Chapter 3: Silence in the MansionChapter

...----------------...

The jet had landed in India. Aarohi stepped out of the airport, composed and graceful, dressed in soft pastels with strength in her silence. Her assistant walked behind, and Aarohi turned slightly, “Let’s go. I’m going home. You go to yours. See you tomorrow at the office.”

Later that evening, the Rajvanshi mansion was bathed in soft lights. The family gathered in the dining hall—Surya Rajvanshi, his son Rudra, Rudra’s wife Sonali, and their younger children, Rihan and Kritika. Laughter echoed faintly, but none of it was for her.

Aarohi entered with a smile, but no one looked up. Except one.

Surya Rajvanshi stood and opened his arms. “I missed you, my child.”

She embraced him, holding back tears. Disappearing into the kitchen, she returned with dishes carefully made to each member’s preference. Still, there was silence. She quietly placed a bowl in front of Rudra. “I know your blood pressure was high this week, so I made this without extra salt.” He didn’t respond, but his eyes briefly met hers.

Dinner ended. Everyone left for their rooms. Aarohi walked to her old room—the one that had always belonged to Akhil. She opened the door, and the same scent of cedarwood wrapped around her. Everything was untouched. His clothes still hung neatly on the left side. His books, untouched. His cologne, still on the dresser. The room hadn’t changed—only she had.

She went to the washroom, freshened up, and returned wearing a simple kurta. Her damp hair left soft marks on the couch as she sat, curling into herself, exhausted. Her eyes drifted to the bed—untouched for four years.

She closed her eyes, and the memories returned like waves crashing in the dark.

That day at the registrar office, she had worn red. A bridal red. But Akhil had stood beside her with eyes that never once met hers. It wasn’t love. It wasn’t even acceptance. It was obedience to Surya Rajvanshi’s command.

Back at the mansion, hours after the wedding, he finally spoke.

“You are not my wife. You were forced into this. So was I. Don’t expect anything.”

Then he had left. Just like that.

No goodbye. No explanation. Not even a second glance.

And he never returned.

For four years, she tried to meet him. Appointments were made. But only his assistant would show up. She never once saw his face after that wedding day. He didn’t visit his family. Not once. Aarohi had become a ghost in the mansion built for her.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered, “What was my mistake?”

And just like that, the night swallowed her pain.

...................

What happens next?

Will Akhil Rajvanshi return to give his wife her rightful place—or will this story become a tale of final goodbyes...

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