Part 4
Munni watched quietly as Ritik led her to the large kitchen sink. He turned on the tap and gently ran cool water over the back of her hand, where the hot tea had spilled.
She winced slightly as the coolness hit, but it eased the burning.
Ritik was careful, his touch light but steady, making sure the water flowed over the reddened skin. After a moment, he reached for a towel and softly patted her hand dry.
Munni’s eyes wandered around the kitchen.
How many hours had she spent here?
Cooking with Tulsi Maalkini.
Hearing people call out to her.
Ritik standing beside her, patiently helping her with English words, laughing when she got them wrong.
“Aao,” Ritik said softly.
He guided her toward the large dining table and pulled out a chair.
“Baitho. Main burn gel leke aata hoon.”
He disappeared behind the counter. Munni could hear cabinets opening and closing.
She looked down at her hand.
Then around the kitchen.
And suddenly—
She realized where she was.
Just a few feet away from the spot where Ritik had broken her heart.
Where he had insulted her.
Where he had reminded her of her place.
The courage she had built up before coming here… began to slip.
She had planned to tell him everything today.
But now—
She wasn’t sure she could.
Even after his apology… the memory still hurt.
And she knew she wasn’t entirely innocent either.
She had hidden behind another identity. Lied. Stood him up. Hurt him in ways he never fully understood.
But still—
That day had broken something inside her.
She took a slow breath, steadying herself.
Ritik returned.
He bent slightly, gently taking her hand again.
“Sorry… thoda jalega,” he said as he applied the burn gel.
Munni nodded faintly.
When he finished, he looked up.
And froze.
He saw it.
In her eyes.
The memory.
The place.
The past.
For a moment, the kitchen blurred.
And all he could see was that day from six years ago.
Munni standing here—hopeful, nervous, brave.
And him—
“Tu khud ko dekh, Munni. Tu maid hai iss ghar ki.”
“Itna bura dikhta hoon main? Itna desperate lagta hoon, ki main ek maid ke saath apni life settle karunga?”
His chest tightened.
How easily he had said it.
How deeply it must have hurt her.
His fingers loosened slightly around her hand.
Six years.
Six years of her absence.
Six years of wrong choices.
Six years of becoming someone he didn’t even recognize.
A marriage that meant nothing.
A life that felt hollow.
And a regret he had buried too deep to face.
And now—
She was here.
Still kind. Still steady.
Still… her.
And still looking at him—not with anger—
But restraint.
That broke him more than anger ever could.
Something inside him shifted.
Not suddenly.
But finally.
If he stayed silent now—
He would lose her again.
And this time, it would be his fault.
Again.
No.
Not this time.
“Mujhe nahi pata ki yeh sahi hai ya galat,” Ritik said, his voice unsteady, breath uneven. “Lekin main aur nahi ruk sakta…”
“I love you, Munni. Main tumse pyar karta hoon.”
The words came out fast now, like he couldn’t hold them back anymore.
“Jaanta hoon yeh sab tumhe ajeeb lagega… chhe saal pehle maine hi tumhe hurt kiya tha, tumhari feelings ke liye. Woh feelings… jo main samajh hi nahi paaya. Maine tumhe status se tol diya… shayad mujhe hi akal nahi thi, samajh nahi tha ki pyaar kya hota hai.”
A brief pause, then softer—
“Tum meri sabse achi dost thi. Maine dil ki har baat tumse share ki… lekin jab tumne apne dil ki baat batayi… main accept nahi kar paaya. Aur maine pata nahi kya kya keh diya tumhe…”
He shook his head.
“I’m sorry. Bohut zyada.”
“Tumhare jaane ke baad… itna kuch hua. Main numb ho gaya. Ek ke baad ek galat decisions leta gaya. Business join kiya… Mitali se shaadi ki…”
A pause. A breath.
“Lekin jabse tumse phir mila hoon na… aisa lag raha hai jaise main wapas khud se mil gaya hoon.”
His eyes stayed locked on hers.
“Main jaanta hoon main tumhe deserve nahi karta… lekin main koshish toh kar sakta hoon.”
A small, helpless smile.
“Is baar… main tumhe khona nahi chahta.”
Silence settled between them.
Munni looked at him quietly, her eyes soft but searching.
For a moment, she said nothing.
“Pata hai… sab yaad hai mujhe,” she said slowly. “Aapke woh shabd bhi… aur uske baad ka sab kuch bhi.”
A small pause.
“Dard hua tha… bohut zyada.”
Her voice didn’t break—but it carried everything.
“Par main bhi galat thi, Ritik. Maine bhi jhoot bola… chupaya… aapko hurt kiya.”
She took a small step closer.
“Bas farq itna tha… aapne uss waqt keh diya… aur maine kabhi kaha hi nahi.”
A faint, almost shy smile.
“Par jo feel kiya tha… woh kabhi badla nahi.”
She looked straight into his eyes.
“Main bhi aapse pyar karti hoon.”
Ritik blinked, his mind struggling to process the words.
“…Wait… what?” His voice was barely a whisper, caught somewhere between disbelief and joy.
Her smile was soft, steady, unwavering. And slowly, reality seeped in.
His chest tightened. His heart was racing like it hadn’t in years.
For a moment, he just stared—unable to move, unable to speak. Shock. Surprise. Relief. All at once.
Then, almost instinctively, he dropped to his knees, arms wide.
“Ritik, kya kar rahe ho?” she asked, startled.
He looked up at her, eyes shining. “Jo shayad… chhe saal pehle karna chahiye tha,” he said, voice trembling. “I love you, Munni. Aur main apni life tumhare saath bitana chahta hoon.”
He lifted her hand and gently kissed it.
Munni smiled.
It felt like the last six years had dissolved.
They had both been wrong.
They had both grown.
And somehow—
They had found their way back.
“Ritik, please khade ho jaiye… koi dekh lega,” she said softly.
He stood—and without hesitation, pulled her into a hug.
And for both of them—
It felt like coming home.
“Ahem.”
They froze.
Tulsi stood at the doorway, watching them.
A very different scene from six years ago.
Ritik and Munni quickly stepped apart.
Munni’s cheeks flushed red.
Ritik just stood there grinning.
“Lagta hai finally akal aa gayi tujhe,” Tulsi said.
Ritik smiled.
Tulsi walked to Munni and held her hands gently.
“Ab se tum mujhe Maa kahogi.”
Munni’s eyes filled as she hugged her.
Ritik wrapped his arms around both of them.
The two people who meant the most to him.
Edited by SaHi_Fan - a day ago