RANISA-HIS FIRST WIFE

1.More at stake?

Third Person POV:)

"I married her to save her from the disgrace and shame that society would have thrust upon her," Abhirath said, his voice steady but tinged with an edge of desperation. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows across his face, highlighting the tension etched into his features.

Vedanti's eyes flashed with anger and hurt, the pain of his betrayal still raw. "Oh, and if you had made her your sister, you could have saved her reputation then too, couldn't you, Hukum?" she retorted, the formal title dripping with bitterness. "But no, you just had to marry her, didn't you? No explanation, no warning—just a decision made without a thought for what it would do to me."

Abhirath took a hesitant step closer, his face etched with regret. "Vedanti, you have to understand—"

"No," she interrupted, her voice rising like a storm. "You don't get to stand there and tell me what I need to understand. You don't get to justify your actions now. You broke my trust, Abhirath. You shattered my heart. How can you expect me to believe anything you say?"

The pain in her eyes cut him deeply. He reached out, trying to take her hand, but she pulled away, her movements sharp and defensive. "I was young, naive," she continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "I trusted you with everything I had. And what did you do? You left me alone in the dead of night, forced me to fend for myself. You planned my parents' deaths, manipulated every part of my life. How can you claim to love me when you've caused me so much pain?"

Abhirath's eyes filled with anguish, his hand hovering in the air before dropping to his side. "Vedanti, every action I took was to protect you, even if it doesn't seem that way. I thought I was doing what was best."

She shook her head, tears welling up but refusing to fall. "Protect me? By destroying everything I held dear? You don't understand, Abhirath. Love isn't about control or making decisions for someone. It's about trust, respect, and standing by each other."

The silence between them grew heavy, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them. Abhirath's shoulders sagged, the fight seeming to drain out of him. "I never meant to hurt you," he whispered, the words barely audible. "I thought I was saving you from a worse fate."

Vedanti looked away, unable to meet his gaze. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in as the past's ghosts haunted them. "Sometimes," she said softly, "the worst fate is losing the person you once loved and trusted the most."

Abhirath's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but he knew there was no quick fix for the rift between them. He had lost her trust, and perhaps, he had lost her heart forever.

Vedanti turned away, walking to the window where the last rays of the setting sun cast a warm, golden hue over the landscape. She felt the cool breeze on her face, a stark contrast to the storm raging within her.

Abhirath stood silently, watching her silhouette against the twilight. The silence between them was thick, filled with unspoken words and regrets. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to speak again.

"Vedanti," he began softly, "I know words can't undo what I've done, but I need you to know that I truly believed I was protecting you. Everything I did was out of love."

Vedanti's back remained turned to him, her shoulders stiffening at his words. "Love?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Love shouldn't hurt this much, Abhirath. Love shouldn't leave scars that never heal."

She finally turned to face him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You talk about protection, but all I see is control and manipulation. You took away my choices, my freedom. You left me in the dark, abandoned and alone."