After sending the message to Sejal and Bhargavi, Samruddhi fell asleep, tired from all the thinking she had done.
A few hours later, her mom gently woke her up, reminding her about the dinner plans with Arjun's family.
Slowly, Samruddhi got up and headed for the shower, feeling the weight of her emotions pressing down on her.
Sitting under the warm water, her thoughts took over. He's not meant for me. I have to let go, she kept telling herself. But every memory of Arjun felt so real, so comforting, even though he now seemed so far away.
Kiara is his date now, and they'll be perfect together.
I was foolish to think it could be any other way.
As the water fell over her, tears that she had been holding back for a long time finally started to fall. Her love for Arjun had only grown over the years, never fading, but seeing him with someone else had broken her heart into tiny pieces.
He doesn’t want me, but I still want him, she thought, and it hurt to realize this.
He doesn't want you samruddhi don't be immature you deserve better than that brat.
Determined to pull herself together, she finished her shower, wiped away her tears, and got dressed.
She wore a beautiful light blue dress that flowed softly around her, making her look graceful and elegant.
As she walked downstairs to meet Arjun and his family, her heart was heavy, but she tried to keep a calm face.
When she entered the room, Arjun couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She looked stunning in her dress, her hair falling softly around her shoulders.
His heart skipped a beat seeing how beautiful she was. He admired her elegance, the way she moved, and the glow about her.
But when their eyes met, he noticed something different. Her usual warmth was missing.
She looked at him, but there was nothing no smile, no affection just emptiness.
Throughout dinner, Samruddhi pretended everything was fine.
She smiled and talked as if nothing had happened, but Arjun could tell something was wrong. He could see the sadness behind her smile, and it hurt him to know he was the one who caused it.
All through dinner, he couldn't stop thinking about how much he had hurt her, and how badly he wanted to fix things, but now it felt like there was a wall between them.
As they sat down for dinner, Arjun and Samruddhi found themselves sitting across from each other. Arjun couldn’t help but glance at her every few minutes, but Samruddhi never once looked up to meet his gaze.
“Samruddhi dear, how’s college going?” Arjun’s mother, a total sweetheart, asked with her usual warmth.
“Great, Aunty,” Samruddhi replied with a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. How could it, when her heart was broken?
“Oh, and by the way! What dress are you going to wear for prom? This is your last year in college, one of the best moments of your life! If you want, I can send over the perfect dress for you. I am the best designer in this city after all,” Arjun’s mother said excitedly, her passion for fashion shining through.
She was a wonderful, famous fashion designer, and everyone admired her work.
“No problem, Aunty, I don’t need—" Samruddhi started, but Arjun’s mother quickly cut her off.
