Page 32 of Mrs. Rathore

Why didn’t you stop at the red light traffic signal? What the hell were you thinking while driving? Why me?

If only he had hit me after that competition, maybe it wouldn’t have broken me this badly. Maybe I could have moved on.

But this?

This had shattered the very soul of me.

Once, my mother told me, “Life always finds a way to bloom through cracks, through silence, through pain.”

But right now?

My life felt like a garden gone to ash.

And I wasn’t sure anything would bloom again.

______

Chapter 11

AVNI

“So, you’re here,” came a familiar voice behind me.

I turned my head slightly and spotted Noor and Kavya standing in the doorway of Aryan’s room, hesitant expressions on their faces.

“Come in,” I said with a smile. “The room won’t bite.”

They exhaled in relief and stepped inside. Kavya’s jaw dropped as her eyes scanned the elegant interiors.

“God, this room is breathtaking,” she whispered. “It’s like something out of a magazine. And that smell is so clean, so… masculine.” Her gaze shifted to me. “Does Aryan actually smell like this?”

“Shut up, Kavya,” Noor scolded, walking over to me with a warm smile. She knelt beside me and gently placed her hand over mine. “You look exactly the way we imagined.”

“I’m not surprised to see you,” I said softly. “Rhea told me Mr. Rathore invited both of you… and Papa. I’m glad. I’ve been missing you so much.”

Noor stood and pulled me into a tight hug. Kavya lunged in like she’d disappear if she didn’t get to hug me too. Her childishness always made me either laugh or want to yank her hair out. Noor,on the other hand, was calm, patient and almost motherly. And me? I wasn’t as grounded as Noor, nor as impulsive as Kavya.

But I used to think I was the smartest.

That illusion shattered the day I married Aryan.

“Aryan looked pretty comfortable around his... girlfriend,” Kavya blurted, then immediately winced. “I mean...his ex-girlfriend. We just arrived and couldn’t find you anywhere. Rhea said you were in your room.”

Her gaze swept across the luxurious space again. “Wait, is this your room?”

“Yes,” I forced a smile. “For a few months, at least.”

“Where’s Papa?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“He’s with your in-laws,” Noor answered. “Should we go? Otherwise, people will start whispering behind your back. You should be with your husband.”

“I don’t like sitting next to him. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“But your expression doesn’t match your words,” Kavya frowned, watching me closely.

“Shut up, Kavya,” I laughed, pushing her lightly.

She laughed back and grabbed the handles of my wheelchair, wheeling me out toward the hall where the guests had gathered.