CHAPTER TWENTY THREE : EXPECTED OR UNEXPECTED?
Priya’s smile froze. The warmth that had been on her face just seconds ago vanished. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked past Mrs. Khanna into the living room.
The entire atmosphere inside felt suddenly heavy. And then she saw them.
For a brief moment, she forgot to breathe. Her feet refused to move forward, as though they had been rooted to the ground. The surprise on her face was unmistakable, a mix of disbelief and an emotion far deeper, one that twisted quietly in her chest.
Aryan, oblivious to the turmoil in Priya’s mind, noticed her hesitation and urged her, “What happened… Let’s go.” His voice was gentle, but it lacked the understanding of the storm raging within her.
Priya, trying to mask her panic, quickly took out a mask from her bag. Her hands shook as she covered her face, hoping to hide her identity. With her heart racing, she followed Aryan into the living area, her mind swirling with thoughts of what could unfold next.
As they stood in the living area, Aryan greeted the guests with a polite smile, “Hello, Mr. & Mrs. Oberoi.”
“Hello,” Mr. Oberoi and Mrs. Oberoi replied almost in unison, their faces reflecting surprise and curiosity.
Mini, sitting next to her parents, offered a cheerful “Hello, Mr. Aryan.” But her eyes darted quickly to Priya, who was partially hidden behind the mask.
Priya exchanged a glance with Mini, her eyes wide with silent questions. In a gesture, she asked, “What is going on here?” Mini shrugged slightly, her own expression showing confusion. “I don’t know,” she gestured back. Priya understood then that staying in this room could lead to something she wasn’t prepared to face.
“I’m going to my room,” Priya suddenly announced, her voice a bit strained, betraying her unease. Without waiting for a response, she turned and started towards the stairs, her steps quickening as her anxiety grew.
But before she could escape, Mr. Khanna’s firm voice stopped her in her tracks. “Riya, wait… come here,” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Priya hesitated, her mind racing as she tried to think of an excuse. “But dad—” she began, hoping to deflect.
“I said come,” Mr. Khanna cut her off, his tone brooking no refusal. The sternness in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.
Reluctantly, Priya turned and walked back, each step feeling like a march towards her inevitable confrontation. She stood next to Mr. Khanna, her heart pounding so loudly she feared everyone could hear it.
Mr. Khanna looked at her with a mixture of sternness and something else, was it sympathy? “I don’t think you should hide all this anymore,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost gentle, as if he understood the weight of his words.
“Hide… What?” Aryan asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. The tension in the room grew palpable, thickening the air as everyone waited for the revelation.
Without a word, Mr. Khanna reached out and slowly removed the mask from Priya’s face. The moment seemed to stretch into eternity as the mask fell away, revealing her face to the shocked eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Oberoi.
“Priya!” Mr. and Mrs. Oberoi gasped simultaneously, their voices filled with a mixture of shock and recognition.
Aryan’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stepped back, his mind reeling from the sudden revelation. “Priya… No… No… She’s my wife, Riya,” he insisted, his voice tinged with desperation as if saying it would make it true.
But Mr. Oberoi’s voice cut through Aryan’s denial, firm and unwavering. “No, she is my daughter Priya. If you don’t believe me, then ask her yourself.”
Aryan turned to Priya, his face a mask of confusion and disbelief. “Riya, is it true?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly as he searched her eyes for the truth.
Priya felt a cold wave of dread wash over her as she nodded slowly, the weight of her secret crashing down on her. “Yes, he is right,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m his daughter, Priya. I am the girl you were going to marry.”
The room fell silent as her words hung in the air, the truth finally out in the open. Aryan’s face contorted with a mix of shock, hurt, and anger as he processed her confession. “And you kept hiding all this from me until now?” he shouted, his voice echoing in the room, the anger and betrayal clear in his tone.
Priya’s eyes filled with tears as she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his piercing stare. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice choked with guilt and regret.
Mr. Oberoi, still reeling from the shock, turned to his daughter, his voice filled with confusion and concern. “Priya, what’s going on? What are you doing here?”
Before Priya could muster a response, Aryan turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, his mind too clouded with anger to listen to any explanations. Priya’s heart sank as she watched him go, the sound of his footsteps pounding in her ears.
“Where are you going? Come back here!” Mr. Oberoi called after his daughter, but his voice was lost in the whirlwind of emotions swirling around Priya.
“Please sit peacefully, I’ll tell you everything,” Mr. Khanna said, trying to calm Mr. Oberoi, though his own nerves were frayed.
Priya, unable to bear the weight of her father’s gaze, ran after Aryan, her heart pounding in her chest as she chased him up the stairs. She found him in their bedroom, the door already slammed shut and locked. Desperation clawed at her as she knocked frantically on the door.
