"We are drawn to where our presence is acknowledged and appreciated."

****

Ragini sat in the room, Sanskaar's words echoing in her mind. He had never spoken to her like that before, not in all their time together. He was always so patient, so incredibly gentle with her.

For days now, a knot of restlessness had tightened in her chest. Her heart had whispered that something was terribly wrong, and today, that fear had clawed its way to the surface.

She'd noticed his disturbance for ages, wanting to ask, but how could she? How could she, who had never once delved into his personal life, suddenly ?

They had never truly shared their burdens. She knew he'd always taken care of her, quietly, consistently, but she'd dismissed his care, her heart stubbornly clinging to someone else.

She always thinking, If only Sanskaar hadn't married her that day, She would be happily married to Laksh now. She had even told Sanskaar she was pregnant, hoping he'd back away, hoping to convince her parents.

She'd been furious with him, demanding he stay away, but he had persisted, trying to talk to her.

He never breathed a word to his family that the child wasn't his.
She had been so utterly heartbroken, so consumed by her "symbol of love," that she had utterly failed to see his unwavering care.

Blinded by a love that was never truly hers, she had completely ignored him. He was there, through her pregnancy, during the delivery, a silent pillar of support, and yet, she hadn't recognized it.

She had even told him to stay away from her child. But he never stopped showering love on her baby, and it was only when the shell of her misplaced love began to crack, slowly, painfully, that she started to truly understand his devotion, just as his presence started to fade.

He began to get lost in his company meetings. He used to tell her where he was going, every detail, but with time, those updates stopped.

Slowly, her bubble of delusion began to burst, forcing her to confront the painful truth: Laksh had never tried to reach out to her. It was then, in the stark light of abandonment, that she began to see Sanskaar for who he truly was—caring, understanding, genuinely good-hearted.

She realized, with a crushing weight, that because of her, he had started staying away from home, losing himself in his business.

Guilt, thick and suffocating, wrapped around her. He had married her without a single question about her character, he had tried to build a life with her, to nurture their marriage, while she had simply drifted in the past.

If only she had just talked to him, properly, like normal people do. When the enormity of her mistakes finally hit her, she wanted nothing more than to make everything right, but how?

"Do I deserve it?" The question haunted her, leaving her drowning in guilt. She tried to muster the courage to approach him, but her shame always held her back.

He was leaving home earlier, coming back later, long after she had succumbed to exhaustion from the endless cycle of house chores and the baby.

It became their unspoken routine, a chasm growing wider with each passing day. He started going on business trips, and though he had once asked her to accompany him, her repeated refusals eventually led him to stop asking altogether.

When he extended his hand, she had pulled away. Now, as she desperately tried to reach for him, he was slipping further and further away.

For the past two months, she'd noticed a profound change in him. He avoided her gaze, a simple act that made her heart pound with a terrifying restlessness.

He started spending more time in his apartment than at home. Many times, she felt he wanted to talk, but their conversations would either halt mid-sentence or be abruptly interrupted.

A cold fear was creeping into her bones tonight. Her heart was screaming that something was deeply, terribly wrong. She had to talk to him. She just couldn't lose him.

Tears streamed down Ragini's face, an uncontrollable torrent. An unknown, terrifying fear had consumed her heart.

****

Sanskaar’s eyelids fluttered open, his eyebrows knitted together in a brief moment of disorientation.

A heavy weight settled on his chest, but as he focused, a sense of calm washed over him. Lying beside him, tangled in a single sheet, was the person who had brought him this peace. He gently reached out and tucked a strand of her messy hair behind her ear, her face a serene portrait of slumber.

"I wish we had met earlier," he whispered to the quiet room, his gaze fixed on her. A long, contented sigh escaped him, his eyes never leaving her face.

His touch roused Swara from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found him already watching her. A faint smile touched her lips, but it quickly faded as the reality of their situation dawned on her.

The sight of their naked bodies stirred a familiar pang of guilt; she was in a physical relationship with a married man.

She tried to sit up, but Sanskaar's arm tightened around her waist, pulling her back down to his chest. "Sanskaar, let me go," she pleaded, but his grip remained firm.

"This is wrong, Sanskaar. You're married, and yet we're still here," she said, her eyes squeezed shut against the rising tide of shame.

"You know my wife and I don't have a real marriage," he countered softly, his voice full of sincerity.

Tears welled in her eyes. "But it's still wrong to cheat on her. And I feel so guilty for allowing this to happen," she confessed.

"Do you think I came to you just for physical needs?" he asked, his voice laced with emotion.

"I feel better around you. Sharing everything with you has made my heart feel lighter. To be honest, I love being with you." He gently wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I just want to be with you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and Swara looked at him, her heart pounding.

"But what if your wife realizes your value someday and falls in love with you?" Swara’s voice was barely a whisper. She knew this was an illegal and unsustainable relationship that would have to end eventually.

"I'm thinking of divorcing her," he said, taking a deep breath. Swara’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"When I first made a mistake, I could have confessed and stayed in the marriage. But not after last night. This was my choice."

"Your family will think I'm a home wrecker," she said, her voice heavy with guilt.

"The home was broken long before you came into my life," he reassured her, lovingly stroking her head.

"You came into my life as a light. Never think that."

Sanskaar's Pov

In the past, many girls had tried to seduce me or get close to me, but I never felt any attraction. Ragini's face and the reality of my marriage would always come to mind. But when Swara started living with me, it was always her face that appeared.

Last night was blissful; it was just her and me.

I spent the whole night thinking, and I have my answer. It’s better to end my marriage than to suffer a lifetime of emotional emptiness. This marriage is making me weak and affecting my career. I know my family will be shocked. No one in my family has ever gotten a divorce. Their relationships have always been perfect.

I will never leave Swara.

To be continued...

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