Chapter 10:- Truth

Time passed painfully slowly, and soon afternoon arrived.

Finally... the moment Sahas had been waiting for.

The truth.

The truth he had been desperate to uncover.

He was buried in work inside his office when a knock echoed through the cabin.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Daksh walked in.

"I found everything," he said quietly.

But his face... it had lost all color. It looked as if he wished he'd never discovered the truth in the first place.

Sahas noticed it instantly.

Before a single word was spoken, he already knew...

Whatever Daksh was about to say was something he wasn't ready to hear.

Still, gathering every ounce of courage, Sahas looked at him and said,

"Tell me... What is Arna's past? What really happened to her? Why did her father sign that contract?"

Daksh took a deep breath...

...and slowly began revealing everything.

With every sentence that left Daksh's lips, Sahas felt his heart shatter a little more.

His eyes filled with tears.

He wanted to stop him.

He wanted to scream that he didn't want to hear another word.

Anger burned inside him...

Pain crushed his chest...

And guilt slowly consumed him.

His heart ached for Arna in ways he had never imagined.

But he needed the complete truth.

So he stayed silent...

...and listened.

Every.

Single.

Word.

When Daksh finally finished, an unbearable silence filled the cabin.

Without looking at him, Sahas spoke in a trembling voice.

"You can leave."

He couldn't let Daksh see him break.

Daksh silently placed a few files on the table.

"These contain all the proofs... and the complete information."

With one last helpless glance at Sahas...

...he walked out, leaving him alone with the truth that had just destroyed him.

It was past midnight.

Sahas was completely wasted, the heavy scent of alcohol clinging to him like a second skin. When he finally stumbled into his sprawling mansion, the entire house was drowned in pitch-black silence—everyone was fast asleep. He dragged his heavy steps up the stairs and stopped right outside his room, his feet glued to the floor. The sheer thought of facing Arna terrified him; he simply didn't have the courage. But gathering every last ounce of strength left in him, he softly knocked on the door.

The door swung open, revealing Arna.

"You're terribly late tonight," she said, her voice unusually soft and gentle.

Without uttering a single word, Sahas pushed past her and walked straight into the room.

Arna locked the door behind him, a frown tugging at her brow. What on earth is wrong with him? she thought, her mind racing. Why did he just walk past me like I don't even exist?

"What happened, Sahas?" Arna asked, taking a step forward.

Sahas stood with his back turned toward her, an unreadable shadow in the dimly lit room. Wanting answers, Arna walked up to him and gently pulled him around to face her—but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

His eyes were bloodshot and painfully swollen, as if he had been weeping relentlessly the entire day. He was so completely intoxicated that he could barely keep his balance, swaying on his feet.

Before she could process the sight, Sahas looked down at her, his voice trembling. "Have I... have I ever made you feel unsafe?"

"What... what happened, Sahas?" Arna stuttered, her head spinning in total confusion.

"Do my touches make you uncomfortable? Do you honestly think I would ever force myself on you? Tell me!"

The harsh question struck Arna like a sudden blow. But amidst the shock, her mind flashed back to their very first day together—the day Sahas had promised he would never lay a finger on her without her consent. Back then, that promise had made her feel overwhelmingly safe. And deep down, she knew the truth: despite sharing the exact same room, he had never once looked at her with tainted motives, nor had he ever tried to cross a line.

Without a single second of hesitation, Arna looked straight into his tear-filled eyes. "No, Sahas. Nothing like that. I have never felt unsafe around you."

The moment the words left her mouth, Sahas broke. He crashed forward, wrapping his arms tightly around her, holding onto her as if she were his only lifeline in a storm.

"I'm sorry, Arna... I'm so, so sorry... Please, please forgive me..." he sobbed into her shoulder, his whole frame shaking.

"Sahas, please! Just tell me what happened!" Arna begged, her heart pounding.

But Sahas was past the point of words. Broken, incoherent sobs were all that escaped him. Gently, Arna managed to guide him over to the bed and sit him down, holding a glass of water to his lips. She tried again to ask what had torn him apart like this, but no words came. Within minutes, the heavy haze of alcohol and emotional exhaustion claimed him, and he collapsed into a deep sleep. Carefully, Arna adjusted his position on the bed, pulling him into comfort.

Standing over his sleeping form, Arna’s mind spiraled into chaos.

What could have possibly happened to him? Why was he breaking down like this? Did he do something terrible? She felt a sudden, sharp ache in her chest. God, why does seeing him in this state hurt so much?

She froze, shaking her head as a cold realization hit her.

