wanted to talk to Advay, but I was utterly exhausted and drained. I decided I'd speak with him later; he'd understand. I retreated to my room, hoping to find some solace.

Sitting on the bed, memories of Inayat washed over me. I pulled out my phone and gazed at a picture of her—one I took when she was deeply engrossed in her work. Her face was serene, her focus intense.

 I traced her image on the screen with my finger, aching to reach through and touch her, to comfort her, to express how profoundly sorry I am.

 But the harsh reality is that I am the source of her pain, the reason for her suffering. The love I have for her is overwhelming, yet it's tangled with guilt.

She has endured so much, her life a series of betrayals and disappointments. I wish I had known all of this before; I wish I could have spared her from this hurt. 

My mind cruelly taunted me, "You've hurt her too."

The pain in my chest was almost unbearable, and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I knew I deserved this torment. 

A tear slipped down my cheek, and soon, tears were flowing uncontrollably. I felt as though I had ruined everything. 

Things could have been so beautiful, so perfect if I had only kept my composure. If I had been in my right mind, Inayat would still be with me.

Everything was my fault. Inayat, Advay, Ahana, Rhea—everyone was suffering because of me. I broke down completely, the weight of my mistakes crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

 Tears streamed down my face as I confronted the immense pain I had caused.

But I couldn't allow myself to crumble. I had to be strong—for Ahana, Advay, Advik, and Adwit. I wiped away my tears, struggling to gather the shreds of my resolve. 

They needed me to hold it together, even when everything felt like it was falling apart. My regret couldn't paralyze me. They deserved better.

They all depend on me. If I falter, they will too. I can't let my sorrow drag them down. I can't drown in my sadness. I can't forget about them. I need to take action.

I resolved to talk to Inayat one last time. I would try to make her understand. If she decides to leave me, if she believes she'll be happier without me and chooses to move on, I'll let her go. 

I won't return to her life. My heart felt heavy, and a trembling sigh escaped my lips. For the sake of my family, I will try to move on. My sole purpose now will be them.

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NEXT MORNING:

I woke up and first I dropped Aahana, Advika and Advit at the airport. They were denying to go away again and again. Since my uncle aunty's death they always stay with me.

 They never lived far away except those few months. And they were more reluctant because of the ongoing situation. Obviously because all of them have the same fear that I would again leave them alone. 

But I assured them that is never going to happen. And with a heavy heart finally I sent them to mom and dad. I just hope they behave well with them. After this I finally left for Aryan's basement 

We gathered in Aryan's basement: Inayat, Rhea, Advay, Aryan, Vikrant, and Trisha.

Vikrant's voice cut through the silence, laced with a hint of mockery. "Well, here I am, Shivansh. Show me your so-called evidence."

I met his gaze, my resolve steeling. "Let's get inside and see what the truth is."

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The chapter is little short but that is also 2346 words. So I will try to update soon and I have also not given any targets. I will upload the next chapter within Tuesday. 

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