Megha's POV
I don't know why my mind is going back there tonight.
Maybe because fate has a cruel sense of humor-dragging me to the very thing I once dreamed of... just not like this.
That night... it still haunts me.
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Flashback -
When I was studing in Usa competing my masters.
It was my first time living away from dadu but the only good thing about it was meeting Arjun.
It started with that stupid college event.
I wasn't feeling well that day-my head was spinning, and I barely even remembered how I got into that cab with him.
That boy, Mohak Verma. He'd been hovering around me for weeks, pretending to be helpful, friendly-someone I could trust.
I thought he was just another classmate.
I remember he offered me a drink, and I wasn't very vigilant—I took it. After that, everything went blank.
When I finally opened my eyes in that hotel room, my head was pounding. I saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, casually sipping water like nothing had happened.
I looked down—my clothes were still intact.
"What the hell… where am I?" I mumbled.
He smiled, far too calmly. "Relax. You fainted. I just brought you here to rest."
Panic rose in my chest. "Why here? Why a hotel?"
He shrugged. "It was nearby. Don't overreact."
I tried to get up and leave when he suddenly walked toward me. I stepped back instinctively, and he began hovering over me. I pushed him away.
I rushed out of the room without another word, disgust crawling all over my skin. I wanted to forget it ever happened. I should've reported him. But all I wanted was Arjun.
I needed to see him.
But I don't know why he didn't answered my calls.
I called again and again. My voice cracked on his voicemail.
Then I went back to my apartment.
I walked straight into my room, broke down crying, changed into something comfortable, and curled up in bed. I decided I'd talk to Arjun tomorrow at college. I'd tell him everything-about Mohak, about what really happened.
But the next day, when I arrived on campus, the first person I saw was Mohak.
He was leaning casually against a wall, wearing that disgusting smirk, his laugh low and creepy as he moved toward me.
I immediately stepped back, the very sight of him making my skin crawl.
"Stay away from me," I snapped. "I'm telling Arjun everything. About what you did."
He chuckled darkly. "Tell Arjun? Seriously, Megha?" He leaned in, voice mockingly sweet. "Sure. Go ahead. But tell me... do you really think he'll even talk to you again?"
My heart sank. "What... what do you mean?"
He pulled out his phone with a twisted grin and opened a gallery of photos.
And my world shattered.
Pictures-of me and him. At the hotel. From outside the room. Some even from the hallway, looking far too compromising. It looked like... like something had happened. Like I had chosen to be there with him.
But I hadn't. I hadn't.
"I've already sent them to Arjun," he whispered smugly. "What happened, Megha? Didn't he pick up your call last night?" His laugh echoed around me like a nightmare. "Poor you."
I froze. I couldn't breathe. The ground beneath me felt like it gave way.
I pushed him away with trembling hands and ran-ran with his laughter chasing me down the corridor.
I tried calling Arjun again, over and over. Still no answer.
Desperate, I went to his apartment-the one he shared with his friend. When I knocked, his roommate opened the door.
"Where's Arjun?" I asked, breathless.
He looked at me confusingly. "He left. He flew to India this morning."
My heart sank into my stomach.
I didn't know what else to do.
So I packed my things and booked the earliest ticket I could get. I didn't care about anything else-I just needed to see him, to explain, to fix whatever had gone so horribly wrong.
As soon as I landed in India, I rushed straight to the address he had once told me.
The Oberoi Mansion.
A tall woman answered the door. Elegant. Stern. Someone I'd never seen before.
"Hi, I... I'm looking for Arjun," I said softly, trying to steady my voice.
She frowned. "And you are?"
"I'm... I'm Megha. His girlfriend."
She froze.
Then, she laughed. A short, cruel sound.
"Oh, really? Girlfriend?" Her lips curled. "He didn't mention you. In fact, he said he didn't want to meet anyone today."
My heart dropped. "No, please. There's been a misunderstanding, I just need to talk to him. He'd never say that. Let me speak to him, just once. Please."
She stepped forward, her face hardening.
"Oh, so you think you know my son better than me?"
I blinked. "You're... his mother?"
She smiled coldly. "Yes. And let me tell you something-I won't let my son be deceived by a girl like you."
I stared at her, stunned.
"What do you mean by 'a girl like me,' aunty?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
She laughed condescendingly, crossing her arms. "Please. I've seen your pictures with that boy. And to think you're shameless enough to show up here."
"No-no, please... nothing happened, I swear," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "Please let me explain. Just let me talk to him once. Please..."
"How dare you step foot in this house?!" she snapped. "You have no right to be here-no status, no place! People like you don't belong in a house like this!"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
"Get out, you wretched girl!" she hissed. "Before I have you thrown out like the disgrace you are!"
She wasn't done. Her voice rose higher.
"You disgust me. Thinking you could ever be a part of this family? Know your place, because it sure as hell isn't here."
And then she pulled something from a drawer by the entrance. An envelope. Smooth, cream-colored paper with gold foil.
She shoved it at me.
An engagement invitation.
My eyes landed on the names.
Arjun and Isha.
The date was barely two weeks away.
My throat closed. "This is a lie," I whispered. "No... he would've told me. He loves me."
She smirked. "He's finally come to his senses."
I stumbled away from the door, shaking.
Still, I couldn't believe it. Not without hearing it from him.
So I called.
And called.
Hours passed.
Then-finally-he picked up.
My breath caught.
I was going to say something but then , his voice came, sharp and laced with fury. "If I'm not picking up your call, it means I don't want to talk."
My heart cracked.
"Don't call me again. Don't show up. I have no connection with you."
He never gave me a chance to speak.
"You're dead to me."
The call ended.
And so did something inside me.
I stood alone on that dark street, phone still in my hand, unable to move, unable to cry.
Because the man I loved, the man I trusted... had turned his back on me without ever knowing the truth.
I was numb.
I don't even remember how I got home. Everything was a blur.
The moment I stepped inside, I heard Dadu's surprised voice, filled with warmth and confusion.
"Megha, mera baccha... kab aayi tu?"
("Megha, my child... when did you come?")
But I didn't reply.
I couldn't.
I was dead inside.
Just like he said I was-dead to him.
I walked past everything, everyone, without a word. My feet moved on their own, taking me straight to my room. I stepped in, locked the door behind me, and slid down against it. My back hit the wood, and I collapsed like a house of cards.
From the other side, I heard Dadu's voice rise in panic. "Megha? Megha, beta? Kya hua? Khol na darwaza!"
("Megha? Megha, dear? What happened? Please open the door!")
His knocks were frantic now.
But I couldn't speak. My throat burned, my chest was tight, and my heart... my heart felt like it had shattered into so many pieces I'd never find them all again.
A choked sob escaped me.
And then the dam broke.
I cried.
I cried like I hadn't cried in years. Loud, gut-wrenching sobs that filled the room and echoed through the door.
I knew he heard it-Dadu. Because his voice turned even more desperate, his fists pounding the wood.
"Megha! Beta, please! Kya ho gaya? Tu ro kyun rahi hai? Khol na... please..."
("Megha! Dear, please! What happened? Why are you crying? Open the door... please...")
But I couldn't.
I couldn't do anything except cry for what I lost. For what he took from me.
For what Arjun destroyed.
I hate you, Arjun.
You didn't trust me. You didn't even give me a chance to explain myself. How easy it was for you to shut me out, to throw me away like I meant nothing. To move on with someone else. Like I was nothing at all.
You broke me.
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