Torn Between Two Hearts

Chapter 31

Trisha's POV

Tick tock. Tick tock.

The only sound I could hear in the dark, suffocating the silence of my room. The clock's rhythm matched the pounding in my chest, each second dragging me further into the depths of my thoughts.

I pulled the blanket up to my neck, as if it could shield me from the cold-and from the memories. But the warmth did nothing to stop the beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

I was scared. Terrified.

What happened that night had become my nightmare.

I curled into myself, gripping the blanket tightly. Who could I turn to? Who would understand?

Once again, I lied to my friends. I had betrayed Edam's trust.

I told them I was going to see my grandmother in town. They believed me easily, never questioning my words. But the truth was far from what I had said.

I went to meet Nikhil.

The man I was supposed to marry when I returned to India. The man who had become my nightmare. The man who haunted me now.

When we met for the first time in India, he was kind. Not overly romantic, but considerate. We shared coffee dates and dinners, all under the watchful approval of our families. My father had arranged my marriage with him, and his family had insisted we spend time together before the wedding. They wanted us to build a bond before I moved back to India.

When he came to visit me last week he brought gifts, small trinkets from home, and even gave me extra cash-"just in case," he said. He was thoughtful, generous. At least, that's what I thought.

Until that last night.

That night changed everything.

He had booked a suite for us. "It's fine," he had assured me with a smile. "We'll be married soon. It's just one room."

I wanted to refuse. I wanted to say no. But I didn't.

I couldn't.

His family was paying for my scholarship. If I upset him, I could lose everything.

His father's words echoed in my mind: From now on, you belong to us.

I had no choice.

The first night, nothing happened. He slept close to me, his body heat unsettling but harmless. I convinced myself it was normal. He was to be my fiancé. This was expected.

The second night, he grabbed my arm while we walked, his fingers lacing through mine. It felt strange, unnatural. Then, without warning, he pulled me toward him and kissed me.

I froze.

The kiss was soft, careful, filled with something I didn't understand. But it felt wrong.

Still, I played along. I smiled, I blushed, I pretended. I acted like the naive girl he thought I was.

Then came last night.

Dinner was accompanied by wine too much of it. By the time we returned to the suite, he was clearly drunk. He barely spoke, just removed his shirt and collapsed onto the bed.

I took my time in the bathroom, hoping he would be asleep when I returned. When I finally slid under the covers, he was still, his breathing steady.

I let out a silent breath of relief.

And then I felt it.

Something warm against my stomach.

My entire body tensed.

I reached down and grasped his wrist, trying to move his hand away. But instead, he shifted closer, wrapping his arm around me, pulling me against him.

My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

I didn't move. I barely breathed.

His hand slipped under my nightdress exploring my thighs.

No. No, no, no.

My throat tightened. My body locked in place.

I tried to push his hand away, but he was stronger. Faster. He rolled on top of me, his weight pressing me into the mattress. His lips traced my skin, his breath warm, smelling of wine.

I could feel him. I could feel every part of him. He was fully aroused.

God, help me. What do I do?

His touch wasn't gentle anymore. It was possessive. Claiming.

A wave of panic surged through me.

And then, suddenly, an idea.

"Nikhil," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Don't you think we should wait? Until we're married?"

He didn't stop, but I felt him hesitate.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay calm. "It'll be more special on our honeymoon, don't you think?"

Silence.

His body was still pressed against mine. His lips hovered just above my collarbone.

I held my breath. Please, please let this work.

Finally, he pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. I stared at him, praying he would listen.

Then, to my surprise, he smiled.

"Promise?" he murmured.

"Promise," I whispered, barely able to speak.

"Okay then. I'll wait."

That's when he said it. So casually, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "That's why I'm in love with you."

The words caught me off guard. I wanted to respond, to say it back, but "I love you too" never made it past my lips. It got stuck in my throat, trapped somewhere between my heart and my hesitation.

Instead, I just smiled.

He rolled over and drifted back to sleep, as if nothing had happened.

Minutes passed, and I lay beside him, motionless. Like a lifeless shadow in the quiet of the night.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Completely still. Completely numb.

Did that just happen?

Did he just try to force himself on me?

I turned my head to look at him. His face was relaxed, peaceful. Like nothing had happened.

He was handsome. That was undeniable. But I didn't love him.

I loved Edam.

And yet, I had betrayed him too.

I took a deep breath trying to forget what happened that night. My chest tightened as the weight of it all sank in. When will this nightmare leave me alone. What if? What if Nikhil will find out about my virginity.

He would eventually find out after we got married that I wasn't a virgin. And when he did, what would happen? Will he accept me. Or his family would return me to mine, humiliated and broken. My parents would be ashamed. I would be ashamed.

