Whispers of the Final Dusk

Chapter: 1

Nidhi was stunned to see her ex-boyfriend standing beside her newlywed husband. Ayant gave a crooked smile as he noticed Nidhi's startled expression. To Nidhi's further astonishment, Ayant looked at Nidhi and said to Farish,

"Buddy, your sister-in-law is so cute!"

Farish showed no reaction to Ayant's comment, which didn't surprise Nidhi. She had already realized how arrogant this man was when Farish's grandparents came to see her. To everyone's surprise, Farish stood up and said,"I have a meeting. Get this over with quickly."With that, Farish left Nidhi's house and sat in the car. His actions caused a murmur among the guests. Nidhi's aunt jabbed Nidhi's mother, saying,"What kind of guy have you married your daughter to? He has a meeting on his wedding day! Can you believe this? How will this guy keep our Nidhi happy?"

Nidhi's mother responded angrily,"My responsibility was to marry off your brother's daughter, and I've done that. And listen, the boy lacks nothing, so your brother's daughter will have no problems in their home."With that, Nidhi's mother left the room, and Nidhi's eyes welled up with tears. Her aunt put a hand on her shoulder and said,"Everything will be fine, dear. Farish's grandparents are very kind-hearted people. I believe they'll take better care of you than your mother ever could."Nidhi gave a bitter smile and muttered under her breath,"If the person I'm supposed to spend my life with doesn't accept me, living happily is a luxury."

No one heard Nidhi's unfinished words. Farish's grandmother approached Nidhi and said,"Don't mind what Farish said; he's just like that. Now come, it's time to go home. We're getting late!"Hearing Farish's grandmother, Nidhi took one last tearful look at her home. As strange as it was, her mother didn't even come out of her room to bid her farewell. Why would she? Nidhi had always been a burden to her. Yet, Nidhi was grateful to her mother for doing so much for her, even though she wasn't her own daughter. Farish's grandfather led Nidhi to Farish's car and said,"You and Farish take this car. Ayant, your grandmother and I will come in another car."

With that, Farish's grandfather opened the door, and Nidhi sat silently inside. Without looking at her, Farish scolded,"Do I have to tell you to put on your seatbelt? Ugh, no one has any sense of time."Startled by Farish's words, Nidhi fumbled with the seatbelt but couldn't fasten it. Irritated, Farish leaned over and buckled it for her. The car sped on in silence, with Nidhi staring out the window. Her head was pounding. She was too scared to tell Farish that she wasn't used to long journeys. It would take about two hours to get from her house to Farish's. They had only been in the car for 30 minutes when Nidhi started feeling unwell. Due to the severe headache, she unconsciously rested her head on Farish's shoulder. The sudden contact made Farish slam on the brakes. Embarrassed and frightened, Nidhi braced herself for another scolding.

"What's your problem? Can’t you let me do anything in peace? I have an important meeting to attend. Don't you know?"Nidhi flinched at Farish's harsh words. With a trembling voice, she whispered,"I'm not used to traveling, so I have a headache.""So what do you want me to do about it? If you're feeling sick, then get out of the car. Why are you still sitting here?"

Tears welled up in Nidhi's eyes at Farish's words, and she hurried to wipe them away. Seeing her cry, Farish took off his sunglasses and said,"Every vein of a woman is filled with drama!"He got out of the car. Even after Farish stepped out, Nidhi remained seated. Seeing this, Farish walked to the front of the car and said,"Did I stop the car so you could sit here? Or to watch you sleep on my shoulder the whole way? Get out of the car, or do you plan to spend the entire journey like this?"Nidhi quickly wiped her tears and said,"I'm fine. You're running late. Let's go."

Farish raised an eyebrow at her, but seeing no further reaction from Nidhi, he left the spot, clearly annoyed. A few moments later, Farish returned with a cold bottle of water and some pickles, which he placed beside Nidhi before starting the car again. Nidhi, without looking, leaned back in her seat, trying to sleep.Suddenly, the car came to a halt, waking Nidhi up. Farish got out, opened the door, and said,"Get out. I have to go to the office. You go home."Nidhi stepped out of the car as Farish instructed and watched as he drove off to his office. She stood in front of Farish's house.

"Why are you standing there? Come inside."Hearing Farish's grandfather, Nidhi looked up at him. Seeing her forlorn face, he comforted her, saying,"He lost his mother at birth, and his father passed away a few years later, leaving my little Farish alone. He grew up without the discipline of parents, so he has a bit of a temper. Don't worry, Nidhi, he'll be fine. Just love him and hold him close. My Farish craves love. He hasn't had anyone to love him since childhood."Tears welled up in Nidhi's eyes as she replied,"I'll try to fulfill all my responsibilities."Farish's grandfather smiled and led her inside the house. Once inside, Farish's grandmother took Nidhi to her room and sat her down. She brought out a jewelry box and handed it to Nidhi, saying,"Open it and see how you like it!"Nidhi opened the box and found a pair of bangles inside. Farish's grandmother placed the bangles on Nidhi's wrists and said,"They look lovely on you."Nidhi offered a polite smile in response.

Flashback to 2019:

Nidhi met Ayant when she was in tenth grade. That was when their love story began. Everything was going smoothly for two years. One day, Ayant suddenly said,"Someone from a low-class family like yours would never be accepted by my family. So, forget about me."With that, Ayant left Nidhi that day. Nidhi cried a lot, but eventually, she hardened her heart and agreed to marry under family pressure. But today, three years later, she couldn't help but be shocked to see her ex-boyfriend again.Standing in the corner of the room, lost in thought, Nidhi was suddenly jolted back to reality by a sharp tug on her hand. She looked up to find Ayant standing in front of her, making her a bit angry."Let go of my hand. If someone sees us, it won’t look good."Ayant gave a sinister laugh at Nidhi's words."What’s going on here!"

The sudden, angry voice startled both Nidhi and Ayant. Farish was standing there, glaring at them with bloodshot eyes.

serialized fiction ...

To be continued…