जब भी फ़ुर्सत मिली हंगामा-ए-दुनिया से मुझे मेरी तन्हाई को बस तेरा पता याद आया
~ अलीना इतरत
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Veda's eyes fluttered open, the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. She felt exhausted, her emotions raw from the previous night's revelations. The memory of Adyant's words still lingered, piercing her heart like a sharp knife, making heart bleed with unshed blood and tears.
"Hate, disgust, and contempt. I feel them every time I see your face."
The words still echoed in her mind but she tried her best to shake them away.
She looked over at the bed, his side was empty indicating that Adyant had left for the office earlier in the morning and for some reason she didn't feel upset.
It was as if her love for him was eating her up slowly and now even his absence wasn't that painful anymore.
Her heart was thawing slowly and she had a feeling that the love she had for Adyant would fade away soon into the hurt he had inflicted on her over all these years.
"Ye kya kar rahe hain aap, Adyant. Sab barbaad ho jayega."
She whispered to herself. The fear of forgetting him forever was visible in her eyes as pain gripped her heart. He's pushing her away and she's drowning herself inside the mirth of this nightmare called marriage.
She dressed mechanically, her mind consumed by questions and hurt.
As she descended to the breakfast hall, her heart heavy, she was greeted by her in law's warm smiles.
"Good morning, beta," Advith said, offering a gentle pat on her hand.
Veda forced a smile, hiding her pain.
"Good morning, Papa, Maa."
She smiled at everyone, creating the perfect facade of a happy marriage in front of the family and ignoring the hurt which gnawed inside her chest like a plague.
After breakfast, Veda excused herself, seeking solace in the garden. The fresh air and tranquility might calm her racing thoughts or so she thought.
As she strolled, she noticed a small, unassuming door hidden behind a bush. Curiosity piqued, she pushed the door open, revealing a cozy art studio.
Canvases, paints, and brushes filled the space. The scent of turpentine and oil paints wafted through the air, transporting her to a different world of colors.
She remembered this was the art studio which Aadita used to use before she left for London to study further before joining the family business.
She had heard about this place but never had the chance to see this exquisite place with her own eyes before.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she looked over at the colors and paintings surrounding her.
A thought danced inside her mind and her heart skipped a beat.
A sense of tranquility washed over her and she felt overwhelmed with emotions.
This could be her escape.
Her passion for art, long forgotten, stirred within her.
Veda loved painting since her childhood. Her hands ache to touch the canvas and feel those colors in her finger tips.
She had once dreamed of becoming an artist, but life had taken a different turn.
With trembling hands, she picked up a paintbrush and canvas, feeling the familiar feeling of the paintbrush in her hand, the canvas warm and rough under her touch.
Colors began to dance on the canvas. Vibrant hues of red and multi colors merged, creating a serene image of a woman sitting alone, waiting for a glimmer of hope, her eyes searching for someone with a yearning inside of her.
It looked like as if she had drew her own inner turmoil.
For the first time in years, Veda felt alive.
As she painted, her thoughts drifted to her childhood. Her father had encouraged her creativity, and she would spend hours sketching and painting. Her father used to appreciate all of the arts she created. Though they didn't have much money to buy expensive colors and canvases, he would always try to get the best for her. She was the apple of her parents and younger brother's eyes.
They had always dreamt of a happy future for her but sometimes we don't always get what we want and some dreams are bound to be shattered.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she remembered her life before marriage.
Her parents were no longer there to guide her and her brother was in Delhi, studying in a prestigious IIT university.
The studio became her sanctuary, a place where she could express herself freely.
Hours passed, and Veda lost track of time. The sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the garden.
As she cleaned her brushes, a sense of determination emerged within her and she felt a hint of confidence stirring inside her.
She would continue painting, she decided.
It's the only way to make her alive despite the suffocating darkness surrounding her.
Adyant's words still lingered, but Veda had found a way to rise above them, to forget them and start anew.
For now, art would be her solace, her escape from this painful reality.
Her salvation.
***
The night descended, casting a dark shadow over the Rathore mansion.
Veda lay in her bad, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. The pain and agony was still echoing inside her chest but she still felt a glimmer of hope within her after spending time in the art studio.
As Adyant emerged from the bathroom, his gaze swept over Veda's fragile form.
To him, she looked different than before. She didn't had that hurt in her eyes which he was used of seeing every other day.
For an instant, their eyes met.
Veda's heart skipped a beat as she gazed into Adyant's onyx eyes.
In that fleeting moment, she thought she saw something.
A flicker of recognition.
A glimmer of affinity.
But it vanished within the next second.
Adyant's expression hardened and he turned away pretending as if she didn't exist in his world at all.
Veda felt the sting of rejection and she closed her eyes hurt and pained from his actions.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
Unshed.
She wondered painfully
Was this her life now?
A loveless marriage?
A prison of loneliness?
The silence between them grew severly oppressive.
Heavy with unspoken words.
Veda's thoughts swirled.
Memories of their wedding day flooded her mind.
The promises he made during those seven pheras infront of the holy fire.
The vows he shattered
The pain her inflicted on her and the heart he broke.
Adyant's words echoed in her mind.
"Hate, disgust, and contempt."
The pain sliced through her.
Like a sharp knife.
Veda's gaze drifted to Adyant.
His back was turned.
His shoulders tense.
Was he fighting his own demons, just like she does?
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