Another month had passed since their beautiful night after their wedding. Rudrang was the best husband she could have asked for. In and out of bed, both.

Shambhavi woke up with a soft smile, her body still humming from the warmth of Rudrang's touch.

The man who had claimed to be her saviour, her protector, and now her husband in every sense of the word, was in the shower. The muffled sound of running water was the only noise in the room.

As she reached for her robe, a sharp, insistent buzzing broke the silence. It wasn't the phone Rudrang used to show her pictures or order her favourite food.

It was a black device tucked away in the drawer of his nightstand, a drawer he usually kept locked, but in the heat of the previous night, he must have forgotten.

Curiosity, innocent and fleeting, nudged her. Maybe it was an emergency. Maybe he needed her to answer it.

She pulled the drawer open and picked up the phone. The screen was lit up with notifications from an unsaved number. She needed his thumb print to access the app.

She went back to close the app and accidentally opened the gallery. The most recent video caught her eye. The thumbnail was a car. A totally wrecked car. She clicked the play button.

The video was shaky, filmed from a distance behind some bushes. Shambhavi's breath hitched as she recognized the road. It was the highway. She saw a car, driving steadily. Suddenly, a heavy truck appeared, swerving with unnatural precision, as if it were a planned manoeuvre.

She watched, her heart stopping, as the car flipped in the air. The sound of the crash on the video was sickening, a crunch of metal that vibrated in her palms. Then, a voice whispered from behind the camera, cold and detached.

"Kaam ho gaya, boss. Job's done."

(The work is done, boss.)

The video looped. Shambhavi felt the blood drain from her face. The date on the video was the day of her accident. The voice... she had heard that voice before, one of the men who bowed to Rudrang in the office.

The realization hit her like a physical blow. Rudrang hadn't been a bystander. He hadn't been a grieving husband waiting at the hospital by some twist of fate.

He was the director. He had written the script, staged the crash, and waited for her memory to burn so he could reinvent himself as her hero.

Her world didn't just crumble, it exploded into a million pieces. Every kiss, every "I love you," every moment of care felt like a drop of poison she had willingly swallowed.

The bathroom door opened. A cloud of steam followed Rudrang out. He was dressed in a crisp navy suit, looking every bit the powerful, successful man she thought she loved. He was fixing his cufflinks, a calm expression on his face, until he looked up and saw her.

He saw the black phone in her hand. He saw the video playing on the screen. Rudrang's face went deathly pale. The mask of the doting husband vanished, replaced by a raw, naked panic she had never seen before.

"Shambhavi..."

His voice was a strangled whisper.

"Ye aapne kiya? Iska matlab wo aadmi, uss din hospital mai...Anirudh...wo sach keh raha tha. Wo mera fiance tha."

(You did this? That means the man that day…Anirudh…he was telling the truth. He was my fiancé.)

She asked, her voice trembling so hard the phone nearly fell.

"Aapne mujhe maarne ki koshish ki? Kyu, Rudrang? Kyu!"

(You tried to kill me? Why, Rudrang? Why!)

"Shambhavi, meri baat suno-"

(Shambhavi, listen to me-)

"Kya sunu?"

(What should I listen?)

She screamed, find a sudden, violent strength in her grief. She lunged at him, hitting his chest with her fists.

"Aapne meri zindagi chheen li! Meri life, meri yaadein... sab kuch jhoot tha! Aapne mujhe ek pinjre mein rakha aur main aapko apna sab kuch manti rahi!"

(You snatched my life from me! My life, my memories…everything was a lie! You kept me in a cage and I kept considering you my everything!)

She lashed out blindly, her nails scratching at his neck, her tears soaking his expensive shirt. She wanted to hurt him, to tear through the skin and find the monster underneath.

Rudrang didn't fight back. He didn't even try to block her blows. He just stood there, taking her rage, his eyes filled with a terrifying mix of guilt and obsession.

"Maaro mujhe."

(Hit me.)

He muttered, catching her wrists only when she started to stumble.

"Jitna jee chahe maaro. Par mujhse dur mat jao."

(Hit me as much as you want. But don’t leave me.)

"Chhodo mujhe! Main Anirudh ke paas jaaungi! Main police ke paas jaungi!"

(Leave me! I will go to Anirudh! I will go to the police!)

She shrieked, struggling against his grip. At the mention of Anirudh, Rudrang's grip tightened.

"Nahi. Tum kahin nahi jaogi."

(No. you will not go anywhere.)

Shambhavi fought until her muscles burned and her lungs felt like they were on fire. The emotional shock was too much. Her legs gave out, and she went limp, her body shaking with violent, racking sobs. She felt like she was suffocating under the weight of his betrayal.

Rudrang immediately swept her up into his arms. She tried to push him away, her hands weak and trembling.

"Nahi... please... mujhe chhodo..."

(No…please…leave me…)

"Sirf paanch minute, Shambhavi."

(Just five minutes, Shambhavi.)

He said, his voice hard yet breaking at the edges.

"Sirf paanch minute mujhe apni baat kehne do. Uske baad, tum jo chaho woh karna. Mujhe maar dena, par pehle dekh lo ki maine yeh sab kyun kiya."

(Let me tell me my side of the story. After that, you do what you want to. Kill me, but first see why I did all this.)

He didn't take her back to the bed. He carried her out of the room, his footsteps heavy on the marble floor. Shambhavi was too exhausted to fight anymore, she just wept into his shoulder, hating the fact that his scent still felt like home.

They reached the door. The 'store room.' Rudrang took out a key from a hidden pocket in his waistcoat. His hand shook as he inserted it into the lock. The door swung open.

Shambhavi took one trembling step forward, her eyes widening as the lights flickered on, revealing the secrets that had been locked away for years. She stood at the threshold, her breath hitching in her throat, as she finally saw what lay behind the door.