FORBIDDEN FLAMES ✅

Healing Hearts

VIHAAN'S POV

I looked at Rohan, my voice finally breaking the heavy silence between us. "I'm sorry, Rohan. I misunderstood your friendship with Shreya. I know I was angry and didn't listen to her. She could have stayed and fought with me, but why did she choose to leave? I never told her to leave me."

Rohan's expression softened, but he remained silent, allowing me to continue.

"She could have told me about my mother, Rohan," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I could have done something. I'm not a monster. If she had told me what was happening, I would have helped her. I would have stood beside her. Why did she keep me in the dark? Why did she choose to leave me and keep me away from my own daughter?"

Rohan sighed, a look of empathy and sadness crossing his face. "Vihaan, Shreya was caught in an impossible situation. She felt trapped between her love for you and the hostility from your mother. She tried to protect you from the conflict, thinking it would make things easier. But it only made things worse."

I shook my head, frustration and sorrow mingling within me. "But why didn't she trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

Rohan leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Because she was afraid, Vihaan. She was afraid that if she spoke up, it would create a rift between you and your mother. And every time she tried to tell you something, your mother would twist the situation and make it look like Shreya was in the wrong. She felt isolated and helpless."

Shreya didn't want to leave you, Vihaan. Never. But to this day, I don't fully understand why but One day, she called me and said, 'Rohan, I can't be here anymore. Take me away from here.' I didn't think twice and came to your house. When we got back to my place, I asked Shreya why she wanted to leave you, but she didn't give me a clear answer. The only thing she told me was that she needed to be somewhere away from you and your mother, and no one should know about it."

Rohan paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "That's when I brought her to Mumbai. She took a rent in an apartment, and my parents insisted she stay with them at least during her pregnancy. But she wanted to be alone, so we used to visit her instead. After Shreya's delivery, Keerthi and I got married. I started looking after my father's business and stayed near Shreya's flat to be with her and to help her whenever she needed, Keerthi being Shreya's friend made me feel easier without any disturbances or any misunderstandings at my end."

I absorbed Rohan's words, the truth of the situation sinking in. The weight of my mother's manipulations and Shreya's silent suffering pressed heavily on my heart.

"She left because she thought it was the only way to protect herself and Aarna," Rohan continued softly. "She didn't want to leave you, Vihaan. She was forced to make an impossible choice. And in her mind, leaving was the only way to ensure Aarna's safety, if its for not Aarna she would never left your side no matter whatever accusation you throw on her."

I listened intently, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together in a way I had never imagined. Rohan's dedication to Shreya and Aarna during those difficult times spoke volumes about his character and the depth of their friendship.

"You know Shreya," Rohan continued, a faint smile touching his lips. "Unless it was urgent, she never asked for help. She managed being a single mother remarkably well, balancing everything on her own. And because of her strength and determination, Aarna is who she is today, just like her mother."