The prison visiting room was silent except for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights above.

A thick sheet of scratched glass separated them.

Arnav sat on one side.

Khushi on the other.

Neither had spoken for almost a minute.

Arnav kept staring at her.

Something wasn't right.

She wouldn't look at him.

Her fingers twisted together in her lap.

Her eyes looked swollen.

Like she'd been crying before she came.

Finally, she lifted her head.

"There was a baby."

For a second Arnav simply blinked.

Then the words hit him.

His entire face changed.

Not gradually.

Instantly.

Like someone had turned on a light inside him.

"What?"

A laugh escaped him.

A real laugh.

The first one she'd heard in months.

"What did you say?"

Khushi's throat tightened.

"There was a baby."

"Our baby?"

The smile spreading across his face nearly destroyed her.

"Our baby?"

He looked almost boyish suddenly.

Disbelieving.

Hopeful.

Happy.

God, happy.

His hand immediately went to the glass.

"Khushi..."

His eyes filled.

Not with sadness.

With joy.

"When?"

He laughed again.

A thousand questions already crowding his mind.

"How long?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh my God..."

He ran a hand through his hair.

Actually smiling now.

For a moment prison disappeared.

The guards disappeared.

The glass disappeared.

There was only him.

Her.

And their child.

"Our baby..."

he whispered.

Like he was trying the words out.

Like he already loved them.

Khushi looked away.

Because she couldn't watch this.

Couldn't watch him build a future she was about to burn to the ground.

One tear slipped down her cheek.

Arnav immediately noticed.

His smile softened.

"Hey."

His palm remained against the glass.

"It's okay."

His voice was gentle.

"We'll figure it out."

We'll.

The word stabbed straight through her heart.

We'll.

Not you.

Not me.

We'll.

Together.

Like they always used to be.

Khushi closed her eyes.

i have to make him hate me

She opened them again.

And forced herself to speak.

"I got rid of it."

The smile remained on Arnav's face.

For a second.

Then another.

Like he hadn't heard properly.

"What?"

"I ended the pregnancy."

Silence.

Arnav frowned.

Not hurt.

Confused.

Actually confused.

Then he shook his head.

A small smile returning.

"No."

Khushi's heart shattered.

"No?"

"You didn't."

The certainty in his voice hurt more than anger ever could.

"You wouldn't."

Arnav leaned closer to the glass.

Looking directly into her eyes.

Waiting for her to admit the joke.

Waiting for her to stop this.

"Khushi, come on."

He almost laughed.

"You cry when plants die."

The smile faded slightly.

"But this isn't funny."

Khushi said nothing.

Arnav's confidence wavered.

Just a little.

"You didn't."

Still no answer.

"Tell me you didn't."

The room felt smaller.

The air heavier.

"Khushi."

Now there was fear in his voice.

The first crack.

"You didn't."

"I did."

The words came out flat.

Dead.

Mechanical.

Like they belonged to someone else.

Arnav stared at her.

Long enough for the silence to become unbearable.

Then he slowly shook his head.

"No."

Not denial.

Refusal.

The kind that comes from knowing someone too well.

"You wanted children."

His voice cracked.

"You used to talk about names."

Another shake of his head.

"You kept screenshots of baby clothes on your phone."

Khushi looked away.

"Stop."

"No."

For the first time emotion entered his voice.

Raw.

Desperate.

"No, because none of this makes sense."

His hand slammed against the glass.

Not in anger.

In frustration.

"You're lying."

The words echoed through the room.

"Tell me what's really going on."

Khushi felt tears burning behind her eyes.

She couldn't let him keep believing.

She had to kill every last piece of hope.

So she did the cruelest thing she could think of.

She laughed.

A small, cold laugh.

One she'd practiced a hundred times in her head.

"You really don't get it."

Arnav froze.

"I never wanted that baby."

The words hit harder this time.

Not because he believed them.

Because he was starting to.

"No..."

"I never wanted you either."

The color drained from his face.

Khushi forced herself to continue.

Every sentence a knife.

Every word cutting herself too.

"When I met you, you were rich."

Arnav just stared.

"You had money."

Silence.

"You had influence."

Silence.

"You could give me the life I wanted."

Arnav's eyes widened.

Not with anger.

With hurt.

Pure hurt.

The kind only betrayal creates.

Khushi looked directly at him.

And delivered the final blow.

"The only mistake I made..."

Her voice trembled.

"...was staying longer than necessary."

The room went completely silent.

Arnav didn't move.

Didn't blink.

Didn't breathe.

It was as if every memory he'd ever had of her was being rewritten in real time.

Every smile.

Every touch.

Every promise.

Every I love you.

Poisoned.

One by one.

Then something inside him finally broke.

Not loudly.

Quietly.

Which was somehow worse.

His hand slowly slid down the glass.

Leaving a streak behind.

His knees gave out.

He hit the floor.

And just sat there.

Looking up at her.

Like he didn't recognize her anymore.

When he finally spoke, his voice was barely audible.

"Why?"

One word.

That's all that remained.

Not accusations.

Not anger.

Just why.

Khushi almost told him.

Almost.

But then she remembered why she was here.

Why she had to do this.

So she looked away.

And said nothing.

The silence gave him his answer.

Something in his eyes died.

Actually died.

The love was still there.

But now it was bleeding.

Drowning beneath grief.

Beneath betrayal.

Beneath loss.

The guard opened the door.

"Time's up."

Neither moved.

"Move, Sharma."

Arnav stood.

Slowly.

His eyes never leaving Khushi.

For one final second she thought—

hoped—

that he still didn't believe her.

Then she saw it.

The moment he chose to.

Because believing her hurt less than loving her.

His palm slammed against the glass.

Right where hers rested.

"I hate you."

His voice shook.

Not because of rage.

Because of heartbreak.

"I hate you."

Tears streamed down his face.

"I wish I never met you."

Khushi felt her entire body go numb.

But she didn't turn around.

Couldn't.

Because if she looked back—

she would run to him.

And everything she had sacrificed would be for nothing.

So she kept walking.

While behind her, the man she loved stood shattered on the other side of a piece of glass neither of them could break.