Part 6
Kiara, the optimist, didn't seem to notice the storm brewing in his eyes. "Palki, this is my fiancé, Rudraksh," she said, her voice ringing with joy. Palki's expression was a canvas of emotions, regret, hope, and fear all fighting for dominance. The room grew quiet as the significance of the introduction dawned on the others. Shaurya, his twin, the man who had stolen everything from him, took a step back, his eyes wide with shock at how Rajveer could be alive .
His mother, Preeta, her hand flying to her mouth, searched his face for any sign of the son she had lost. Her eyes filled with tears, and she took a shaky step forward, the years of mourning etched into the lines around her eyes. " Rajveer ?" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. , Karan, stood stoic, his eyes boring into Rudraksh's soul as if trying to peel back the layers of the man before him to find the son he had known. The silence was deafening, the air thick with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved pain. It was as if time had stopped, the world holding its breath, waiting for the explosion of emotions that was inevitable.
Preeta took a tentative step forward, her hand reaching out as if to touch a ghost. " Rajveer ?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a cocktail of emotions. The colors of their past swirling around him, threatening to consume him whole.
Karan, his stoic exterior cracking, stepped forward, his eyes brimming with tears. He enveloped Rudraksh in a bear hug, the strength of his embrace a silent acknowledgment of the pain they had all endured. The years of mourning seemed to melt away in that moment, replaced by a surge of hope and love that had been buried for so long. Karan's arms tightened around him, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Rudraksh felt the warmth of his father's love. "I knew it," Karan murmured into his ear. "I knew you were out there, fighting to come back to us." Preeta, her hand shaking, reached for his face, her eyes searching for the son she had lost. "Is it really you, my boy?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the din of the party. Rudraksh nodded, unable to find the words to explain the tumultuous journey that had brought him to this moment. Preeta's hand touched his cheek, her eyes brimming with tears. "Mera Beta ," she breathed. "Mene kabhi umeed nahi jora Tha ki tum zinda ho."
Shaurya looked at him with a mix of shock and anger, his fists clenched at his sides. "How?" he managed to ask, his voice hoarse with emotion. "We thought you were dead." Rudraksh took a step back, feeling the weight of their stares. "I don't have time to explain everything now," he said, his voice steady despite the quaking of his soul. "But I promise I will, soon." The room was a cacophony of whispers, the tension palpable as the partygoers tried to make sense of the revelation.
Kiara, her hand still in his, squeezed reassuringly. "Let's go somewhere quieter," she suggested, her eyes filled with concern. They stepped out onto the terrace, the cool evening breeze a stark contrast to the heat of the room they'd left behind. The city lights twinkled like distant stars, a silent backdrop to their unfolding drama. Rudraksh leaned against the railing, his knuckles white as he gripped the cold metal. "It's not your fault," he said, his eyes on the horizon. "It's mine. I should have told you everything.
" Kiara looked at him, her eyes searching his, "What do you mean?" He took a deep breath, the night air cool against his flushed skin. "Palki is a part of my past, a part I've kept hidden from everyone, including you." Kiara's eyes searched his, confusion giving way to understanding. "I've always known there was something you weren't telling me," she murmured. "But I trusted you, Rudraksh. I still trust you." He squeezed her hand, a silent thank you for her unwavering belief in him. "After the party," he assured her, "I'll tell you everything. I promise." I never meant to keep it from you," he began, his voice low and earnest. "But when I saw Palki that night with Shaurya , I realized she had moved on, I thought it was best to leave her in the past." He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his deception heavy in the air. "I wanted to start fresh with you, without the shadow of what had been.
" Kiara tells Rudraksh that Palki is engaged to Shaurya and that they are getting married in 1 month.Rudraksh remembered the ring he saw in Palki finger and then had a fb of the one he made her wear but he shut down the memory and held kiara hand and took her to the centre where her family and his family were standing.
Palki looked on as Rudraksh was smiling whilst he looked at kiara. A pang of something raw and unpleasant twisted in her gut, a feeling she hadn't expected to feel again. It was a smile that once had been reserved for her, a smile, a smile that that promised warmth and protection. But fate had woven a tangled web, and now she was standing here, engaged to Shaurya, a man she didn't love but one who but one who held the power to either save or destroy the life of the man who truly owned her heart, Rajveer.
The room seemed to shrink around her as the memory of Shaurya's chilling ultimatum three years ago echoed in her mind.
Her thoughts drifted back to that fateful night three years ago when Shaurya had presented her with a choice so cruel
it had seemed like a twisted game. She had to either break Rajveer's heart beyond repair or watch him be torn away.
from her permanently. The memory was as vivid as if it had occurred only moments ago. She recalled the wickedness in Shaurya's voice as he had laid out the ultimatum, his eyes cold and unyielding. Palki had felt like, her fate was sealed by the hands of someone who didn't care for her happiness. The stark contrast of his cold eyes and harsh voice as he had told her,"Marry me, or watch as I ruin Rajveer right infront of your eyes," had been the moment her world had tilted on its axis.
She had agreed, not for herself, but for the sake of the only person who had ever truly loved her. The bitterness of
that choice still lingered on her tongue, a constant reminder of the price she had paid for a love she could never claim.
Now, as she observed Rudraksh and Kiara, she couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. It was a scene that could have played out with her and Rajveer in their place. The jealousy that gnawed at her was for the love she had lost
Palki's heart ached as she remembered the way Rajveer's eyes had searched hers that night, filled with pain and betrayal.
She had been so convincing in her deceit, and there wasn’t much more she had to do to make him hate her as she was-entwined in Shaurya arms in the bed that Rajveer slept in.
The room was a whirlwind of colors and chatter, yet all Palki could hear was the deafening silence of her own thoughts. She watched as Kiara placed a gentle hand on Rudraksh's arm, a gesture of comfort and understanding.Palki felt a stab of jealousy, so sharp it took her breath away. It wasn’t just the physical closeness that stung, but the emotional bond she could see forming between them. It was a bond she had dreamt of sharing with him, a bond that had been snatched by her cruel fate.
Her gaze shifted to Kiara, who was blissfully unaware of the storm brewing inside Palki. She was beautiful, in a way that made Palki’s own heart ache. Petite, with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose, and a laugh that could light up the darkest of rooms, Kiara was everything Palki wasn’t. But more importantly, she had the one thing Palki desired most genuine smile from Rudraksh. It was a smile that didn’t come with the burden of a forced alliance or the shadow of a threat. It was pure and untainted by the bitterness that had come to define Palki’s existence.
Palki's eyes narrowed as she watched Rudraksh's smile softly at kiara full of so much warmth.A pang of something raw and unpleasant twisted in her gut, a feeling she hadn't expected to feel again. It was a smile that once had been reserved for her, a smile that promised warmth and protection. But fate had woven a tangled web, and now she was standing here, engaged to Shaurya, a man she didn't love but one who but one who held the power to either save or destroy the life of the man who truly owned her heart, Rajveer.
Indian Idol 16
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