17-09-2026, 09:22 PM
Chapter -23
The Hidden Truth
The following evening, Mohan and Padma stood together on their apartment balcony.
The city lights stretched across the buildings opposite them. Padma rested her hands on the railing, unusually quiet.
? Mohan: “You seem worried.”
Padma looked at him.
? Padma: “Mohan… do you trust me?”
He was surprised by the question.
? Mohan: “Of course I do. Why are you asking?”
Padma looked away.
? Padma: “Sometimes I feel like you’re hiding something from me.”
Mohan became quiet.
? Mohan: “What makes you think that?”
? Padma: “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a feeling.”
She turned toward him.
? Padma: “I don’t want us to become strangers while living in the same house.”
Mohan gently took her hand.
? Mohan: “We’re not strangers, Padma.”
She leaned against him.
For a moment, the tension disappeared.
Then Mohan’s phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
A message from Rajan.
? Rajan (message): “Now she knows I exist.”
Mohan stared at the message.
Another one appeared.
? Rajan (message): “But she still doesn’t know everything.”
Mohan immediately locked the phone.
Padma noticed his expression.
? Padma: “Who was it?”
Mohan hesitated.
? Mohan: “Rajan.”
Padma’s face changed.
? Padma: “What did he say?”
Mohan didn’t answer immediately.
? Padma: “Mohan?”
He finally looked at her.
? Mohan: “He said you still don’t know everything.”
Padma slowly pulled her hand away.
? Padma: “Everything about what?”
Mohan had no answer.
The silence between them returned.
Then Padma’s phone vibrated.
She looked at it.
? Rajan (message): “Ask your husband what he hasn’t told you.”
Padma stared at the words.
She didn’t reply.
Instead, she looked directly at Mohan.
? Padma: “What haven’t you told me?”
Mohan stood frozen.
For the first time, he understood that Rajan wasn’t simply trying to get close to Padma.
He was trying to turn husband and wife against the secrets they had kept from each other.
And Padma’s question had opened a door that neither of them knew how to close.
The Hidden Truth
The following evening, Mohan and Padma stood together on their apartment balcony.
The city lights stretched across the buildings opposite them. Padma rested her hands on the railing, unusually quiet.
? Mohan: “You seem worried.”
Padma looked at him.
? Padma: “Mohan… do you trust me?”
He was surprised by the question.
? Mohan: “Of course I do. Why are you asking?”
Padma looked away.
? Padma: “Sometimes I feel like you’re hiding something from me.”
Mohan became quiet.
? Mohan: “What makes you think that?”
? Padma: “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a feeling.”
She turned toward him.
? Padma: “I don’t want us to become strangers while living in the same house.”
Mohan gently took her hand.
? Mohan: “We’re not strangers, Padma.”
She leaned against him.
For a moment, the tension disappeared.
Then Mohan’s phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
A message from Rajan.
? Rajan (message): “Now she knows I exist.”
Mohan stared at the message.
Another one appeared.
? Rajan (message): “But she still doesn’t know everything.”
Mohan immediately locked the phone.
Padma noticed his expression.
? Padma: “Who was it?”
Mohan hesitated.
? Mohan: “Rajan.”
Padma’s face changed.
? Padma: “What did he say?”
Mohan didn’t answer immediately.
? Padma: “Mohan?”
He finally looked at her.
? Mohan: “He said you still don’t know everything.”
Padma slowly pulled her hand away.
? Padma: “Everything about what?”
Mohan had no answer.
The silence between them returned.
Then Padma’s phone vibrated.
She looked at it.
? Rajan (message): “Ask your husband what he hasn’t told you.”
Padma stared at the words.
She didn’t reply.
Instead, she looked directly at Mohan.
? Padma: “What haven’t you told me?”
Mohan stood frozen.
For the first time, he understood that Rajan wasn’t simply trying to get close to Padma.
He was trying to turn husband and wife against the secrets they had kept from each other.
And Padma’s question had opened a door that neither of them knew how to close.
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