TARA
Saturday came faster than Tara expected.
The entire morning, she had been restless.
Not because of the family dinner.
Because of what Ranveer had said.
Don't expect anything from Saturday.
She had replayed those words more times than she wanted to admit.
Still, she refused to let herself believe there was anything wrong.
Maybe he was simply being cautious.
Maybe he knew his family could be difficult.
Maybe he didn't want her to expect some grand announcement.
But Tara's heart had already started creating possibilities.
She stood in front of her wardrobe for nearly twenty minutes before finally choosing a simple wine-coloured suit.
Nothing extravagant.
Something elegant.
Something Ranveer liked.
She picked up a pair of earrings, then put them back.
Too much.
She chose smaller ones.
Then she stared at herself in the mirror.
“Tum pagal ho, Tara.”
“Tum pagal ho, Tara.”
You're crazy, Tara.
She smiled at her reflection.
Maybe she was.
But she had been crazy about the same man for ten years.
Five years of being with him.
And somehow, she still felt like that eighteen-year-old girl who had first looked at Ranveer and thought—
One day, I'm going to love this man.
She didn't know that she had already loved him far more than she should have.
---
At seven thirty, Tara arrived at the Raizada mansion.
She stepped out of the car and looked at the enormous house.
She had been here countless times.
Yet every time, something inside her tightened.
This wasn't her home.
She knew that.
But for five years, she had pretended it could become one.
She walked inside.
The familiar staff greeted her.
“Good evening, Tara ma'am.”
“Good evening.”
She smiled.
Then she heard laughter coming from the living room.
Ranveer's family.
His friends.
Everyone.
Tara took a breath and walked inside.
Her eyes immediately found him.
Ranveer was standing near the bar, dressed in a charcoal-grey suit.
He looked impossibly handsome.
As always.
His eyes found hers.
For a moment, his expression softened.
Tara smiled.
He gave her the smallest nod.
Nothing more.
Still, she felt warm.
She walked toward him.
“Late ho?”
Are you late?
He glanced at his watch.
“No.”
She smiled.
“Good.”
She stood beside him.
One of his friends, Arjun, immediately laughed.
“Dekho bhai, personal secretary bhi aa gayi.”
“Look, brother, even the personal secretary has arrived.
Everyone laughed.
Tara smiled along.
She was used to it.
Another friend, Kabir, raised his glass.
“Secretary sirf office mein hoti hai ya bedroom mein bhi?”
“
Is she only your secretary in the office, or in the bedroom too?
The laughter became louder.
Tara's cheeks burned.
She looked at Ranveer.
Just for a second.
He didn't laugh.
But he didn't say anything either.
Tara forced a smile.
“Tum log kabhi mature nahi ho sakte?”
“Can you people ever grow up?
Arjun laughed.
“Arre, hum toh mazaak kar rahe hain.”
We're only joking.
Tara nodded.
“Haan, pata hai.”
Yes, I know.
Ranveer looked at her.
Something about her smile bothered him.
It looked too practiced.
But before he could say anything, his mother entered the room.
“Tara.”
Her tone wasn't warm.
Tara immediately straightened.
“Good evening, aunty.”
Ranveer's mother gave her a brief nod.
“Everyone is waiting for dinner.”
Tara smiled.
“Ji.”
“Ji.”
Yes.
She followed them toward the dining room.
---
RANVEER
Ranveer watched Tara walk ahead.
He hated these evenings.
Not because of his family.
He had long ago learned to ignore their opinions.
But Tara...
She cared.
She pretended she didn't.
But she did.
He could see it.
Every time someone made a comment, her fingers tightened around her dupatta.
Every time his mother spoke coldly, Tara's smile became smaller.
Every time someone joked about their relationship, Tara glanced at him.
Waiting.
Always waiting
For him to say something.
Ranveer looked away
He knew what everyone thought.
They believed Tara had attached herself to him because of her father's accident.
They believed she had deliberately entered his life.
They believed she wanted his money.
His status
His name.
And perhaps the worst part was that Tara had never defended herself.
She had simply kept trying to prove them wrong.
For five years.
He wondered why.
Why did she need their approval so badly?
Why didn't she simply leave?
The answer was obvious.
Because she loved him.
Ranveer's jaw tightened.
Love was becoming an inconvenient word.
---
TARA
Dinner began pleasantly enough.
At least, Tara tried to convince herself it did.
She sat two seats away from Ranveer.
His mother sat at the head of the table.
His sister, Rhea, sat beside her.
Rhea looked at Tara.
“So, Tara, abhi bhi Ranveer ke saath hi ho?”
So, Tara, you're still with Ranveer?
Tara smiled.
“Haan.”
“Haan.”
Yes.
Rhea laughed softly.
“Interesting.”
Tara frowned.
“What?”
Rhea shrugged.
“Bas aise hi.”
Just like that.
Tara looked at Ranveer.
He was eating quietly.
She looked away.
A few minutes later, his aunt joined the conversation.
“Beta, tum dono ko paanch saal ho gaye na?”
“Beta, tum dono ko paanch saal ho gaye na?”
Dear, you two have been together for five years, right?
Tara smiled.
“Ji.”
“Ji.”
Yes.
“So marriage kab?”
Everyone looked at Ranveer.
Then Tara.
Her heart skipped.
This was the question everyone asked.
She smiled.
“Jaldi.”
“Jaldi.”
Soon.
Laughter filled the room.
Someone clapped.
