Echoes Of Silence - An Arshi FF

🎇A House Reclaimed🎇

Next Morning..

The Raizada Mansion was unusually silent that morning. The weight of everything that had transpired the previous day still lingered in the air. The usual household chatter was missing, as if everyone was treading carefully around an unspoken storm.

In Arnav and Khushi's room, Ratna sat quietly on the bed, her hands clasped in her lap, staring at the window. The faint golden glow of the morning sun illuminated her face, but she remained unmoved, lost in her own world.

Arvind had been restless since dawn. He had paced the corridors of the mansion, hands clenched into fists, emotions waging a war inside him. Years of silence, years of looking away, years of allowing his family to treat his wife with such cruelty—he had been complicit in it all. He was too late, painfully late, but he wasn't going to back down now. He would do whatever it took to make it up to Ratna.

After much hesitation, he made his way to Arnav and Khushi's room, only to find the door slightly ajar. He peeked in and saw Ratna sitting on the bed, her posture stiff. Arnav had already gone to the garage, and Khushi was in the kitchen. This was his moment.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. The awkwardness between them was suffocating. His wife, the woman he had loved but failed miserably, didn't even acknowledge his presence. He cleared his throat.

"Ratna..." he called softly.

She didn't look at him, but he noticed the slight tightening of her fingers over her lap.

"Are you... are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.

Ratna nodded.

"Did you sleep well?"

Another nod.

"Any discomfort?"

This time, she finally turned her gaze toward him, her deep brown eyes emotionless, unreadable. He wanted to say so much—apologize, beg for forgiveness, promise her that he would fix everything—but the words caught in his throat.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Khushi walked in with a tray in her hands. She stopped for a moment, taking in the scene before her. The tension was evident.

A soft, understanding smile curved her lips.

"Papa ji, aap yahan?" she said gently, as if to ease the unease in the room.

She walked over to Ratna and placed a cup of tea in front of her before turning to Arvind.

"It's good that you're here," she said, holding out another cup toward him. "I brought tea for you as well."

Arvind glanced at Khushi, his lips parting slightly, but when his gaze shifted to Ratna again, something inside him shattered. The woman he had loved for decades now sat before him like a mere shadow of herself, indifferent to his presence, his concern, his regret.

His eyes burned, his heart clenched painfully, and his grip on the cup loosened. He couldn't do this—not here, not now.

Clearing his throat, he murmured, "I... I'll take it later."

Before Khushi could say anything else, he turned and quickly left the room.

...

Arvind stormed down the stairs, his steps heavy, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. His mind was in turmoil. He had lost so much time—had allowed so much damage to be done. And now, when he finally wanted to set things right, he didn't even know where to begin.