The morning began with a bittersweet farewell. Aarav and Ishika, eager to visit their nani ghar, hugged Sia tightly before leaving with their mother. Sia waved them off with a soft smile that barely masked the storm raging inside her. As their laughter faded into the distance, the mansion seemed unnervingly quietâa silence that mirrored her inner turmoil.
But the peace was short-lived.
By late morning, the doorbell echoed through the Rathor mansion, and with it came an unwelcome guest. Riya strode in, her heels clicking against the marble floor, her confidence oozing like poison. The family, seated in the living room, turned to face her, their expressions ranging from shock to disdain.
"I'm back," Riya announced, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. "Back to reclaim my placeâin Arjun's life and in this family."
Her words were like a dagger, and Sia, who had been quietly arranging tea for everyone, froze in her tracks. Arjun's jaw clenched as his eyes burned with fury.
"Riya, don't you dareâ" he began, his tone laced with warning.
But before he could finish, a sharp voice sliced through the air.
"Enough!" Dadi rose from her chair, her cane striking the floor like a gavel. Her eyes, fierce and unwavering, locked onto Riya. "How dare you? How dare you walk into this house and spew such nonsense?"
Riya's smirk faltered, but only for a moment. "Dadi, I'm just speaking the truth. I was always meant to be here, by Arjun's side. You all know that deep down."
"Do we?" Dadi's voice was filled with contempt. She gestured toward Sia, who stood quietly in the corner, her head bowed and tears streaming down her face. "Do you see her? She is this family's bahu. She has given her heart to this house and its people. And youâ" Dadi's voice rose with anger, "âyou think you can waltz in and claim a place that was never yours?"
For a fleeting moment, Sia felt a spark of hope at Dadi's unwavering support. But Riya, ever the manipulator, wasn't done.
"Oh, Dadi," she said, her tone dripping with mock pity. "I hate to burst your bubble, but your perfect bahu isn't as perfect as you think."
With calculated precision, Riya pulled out her phone. The family watched in stunned silence as she swiped through photosâpictures of Sia with Mayank, moments cleverly captured to appear intimate.
"Look at this," Riya said, her voice cold and triumphant. "Your precious Sia has been having an affair behind your backs."
The room erupted into chaos. Gasps of disbelief and murmurs of shock filled the air. Sia's heart pounded as she stood rooted to the spot, her mind reeling.
"Sia?" Dadi's voice cracked, the unwavering faith she'd shown moments ago now tainted with doubt. "What is this? Tell me it's not true."
Sia's voice trembled as she struggled to explain. "Dadi, it's not what it looks like. These photosâthey're misleading. I swear, Iâ"
But her words were drowned out by the weight of the images. Every glance directed at herâconfused, hurt, accusingâwas like a knife twisting in her chest.
Arjun remained silent, his expression unreadable. But the coldness in his eyes, the way he avoided looking at her, cut deeper than any accusation.
Riya seized the moment, her smirk returning as she turned to Arjun. "See? I told you. She's been deceiving all of you. But don't worry, Arjun. I'm here now. I'll fix everything."
With a final, smug glance at Sia, Riya sauntered out of the hall, leaving behind a shattered silence.
Sia stood frozen, her world crumbling around her. The walls of the Rathor mansion, once a sanctuary, now felt suffocating and hostile. The family that had become her own seemed distant, their trust wavering.
Without a word, she turned and walked away, her steps heavy as she retreated to her room. She locked the door and sank to the floor, her tears falling freely. Her heart ached with the weight of Arjun's silence, the family's doubt, and the betrayal she had never anticipated.
In her solitude, Sia reached for her notebook. The familiar act of writing, her one source of solace, became her refuge. Every word she penned was a release, a way to channel the emotions threatening to consume her.
But even as the ink flowed, her tears didn't stop. Because no matter how much comfort she sought in her stories, they couldn't erase the harsh reality of her crumbling world. The weight of Arjun's coldness and the family's uncertainty was unbearable, and for the first time, Sia truly felt alone.
