Wounded Heart ✔

Chapter - 3

Night descended upon Amna Mansion not with peace, but with a restless heaviness. The great halls—usually alive with soft laughter, conversations, and the quiet order of routine—seemed subdued. Servants moved about silently, as though even their footsteps might disturb the fragile calm. Every heart in the house beat with the same, unspoken tension: Amira was coming back.

For some, the thought ignited anger. For others, fear. For a few, only painful memories resurfaced. But for all, sleep seemed a stranger that night.

Inside the vast study, the glow of a single desk lamp spread across papers and files, though little work was being done. Abhishek sat behind the polished mahogany desk, his pen moving without purpose, while Laksh leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed. Both looked like they were busy with business, but both knew the truth—they were only pretending.

"Bhai," Laksh finally broke the silence, his voice hesitant yet heavy, "do you really agree with Princess's demand? For meeting her... for allowing her back into our world?"

Abhishek looked up slowly, his eyes cold but weary. "Agree? I will never agree with her—or even with her shadow falling upon Princess. Do you honestly think I could ever be happy watching her step back into our lives, after what she did?" His voice was low, but each word cut sharp, forged from years of unhealed wounds.

Laksh swallowed, the pain in his chest evident. "But why, Bhai? Why did she do it? We pampered her, loved her more than anyone. Then what pushed her to take that step? Where... where did we fail her?"

For a moment, Abhishek's eyes flickered with something deeper—grief, regret, or maybe anger turned inward—but his reply came firm and final. "Perhaps we did fail her in how we loved her, Lucky. Perhaps our mistake was in sheltering her too much. But whatever the reason, it doesn't matter now. What matters is that I will not let her spoil Aashi's happiness, however short that may be. I won't allow her poison back into our lives. Not again. Never again."

Laksh exhaled shakily, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. "Bhai... at least don't you think we deserve to know the truth? What made her act that way? Don't we deserve an answer, if not for us, then for Princess?"

But Abhishek's expression hardened once more, shutting the door to that thought. "You may want answers, Laksh. But I don't. I don't care what pushed her, what broke her, or what reasons she hides. She is no longer my sister. She is no longer a daughter of this family. As Meher said—she's only returning for the Khurana name, for the power and the recognition it carries. Nothing more."

"Bhai—" Laksh tried again, but Abhishek's sharp tone silenced him.

"No more. I won't hear another word on this tonight." Pushing back his chair, Abhishek stood, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the study. "We've had enough turmoil for one day. Retire for the night, Laksh. Tomorrow will bring what it must."

Without waiting for a response, he left the room, his footsteps echoing in the hallway until they faded into silence.

Laksh remained where he stood, the weight of his brother's words pressing heavily on his chest. He let out a long sigh, leaning his head back against the bookshelf.

I know, Bhai. I know you loved her the most. You were the one who pampered her, protected her like a fragile doll, keeping her away from the world's cruelty like Badepapa once did. And maybe that is why her betrayal cut you the deepest. Maybe that's why you cannot forgive her. But I... I can't stop wondering. What truly happened that day? What made her do what she did?

His eyes softened with conflicted resolve. I don't know if we're ready to face her again. But I know this—once Amira returns, she will find her way back into our hearts. Whether we want her to... or not. Because to understand her, we must first know the truth of that dark day.