Udaariyaan: Entangled Hearts

Chapter 1

The Proposal

It was a dark, quiet night. Nehmat sat restlessly in their room, her eyes constantly flicking toward the door. The day had been long and heavy—it was the day the verdict was finally delivered in Fatejo's murder case.

Her mind drifted back to the courtroom.

Flashback:
She remembered how Advait had stood before the judge and confessed—not only to the crimes his father had committed but also to his own complicity. He admitted everything. When the court granted him pardon as a witness for coming clean and sentenced Shamsher to life imprisonment, Advait had gripped her hand tightly, silent tears streaming down his face.
Flashback ends.

Nehmat sighed. It must have torn him apart—to go against his own father. After all, he had been his father's shadow all his life. But what haunted her now was the question: Why? Why did he do it? Why did he go against the man he once idolized... for me?

Suddenly, the door slammed open.

Startled, Nehmat turned to find Advait stumbling in, visibly drunk. Her heart clenched at the sight. She rushed to steady him, but he raised a hand, silently gesturing that he didn't need her help. Yet as he stepped forward, his legs gave way—and he collapsed into her arms, his head resting against her shoulder.

She gasped under his weight, struggling to hold him up. "So this is what you meant by not needing help?" she said with a trace of sarcasm, trying to lighten the moment.

Advait slowly lifted his head and locked eyes with her. His grey eyes—usually cold and unreadable—were now filled with something she couldn't quite name. She stared back, frozen, sensing he was holding something in. The air between them thickened. Unable to bear both the tension and his weight any longer, Nehmat looked away and gently shifted his arm over her shoulder, guiding him toward the bed with his weight leaning heavily against her.

But as they reached the edge, her strength gave in, and he dropped onto the bed with a dull thud, landing in a sitting position.

"Please lie down, Advait," she said softly, brushing the sweat from her forehead. "It's been a long day. You must be exhausted."

She turned toward the nightstand, noticed the jug was empty, and picked it up. "I'll get some water," she said.

But before she could take a step, Advait's hand shot out and caught her wrist. In one swift motion, he pulled her back. She twirled, lost balance, and landed straight on his lap, eyes shut tight in panic, clutching the jug to her chest. When she opened them, she found herself sitting safely in his lap, his arms lightly around her for support.

Their eyes met again.

He gazed at her, and with surprising tenderness, he tucked two stray strands of hair behind her ears. His fingers brushed against the sensitive skin behind her ear, and she shivered.

"W-what are you doing, Advait?" she asked, voice trembling.

He looked at her, a faint, bitter smile on his lips. "What am I doing? Can't you tell?"

She blinked, confused, shaking her head.

He inhaled deeply, emotion welling up in his eyes. Then, with a sudden outburst, his voice broke:
"I went against my own father... the man who was my strength, my shield... for you! I stood in that courtroom and charged him for the murder of your parents—for you! I sent my father to prison for the rest of his life... only for you, Nehmat. For you, you, you!"

Nehmat stared at him, stunned. Her lips parted as she tried to form words. "But... but why? Why would you hurt yourself like that—for me?"

Advait's voice cracked as he shouted, "Because I love you, goddammit!"

Silence fell.

Nehmat's eyes widened in shock, her breath caught in her throat. The jug slipped slightly from her grasp.

His confession echoed in the stillness of the room, hanging heavy between them—raw, broken, and undeniably real.

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To be continued.