Faded Ties, Rekindled Hearts

Chapter 12

In the dead of night, the Kapoor mansion was quiet, except for a soft, hurried whispering coming from Aarti's room. She was pacing back and forth, her phone clutched tightly in her hand as she spoke in a low, tense voice.

"I'm not giving you any more money. Do you hear me? I've paid you for 9 years! 9 long years!" she hissed into the phone. The voice on the other end, calm yet menacing, reminded her that the CCTV footage from the train station still existed—the video that proved Avni had slipped herself and that Tanya hadn't pushed her as they all believed.

Aarti's heart raced as the voice taunted her. This footage could destroy everything she had built, every lie she had fed to the family. "No more," she snapped. "I don't care about your threats anymore. You got enough out of me!"

Unbeknownst to her, Arnav stood just outside the door, having overheard everything. His face was a mix of shock and rage as the truth of his daughter's innocence sank in. His heart shattered at the thought of how he had wronged Tanya, driven by the lies Aarti had weaved for nearly a decade. Quietly, he stepped into the room, his fists clenched, and spoke in a low, dangerous tone.

"Aarti..." His voice made her freeze, turning around to face him. The look in his eyes was one of pure fury.

"Bhai—" she started, but Arnav cut her off.

"You can never change, can you? A snake will always strike, no matter how many times you save it. For 9 years... 9 years, Aarti! You let me believe Tanya hurt Avni. You let me send my own daughter away, while you stayed here and made me pay for that girl's expenses! You stole my child from me—my Tanya!" His voice rose, trembling with anger as the weight of what Aarti had done hit him.

Aarti, shaken, tried to speak, but Arnav continued, his voice dripping with disgust, "I trusted you. And what did you do? You let my daughter suffer alone in a hostel while I raised and cared for Avni, believing I was doing the right thing."

His eyes filled with rage, he grabbed Aarti's arm and yanked her toward Ishita's room. Bursting through the door, he dragged Aarti inside, waking Ishita from her sleep.

"Mil gayi tumko khushi, Ishita?" he spat angrily. "This is the woman whose lies you believed! You were ready to send our daughter to jail because of her! You slapped Tanya, called her all kinds of names, made her feel like she was nothing—all because of this woman and her lies!"

Ishita, now wide awake, stared at Arnav in shock, her heart sinking as the truth of what he was saying began to sink in.

"Is this what you wanted, Ishita? To be the great, righteous Ishita Kapoor? To send your own child away so you could hold onto your precious principles?" He laughed hysterically, though there was nothing but pain in his laughter. "You became so great in everyone's eyes, you didn't even see what was right in front of you."

Ishita's eyes welled up with tears, her mind spinning at the realization of what had happened. Arnav's words cut deep, the guilt crashing over her like a tidal wave.

"But not anymore," Arnav growled, his voice harsh. "I'm leaving tomorrow to bring Tanya back. And when I return, I don't want to see either of you—Aarti or your daughter—anywhere near me or my family."

With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving Aarti and Ishita standing there in stunned silence. The weight of Arnav's words hung in the air, leaving both women shaken by the consequences of their actions.

In his dimly lit room, Yuvraj paced back and forth, his mind clouded with an unsettling feeling. There was a heaviness in the air, a sense of change he couldn't shake. He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated and confused.