Page 121 of Entangled Vows

And that was all it took. Without a second thought, she rushed after him, slipping out of the room and into the cold weather. She pushed open the sliding door that led to the terrace and stepped outside. The morning air wrapped around her like a cold hug.

She found him sitting on the stone bench at the far end of the terrace. His back was turned to her, his shoulders hunched. As she walked closer, she noticed his fists were clenched tight, and his arms rested on his knees. She moved towards him, her flipflops making soft plopping sounds against the damp floor tiles.

Without saying a word, she placed a hand on his shoulder, then slowly began to rub his back. He didn’t pull away. He just leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face against her middle like he needed to block the whole world out.

Mahika’s heart ached. She slid her arms around him and held him close, her fingers slipping into his hair and stroking it gently with her fingers. His breaths were uneven against her stomach, and she held him close, as if she could absorb his anguish. Her other hand moved up and down his spine in a slow, comforting rhythm.

It was serenely quiet around them, except for the soft rustling of leaves and the distant hum of a bird. He pulled back just enough to look up at her. His eyes held a mix of raw guilt, hurt, and a thousand unsaid things.

“Do you think I’m a bad son?” His voice was hoarse, nearly broken.

The question surprised her. Without thinking, she slid into his lap and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, drawing him close. “What?” she asked softly.

His gaze stayed fixed on the skyline, far beyond the buildings and the haze. “Do you think I failed some invisible test just because I couldn’t pretend to care about the woman who walked out of my life as if I didn’t exist?”

“No, Vicky. You didn’t fail. Not at all.” Her hand cradled the back of his neck, her voice carrying a firm edge.

“Are you ashamed to be married to someone who couldn’t even forgive his own mother?” There was no accusation in his voice, just a quiet ache.

Her heart squeezed at the raw pain in his words. “No,” she whispered. “Not even for a second.”

He finally looked at her then. His eyes were glassy and hard. It was like he wanted her to hate him, to absolve him, or both.

“She moved on and built a new life, found her perfect man, started a new family… and left me behind. Left me with a father who was already buried deep in work and colder than stone. I was nothing but a reminder of the life she abandoned.” He exhaled sharply, his jaw tight.

“Suraj got all her love, all her attention, and she clung to him like he was her redemption. And now he expects me to smile and to wish her well? To be the dutiful son and pretend it didn’t rip me apart?” His voice cracked with barely contained rage. “Was I supposed to call her every week? Ask about her new life while watching Dad shrink into a man who only knew how to earn, not live? No… I can’t forgive someone who chose to forget me.”

Mahika pressed her forehead to his and cupped his face, her thumbs softly brushing across his sharp cheekbones. “You were only a kid, barely old enough to understand the world. And then, life forced you to grow up… to become a bitter, hardened version of yourself. I can’t even imagine what you must have gone through. You carried so much pain, so much pressure… all on your own. And no one gave you the space to forgive her… or even to forgive yourself.”

“But I held on to the grudge.” His voice shook. “That anger and resentment… I fed it like it was all I had. I convinced myself I didn’t need her. But I can’t deny that her absence fucked something up inside me.”

“You don’t have to justify anything,” she said softly. “And you don’t need to carry this forever. Let it go… even if it’s just for yourself.”

He met her gaze, the pain still lurking deep in his eyes. “Are you saying I should forgive her?”

“I’m saying maybe it’s time to confront her. Look her in the eye and tell her what she did. If you still feel nothing after that, then fine. Let her go. But don’t keep bleeding from a wound you won’t let heal.”

His chest rose and fell in a long breath. He looked away, quiet again. She gently turned his face back towards her.

“You’ve already lost your father. And I know your mother was wrong, but she’s still here. You’ve been punishing yourself for her choices for too long, and in the end, it’s only hurting you. Maybe… it’s time to stop.”

He scoffed in anger. “Why should I make the effort when she won’t?”

The words were so full of bitterness that it made her heart hurt for what he had been through, for how much pain his mother had caused him over the years.

“Because you’re a bigger person. You’re a better human being than she is,” Mahika explained.

“I thought you saw me as a shitty person,” he argued.

“Sometimes. But not always.”

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. His arms wrapped around her again, tighter now.

“I don’t know if I can forgive her,” he barely whispered.

“You don’t have to decide that today,” she murmured. “Just try. Not for her… but for your own peace.”

He stayed silent, his warm breath fanning her skin, and Mahika closed her eyes, savouring the fragile quiet that had wrapped around them. She was glad he’d opened up to her.