The room felt still.
Heavy.
Ananya looked at the phone in Aarav's hand.
"I have proof," he repeated.
Her fingers tightened around Ayaan's bag.
"Proof that you didn't say it?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
Silence.
Then—
"Show me."
Aarav stepped forward.
Carefully.
As if one wrong move would break everything.
He played the audio.
The same recording.
But this time—
He stopped midway.
Zoomed in.
Showed the waveform.
"There," he said.
Ananya frowned.
"I don't understand."
"It's cut," Aarav explained.
"Edited. Spliced together."
He played another version.
The original.
"…this marriage was a mistake—if I don't fix things, I'll lose her forever."
Ananya froze.
Her breath stopped.
"That's… not what I heard before…"
"It's what I actually said," Aarav replied.
Silence.
The truth began to sink in.
And with it—
Regret.