Chapter 33 - When Walls Crumble
The night was supposed to be ordinary. Just another evening where Ira went through the motions—helping around the house, finishing small chores, and preparing for the next day. But fate had other plans.
When her phone rang, she picked it up without thinking, expecting her mother’s usual voice, calm and composed. Instead, she heard hesitation. A pause that made her stomach tighten.
“Ira…” her mother started, and Ira’s grip on the phone tightened.
She didn’t want to hear it. She wasn’t ready.
“Your father’s condition isn’t improving.”
It felt like someone had pulled the ground from beneath her feet. Her lips parted, but no words came out. There was a painful silence before her mother continued, her voice breaking.
“The doctors are trying, beta… but it’s not looking good.”
Ira forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat. She couldn’t afford to break—not now. Not when her mother needed her to be strong. She nodded, even though her mother couldn’t see her. “I understand,” she whispered, struggling to keep her voice even. “Just… just take care of him. I’ll figure something out.”
When the call ended, she stood frozen, the phone still pressed to her ear. Her mind screamed at her to do something, to run, to cry, to break. But she just stood there, staring at the screen as if willing the words to change.
Her father was slipping away, and there was nothing she could do.
Slowly, she turned toward the window, hugging herself tightly. The world outside was quiet, unaware of the storm raging inside her.
She sat on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as silent tears fell down her cheeks. She hated this helplessness. She hated how unfair life was.
But most of all, she hated that she had no one to lean on.
Or so she thought.
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Aarav had been working late in his study, flipping through files, when something made him pause. A strange feeling, like an unshakable restlessness, settled in his chest.
His eyes flickered toward the door. He didn’t know why, but something told him to check on Ira.
And when he did, his entire body tensed.
She was sitting by the window, curled into herself, her face buried in her arms. Even in the dim lighting, he could see her shoulders trembling. She was crying.
Aarav felt something inside him snap.
Without thinking, he stepped forward, his presence barely making a sound. But Ira must have sensed him because she quickly wiped her tears and turned away.
He clenched his jaw. He hated that she was trying to hide her pain from him.
“Ira.”
His voice was deep, quiet, but commanding enough to make her pause.
She turned her head slightly, offering him a small, weak smile. “I’m fine, Aarav,” she whispered.
A blatant lie. And it made his blood boil.
He strode toward her, crouching down so he was at eye level. His gaze softened, but his voice was firm. “Don’t do that.”
She blinked. “Do what?”
“Pretend you’re okay when you’re breaking inside.”
Ira sucked in a shaky breath, looking away. “I… I don’t want to bother you. It’s nothing, really.”
Aarav’s fingers twitched, resisting the urge to cup her face. Instead, he reached for her hand, his grip firm yet gentle. “Ira.”
The way he said her name made her chest tighten.
“I told you before—you don’t have to fight alone.” His thumb brushed against the back of her hand, sending warmth through her cold fingers. “Whatever it is, whatever’s hurting you, I want to know. I need to know.”
She looked at him then, truly looked at him, and for the first time, she saw something raw in his eyes. Concern. Anger. And something else—something deeper.
Her lips trembled. “My father… he’s not getting better.”
Aarav’s grip tightened. He knew how much her family meant to her. He had seen the way she fought for them, sacrificed for them. And now, knowing she was hurting and thinking she had to carry this pain alone—he couldn’t accept that.
His jaw clenched as he pulled her closer. His voice, deep and unwavering, sent shivers down her spine.
“You are mine, and I will never let anything happen to you or your family. Do you understand?”
Ira’s breath hitched as his possessiveness wrapped around her like an invisible force.
“From today, their problems are my problems. Their worries are my worries.” His fingers gently tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “And you, my dear wife, will never cry alone again.”
Something inside Ira broke at his words. She had always carried the weight of her family’s burdens on her shoulders, never expecting anyone to share them. But here he was, claiming them as his own.
Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, they weren’t just from sadness. They were from something else—something unfamiliar yet terrifyingly comforting.
Aarav exhaled softly, wiping her tears with his thumb, his touch impossibly gentle despite the fierce protectiveness in his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.
“Now, let’s go,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her skin. “You need something sweet after all those bitter tears.”
Ira blinked up at him in confusion. “Go where?”
Aarav smirked, standing up and pulling her to her feet. “To get ice cream.”
“At this hour?” She looked at the clock. It was past midnight.
“Exactly.” He laced his fingers through hers, his grip firm, unyielding. “No arguments.”
And so, under the quiet glow of streetlights, Ira found herself sitting in the passenger seat of Aarav Malhotra’s luxury car, holding a cup of chocolate ice cream in the middle of the night.
As she took a hesitant bite, Aarav leaned against the car, watching her with amusement. “See? This is why you should listen to me more often.”
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “You’re impossible.”
He smirked. “And you’re finally smiling. So, mission accomplished.”
Ira stared at him, her heart fluttering at the realization—he had done all of this just for her.
And for the first time in a long time, she felt safe.
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"Somewhere in this world, a writer is smiling… could it be me? Only a little tap will tell. ??"