As Sahas quietly ate his breakfast, he suddenly looked up at Arna.
"Do you really love Karan that much?"
Arna didn't answer.
Sahas continued,
"The same man who refused to marry you? The man who couldn't even stand up and fight for you?"
Arna ignored his question completely.
Instead, she looked straight into his eyes.
"You tell me something first."
Sahas frowned.
"Do you really love me that much?"
He remained silent.
"If you truly love me, then why are you forcing me to stay with you when I'm clearly not happy? Doesn't my happiness matter to you?"
Her words were calm, but they hit harder than anger.
"What kind of love is that?"
She paused before adding,
"I think Karan was better than you."
Sahas lowered his gaze for a moment.
"You won't understand."
Arna folded her arms.
"Then make me understand."
He took a deep breath.
"It all started seven years ago."
Arna looked at him in surprise.
"The day your father and I made that contract... I became responsible for protecting him."
He smiled faintly, lost in old memories.
"To protect him, I had to keep an eye on your house. And that's when I first saw you."
His eyes softened.
"From that day onward... I kept watching you from a distance."
"I know every little thing about you."
"I know what you like... what you dislike."
"I know your habits, your behavior, your nature..."
"I watched you grow into the woman you are today."
Arna was speechless.
Sahas continued,
"And then... two years ago, Karan entered your life."
"You met him, fell in love, and he got your love in just two years."
He let out a bitter smile.
"But what about me?"
"What about the seven years I spent loving you in silence?"
"My love..."
"I always believed that when the time was right, I would finally come to you and tell you everything."
His expression darkened.
"But your father destroyed everything."
"He agreed to your marriage with Karan."
"I couldn't erase seven years of love overnight."
"I couldn't just let you become someone else's."
His voice grew heavier with emotion.
"For seven years, I never looked at another girl."
"I never imagined a future with anyone else."
"My heart belonged only to you."
"So tell me..."
"How could I possibly stand there and watch you marry another man?"
Silence filled the room.
Arna stared at him in complete shock.
Her lips parted slightly.
"Wait..."
"You've... loved me for seven years?"
Sahas met her eyes without hesitation.
"Yes."
"I have loved you for seven years."
"And I don't believe Karan's two years of love could ever match what I've felt for you."
Arna looked away.
"Let's just leave it. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
She stood up, ready to leave.
Before she could take another step, Sahas gently grabbed her wrist.
"Please..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Just give me one chance."
Arna stopped but didn't turn around.
"Just once... try to think about me."
His grip loosened, afraid she would pull away.
"I promise... I'll never leave your side until my last breath."
His voice cracked.
"You have no idea how much I've suffered these past seven years... waiting for the day I could finally call you mine."
He lowered his head.
"And now... you're finally here."
He laughed bitterly.
"So close to me... yet you still don't belong to me."
"That hurts even more."
He looked at her with pleading eyes.
"Please... don't do this."
"Just once... think about my love."
"I'll do anything for you."
"Anything."
As he spoke, tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.
His eyes turned red, filled with years of pain, longing, and helplessness.
Arna stood frozen.
It was the first time she had ever seen Sahas cry.
The man who always looked so strong...
The man who never showed weakness...
Was standing in front of her with tears in his eyes.
Slowly, she turned back.
Without saying a word, she sat down again.
Gently, she removed his hand from hers.
She looked at him quietly before speaking.
"I've always heard people say that true love happens only once."
She smiled sadly.
"And maybe... it's true."
"I've already experienced my share of love."
"I don't think I'll ever be able to fall in love again."
Sahas lowered his eyes.
"But..."
She continued softly,
"I think we can become really good friends."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I promise."
"I'll be the best friend you've ever had."
Silence filled the room.
Those words stung.
They weren't what Sahas had wished to hear.
But they were still better than hatred.
At least she wasn't pushing him away anymore.
He smiled faintly through his tears.
"Alright."
"From today..."
"I'm your friend."
He paused before adding with quiet determination,
"But for me..."
"You'll always be the woman I love."
"My wife."
"And I'll keep trying to earn your love... no matter how long it takes."
Arna looked at him for a few seconds.
Then she gave a small nod.
"...Okay."
Without another word, she turned around and quietly walked out of the room.
Sahas watched her disappear through the doorway.
A small smile appeared on his face despite the pain in his heart.
Friendship wasn't what he had dreamed of...
But it was the first step toward breaking the wall between them.
As soon as he finished breakfast, Sahas headed straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Under the warm spray, his mind began to race. What can I do to make Arna happy? Then, it hit him. Arna must be feeling suffocated, cooped up in the same room day after day. He made up his mind—he was going to take her out today.
After finishing his shower, Sahas stepped out of the bathroom, draped in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Unbeknownst to him, Arna had walked into the room.
The moment her eyes landed on his half-naked frame, Arna let out a ear-piercing scream and slammed her eyes shut.
Startled by her sudden reaction, Sahas screamed right back.
"Why are you screaming?!" Arna shouted, her hands still covering her eyes.
"Because you screamed!" Sahas yelled back, bewildered. "What happened? Why are you shouting?"
"What else am I supposed to do when you suddenly walk out half-naked like that?!" she snapped, her cheeks burning.
The moment those words left her mouth, a slow, evil smile crept across Sahas's face. He locked his eyes on her, took a slow, deliberate step forward, and began closing the distance between them.
***********************************
Thank you so much for reading 🤗💓
Follow me on Instagram for spoilers and updates:- savi.verseeee22
Write a comment ...