Dilemma

Advika’s POV

I sat on the bed, my mind spinning with thoughts. Raghav’s words, Sarah’s revelation about Agam, the divorce papers in my room—everything was swirling together, forming a puzzle I didn’t have all the pieces for.

"Could it really be Agam?"

I tried to shake off the doubt, but the more I thought about it, the more things started making sense. If Agam was the one who placed the divorce papers in my room, how did he even know about my past intentions?

Suddenly, my phone buzzed, breaking my thoughts.

Tara.

I quickly answered. “Hey, you reached London?”

“Yeah, just landed! I was going to text, but then I thought, why not call?” she said cheerfully.

A small smile tugged at my lips, but my mind was still distracted. “Good. Take care of yourself.”

“I will,” she chuckled. “By the way, guess what? Agam came to see me off.”

My body stiffened. Agam?

My grip on the phone tightened. “Agam?” I repeated, trying to sound casual.

“Yeah, he said since we’ve become friends, he thought he’d come and say goodbye. Sweet, right?” Tara laughed.

A thought hit me like a lightning bolt. Tara knew about my past plan. Could she have told Agam?

I hesitated for a moment before asking, “Tara… did you ever, by any chance, tell Agam that I… that I married Vivan for his power?”

There was silence on the other end.

“Tara?”

“I— I don’t know,” she finally said.

A sharp chill ran down my spine. My fingers clutched the phone tighter. “What do you mean you don’t know?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tara sighed. “It’s just… that one time, back when you both were in Paris, I got really drunk. Agam helped me back to my room, and I… I might have said something. I don’t remember everything, .”

My heart dropped.

“You might have?” I repeated, my voice shaking.

“I didn’t mean to, Advika! I was drunk, and I wasn’t thinking? Did something happen?”

I didn’t answer. My mind was racing, connecting the dots.

Agam got to know about this when we were not here, he knew about my intention but he didn't said anything to vivan , he also came in our room when we are not there and today I saw him। coming from the hotel room.

Is he actually working for raghav?!

I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my ears.

Was I just being paranoid?

Or had Raghav been right all along?

For the first time, I wasn’t sure who to trust anymore.

I didn’t realize when sleep consumed me. My mind had been racing with thoughts—Agam, Raghav, the divorce papers, Tara’s words—but exhaustion finally took over, pulling me into a restless slumber.

Yet, even in sleep, my body remained tense, my subconscious still tangled in the chaos of the day.

That was until I felt it.

The bed dipped slightly, a familiar warmth settling beside me. A strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me into an embrace. At first, my body stiffened, my mind half-dazed from sleep. But then, the scent—his scent—washed over me.

Vivan.

A soft breath escaped my lips as I melted into him, my body instantly relaxing. His fingers lazily traced circles on my waist, his presence grounding me in a way nothing else could.

A hectic day, a mind full of endless thoughts, a heart battling fears—yet in his arms, I found solace.

Finally, peace.

Finally, home.

The warmth of his embrace should have comforted me, but tonight, it only made my heart ache more. His arms around me were both a safe haven and a cruel reminder of the truth I couldn’t tell him.

I turned slightly, looking up at his face in the dim light. He looked so peaceful, unaware of the storm raging inside me. My fingers itched to trace his jawline, to lose myself in him and forget everything else. But how could I, when the weight of my secrets threatened to suffocate me?

I felt his grip tighten instinctively, as if sensing my unrest even in his sleep. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he pulled me closer. “Sleep, princess,” he murmured, his voice husky and laced with exhaustion.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. How could I sleep when I was drowning in guilt?

I forced a small smile, knowing he wouldn’t see it. “You’re late,” I whispered instead.

“Mmm… meetings,” he responded lazily, his face nuzzling into my hair. “Missed me?”

More than you know.

I hummed in response, unwilling to say more. If I spoke, I might break. If I broke, I might confess. And if I confessed… I would lose him.

So, I simply let him hold me, let his presence be my temporary escape. Just for tonight, I would pretend. Pretend that there were no lies between us, no secrets, no threats looming over my head.

I closed my eyes and breathed him in, memorizing the feeling of being in his arms—just in case I lost it forever.

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. I stirred slightly, feeling the familiar weight of Vivan’s arm draped over my waist. His warmth, his scent—it was intoxicating, grounding me in the present, even when my mind was lost in the storm of yesterday’s revelations.

I turned slowly, careful not to wake him. His face was serene, peaceful—so unaware of the chaos that had started brewing around us. My fingers itched to touch him, to trace the sharp lines of his jaw, but I resisted.

He deserved the truth. But how could I give it to him when I wasn’t even sure how deep this web of lies went? Agam, Raghav, the divorce papers—everything felt like a puzzle missing its final piece.

My thoughts were interrupted when Vivan groaned, pulling me even closer. “Stop thinking so much,” he murmured sleepily against my hair. “It’s too early for that.”