Wait... wait a minute. Why on earth am I feeling bad for him? Arna, pull yourself together! Don't you dare forget your mission! You are here to make his life a living hell—to make him cry more, not to feel pity over his tears. Stay focused!

A sinister grin slowly crept across her face.

Tomorrow morning, the second he opens his eyes, I have to play the part of the perfect, caring wife... Oh, and I just thought of the most delicious idea.

Acting swiftly, Arna unbuttoned his shirt and slid off his pants, leaving him clad in nothing but his sweatpants, exposing his bare chest. She then slipped into the exact same blanket beside him, pulling it over them both as she closed her eyes, ready to play her dangerous game.

The next morning.

Arna was already wide awake, but she lay motionless, pretending to be fast asleep. She wanted everything to look entirely natural—to make sure Sahas woke up to the full impact of how they had spent the night together.

Moments later, she felt a subtle shift beside her as Sahas began to stir. Instantly, she tightly shut her eyes, keeping her breathing steady.

Sahas groaned softly as he sat up, his head throbbing with a agonizing, heavy hangover. For a few confusing seconds, his brain couldn't process where he was. But slowly, the fog cleared, and he realized he was lying on his bed. As he turned his head to the side, his breath hitched.

Arna was sleeping right beside him, merely inches away.

That’s when a sudden chill ran down his spine—he realized he wasn't wearing his shirt. Heart hammering against his ribs, he hesitantly peeked under the heavy blanket, only to find his pants gone too. Panicked, his pulse raced out of control. God, what did I do last night?! He desperately tried to rewind his memories, scrambling to recall every second he spent with Arna after coming home, but his mind was a complete blank.

Just as the panic reached its peak, Arna stretched softly and opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Sahas," she murmured, her voice laced with sleepy innocence.

The moment she caught the sheer terror painted across Sahas’s pale face, a wicked laugh bubbled up inside her, but she forced it down, keeping her composure perfectly intact.

"What happened? Why do you look so tense first thing in the morning?" she asked, tilting her head.

"What... what happened last night?" Sahas stammered, his voice laced with desperation. "I mean, my clothes? Why am I like this? Why are we in the same bed? What did I do to you?!"

"Nothing happened, Sahas. We just slept in the same bed, that’s all. Nothing more than that," she replied smoothly, her gaze soft and reassuring.

"And... my clothes?" he pressed, his chest heaving.

"Oh, those?" Arna smiled sweetly. "You just seemed so restless and uncomfortable in those stiff clothes, so I helped you out of them. I did the right thing, didn't I?"

A sudden, overwhelming wave of warmth flooded Sahas's heart. Hearing her words, a gentle belief took root in his mind—she actually cares about me.

"How are you feeling right now?" Arna asked, stepping into her role seamlessly.

"My head... it feels like it's about to split open," Sahas muttered, pressing his palm to his forehead.

"Then why on earth did you drink so much last night?" she scolded gently, playing the devoted wife to perfection. "Alright, lie down and rest. I'll quickly freshen up and bring you some warm lemon juice."

With a soft, reassuring smile, Arna headed into the washroom. Once she was refreshed, she went downstairs, carefully mixing up a special batch of lemon juice for him.

When she walked back into the bedroom, Sahas was already showered, sitting on the edge of the bed with a phone pressed to his ear, his voice sharp with irritation.

"So come on your own then! You're old enough to cross the street, aren't you?" Sahas snapped into the receiver.

The person on the other end argued back, making Sahas roll his eyes.

"I never promised I'd be standing at the airport waiting for you! Now stop throwing a tantrum and get here fast!" Without waiting for a reply, he abruptly cut the call.

Arna walked up to him with a serene expression and handed him the glass. "Here, drink this."

Sahas took a small sip—and instantly froze. The taste was utterly bizarre and vile, an awful concoction of mismatched flavors that burned his throat.

"What's wrong, Sahas? Is it not good?" Arna asked, her big, expressive eyes filled with feigned worry.

"No, no! It’s... it's really good," Sahas lied without blinking. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and gulped down the entire glass in one go.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she murmured softly.

"Hmm," Sahas nodded, setting the empty glass aside.

Arna took a step closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. "I was so scared last night, Sahas... It broke my heart seeing you cry like that."

Her warm embrace and gentle words melted every last shred of stress inside him. A sweet, fluttering ache bloomed in Sahas’s chest—she really does care for me. Smiling softly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and hugging her back tightly.

After a few quiet moments, Sahas gently pulled back from the hug, looking into her eyes with a mysterious smile.

"Alright, go get dressed in something nice. Someone very special is coming to meet you today..."

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