The Truth You Think You Know
751 Words
The photograph trembled in Anaya’s hands.
Her eyes didn’t leave Arjun.
Waiting.
Demanding.
Breaking.
“This is your car,” she said again.
Her voice softer now.
But more dangerous.
Arjun didn’t deny it this time.
His silence said enough.
“Yes,” he said finally.
The word hit harder than anything else.
Anaya felt her chest tighten.
“So you admit it,” she whispered.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
The room felt smaller.
The air heavier.
“Then you caused it,” she said.
Her voice shaking.
Anger rising.
Pain breaking through.
Arjun’s expression hardened instantly.
“No.”
The answer came sharp.
Firm.
Certain.
Anaya froze.
“No?” she repeated.
Her brows furrowed.
“What do you mean no?”
“I was there,” he said.
“But I didn’t hit the car.”
Her mind struggled to process that.
The image in her hand.
The memory.
The file.
Everything pointed to him.
“Then who did?” she asked.
This time—
There was no hesitation.
No fear.
Only truth she needed.
Arjun looked at her.
And for the first time—
He didn’t look like the powerful man she knew.
He looked…
Tired.
Burdened.
“I was following him,” he said slowly.
“You already know that.”
Anaya stayed silent.
Listening.
“I was supposed to stop him,” he continued.
Her breath caught.
“Stop him? Why?”
Another pause.
Then—
“Because your father was about to expose something.”
The words landed heavily.
“Expose… what?”
Arjun didn’t answer directly.
“People who don’t like being exposed,” he said.
“That’s all you need to understand.”
“That’s not enough,” Anaya said immediately.
Her voice rising again.
“It is for your safety.”
“I don’t care about my safety!” she shouted.
“I care about the truth!”
Silence.
Then—
Arjun stepped closer.
His eyes locked onto hers.
“You think knowing this will help you?” he asked quietly.
“It won’t.”
“It already is,” she replied.
Her voice steady now.
Stronger.
“Because now I know you’re hiding something bigger.”
That hit.
But he didn’t deny it.
“I reached the road before the accident,” he said.
“And I left.”
Anaya’s breath stopped.
“You… left?”
The words barely came out.
“Yes.”
Her heart dropped.
“You saw the danger and you left?”
His jaw tightened.
“I didn’t know it would happen like that.”
“That’s not an answer!”
Her voice broke again.
“If you stayed—if you stopped him—maybe nothing would have happened!”
The accusation filled the room.
Heavy.
Painful.
Arjun didn’t respond immediately.
Because somewhere—
He knew she wasn’t completely wrong.
“I came back,” he said finally.
“I saw the crash. I called for help.”
“But it was already too late,” Anaya whispered.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Everything inside her felt like it was collapsing.
“You could have prevented it,” she said.
Her voice softer now.
But more painful.
Arjun didn’t argue.
Didn’t defend himself.
Because that truth—
He carried it every day.
Before either of them could speak again—
A slow clap echoed from the doorway.
Both turned.
Riya stood there.
Watching.
Amused.
“Well,” she said lightly.
“Now we’re getting closer to the truth.”
Arjun’s expression turned cold instantly.
“What are you doing here?”
“Watching the truth unfold,” she replied.
Then she looked at Anaya.
“But don’t believe everything he says.”
Anaya’s heart sank.
“What do you mean?”
Riya stepped forward slowly.
“Tell her,” she said to Arjun.
“Tell her why you left.”
Silence.
Arjun’s jaw tightened.
He didn’t speak.
Riya smiled.
Of course he wouldn’t.
So she did.
“He didn’t leave because he didn’t know,” she said calmly.
Anaya felt her breath stop.
“He left because he had to.”
Her mind raced.
“Had to?”
“Yes,” Riya said.
“Because he was already part of the deal.”
The words hit like a shock.
Anaya turned to Arjun instantly.
“Is that true?”
This time—
The silence was different.
He didn’t deny it.
Didn’t explain it.
Didn’t fix it.
And that silence—
Broke everything.
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