08-10-2025, 12:37 PM
(CHAPTER CONTD)
THAT EVENING AT GALAXY APARTMENTS
Vikram’s heartbeat quickened the moment the doorbell rang. He opened the door with a rush of excitement, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Sonarika. She stood there, radiant yet distant, her vibrant smile flickering like a memory of what once was. For a second, Vikram forgot everything — her marriage, their arguments, the distance — and saw only the woman who had once set his soul ablaze. But as she stepped inside, her eyes lingered not on him, but on the wall behind him — a mosaic of framed photos capturing a year of reckless passion, stolen nights, and unguarded moments. Sonarika’s smile faded; those images no longer mirrored who she was.
She walked toward the couch, her steps measured, controlled. Vikram followed, sensing a subtle chill in her demeanor.
"You’ve changed your hair" he said lightly, trying to bridge the silence.
Sonarika sat down, folded her hands, and replied quietly
"Vikram, we need to talk"
The name — Vikram — struck him like a cold wind. She had never called him that before, not in private, not even in anger, for her he was always Vicky. He stared at her, confused and faintly unsettled, watching her eyes, so calm, so painfully resolved.
"I went to Goa last week" she began, her voice steady, almost formal.
"There’s a new opportunity at VATIKA Botany’s R&D Center — regional manager position. I accepted it"
Vikram blinked.
"You’re moving to Goa? When?"
"In two months....after summer vacations" she said simply. He laughed softly, nervously.
"So that’s why you wanted to meet? To tell me you’re running away?"
But she shook her head.
"No, Vikram. I’m not running. I’m… healing"
Her eyes softened, but her words cut deep.
"I was diagnosed with a disorder. A very active Hypersexuality. My therapist traced it back to a head injury I had as a teenager. It… altered things in me. I didn’t know. I thought I was just passionate, full of life. But I was sick, Vikram. My desires weren’t love — they were symptoms"
Vikram’s brow furrowed.
"Sick? Sonarika, don’t do this to yourself. What we had — what we still have — it wasn’t some… disorder. It was real"
She shook her head gently.
"No, Vikram. It might've felt real, I know. But it wasn’t me. It was the part of me that was broken, that kept feeding on touch, on pleasure, on escape. You gave that sickness everything it wanted, and I mistook that for affection"
Her words trembled for a moment before regaining strength.
"I was drowning, and I thought you were my air. But you were just another wave. Just like Rocky"
He stood abruptly, walking to the wall, pointing at the photos.
"Look at these! You can’t tell me this was an illness. Look at your face, look at mine. That’s not pain — that’s love!"
Sonarika rose too, walking to the wall beside him. For a long moment, she stared at the smiling, half-clothed reflections of herself — wild, breathless, lost.
"No" she whispered.
"I don’t see love anymore. I see a woman who was making wrong decisions one after another unaware of her own sickness. Every frame…. she’s trying to feel alive through something that was killing her spirit. That’s not who I am now"
Turning back to him, she took a slow breath.
"You’re a good man, Vikram. You deserve someone who can love you completely — not someone who mistook you for her own unknown cravings. I can’t be that woman anymore. I’m not sick anymore"
Her eyes shimmered, but her lips didn’t quiver.
"For the first time in years, I feel… quiet inside. Free"
Vikram’s voice cracked.
"So that’s it? You just… end it like this? After everything?"
She nodded softly.
"Yes. Because I finally understand what love is — and this wasn’t it. Like I said before , we were both villains in Hemant's story. And now we don't have to live with that identity anymore. We can truly move on , find relief from this choices of errors."
She reached into her purse and pulled out the delicate bracelet — two small silver birds intertwined mid-flight.
"You gave me this when you said we’d always fly together" she said, placing it in his palm.
"But I think… I'll stay on the ground for now"
His fingers clenched around it, his face folding in disbelief and grief.
"Soni, please—" he whispered, but she had already turned toward the door.
At the threshold, she looked back once more — not with regret, but with gratitude.
"Don't make this hard on yourself. Try to understand the mistakes we did and turn it into life lessons. I wish you love, real love, the kind that heals, not consumes.You will find the right person in your life Vikram. Unfortunately , its not me , it can never be me!"
