This is second update of the day. So in case you guyz skipped chapter 25. Please read that too.

Happy new year guyz ❤️

Meera's POV

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the emptiness on his side of the bed. I reached out, my fingers brushing against the cold sheets. He had been here. I could tell by the faint crease on the pillow and the faint scent of his cologne that still lingered.

Where did he go so early every morning?

I sat up slowly, brushing my hair back with trembling hands. I would talk to Shaurya. I'd tell him how sorry I was for everything I said. Maybe I'd cook his favorite breakfast as a peace offering.

The idea brought a faint smile to my face as I stepped into the kitchen. But when I walked in, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Everything was already prepared.

The countertop was lined with plates of food, each dish perfectly arranged as if it belonged in a magazine. I glanced at the maids bustling around, cleaning and organizing like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Who made this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

One of the maids walked past me without even glancing in my direction.

I frowned. "I'm talking to you. Did Shaurya already eat?"

She didn't respond.

A knot formed in my chest as I turned to another maid. "Where is Shaurya? Did he leave already?"

Still nothing.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears that pricked at the corners of my eyes. Why were they ignoring me? What had I done to deserve this?

I shook my head and forced myself to focus. If they wouldn't answer, I'd just eat and wait for Shaurya to come home. I reached for a plate, but before I could touch it, a maid swooped in and served me without a word.

"Thank you," I said softly, hoping for some acknowledgment.

There was none.

My appetite disappeared after a few bites, but I finished anyway, not wanting to waste the food. I decided to make lunch for Shaurya instead. Cooking for him had always been my way of showing I cared, and maybe it could bridge the distance between us.

But when I entered the kitchen again later, I found the maids already preparing lunch.

I stepped forward, clearing my throat. "I'll handle it from here. You can take a break."

They didn't even look at me.

"Didn't you hear me?" I raised my voice slightly, trying to sound firm.

Nothing.

Frustration bubbled up inside me, but I didn't know what to do with it. Everyone in this house acted like I didn't exist, like I was invisible.

I left the kitchen and went to the hall, deciding to call Shaurya. But as I reached for the landline, I froze.

I didn't have his number.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. The only numbers I knew by heart belonged to my father and brother, who had already abandoned me.

I sank onto the couch, feeling the weight of my loneliness pressing down on me. The TV remote was on the table, so I picked it up, hoping to distract myself, but no matter how many buttons I pressed, the screen stayed dark.

I tossed the remote aside and went back to my room. The balcony had become my safe space, a small escape from the suffocating silence of the house.

I sat there for hours, staring at the horizon. The isolation was eating away at me. It was unbearable.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into month. Every morning, I woke up in our bed, even though I fell asleep on the couch. Shaurya was carrying me to bed every night—I knew that much.

But why didn't he stay? Why didn't he talk to me?

Nobody talked to me. I felt like a ghost. So invisible. I craved for any interaction. The only thing that was my distraction was the view outside the balcony.

During days I cried

During nights I cried

I longed for someone, especially Shaurya. I was dying to just have a glance of him. I would beg on my knees just to have him look at me.

.
.

I walked in the kitchen, waiting for the maids to leave so I could cook, I noticed something strange. A small bottle of pills sat on the counter, partially hidden behind a jar of spices.

I picked it up, frowning. Sleeping pills?

My mind raced as pieces of the puzzle clicked together. That's why I could never stay awake to see Shaurya at night. They were drugging my food.

I set the bottle down, my hands trembling. Was this Shaurya's doing?

He was doing it to avoid me?

This made me hate myself. I felt so unwanted. I hated myself for raising my voice at Shaurya that day. If I hadn't done that, maybe he wouldn't have stopped talking to me. Maybe he wouldn't have made everyone else stop talking to me either.

Because of my unbearable presence he had to give these sleeping pills to me so i won't disturb him.

A sob left my mouth as I ran back to my room.

That night, I refused to eat the dinner the maid brought to my room. I pretended to eat, leaving the plate untouched.

I stayed awake, waiting for him. My heart raced when I heard the door creak open, but I kept my eyes closed, pretending to sleep.

I felt his lips press gently against my forehead, his arms lifting me as he carried me to bed.

This time, I didn't let sleep take me. When he returned from the bathroom and lay beside me, I wrapped my arms around his waist.

I felt him tense under my touch, and for a moment, I thought he would pull away. But I tightened my grip, pressing my face against his back.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Shaurya. Please forgive me. Please talk to me."

My tears soaked his shirt as I clung to him. I didn't care if he pushed me away. I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"I can't live like this," I sobbed. "Please. I'll do anything. Just don't leave me like this. Don't leave me alone."

"Chhodo mujhe, Meera," he hissed coldly, turning his head to face her. "Tumhe toh mujhse suffocation hoti hai, hai na?"

(Leave me Meera, I and this relationship suffocates you right?)

Meera ... poor Meera 🫣