I stiffened for a second before forcing out a chuckle. “And how do you know what I’m thinking?”

He smirked, his eyes still closed. “I don't know what you are thinking but I know that you are thinking about something surely your brain never rest.” He opened one eye slightly, his gaze lazy yet sharp. “Something is bothering you?”

Everything.

I shook my head quickly, plastering on a small smile. “Nope. Just... morning thoughts.”

Vivan hummed in response, not entirely convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he leaned in, pressing a lazy kiss to my forehead. “Then forget them,” he whispered. “And stay like this a little longer.”

If only I could.

I let myself melt into him, even though guilt gnawed at my insides. Because I knew the moment I stepped out of this bed, I would have to face the truth.

And the truth was about changing everything.

I stood near the mirror, pretending to fix my earrings, but my eyes kept darting toward Vivan as he adjusted his cufflinks. He looked effortlessly handsome, dressed in a crisp black suit, his expression focused as he checked his watch.

He was leaving for work, unaware of the storm brewing inside me. Unaware that the life we had built could shatter if he ever found out the truth.

I gasped softly as I felt Vivan’s strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me flush against his chest. His warm breath fanned against my ear as he whispered, "Tell me, Advika... what is it?"

My body stiffened for a second. Did he notice my uneasiness? Did he sense something was wrong?

I fumbled for words, trying to come up with something—anything that wouldn’t lead to the truth. But when I looked into his deep, probing eyes through the mirror in front of us, my heart clenched. I couldn’t lie to him. Not completely.

Taking a shaky breath, I finally whispered, "Actually… I had a very bad dream."

His hold on me tightened slightly. "A dream?"

I nodded. "I saw that… something happened between us, and you left me." My voice wavered as I spoke, the weight of my actual fear pressing down on me. "It felt so real, Vivan. I was just shaken up from the thought of losing you."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, he exhaled deeply before pressing a soft kiss on my temple. "Silly girl," he murmured, resting his chin on my shoulder.

His fingers tilted my face up, forcing me to look at him in the mirror. "Do you really think anything could take me away from you?" His eyes softened with warmth, but there was an intensity in them that made my heart skip a beat.

He brushed his fingers down my arm before lacing them with mine, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Even if the whole world turns against you, I’ll stand by your side. Even if fate itself tries to separate us… I’ll fight against it."

I swallowed hard, my eyes burning with emotion. If only he knew the storm that was approaching… if only he knew that fate was already trying to tear us apart.

But right now, in his arms, with his words wrapping around me like a shield, I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to believe that no matter what happens—

He will still choose me.

As soon as Vivan left for the office, I let out a deep breath, trying to push away the uneasiness swirling inside me. But just as I was about to distract myself, my phone buzzed.

I glanced at the screen, my heart clenching as I saw the name—Raghav.

My fingers twitched, tempted to open it, but I decided against it. I am in no mood to deal with him right now. His messages kept pouring in one after another, but I ignored them, choosing to silence my phone instead.

I had no idea that my decision—one simple act of ignoring him—would be a mistake. A terrible mistake.

Just a few seconds later, the door to my room flew open. Sarah stood there, panting, her face pale as if all the blood had drained from it.

A sudden wave of panic shot through me. "Sarah? What happened?" My voice trembled as I walked towards her.

She clutched my wrist, her grip shaky, her breaths uneven. And then, she uttered the words that made my whole world go numb.

"Bhabhi... Bhai ka accident ho gaya."

Everything stopped.

The air in the room turned suffocating, my heartbeat thundered in my ears. I could feel my body swaying, but my mind refused to register anything beyond her words.

Vivan.

No. No, this can’t be happening.

My fingers turned ice cold, my throat went dry. My worst nightmare—the one I had just spoken about—was turning into reality right in front of my eyes.

My phone pinged again.

This time, I didn't ignore it. This time, I looked.

With trembling hands, I unlocked my phone, my eyes falling on the latest message.

"The result of ignoring my messages. I hope you like it."

A sharp chill ran down my spine.

My breath hitched, my fingers tightening around the phone so hard that my knuckles turned white. My entire body froze as realization struck me like a lightning bolt.

Raghav.

He did this.

A surge of rage and terror coursed through my veins. My vision blurred as I reread the message over and over again, hoping, praying that I was wrong. But the words remained the same. Cold. Taunting. Merciless.

Sarah’s voice snapped me out of my trance.

"Bhabhi, we have to go!" she cried, tugging at my arm.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

Without wasting a second, I grabbed my keys and ran. Ran like my life depended on it.

Because it did.

~Jab jab khushi mili,

Dard na dastak di hai!!

Ek baar phirse aisa lagta hai ki,

meri hasti khelti Zindagi ujad rhi hai!!~

Chapter updated

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