The Charade

35| 𝕴𝖙 𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘

KASHI'S POV

"Ruhi, have you got the things I asked for?" My voice trembled, though I tried to steady it, my eyes drifting to the suitcase she had neatly packed with my clothes.

"Mam, don't go, please." Her voice was a soft plea, full of fear and concern. It was as if she knew the pain I was carrying inside, how unbearable it had all become.

I sighed, swallowing the knot in my throat. "I hope you've asked Ranvijay to arrange a car for me?" I couldn't meet her gaze as I asked, but I could feel her nod. She was scared too, scared of what might happen if her boss found out I was leaving. But she didn't understand-this place, this life, it was strangling me.

Last night, he never came home. He left me alone with my thoughts, and by the time morning arrived, I knew I couldn't stay here anymore. The suffocation had grown unbearable, pressing down on my chest until I could barely breathe. If mom and dad were here, maybe I'd have had a reason to stay. But how could I live with a man who neither respects me nor my feelings?

I left everything for him, and he was trying to leave me.

I needed space. Space to convince myself he was just busy, that he hadn't meant to hurt me. Maybe then my overthinking would stop gnawing at me. But in my heart, I knew it was more than that. I wasn't a bad wife, but his distance-his silence-it made me feel like I was missing something, like he was hiding something a husband should never hide from his wife.

I wasn't asking to know every detail of his life, but the things that mattered-he should've told me. What was the work that kept him away night after night? Why did he never say? And looking at him, I don't think he ever would.

With a deep breath, I walked toward the door, Ruhi dragging my suitcase behind me. My heart pounded, a mix of dread and determination. I knew I couldn't stay here any longer because someone would have told him by now that I was leaving, and I didn't want to be here when he returned.

As I stepped outside, Ranvijay was already standing by the car, his eyes meeting mine briefly before I turned away, avoiding the weight of his gaze. Ruhi opened the car door for me, her hands trembling slightly as she instructed one of the servants to load my luggage. I slid into the backseat, refusing to look at anyone. I couldn't afford to break down-not now.

"Take her safely to Rao House," Ranvijay instructed the driver, his voice firm.

The engine roared to life, and we drove out of the Agnihotri Estate. My eyes found the barren piece of land where Dhir's bungalow once stood. A pang of sadness gripped me, and my hand instinctively went to my baby bump, a soft, protective gesture.

That land held too many worst memories, and now it was gone, demolished by Mr. Agnihotri himself. I watched as the machines continued to clear the wreckage, the last traces of what once was being erased.

I leaned back, closing my eyes and resting my head against the seat. Everything felt too much, too heavy to carry. I had told Mom that I wanted to visit my home, and this time I wouldn't listen to anyone telling me not to travel. They always said it wasn't safe for me, not in my condition. But I couldn't care anymore. I needed this-for myself and for my baby.