As she stepped out of Galaxy Apartments, the night air felt lighter, almost kind. The weight she had carried — of guilt, of craving, of confusion — lifted. For the first time, Sonarika didn’t feel broken. She felt whole. As Sonarika walked away , Vikram was completely stunned. His eyes were wet with tears as he sat on the living room looking up at the photos. Even though he saw her reasoning , he could not simply move on from her. She was imprinted in his heart now. He whispered in his mind.
"I am not giving up on us Soni. Not now , not ever!"
THE NEXT DAY
The mid-morning sun hung over the red domes of the Devi temple, its light glinting off the brass bells that swayed gently in the monsoon wind. Sonarika climbed the ancient stone steps beside her sister Anjali, each footstep echoing through the quiet courtyard. The smell of incense, sandalwood, and marigolds filled the air. This was the same temple that had once blessed Hemant with strength — the same sacred ground where Anjali had brought the Garuda ring that changed his destiny. But today, Sonarika wasn’t walking in prayer. She was walking through ashes. When she reached the sanctum, her body shivered. It wasn’t the wind — it was something else. A surge of energy ran through her veins, like the temple itself was humming with life, recognizing the storm inside her. The Devi idol glowed in a subtle flicker of gold as if watching her, measuring her. Sonarika closed her eyes, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall, but her heart was too heavy for restraint.
The Poojari, an elderly man with eyes deep as time itself, approached her with a knowing smile.
"Ah, the one who got corrupted returns to seek redemption" he said softly.
Sonarika folded her hands, forcing a smile.
"I came to thank you, Swami… for the Garuda ring you gave Anjali. It changed Hemant’s life. Built his empire. His success began here.”
The poojari’s smile faded into a knowing calm.
"Beti, you did not come here for his blessings. You came for your own redemption. The gods send no one to the temple without reason"
Her composure cracked.
"I’ve wrecked everything, Swami. My marriage… my peace. And now—" her voice trembled.
"The one I trusted most have now revealed to be my biggest nemesis. My best friend… she’s hurting me in ways I can’t even understand. I thought she was my sister in spirit. But now I see… I was her enemy all along for unknown reasons"
The poojari’s eyes gleamed with something between compassion and ancient fire.
"Sometimes, daughter, revenge is not born in the moment—it ripens through lifetimes. Revenge can be as old as the soul itself. Perhaps you are not the source of this flame of vengeance"
He walked to the sanctum, retrieved a small red thread tied around a locket engraved with Goddess Durga, and held it out with both hands.
"You have come to the right place, Sonarika. The Devi does not call those who seek comfort—she calls those chosen for war. Your perspective and resolve has been remoulded. Now your spirit must be forged"
Sonarika’s trembling fingers accepted the sacred thread.
"And this will protect me?"
"It will guide you" the poojari said, his voice suddenly deeper, echoing off the temple walls.
"Durga’s eyes will show you truth when lies surround you. Her fire will feed your will when hope abandons you. Your fury and your pain—those are not curses anymore. They are your weapons. Use them. Because now… you have nothing left to lose. That is when a woman becomes unstoppable"
The temple bells rang violently as she tied the thread around her neck. A sudden gust of wind swept through the sanctum, scattering petals, and Sonarika felt her body surge with raw strength. Her tears dried. Her heartbeat steadied. For the first time in months, she felt alive — fierce, untamed, reborn. The young girl who was once the student union leader in her college before the accident. The fierce side of her from her past merged with the new awakened one. The goddess within her had awoken. She rose, touched the poojari’s feet, and whispered.
"I understand now. My redemption begins where my fear ends"
"Go" the poojari said, blessing her forehead.
"Fight your battles with grace and elegence , you shall overcome your troubled times and finally will achieve peace. May Durga give you the strength to emerge victorious"
As Sonarika turned and walked away beside Anjali, her eyes blazed with new purpose. The woman who had entered broken was gone. What walked out was something elemental — a cosmic presence in human form, silent yet dangerous, ready to face whatever darkness awaited her. The poojari watched her silhouette fade down the temple steps, the wind tugging at his saffron robes. The divine calm on his face softened into sorrow. Under his breath, he murmured,
"I hope you find your peace Beti Sonarika........before your time in this mortal world ends!!!!"
And in the heart of the sanctum, the idol of Durga shimmered faintly.
