Chapter 16: Unspoken Words

The moon hung low in the sky, casting a soft silver glow on the village. The night had settled in, but inside the house, there was an unease lingering in the air. Shiv sat at the table, his gaze focused on the flickering flame of the oil lamp. His thoughts were tangled, uncertain, and yet there was something about tonight that felt different, like a shift was slowly taking place.

Arundhati had been acting quieter than usual. The tenderness between them was still there, but she seemed to hold something back, something unspoken. For the past few days, she had been more thoughtful, her movements more deliberate, her smiles softer, like she was trying to understand her place in this life they were building together.

Shiv could sense it, but he didn’t know how to address it. He had always been a man of action, someone who carried his responsibilities with a firm hand. But when it came to Arundhati, he found himself uncertain, unsure of the right way to navigate the delicate emotions that were slowly weaving between them.

Arundhati, who had been busy with household chores, finally set down her work and sat across from him. She studied him for a moment, her gaze steady but filled with a hint of hesitation. The space between them felt thicker now, filled with unspoken thoughts that neither of them had dared to voice.

“Shiv,” she said quietly, her voice breaking the silence. “Do you ever think about us? About this marriage?”

Shiv looked up, meeting her gaze. Her question, simple but profound, made his chest tighten. He hadn’t expected her to ask, but perhaps it was time to face the truth. He had been avoiding it, pushing it aside, but now it seemed unavoidable.

He took a deep breath, his fingers running over the edge of his cup. “I think about it,” he said softly, his voice uncertain. “I think about this marriage, about the life we’re building. But I never thought it would be easy. We both came into this with our own burdens, our own expectations. And...”

Arundhati’s heart skipped a beat. She had always known that Shiv carried a weight of responsibility on his shoulders, that his heart was still tied to the memory of his first love. But hearing him admit it, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes, made her feel a strange sense of comfort. She wasn’t alone in her feelings.

She reached out, her hand resting gently on his. “I don’t expect anything from you, Shiv. I just want to know that we’re moving forward together. I want us to be... more than just a duty, more than just an obligation.”

Shiv’s gaze softened as he looked at her hand on his. It was the first time she had expressed something so raw, so real. She wasn’t asking for grand gestures; she was asking for understanding, for connection.

“I never wanted to hurt you, Arundhati,” he said, his voice quiet. “I’ve always been conflicted. I know I promised you a future, but a part of me... I wasn’t sure if I could let go of the past.”

Arundhati nodded, understanding more than he realized. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I know. I’m not asking you to forget the past. I’m just asking for a chance to be a part of your future, however it unfolds.”

For the first time, Shiv didn’t feel the weight of responsibility pulling him down. In her words, in her simple, honest request, he felt a flicker of something new—something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel before. Hope. He could let himself hope, just a little.

He squeezed her hand gently, his thumb brushing over her skin. “I’ll try,” he said, the promise tentative but genuine. “I’ll try to make this work.”

In that quiet moment, as the night wrapped them in its embrace, Shiv and Arundhati shared something deeper than words could express—a promise to try, to move forward together, even if the path was uncertain.

As the moonlight bathed them in its soft glow, they both knew that their journey was only just beginning, but for the first time, they didn’t feel so alone.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***