"I'm leaving your family. You can return now."

As I sat in the conference room of my emporium, attending a seemingly mundane meeting, the lock screen notification on my phone shattered the facade of normalcy.

My heart skipped a beat as I read her message.

She left?

She left forever?

The words hit me like a freight train, knocking the breath from my lungs. I had been planning to return home tomorrow, oblivious to the fact that she had reached her breaking point in my absence.

That day she left, I remember feeling a tumult of emotions crashing over me. Guilt clawed at my insides as I realized the pain I had caused her. Yet, I was too consumed by my own turmoil to stop her, too paralyzed by my own tangled emotions to offer her the solace she needed.

But then, as I glanced around the room, my gaze fell upon a glassware filled with gajar ka halwa, a favorite treat of mine. Suddenly, a wave of pain washed over me, stronger than anything I had felt before. With wobbly legs, I made my way to the coffee table where it sat, my heart heavy with regret.

Opening the glassware, I took a bite, the sweetness of the halwa a bitter reminder of what I had lost. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I struggled to stand there. 

I collapsed to the floor, my back resting against the sofa stand, the halwa still clutched in my hand. The once inviting aroma of the buttery sweet dish now felt suffocating, as guilt and regret tightened their grip around my throat.

She cared for me, she tried to reach out, but I let my ego win. Congratulations, Abhimanyu Singh Rathore. You messed up!

The bitter taste of failure mingled with the sweetness of the halwa, creating a nauseating concoction in my mouth. With each swallow, it felt like I was swallowing my pride, choking on the realization of all that I had lost.

I had pushed her away, driven her to the brink, all because I couldn't set aside my own insecurities and fears. 

After what felt like an eternity of introspection and self-flagellation, I made a firm decision. I couldn't let my mistakes define the course of our relationship. With a renewed sense of determination, I resolved to wrap up my work in Bangalore as quickly as possible and head back home to make amends with her.

Every passing moment without her felt like an eternity, and I couldn't bear the thought of spending another second apart.

Steeling myself for the journey ahead, I made a silent vow to do whatever it took to win her back. No distance, no obstacle would stand in my way. For once in my life, I was willing to put aside my pride and ego in pursuit of true happiness. 

As my phone lit up with her message notification, with trembling fingers, I unlocked the screen, my heart pounding in my chest.

As her words appeared before me, a flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm me.

"I'm leaving your family. You can return now."

The realization hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. She's leaving. She's really leaving.

"Mr. Sen will take care of the rest of the meeting. I need to leave urgently. Sorry for the inconvenience, delegates," I declared abruptly, interrupting the ongoing presentation, and signaled for Mr. Sen to take over.

Hurriedly, I made my way to my chamber, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, regret, desperation—all boiling beneath the surface, threatening to consume me whole.

Once inside the confines of my office, I couldn't contain the torrent of emotions any longer. With a primal roar of frustration, I swept my arm across my desk, sending papers flying in every direction. The framed photograph of us toppled to the ground, shattering on impact.

In a fit of rage, I seized the nearest object—a decorative vase—and hurled it against the wall with all the force I could muster. The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the room, matching the cacophony of emotions raging within me.

But it wasn't enough. The anger still simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. With trembling hands, I grabbed the heavy paperweight from my desk and launched it towards the glass coffee table, watching as it shattered into a thousand pieces, mirroring the fragments of my shattered heart.

As the adrenaline of my outburst began to subside, I sank to the floor, spent and hollow. The wreckage of my office lay scattered around me, a tangible reflection of the chaos within.

With my head throbbing and blood boiling in my veins, warm tears streamed down my cheeks, each droplet carrying the weight of my anguish. The turmoil within me was unbearable, my emotions swirling in a tempest of despair and fury.

"Haaaaaaaaa!" I screamed, the sound ripping from the depths of my soul, echoing through the confines of my office. Clutching my head in my hands, I felt as if I were being torn apart from the inside out, the pain radiating through every fiber of my being.

My chest heaved with the force of my anguish, each breath a struggle against the suffocating grip of my emotions. In that moment of utter desperation, I felt as if I were teetering on the edge of sanity, the line between control and chaos growing ever thinner.

