ch 39 confession
''Aarav ... sir..'' she said whispering to him, ''tell me.. whyy.. whyy..'' she said weakly her lips trembling, eyes half lidded.
Aarav cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing away the raindrops or maybe the tears, even he couldn't tell. His voice was raw, quiet, trembling just enough to show the truth behind it.
"Because I can't see you hurt, Ashiana," he breathed. "Because every time you cry, it feels like something inside me breaks too."
He swallowed hard, his gaze falling for a second before meeting her again. "You want to know why I left? Because I was terrified... terrified of what I was starting to feel for you. I thought staying away would make it stop."
He let out a short, broken laugh. "But it didn't. It just made me realize how much you've already become a part of me."
The rain kept falling between us, soft and cold, but his words burned through the chill.
Aarav's hand trembled against her cheek as he whispered, almost pleading, "Now tell me, Ashiana... how could I ever walk away from the only person who makes me feel alive?"
''Do.. Do you feel the same as i ...'' she whispered clutching his coat more tightly trying to not get unconscious.
Aarav's breath hitched just one sharp exhale that gave him away completely. He caught her shoulders, steadying me as her knees threatened to give out.
His voice dropped, rough and unguarded.
"Yes," he whispered. "Every damn second, Ashiana. I feel it the pull, the chaos, the peace... all of it. You think it's one-sided?"
He leaned closer, his forehead resting against mine as his voice trembled, raw with emotion.
"I tried to fight it, I tried to bury it under logic, under duty, under everything I thought I was.
.. but it's useless. Because when it comes to you—" his words faltered as his thumb brushed her trembling lips, "—I lose every wall I've ever built. "
her eyes fluttered, her body weakening in his hold. Aarav's grip tightened instantly, his tone turning urgent, almost breaking.
"Hey... Ashiana, stay with me, look at me," he said, panic lacing his voice now. "You don't get to faint on me, not when I just told you the truth."
He lifted me effortlessly into his arms, holding her close against his chest as her eyelids grew heavier.
"You feel it too, right?" he whispered near her ear, voice barely there. "Then don't you dare give up on me now."
then she smile little saying, ''I.. I love you sir...''
then her head rolled back to his chest as she faints.
Aarav froze.
For a heartbeat, the world around him fell utterly silent no wind, no honking cars, nothing.
Just the echo of those four trembling words that slipped from her lips before she went limp in his arms.
His throat tightened as he looked down at her pale, eyes closed, tears still glistening on her lashes.
He whispered hoarsely, almost in disbelief, "Ashiana... you—" He couldn't even finish. His hand trembled as he brushed her hair off her face.
"I heard you," he murmured, voice breaking. "And I swear, you'll hear it back when you wake up."
Then, with fierce determination, he scooped her up in his arms, holding her close against his chest as he turned to his brothers.
"Start the car," he ordered, his tone hard again but this time, the tremor beneath it betrayed the fear of losing her.
As they rushed toward the car, the rain began to fall harder, soaking him completely, yet he didn't care.
He tightened his hold around her, pressing a desperate kiss to her forehead.
"You're safe now," he whispered into her hair. "And when you open your eyes, I'll tell you again... I love you too."
------
Her voice came out weak, barely a breath.
"...Aarav... sir..." she whispered, blinking against the soft light spilling through the curtains.
Her head throbbed, and for a moment, she couldn't tell if it had all been a dream the road, the rain, his arms around her.
Then, as she turned her head slightly, she saw him.
Aarav Malhotra sat on the chair beside her bed his sleeves rolled up, tie loosened.
He hadn't moved for hours, his gaze fixed on her face even as exhaustion pulled at him.
The moment her lips moved, his body went rigid. In an instant, he was on his feet, at her side.
"You're awake," he said quietly, his voice deep but strained, relief flooding through it.
Ashiana blinked again, her lips parting. "S-sir... how... I...?"
Aarav exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening as he looked away for a moment before answering, "You fainted. We brought you back."
His voice softened then, eyes returning to her. "You're safe now, Ashiana. You're home."
Her throat tightened. She looked at him, his face, his eyes that looked so different tonight and whispered, "Home...?"
He didn't reply with words. Instead, he sat down beside her again, reaching out carefully, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Yes," he said finally, voice low. "Wherever you are... that's home."
she looks at him and says, with low murmur, ''You say as if you mean it sir..''.
A faint, tired smile tugged at the corner of Aarav's lips the kind that held too many unsaid things.
He met her eyes, steady and unreadable, but there was something softer there now.
"I don't say things I don't mean, Ashiana," he said quietly. His voice was low, rough, almost intimate a tone that carried weight, like every word was a promise.
She held his gaze, heart pounding, unsure if she was dreaming again.
"But... sir," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly, "you're... you're not like this. You don't... talk like this."
He leaned in a little, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her temple.
"Maybe you never stayed long enough to see this side of me," he murmured.
she thought.
WHAT THE FUCKKK.. HE REALLY SAYING LIKE THAT.. IS HE OKK.. OHH GOD ASHIANAAA.. WHAT YOU DID TO HER JUST LOOK AT HIM HOW CUTEE HE IS LOOKINGGG.. AAWWWWIIEEE..
Her lips parted, breath catching in her throat. "Sir..."
He shook his head slightly. "Stop calling me that right now."
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Then... what should I call you?"
His gaze dipped to her lips for a second before returning to her eyes.
"Call me Aarav."
''But... sir..'' she said teasing , mischief in her eyes and mocks a innocent face,'' how.. could I, you are my boss.. right''.
Aarav's lips curved in a faint smirk, the kind that made the air around them feel heavier.
He took a slow step closer, his voice dropping to that deep, commanding calm that always carried a trace of danger.
"Boss?" he repeated, his eyes locked on hers. "That's what you still think I am right now?"
Ashiana blinked, clutching the edge of the blanket nervously but her tone still playful. "W-well... technically, yes. You sign my paychecks, remember?"
He chuckled under his breath low, dark, amused. "You think this is about work?"
He leaned down slightly, his face just inches away, eyes glinting with a mix of control and something unguarded. "If I wanted to be your boss right now, Ashiana... I wouldn't be standing here."
Her breath hitched, heart pounding. She tried to look away, whispering, "You shouldn't say things like that, sir..."
He tilted his head, smirk deepening. "And yet you still called me 'sir.'"
Ashiana gave a shy smile, eyes darting down. "Habit..." she muttered softly.
"Then break it," he said in a voice that was almost a command but softer, filled with a quiet intensity. "Just for tonight, forget I'm your boss."