Sacred Games Of Twisted Fate {18+}

*ex-girlfriend*

***author's pov***

It was an unusually quiet afternoon in the Oberoi mansion. All the family members were seated in the hall—Arjun, Aayara, Rudra, Meera, and Dia—engaged in casual conversations. Aayara sat beside Arjun, though he barely acknowledged her presence as usual.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors of the mansion swung open, and in came a girl, her footsteps echoing through the hall as she ran toward them. She was strikingly beautiful, with a confident smile on her lips. She wore a chic crop top that showed off her toned stomach and a short skirt that accentuated her legs. Her hair flowed behind her as she walked with an air of familiarity.

Aayara’s brows knitted together in confusion as she looked at the girl, unsure of who she was or why she seemed so comfortable barging into the mansion. The atmosphere in the room shifted as everyone’s attention was drawn to the girl.

Arjun, however, leaned back casually in his seat, his lips curving into a knowing smirk. He didn’t seem surprised at all by her arrival. In fact, there was a glint of amusement in his eyes, as if he had been expecting this.

"Akriti," Arjun said, his voice smooth but with a hint of something more beneath the surface. He stood up, his tall frame dominating the room as he walked toward the girl. He didn’t seem to care about Aayara’s presence as he greeted Akriti, his ex-girlfriend.

Aayara’s heart skipped a beat at the way he said her name—so casual, so familiar. She sat there, frozen, her eyes flicking between Arjun and Akriti. Her mind raced as she tried to piece together who this woman was. Her grip tightened on the armrest of her chair.

“Who… who is she?” Aayara finally managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper, but it carried enough for the others to hear.

Rudra’s eyes darkened slightly, a frown tugging at his lips as he exchanged a glance with Meera, who smirked knowingly. Meera leaned in toward Aayara, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Oh, you don’t know?” Meera sneered, clearly enjoying the moment. “That’s Akriti. Arjun’s ex-girlfriend.”

Aayara’s heart sank at those words, the color draining from her face. She couldn’t help but look at Akriti, her stomach twisting with unease. The way Arjun looked at her… it was different. Too familiar, too intimate.

Akriti smiled brightly as she hugged Arjun, completely ignoring the tension in the room. “Arjun,” she said playfully, her voice light and melodic, “It’s been so long. I missed you!”

Arjun chuckled softly, not pulling away from the embrace. “I can see that,” he said, his eyes briefly flicking toward Aayara, as if testing her reaction.

Aayara’s chest tightened. She didn’t know what to say or how to feel. The purposeful confusion Arjun had orchestrated in her mind was at its peak. Was this all part of his plan? Was Akriti supposed to be some new piece in his cruel game, or was this simply the past haunting her now?

Akriti stepped back and finally seemed to notice Aayara, her gaze sweeping over her with mild curiosity. “And who’s this?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“This…” Arjun began, his voice dripping with a dark amusement as he glanced at Aayara, “is my wife.”

Aayara’s heart fluttered at the word ‘wife,’ but the way he said it—so detached, so cold—made the title feel like a mockery.

Akriti raised a brow, looking at Aayara with what seemed like mild surprise. “Wife?” she repeated, as though the word didn’t quite fit. Her lips curled into a small, mocking smile. “Well, isn’t that… interesting.”

Aayara forced a polite smile, though her insides were churning. “Hello,” she said softly, unsure of what else to say.

Akriti barely acknowledged the greeting, her attention already back on Arjun. “We should catch up soon,” she said, brushing a hand against his arm, her tone flirtatious. “There’s so much to talk about.”

Aayara felt like she was suffocating in the tension that hung thick in the air. Her mind spun with doubt and fear. Was Arjun still in love with this woman? Did Akriti’s sudden arrival mean something more than a simple visit?

Arjun, sensing Aayara’s discomfort, didn’t make any effort to reassure her. Instead, he smiled wickedly, enjoying the tension building between the two women. He turned to Akriti. “We’ll catch up, don’t worry.”

Akriti beamed, clearly satisfied with his response. “Good,” she said before turning to leave. “I’ll see you soon.”

As Akriti walked out of the room, Aayara sat there, her chest tightening with a thousand unspoken questions. Arjun’s smirk faded as he glanced at Aayara, his expression unreadable.

"Get used to it," he said coldly, before walking out of the room as well, leaving her behind to grapple with the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

Dia chuckled softly, sharing a knowing look with Meera, who smirked in response. Their eyes followed Aayara, who still sat in stunned silence after Akriti's departure. The tension in the room seemed to amuse them both as if they had been expecting such a spectacle all along.

"Poor little thing," Dia muttered under her breath, loud enough for Meera to hear but soft enough to be a cruel, private joke. "She really thought Arjun would actually care."

Meera snickered, her eyes gleaming with malice. "It’s pathetic how desperate she is for his love," she replied, leaning back in her chair with an air of superiority. "As if Akriti wouldn’t just waltz back into his life and put her in her place."

Dia's laughter grew louder, a twisted sense of satisfaction dancing in her eyes. "And look at her now, sitting there like a lost puppy. Does she really think sleeping with him means anything? If she knew how many women have warmed his bed before her—"

"—She’d crumble even more," Meera finished with a smirk, reveling in Aayara's oblivion.

Aayara, though distant in her thoughts, heard their laughter. Her hands clenched into fists on her lap as their words cut through her. She knew Dia and Meera never approved of her, but hearing their cruel laughter now, after everything that had just happened, made the reality of her situation sink even deeper.

Despite her best efforts to fight the rising feeling of helplessness, the smirks and snide comments from Dia and Meera only heightened her insecurities. In their eyes, she would always be nothing compared to the likes of Akriti or anyone else Arjun had been with before.

Dia leaned closer to Meera, whispering something that made both women giggle again. "I wonder how long she’ll last before she breaks completely," Dia remarked, her tone laced with mock concern.

Meera shrugged, a wicked smile tugging at her lips. "Not long if Akriti keeps coming around. I doubt Arjun will bother hiding it. It’ll be fun to watch."

Aayara's chest tightened as she stood up slowly, unable to bear their whispers any longer. She needed to get away—from the mockery, from the judgment, from the constant games Arjun played with her heart.

But even as she tried to gather her strength, Dia's laughter echoed in her ears, reminding her of the ever