𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞: 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲

Chapter 41

A A R A V I

I stood frozen, stunned. My eyes widened in disbelief, and my hands began to tremble violently. The aarti thali wobbled in my grip, dangerously close to slipping from my fingers—but I clutched it tightly, forcing myself to hold it together.

What just happened?

I instinctively took a step back. Then another. My breath hitched in my throat.

"Yeh... yeh kya kar rahe hain aap?" I managed, my voice trembling, caught between shock and confusion. "Patni ke..."

(W-What are you doing? A wife's)

I stopped. The word stung on my tongue.

I swallowed hard and corrected myself, eyes still locked on him kneeling at my feet—his head bowed, his forehead touching where I stood. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

"I mean... aise ladkiyo ke pair chhuna... paap hai," I whispered, still stunned. "Aur woh bhi... Bhagwaan ke saa..mne?" My voice cracked at the end.

(I mean touching a girl's feet like this, it's a sin. And that too in front of God.)

He smiled—gently, yet brokenly—his tear-stained eyes trembling with a pain he couldn't hide, his voice barely above a whisper, each word soaked in regret.

"Pehli baat, tum mere liye koi ladki nahi ho... meri patni ho, aur rahi baat pair chhune ki, toh bhagwaan khud apni patniyo ke pair chhuye hain.Mahadev se lekar Krishna ji tak... jab bhagwaan jhuk sakte hain, toh main kyun nahi? Main toh phir bhi ek insaan hoon... aur mujhe koi sharam nahi hai apni patni ke pair chhune mein. Agar uski maafi mil jaaye... toh main hazaar baar jhuk sakta hoon."

(First of all, you're not just some girl to me... you're my wife. And as for touching your feet— even the gods have bowed to their wives. From Lord Shiva to Lord Krishna... if they could bow, then why can't I? I'm just a man after all... and I feel no shame in touching my wife's feet. If it means earning her forgiveness... I would bow a thousand times.)

I shook my head, my vision blurred by tears. I glanced at Veer Bhai, who stood a few feet away, watching us with heavy eyes. His gaze lingered on mine for a moment—filled with silent understanding, maybe even hope—before he turned around and quietly walked away, leaving us alone in the echo of our breaking hearts.

I looked down.

Nikshant's head was still bowed at my feet. I could feel the warmth of his tears soaking into my skin, feel the tremble in his body as if it were my own. My heart twisted painfully. My own tears began to fall, silently tracing down my cheeks.

I took a shaky breath. "Stand up," I whispered, forcing strength into my trembling voice.

But he shook his head stubbornly, clinging to the ground, clinging to the last thread of hope.

"I won't," he said hoarsely. "Not until you forgive me. I can't live without you, Aaravi. I gave you two months. I stayed away. I didn't even let myself see you... but those two months... they broke me. I know now what life without you feels like. And I don't want to survive it again."

My tears turned into burning fire.

"No, you don't know," I snapped, stepping back, my voice rising with the flood I'd held inside for too long. "You're thinking only about yourself! You're so wrapped up in your guilt and pain that you don't even see what I went through."