“Finally! I was starting to think you had forgotten about me. See you then.”
I arrived early, the sterile elegance of Indigo Restaurant feeling like a cage. I requested a private booth in the back, away from prying eyes, and ordered a coffee that sat untouched, growing cold as my resolve hardened.
At exactly two o’clock, Avija swept in. She was a masterclass in perfection—expensive silk, flawless makeup, and a smile that had once convinced me we were meant for each other. Before I could offer a formal greeting, she wrapped her arms around me, the scent of her heavy perfume a sharp contrast to the soft jasmine scent I had grown to crave at home.
"Armaan! Finally," she laughed, pulling back to study my face. "I was beginning to think you’d forgotten I existed. Two months without a single word."
"Sit down, Avija. Please."
The gravity in my voice made her pause. She sat, crossing her legs with practiced grace, but her eyes narrowed. "You look like you're presiding over a board meeting. Did something go wrong with the plan? Is the girl being difficult?"
"I’m not divorcing Viya."
The silence that followed was deafening. Avija let out a sharp, brittle laugh. "Stop. That’s not a funny joke, Armaan."
"I’m not joking. I am staying with her. For good."
Her expression shifted from disbelief to a cold, rising fury. "We had an agreement! You marry the orphan to break the curse, she takes the fall for the prophecy, and then we have our life together. That was the price of my safety!"
"And I was a fool to agree to it," I said, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "I thought what I felt for you was love, Avija. I truly did. We had history, we had the same circles, we made sense on paper. I called it love because I didn’t have a name for anything deeper."
"Two years, Armaan! You don't just 'misinterpret' two years!"
"I did. Because I hadn't met her yet." I leaned forward, the memory of a stalled elevator and a shared breath rushing through me. "With you, love was a habit. It was comfortable. It was a choice I made every day because it was expected. But what I feel for Viya... it isn't a choice. It's a fundamental shift in my soul."
I looked her directly in the eye, finally seeing the ambition beneath her tears. "I thought I loved you, but it was just a shadow. Real love isn’t plotting to sacrifice a girl's life to save your own. Real love is what I feel when I see her mending a broken button, or breathing through a panic attack in my arms. It’s a devotion that makes the rest of the world—and your 'plan'—look like a sin."
"You’re choosing a nobody over me?" her voice shook with rage. "She’s a pawn! A shield!"
"She is my wife," I corrected, my tone final. "And I will spend the rest of my life making up for the fact that I ever let you call her a sacrifice."
Avija stood up, her face twisted in a mask of bitterness. "Does she know? Does the 'innocent' Viya know she was just a spiritual lightning rod for you?"
"I’m going to tell her everything."
"Then I hope she destroys you," she spat, grabbing her purse. "Because once she realizes you never wanted her—that you only took her to save me—she’ll realize that your 'real love' is built on a foundation of lies."
She stormed out, leaving the restaurant in a wake of whispers. I sat back down, my heart hammering against my ribs. I had burned the bridges behind me.
Now, I just had to hope that when the smoke cleared, Viya would still be standing there on the other side.
Chapter 23
Viya
I had been meaning to visit Uncle for a while now. It had been weeks since I had seen him, and despite everything, despite the complicated feelings I had about that household, he was still the man who had raised me. The man who had made sure I got an education. The man who had given me a chance at life when I had nowhere else to go.
So today, I finally made the trip.
The house looked exactly the same as it always had. Same gate, same front door, same plants lining the walkway. But it felt different now. Like I was visiting a place from my past rather than somewhere that had once been home.
I rang the doorbell and waited.
Uncle opened the door, and his face lit up when he saw me. He pulled me into a warm hug.
"Viya, beta! Come in, come in. It is so good to see you. You look well."
I smiled and let him lead me inside. But as we entered the living room, I saw Aunty Sangeetha sitting on the sofa. Her expression was tight, her lips pressed into a thin line. She did not stand to greet me. Did not smile.
