Chapter 123 Her Forgiveness
Ruhi freezes for a second. The anger in her eyes begins to fade, but she can’t hide the truth. Her face says everything her lips do not.
Rohit’s eyes well up. He tries to clear his throat, but his words tremble. In a broken voice, he says, “Fine, Ruhi… if this is what you want… then so be it. Bring me the divorce papers.”
Ruhi’s heart begins to race wildly. Her hands shake. Slowly, she walks toward the cupboard, pulls out a file, and with trembling courage, hands the papers to Rohit.
Rohit doesn’t say a single word. He picks up the papers, grabs a pen… and signs them. Silence screams louder than any words could. After signing, he places the file on Ruhi’s bed… and walks out of the room without looking back.
Ruhi stands rooted, watching him leave. It is as if her feet have turned to stone. She glances toward the door, but Rohit is already gone. Her fingers shake as she picks up the papers again. A hollow emptiness spreads through her heart.
She quickly grabs her phone and calls Disha. As soon as the call connects, Ruhi’s voice breaks with tears, “Disha… he gave me the divorce.”
On the other end, Disha’s voice comes cold, yet filled with strange delight, “Wow! That’s great, Ruhi. Now you go home, I’m going to Rohit.”
Ruhi’s breath stops. Shock flashes in her eyes. She stammers, “What? What are you saying?”
Disha’s tone grows even colder, “Now that you’re divorced, obviously he’ll need a partner. I’ll be that partner.”
Ruhi’s heart shudders. She asks in disbelief, her voice trembling with anger, “So… you did all this? Just to take Rohit away from me?”
Disha chuckles softly before speaking with ruthless clarity, “Yes, Ruhi. That’s the truth. He never had any affair with Sunaina. I made that story up. Just to provoke you. And you-you fell right into it.”
Ruhi’s lips quiver, her eyes fill with tears. She screams through her sobs, “Disha!!! Start counting your remaining days. You played with my life, and now I’ll destroy yours!”
She hurls the phone aside in rage. The divorce papers slip from her hands onto the bed. Without a second thought, she rushes out of the room. Fear grips her fear that she might already be too late.
She storms into Rohit’s room. The sight before her makes her freeze.
Rohit is packing his clothes into a suitcase. His face is calm, but it is the eerie calm that follows a devastating storm.
Ruhi hurries to him, pulling clothes out of the bag with desperation. Her voice cracks as she cries, “Where are you going?”
Rohit remains silent. He keeps packing, ignoring her trembling voice, Ruhi grabs his hand tightly, her words breaking into sobs, “Where are you going, Rohit? Tell me!”
Rohit jerks his hand free, his voice cold and final, “America.”
Ruhi’s world shatters in that moment. Her eyes widen in disbelief. Without thinking, she throws her arms around him and clings to him desperately.
Rohit freezes. His hands tremble for the first time in years. Ruhi has embraced him. Hesitating, he stammers, “W… what happened, Ruhi?”
Ruhi buries her face in his shoulder, tears soaking his shirt. Her voice cracks, filled with guilt and desperation, “Please don’t go… forgive me, Rohit. I misunderstood you, please forgive me."
For the first time, Rohit’s own tears fall freely. The pain he has buried inside comes rushing out. Slowly, he places his hands on Ruhi’s back, holding her gently.
In that moment, nothing else matters neither the papers, nor the betrayal, nor the storm that tore them apart. There is only the raw truth of two broken hearts, crying in each other’s arms.
Ruhi still clings tightly to Rohit. Her body trembles, her throat chokes with tears. Struggling to speak through sobs, she says in a broken voice: “Rohit, do you remember Disha from college? She showed me pictures of you with Sunaina. I believed they were real, but maybe they were fake. She kept provoking me, poisoning my ears again and again, trying to turn me against you. And I, like a fool, fell for it. I never realized that all of this was just so you’d leave me and marry her. But please… please don’t leave me. Don’t go away to America.”
Her voice carries such desperation, it feels as though every word pierces straight into Rohit’s heart.
For a few moments, Rohit holds her close, eyes shut tight, as if trying to absorb every ounce of her pain. Then, gently, he pulls her slightly away, looks into her face, and says softly, “Alright… that’s enough. It’s okay. I forgive you, Ruhi.”
Ruhi’s teary eyes lock onto his face. Her lips quiver, her throat heavy as she whispers, “Why are you so good, Rohit? I kept getting ruder with you day by day. I insulted you, accused you, and yet you stayed silent. You endured everything quietly. You never said a word. Anyone else in your place would have left me long ago.”
A faint, tender smile spreads across Rohit’s lips. He wipes the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and replies softly, “Because, Ruhi… I know you’re smart. I always believed that one day, you’d realize the truth yourself. And see, today you finally did.”
Her heart melts at his words. She clings to him again, crying like a child, “Please don’t go, Rohit… I can’t live without you. I promise I won’t trouble you anymore. I’ll do everything I can to make this relationship work. Just don’t leave me.”
Rohit leans close to her ear, his voice warm and calm as his hand gently caresses her waist, “My cutie, where am I even going? I’m not leaving. I’m right here, with you. Now stop crying. Look, you’ve soaked my shirt completely.”
For a moment, Ruhi pauses through her tears and glances at his shirt. It is indeed drenched. She glares at him mischievously… and then, on purpose, wipes her nose across the already wet fabric.
Rohit makes a disgusted face, his voice playfully stern, “Ruhi…!!! Don’t you have any shame?”
Ruhi bursts out laughing, her tears blending with her joy. That laughter brings a new light into the room, chasing away all the darkness. Seeing her laugh, Rohit can’t hold back either he too breaks into heartfelt laughter.
TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!