Vikram’s heartbeat quickened the moment the doorbell rang. He opened the door with a rush of excitement, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Sonarika. She stood there, radiant yet distant, her vibrant smile flickering like a memory of what once was. For a second, Vikram forgot everything — her marriage, their arguments, the distance — and saw only the woman who had once set his soul ablaze. But as she stepped inside, her eyes lingered not on him, but on the wall behind him — a mosaic of framed photos capturing a year of reckless passion, stolen nights, and unguarded moments. Sonarika’s smile faded; those images no longer mirrored who she was.
She walked toward the couch, her steps measured, controlled. Vikram followed, sensing a subtle chill in her demeanor.
"You’ve changed your hair" he said lightly, trying to bridge the silence.
Sonarika sat down, folded her hands, and replied quietly
"Vikram, we need to talk"
The name — Vikram — struck him like a cold wind. She had never called him that before, not in private, not even in anger, for her he was always Vicky. He stared at her, confused and faintly unsettled, watching her eyes, so calm, so painfully resolved.
"I went to Goa last week" she began, her voice steady, almost formal.
"There’s a new opportunity at VATIKA Botany’s R&D Center — regional manager position. I accepted it"
Vikram blinked.
"You’re moving to Goa? When?"
"In two months....after summer vacations" she said simply. He laughed softly, nervously.
"So that’s why you wanted to meet? To tell me you’re running away?"
But she shook her head.
"No, Vikram. I’m not running. I’m… healing"
Her eyes softened, but her words cut deep.
"I was diagnosed with a disorder. A very active Hypersexuality. My therapist traced it back to a head injury I had as a teenager. It… altered things in me. I didn’t know. I thought I was just passionate, full of life. But I was sick, Vikram. My desires weren’t love — they were symptoms"
Vikram’s brow furrowed.
"Sick? Sonarika, don’t do this to yourself. What we had — what we still have — it wasn’t some… disorder. It was real"
She shook her head gently.
"No, Vikram. It might've felt real, I know. But it wasn’t me. It was the part of me that was broken, that kept feeding on touch, on pleasure, on escape. You gave that sickness everything it wanted, and I mistook that for affection"
Her words trembled for a moment before regaining strength.
"I was drowning, and I thought you were my air. But you were just another wave. Just like Rocky"
He stood abruptly, walking to the wall, pointing at the photos.
"Look at these! You can’t tell me this was an illness. Look at your face, look at mine. That’s not pain — that’s love!"
Sonarika rose too, walking to the wall beside him. For a long moment, she stared at the smiling, half-clothed reflections of herself — wild, breathless, lost.
"No" she whispered.
"I don’t see love anymore. I see a woman who was making wrong decisions one after another unaware of her own sickness. Every frame…. she’s trying to feel alive through something that was killing her spirit. That’s not who I am now"
Turning back to him, she took a slow breath.
"You’re a good man, Vikram. You deserve someone who can love you completely — not someone who mistook you for her own unknown cravings. I can’t be that woman anymore. I’m not sick anymore"
Her eyes shimmered, but her lips didn’t quiver.
"For the first time in years, I feel… quiet inside. Free"
Vikram’s voice cracked.
"So that’s it? You just… end it like this? After everything?"
She nodded softly.
"Yes. Because I finally understand what love is — and this wasn’t it. Like I said before , we were both villains in Hemant's story. And now we don't have to live with that identity anymore. We can truly move on , find relief from this choices of errors."
She reached into her purse and pulled out the delicate bracelet — two small silver birds intertwined mid-flight.
"You gave me this when you said we’d always fly together" she said, placing it in his palm.
"But I think… I'll stay on the ground for now"
His fingers clenched around it, his face folding in disbelief and grief.
"Soni, please—" he whispered, but she had already turned toward the door.
At the threshold, she looked back once more — not with regret, but with gratitude.
"Don't make this hard on yourself. Try to understand the mistakes we did and turn it into life lessons. I wish you love, real love, the kind that heals, not consumes.You will find the right person in your life Vikram. Unfortunately , its not me , it can never be me!"
