Revenge or Love

~Twenty-Nine~

"Happy Navratri to all my lovely readers! 🌸 As we welcome the start of this beautiful festival, I'm thrilled to share the next chapter of my story with you. I hope it brings you joy and excitement during this special time.

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Rishabh's Pov

"Rishabh," she began, "can I ask you a question?"

I just hummed, signaling her to continue.

"Why do you call your mother Mrs. Bhatia?"

Her words hit me harder than I expected. It wasn't that I didn't trust Aradhana or didn't want to tell her the truth—there were just some things I wasn't ready to talk about. The past was... complicated. My relationship with Mrs. Bhatia was tangled in a web of emotions I hadn't fully sorted out yet.

I sighed and turned to face her. "Aarya," I said softly, "I'm sorry, but I need some time. I promise I'll tell you everything—just not today."

She looked into my eyes for a moment, her expression softening with understanding. She wasn't the type to push. "It's okay. I'll wait for it," she replied with a gentle smile, showing me once again why she's the perfect partner.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, this time with concern in her voice. "Don't you think your mother should know about Pallavi?"

I shook my head slightly. "Pallavi told me Mrs. Bhatia is coming tomorrow. Granny will talk to her about everything. She didn't want to tell her yet."

Aarya was quiet after that, and I could tell she was lost in thought. The way her brows furrowed slightly, her fingers tapping lightly against the sheets—it was obvious.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm thinking," she began slowly, "if you know that Rajat is behind Pallavi's condition, why aren't you taking action against him?"

I took a breath before answering. "Because I want Pallavi to take that action," I explained. "I want her to be the one to punish him, to stand up for herself. This is her battle, and she needs to win it for her own healing."

Aradhana looked at me with concern in her eyes, clearly conflicted. "It will take time for Pallavi to get back to normal," she said softly. "What if... what if Rajat runs away? What if he escapes before she's ready?"

"I've already thought about that." I reassured her, my voice firm. "My men are keeping tabs on him. He's being watched, every move. And we're looking for the missing recording."

"The recording?" she asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

I nodded. "Pallavi hasn't been able to talk about the incident, and without her testimony, we don't have proof. That recording is the key to everything. It's the proof we need to make sure Rajat pays for what he's done."

Aradhana seemed to relax a little after that, her trust in me evident in the way her eyes softened. She stood up from the bed, walking over to where she had placed the shopping bags from earlier. She pulled out a traditional outfit and handed it to me.

"Here," she said with a small smile. "Wear this tomorrow for the pooja."

I took the clothes from her and chuckled. "Whatever my queen orders."