CHAPTER 29! RUN TO ME #2
Aadhira's breath hitched in her throat. She instinctively took a half-step closer to Shourya, her fingers twisting tightly into the fabric of her shirt hem.
Bas...
Ab ye bhi meri responsibility hai.
Pehle inko gussa dilaya.
Ab inko doctor ke paas kaise le jaun?
Aryav looked entirely immaculate.
His tailored dark suit was unrumpled, his posture straight and unbothered.
There wasn't a single drop of stray blood on his clothes-the execution inside had been precise, clean, and clinical.
The only sign of violence was the jagged, deep gash on his own shoulder from where the bottle had struck him earlier.
Blood had dried in a dark, stark line down the side of his fourarm, cutting a grim silhouette against his pale skin.
The sight of that dried blood made something inside Aadhira collapse.
Yeh sab...
Meri wajah se hua hai.
The words echoed once.
Again.
And again.
She had walked into that club believing she was protecting everyone, shielding them from the stains of her past.
Instead, she had dragged the family into the nightmare anyway.
Aryav looked at her only once.
It lasted less than a second.
Yet somehow, it carried every unanswered question, every ounce of fury, every fear he hadn't allowed himself to feel.
Aadhira lowered her eyes immediately. The silence was an unnatural, heavy weight.
She would have preferred him shouting.
"Handle it," Aryav commanded, his voice a low, gravelly baritone that brooked no argument.
Shourya gave a firm, understanding nod. "Go. I've got it."
Without another word, Aryav turned on his heel and walked toward his sleek, dark SUV parked at the curb.
Aadhira didn't even have to think; her feet moved on instinct.
Squeezing Shourya's arm tightly, she whispered, "Take care of yourself, bhai."
"Go with him, Aadhi," Shourya offered with a tired nod.
She hurried to the SUV, slipping into the passenger seat.
The heavy door closed with a muted thud, instantly locking out the noise of the city.
The quiet inside the car was airless. Aadhira gripped her seatbelt, her knuckles turning white, her knees shaking despite being seated.
Aryav turned the key, the powerful engine roaring to life, and pulled out into the night.
She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted the faint, metallic tang of blood, her mind frantically racing in the suffocating quiet.
Kya bolun?
Sorry?
Nahi... itna kaafi nahi hoga.
Itni Badi galti aur chota sa sorry.
Radha Rani... bas ye mujh par gussa kar le, par dard akele na sahe.
"Aryav, I-" Aadhira started, her voice trembling.
Aryav didn't yell.
He simply shifted his gaze, throwing a single, icy look at her from the corner of his eye.
The sheer intensity of that look slammed into her like a physical wall, loud with unspoken rage.
Aadhira immediately clamped her mouth shut, looking down at her lap.
A quiet Aryav was infinitely more dangerous than an explosive one.
The drive to the Shinghania mansion felt endless.
When the gates finally swung open and the SUV rolled up the grand driveway, Aadhira's chest tightened.
The moment Aryav stepped through the front doors with Aadhira trailing quietly behind him, she realized the entire family was gathered in the main hall.
The gravity of the night had reached the estate long before they did.
Reyansh, Tara, Myra, Arjun, and Arush stood near the grand staircase, their faces pale with anxiety.
Near the center of the room stood Rajendra Vikram alongside Vikrant, both men looking grim and imposing.
Mrinalini Dadi and Ishaani Ma were already moving forward the second they caught sight of them.
"Aryav baccha, kya hua?" Ishaani asked, her voice tight with panic.
"Aryav!" Dadi gasped, her eyes immediately fixing on the deep, bloody wound on his forehead.
Her hands shook as she reached up toward his face. "Look at your head, oh my god-"
"Not today," Aryav cut through the room like cold steel.
Dadi and Ishaani froze mid-step, Dadi's hand hovering in the air.
The sheer authority in his tone made the matriarch slowly step back, a pained but understanding look on her face.
Without sparing a glance at anyone else, Aryav turned and walked up the grand staircase, his steps heavy and rigid.
Aadhira moved instinctively to follow him, her heart hammering against her ribs, but a firm hand caught her wrist.
"Aadhira, stop," Ishaani said softly, her eyes filled with maternal worry. "He is furious right now. Leave him alone for tonight. Don't go up there."
Aadhira looked from his mother to the empty staircase.
The thought of him up there alone, bleeding and wrapped in that crushing rage, made her soul ache.
"Main unhe gusse mein aakela kese chhod du Ma," Aadhira whispered, gently pulling her wrist free.
"Let her go."
Everyone looked at Dadi.
The elderly matriarch stood calmly, her gaze steady.
"When a man returns home carrying this much anger, only two people can reach him." Her eyes followed Aadhira back to the stairs.
"His mother."
A small pause.
"Or his wife."
Aadhira didn't wait.
She hurried up the stairs, her heartbeat echoing in her ears as she walked down the long, dimly lit corridor to his room.
The room still smelled faintly of sandalwood and expensive cologne.
Home. Safe.
Tonight, neither existed.
Every step toward the terrace felt like walking toward a verdict she already knew she deserved.