Silent Cries

Chapter 9

Navya had planned to meet one of her friends for a long-overdue catch-up. She had chosen a hotel cafe for their meeting, hoping to find some solace and comfort in her friend's company. As she arrived at the hotel, she received a text from her friend saying she was running late. Navya decided to wait in one of the lounge areas.

However, in her distracted state, she accidentally wandered into a different part of the hotel. She found herself in a hallway lined with private rooms. As she walked past one of the doors, she heard familiar voices. Curiosity got the better of her, and she hesitantly peeked inside.

What she saw made her blood run cold. There, in the dimly lit room, were Dev and Hina, locked in a deep, passionate kiss. Navya's heart pounded in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. She felt as if the ground had been ripped out from under her.

**Navya's Mind:** *No... this can't be happening. Not Dev. Not Hina...*

She stood there, frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Dev, the man who had been so cold and distant to her, was here, intimately involved with another woman. And not just any woman, but Hina, the one he had always claimed to love.

**Dev:** (pulling back slightly from the kiss, looking into Hina's eyes) "I've missed you so much, Hina. Being with you feels right. It always has."

**Hina:** (smiling, caressing his cheek) "I've missed you too, Dev. We belong together."

Navya's heart shattered into a million pieces. She felt a surge of emotions - betrayal, anger, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of loss. She stumbled back, accidentally bumping into the door, causing it to creak loudly.

Dev and Hina turned abruptly at the sound. Dev's eyes widened in shock as he saw Navya standing there, her face pale and stricken.

**Dev:** (voice laced with anger and guilt) "Navya? What are you doing here?"

Navya could barely find her voice. When she did, it came out as a choked whisper.

**Navya:** "I... I was meeting a friend... I didn't mean to... I didn't know..."

Hina looked between them, a smirk playing on her lips as if enjoying the chaos.

**Hina:** "Well, this is awkward."

Dev's expression hardened as he turned to Navya.

**Dev:** "You had no right to come here, Navya. This is none of your business."

Navya's shock turned to fury. She had never felt so betrayed.

**Navya:** (voice trembling with anger) "None of my business? You're my husband, Dev! How could you do this to me? To Ayaan?"

Dev's eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to her.

**Dev:** "This was never a real marriage, Navya. I told you from the beginning. You were forced on me, and I've never loved you. Hina is the one I've always wanted."

Navya felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

**Navya:** (sobbing) "How could you be so cruel, Dev? After everything we've been through, after everything I've tried to do for you and Ayaan..."

Dev's cold gaze didn't waver.

**Dev:** "I never asked for your sacrifices, Navya. And I certainly don't need them. Just stay out of my way."

Navya felt utterly broken. She turned and fled the room, her vision blurred by tears. She ran through the hotel, her heart pounding, unable to breathe, unable to think. All she knew was the overwhelming pain and betrayal that consumed her.