Chapter 34 — Ritika's Heart

Ritika sat quietly beside Rishi's bed.

Her son was already asleep.

She gently ran her fingers through his hair, trying to control the tears that continued to fall.

But tonight, she couldn't stop thinking.

Safeena's words kept repeating in her mind.

“You have only one son, and you married him to a widow with a child.”

Ritika closed her eyes.

Those words had hurt.

Not because she was ashamed of being a widow.

Not because she was ashamed of Rishi.

But because she had spent years trying to give her son a good life, and someone had reduced both of them to their past.

She wiped her tears.

Ritika: I didn't do anything wrong...

Her voice trembled.

Ritika looked at Rishi.

Ritika: Did I?

Rishi was sleeping peacefully, unaware of his mother's pain.

She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

Then another set of words came back to her.

Arnav's.

“You want to separate me from my family?”

Her heart tightened.

“If that's what you wanted, then why did you marry me?”

She pressed her lips together, trying not to cry louder.

Ritika: Why would you think that about me?

She had entered his family with fear.

She had tried to respect everyone.

She had prepared breakfast for them.

She had accepted their traditions.

She had tried to understand Arnav despite his silence.

And all she had asked for was some time with her parents.

She wiped her cheeks again.

Ritika: I never wanted to take you away from anyone.

She remembered how quickly anger had replaced the hurt.

And then—

The slap.

Ritika stared at her hand.

She remembered the moment she had raised it.

She had never imagined she would slap Arnav.

She felt guilty.

But at the same time, she knew why she had done it.

His words had pierced something deep inside her.

Ritika: I'm sorry...

She whispered, though Arnav wasn't there to hear her.

Ritika: I shouldn't have slapped you.

She looked toward the closed door.

But then she remembered his accusation again.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Ritika: But you shouldn't have thought that I married you to separate you from your family.

She hugged herself.

She didn't want to be someone's burden.

She didn't want Arnav to look at her and see only a widow with a child.

She wanted to be Ritika.

His wife.

Rishi's mother.

And a daughter who still had the right to return to her parents' home.

She looked at her sleeping son.

Ritika: Tomorrow I'll go home with you, Rishi.

Her voice softened.

Ritika: We'll spend some time with Dadu and Nani.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Ritika: Maybe I'll feel better there.

Rishi stirred slightly in his sleep.

Ritika immediately wiped her tears and smiled.

Ritika: Sleep, beta.

She kissed his forehead once more.

Ritika stayed beside him for a long time.

She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

She only knew that tonight, her heart was tired.

And somewhere downstairs, the man she had married was beginning to understand just how deeply his words had hurt her.