Later that evening, as Shivaay tried to escape the lingering stares of the guests, he found himself back in the corridor where he'd overheard Mallika and Shashank earlier. His anger simmered just below the surface, but Anika's words lingered in his mind.
He was about to head back to the party when Mallika approached him again, alone this time.
"What do you want now?" he asked, his tone colder than before.
"I just... I need you to know something," she said hesitantly.
"Mujhe nahi sunna hai. Just fuck off."
"Please, Shivaay," she pleaded, her voice breaking. "You deserve the truth, and I need to let go of this guilt. When I left you for Shashank, it wasn't just because of him. I wasn't happy with us, Shivaay. I felt unnoticed, unimportant, and uncherished."
Shivaay stared at her, his expression unreadable. "And fucking him was the solution?"
"Shivaay, you need to understand-being with you wasn't easy. You were... distant sometimes. Detached. It felt like I didn't matter."
"You mattered, Mallika. You mattered so much that I stayed away from this country, my family-because everything, every damn thing reminded me of you. Of us," he said, his voice tightening with emotion.
Mallika looked down, guilt written all over her face. "I never doubted your love. But did I feel loved, always? No." She paused, drawing a shaky breath before continuing. "I know what I did was wrong. But back then... I was lonely, Shivaay. You were always away, buried in business trips, and I was always told it was 'for our future.' But what about the present? I tried to reach you, but you never noticed. You were so focused on being the perfect Oberoi, on work, on everything else. And Shashank... he noticed the things you didn't."
Shivaay's jaw tightened, but he stayed silent.
"One night, after a fight we had, I went to Shashank for advice," she continued, her voice trembling. "I was angry, frustrated. He listened to me in a way I didn't realize I needed. And then... I had too much to drink. It wasn't planned, Shivaay. It was one moment of weakness, and I regretted it the second it happened. But after that, I felt like I'd already broken us."
Shivaay's eyes darkened, his voice laced with bitterness. "So instead of fixing it, you walked away. You chose to screw him again."
Mallika flinched but didn't look away. "I didn't think you cared enough to fight for us. And maybe... maybe I didn't have the courage to face what I'd done. But I see now-I should've talked to you instead of running. I should've told you what I needed instead of letting someone else fill the void."
There was a long pause as Shivaay absorbed her words, his emotions battling beneath his composed exterior. Finally, he spoke, his tone cold and sharp. "You're right about one thing. You should have talked to me. But Mallika, no matter how distant I might've been, what you did was a choice. Just tell me one thing: did you choose him because you cheated with him, or because you fell in love?"
Mallika's tears spilled over as she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "It just happened. I knew I was falling out of love with you, but I held on... with a ray of hope. But my hope wasn't you, Shivaay. It was Shashank."
Shivaay looked at her for a moment longer, the weight of her words settling heavily on his chest. Then, without another word, he turned to leave.
"Shivaay," Mallika called out one last time, her voice raw with emotion. "Don't let Anika feel the way I did. Don't push her away because of your walls. She sees you in a way I never could."
Her words hit like a sledgehammer, but Shivaay didn't stop, didn't turn back. He walked away, his steps purposeful, even as her confession and warning echoed in his mind.
As he re-entered the party, the noise and lights felt distant, muted. His gaze instinctively sought out Anika, and when he found her, a flicker of something unspoken stirred within him. Maybe she wasn't part of his world, but tonight, she was the only one who had truly seen him
Author's Note
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The GIRLFRIEND Deal
Romance"The best relationships usually begin unexpectedly" Shivaay Singh Oberoi, a heartbroken lover whose ex betrayed him after a successful relationship of 5 years. His faith on love ceases to zero. Anika, an aspiring Interior designer does local plays...
