Kirti sat at the window, her eyes following the moonlit sky, lost in thought. The house was quiet, the night air heavy with the secrets she now carried. Divit’s revelation still haunted her. She loved him—she knew that much. Despite the cold beginnings of their marriage, despite the walls he’d built around himself, something had shifted between them. But could she accept the life he lived?
The bedroom door creaked open, and Divit walked in, his broad shoulders sagging with exhaustion. He had just returned from yet another late-night outing, and Kirti’s heart clenched knowing exactly where he had been.
“You’re still awake?” His voice was soft, different from the way he used to speak to her before.
Kirti didn’t turn to look at him immediately. She couldn’t. The war inside her was too fierce. Could she let this continue? Should she confront his family, expose the fight club, and put an end to it all? Or could she stay by Divit’s side, knowing the danger that lurked in the shadows?
“I couldn’t sleep,” she finally replied, her voice distant.
Divit walked over to her, his presence filling the room. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his touch warm but tinged with the weight of unspoken words. “Kirti,” he said gently, “I know this is hard for you. But I can’t stop—not yet. My family’s safety depends on it.”
She bit her lip, closing her eyes to fight back the tears. “I don’t know if I can do this, Divit. I don’t know if I can stand by and watch you put yourself in harm’s way every night.”
His grip tightened on her shoulders, but he didn’t say anything. Kirti could feel the tension in him, the silent battle he was fighting within himself. She stood up suddenly, turning to face him, her eyes brimming with emotion.
“Do you even realize how much this scares me?” she said, her voice rising. “Every time you walk out that door, I don’t know if you’re going to come back in one piece. I don’t know if the man I love will return or if I’ll get a call saying something terrible has happened to you.”
Divit’s eyes darkened with guilt, his lips pressing into a thin line. “I’m doing this for them, Kirti. For us. I don’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice!” Kirti cried, her chest heaving with frustration. “You think fighting like this is the only way to protect your family? There has to be another way, Divit. We could figure it out together.”
His jaw clenched, and he turned away from her, pacing across the room. “It’s not that simple,” he muttered. “You don’t understand how deep this goes.”
Kirti took a step toward him, her voice softening. “Then make me understand. I want to help you, Divit. I want to be your partner, not just the woman who waits for you to come home every night, wondering if you’re okay.”
Divit stopped pacing and looked at her, the conflict in his eyes plain as day. He was torn—between the duty he felt toward his family and the growing love he had for her. Kirti could see it, the pain he tried so hard to hide.
“I wish I could give you the life you deserve,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “But this... this fight, it’s not over yet.”
Tears welled up in Kirti’s eyes as she moved closer, standing directly in front of him. “I don’t care about the life I deserve. I care about you, Divit. But I can’t keep living like this, with the constant fear hanging over us.”
Divit’s eyes softened, and for the first time, she saw the vulnerability in him—the cracks in the armour he wore so tightly around his heart. He reached out, gently wiping away a tear that had escaped down her cheek.
“I hate that I’m putting you through this,” he murmured, his thumb lingering on her skin. “You deserve more than this—more than me.”
Kirti shook her head, placing her hand over his. “Don’t say that. I just need to know that there’s an end to all of this. I need to know that one day, you’ll be safe, that we’ll be safe.”
Divit exhaled heavily, his forehead resting against hers. “I’m trying, Kirti. I’m trying to find a way out. But until then, I need you to trust me. Please.”
She closed her eyes, her heart battling her mind. She wanted to trust him, to believe that he could protect them both. But the fear gnawed at her, a constant reminder of the danger that loomed over their lives.
“I do trust you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “But I’m scared.”
“I know,” he said softly, pulling her into his arms. “And I’m scared too. But I promise, I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”
Kirti clung to him, the warmth of his embrace providing a brief reprieve from the storm swirling inside her. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe that everything would be okay, that they could make it through this.
But deep down, the doubt remained.
---
In the days that followed, Divit changed. He became more present and more attentive, showing her a softer side that she had longed for since their marriage began. He would hold her hand in quiet moments, kiss her forehead before leaving the house, and whisper reassurances in the dead of night when the weight of their reality felt too heavy to bear.
One evening, as they sat together in the garden, Divit’s arm draped protectively around her shoulders, Kirti felt a strange sense of peace. It was fleeting, but in that moment, she allowed herself to bask in the feeling of being loved, truly loved.
“You’ve changed,” she said softly, tilting her head to look up at him.
Divit glanced down at her, a small smile playing on his lips. “I guess you’re rubbing off on me.”
Kirti smiled, though the underlying tension never quite left her. “I like this version of you,” she teased gently. “The one who isn’t so serious all the time.”
He chuckled, his fingers brushing through her hair. “You make it easier to let my guard down.”
She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth behind his words. “I just wish you didn’t have to carry so much on your own.”
Divit’s smile faded slightly, his expression growing sombre. “I know. But I’m doing what I have to. For now.”
Kirti nodded, resting her head against his shoulder. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that everything would be okay. But the nagging voice in the back of her mind wouldn’t let her rest.
The fight wasn’t over. And neither was the danger.
As much as she loved Divit, Kirti knew that a storm was coming. The question was, would their love be strong enough to weather it?