A girl's purity is everything in our culture. It's her greatest treasure.

And I had thrown mine away.

Tears welled in my eyes. That day, after leaving the hotel, he acted as if nothing had happened the night before. For him, it truly was nothing after all, I was meant to be his wife, and he believed he had every right over me.

What was I thinking? What had I done?

I curled into a ball, gripping my own arms as if I could hold myself together.

Then my phone rang.

My heart nearly stopped.

Nikhil.

Did he know?

I hesitated before looking at the screen.

It wasn't him. It was Tina.

Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived.

"Hello?" I answered weakly.

"Guess what?" she practically squealed. "I did it! I did it with Joe! It was perfect. Just perfect and amazing. Thanks for the tip!"

I shut my eyes. The tip.

The one I had given her when she asked how to take control. Be the host.

I forced a smile. "I'm glad," I mumbled.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She knew me too well.

"Yeah," I lied. "Just tired."

"Oh! Sorry! But it's only eight."

"Yeah, assignments and projects."

"Alright, rest up. See you on Monday at uni."

The call ended, but my phone buzzed again.

A message from Edam.

"Hey."

I stared at the screen.

How had I managed to break both of their promises?

I promised Edam I would stay in the U.S. with him after graduation.

I promised Nikhil I would keep myself sacred for him.

And now, I have broken both promises.

Who was I anymore?

Tina's POV

"I'm fine, Mom. Will you please stop worrying? Dad, please tell her that I'm okay," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"But you look so weak, my dear," Mom said, her voice laced with concern.

"I look just fine, Mom," I assured her, forcing a smile.

"Are you eating well, Tina?" she asked, and I could hear the worry in her voice.

"Yes, Ma, I'm eating well. And you know what? They have all kinds of food here. I have to control myself so as not to overeat. I want to maintain my figure," I said, trying to divert her attention.

There was a brief pause before Dad spoke. "How are your studies going?"

"It's good. The second year has started, and there's so much to learn-so many assignments," I replied, rubbing my temples just thinking about it.

"Study hard. I'm waiting for you to graduate and take over the business. Your mom and I want to retire," he said, his voice filled with expectation.

My heart ached. I wanted to tell him that I had other plans, that my future might not be the one he had envisioned for me. But I couldn't. Not yet.

"Yes, Dad. Just two more years, and then I'll take care of everything," I said, my throat tightening. I glanced at the time. "It must be after ten there. You should go to bed. You must be tired."

"You're right. Goodnight," Dad said.

"Goodnight, darling. Take care, and we love you," Mom added.

"Goodnight. Love you both," I said before ending the call.

I stared at my phone screen for a while, the familiar image of my family smiling back at me from the screensaver. Dad was waiting for me. But Joe had asked me to stay in the U.S. after graduation and work here.

Whom should I listen to?

I love Joe, but I also love my family.

Dad sent me to the U.S. on two conditions: first, that I earn a scholarship, and second, that I return to Fiji and take over his business. Now, I was torn between my love for Joe and my duty to my parents.

Joe made me happy. I loved spending time with him. He truly cared about me. But my family had raised me, cared for me, and given me everything. How could I turn my back on them?

My shoulders tensed. I had promised Dad I would return. He was counting on me. But Joe and I hadn't talked much about myself staying back. He had only suggested it while we were looking for placement opportunities. We needed to complete a certain number of work hours to qualify for our third year.

To be honest, I hadn't decided yet. I wanted to finish my second year first before making any big choices. I loved Joe and the thought of staying back with him, but sometimes I had second thoughts about our relationship.

Would it last?

Sure, we enjoyed each other's company-hanging out, going on long drives, studying together... and, of course, the sex. There had been a lot of that ever since we got back together after our first breakup. Things were going well now, but could I really base my future on that?

Joe had already made up his mind. He was going to take over his dad's business. He spoke about it as if it were set in stone.

And now, Thanksgiving is coming up.

Joe had invited me to his place. I was going to meet them properly for the first time. I had met them briefly at his birthday party, but it had only been casual greetings. That night, they had been too busy entertaining guests to pay me much attention.

Joe assured me that they knew all about our relationship and were looking forward to meeting me. But would they like me?

I looked different from them. I was an islander my skin, my features, even my accent set me apart. Would I be able to keep up with their conversations? Would I fit in? What if I said something and they misunderstood me?

I let out a heavy sigh, tossing my phone aside and grabbing my laptop.

"Thanksgiving," I typed into the search bar.

If I was going to do this, I needed to know everything about it. After all, it was going to be my first one.

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"Heart divided, mind conflicted torn between two souls, unsure where to belong."