Page 46 of Mrs. Rathore

“She’s not okay since the day you broke her heart,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re a cold-hearted bastard. My daughter gave you everything, and you paid her back with betrayal.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and instinctively, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her. She didn’t resist, just sobbed quietly against me. My throat ached.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I really am sorry, Mrs. Solanki.”

Only if my sorry could take away their pain.

She pulled away after a moment, wiping her tears with trembling fingers. “She’s not herself anymore. For the past week, she’s been acting strange, going out all the time, laughing with her old friends like nothing matters. When I try to talk to her, she lashes out. She can’t sleep without pills. I tried to take her to a hospital, but she ran away. Her father’s been in Geneva for five days now, and I’m scared. I asked her to go back to work, to find some normalcy, but she refused. She’s slipping, Aryan. I can feel it.”

I ran a hand through my hair, the guilt clawing up my spine. “Shit… Where is she now?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “But I’m terrified. And I loved you, Aryan, but after what you did to my daughter… sometimes I just want to strangle you.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the chest.

“I’ll find her,” I said, turning on my heel and rushing back to the car. I knew where she might be, it must be her favorite restaurant.

After ten minutes, I parked nearby and waited. And then I saw her.

She stepped out of the restaurant, laughing with her two friends but something was off. Her laugh didn’t reach her eyes. It was hollow like she was playing a part. I got out and walked toward her, my heart pounding.

Her laughter died the moment she saw me. She froze, eyes wide, as if seeing a ghost.

“Hey…” I said, nodding toward her friends. They understood and slipped away, giving us space.

She didn’t answer, turned and started walking away, fast.

“Ira…” I called, following. “Just talk to me.”

She kept walking, ignoring me completely.

God, that hurt more than I expected.

“Ira!”

She stopped suddenly. I caught up in two long strides and gently turned her toward me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, searching her face.

“What’s wrong?” she repeated, her voice sharp and trembling. “You were the one who told me to move on, Aryan. And now that I’m trying, you show up like this? Why can’t you leave me alone?”

I was confused. “Ira…” I began, but she cut me off.

“I don’t need you,” she snapped, her voice cracking with pain. “Not anymore…”

I stared at her. Her cheekbones were sharper than I remembered, her skin pale and lifeless. Her eyes… God, her eyes were hollow. She looked like a ghost of the girl I once knew, fragile, haunted, and barely holding on.

“What are you talking about?” I asked softly.

“Please leave me alone!” she screamed, ripping her arm from my grasp. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she turned away, refusing to let them fall. She bolted toward the road, toward her car parked across the street, moving frantically, unsteady on her feet.

“And don’t you dare come into my life again!” she shouted over her shoulder.

But I wasn’t listening anymore.

Because I saw the car.

It came out of nowhere, speeding recklessly. Tires screeched, headlights glaring like the eyes of a predator. Time slowed as dread rooted me to the spot.

---