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**Chapter 20: The Breaking Point**
The following days passed in a haze, marked by long silences and fleeting conversations. Aanya couldn't remember the last time she and Arjun had shared a moment of pure joy. The apartment that had once felt like a sanctuary now felt like a battleground, with unspoken words lingering between them like an ever-growing distance.
Aanya had taken to leaving early in the morning and coming back late, avoiding Arjun as much as she could. She was consumed by the question of what to do with her life, with her marriage.
The MBA prep classes she had been attending in secret were now the only thing that gave her a sense of purpose. But the more she immersed herself in her studies, the more she felt like she was losing touch with everything else—her relationship with Arjun, her own identity.
One evening, as she sat at the kitchen table, reading through a financial analysis report, the sound of the front door opening broke her concentration. It was Arjun. He had returned earlier than expected.
She looked up briefly, only to find him standing by the door, a look of uncertainty on his face.
"I thought you'd be at the office longer," she said, trying to sound indifferent.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward her, his footsteps heavy.
"I need to talk to you, Aanya," he said, his voice low, almost pleading.
Aanya felt a pang in her chest at the vulnerability in his tone. She wanted to tell him to stop. To just leave her alone. But instead, she set down the report and gave him a half-hearted nod.
"Alright," she said quietly, her eyes not meeting his.
Arjun sat down across from her, his hands clenched in his lap. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said the other night... about needing space."
Aanya didn't respond. The weight of her own thoughts felt too heavy to say anything. She wanted to tell him that it was more than just space—it was about freedom. About rediscovering herself. But the words didn't come.
Arjun sighed. "I don't know what's happening between us, but I can feel you slipping away. I feel like I'm losing you, and I don't know how to stop it."
Aanya finally looked at him. His eyes were dark with fear, fear she had never seen before. He wasn't just angry or possessive anymore. He was scared.
"I'm not leaving you, Arjun," she said, her voice soft. "I'm just... trying to figure things out. I don't know who I am anymore. I don't know what I want."
"I don't want to lose you," he repeated, his voice cracking. "Please, Aanya. I'm sorry for everything. I've been overbearing, and I don't want to hurt you anymore."
Aanya could feel the walls she had built around herself beginning to crumble. Arjun's remorse was genuine, and for a moment, she almost wanted to believe that things could go back to the way they were.
But she couldn't ignore the truth. She couldn't ignore how trapped she felt, how distant they had become. The person she once was—the confident, driven woman who had big dreams and aspirations—felt like a shadow of herself.
"I don't want to hurt you either," she said, her voice shaking. "But I don't know how to fix this. I need time, Arjun. I need time to figure out who I am, what I want. I can't keep pretending that everything is okay when it's not."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. Aanya's heart ached as she watched him struggle with her words, his face a mix of confusion and despair.
Finally, Arjun spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you want a divorce?"
The question hit her like a physical blow. The word *divorce* hung in the air, far heavier than anything she had expected.
Aanya froze. The thought of leaving Arjun—of walking away from everything they had built together—was terrifying. But staying in this suffocating marriage, pretending that things could be fixed when she didn't even know who she was anymore, was equally terrifying.
"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know what I want."
She stood up abruptly, pacing around the kitchen. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, spinning faster than she could catch them.
Arjun stayed seated at the table, watching her, his hands trembling. He didn't know what to say anymore. He had tried everything—apologizing, explaining, begging. But it was never enough.
Aanya turned back to face him. "I don't want to make any rash decisions. I just... need time to think. I need to be alone for a while. And you need to decide what you want too."
Arjun's jaw tightened, but he nodded slowly. "Alright," he said, his voice quiet. "I'll give you space. But don't shut me out completely, Aanya. I can't lose you."
Aanya could feel the knot in her chest tighten, but she didn't know how to reassure him. "I'm not trying to shut you out. I just need to figure this out for myself."
***
The next few days were tense and filled with silence. Arjun respected her request for space, but it only made things worse. The distance between them was palpable—almost suffocating.
Aanya spent her time at the library, at coffee shops, anywhere she could escape the oppressive silence of the apartment. She thought about calling Rhea, but the truth was, she didn't have the words. She wasn't sure what she was going through anymore.
Late one evening, as Aanya sat in the living room, reading through a textbook, she received a message from Rhea.
**Rhea:** *I miss you, Aanya. Call me when you can. I'm worried about you.*
Aanya stared at the message for a moment, debating whether to reply. She wanted to reach out, to tell someone about the mess her life had become, but she wasn't sure if she could articulate her emotions. Could she even trust herself to understand what she was feeling?
Still, she typed back.
**Aanya:** *I'm okay. I just need some time. I'll call you soon.*
She put the phone down, her heart aching with the realization that she wasn't okay. She wasn't sure she ever would be.
***
Later that night, Arjun came into the living room, his presence pulling Aanya out of her thoughts. He stood at the doorway, looking at her for a long moment before speaking.
"I don't want to fight anymore, Aanya," he said softly. "I just want us to be happy again. Is that even possible?"
Aanya didn't know how to answer. She was tired of fighting too. But was happiness something they could rebuild? Or had the cracks in their marriage already been too deep?
"I don't know," she said, her voice small. "I wish I had an answer for you."
Arjun walked over to her slowly, his gaze fixed on her. "Do you still love me, Aanya?"
The question was simple, but it felt like the weight of everything they had been through was packed into that one sentence.
Aanya looked up at him, meeting his gaze for the first time in days. The emotions swirling inside her were overwhelming—confusion, sadness, longing, fear.
"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know what I feel anymore."
And for the first time in a long time, she let herself break.
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**[End of Chapter 20]**