Fragments of Ruhi

The Ultimate Betrayal

In the grand Goenka Mansion in Udaipur, the air was filled with a palpable excitement as preparations reached their zenith for the highly anticipated wedding of Ruhi Birla. The lavish decorations and the scent of flowers filled the air.

Ruhi, the great granddaughter of the Goenka family, felt a mix of excitement and nerves as she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her bridal outfit, a stunning creation of blue and gold, sparkled with every breath she took. The delicate embroidery caught the light, setting her alight like a living flame. Her friends bustled around her, placing the final touches to her makeup, their laughter and chatter creating a delightful cacophony that was the soundtrack of every Indian wedding.

Her thoughts, however, drifted to the shadow that had loomed over her life since she was a child. Ruhi had lost her father, Neil before her birth and lost her mother, Aarohi, in a tragic accident when she was only six years old. The Goenka family had never been the same after that fateful day. Akshara, filled with guilt and despair, had been cast out of the house, leaving Ruhi behind to be raised by her grandparents. Her father figure, Abhimanyu Birla, had also disappeared from her life the same day, he left with akshara for their son abhir. 

Her grandparents had done their best to fill the void, but the warmth and tenderness she craved remained elusive. They had raised her with discipline and tradition, grooming her to be the perfect Goenka daughter, but she often felt like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit. The only solace she found was in the stories about her late mother's 

The wedding preparations brought back a flood of memories, bittersweet reminders of what could have been. She remembered the bedtime stories her mother used to tell her, always ending with "and they lived happily ever after." Now, as she prepared to marry armaan the love of her life, Ruhi allowed herself to believe that she might finally experience that elusive happiness.

Yet, as she prepared for her wedding, Ruhi couldn't help but revisit the painful memories that had marked the past year, her thoughts drifted back to the serene hills of Mussorie, where her life had taken an unexpected turn. She remembered meeting Armaan for the first time, their connection instantaneous and electrifying. Armaan had saved her from falling off a cliff, a heroic act that had bound their hearts together in an intense, all-consuming love. But the magic of those days seemed so distant now.

The memories of their time together were overshadowed by the heartache that followed. After Mussorie, she and Armaan had planned a date in Udaipur, but he never showed up. The following day, when Ruhi called him, a stranger's rude voice had answered, leaving her confused and hurt. The distress had driven her to accept Rohit's marriage proposal, Armaan's younger brother, in a moment of vulnerability.

The engagement day had brought its own set of shocks. Armaan had appeared unexpectedly, his shock and regret palpable as he saw Ruhi about to marry Rohit. Despite his explanations of work and illness, his presence only deepened Ruhi's emotional turmoil. The promises he made, that no one could replace her in his heart, seemed hollow as he pressured her into marrying Rohit.

The marriage to Rohit, driven by Armaan's blackmail, had been a bitter pill to swallow. The memory of that day was starkly different from the one she faced now. The colors had been the same, the laughter and the prayers had been the same, but the joy was a facade, Armaan's promise of eternal love felt like a cruel joke when, on the day of Ruhi and Rohit's wedding, Armaan himself had married Abhira, driven by a plea from Abhira's mother to protect her from a stalker. The irony and pain of it all had left Ruhi feeling trapped in a cycle of betrayal and heartbreak.

Later armaan cleared to ruhi "It's a contract wedding just for a year, Ruhi," he had whispered, his voice thick with pain. 

"Trust me. after this we will part way"  The days that followed were a blur of forced smiles and polite nods.