All I could do was wait.
And hope that love was enough.
Chapter 30
Viya
Today was the day. The day I would have to stand in front of Judge Desai and tell her whether I was staying in my marriage or walking away from it forever.
I had barely slept the night before. Had lain awake beside Armaan, feeling the weight of his arm around me, listening to his steady breathing, trying to make sense of the thousand conflicting emotions warring inside my chest.
I loved him. That had never been in question, not really. Even in my anger, even in my hurt, even when I had been convinced I could never trust him again, I had loved him.
But was love enough? Could I truly forgive him for the lies, for the deception, for marrying me under false pretenses? Could I trust him not to hurt me again?
I did not know. And that uncertainty terrified me.
I got up before dawn, too restless to stay in bed. I dressed quietly in a simple salwar kameez, careful not to wake Armaan, thoughI caught him watching me through half-closed eyes as I moved around the room.
I needed to think. Needed guidance. Needed something to help me make this impossible decision.
So I made my way downstairs to Dadi's small temple room. The house was still quiet, the early morning light just beginning to filter through the windows. The temple was a small space off the main hallway, filled with idols and pictures of various deities, the smell of incense always lingering in the air.
I lit a diya with trembling hands and sat down on the floor. I closed my eyes and prayed.
Please, help me. Help me know what to do. Help me make the right decision for myself, for my baby, for my life.
I did not know how long I sat there, my hands folded, my mind reaching for answers that would not come. But after a while, I heard soft footsteps behind me.
I opened my eyes and turned to see Dadi standing in the doorway. She looked older somehow, frailer, her face lined with worry and guilt.
"Viya, beta," she said softly. "May I come in?"
I nodded, and she came to sit beside me on the floor. For a moment, we sat in silence, both of us staring at the flickering flame of the diya.
Then Dadi spoke, her voice heavy with emotion.
"I need to apologize to you, beta. I need you to know how sorry I am for what I did."
I looked at her, surprised.
"Dadi, you do not need to—"
"I do," she interrupted firmly. "I do need to. Because I am responsible for so much of your pain. I was the one who believed in that prophecy so blindly. I was the one who was so terrified of losing Armaan that I agreed to this terrible plan."
Tears were streaming down her face now.
"I almost blackmailed him, Viya. I used my health, my age, my love for him as weapons to convince him to marry you. I told him I would not survive if something happened to him. I made him feel like he had no choice."
She reached out and took my hand.
"I was so blind. So focused on my grandson's happiness, on keeping Avija safe, that I did not realize I was destroying your life. You were just a sweet, innocent girl who had already lost so much. And I helped turn you into a pawn in a cruel game."
"Dadi—"
"Whatever decision you make today," she continued, her grip on my hand tightening, "I am with you. If you decide to leave, to divorce him, I will understand. I will support you. You deserve happiness, beta. Real happiness. And if you cannot find that with Armaan, then you should be free to find it elsewhere."
She kissed my hand and then stood, leaving the temple without another word.
