DIVYA
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The word 'fiancée' echoed in my mind, leaving me utterly speechless. My throat tightened, and I felt my face flush with a mix of shock, disbelief, and something I couldn't quite name.
I choked on the water, coughing miserably as the words sank in. Raghav quickly rubbed my back, trying to soothe me, but I could barely focus on anything other than the bombshell he'd just dropped.
Fiancée? How had we gone from 'not my boyfriend' to 'fiancée' in the span of a heartbeat? Raghav Sinha was truly a mystery, one that I wasn't sure I'd ever fully unravel.
Fiancée? How had we gone from 'not my boyfriend' to 'fiancée' in the span of a heartbeat? Raghav Sinha was truly a mystery, one that I wasn't sure I'd ever fully unravel.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Raghav asked, still rubbing my back, his voice filled with concern that only made me want to throttle him. I shot him a glare so fierce that, had it been capable, it would have incinerated him on the spot.
Fiancée? Earlier, I was his girlfriend, and now fiancée? What next? His wife? This was spiraling out of control, and I felt completely powerless to stop it. I tried to shake my head to signal to the Dawsons that Raghav was lying, but my throat was still recovering from the sudden assault by water. Unfortunately, my shaking head only seemed to convince them that I was still struggling from the coughing fit.
When I finally managed to catch my breath, I aimed another glare at Raghav, who appeared completely unbothered by the chaos he was causing.
"You should have told us about this earlier. So, when's the wedding?" Mrs. Dawson asked with bright eyes, looking at us as though we were the epitome of a perfect couple.
"By the end of this year," Raghav replied smoothly, as if he'd had this planned all along. Mr. Dawson chuckled, clearly amused by the situation, and offered his congratulations. "Congratulations to both of you. Don't forget to invite us to the wedding."
As soon as my breathing returned to normal, I opened my mouth, ready to set the record straight, but of course, at that exact moment, the waitress arrived with our coffee. I groaned internally. Was the universe conspiring to keep me from telling the truth? Every attempt to clarify seemed to be thwarted by some cosmic force.
I couldn't understand how Raghav could lie so easily. Did he not care about the implications of what he was saying? Relationships shouldn't be treated so casually. But who was I kidding? This was Raghav Sinha, after all-a man who never seemed to be short of options when it came to women. He was notorious in New York for being a playboy, and here I was, foolishly getting caught up in his charm just because he had shown me a bit of kindness.
This is what happens when you're starved for affection from your family; you start searching for it elsewhere, only to end up with the wrong person. My chest tightened with the realization, but I was also relieved that I recognized these feelings before they could grow into something more dangerous.
After finishing our coffee and some light conversation, we finally decided to wrap things up. Raghav and I walked with the Dawsons to see them off to their car. The entire time, my mind was racing with ways to undo the mess he had created.
"Give us some time to have our lawyer review the papers," Mr. Dawson said before getting into the car. "Once it's done, we'll sign and send them to you."
I nodded, managing a polite smile, though inside I felt like screaming. How had this day turned so upside down? And how was I going to fix it? Raghav stood beside me, calm and composed as ever, while I felt like the ground had shifted beneath my feet.
As soon as the Dawsons' car disappeared from view, I turned sharply towards Raghav, my frustration boiling over. "What was that?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger.
"What?" he responded, feigning innocence. He wanted to play dumb? Fine. Two could play at that game.
"Raghav, seriously-girlfriend, fiancée? Why would you lie to them? I didn't expect this from you," I said, my voice trembling slightly, not just from anger but from the confusion his actions had stirred in me.
His expression hardened, and I saw a flicker of something darker in his eyes. "You're acting like lying is my favorite pastime. I only lie when it's necessary, not for fun," he replied through gritted teeth.
"It doesn't matter," I muttered, the anger still simmering beneath my words.
"Right, it doesn't matter whether you're single or married, but they still judged you. Tell me, Divya, if they knew you were single, would they have sold you the property?" His voice was cold, logical, and frustratingly right.
No, they wouldn't have, I admitted silently. But that didn't make the lie any easier to swallow. "Raghav, don't try to justify your wrongdoing," I yelled, my frustration bubbling over.
His temper flared, and he stepped closer, gripping my elbow tightly enough that I winced in pain. He pulled me towards him, and I could see the anger blazing in his eyes. The intensity of it made my heart race with a mix of fear and something else I couldn't quite name.
