The evening air was crisp as Abhi walked through the garden of his estate, his thoughts tangled in a web of past and present. The conversation with Ishika had been unexpectedly calming, but the weight of everything that had happened still pressed against his chest.
His phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.
Meet me at the old library. One last time. Please.
Abhi's grip tightened on the device. He knew who it was-Ruhi. A part of him wanted to ignore it, to let her fade into the past like a forgotten memory. But another part of him, the one that hated unfinished business, compelled him to go.
---
At the old library, Ruhi sat at a dimly lit table, her hands gripping the edge as she waited. She had rehearsed her words over and over. She had to make him understand. She had to make him stay.
When Abhi finally arrived, she stood abruptly. "You came."
"I don't have much time, Ruhi. Say what you need to say."
Her throat tightened. "Abhi, please. You're misunderstanding everything. That night, what you heard-it wasn't like that. I was upset, I wasn't thinking straight."
Abhi's jaw clenched. "I heard you say I was just a stepping stone. That my money, my name, was all you wanted."
Tears welled in her eyes. "I was angry! I didn't mean it!"
He scoffed. "You didn't mean it? Ruhi, I gave you everything-my trust, my love. And you threw it all away."
Ruhi reached for his hand, but he stepped back. "Abhi, please. I can change. I will change."
A bitter smile formed on his lips. "No, Ruhi. You won't. Because this isn't about change. This is about who you are."
She shook her head, panic creeping in. "No! You love me! You do!"
Abhi sighed. "Maybe I did. But love without trust is just an illusion."
Silence filled the room, thick with finality. Ruhi's breath hitched, realizing that no matter what she said, it was over.
Abhi turned to leave. But before he could, Ruhi's voice rang out-sharp, desperate. "If you walk away now, you'll regret it."
He paused but didn't look back. "No, Ruhi. For the first time, I won't."
And with that, he walked out, leaving her in the shadows of her own making.
---
Outside, the night sky stretched endlessly above him. The weight on his shoulders felt lighter, the golden cage around him cracking just a little more.
And for the first time in a long while, Abhi felt truly free.
.......to be continued....