Torn Heart's

chapter 13

With great difficulty, Prisha managed to soothe Avni to sleep.She had cried herself to exhaustion, heartbroken over not being able to play with her new friend, Nidhi. As Avni's breathing finally became steady, Prisha carefully tucked the blanket around her

Just as Prisha sat down, hoping for a moment of peace, Shekar barged into the room, calling her out, "Prisha, Prisha"

Startled, Prisha immediately placed a finger to her lips, signaling for him to lower his voice. "Please, don't shout. Avni is sleeping," she whispered

"I don't care about her" he spat.

"How can you say something like that about your own daughter" she shot back

The words had barely left her mouth when Shekar's expression darkened further. His hand flew up, and before Prisha could react, he slapped her hard across the face, causing her to stumble back in pain.

She clutched her stinging cheek, tears rolled down from her eyes

She forced herself to remain silent, biting back the sobs threatening to escape, scared of waking her daughter.

Shekar grabbed Prisha by the shoulders, leaning in close, he said, "You are lucky you are pregnant, Prisha, or I would have shown you what real hell is."

"And believe me, if this baby is a girl, I will kill her right in front of your eyes."he whispered in her ear

Prisha's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding with fear and horror. She stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief

"Stop looking at me like that, or I will rip your eyes out" Shekar shouted. Prisha immediately looked down, her tears flowing silently as she tried to hold back her sobs.

"Now just stop crying and give me Pratap's file," Prisha hurried to grab the file from the table, her hands trembling as she handed it to him without meeting his eyes.

Shekar snatched the file from her. "And next time, if you touch my things again, I will break your hands.Be ready at 8:00 pm he have to visit the doctor"

Prisha nodded, still crying quietly, feeling completely helpless

As Shekar stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, Prisha collapsed onto the floor, her body shaking with silent sobs.The words he had whispered in her ear replayed in her mind

She slowly got up, her knees weak, and made her way to the mirror. The red mark on her cheek was already beginning to bruise. She slowly touched it, wincing at the sharp sting. Her reflection stared back at her, eyes swollen with tears, face pale, and spirit shattered.

She couldn't let Shekar's threats come true. But what could she do. She felt trapped, with nowhere to turn. She knew she had to protect her children. She gently wiped her tears, forcing herself to stay strong. For Avni. For the baby. She took out her small dairy and starts to write

I don't know how much longer I can endure this. I'm scared for Avni, for this baby, for what Shekar might do next. I need to find a way out, but how.There's no one I can turn to, no one I can trust...But I have to find a way. I can't let him hurt my children. I won't.

Prisha then stood up, walked over to Avni's bed, and sat beside her, gently stroking her daughter's hair. She watched her sleep "I promise, Avni. I will protect you. I will protect both of you. We will get out of here. I don't know how, but I will find a way."

As the clock struck 8 PM, Prisha nervously finished getting ready. Her hands were trembling, and her palms were sweaty as she and Shekhar headed towards the hospital. With each step closer, her anxiety grew, and she silently prayed for things to go well.

Shekhar had deliberately chosen to come at 8 PM, knowing that most of the doctors would have left by then, leaving only those on night duty. Prisha glanced at Shekhar, her voice barely above a whisper, "Please, Shekhar, don't do anything..."

But before she could finish, Shekhar roughly grabbed her hand, tightening his grip as he dragged her inside the hospital.

Unknown to them, someone was watching them

At Arjun's house, everyone was busy with the wedding preparations, as there were only 10 days left. Savitri, was especially occupied, making sure everything was perfect.

"Maa, don't stress so much. You need to take care of yourself too," Arjun said

Savitri smiled but didn't slow down. "I can't help it, beta. You are my only son, and I want everything to be perfect."

Arjun chuckled. "Everything will be fine, Mom.Please take rest"

"I will rest once everything is in place," Savitri replied, then asked, "Have you decided on your wedding outfit yet"

"Of course. Ridhima wouldn't let me be at peace if we hadn't picked them out by now. We have got matching outfits ready. You know how she is"

Savitri laughed softly. "She iss going to keep you on your."

Arjun smiled, thinking about his future with Ridhima.

"I am just so excited, Arjun. I want everything to be perfect for you and Ridhima. She is such a lovely girl, and I'm so happy you found each other."

"I am happy too, Maa. Ridhima is everything I could have asked for and more. I can't wait to start our life together."

"You two will be very happy, I know it. Just remember to keep supporting each other, no matter what."

"We will,Maa. I promise," Arjun said

After making sure his mother had gone to sleep, Arjun quietly moved toward his room. He shut the door behind him and, with a deep sigh, collapsed onto the bed.

In just 10 days, he would be married. The thought used to fill him with dread, but now, everything felt so different.

He never imagined himself getting excited about marriage. It was something he had always been hesitant about, something he had tried to avoid. But now, as the days grew closer, he found himself looking forward to it, eager for this new chapter of his life.

And it was all because of Ridhima.

Arjun smiled to himself, thinking of her. He didn't know when it happened,when his feelings for her began to change.One moment, she was just Ridhima, his neighbour and the next, she became the person he couldn't imagine his life without.

He didn't know how it all happened, how she managed to break down the walls he had so carefully built around his heart. But she did, effortlessly. And now, he was excited, genuinely excited, to be marrying her.

Everything around him might feel different, but it was a good different. A change he welcomed with open arms. He closed his eyes, a smile still on his face, and let sleep take over

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