Chapter 16
Aariv stirred in his sleep.
For a moment, he didn’t know where he was. The air smelled faintly of sandalwood and smoke heavier than the clean scent of his own room back in the city. His heart was beating too fast, like it had been running even while he slept.
Something felt wrong.
He blinked his eyes open, the faint glow of the bedside lamp washing the room in pale gold. The shadows danced across the curtains like restless spirits.
And then he felt that same cold prickle along his spine.
Someone was watching him.
His fingers clenched the blanket instinctively as he turned his head slowly toward the window.
The curtains swayed lightly, though the air was still.
The glass reflected the faint shimmer of the room the bed, the sofa, the table but in the corner of that reflection, something dark moved.
Aariv’s breath hitched.
A shape. Not clear, but there. A faint silhouette, like smoke with eyes. It seemed to shift when he blinked, closer now, hovering just at the edge of the bed.
His throat tightened. He couldn’t scream. Couldn’t even breathe properly.
And then
“Aariv?”
The voice snapped him out of his frozen state. Deep. Calm. Familiar.
Veeransh.
Aariv turned his head sharply, and his breath escaped in a shaky sigh. Veeransh was sitting there, on the sofa near the foot of the bed, half in shadow, still dressed in his black shirt and trousers. His eyes were fixed on him, sharp but softened by something else concerned.
“Kya hua?” Veeransh’s voice was low, steady.
Aariv swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he tried to speak.
“I... I felt…”
He couldn’t finish. The words dissolved on his tongue. He didn’t want to say someone was watching me because that would make it real.
But Veeransh’s gaze shifted just slightly toward the window. His expression didn’t change, but something in his jaw tightened. He understood.
Veeransh stood up slowly, his tall figure blocking the dim light for a second. He glanced once more at the window before turning back to Aariv.
“So jao,” he said quietly. “Koi tumhe chhoo bhi nahi sakta jab tak main yahan hoon.”
The words struck through the silence like a promise, heavy, fierce, and terrifyingly sincere.
Aariv stared at him, startled. The man who had barely spoken to him all day, who had coldly declared that their marriage meant nothing, was now standing beside his bed like a silent guardian.
For a long second, they just looked at each other Aariv’s wide, frightened eyes and Veeransh’s dark, unreadable ones.
Something in that moment shifted. Not much just a thread, invisible but real, pulling between them.
Aariv’s fear dulled. His heart still raced, but it wasn’t the same kind of fear anymore. He nodded faintly, whispering,
“Okay…”
Veeransh stepped back, his expression unreadable, and returned to the sofa. He didn’t turn off the lamp.
Aariv lay back down, pulling the blanket closer to his chest. He could still feel the faint pulse of Veeransh’s presence across the room strong, protective, grounding.
His eyes fluttered shut.
And just before sleep claimed him again, he whispered softly , maybe only in his mind
“Thank you.”
Outside, the wind brushed against the windowpane. The shadow that had been there was gone, but the coldness in the air lingered as if the night itself had been listening.
Veeransh sat silently for a long time, watching the boy’s breathing steady once more.
His gaze drifted toward the window, his expression darkening.
Because he knew what Aariv had felt wasn’t just imagination.
.....................
Aariv blinked awake slowly, his lashes brushing against his cheek as his eyes adjusted to the light.
The faint scent of sandalwood still lingered Veeransh’s scent but the space beside the sofa was empty.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The room was quiet. The armchair where Veeransh had been sitting all night was vacant now, though the cushion was still slightly indented, as if he’d just left a few minutes ago.
“Where did he go so early?” Aariv murmured to himself, glancing toward the balcony. The curtains fluttered lightly with the morning breeze, and for a second, he thought he saw a shadow slip past but when he blinked, it was gone.
He shook the thought away.
You just didn’t sleep properly… stop imagining things.
After washing his face and finishing his morning routine, Aariv changed into a simple white kurta.
He carefully combed his hair, and his fingers paused for a second at his hairline where a faint trace of vermillion still glowed in the mirror’s reflection.
(NOTE: I made it that way so please ignore it if you don't want and don't comment ki girlish hai ye)
His chest tightened for a moment.
That small red streak somehow looked heavier today.
He turned away quickly and went downstairs.
The living room was alive with morning peace the soft clink of teacups, sunlight spilling across the marble floor, and the faint hum of a devotional song playing somewhere in the background.
Shanti and Ridha were sitting on the sofa set, both with cups of steaming tea in their hands, chatting lightly. Aariv’s heart eased instantly.
“Good morning, Maa… good morning, Di,” he greeted softly, smiling.
Both of them looked up with warmth.
“Good morning, beta,” Shanti smiled, her eyes soft with that gentle motherly concern she always had for him.
“Good morning, Aariv,” Ridha added with a teasing grin, taking a sip of her tea.
She tilted her head.
“So… did that idiot say anything to you yesterday?”
Aariv blinked, confused. “Ji… ji nahi.”
Ridha snorted dramatically.
“Ho hi nahi sakta! Possible hi nahi hai.”
Aariv tilted his head, a little lost. “Matlab?”
Ridha rolled her eyes. “Matlab main apne bhai ko jaanti hoon, Aariv. Kuchh na kuchh toh zeher ugla hi hoga usne. Haan, bas shakal se samajhdaar lagta hai vo, par zubaan uski…” she clicked her tongue, “…bas chhodo. Chill karo. Don’t let him mess with your peace.”
Aariv chuckled softly, though his fingers played nervously with the edge of his sleeve.
He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to tell her that Veeransh had actually said something…
something almost gentle.
“No one can harm you until I’m here.
”
Those words still echoed faintly in his mind, like a whisper that refused to fade.
Shanti glanced up.
“Waise hai kahan Veeransh?”
Aariv hesitated. “Nahi pata, Maa. Jab main utha, tab bhi vo room mein nahi the.”
Ridha smirked. “Gym mein hoga Maa. Subah-subah heavy music, punching bag, aur attitude that’s his morning ritual.”
Shanti shook her head. “Kabhi to dil se baith kar baat kare usse… bas bhagta rehta hai.”
Before Aariv could reply, the sound of footsteps came from the corridor. Yug entered, stretching his arms lazily, hair slightly messy, and a mischievous smile on his face.
“Good morning, ladies… and good morning aruuu!” he said dramatically, flopping on the sofa beside Ridha.
Ridha gave him a playful shove. “Late and all huh.”
“Aree di, tyaar hone me time lagta hai , mai abhi jawan hu na” Yug laughed, picking up a biscuit.
Aariv smiled, amused. The warmth in this family felt almost unreal a contrast to the dark silence of last night.
But even in this cheerful noise, something deep inside him still stirred a quiet unease that wouldn’t let go.
His gaze drifted, unintentionally, toward the window.
The sunlight fell in slanted golden lines, cutting across the floor. For a brief second, one of the shadows seemed to shift against the light like it wasn’t caused by anything real.
Aariv blinked again, and it was gone.
He swallowed.
Maybe he was just tired. Maybe his mind was still stuck in that cold feeling from last night.
.
.
.
Thank you
Love u all????