Sia sat on the edge of her bed with her dairy and pen, her laptop open in front of her. The room felt colder now, the silence thick with the weight of everything that had just unfolded. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard as she stared at the blank screen, struggling to find a way to express the whirlwind of emotions that raged inside her.
Finally, she began to type, the words flowing as if they had been waiting for this moment. It wasn't just a poemâit was her heart laid bare.
**"Beneath the surface, hidden deep,
A heart in silence, left to weep.
The world may see, but cannot know,
The pain we carry, the seeds we sow.
Promises made, then torn apart,
Trust broken, once pure from the start.
A thousand words left unsaid,
Filling the spaces where dreams once led.
In the shadows, we find our light,
A love that struggles, but holds tight.
In the end, will we find our way,
Or be lost in the darkness of the day?"**
She hit post, her eyes lingering on the screen for a moment longer than usual. She didn't expect anyone to understand. She didn't even know if anyone would care. But in that moment, the poem felt like the only thing that truly made sense. It was raw. It was real. It was her.
Almost immediately, notifications began flooding in. Likes, comments, and shares. People resonated with the emotions she had poured into every line. Some of them left encouraging words, while others shared their own stories of heartache and betrayal.
But Sia's attention wasn't on the growing popularity of her post. Her heart felt too heavy for such things. All she could think about was Arjunâthe way he had looked at her earlier, the coldness in his eyes, the distance between them.
Arjun's POV
Arjun sat in his office, his thoughts a jumbled mess. His mind kept replaying the events of the dayâthe confrontation with Riya, the photos, the accusation, Sia's silent tears. His head pounded as he stared at the screen of his phone, aimlessly scrolling. And then, he saw it.
A notification from Rhythmâthe account Sia had created for her poetry and writing. His heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, his finger tapped the post.
The poem appeared before him, its words seeping into his consciousness like a soft, rhythmic melody. Arjun's eyes flicked over the words, each line pulling him deeper into Sia's heartache. He felt the raw emotion behind each sentence, a pain he had never fully understood until now. He could almost hear her voice, fragile and steady, as she had written these words.
The poem spoke of broken promises, trust lost, and the darkness that loomed over their love. Every word felt like it was meant for him. He knew that Rhythm was Siaâhis wife, the woman who had been at the center of his world. And yet, as he read, doubt and confusion gnawed at him. He didn't know how to fix things, didn't know if he could.
"A love that struggles, but holds tight."
The words rang in his ears. Was that what they were doing? Struggling but holding on? He wanted to believe it. He wanted to fix everything, to make it right. But could he? Could he trust her again after everything that had happened? The pictures, Riya's accusationsâthey had all shattered the image of their bond that he had clung to so desperately.
He put the phone down, his hand shaking slightly. Arjun leaned back in his chair, eyes staring at the ceiling, fighting against the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him. He didn't want to feel like this. He didn't want to feel uncertain. But the truth was, he was scaredâscared that maybe Sia had betrayed him, scared that the woman he thought he knew so well had changed, or maybe had always been someone else.
But then, a thought pierced through the chaos in his mind: What if it wasn't her fault? What if she had been trying to make him see the truth, and he had been too blind to notice?
His gaze fell back to the phone, his eyes catching on a comment someone had left under Sia's poem: "We stand with you, Rhythm. Stay strong."
Arjun's breath caught. The truth was, he didn't know what to believe anymore. But one thing was clearâSia was in pain, and he had caused it. Whether through his silence, his doubts, or his inaction, he had pushed her away.
The realization hit him hard. He had to find a way to fix things. He couldn't lose herânot now, not when everything was hanging by such a fragile thread.
Arjun closed his eyes, a deep sigh escaping his lips. What have I done?
And as the weight of his own doubts crashed down on him, he made a silent vow to himself: He would do whatever it took to prove to Sia that he still believed in themâbelieved in their bond. He just hoped it wasn't too late.