Destined to Be Yours

The weight of Saanvi's words earlier left Shourya restless, unraveling the tight grip he'd kept on his anger and resentment. She had pierced through the wall he had built around himself, forcing him to confront a truth he had refused to see—Vedha wasn't the villain in his story.

As he stood outside her door, his heart felt heavy. He had wronged her in ways he could no longer ignore. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Vedha sat on the edge of her bed, staring out the window. The view, usually soothing, felt hollow this morning.

She had spent the last few weeks trying to hold onto her dignity, her strength, in the face of Shourya's coldness. But today, she felt empty.

The sound of the door creaking open pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to see Shourya standing there, his expression uncharacteristically hesitant.

He had practiced what to say a dozen times on the way to her room, but now, standing in front of Vedha, all the words seemed to abandon him.

"Mister Shourya Verma," she began, her voice laced with sarcasm, though her eyes betrayed the pain she tried so hard to mask, "to what do I owe this unexpected visit? Have you come to remind me again of my worthlessness, or is there something else on today's agenda?"

Shourya flinched at her words, his usual composure replaced by a vulnerable awkwardness. "Vedha..." he started, but the words caught in his throat.

Vedha's bitter smile deepened. "Don't strain yourself. I already know how this conversation ends. You'll blame me for ruining your life, storm out, and I'll pick up the pieces like always."

Shourya stepped closer, his voice soft but steady. "I'm not here to blame you. I'm here to say I was wrong."

Vedha blinked, her sarcastic armor momentarily slipping. "Wrong?" she repeated, her tone sharp. "Wrong about what, exactly?"

"About you," Shourya said, his voice thick with regret. "About everything. I let my anger cloud my judgment. I hurt you, and there's no excuse for that. I see that now, Vedha. You've been nothing but patient and strong.

"Answer me, Why did you marry me, Shourya?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. You married me instead of your… your love. Why? Was I your second choice? And now—now you act as if I'm the one to blame for your torment."

"It wasn't my choice," he admitted, his voice strained. "Your brother Adhitya, he demanded me to marry you." He paused, the bitterness in his tone cutting through the air. "My sister... Saanvi... she was pregnant with your brother's child. He said if I didn't marry you, he wouldn't marry Saanvi. He forced me into this, Vedha."

Vedha froze, the weight of his words sinking in. Her initial shock gave way to a hollow, bitter laugh as she processed the revelation.

"So I was just a pawn," she said bitterly.

Vedha, I was wrong. I can't take back what I've done, but I swear to you—I will never behave like that again. I'm sorry, truly sorry." Shourya said, his voice trembling with emotion.

For a moment, Vedha said nothing, her eyes searching his face for any sign of insincerity. The pain she had carried for months battled with a flicker of hope she couldn't ignore.

"You've hurt me, Shourya," she said quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "But I can see now that you didn't mean to. I don't know if I can forget what you've done, but… I'm willing to forgive you."

Shourya's shoulders sagged with relief, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Vedha. I promise, I'll do everything in my power to make things right between us."

In another part of the city, Mahendra leaned back in his leather chair, his office dimly lit by the glow of his phone screen.

"The world should know this news soon enough," Mahendra said, his voice dripping with malice.

"Of course, sir," came the reply from the other end of the line.

As he ended the call, Mahendra chuckled darkly, his laugh echoing in the room. Chandrika entered, her expression sly as she observed her husband's demeanor.

"It's all falling into place," she remarked, a note of anticipation in her voice.

Mahendra raised a glass in mock celebration. "This is just the beginning, my dear. The fun begins now."