Broken I

52

ARNA

I am so happy.

Like literally I believed and got betrayed again. I felt the rage surge through me as I hurled the diary over the wall.

My heart pounded, and the tears streaming down my face were hot, burning with betrayal and despair.

The pain I felt now was far worse than any physical hurt I'd ever endured.

This was the pain of betrayal once again, of discovering that the people I trusted most—my sister, my husband, my best friend—had all deceived me.

Damini had been pretending all along. She had known the truth and kept me distracted, ensuring I wouldn't uncover their lies.

How could my own sister conceal her whole life from me ? The thought was unbearable. She had lied and was having affair in secret, and I had been blissfully ignorant.

And my husband—how could he hide his true feelings ? The battles he fought with his family, I had believed they were for me, for us.

But now I saw it clearly: it was all for his mother, a battle he couldn't wage when he was younger. His love for me had always been a façade.

It was all crystal clear now.

The depth of their deception hit me like a tidal wave. Women, it seemed, were merely toys to be played with, and I was the unfortunate toy that ended up in the hands of the worst players.

I sank to the ground, the weight of their betrayals crushing my spirit. I had never felt so alone, so utterly abandoned. My heart ached with the realization that those I loved most had shattered my trust.

"Why ?" I cried out, my voice breaking. "Why did you all lie to me ?"

I had been left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart, alone and betrayed by everyone I had held dear.

The side character who was destined to be broken believed she could be mended.

What to do ?

Per aasai peru nastam!

"Arna, what if you are Samudra ?" Damini asked, her voice soft, but it only made my lips curl into a weak smile.

"I wish I were," I replied, my voice laced with longing. "I hate plot twists, Damini, but today I wish for one. I wish I were Samudra."

My smile was bitter. "But you see, No."

"No plot twist in my story. Ennaku entha accident un agala... Ennaku entha memory loss um illa. From the day I was born, I've been unlucky. Without a father, a prostitute's daughter. I lived my whole life for my sister. The only name I carried was Arna."

I gulped, the reality of my life settling heavily on my shoulders.

"Get the divorce papers," I said, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Immediately."

I had no more reason to stay. Hridhan had written there would be second chances, but the first one is special. I didn't want to be an option or a second person in his life.