Sacred Games Of Twisted Fate {18+}

*A SLEEPLESS NIGHT*

***author's pov***

As the clock ticked past 1 a.m., Aayara lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The dark, empty room only seemed to amplify the silence that surrounded her. Her mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts, none of them offering her any peace.

Where was Arjun? Why hadn’t he come home yet? Was he with Akriti?

That last thought made her heart ache. The image of Akriti, so beautiful and confident, filled her mind. She had seen the way Arjun smirked when Akriti arrived earlier, the way he didn’t even bother to hide his amusement. And here she was, lying alone in their bed, left to wonder if he would ever care for her the way she wished he would.

Aayara sighed deeply, shifting under the covers, her hands tightly gripping the blanket as if it could somehow ground her in the present. She felt foolish for the hope she had clung to. Last night, when Arjun had touched her, kissed her, she had convinced herself that maybe—just maybe—he had forgiven her. That he loved her.

But now, all those moments felt like a cruel illusion. A delusion she had built in her mind. His cold demeanor today, the mockery from Dia and Meera, and now his absence—it all painted a stark reality that she wasn’t ready to face.

He doesn't love me...

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. No, she couldn’t let herself cry again. She couldn’t appear weak, not after everything. But the gnawing pain in her chest only grew heavier. It was as if every time she took a step forward in her hopes for their relationship, Arjun would tear her down again, leaving her feeling more lost and broken than before.

Her mind wandered to the cruel words he had said to her. She replayed the scene in her head—the look of cold disdain on his face, the way he had called her a "whore," and how those words had pierced her soul like a dagger. She had never felt so humiliated, so small.

And now, he wasn’t even here.

Was he punishing her? Was this his way of showing her where she truly stood in his life? Or was she just being replaced, discarded like an unwanted object?

The more she thought about it, the more her heart began to crumble. She had tried so hard to be the perfect wife, to please him, to win his affection, but it seemed no matter what she did, it would never be enough.

Aayara bit her lip, her breath shaky. She was tired of feeling like this—tired of being torn between hope and despair, tired of trying to hold onto something that seemed impossible to grasp.

As her thoughts continued to spiral, her phone buzzed softly on the nightstand. She reached over, heart racing, hoping it might be Arjun. But when she looked at the screen, her heart sank further. It wasn’t him. Just a message from a random app notification.

She tossed the phone aside and curled up tighter in the bed, the cold sheets offering no comfort.

Why am I always alone?

The darkness around her seemed to press in closer, suffocating her with its emptiness. There was no warmth here. No Arjun. Just the hollow silence that mirrored her loneliness.

Unable to take it anymore, Aayara sat up and hugged her knees to her chest, tears finally spilling from her eyes. She let them fall, no longer trying to fight them back. In the quiet of the night, she allowed herself to grieve for the love she so desperately wanted but could never seem to reach.

As the hours ticked by, the pain only deepened, and the night dragged on, endless and unforgiving.

Aayara wiped her tears quickly, trying to compose herself as she looked at Rudra standing at the door, waving awkwardly. She chuckled softly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"What are you doing here at this time?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky from crying but trying to sound normal.

Rudra gave her a sheepish smile, leaning against the doorframe. "Couldn’t sleep," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thought I’d check in on you... figured you might not be able to sleep either."

Aayara raised a brow, surprised but touched by his concern. She nodded, giving him a small smile, trying to mask the sadness that was still evident on her face. "Yeah, it’s been... a rough night."

Rudra stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. "I can imagine," he said, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. "I heard about Akriti... and how she showed up at the party. I wasn’t around, but I’ve been hearing things."

Aayara’s heart sank at the mention of Akriti, and her smile faltered. She tried to brush it off, looking away. "It’s nothing. I’m fine."

Rudra gave her a long, knowing look. "Doesn’t seem like nothing to me," he said gently. He sat down at the edge of the bed, watching her closely. "You don’t have to pretend, Aayara. I know things with Arjun... aren’t easy."

Aayara’s chest tightened at his words, and she bit her lip to keep from crying again. She didn’t want to admit how broken she felt inside, how lost and humiliated she had been after everything that had happened. She didn’t want Rudra to see her like this.

"It’s fine, really," she said, forcing a smile. "He’ll come around... eventually." But even as she said it, her voice wavered, betraying the doubt that had been eating away at her.

Rudra shook his head slightly, his expression softening as he looked at her. "You deserve better than this," he said quietly. "I see the way he treats you, Aayara... and it’s not right. You deserve to be happy."

Aayara's heart fluttered at his words, though she quickly pushed the feeling away. Rudra had always been kind to her, but she couldn’t allow herself to think about anything beyond that. She was Arjun's wife, no matter how complicated or painful it was.

"I... I don’t know, Rudra," she whispered, her voice small and filled with uncertainty. "I just want him to love me."

Rudra sighed, looking down at his hands for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "Love... shouldn’t hurt like this, Aayara. You shouldn’t have to beg for it."

She felt her throat tighten again as fresh tears threatened to spill. But before she could say anything, Rudra reached out and gently took her hand, his touch warm and comforting. "You’re stronger than you think," he said softly. "And I’ll always be here if you need someone to talk to."

Aayara smiled faintly, appreciating his words more than she could express. "Thank you, Rudra," she whispered. "You’ve always been there for me... I don’t know what I’d do without you."

Rudra’s eyes softened, and he gave her hand a small squeeze before standing up. "Just take care of yourself, okay?" he said, his voice filled with quiet concern. "You’re not alone, no matter how it feels."

Aayara nodded, watching as he waved her a small goodbye before leaving the room. She sat there in the silence, her heart heavy but grateful for the small comfort he had offered.

Yet, as she lay back down in bed, her thoughts once again turned to Arjun. Despite everything, she still longed for his love, still wished that he would see her—truly see her. But that night, sleep didn’t come easily, and her heart remained torn between hope and despair.