ch 38 I care for you Dammit
https://youtu.be/KAskRVFhv-c
As the two men in plain clothes led Samar and his mother away bound and furious
Aarav rose and turned to ashiana. He checked her with a quick, professional sweep a bruise at the temple, a fresh cut on my wrist.
He didn't make a scene he unrolled his cuff and produced a handkerchief, pressing it to the wrist with efficient tenderness.
"Are you okay?" he asked, voice low. There was no softness for show whatever he felt, it was private, fierce.
Aarav's eyes flicked up to the retreating figures of Samar and stepmother, then back to her. "Come," he said. "You're coming with us. We'll get you checked. We'll make sure they don't follow."
"I'm not going anywhere," ashiana said again, voice shaking but loud enough to cut through the storm. "Not with you, not with anyone. I'm not a toy that people can use or play with my feelings."
Aarav froze at my words.
His jaw tightened as he took a step toward me, but she backed away trembling, tears mixing with the rain.
she let out a broken laugh that hurt even her. "Why are you even here, sir? Why? To protect the girl you pity? Or the intern who didn't know her place?"
Aarav's eyes softened for a split second the calm, unshakable mask cracking just a little.
"Don't—" he began, but I didn't let him speak.
"No! Let me finish!" she shouted, "All my life, people used me, left me. My mother, my father, now even you... you made me believe something was real, even for a moment and then you walked away like it meant nothing."
her voice broke completely then. "I can't... I can't do this again."
He stepped closer, slowly, deliberately, his expression unreadable now not anger, not guilt, just a heavy silence that carried a hundred unsaid things.
"Thank you," ashiana whispered finally, every word like glass in her throat. "For everything you did for me. But I don't need anyone anymore. I was alone before, I am alone now, and..." her voice trembled. "I'll always be alone."
The rain dripped from her hair, her hands, everything around blurry and for the first time, Aarav Malhotra, the man everyone feared, looked completely still, as if he didn't know whether to reach for her or let her go.
He took a breath, voice low, rough. "You're not alone, Ashiana," he said.
But ashiana shook her head, tears spilling again. "Please, don't say that. Because the moment I believe you..." she swallowed hard. "You'll leave too."
And with that, she turned away stepping back into the rain, trembling, but determined to walk away before her heart betrayed her again.
Then as she walked fast, wiping the rain and tears from her face, she heard his footsteps behind her steady, powerful, unhurried.
"Ashiana," Aarav's deep voice cut through the downpour. she didn't turn, just quickened her steps.
He called again, firmer this time, "Stop right there."
she froze instinctively, her breath hitching.
His tone wasn't angry it was commanding, layered with something raw underneath.
Slowly, she turned, the streetlight flickering between them. He walked toward her, his soaked suit clinging to his broad frame, droplets running down his sharp jawline.
He stopped just inches away, eyes locked on her. "You think walking away will protect you?" he said, voice low, almost a growl. "You think pushing people out will stop you from breaking?"
ashiana lips trembled. "You don't understand—"
her heart thudded painfully. she looked away, whispering, "Why are you doing this? Why do you even care?"
He exhaled, voice rough. "Because somewhere between all your chaos and courage, I forgot how to stay detached. Because I can't—" he stopped, jaw clenching, then finished quietly, "I can't see you in pain, Ashiana. Not anymore."
'' Just pain... '' she let out a bitter laugh saying, '' yaah right.
. out of pitty .. and you did everything out of pity you saved me out of pity you made me believe that your family is mine too just out of pitty and that.
.. that kiss what was that just out of pity or.
. or .. your.. desi...'' she said and paused and looked away.
Aarav's jaw tightened instantly, the muscle near his temple ticking as the rain continued to pour between them. He took a step closer, voice low and restrained but trembling at the edge.
"Pity?" he repeated, almost a whisper dangerous, disbelieving. "You really think that's what this is?"
she didn't answer, just looked away.
He exhaled sharply, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "You think I'd cross every line I swore I never would... just because I pitied you?"
His voice cracked slightly as he continued, "If it were pity, Ashiana, I would've turned away the first day I saw the fire in your eyes. Pity doesn't make a man lose sleep thinking if you've eaten, or if you're safe."
ashiana flinched, still not meeting his eyes.
He stepped closer again, so close that the rain between us felt electric. "And that kiss..." his voice softened, husky now, "that wasn't pity. That was the first time in years I felt something real. You can call it a mistake, you can call it wrong but don't you dare call it pity."
she swallowed hard, tears mixing with the rain, her voice shaking. "Then what was it, Aarav? What was it?"
He looked at her for a long moment eyes burning, unreadable and whispered, "It was everything I wasn't supposed to feel... for someone I can't stop caring about."
The silence that followed was deafening the kind that hurt more than words ever could.
"Then why did you leave?" she shouted, her grip tightening. "Why weren't you there? Why didn't you come back? Do you have any idea what that did to me, Aarav?"
Rainwater dripped down from her hair onto his coat as she clutched his collar, her voice trembling between anger and heartbreak.
He stood still, letting her pull him closer, his eyes burning with something between guilt and pain.
"I had to leave," he said quietly. "There was an emergency with the summit — investors, deals, the entire project could've collapsed if I hadn't—"
she cut him off, voice cracking. "Investors? Deals? And what about me? Was I just some... some break between your meetings? Some mistake you could walk away from when work called?"
Aarav's jaw clenched, his eyes flicking shut for a second as if fighting for control.
Then he spoke, his voice low but fierce, "You think I wanted to leave? I left because if I stayed, I wouldn't have stopped myself, Ashiana. Because every time you're near me, everything I've built starts to fall apart. My rules. My control. Me."
her hands loosened on his collar, confusion and pain swirling in her chest.
He looked down at her, rain dripping from his lashes, his voice barely a whisper now. "I didn't stay away because I didn't care. I stayed away because I cared too damn much."
''No .. You are lying..'' she said, voice trembling and stepping back.
Aarav's eyes widened the instant he saw where she was stepping.
"Ashiana—!" His voice tore through the rain.
But before she could even register the panic in his tone, headlights flared bright, blinding and a car came speeding down the wet road. her feet froze her breath caught in her throat.
In that split second, time seemed to collapse. The sound of screeching tires, the sharp gust of wind, and Aarav's shout blended into one blur.
Then strong arms slammed around her, pulling her back with such force that we both tumbled to the ground, rolling across the slick pavement.
The car missed them by mere inches, horns blaring as it sped past.
she gasped, trembling, her hands clutching the front of his shirt.
Aarav was on top of me, his breath heavy, rain dripping from his hair onto my face. His voice came out low, rough, almost breaking—
"Do you still think I'm lying now?"
My lips parted, but no words came. His eyes filled with fear, with something far deeper locked onto mine.
"You think I'd let anything happen to you?" he whispered. "Never. Not even if it costs me everything."