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Chapter One

Riddhima pushed the glass of orange juice Vansh tried to offer her.

"Subah ho chuki hai Vansh aur mein abhi bhi chal nahi sakti." She informed him in a loud voice.

Sighing, Vansh put the glass back on the tray where the remainder of her breakfast rested untouched.

"Meine kaha na thodi der mein teekh ho jaogi." He stood up and buttoned his suit's jacket.

"Tumne mere saath aisa kyun kiya?" She asked in a broken voice. "I trusted you." A hot tear rolled down her cheek.

Vansh directed his pained eyes towards her and replied, "And I trusted you. Phir bhi dhoka diya na?"

Riddhima shook her head. "Woh meri galti thi."

"Aur mera tum par vishwas kar na meri galti thi." His own eyes reddened with fresh hot tears.

He had walked halfway towards the door when Riddhima called out to him. "Vansh, please! You can't leave me like this. Agar mujhe kuch ho gaya toh?"

Vansh ground his jaw and clenched his fists. He closed his eyes to make his will even more resolute. When he had gained enough courage, he left without saying or hearing another word.

"Vansh!" Riddhima cried out for him whilst clutching her paralyzed legs.

Weeping, she looked down at her immobile limbs. She knew her mistake was a grave one, but surely she didn't deserve a punishment this severe. Sniffling, she reached for the food Vansh had brought for her. If she wanted to regain any form of energy, she might as well eat.

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Nearly an hour had passed and Riddhima's legs still couldn't move. After trying to wiggle her toes and failing once again, she slumped back down onto her pillow, feeling unusually exhausted.

She glanced at her nightstand where her phone was resting. Leaning over, she stretched her arm out the best she could and captured it. She pulled up her chat with Vansh and clicked into the typing box. She paused for a long time as she thought about what she could possibly say that would make him give her another chance.

In the end, she sent him a simple, "Please come home."

She stared at the screen for a long few minutes, hoping he would read her message. But there was no activity from his side.

Sighing, she turned off her phone and keeping it beside her on the bed, she laid back down on the bed. Grabbing Vansh's pillow, she hugged it close to her chest. She inhaled his scent and squeezed her eyes.

She made a horrible mistake by not trusting him, and she genuinely wished to make amends for it. But rendering her legs numb and leaving her alone in a house where people waited for the opportune moment to attack her... that surely wasn't right.

"Vansh, please ghar aa jao." She spoke weakly into his pillow.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Riddhima looked up to see Anupriya walk into the bedroom. Panicking, Riddhima sat up and quietly opened her phone using her biometrics. Holding down on the microphone icon, she began recording.

"Bechari Riddhima. Vansh toh ghar par hai nahi. Ab tumhe kaun bachane aaye ga?" She taunted.

Riddhima's heart sank. In all the times she had been attacked before, she had never felt an ice cold dread as the one she was feeling now.

"Bachane? A-Aap ka kya matlab hai Mummyji?" Riddhima asked.

Her eyes widened when with a smirk, Anupriya brandished a syringe. There was a clear liquid inside.