Udaariyaan: Entangled Hearts

Chapter 4

Family problems

Kapoor House – Nehmat and Advait's Room

Nehmat's heart sank slightly as she opened the door, expecting Advait but finding Nikhil instead. His expression was solemn, his eyes heavy with concern. It was rare to see him this serious.

"Nikhil?" she asked, surprised.

"Bhabs," he said quietly, "it's something serious. Can we talk inside?"

Although her heart was restless—still yearning to speak to Advait—Nehmat nodded and stepped aside. "Come in."

They both sat down, an uneasy silence filling the room. After a moment, Nehmat gently prompted, "What's wrong, Nikhil? You look troubled."

Nikhil exhaled a long, shaky breath, then met her eyes. "Bhabs... I want to divorce Naaz."

The words hit Nehmat like a bolt. She blinked, completely caught off guard. "What?" she said softly, stunned. "What are you saying, Nikhil? Don't you love her?"

"I did," Nikhil said, voice low and pained. "I loved her with all my heart... with everything I had. But now..." He trailed off.

Nehmat leaned forward. "But now what, Nikhil?"

He closed his eyes briefly, collecting his courage. Then, with a heavy breath, he spoke. "Now, I love someone else."

Nehmat stared at him in disbelief. "What...?"

Flashback:
The early days of Nikhil and Naaz's marriage had been warm, filled with affection and promises. But as time passed, Naaz's insecurities grew. She couldn't bear the attention Nehmat received in the Kapoor family as Advait's wife. She started comparing Nikhil to Advait—pushing him, pressuring him.

Blinded by love, Nikhil sacrificed his dreams—abandoning his passion for fashion design to take on responsibilities in the family business, just to make Naaz happy. He worked tirelessly, trying to prove himself.

But no matter what he did, Naaz was never satisfied. Her taunts cut deep. "You'll never be like Advait. You're just a loser," she would say.

Their arguments became frequent. On one such morning, after a particularly harsh exchange, Nikhil arrived at the office emotionally drained. His secretary reminded him about the interview for a new employee. Nikhil asked her to send the candidate in.

As he waited, Naaz's harsh words echoed in his ears.

"I gave up my dream of becoming a fashion designer for her," he thought bitterly.

"You should be glad you didn't," Naaz had snapped. "You would've been a failure anyway."

Tears welled up in his eyes. He whispered to himself, "Was it really foolish... to dream of being a designer?"

And then, a calm, clear voice came from behind: "No, it's not. If that's where your heart lies, you should absolutely follow it."

He turned around, startled, to see the woman who would soon change everything.
Flashback ends.

Back in the room, Nikhil continued, "For the first time in so long, I felt seen. She didn't judge me, didn't compare me. She simply understood me. Her words stayed with me. They gave me strength to respect myself again, to live without constantly proving my worth."

He paused.

Nehmat, her concern deepening, asked gently, "But don't you still love Naaz, somewhere?"

Nikhil shook his head, the hurt in his eyes now replaced with a quiet resolve. "I thought Naaz was my world, Bhabs. But her constant disrespect—towards me, my feelings, my dreams—it slowly pushed me away. I didn't even realize when... when I stopped loving her."