“Bas yehi jaldi paanch saal se chal rahi hai!”
“Bas yehi jaldi paanch saal se chal rahi hai!”
This same ‘soon’ has been going on for five years!
Everyone laughed again.
Tara laughed too.
But this time, she looked at Ranveer.
He remained silent.
Her smile faltered.
Only slightly.
But enough for him to notice.
He put his spoon down.
“Can we talk about something else?”
The table became quiet for a second.
Tara looked at him.
Was that his way of protecting her?
Maybe.
She smiled again.
And told herself not to overthink.
---
Dinner continued.
Then came dessert.
Tara was helping the maid clear the plates when Ranveer's younger cousin, Neil, walked past.
He whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Waise Tara, tum toh family member ho hi gayi ho. Bas surname change hona baaki hai.”
“Waise Tara, tum toh family member ho hi gayi ho. Bas surname change hona baaki hai.”
By the way, Tara, you've practically become a family member. Only your surname needs to change now.
Everyone laughed.
Tara's heart warmed.
Maybe...
Maybe this was finally happening.
Maybe his was what Ranveer meant.
She looked at him.
Ranveer's face was unreadable.
Then his mother spoke.
“Family member?”
The room went silent
Tara's smile froze.
His mother looked directly at her
“Don't misunderstand things, Neil.
Tara swallowed
Rhea looked down.
Nobody said anything.
Tara felt the warmth leave her face.
She looked at Ranveer.
He was standing near the window.
He heard every word
He knew exactly what was happening.
And yet...
he remained silent.
Tara waited.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Surely he would say something.
Surely.
Ranveer looked at her.
Their eyes met.
And Tara saw something she couldn't understand.
Guilt.
Not anger.
Not embarrassment.
Guilt.
She forced herself to smile.
“It's okay.
“It's okay.”
It's okay
His mother continued.
“Tara, don't take everything so seriously.”
Tara nodded.
“Main serious nahi hoon.”
“Main serious nahi hoon.”
I'm not being serious.
She laughed softly.
Nobody laughed with her.
She looked down
Something had shifted.
She could feel it.
---
RANVEER
He wanted to speak.
He genuinely did.
He wanted to tell his mother to stop.
He wanted to tell everyone that Tara wasn't some outsider who had forced her way into his life.
He wanted to say that whatever existed between them was his responsibility too.
But he didn't.
Why
Because he had already decided.
Because he knew he was going to end things.
Because defending her tonight would make everything more complicated.
Because he thought silence would be easier.
He was wrong.
He just didn't know how wrong yet.
---
TARA POV'S
At eleven, Tara finally left.
Ranveer followed her outside.
She stood near her car.
“You're leaving?”
She turned.
“It's late.”
“You could stay.”
Her heart fluttered.
“Tum chahte ho?”
“Tum chahte ho?”
Do you want me to?
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
She smiled
“Then I'll stay.”
Ranveer stared at her.
That was Tara.
Always ready.
Always willing.
Always waiting for one word from him.
He suddenly felt tired.
“Tara.”
“Haan?”
“Haan?”
Yes?
“I think you should go home tonight.”
Her smile disappeared.
“Why?”
“Just... go home.”
She stared at him.
“Sab theek hai?”
“Sab theek hai?”
Is everything okay?
“Yeah.”
“Sure?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded.
“Okay.”
She opened the car door.
Then paused.
She looked at him.
“Ranveer?”
“Hmm?”
“I didn't embarrass you tonight, right?”
His chest tightened.
“What?”
She smiled nervously.
“Tumhari family ke saamne.”
“Tumhari family ke saamne.”
In front of your family.
He stared at her.
“No.”
“Good.”
She smiled.
Then she got inside.
Ranveer watched her car disappear.
He stood there for a long time.
And somewhere inside him, something whispered:
You did embarrass her.
Not because she had done anything wrong.
But because you stood there while others made her feel like she didn't belong.
---
TARA
On the drive home, Tara didn't cry.
She didn't even feel like crying.
She simply stared out of the window.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Ranveer.
Reached home?
She stared at it.
Then smiled.
Of course.
He cared.
He always cared.
She typed:
Yes.
Then deleted it.
Typed again.
Haan, ghar pahunch gayi. Tum tension mat lo.
“Haan, ghar pahunch gayi. Tum tension mat lo.”
Yes, I've reached home. Don't worry.
She sent it.
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
No reply.
Tara placed the phone aside.
When she reached home, she went directly to her room.
She changed.
Removed her earrings.
Opened her drawer.
And took out Diary Seven.
She sat on the bed.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at the blank page.
Then she wrote:
Saturday
His family still doesn't accept me.
She stopped.
Her pen hovered.
Then she wrote:
But Ranveer asked if I reached home safely.
She smiled.
She added:
He cares.
Another pause.
Then :
He must.
She closed the diary.
She didn't notice that one tear had fallen onto the page.
And she didn't know that somewhere across the city, Ranveer was sitting alone in his dark bedroom, staring at his phone.
At the message she had sent.
At the woman who had spent five years making excuses for his silence.
And for the first time...
he wondered whether he had mistaken Tara's patience for permission to hurt her.
---
Author's Note ❤️
Thank you for reading Chapter 2! 🥺
Tara is still holding onto hope, while Ranveer is slowly realizing the weight of his silence.
Keep reading, because sometimes the smallest silence becomes the loudest heartbreak. ❤️
Aarzoosheikh119
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