The large glass doors of Rathore Mansion creaked as they opened. Abhimaan stepped in, his jaw tense, his shirt sleeves rolled up, the stress of the day still lingering on his face.
He expected calm.
He expected silence.
But what greeted him… was a ghost from the past.
"Arohi?" His voice was low, restrained, almost dangerous.
Arohi stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in a pale pink saree, her eyes filled with unapologetic confidence and a smile that tried to be sweet… but carried poison underneath.
"Hello, Abhimaan. Long time," she purred.
Sanaya, who had been frozen since Arohi's arrival, watched Abhimaan's expression shift from shock to fury.
Abhimaan's eyes flicked to Sanaya for a split second. She looked small, broken, confused. Why is she here? And what did she tell Sanaya?
He stepped forward, his voice cold and cutting. "Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho, Arohi?"
Arohi tilted her head. "Bas, apne pati se milne aayi hoon. Oh wait… meri chhoti behen ki pati se."
Sanaya winced. That hit too close.
Abhimaan's fists clenched. His voice dropped. "Don't you dare cross that line."
Arohi scoffed, turning toward Sanaya with a mocking smile. "You didn't tell him yet? I thought honesty was a part of this marriage now. Oh wait—was it ever a real marriage?"
Before Sanaya could respond, Abhimaan had already grabbed Arohi's wrist—not roughly, but firmly—and dragged her toward the study. "We need to talk. Alone."
Sanaya stood frozen as the door shut loudly behind them.
---
Inside the study:
Abhimaan threw the door shut and turned toward her, fury written all over his face.
"How dare you come back here, after everything?"
Arohi's eyes glittered. "Why? Tumhe toh khushi honi chahiye. I'm ready now. Ready to be Mrs. Abhimaan Rathore. Just like it was meant to be."
"Meant to be?" He laughed bitterly. "You left me standing at the mandap, Arohi. You disappeared without a word. And now you want to pick up where we left off?"
Arohi walked closer, voice syrupy. "Because I was scared. And stupid. But now I know… what I left behind. You. This life. You and I were perfect—"
"NO!" he barked. "We were never perfect. Because I was never in love with you."
Arohi froze.
And then, silence.
Abhimaan's eyes burned with pain as he looked out the window. His voice cracked slightly.
"You want the truth, Arohi? Fine. I'll give it to you."
---
[Flashback ]
The Rathore Mansion buzzed with wedding preparations.
Abhimaan stood in the corridor, dressed in ivory sherwani, staring at a phone screen with trembling fingers.
Sanaya's contact. Her display picture. Her smiling face.
"Don't call her. Don't message her," he whispered to himself, swallowing the lump in his throat.
He loved her. Sanaya. Not Arohi. Never Arohi.
But Arohi was the elder daughter of the Malhotra family, and this marriage was decided long ago. He had been quiet, obedient. His heart didn't matter.
Only the alliance did.
Only the business.
But the truth was simple: He had fallen in love with Sanaya the moment he saw her at the Malhotra family function—a quiet, shy girl who had laughed at his sarcastic joke when no one else did.
She'd spilled coffee on him during their second meeting.
They'd argued constantly after that.
And he had fallen harder with every fight, every smile.
He still remembered her voice, soft and unsure. "Arohi di is lucky to marry you. You're... sweet when you're not growling."
That night, he couldn't sleep. He stared at his ceiling and thought—if only fate had chosen her.
But it didn't.
And he was too much of a coward to tell anyone how he felt.
So, he buried it.
---
The wedding day arrived.
Abhimaan was standing at the mandap, cold sweat on his brow, and a breaking heart inside.
And then—
She didn't come.
Arohi disappeared.
And as the news spread, people whispered.
Some called it betrayal. Some called it fate.
But for Abhimaan—it was relief. And guilt.
And then… came the real shock.
Sanaya. Standing at the back of the hall. Eyes wide. Terrified. Alone.
And before anyone could blink, he made the decision of a lifetime.
He walked straight toward her.
"Will you marry me?" he asked.
Her eyes widened.
"WHAT?!"
And before she could say no, her parents were already nodding.
The alliance had to be saved. The scandal had to be buried.
And Sanaya—shivering, stunned—was pulled into a storm she never signed up for.
Neither of them did.
---
[Back to present]
Abhimaan's voice was like a blade. "I married Sanaya because I loved her. Always did. But when you ran away, it gave me the chance fate never did."
Arohi's lips parted. "You… loved her even then?"
He nodded. "I still do."
Arohi stumbled back like she'd been slapped.
Her voice shook. "But… she was so young. So... plain. Compared to me—"
Abhimaan cut her off sharply. "She was real. Honest. Kind. She never pretended to be someone she wasn't."
He looked her dead in the eye. "And she never used me like a trophy."
Arohi's voice turned bitter. "You're making a mistake. She'll never match your world."
"She's already in it," he replied. "And she's my wife. Stay away from her."
---
Outside the Study:
Sanaya paced nervously, her heartbeat chaotic. She had heard muffled voices, but nothing clear. Her mind raced with questions.
Why did Arohi leave that day?
Did Abhimaan… really love her back then?
All these months, she thought she was just a stand-in. A mistake.
But if that was true… why didn't he tell her?
The study door opened suddenly, and she turned.
Abhimaan stepped out, eyes meeting hers.
And in that one look—so heavy, so full of guilt—Sanaya felt a storm rise within her.
"Sanaya—" he began.
But she raised her hand.
"Not now."
She turned away, walking to her room, heart pounding.
Because now she knew the truth.
But it only brought more questions.
Why did he hide it?
Was it guilt? Was it fear? Or was it... something else?
And deep down, a part of her whispered—
If he really loved me then… why did he never fight for us?
Please if you like my story please rate as much as you can I am trying my very best to write good storys but it's my first book so sorry for some mistakes.