Back at her apartment, Aarohi threw her purse onto the bed and sat down, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her chest. She picked up her phone, trembling slightly, and opened the messages from the unknown number.
Her heart skipped a beat when another picture loaded. It was a photo of Vihaan, smiling, his eyes sparkling with joy. His face was bright, a genuine, soft smile that seemed to speak volumes. But what caught her attention even more was the caption: âThis is how he looks when heâs in love.â
Aarohiâs eyes scanned the picture again, feeling the knot in her stomach tighten. There was something different about the way he looked in the photo. He wasnât just happyâhe looked in love. The warmth in his expression made her heart ache.
But then, her eyes moved to the next picture, and her stomach dropped.
It was Vihaan kissing the hand of the girl who had taken the photo. He was holding her hand gently, looking up at her with a tenderness that Aarohi had never seen before. The look in his eyes... it wasnât something she imagined. It was real. It wasnât edited.
Aarohi felt her world shift. The doubt in her mind, the things she had pushed away, were suddenly all too real. She had never seen him look at her like that, never experienced that kind of affection. Her hands shook as she stared at the image.
It was clear now. He wasnât being honest with her. He was hiding something.
Her mind spiraled as she thought about everythingâthe marriage that was supposed to bring them together, the promises he had made. Was this the real reason he didnât want to go through with it? Did he not want to be with her, but someone else?
Aarohi felt a sharp pang in her chest. She couldnât ignore it anymore. She needed answers. If he was hiding something, she had to find out what it was.
---
Determined to get the truth, Aarohi took a deep breath and picked up her phone. She called Vihaan. Her finger hovered over the screen for a moment before she pressed the call button.
When he answered, his voice was hesitant, as if unsure of what she wanted to say.
âAarohi... whatâs going on? Are you okay?â
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "Meet me tomorrow. Same cafe. I need to talk to you."
There was a long pause, then Vihaanâs voice came through, careful but soft. "Aarohi, please, letâs notâ"
"No," she interrupted him. "I need to clear things up. Please. I need to know whatâs going on."
She hung up before he could respond. She couldnât hear him right now. All she could hear was the sound of her own racing heartbeat and the question that kept repeating in her head: Why was he hiding so much?
Aarohi sat alone at the café, her hands tightly clutching her coffee cup. The unease in her chest gnawed at her, and the weight of the pictures sheâd seen only grew heavier with each passing second. She had hoped for an explanation when she called him here, but everything was spiraling out of control. The picturesâthose haunting imagesâwere real, and they were impossible to ignore.
Vihaan stepped inside the café, his usual confident stride now absent. His face was a mask of tension, a mix of anticipation and guilt. He sat down across from Aarohi without saying a word. His eyes briefly met hers, but neither of them knew where to begin.
Aarohi didnât waste time. She slid her phone across the table, showing him the pictures that had tormented her. She watched his expression change as he glanced at the imagesâthe ones of him smiling and laughing with a girl. The pictures were full of warmth, with him looking genuinely happy, even kissing the girlâs hand in one shot. His eyes shone with affection in every frame.
âWhat is this, Vihaan?â Aarohiâs voice was steady, but the hurt was evident. âWhy do you look so... in love in these pictures?â
The air between them thickened as Vihaan stared at the phone in front of him. His face paled slightly, and he seemed to freeze. His eyes flickered with somethingâguilt, confusion, or maybe even regretâbut still, no explanation came. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Aarohiâs heart beat wildly in her chest as she waited for him to speak. But he didnât.
Vihaanâs silence was deafening. Aarohiâs patience started to wear thin. She needed answers, needed him to explain why the picturesâthose picturesâlooked so real, so intimate. Why did they appear so full of love?
âVihaan, please,â Aarohi said, her voice barely above a whisper. âTell me the truth. Whatâs going on?â
His lips trembled as if he were about to speak, but still, the words wouldnât come.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, Vihaan said the only thing he could bring himself to say: âThe pictures are real.â
Aarohiâs eyes widened, a shock running through her. He didnât deny it. There was no attempt to explain, to ease her confusion. âWhat do you mean by that? Why are you with her? Why is it so intimate? Why are you kissing her?â
Vihaanâs eyes darted to the table, avoiding her gaze. He didnât speak. The silence between them felt like a wall that grew higher with each passing moment. Aarohiâs frustration and hurt began to boil over.
"Is this why you didnât want the marriage? To be with her?" Aarohiâs voice broke. "Why are you doing this to me, Vihaan?"
Still, Vihaan said nothing. His eyes, once so full of determination and control, now seemed distant and unreadable. Aarohi could feel the anger rising in her chest, a flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. This was itâthis was the moment when everything was supposed to make sense. But instead, it only felt like a cruel joke.
Without another word, Vihaan stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. He didnât look back at her as he walked away, leaving Aarohi sitting in stunned silence. The weight of the unanswered questions pressed down on her, suffocating her. Her heart raced with a mixture of confusion and betrayal.
---
Aarohi was about to get up, her hands trembling, when the waiter arrived and placed a small box in front of her. It was unassuming, wrapped in plain brown paper, tied with a string. For a moment, she thought about ignoring it, but curiosity won out.
She unwrapped the box slowly, her fingers shaking as she opened it. Inside, nestled on soft tissue paper, was a delicate silver locket. It shimmered under the cafe lights, catching her eye. She could feel her heart skip a beat.
Along with the locket, there was a small note attached. Aarohiâs hands were trembling as she unfolded it and read the simple words:
"Iâm sorry, Aarohi. I know Iâve hurt you. This is for you. Always yours."
Aarohiâs breath caught in her throat. She recognized the handwriting instantly. It was his.
Why was he doing this? After everything that had happenedâafter the pictures, the confrontation, the silenceâwhy was he giving her this? Was this some sort of apology? Was it an attempt to erase what had happened, or was he trying to manipulate her emotions?
She held the locket in her hand, staring at it as the confusion in her mind deepened.
Vihaan had walked away without offering an explanation. He hadnât tried to clarify what the pictures meant. Yet here he was, sending her a gift, his words apologizing for his actions. Aarohiâs chest tightened. Was he sorry? Or was this all just part of a bigger lie?
She stood up, the locket still clutched tightly in her hand. She needed time to process it all, to understand what was really happening. But no matter how much she wanted to believe in him, the imagesâthe smiling, happy pictures of Vihaan with another girlâwere too real to ignore. Too full of love.