Shadows of a Forgotten Love (A Love Born Late. A Betrayal That Came Too Soon) - Chapter 4

 

Chapter 4: When the Past Wears a Pretty Face

Some doors, when reopened, destroy the homes we build.

It had been nearly three years since their wedding.

Aditya and Aditi had settled into a quiet, gentle rhythm. Mornings began with shared tea. Evenings ended with soft conversations. There were no grand confessions, but there was peace — fragile, but real.

Aditi had changed. Her smiles were now genuine. She cooked not out of duty, but out of love. She touched Aditya's arm during casual talk, not even realizing how natural it felt. And Aditya, though still quiet, looked at her now — not through her, but at her.

But peace never lasts when the past hasn’t died.

The Message

One Monday morning, Aditya's phone buzzed during breakfast. He glanced at it and froze.

Aditi noticed the shift in his eyes — a flicker of something sharp.

He locked the phone immediately and mumbled,

“Work thing.”

But it wasn’t work.

It was Riya.

“Back in town. Would love to catch up. Coffee?”

The Meeting

He shouldn't have gone. He knew that.

But curiosity, guilt, longing — it all twisted inside him like vines.

They met at a quiet café. She wore a white dress, just like she used to. Hair tied back, the same perfume, the same spark in her voice.

Riya smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face,

“You haven’t changed.”

“You have,” Aditya replied, half bitter, half breathless.

“Regret does that.”

They talked. About the past. Her job. His marriage.

She asked about Aditi casually.
He said,

“She’s… calm. Mature. Nothing like you.”

Riya chuckled,

“So you married peace… after losing chaos.”

Aditya didn’t respond. Because maybe… she was right.

But when she touched his hand over the table, he didn’t pull away.

Aditi’s Senses

At home, Aditi didn’t know what changed. But something had.

Aditya had gone quiet again. He smiled, but not through his eyes. He touched her hand, but not with intention.

His phone never left his side. His messages, locked. His attention, fragmented.

Aditi sensed the shift.

But she didn’t ask. She had learned long ago that some truths reveal themselves when they’re ready.

Riya’s Visit

A few days later, Aditi answered the door to find a beautiful woman standing there with a bright smile and a bouquet of lilies.

“Hi! You must be Aditi. I’m Riya… Aditya’s old friend.”

Aditi stood stunned for a second. But being the gracious woman she was, she invited her in.

They spoke politely — small talk, shared memories. Riya acted casually, hiding her intentions behind soft giggles and harmless anecdotes.

But her eyes wandered around the house. She touched the frame of Aditya and Aditi’s wedding photo just a little too long.

And Aditi noticed.

She didn’t show it. But inside, her heartbeat stuttered.

Aditya's Guilt, Riya’s Game

That night, Aditya came home to find Aditi calm, serving dinner, asking nothing. Her silence was heavy but not accusing.

He hated himself a little.

But Riya kept texting.

"Just once more."
"You never stopped loving me, did you?"
"Let’s not waste what we still feel."

And slowly, like a fool walking into a fire, he started falling again.


Aditi stood in their bedroom, brushing her hair before the mirror, when she saw Aditya enter quietly, avoiding her eyes.

For a moment, she looked at him through the reflection — and something deep inside whispered:

“He’s drifting again.”

But she smiled, said nothing, and turned off the lights.

Because the heart doesn’t panic immediately.
It waits.
It hopes.
And then... it breaks.

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