Chapter 5 — Ritika's Thoughts

Ritika sat alone in her room that night, staring at the photographs on her bedside table.

One photograph was of Rishi.

She smiled softly when she looked at him.

Ritika had always considered herself strong. Life had forced her to become strong. She had learned to raise Rishi, to smile for him, and to keep moving forward even when her own heart was tired.

But tonight, everything felt different.

She had been given a choice.

A new marriage.

A new family.

A new life.

And a man named Arnav Qureshi.

Ritika looked down at her hands.

Ritika: What if he doesn't accept Rishi?

That was the question that frightened her the most.

She could never imagine a life where someone asked her to choose between her son and anything else.

Rishi was not simply her son.

He was her world.

He was the reason she had learned to smile again after losing his father.

Ritika looked at his photograph.

Ritika: I can never leave you, Rishi.

Her eyes became moist.

She remembered the difficult days after her husband's death. She remembered the child she had lost during that painful period. She had thought her heart would never recover.

Then there was Rishi.

He had held her hand and somehow given her a reason to continue.

Now she was being asked to imagine another man beside her.

Could she do it?

Could she trust someone again?

Could she build a home with someone who had never been part of her life before?

And most importantly...

Would Arnav accept her son?

Ritika closed her eyes.

Ritika: I don't need a man who simply tolerates my son.

She wiped away a tear.

Ritika: I need someone who accepts him because he is a part of me.

She remembered what Devraj had told her.

The decision would be hers.

Nobody would force her.

But that did not make the decision easier.

Ritika walked toward the window and looked outside.

A new life was standing in front of her.

It frightened her.

But somewhere deep inside, there was also a small feeling of hope.

Maybe she deserved happiness again.

Maybe Rishi deserved a father figure who would genuinely love him.

Maybe she could have a family again.

But she wouldn't say yes simply because everyone believed Arnav was a good man.

She needed to know him.

She needed to know whether he could accept her past, her son, her pain, and everything that came with her.

Ritika looked at Rishi's photograph one more time.

Ritika: If I ever choose him, it will only be because he chooses you too.

A small smile appeared on her face.

For the first time, Ritika allowed herself to imagine what a new beginning might look like.