But even as I felt myself unraveling, a spark of determination flickered within me. I refused to let this darkness consume me entirely. With trembling hands and a heavy heart, I reached for my cellphone in my pocket and called my secretary to arrange a quick trip to home. 

Hope surged within me like a beacon in the darkness. Perhaps she hadn't left after all. Perhaps it was all just a cruel prank, a ploy to get me to come home.

I swear, Samyukta, if this is a prank, I'll take you tonight itself.

With renewed purpose, I sprang into action, determined to find her, to make things right before it was too late. Every fiber of my being yearned for her presence, for the chance to hold her in my arms once more and tell her how much she meant to me.

With each passing moment, the urgency grew, driving me forward with a single-minded focus. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her, of letting her slip away without a fight.

Didn't you want her to leave? My subconscious taunted me.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, forcing me to confront the painful truth buried deep within me. In moments of anger and frustration, I may have wished for distance, for space to breathe. But now, faced with the prospect of her absence, I realized the depth of my mistake.

"No," I whispered, the word escaping my lips like a prayer. Despite the hurt and confusion, despite the anger that had clouded my judgment, I knew deep down that I didn't want her to leave. She was the light in my darkness, the anchor in my stormy seas.

With a heavy heart and a sense of regret gnawing at me, I acknowledged the folly of my ways. I had let my pride and insecurities drive a wedge between us, pushing her away when all I truly wanted was to hold her close.

In that moment of painful clarity, I made a silent vow to myself: no matter what it took, I would find her and bring her back home, where she belonged. And this time, I wouldn't let anything stand in the way of our love. Not even myself.

In just an hour, Abhimanyu found himself seated on the plush couch of his personal jet. His usually immaculate hair was now disheveled, a reflection of the turmoil churning inside him.

As the jet prepared for takeoff, he couldn't shake the gnawing sense of urgency driving him forward. Every passing moment felt like an eternity, each heartbeat a painful reminder of the precious time slipping through his fingers.

With each passing mile, he felt the weight of his mistakes pressing down on him, a heavy burden he couldn't shake.

With a sense of determination burning bright within him, he leaned back against the cushions, steeling himself for the journey ahead. No matter the obstacles that lay in his path, he vowed to do whatever it took to win her back, to mend the shattered pieces of their relationship and forge a path forward, together.

In just a couple of hours, he landed on the runway of Jaipur and practically sprinted to his waiting SUV, anticipation coursing through his veins like electricity.

As the car sped towards the mansion, he could hardly contain the urgency propelling him forward. When they finally reached the sprawling estate, he practically leaped out of the vehicle before it had even come to a complete halt in the parking lot.

Ignoring the empty dining area and deserted living room, he made a beeline for his chamber, his heart pounding in his chest with every step.

With a swift motion, he pushed open the door, the sound echoing in the stillness of the room. "Samyukta?" he called out softly, his voice tinged with desperation. But his plea was met only with silence, the chamber enveloped in a profound stillness.

Undeterred, he rushed into the bedroom, his eyes scanning the space frantically. Yet, no trace of her greeted him, only the oppressive emptiness of the room.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he began to search every corner of the mansion, his footsteps echoing hollowly in the silence. But no matter where he looked, she was nowhere to be found.

The home staffs gave him questioning glances but turned away as soon as his gaze landed on them. He ignored them. 

Finally, as a last resort, he turned to her wardrobe, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. And there, laid out before him, were the remnants of their life together—the red dress, the black saree, the anklet, and the necklace—all that remained of the woman he loved, resting silently on the glass slab of the wardrobe.

As he gazed upon her belongings, a sense of profound loss washed over him, threatening to engulf him in its depths. In that moment, he knew that she was truly gone, leaving behind only memories and the haunting echo of his own regrets.

With a sense of resolve burning bright within him, one thing remained clear: he had to find her, to bring her back home where she belonged. And no matter the obstacles that lay ahead, he vowed to do whatever it took to win her back, to prove to her that his love was stronger than any distance or misunderstanding.

˜”*°•°*”˜