As she stepped out of Galaxy Apartments, the night air felt lighter, almost kind. The weight she had carried — of guilt, of craving, of confusion — lifted. For the first time, Sonarika didn’t feel broken. She felt whole. As Sonarika walked away , Vikram was completely stunned. His eyes were wet with tears as he sat on the living room looking up at the photos. Even though he saw her reasoning , he could not simply move on from her. She was imprinted in his heart now. He whispered in his mind.
"I am not giving up on us Soni. Not now , not ever!"
THE NEXT DAY
The mid-morning sun hung over the red domes of the Devi temple, its light glinting off the brass bells that swayed gently in the monsoon wind. Sonarika climbed the ancient stone steps beside her sister Anjali, each footstep echoing through the quiet courtyard. The smell of incense, sandalwood, and marigolds filled the air. This was the same temple that had once blessed Hemant with strength — the same sacred ground where Anjali had brought the Garuda ring that changed his destiny. But today, Sonarika wasn’t walking in prayer. She was walking through ashes. When she reached the sanctum, her body shivered. It wasn’t the wind — it was something else. A surge of energy ran through her veins, like the temple itself was humming with life, recognizing the storm inside her. The Devi idol glowed in a subtle flicker of gold as if watching her, measuring her. Sonarika closed her eyes, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall, but her heart was too heavy for restraint.
The Poojari, an elderly man with eyes deep as time itself, approached her with a knowing smile.
"Ah, the one who got corrupted returns to seek redemption" he said softly.
Sonarika folded her hands, forcing a smile.
"I came to thank you, Swami… for the Garuda ring you gave Anjali. It changed Hemant’s life. Built his empire. His success began here.”
The poojari’s smile faded into a knowing calm.
"Beti, you did not come here for his blessings. You came for your own redemption. The gods send no one to the temple without reason"
Her composure cracked.
"I’ve wrecked everything, Swami. My marriage… my peace. And now—" her voice trembled.
"The one I trusted most have now revealed to be my biggest nemesis. My best friend… she’s hurting me in ways I can’t even understand. I thought she was my sister in spirit. But now I see… I was her enemy all along for unknown reasons"
The poojari’s eyes gleamed with something between compassion and ancient fire.
"Sometimes, daughter, revenge is not born in the moment—it ripens through lifetimes. Revenge can be as old as the soul itself. Perhaps you are not the source of this flame of vengeance"
He walked to the sanctum, retrieved a small red thread tied around a locket engraved with Goddess Durga, and held it out with both hands.
"You have come to the right place, Sonarika. The Devi does not call those who seek comfort—she calls those chosen for war. Your perspective and resolve has been remoulded. Now your spirit must be forged"
Sonarika’s trembling fingers accepted the sacred thread.
"And this will protect me?"
"It will guide you" the poojari said, his voice suddenly deeper, echoing off the temple walls.
"Durga’s eyes will show you truth when lies surround you. Her fire will feed your will when hope abandons you. Your fury and your pain—those are not curses anymore. They are your weapons. Use them. Because now… you have nothing left to lose. That is when a woman becomes unstoppable"
The temple bells rang violently as she tied the thread around her neck. A sudden gust of wind swept through the sanctum, scattering petals, and Sonarika felt her body surge with raw strength. Her tears dried. Her heartbeat steadied. For the first time in months, she felt alive — fierce, untamed, reborn. The young girl who was once the student union leader in her college before the accident. The fierce side of her from her past merged with the new awakened one. The goddess within her had awoken. She rose, touched the poojari’s feet, and whispered.
"I understand now. My redemption begins where my fear ends"
"Go" the poojari said, blessing her forehead.
"Fight your battles with grace and elegence , you shall overcome your troubled times and finally will achieve peace. May Durga give you the strength to emerge victorious"
As Sonarika turned and walked away beside Anjali, her eyes blazed with new purpose. The woman who had entered broken was gone. What walked out was something elemental — a cosmic presence in human form, silent yet dangerous, ready to face whatever darkness awaited her. The poojari watched her silhouette fade down the temple steps, the wind tugging at his saffron robes. The divine calm on his face softened into sorrow. Under his breath, he murmured,
"I hope you find your peace Beti Sonarika........before your time in this mortal world ends!!!!"
And in the heart of the sanctum, the idol of Durga shimmered faintly.
Proclaiming her battles have just begun , and her salvation will come.
END OF CHAPTER 25
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