𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝟯𝟭. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲'𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴

Chapter Thirty-One: Time's Undoing

He wasn't in the right frame of mind either. Trapped in a monotonous cycle, it felt like he was living on autopilot. His days were a repetition of gym sessions, practice, meals, sleep, and then starting it all over again. Despite noticing that Nehmat wasn't doing her best either, he couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for her, knowing that he was the one who had been betrayed.

Meanwhile, Meera was being a bit clingy, but it wasn't as bad as Nehmat's initial clinginess. Surprisingly, he had gotten used to Nehmat's clinginess over time, and it felt strange when she wasn't around.

Though their love began with sympathy, he found himself falling for her more deeply as he witnessed Nehmat's raw and unfiltered side, only to realize it was all a facade. Although she fell in love with him first, he soon realized that his feelings for her were stronger than he had anticipated. It reached a point where he struggled to function properly without her by his side.

After he left her, tears streaming down her face, in the middle of the road without a second glance, his heart seemed to have a mind of its own. He couldn't resist stealing a glimpse through his hotel window, only to find her sitting on the pavement, tracing patterns on the ground. She wasn't crying just sitting there numb.

He recalled standing there until 4 am, torn between the desire to ensure she reached her room safely despite everything she had done to him. He wanted to go down and escort her, but his rational mind prevailed over his heart, forbidding him from acting impulsively. Yet, his humanity compelled him to continue watching over her.

At 4 am, as she dozed off on the road, he reached his breaking point. He was about to descend to her aid when he was stunned to see Virat, of all people, picking her up and carrying her inside the hotel. Perhaps Virat wasn't as bad as she had portrayed him after all.

That night, he found sleep to be an elusive companion. The turmoil of emotions swirling inside him kept him awake, his mind replaying the scene of leaving Nehmat on the road over and over again. As dawn broke, he resolved within himself that he wouldn't allow Nehmat's actions to disrupt his peace of mind any longer. He was determined to take control of his own happiness and not let her betrayal dictate his emotional well-being.

As the tour came to an end they had emerged victorious in the games against the Indies, and surprisingly, his recent heartbreak seemed to fuel a newfound aggression within him, which translated into a more assertive stance on the field. This intensity helped the team to put up significant runs on the board.

After the victory, he was expecting questions about the tour, but as soon as he entered the house, his family had other plans. The only question echoing from their lips, spoken in three different voices, was, "Where is Nehmat?"

Despite her betrayal, he couldn't bring himself to speak ill of Nehmat. "She's busy," became his default response, even though he was well aware of the doubts lingering in his family's minds. His behaviour had changed drastically—he no longer went out with friends or indulged in parties, opting to spend his time at home instead.

Their persistent questioning wore him down until one day, he couldn't hold back anymore. "She cheated," he finally confessed, the words barely audible as he struggled to accept the truth himself. But his family refused to believe it. The image he had painted of Nehmat, the way he had described her, made it inconceivable for them to accept that she could betray him.

Mumma Gill and Daddy Gill hadn't accepted the fact that she had betrayed him, but they made sure not to talk about it either. However, his elder sister was relentless. She kept insisting that he should trust Nehmat and talk to her. But what more was there to talk about? He had seen the photos, evidence presented by her own brother. He was certain Virat wouldn't go to such lengths to make Nehmat look bad, even though she was adopted and he never liked her. But conveying this understanding to his sister seemed impossible.

He had never shouted or lost my temper in so long, but that particular night, when his patience wore thin, he snapped. "I've told you Shahneel once, and I'm saying it again for once and for all—she cheated, and I do trust her brother in this. Question my trust again, and I will walk out of this house."

The anger had consumed him to such an extent that he left two days earlier than the scheduled departure for the next home tour. He lay on the hotel bed, staring out the window towards the space where her presence should have been, cursing himself for ever loving her. He had become her knight in shining armour, just as she had said, but he could never introduce her to his mother.

When he gave her those flowers, he thought he was offering a gesture of love, but instead, she was the one who inflicted pain, piercing him with thorns and leaving behind lifelong scars.

In an attempt to salvage his shattered heart, he found myself accepting a date request from Meera during that particular tour. He couldn't quite explain why he did it, but perhaps his heart simply yearned for a connection, any connection, even if it meant turning to someone else. It was as if his heart was determined to love again, to find solace in another person, regardless of who they were. Meanwhile, his mind wanted to show Nehmat that her betrayal wouldn't stop him from living his life.

One date with Meera turned into multiple, and before he knew it, she was the one in my arms instead of Nehmat. With Meera around, it didn't quite feel like his second home, but it did offer some relief from the pain of heartbreak. Surprisingly, Virat didn't seem to mind their budding relationship.

He had anticipated Nehmat's disapproving gaze whenever Meera and him were together, but it never came. Instead, she seemed distant, her attention elsewhere—either lost in thought by the window or staring at the space in front of her.

He wished with all his heart that this home tour in Afghanistan hadn't come to an end, or better yet, that he could rewind time to the moment on the flight and deny every piece of evidence that shattered his world.

Despite the team's back-to-back wins, that day held no joy for him; it would be forever haunted in his memories. As the champagne bottles popped and the team celebrated, He found myself swaying to the music with Meera in his arms, surrounded by cheering teammates.

Bobbing his head to the music, he turned his gaze towards the end of the rooftop terrace. There she was, her expression stoic, tears streaming down her face as she watched the team celebrate without her.

She appeared almost ethereal, her hair dancing in the wind and her skin aglow with tears under the moon's gentle light, which hung just above her head in the night sky. Her figure seemed to be illuminated solely by the moonlight, casting a haunting yet mesmerizing aura around her. The reason this image etched itself into his memory forever was because it marked the last time he saw her before she resigned from her post and vanished from their lives entirely.