It was the next day.

The garden was shrouded in a mist, and the sharp chill in the air bit at Anita's cheeks.

She and Divya sat at a small wrought-iron table under the bare branches of a jacaranda tree, sipping steaming cups of chai.

Both had draped thick shawls over their shoulders so that the wool would lessen the chilling cold against their body.

Anita cradled her cup, the heat seeping into her chilled fingers, while she recounted everything—the confrontation, the contents of the file, and her decision to end things with Akash.

Her voice wavered slightly, and she added, "I don't think I can continue," she said finally, staring at the swirling steam rising from her cup.

Her voice became low, almost a whisper, but firm. "He wasn't loyal to the people in his past, so how could he be loyal to me?"

Divya frowned, her hands cupped around her own tea and the warmth radiated into her palms. "Don't you think it's possible he's changed? Maybe he's not the same person he was back then."

Anita shook her head, her shawl slipping slightly after she leaned forward. "It's not just about the past. How can I trust him when he kept something so important from me? His baby?"

Unbeknownst to them, Raghav was approaching from the other side of the garden.

His boots crunched softly on the gravel path.

The mist swirled around him while he walked and his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets.

He had overheard bits of their conversation and quickened his pace while having a disapproved expression.

When he reached them, Anita looked up, startled by his sudden appearance.

Divya turned as well, her brows knitting together in confusion as to who he was.

"Raghav?" Anita spoke, her breath puffing visibly in the cold air.

He didn't return her polite greeting. Instead, he crossed his arms and said sharply, "You didn't make the right decision, Anita. You're questioning Akash without giving him the benefit of doubt."

She sighed, and she set her cup down with a soft clink.

Her voice, calm and friendly, whispered, "Did he send you here?"

His breath was visible in the frosty air as he spoke. "Must he send me before I come to tell you the truth? Remember, before your relationship, you were friends—best friends. You should have known him better. Yes, he has a past. Everyone does, including you. But none of it matters to him anymore. He saw you after so many years and fell in love genuinely. He didn't just want someone to fill a void. He wanted a friend, a partner, you. The moment he saw you, he decided you were the one he wanted by his side forever."

Her lips pressed into a thin line before she muttered. "Forever? I doubt that. I'm nothing special. In fact, I just feel like I'm only another woman—someone he'll use until he gets what he wants, just like he did with the rest. Then, when he's done, he'll discard me."

Raghav's nostrils flared, and the anger in him burst. "How can you think so lowly of him?" he snarled, his voice rising slightly. "Do you even know him at all? Do you have any idea what he's done for you behind your back? The sacrifices, the lengths he's gone to without expecting anything in return?"

Her heart skipped a beat at his tone, but she quickly masked it with a scoff. "What sacrifices? If he did anything, it's because he wanted to. That doesn't erase the lies or his secret. I won't build my future on a shaky foundation."

He stepped closer, and exclaimed with frustration. "You're blind. You're throwing away something real, something people spend lifetimes searching for, all because of your stubbornness and refusal to see the truth. Akash doesn't deserve this from you."

"If he truly cared about me, he wouldn't have kept Priya's story hidden." she said and looked away.

"Priya's story?" Raghav laughed bitterly. "The story you heard is fake. But you were so quick to judge, so eager to believe the worst, that you didn't even give him a chance to explain."

"Was he in a physical relationship with her, including the others,—yes or no?" Her voice trembled with anger and hurt reflecting in every word. "If he already got everything, why didn't he settle for any of them? And Priya?" She clenched her fists, her breath hitching as she continued. "She even wanted to give him a child. He could have been a father many years ago, but he forced the poor girl to terminate her pregnancy."

Her voice cracked, and she paused, her chest heaving with suppressed sobs. "I... I just don't want to be with such a man. If it was just relationships—simple ones that didn't cross certain boundaries—I could have overlooked it because that's normal, but his..." She paused, her words catching in her throat as tears brimmed in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated only by her shaky breaths.

Raghav exhaled sharply, his frustration evident as he ran a hand through his hair. He finally spoke, "Do you even hear yourself? You're basing your judgment on lies!" His voice rose loudly and she flinched.

"What lies?" she whispered, her tears now freely flowing. "Everything adds up. It makes sense!"

"No, it doesn't!" he countered firmly. "Priya never carried his child. She made up that story to keep him tied to her, to guilt-trip him into staying in a relationship he no longer wanted. She lied about the pregnancy, and when Akash found out, he ended things with her. He never forced her to do anything, Anita."

She blinked, stunned into silence. Her lips parted to speak, but he spoke before her.

"And the others?" he continued. "Yes, he had relationships, but he never promised anyone forever. You're the only woman he ever talked about marrying in his life. Do you realize what that meant?"

The garden became silent, except for the rustling of the wind through the brittle leaves scattered across the ground.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "I came here because I thought you were better than this. But I see now, you've let your own assumptions and pride cloud your judgment."

She frowned, and stared at him, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," he replied, his voice clipped, "you had someone who loved you deeply, who would have done anything for you, and you threw it all away because of rumors."

"They weren't just rumors," she countered, "There's evidence! He never even told me about Priya. why hide something like that if there's nothing to hide?"

He shook his head, and exclaimed, "Just so you know, Akash doesn't owe you any explanation about his relationships that ended long before you came into his life."

"Stop lecturing me, Raghav," she snapped, standing abruptly. "You're taking his side without even understanding what I've been through. You're being biased because you're his friend."

He studied her for a moment, before his voice loosened up and he said, "That is what friends are for. But above all, I know Akash well. And I know he loves you more than you'll ever realize."

He then took a step back, shaking his head. "But go ahead. Keep thinking you're in the right. Keep letting your ego win. One day, when you realize what you've lost, it'll be too late."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with a chaotic mess of emotions running in her head.

