Love In Denial

37. Criminal?

Double update 💕

Ranvijay POV

I sat in my room, staring blankly at the laptop screen. It had been nearly a month since I returned home, my injuries healing faster than my heart.

Working in this room was just an excuse—an excuse not to leave, not to run into her.

I couldn't bear the thought of seeing Avni, yet I couldn’t shake the haunting feeling of her absence, this room is enough to eat me, seeing her away from me would gulp me alive.

Suyash was beside me, clicking away on his own laptop and then he suddenly spoke up.

“Bhai, what’s going on between you and bhabhi?”

The question made me tense, and an image of Avni flooded my mind, unbidden and sharp. The way her eyes used to light up when she looked at me, once full of trust.

The same in which i believed and thought that she lov.....That memory stung, and I forced it back.

“What do you mean?” I kept my tone flat.

He kept his gaze on his laptop, though I could see his brows knit with concern. “She doesn’t seem… happy. And it’s like you two avoid each other. I haven’t seen you together in weeks.”

“Why do you care?” I clenched my jaw.

“Bhabhi means a lot to us, bhai. She is like family now. She’s precious to all of us. None of us want to see her hurt, especially not because of..."he hesitated.

"Because of you" he completed and my eyes widened , when did she come this closer to everyone that my own brother is trying to threaten me with.

“Is she really that special to all of you?” The question slipped out, almost mocking, and I instantly regretted it.

They are not at fault for loving the daughter - in law of this family, it is me who has lied about our marriage.

“I can't even explain to you, bhai” He let out a sigh, his voice laced with something raw, something vulnerable.

“Papa and maa would do anything to protect her, you know. She’s like… their daughter and after your injury she really took care of us.The more she’s been with us, the more connected we’ve become to her.” he continued and i shook my head slightly.

It is scary them being connected to the women who will leave us it will break them.

'The more she has been with us, the more connected we have become to her'.

I swallowed, these words burrowing into me, scraping against everything I’d tried to bury.

I have heard that when maa got news of my accident she was almost faint for 28 hours, her emotional  accountability is low. She won't be able to tolerate our sep...separation news.

Fuck it.

I did all this for my mother and now she is in trouble, they might love Avni but I can't put my trust in her.

Not again.

Not when she pretended that she liked me too but for her i was just a weak man who shows his true emotions.

"I have to go, maa must be waiting for me" suyash grabbed his laptop and walked out of the room as he had to go to the hospital with maa.

I put my laptop on the table  and turning around i pulled the first cabinet of my drawer.

Divorce papers.

My lawyer prepared the divorce paper before i could even say to him and I got it in my hand the day I came back home but i never had the courage to give them to her. Maybe my heart somewhere had hope that she would come to me talk or meet but she didn't.