Chapter 91

Shanaya felt trapped, as if her body had become immobile and her voice had deserted her. Dhruv's attempt to approach her with reassurance only elicited a groan of despair from her. She was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, unable to find a way to express herself.

"Please, give my parents a chance to explain themselves. You deserve to hear our side of the story," Dhruv pleaded, his voice filled with gentleness. "I wish I had the courage to tell you earlier, but I couldn't... because I knew how much you loved and respected your father."

Shanaya struggled to find the right words, her voice trailing off as she weakly raised a finger towards Dhruv, only to let it drop as tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't," she finally managed to utter.

Without hesitation, Dhruv closed the distance between them, gently placing a hand on her cheek. Shanaya instinctively leaned into his touch, though at the back of her mind, the fear of being discovered by someone, especially his mother who was watchin