"I, Raghav Sinha, never justify anything because I'm always right," he growled, his voice low and rough. I noticed people around us beginning to stare, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"All I was doing was trying to help you," he said, his grip loosening as he released me suddenly, making me stumble back. I rubbed my elbow, still throbbing from where his hand had been.
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just...I hate lying," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Good for you, because you didn't lie. I did," he muttered. He was right, of course. But the guilt still gnawed at me. He slipped his hands into his pockets and shot me one last glare.
"Divya, sometimes you have to treat people the way they treat you. If you don't, they'll walk all over you. I just gave them a taste of their own medicine, that's all," he said, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument.
I nodded, slowly understanding his point of view. "And it's not like they'll ever find out the truth. After they transfer the property to your name, tell them we broke up," he added with a casual shrug.
He was right again. They weren't our relatives; they were just people I needed to do business with. My overthinking was getting the better of me. Perhaps Raghav had handled the situation in the best way possible, even if it didn't sit well with me initially.
I opened my mouth to say something-maybe an apology, maybe a thank you-but before I could, he turned on his heel and headed towards the car. I sighed, feeling the weight of my earlier anger turn into guilt. I followed him silently, the atmosphere between us tense and uncomfortable.
The ride back to the hotel was heavy with unspoken words. I stared out the window, trying to sort through my tangled emotions, while Raghav sat beside me, silent and distant. When we finally reached our room, he walked straight into his, not sparing me a glance.
I stood in the middle of the suite, feeling a deep sense of regret. All he had tried to do was help me, and I'd lashed out at him for it. I needed to apologize, to make things right between us. But first, I needed to change into something more comfortable and gather my thoughts.
As I headed to my room, I couldn't shake the feeling that today had shifted something between us-something I wasn't entirely sure how to handle.
I decided to wear a comfortable floral print cotton co-ord set, which also doubled as my nightwear. I didn't bring my usual night suit, not wanting to create any awkwardness between us-especially after everything that had happened today. The last thing I wanted was for Raghav to feel uncomfortable because of me.
After changing into the soft, breathable fabric and freshening up in the bathroom, I walked out, tossing the towel carelessly onto the bed. But just as I was about to settle in, there was a sudden sound-a faint click-and everything went dark.
My heart skipped a beat as I stood frozen in place, the room plunged into complete darkness. The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating, amplifying the faint thudding of my pulse.
For a split second, I just stood there, frozen in place, my breath catching in my throat. Then, it hit me-a wave of panic so intense it felt like my chest was being squeezed in a vise. The darkness wasn't just around me; it was inside me, tightening around my lungs, making it impossible to breathe.
My heart pounded wildly, each beat echoing in my ears like a terrifying drum. The air in the room seemed to grow thick, pressing down on me, suffocating me. I tried to move, to reach out, but my hand trembled violently, hanging uselessly in the air.
Oh God, not this. Anything but this.
The darkness felt alive, like it was swallowing me whole. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn't help-the darkness was still there, waiting for me when i opened them again. It wrapped around my mind, feeding off my fear, making my thoughts spiral out of control. What if the lights never come back on? What if I'm stuck in this black void forever?
My breathing grew shallow, ragged, like i was trying to suck air through a straw. The walls felt like they were closing in, the room shrinking around me.
The tears started to well up, blurring my vision-not that it mattered, since i couldn't see a damn thing anyway. I tried to swallow the sobs that threatened to break free, but one escaped, a small, pitiful sound that echoed in the silence.
I felt like a child again, lost and alone in the dark, terrified that the monsters lurking in the shadows were real. The room around me, once so familiar and comforting, had turned into a black void, a nightmare i couldn't wake up from
I collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud, my legs giving out beneath me as my strength drained away. Curling into myself, I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my face against them, seeking some form of comfort in the darkness. My back pressed against the edge of the bed, the only thing keeping me upright as I broke down, my sobs wracking my body in waves of despair.
And in that moment, the darkness became all too real, as I realized that the true monsters were the ones inside my own mind, and there was no waking up from this nightmare.
*******************************
Hey my lovely readers,
I hope you enjoyed today's chapter. Tell Me your view in the comments section and Don't forget to like, comment and follow.
Do follow my instagram account drops_of_ambrosia for any latest updates.