"Assam?" I blinked. "You didn't tell me it was Assam."
"I don't find it necessary to tell you every detail of my duty anymore, Kavya," he said, his voice sharpening with irritation. He set the water bottle down on the counter and turned to leave.
"Saurav, wait..." I called out. He stopped, his back to me. I stepped closer, reaching out to touch his sleeve. "Please, come with me. Just for a moment."
He frowned, looking at my hand as if it were a weight. "I’m exhausted, Kavya. If this is about us, we should talk later."
"Please," I whispered.
I led him toward the backyard. When I opened the glass doors, the darkness was broken by the soft, golden glow of fairy lights. I had spent hours decorating the garden. A small table stood in the center, decorated with candles and a simple chocolate cake. It was his birthday, and despite everything, I wanted him to feel special.
I turned to him, searching his face for a smile. "Happy birthday, Saurav."
He froze. His face didn't soften; it turned pale. "It’s my birthday?"
"Yes. Did you forget?"
He stepped toward the table, but he didn't look happy. He looked at the cake with a growing sense of rage.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my heart sinking.
Saurav’s jaw clenched so hard I thought it might break. He looked at the rose bed where his mother buried, then back at the flickering candles. "She left... she died on my ninth birthday," he whispered, his voice shaking with sudden agony. "That means... today is her death anniversary."
The world seemed to stop. I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. How could I have been so blind? I had read his mother's suicide note in diary. I had seen the date written in her elegant script. I knew the dates were the same, but in my desperation to please him, I had completely blocked it out.
"Did you do this on purpose?" Saurav’s voice was a low, dangerous growl.
"No! No, Saurav, I swear… "
"You read her diary, didn't you? You knew what that day meant to me!"
"I forgot..." I squeezed my hands together, trying to stop the violent trembling. "I was only thinking of you, I didn't mean… "
"Forgot? Wow!" He let out a harsh, mocking laugh and clapped his hands together. "You truly are a..." He bit back the insult, turning away to head back into the house.
"Saurav, listen to me!" I ran after him, catching him in the hallway. He stopped but refused to look at me. "I’m so sorry. About the diary, about the cake... I never intended to hurt you."
He turned slowly, and the raw pain in his eyes made me want to scream. "It’s okay, Kavya. It’s always 'an accident' with you, isn't it? You didn't mean to file a legal complaint against me, but you did. You didn't mean to get close to Abhiraj behind my back, but you did. You didn't mean to lie to me for months, but you did." He pointed toward the garden. "And now, you didn't mean to turn my mother's death anniversary into a party... but you did."
I stepped toward him, tears blurring my vision. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry doesn't fix a broken soul, Kavya. It just mocks it." He smiled sadly and reached out, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. It was a tender gesture, but his words were ice. "You play the victim very well. But I'm done.” He ran his fingers through his hair before letting out, “I’ve filed for divorce."
The air left my lungs. I went cold. "What...?"
"We’re over. The papers are being processed."
"But Saurav, we can fix this…"
He grabbed my arms, his grip firm but not bruising. "Listen to me. I’ve made sure you are taken care of. Fifty percent of the shares are in your name. That’s thirty crore as alimony. You’ll never have to worry about money again. You can have the life you always wanted."
"I don't want the money!" I sobbed, the tears finally breaking loose. "I want you! I love you, Saurav!"
He let go of me as if I had burned him. He stepped back, shaking his head. "That’s not possible. There is no 'us' anymore, Kavya. There never was."
He turned and walked to the guest room, shutting the door. The click of the lock was the loudest sound I had ever heard.
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