When the door opened, I immediately turned around in embarrassment. Krishav was standing there without a shirt, clearly not expecting anyone to arrive at that moment. It was his house, and I had come without informing him beforehand, so the situation felt awkward for both of us.

After a moment, he seemed to understand why I had suddenly turned away. He quickly walked toward the sofa where an extra T-shirt was kept and wore it without wasting any time. His movements were quick and controlled, almost as if he was used to handling unexpected situations calmly. Even then, his personality still reflected the same composed and slightly arrogant businessman I had first seen at the hospital.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone carrying a hint of irritation as I turned to face him again.

“Weren’t you the one who gave me this address and told me I could come here?” I replied, my tone firm. “If that is the case, then you should not be surprised to see me here.”

He sighed quietly and muttered Siddharth’s name under his breath, as if the situation itself was exhausting for him. It felt obvious that he had not expected things to turn out this way, and perhaps he was not entirely comfortable with my presence either.

“And technically, I am your wife,” I added sarcastically before I could stop myself. “You married me, so I do have the right to stay here. Otherwise, the media might create unnecessary problems for you.”

The moment I said those words, I realised how rude I sounded. I had never spoken to someone like that before. The frustration of everything that had happened recently was clearly affecting my behaviour.

He gave a dry laugh when I used the word wife, as if the word itself reminded him of a responsibility he had never planned to take.

“You can come inside,” he finally said in a stiff voice.

“Thank you,” I replied politely before stepping inside.

The moment I entered, I could not help but notice how luxurious the house looked. The living room was spacious and beautifully arranged with elegant furniture. Large glass windows allowed natural light to enter, making the entire place feel calm and sophisticated. Everything was perfectly clean and organised, which made it difficult to believe that only one person lived there.

“You can take any room you like,” he said in a calm but distant tone. “Just do not go into the room on the right corner, and my room is upstairs on the second floor. I would prefer if you do not enter there either.”

I quietly nodded, even though I could not understand why he had married me if he clearly did not want my presence in his personal space.

“If you need anything, you can tell me,” he added before walking upstairs.

“I will manage,” I replied while watching him leave.

I slowly walked upstairs and stopped in front of one of the rooms. Before opening the door, I closed my eyes for a moment as Siddharth’s memories filled my mind again. His letter, his words, and everything that had happened since yesterday still felt unreal.

When I opened the door, I found the room simple yet comforting. A cream bedsheet was neatly spread across the bed, and a dark brown blanket was folded carefully at the side. The furniture was minimal, but everything looked elegant and well maintained. The peaceful environment of the room made me feel slightly relaxed after an emotionally exhausting day.

I placed my bag beside the bed and lay down without thinking much. I was extremely tired, both physically and mentally, and sleep came quickly.

However, the sleep was not peaceful. I woke up suddenly early in the morning, my body covered in sweat and my breathing uneven. The same disturbing dream had followed me once again. It had been happening for years, and there were very few nights when I could sleep without fear. Siddharth was always the one who comforted me whenever I woke up frightened like this, but now I had to calm myself on my own.

I looked at the clock and realised it was already six in the morning.

After taking a deep breath, I got up and went to take a bath, hoping it would help me feel better. Once I got ready, I gathered the courage to visit Siddharth’s house. It was a place filled with memories of us, and even though I knew he would not be there anymore, I still felt the need to go there at least once.

As I walked downstairs, I saw Krishav sitting at the breakfast table, speaking on a call. From the way he was talking, it sounded like he was discussing his schedule with his secretary. His voice sounded calm and professional, as if everything around him was normal, unlike the chaos in my life.

I decided to leave quietly without disturbing him, but as I reached the last step, he spoke without even looking at me.

“Aren’t you going to have breakfast?”

“No, I am fine,” I replied, continuing to walk toward the door.

“They made extra,” he said in a flat tone. “If you do not eat, it will go to waste.”

His words made me stop.

After my parents passed away, my grandmother controlled everything in my life. She never allowed me to eat properly and constantly taunted me, saying that I would gain weight and become unattractive. If I ever left food unfinished, I was punished. Because of that, I developed a habit of never wasting food, even if I was not hungry. Many days, I stayed hungry, but sometimes the harsh words were enough to make me lose my appetite completely.

Remembering all this, I quietly sat at the table and started eating.

My mind was lost in thoughts, and I was not paying attention to anything around me. Suddenly, my hand accidentally touched the cup of coffee placed beside my plate, causing it to spill over Krishav.

“I am so sorry, I did not mean to do this,” I said immediately, panic filling my voice.

My chest tightened, and fear took over before I could control my reaction. My past memories made the situation feel more frightening than it actually was.

“Calm down, Kavya. It is okay. I am fine,” Krishav said, clearly confused by my sudden reaction.

I realised tears were already falling from my eyes. Before he could ask anything else, I rushed upstairs to my room.

“Kavya,” he called, not understanding what had just happened.

But I was not in a condition to explain anything.

I sat beside the bed and broke down, wishing Siddharth was there to comfort me the way he always did.

After some time, when I finally felt slightly stable, I decided to continue with my plan of visiting Siddharth’s house.

I booked a cab, but after confirming the ride, I realised I did not have enough money. I had left my previous job earlier, and Siddharth had told me it was completely my choice whether I wanted to work or not. At that time, I had decided not to work, but now the situation felt uncertain and stressful.

I thought of asking Akriti for some money, but I hesitated.

“I need to find a job soon,” I said quietly to myself.

As I walked downstairs, I noticed an envelope placed on the table with a note beside it.

The note said that the money was from Siddharth for me.

I knew Krishav must have kept it there, and I was almost sure that Siddharth had not left any money like that. However, at that moment, I did not have any other option.

So I took the envelope and wrote a small note saying that I would return the money once I found a job.

Just then, the cab arrived.

The journey felt silent and heavy with thoughts I could not escape.

When I reached Siddharth’s house, my hands trembled as I stood in front of the door. I still had the key, but entering the house without him there felt painful.

After gathering courage, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Everything looked the same as before.

Photos of us were placed everywhere. A large picture of us hung on the wall, and small polaroids were arranged neatly on the table. Each photo carried a memory that once made me happy, but now they only reminded me of what I had lost.

Siddharth had become a memory.

I slowly walked around the house, touching familiar objects and remembering the moments connected to them.

After some time, I noticed a diary placed on the desk.

The cover had the letters KS written on it with a small heart beside them.

As I reached to open it, my phone rang.

It was Akriti.

The moment I answered, she started asking many questions, wanting to know where I was and whether I was alright.

While talking to her, I realised it was getting late.

I decided to leave the house, but I kept the diary with me before locking the door.

As I stepped outside, I felt that something important had just begun, even though I did not yet know how it would change everything.

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