𝐀 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐈𝐈𝐈

Avani stared at Raghav, her wheatish complexion now paled, wide eyed, in disbelief.

" But...how could someone be so...cruel?" She murmured, unable to comprehend the information she'd received.

Raghav's heart twisted watching her expressions.

He shrugged.
" Some people just don't care. They can prioritise nothing over their goal."

" No matter how...cruel and vile that is?"

" No matter how cruel and vile that is."

" But family...blood is supposed to be thicker than water." She mumbled.

" When it comes to money, blood can be shed to gain it."

" That's wrong."

" That's how the world is."

" I'm aware. It's just that...it doesn't..."

" Sit right with you." Raghav completed for her with a nod.
" I'm aware too."

Avani looked down at her plate, her appetite suddenly losing.

" Hey..I've not poisoned that y'know." Raghav made an attempt to crack a joke, but that only broke her heart further as she recalled what he told her.

Someone had attempted to poison him through food.

Raghav once lived to eat,

The Raghav Deshmukh Avani had known, loved good food.

But today, the Raghav Deshmukh she was meeting, only ate to survive.

And it broke her heart.

He'd changed, and it wasn't a change she was growing to like.

" Avani..." her name escaped his lips, his voice the softest of whispers that she almost missed it when he called her out.

" Yes?"

" Don't stare at me like that." He shook his head, hating the broken expression on her face and she murmured an apology, a genuine one as she looked down.

They broke into an awkward silence, till Raghav chose to break it.

" Why didn't you ever marry?" He asked her.

And she looked up at him, having no appropriate answer to his question.

" I don't know." She murmured.

" No one asked you?" He asked, a twinge of disbelief in his voice and she shook her head.

" Many did. No one felt like the right person. Why didn't you ever marry?"

Raghav sighed, looking down.
" I'll tell you the reason someday." He murmured, not wanting to scare her off with the confession.

" Why not today?"

" Just...not today."

She frowned, but nonetheless let it slide.