Chapter 49: chapter 48

Aarohi stretched her arms as the alarm buzzed on her nightstand. The morning sunlight streamed into her room, illuminating the soft pastel tones of her walls. For once, she didn’t feel like dragging herself out of bed.

She grabbed her phone and saw a message from Vihaan:

“Good morning. Hope you’re feeling better today. Let me know when you’re free.”

A smile touched her lips as she typed back:

“Good morning! I’m fine, just about to leave for college. Will call you later.”

After brushing her hair, Aarohi picked out a white kurta and paired it with her favorite pink dupatta. The last few days had been calmer. Her conversation with Vihaan about Tara had eased some of her worries. While the thought of Tara still lingered in the back of her mind, Aarohi reminded herself that she couldn’t let that woman take away her peace.

---

Tara sat on the edge of her bed, staring at an old photo of her and Vihaan. It was taken three years ago, during one of their weekend getaways to the hills. She was smiling brightly, her hand intertwined with his. Vihaan’s expression in the photo was softer than she remembered, his eyes filled with warmth as he looked at her.

Her fingers brushed the edge of the frame as her mind drifted to the past.

They had been inseparable once—Vihaan, with his commanding presence and unyielding nature, and Tara, who had always known how to push his buttons. Their relationship was fiery, passionate, and intense, but it hadn’t been without cracks.

Tara’s parents had never approved of Vihaan. They thought he was too controlling, too rigid, and not the kind of man who could make her happy. Tara had tried to convince them otherwise, but the tension only grew. Her father’s health had been deteriorating, and her mother had blamed her for adding to their stress.

The turning point came when her father was hospitalized. Tara had been torn between her loyalty to her family and her love for Vihaan. Her parents had made it clear—if she chose him, she would lose them forever.

She remembered the night she made her decision vividly. It had been raining heavily, and Vihaan had been waiting for her outside her apartment, his car parked across the street. Tara had stood at her window, watching him, her heart breaking into pieces.

She had written him a letter that night, explaining everything—her parents’ disapproval, her father’s condition, and how she couldn’t bear to be the reason her family fell apart. She had begged him to understand, to let her go. But when morning came, she didn’t have the courage to face him or even leave the letter.

Instead, she disappeared without a word.

---

Tara’s grip tightened on the photo as tears welled up in her eyes. She had always told herself that leaving Vihaan was the right choice, that she had done it for her family. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t entirely true. A part of her had been scared—scared of the intensity of their relationship, of Vihaan’s unwavering control, and of the way he could see through her every facade.

She had tried to move on, but no one else had ever come close to what she had with Vihaan. And now, seeing him with Aarohi, knowing that he had found someone else to care for, was unbearable.

Tara picked up her phone and opened the anonymous messages she had received recently, the ones warning her about Vihaan’s surveillance. A part of her was impressed—Vihaan had always been calculated, always one step ahead.

But she wasn’t the same woman who had walked away all those years ago.

“This time, I’ll fight,” she whispered to herself. “I’ll make him see that I’m still the one for him.”

Her determination was fueled by regret, jealousy, and a desperate need to undo the choices she had made. She wasn’t ready to accept that her place in Vihaan’s life had been taken.

---

Vihaan leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the updates from his investigator. He already knew Tara’s story—the one she had hidden from him for years. The investigator had pieced it all together: her parents’ disapproval, her father’s illness, and the night she had vanished without a trace.

Part of him had wanted to understand her reasons, but the hurt of her abandonment had overshadowed everything else. For years, he had blamed himself, wondering if he had been too controlling, too demanding. But now, with Aarohi in his life, he saw things more clearly.

“She had a choice,” Vihaan muttered under his breath. “And she chose to walk away.”

Karan, sitting across from him, raised an eyebrow. “Still thinking about Tara?”

“No,” Vihaan said firmly. “She’s in the past where she belongs. But she’s making herself a problem now, and I won’t let her affect Aarohi.”

Karan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “So what’s the plan? She’s clearly not giving up anytime soon.”

Vihaan’s jaw tightened. “I’ve got everything under control. Let her play her games. She doesn’t know what she’s up against.”

His phone buzzed, and Aarohi’s name flashed on the screen. He answered immediately, his tone softening.

“Hi,” Aarohi said. “I just finished class and thought I’d check in. How’s your day going?”

“Better now that I’m talking to you,” Vihaan replied. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” she said hesitantly. “Still trying not to overthink things.”

“You don’t have to,” Vihaan said, his voice steady. “I told you, Aarohi. I’ll handle everything. Just focus on yourself.”

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Always,” Vihaan said before ending the call.

As he put his phone down, his expression hardened once more. Tara might think she had a chance to reclaim the past, but Vihaan was determined to prove her wrong. His future was with Aarohi, and he wouldn’t let anyone jeopardize that.