Together Forever

Chapter 24

Anika's POV

The park was quiet, the stillness amplifying the ache in my chest. I sat on a weathered wooden bench, folding my hands tightly in my lap as I waited.

My mind whirled, spinning with fragments of memories, laughter, and love-moments with Uday that now felt as fragile as they were precious. Each memory echoed bittersweetly, reminding me of everything I was about to lose.

A few minutes passed before I saw him walking toward me. Even from a distance, I could see the worry etched into his face, the tension in his shoulders, and as he drew closer, I felt the ache in my heart deepen.

"Anika," he breathed, relief washing over his expression as he reached for my hands, his touch warm and familiar, grounding me. "I was so worried. Why didn't you respond? What did they say? Are you okay?"

His questions tumbled out, each one filled with concern and love, and I could feel my resolve starting to crumble.

Gently, I pulled my hands back, clutching them together tightly in my lap as I forced myself to meet his gaze.

"Uday..." My voice trembled, and I felt tears prick at my eyes. His face softened, concern deepening as he noticed.

"Why are you crying, Anika?" he murmured, reaching out to brush away a tear that escaped down my cheek.

I held his gaze, my voice barely a whisper as I uttered the words that shattered both our hearts. "We can't be together, Uday."

His hand stilled, hovering by my cheek as he froze. A look of disbelief clouded his face. "What did you just say?"

My heart pounded painfully in my chest, and I could barely hold back the wave of emotions clawing their way up. "We... we can't be together," I stammered, the words feeling as if they were tearing me apart.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was tinged with shock and confusion, his eyes searching mine, desperate for answers. "Anika, what happened?"

I swallowed, struggling to steady my voice. "My family... they don't approve of us. They've made it clear that if I choose you, I'll lose them forever."

He took a step back, hurt and betrayal flashing across his face. "And you agreed?" His voice trembled, raw and vulnerable. "You didn't fight for us?"

"I did, Uday. I really did," I replied, my voice breaking as I looked down, feeling the sting of the slap my mother had given me, its red imprint still visible on my cheek.

I raised a hand to touch it before looking up at him, showing him the mark. "I even took a slap from her for us," I said, my voice growing louder, emotions overwhelming me.

Uday's face softened as he took in the sight of the mark on my cheek, his fingers brushing lightly over it with the back of his hand. His touch was gentle, comforting, but it made everything hurt even more.

"But they don't agree," I whispered, my voice breaking as tears slipped down my cheeks. "So I have to choose. I'm sorry, Uday, but... we can't be together."

He stared at me, pain evident in his eyes, his expression hardening as he tried to process what I was saying. "So, after everything we've been through, you're just going to walk away?" His voice was sharp, each word like a stab. "Just like that?"

I could barely breathe, the weight of his words pressing down on me. "Please, don't make this harder than it already is. I... I can't hurt them like this."

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So you'd rather hurt me?" His voice rose, anger and disbelief mixing with the raw pain in his gaze. "You'd rather destroy us, everything we have, because they told you to?"