Chapter 44: Chapter 43

Rivaan stood in the grand foyer of his family’s mansion, his jaw clenched as he waited for his mother, Lisa Raghuvanshi, to come downstairs. The house, usually a symbol of wealth and power, felt suffocating to him now. It was the place where so many lies had been spun, where Naina had been made to feel less than, and where his own blindness had allowed it all to happen.

He had spent the entire day thinking about the twins. A boy and a girl. His children. He couldn’t believe how much he had missed already—how distant he had become from his own future. He needed to make things right, and that started here, with his mother.

The sound of her heels echoed through the hallway, announcing her presence. As she appeared at the top of the stairs, Rivaan’s stomach tightened. Lisa looked regal as always, with her perfectly styled hair and designer saree, but Rivaan could no longer see her as the infallible figure he had once idolized.

“Rivaan, darling,” she greeted him warmly as she descended the stairs. “It’s been a while since you’ve visited. How are you?”

Her tone was casual, almost too casual, as if nothing was wrong, as if she hadn’t been at the heart of destroying his marriage. Rivaan felt his anger rise, but he kept his voice steady.

“We need to talk, Mom,” he said, his eyes cold and determined. “About Naina. And about everything you’ve done.”

Lisa’s smile faltered, and for a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes—guilt? Fear? But she quickly recovered, her expression turning stern.

“I did what was best for you, Rivaan,” she said, her tone hardening. “Naina wasn’t right for this family. You were too blind to see it, so I had to take action.”

“Best for me?” Rivaan’s voice rose, disbelief and anger swirling inside him. “You had her thrown out like she was nothing! You lied to me, manipulated me, and destroyed my relationship. How was any of that ‘best’ for me?”

Lisa sighed, clearly growing frustrated with his defiance. “You don’t understand, Rivaan. Naina was never going to fit into our world. She’s too soft, too simple. She would have dragged you down. I was only protecting you.”

“Protecting me?” Rivaan repeated, his voice shaking. “You didn’t protect me. You destroyed the woman I love. And because of you, I’ve missed out on months of my children’s lives. Twins, Mom. I’m having twins, and you kept that from me.”

The color drained from Lisa’s face at the mention of twins, and for the first time, Rivaan saw real shock in her eyes. “Twins?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Yes, twins,” Rivaan said through gritted teeth. “A boy and a girl. And if I had listened to you, I would have lost them. Do you understand that?”

Lisa looked stunned, as if the gravity of her actions was finally sinking in. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. For the first time in Rivaan’s life, his mother seemed at a loss.

Rivaan took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. “I’m done letting you control my life,” he said, his voice firm. “Naina and I will make our own decisions from now on. And you… you need to stay out of it.”

Lisa’s eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked almost hurt. But Rivaan didn’t care. He had spent too long letting her dictate his life, and now, with his children on the way, he couldn’t afford to be weak anymore.

“Rivaan, you can’t seriously be thinking of taking her back after everything,” Lisa said, regaining some of her composure. “She’s not good enough for you.”

Rivaan shook his head, disgusted. “Naina is more than good enough for me. She’s the mother of my children, and she deserves better than what you did to her. If you can’t respect that, then I don’t need you in my life.”

Lisa gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re choosing her over your own mother?”

“I’m choosing my family,” Rivaan corrected. “The family I’m building with Naina. You don’t get to control that anymore.”

Without waiting for her response, Rivaan turned and walked out, his heart heavy but his mind clear. This confrontation had been necessary, but it was far from over. He knew his mother wouldn’t give up easily. But for once, Rivaan wasn’t afraid. He had a purpose now—protecting Naina and their children—and nothing was going to stop him.