Before You Forget Me

The Trap She Never Saw

Jaipur.

Everything looked the same.

But nothing was.

—

The days after college ended felt… strange.

Not empty.

Not sad.

Just different.

—

“Ab kya karegi tu?” Ruhi asked, lying on Ivara’s bed.

“Job… ya higher studies?”

Ivara stared at the ceiling.

“Pata nahi…”

Paras leaned against the wall.

“Parth ke saath London chali ja,” he teased.

Ivara smiled slightly.

“Pagal hai kya?”

—

But the idea…

didn’t feel wrong.

—

Her phone buzzed.

Parth calling.

She picked up instantly.

“Hello?”

“Miss me?” his voice came.

Soft.

Familiar.

Her lips curved.

“Thoda sa.”

“Bas thoda?” he laughed.

“Zyada mat expect kar.”

—

“Kal mil sakte hain?” he asked.

She paused.

Then nodded.

“Haan.”

—

Simple.

Easy.

Just like always.

—

But that night—

something changed.

—

“Ivara,” her father called.

“Room me aao.”

—

She walked in.

Slightly confused.

“Kya hua, Papa?”

—

He looked tired.

Unusually quiet.

—

“I didn’t want to tell you this…”

Her heart dropped instantly.

“Kya?”

—

He sighed deeply.

“Business me problem chal rahi hai.”

Her brows furrowed.

“Kaisi problem?”

—

A pause.

“We’re in loss.”

—

The words hit.

Unexpected.

“Kitna?”

—

“Zyada,” he said.

“And it’s getting worse.”

—

Her chest tightened.

“Matlab?”

—

He looked at her.

Calm.

But heavy.

“Everything is at risk.”

—

Silence filled the room.

—

Her mind started racing.

“No… aisa kaise—”

“I tried everything,” he said.

“But nothing worked.”

—

Her hands clenched slightly.

“What can we do?”

—

That was the moment.

He had been waiting for.

—

“There is one way.”

—

She looked up instantly.

“Kya?”

—

He hesitated.

Just enough.

“Singhania family.”

—

Her eyes narrowed.

“Kaun?”

—

“Strong business group,” he said.

“They’re willing to help.”

—

A pause.

And then—

the truth.

Half-truth.

—

“In return…”

He looked at her.

“…they want a relationship.”

—

Her breath stopped.

“Relationship?”

—

“Marriage,” he said softly.

“Pearl Singhania.”

—

Everything went silent.

—

“No,” she whispered.

Her head shaking instantly.

“I can’t—”

—

“I’m not forcing you,” he said quickly.

His tone soft.

Almost broken.

“I’ll manage somehow.”

—

A pause.

“And if we lose everything…”

He looked away.

“…that’s fine.”

—

That line.

That one line.

—

Broke her.

—

“Papa…”

Her voice trembled.

—

“Ivara, tension mat lo,” he added.

“I’ll handle it.”

—

But his voice—

was weak.

Helpless.

—

And that was enough.

—

Her eyes filled.

Because now—

this wasn’t about love.

—

It was about family.

—

She looked down.

Her mind screaming.

Her heart fighting.

—

Parth.

Her father.

Her home.

—

Everything collided.

—

And slowly—

she whispered—

“Theek hai…”

—

He looked up.

—

“I’ll do it.”

—

Silence.

—

He didn’t react.

Didn’t show anything.

—

But inside—

the plan was complete.

—

Outside the room—

Arohi stood still.

Her eyes filled.

Because she knew.

—

There was no loss.

No debt.

—

This was all planned.

—

To separate them.

—

Inside—

Ivara sat alone.

Her phone in her hand.

Parth’s name glowing again.

—

She stared at it.

Long.

Quiet.

—

Then slowly—

she turned the phone off.

—

Because for the first time—

she chose silence.

—

And that silence—

was about to destroy everything.