đ©· đ .When they finally left the hospital, the car ride back home was silent. Avyaan tried to joke a few times, even teased her about how she looked cute when she was angry, but all he got in return was her cold, pointed silence. By the time they reached the Rathore mansion, the news of his injury had already reached the family. As soon as he walked in, his mother, Aarika Rathore, came rushing toward him. âAvyaan!â she exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic as she saw the bandages peeking out from under his shirt. âWhat happened to you? Who did this? Are you out of your mind?!â Before he could answer, Riya appeared from the side, her face pale. âBhai! Are you okay? Why didnât you tell us?â âIâm fine,â Avyaan said, raising his hands to calm them. âItâs just a scratchââ âA scratch?â his mother snapped, cutting him off. âYou call this a scratch? Do you have any idea how terrified we were when we heard? I told you again and again, Avyaan, this dangerous life you lead will catch
đ©· đ .As soon as they finished lunch in the cabin, Avyaan leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with something mischievous. âLetâs go out for a while,â he said, casually slipping his hands into his pockets. Aradhya tilted her head in confusion, tapping on her phone: âOut? Where?â âJust for a drive,â he said, standing and offering his hand to her. âYouâve been cooped up inside for too long. Come with me.â She hesitated, her fingers hovering over her screen: âI donât want to disturb your work.â Avyaan smirked. âYou are my work, Aaru. Youâre the only thing that keeps me sane.â His tone was half playful, half serious, and it made her cheeks warm. Even though she shook her head at first, Avyaan was persistent. âNo arguments,â he said, opening the door for her. âCome on. I need a break too. Just⊠humor me.â Finally, she gave a small nod, and his face broke into a victorious grin. âGood girl,â he murmured under his breath, leading her to his car. ---The city breez
đ©· đ âYou came here for me,â Avyaan murmured, his voice low and unyielding, as if he was stating a fact rather than asking a question. He was so close now that she could see the faint shadow of stubble on his jaw, smell the warm, masculine scent of his cologne that made her pulse race. âYou came just for me, Aaru⊠and now I canât think of anything else but you.â Aradhyaâs breath caught, and she instinctively took a step back, bumping gently against his desk. He placed a hand on the surface beside her, not trapping her, but close enough for her to feel his presence like a storm ready to swallow her whole. âLook at me,â he whispered. His voice wasnât commanding this timeâit was softer, almost vulnerable. She hesitated, her fingers tightening around her phone, but then she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. The intensity in his eyes made her heart stumble. âI want to do something,â he said, his tone slower now, deliberate. âBut I wonât, not unless you tell me itâs okay. Do I h
đ©· đ A few days had passed since the tension-filled night, and things at the mansion had slowly found a rhythm of quietness. Avyaan had been busier than usual, buried under meetings and endless files, while Aradhya had started finding small ways to care for him. Today, she decided to surprise him with lunch. She had prepared his favorite dishes herself, carefully packing them with her own hands.By early afternoon, she reached the towering building of Rathore Enterprises. The lobby was grandâpolished marble floors, glass walls, and employees hurrying around with quiet efficiency. Aradhya walked toward the reception desk, holding the lunchbox close to her chest, her steps slightly hesitant.The receptionist, a young woman with a sharp bob cut and crimson lipstick, looked up and frowned. "You again?" she said in a tone dripping with disdain. "I told you before, you can't just show up here whenever you want. Sir is busy, and he doesn't have time for⊠people like you." Aradhya froze
đ©· đ âYou think Iâll stand here and watch you hurt yourself?â he continued, his voice rough. âNo, Aaru. I wonât. I canât. One day, youâll tell me why youâre doing this. I trust you. But until then, Iâm not letting you destroy yourself.â---The heaviness of his words lingered in the air, but Avyaan, as always, shifted the mood when he saw her lips press into a worried line. He smirked faintly, leaning back on the bed beside her. âSeven days, huh? Thatâs a long time for you to keep me waiting.âShe raised her brows and typed, âWaiting for what?ââFor your smile,â he said with a teasing grin. âYouâve barely smiled today. How do you expect me to survive?âHer cheeks warmed, and she quickly turned her face away, typing another response. âIâm not going to smile just because you said so.ââReally?â he said, leaning closer, his face just inches from hers. âThen Iâll just have to make you smile.âShe stared at him, confused. Before she could react, he reached out and gently poked her si
đ©· đ The sincerity in his voice seemed to reach her. She blinked at him, and for a fleeting second, her carefully constructed defenses wavered. Her gaze softened, and he caught a glimpse of something raw and unguarded in her eyesâhope, perhaps, or longing, or simply the desperate wish to be truly known by someone.But the moment passed too quickly. Before he could say anything else, before he could reach across the space between them and offer whatever comfort or understanding she needed, she had retreated back into herself. She turned her phone off with deliberate finality and set it aside on the small table next to her chair, as though the conversation was over, as though she had said all she was willing or able to say.Avyaan leaned back against the couch, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. The frustration was back, stronger than before, mixed with a helplessness he rarely experienced in any other aspect of his life. He was a man accustomed to solutions, to action, to b