“Aryan… Aryan… Please open the door… please… listen to me once!” she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. She could feel the cold, heavy silence on the other side of the door, as if Aryan had shut her out completely.
Tears streamed down her face as she continued to plead, her voice growing more frantic with each passing second. “Aryan, I know you are angry with me, but believe me, I was going to tell you the truth today. I’m sorry I hid these things from you until now… I’m sorry… please open the door.”
Her voice echoed back at her, unanswered. The silence felt like a heavyweight pressing down on her, suffocating her. In a fit of frustration, she banged on the door again, her voice rising in desperation. “I’ll only count to three. If you don’t open the door, I’ll break it… 1… 2…” She paused, gathering her strength, and then, with a burst of energy, she shouted, “3!” and ran towards the door.
Just as she was about to hit it, the door swung open, and she collided with Aryan. The force of her momentum sent them both tumbling backward, landing in a heap on the bed. The suddenness of the impact left them both breathless, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
Without thinking, Priya wrapped her arms around Aryan, hugging him tightly as if she could hold him together, keep him from slipping away. “Leave me,” Aryan said, his voice low and simmering with anger. The intensity of his tone sent a shiver down her spine, but she couldn’t let go. She held on, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.
Seeing the anger etched on his face, tears welled up in Priya’s eyes. She looked up at him, her voice trembling with emotion. “I already said I’m sorry… Now, please forgive me… Please…” she pleaded, her heartbreaking with each word. But Aryan’s expression didn’t soften. He stood up, disentangling himself from her grasp, and walked to the closet.
Priya watched in growing horror as he pulled out a bag, her bag. The sight of it in his hands filled her with a deep sense of dread. “This is my bag,” she said, her voice quivering. “Where are you going with it?”
“Downstairs,” Aryan replied, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.
“Why?” she asked, her heart racing as panic began to set in.
“Whatever happens now, it will happen after going down. Now come,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“No, I’m not,” Priya said, refusing to move. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, desperate to avoid whatever confrontation awaited them downstairs.
Aryan didn’t hesitate. He grabbed her hand with a firmness that brooked no refusal and began to lead her out of the room. His grip was strong, almost painfully so, and Priya found herself being dragged along, her mind racing with fear and confusion.
As they descended the stairs, Priya’s heart pounded in her chest, each step feeling like it was leading her closer to the edge of a cliff. When they reached the living room, Aryan didn’t waste any time. He placed her hand in Mr. Oberoi’s and handed him her bag as well.
“Mr. Oberoi, please take your daughter from here,” Aryan said, his voice cold and final. The words cut through Priya like a knife, leaving her feeling hollow and numb.
Mr. Oberoi looked at his daughter in shock, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. But before he could say anything, Priya jerked her hand free from his grasp and reached for Aryan’s hand, her voice trembling as she asked, “Wh… why are you… saying like this?” Tears streamed down her face as she tried to make sense of his words. “Have you forgotten… your promise… you promised me that you would never leave me… Then… why?” Her voice broke as she sank to the ground, her body shaking with sobs.
The room fell into a tense silence as everyone watched the heartbreaking scene unfold. Mr. Khanna, unable to bear the sight of Priya in such despair, spoke up, his voice filled with urgency. “Aryan… Just stop this nonsense. Now she is your wife,” he shouted, his tone commanding yet pleading.
ut Aryan, his face set in a mask of cold resolve, shook his head. His eyes, usually filled with warmth and affection, were now hard and unyielding. “No, she’s not my wife,” he declared, his voice steady and unrelenting, like the swing of a guillotine. The words hung in the air, heavy and final, as if he had just severed the bond that had once held them together. He turned to his parents, his expression a mixture of guilt and determination. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad, but this marriage was not a real marriage. It was just a contract marriage. And now I have to end this marriage contract.”
Mr. and Mrs. Khanna stared at their son in shock, their minds reeling from the revelation. “What?” they exclaimed, their voices a mix of disbelief and confusion. Mrs. Khanna’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and dismay. She looked at Aryan as if she couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth, as if he had suddenly become a stranger. The idea that their marriage was merely a contract was a dagger to her heart, shattering the dreams she had for their future.
Priya, still on the ground, felt the world collapsing around her. The weight of Aryan’s words crushed her, leaving her feeling lost and broken. Her sobs filled the room, a haunting sound that resonated with the pain and despair that consumed her. Every breath felt like a struggle, as if the air itself was too thick with sorrow to enter her lungs. The room blurred around her, her vision clouded by tears as the reality of what Aryan was saying finally sank in.
“Yes, Dad, it was all fake…”
❁𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑❁
❀𝕴𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙!❀
♡ 𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚎 ♡
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