In a distant marriage with her brooding husband, Ayan, Adira Khanna has resigned herself to a mundane life. However, fate has different plans when Ayan's childhood friends plan a week-long trip to Goa. Little did Adira know that this vacation would...
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Chapter 38
Sad beautiful tragic
Arjun
Yes, I want to end it. It was just an affair. Only physical. I don't want to be with you. Just an affair. Only physical. I don't want to be with you.
How easily those words slipped from her tongue, severing what we once had. Each syllable felt like a double-edged sword, piercing my heart and twisting to inflict more pain.
Today was the anniversary celebration. Laughter and music filled the courtyard as everyone reveled in happiness.
And here I was, drowning my sorrows, numbing my heartache, and chasing away the memories with the fourth glass of scotch. The dimly lit bar offered a refuge from the festivities outside. I couldn't bear to see her in the arms of my supposed ex-best friend tonight, playing the role of the perfect wife for him, smiling at him.
I had been trying desperately to numb the ache, to escape the thoughts of her that haunted every corner of my mind. The amber liquid swirling in my glass seemed to mirror the depths of her hazel eyes, and each sip was a bitter reminder of what I had lost. Her beautiful face, her soft laughter, her soothing voice, her gentle touch—it was all etched into my memory. She was mine. I loved her. She was the only one who I ever loved with every fiber of my being.
I missed every inch of her existence—the way her eyes lit up when she saw me, the delicate shade of pink that tinted her cheeks when she blushed, the playful banter that passed between us, the love that shone in her eyes when she saw me. I longed for the moments when her hand fit perfectly in mine, when her lips met mine in a kiss that felt like the sweetest sin. All those moments now seemed like a distant dream.
A dream that turned into a relentless nightmare, one that engulfed me in darkness. I drained the glass, then lit a cigarette, taking a long drag to ease the turmoil within. A waiter pointed to a no-smoking sign, but I silenced him with a generous tip.
Just an affair.
How effortlessly she snuffed out the light that had illuminated my life, leaving me adrift in a sea of darkness. How effortlessly she stole the joy she had brought, replacing it with an unending ache. How effortlessly she dangled the promise of love, only to snatch it away, leaving me with a heart shattered and bleeding. How easily she shattered the fragile hopes I had dared to nurture, leaving me stranded in with shattered dreams and unfulfilled promises.
The weight of her absence bore down on me, a heavy burden that I could hardly bear.
I took another drag from my cigarette, the smoke curling around me like a comforting shroud.As the night wore on, the bar grew emptier, the patrons and the staff retreated. But I remained, nursing my drink and nursing my wounds. The bartender glanced my way with sympathy and concern, but I waved him off. What did he know about the storm that raged within me?
I ordered another drink, the burn of the alcohol a welcome distraction from the ache in my chest.
My phone buzzed, a message notification lighting up the screen. I glanced at it with a mix of anticipation and dread. It wasn't her, of course.
I downed the rest of my drink, the liquid fire scorching my throat as it went down. The glass was empty, much like the void that had consumed me since she walked away. The cigarette in my hand had burned down to the filter, its ember flickering and fading, much like the flicker of hope I had clung to.
I pushed back from the bar, the world around me slightly hazy, my thoughts a tangled mess of regret, longing, and heartache.
With one last glance around the empty bar, I pushed myself to my feet and walked out to leave this place which was just a reminder of my shattered heart.
I retreated to my room from the bar to pack my things and leave. Walking alone in the corridor, my steps faltered, my mind slurring from the effects of the alcohol. Suddenly, a hotel staff member called after me, "Sir."
I stopped, my senses dulled. "Yes?"
"Sir, this came for Mr. Khanna from the clinic," he said, holding a packet containing what seemed to be a file.
"Then give it to him. I don't care," I replied, ready to continue walking.
"Sir, they are in the middle of the function. It was strict orders from Mrs. Khanna, his mother, not to disturb them. Also, somebody from the clinic requires a signature as proof of delivery. Please, sir."
"Fine, give it to me," I relented, realizing that I was still responsible for handling his affairs given what had happened.
He handed me the packet and left, saying, "Thank you."
Curiosity gnawed at me. I shouldn't have been tempted, but it was from a clinic and likely related to Adira. My hands itched. My conscience battled with my curiosity, but ultimately, my heart won. I opened the packet and then the file, where "Adira Khanna" was written. My fingers traced over her name, and I started flipping through the pages.
What I saw and read left me sobered, completely upending my world, and filling me with a sense of astonishment and overwhelming emotions.
I now knew exactly what I had to do. My mind absorbed the information laid out before me in that file. It was a truth that demanded action, and as much as it pained me, I couldn't stay away and not do nothing about it.
