The truth had finally come out, and the weight of it was too much for Raghav to bear. His entire world, everything he had believed about his life, had been shattered. The revelation that Mr. Desai wasnât just a controlling patriarch but his father, a liarâand that his real mother had been hidden from himâwas a truth he hadnât asked for.
Raghav had always considered Sumitra his mother, the only parent who had ever shown him warmth, even in the limited way she could under Mr. Desaiâs shadow. Now, Siyaâs actions had not only exposed his lineage but also tainted the memory of the woman he had loved deeply.
He paced the living room, his mind spiraling into chaos. His breaths came in short, uneven bursts as he tried to process the truth Siya had uncovered.
Siya stood near the doorway, her heart breaking as she watched him. She had thought the truth would set them free, that it would bring clarity to their lives, but instead, it had created a chasm between them.
"Raghav," she began softly, her voice trembling. "I didnât do this to hurt you. I thought you deserved to knowâ"
"Deserved to know?" Raghavâs voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. He turned to face her, his eyes filled with anger and pain. "Do you even hear yourself, Siya? You thought I deserved to know? Who gave you the right to decide what I should or shouldnât know about my own life?"
Siya flinched at his words but stood her ground. "I thought I was doing the right thing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You had a right to the truth, Raghav. I couldnât keep it from you."
Raghav laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "The right thing? The truth?" He took a step closer to her, his eyes burning with betrayal. "You didnât think about me, Siya. You didnât think about how this would destroy everything I believed in. All you cared about was your obsession with taking Mr. Desai down."
"Thatâs not true," Siya protested, tears streaming down her face. "I care about you, Raghav. I wanted you to know the truth because I thought it would help youâ"
"Help me?" Raghav interrupted, his voice rising. "You didnât help me, Siya. You ripped my life apart. You took the one person who meant everything to meâmy motherâand you dragged her memory through the mud. You made me question whether she even loved me."
Siyaâs heart clenched at his words. "I never wanted to hurt you," she said, her voice breaking. "I was trying to protect you from Mr. Desai, from his liesâ"
"Protect me?" Raghavâs voice was laced with venom. "Donât you get it, Siya? You didnât protect me. You betrayed me. You went behind my back, you dug into my past, and then you dropped this bombshell on me like it was some kind of gift. You didnât even give me the chance to process it on my own."
He took a step back, his hands trembling as he ran them through his hair. "You should have come to me first," he said, his voice quieter now but no less intense. "You should have told me what you were planning. We could have figured this out together. But instead, you decided for me. You decided what I should know and when I should know it. And in doing so, you took away my choice."
"I didnât know how to tell you," Siya admitted, her voice trembling. "I was scared. I didnât want to hurt you."
"You didnât want to hurt me?" Raghav repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, congratulations, Siya. You failed. Because Iâve never felt more betrayed in my life."
Siya took a hesitant step toward him, her hands outstretched. "Raghav, please," she pleaded. "I know I made mistakes. I know I should have handled this differently. But I only wanted to protect you."
Raghav shook his head, his eyes filled with tears. "Protect?" he repeated, his voice breaking. "If this is your idea of protection, Siya, then I donât want it. I loved my mother, Siya. I loved her with everything I had, and you took her away from me. Youâve taken everything away from me."
"I didnât mean to," Siya whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I never wanted to take anything from you. I just wanted you to see the truth."
Raghav turned away from her, his shoulders shaking as he tried to contain his emotions. "You should have left it alone," he said, his voice barely audible. "You should have let me live in ignorance. At least then, I could have held on to the memory of my mother. But now⦠now I donât even know whatâs real anymore."
Siya reached out to him, her fingers brushing against his arm. "Raghav, please," she said, her voice desperate. "Donât push me away. Iâm so sorry. Iâll do whatever it takes to make this right."
Raghav pulled away from her touch, his eyes filled with pain. "You canât make this right, Siya," he said, his voice cold. "Youâve already done the damage. And I donât know if I can ever forgive you for it."
Siya felt her heart shatter at his words. She had known this would be difficult, but she hadnât expected him to push her away so completely. "Raghav," she said, her voice trembling. "Please donât shut me out."
But Raghav didnât respond. He turned away from her, his body tense as he fought to keep his emotions in check.
Siya watched him, her own tears falling freely. She had thought the truth would bring them closer, but instead, it had torn them apart. She didnât know how to fix this, how to repair the damage she had done.
All she could do was stand there, her heart breaking as the man she loved walked away from her.