"Is it wrong to not want to go on anymore?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned to Divya, her eyes clouded with doubt.

"Of course not," Divya said firmly, her tone filled with reassurance. "Don't worry, you have my full support. However, I really think we need to find the truth about his past and Priya's. We shouldn't blindly trust what Muhammad says."

"What if the truth is just as bad as what I've been told? What if it only confirms that I was right to end things?"

"And what if it doesn't?" Divya asked softly, tilting her head to meet her gaze. "What if Muhammad twisted the facts or left out important details? Don't you owe it to yourself and Akash to know for sure?"

••••

Raghav had visited Akash at his home, and he was pacing over the living room as he spoke.

"I went to speak to Anita," he said, watching Akash's expression carefully.

"Why did you go without informing me?" Akash mumbled. "I would've stopped you. She needs space to recognize the value of our relationship. You shouldn't have interfered."

"Bro, I honestly feel you should just let her go," Raghav shot in anger. "After how she demeaned your relationship and how she spoke about you, I feel she's not worth spending your life with."

His eyes narrowed, "What do you mean by that?"

Raghav stopped pacing and turned to face him fully. "Throughout the time you've been together, she should've known you well enough to discern whether your feelings were genuine or not. But do you know what she thinks?" He paused to take a breath, then continued, "She feels she's just another woman in your life. Someone you'll use until you get what you want, just like the others she believes existed in your past. Then, when you're done, you'll discard her."

Akash froze in disbelief, his knuckles tightening as his hands clenched into fists.

The words hit him like a blow to the chest, disbelief and anger clouding his expression.

"She really said that?" he asked,

"Those were her exact words," Raghav confirmed,

He couldn't control himself.

He grabbed his car keys and stormed out of his house to visit her.

The traffic was dense, but his rage propelled him forward, and he weaved through the vehicles furiously. In no time, he reached her home.

Stepping out of the car, he strode angrily toward the house, his footsteps echoing his fury.

He stopped short in the doorway when his eyes landed on her sitting with her mother in the living room.

"Anita, I want to speak to you in private," he said in a firm tone filled with anger.

She flinched at the sound of his voice, her head snapping up in shock.

She hadn't expected him to come, not after everything.

His piercing gaze made her throat tighten, but she managed a nod.

"Excuse me, Mother," she muttered, standing and following him outside.

The second the door closed behind her, he turned to face her, his rage barely contained.

"Is this how low you think of me?" he snarled, staring disgustingly at her. "Do you honestly believe I'm with you just for sex? That after I get what I want, I'll discard you like trash? Is this how cheap you think I am?"

She started in a whisper, "I didn't mean—"

"Well, thank you," he interrupted bitterly, his voice rising again. "Thank you for showing me exactly what you think of me. I thought I knew you, honestly. I thought we had trust. But clearly, I was wrong. You're the worst friend I've ever had."

Her breath caught at his words, but he didn't stop.

"You wanted to end our relationship, and now I'll give you what you want. Along with it, our friendship is over too. I don't want someone in my life who views me as such." He stepped closer, his eyes filled with hurt. "Let's go our separate ways. I really hope we never cross paths again. Because every time I see you, I'll remember your words. And they'll hurt, deeper than they do now."

Her lips parted to say something, but the weight of his words held her silent.

"Just pray," he continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "that I don't start to hate you because of this."

With that, he turned angrily, leaving her standing frozen, her heart pounding loudly while his retreating figure disappeared into the night.

She wiped away the single tear that fell before turning and heading back inside.

Her mother stood near the doorway, her face etched with concern, having overheard parts of their conversation.

The moment she stepped in, her mother's eyes locked onto hers.

"Tell me the truth," her mother mandated softly. "What is going on between you and Akash? Have you two had a fight?"

Her shoulders sagged, and she avoided her mother's gaze. "There's nothing going on anymore," she mumbled. "Whatever relationship we had is over."

Before her mother could respond, she turned and hurried upstairs.

She closed the door to her room behind her, leaning against it while her chest heaved frantically.

She walked to her bed and sat down laboriously, her thoughts churning like a storm.

She grabbed her phone and opened his chat.

Anger surged through her veins with frustration at his actions and the impudence of sending Raghav to lecture her about regrets.

Did he think he was some angel or a rare gem she couldn't live without?

Her emotions gurgled, and she began typing furiously,

"Now that we don't share any relationship, I want to send back your ten million. I don't need it anymore. Do send me your account number." She hit send without second thought, and the message flew off into the void.

On the other hand, he had just reached home when his phone buzzed.

Seeing her name on the notification only worsened his already sour mood.

He wanted to ignore it at first, debating whether to even forget it entirely, but the curiosity of what she had sent made him rethink. Opening the message, he read her words, and his anger reignited like a fire fed by gasoline.

What did she think of him? That he gave her the money with some ulterior motive?

The very idea that she now wanted to return it stung his pride.

He wanted to tell her to donate it to charity if she will not use it for her foundation or herself, but he swallowed his pride, and instead, typed his account number so as to end things quicker.

"Fine," he muttered under his breath as he hit send.

Back on her end, she gasped in shock when his account number appeared on her screen.

She hadn't expected him to respond, let alone so quickly.

His immediate reply only solidified her belief that she no longer held any importance in his life.

With a bitter nod, she transferred the money back to him.

Once the transaction was complete, she stared at her wallpaper of him for a moment, her heart aching despite her anger.

With a deep breath, she changed the wallpaper, removing his photo and replacing it with something plain.

When he saw the money appear in his account, his fury surged to new heights. Unable to contain his frustration, he stormed into his house, slamming the door behind him and tossed the phone onto the table.