A few more days passed like this.
Bella spent her time enjoying sweet moments with her family and Rick.
Ria and Alex grew closer with each passing day.
Meanwhile, Meg and Rian were planning to reveal the truth about themselves to their daughter, Ria, eager to see how she would react.
But all this while, there was a forgotten soul, Nidhi. She and Ben had been very close, yet he suddenly disappeared without a single call or message. Desperate to find him, she went to the military camp, only to be told that he had taken leave for a few days. The news left her devastated. She spoke less, her mind constantly drifting into a Neverland of her own.
One fine day…
Nidhi was taking a walk in the park. It was almost empty. A cool breeze swayed her loose hair, while her eyes looked lifeless with dark circles.
Suddenly, someone yanked her behind a large tree. A big hand clamped over her mouth, stopping her scream.
"Mhmm!" She struggled desperately to free herself.
"It's me," a familiar voice whispered.
She looked up at her captor and froze. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. In anger and pain, she bit the hand covering her mouth hard.
"Ouch!" Ben cried, pulling his hand away but still holding her close. "Crazy woman! Why did you bite me?"
Nidhi stared at him with blazing eyes.
"Because you disappeared all of a sudden and didn't even bother telling me!" she snapped, tears streaming down her face.
"How stupid of me… Who am I to you, anyway?" she scoffed, turning her face away, though she remained trapped in his arms.
That was the moment Ben realized he had messed up badly. He sighed, closing his eyes, finally understanding how deeply he had hurt her.
"Move aside. I'm busy," she said, trying to push him away.
Instead, he pulled her into a tight hug.
"You know who you are to me, baby."
"No, I don't know anything. I don't know you. Leave me," she said, struggling again.
"Stop struggling, Nidhi," Ben warned softly, "or I'll kiss you right here until you lose your breath."
Caught off guard, she froze, her cheeks turning pink.
Sensing her silent tears, he held her even tighter.
"Baby, please listen to me. I know I was wrong, and a sorry isn't enough. But forgive me, I can't live without you. The situation was different, and I had to leave. Please let me explain… hmm?"
She only sniffled.
"Look at me, baby."
She shook her head, burying her face deeper into his chest.
Gently, he lifted her chin. Her eyes were wet with tears, her fingers clenching his shirt as she whispered,
"I… I thought you left me."
"How could I?" he murmured. "You are my everything."
"You didn't even leave a message."
"I know. It's my mistake. You can punish me, but please forgive me."
She looked at him for a moment, then started hitting his chest weakly. Ben only smiled, letting her vent all her pain.
"Okay, okay… calm down, my lady," he said softly. "Come, let me take you somewhere."
She stopped and looked at him, confused. "Where?"
"Just come with me."
Together, they left for his villa.
In his private villa.
Both of them reached his villa and stepped into the living room.
"You wait here. Let me make some quick coffee," he said before heading to the kitchen.
She wandered around, her eyes roaming over the photographs hung on the wall. Most of them were family pictures, but one frame caught her attention. She froze, staring at it in disbelief.
"Bella?" she murmured with a frown.
"Yes. It's Bella. Our Isabella," Ben said from behind, holding two cups of coffee.
Nidhi turned to him, confusion clouding her face.
Ben guided her to the couch and narrated everything that had happened in detail.
"Oh God…" she whispered, then sighed softly.
"When will she be back? We really miss her."
Ben chuckled. "Soon, I guess. Our parents are coming back to Country N to settle here."
Nidhi's face lit up with a broad smile. "That's great. So our Bella baby will always be with us."
Ben scooted closer and pulled her into his arms. "Mm-hmm. And I'll be with you always," he whispered into her ear.
She shivered at his words.
Just like that, they spent their time together, wrapped in warmth and comfort.