chapter 56 - The Wounds They Can't See
The restaurant was breathtaking. The whole place was booked for them. The lights were dim, soft music playing in the background. It was perfect.
Except for the storm in Ira’s mind.
They sat across from each other, and for a while, everything felt normal.
Aarav watched her, amused. "You’re unusually quiet tonight, Mrs. Malhotra."
Ira forced a smile. "Just… thinking."
Aarav reached for her hand. "Don’t think. Just be here with me."
Ira stared at their intertwined fingers, her throat tightening. Be here? With him? In this illusion?
She looked up at him, her heart pounding.
"Aarav… what happens after?"
His smile faltered. "After what?"
Ira swallowed. "After the contract ends."
Silence.
Aarav pulled his hand back, his entire body tensing. "Why are we talking about this?"
Ira let out a bitter laugh. "Because we pretend like it doesn’t exist."
Aarav sighed, rubbing his temple. "Ira, why ruin the night with this?"
"Ruin it?" she whispered. She clenched her jaw, voice sharp. "What ruins everything, Aarav, is that no matter how much you kiss me, touch me, or hold me, it’s all under a damn contract."
Aarav’s patience cracked. "That’s what you think this is? A contract?"
Ira scoffed. "Isn’t it?"
Aarav leaned forward, his voice dark. "Then tell me, Ira. Why do you hold me every night like I’m the only thing keeping you alive? Why do you shiver when I kiss you? Why do you let me touch you like you’re mine?"
Ira’s heart slammed against her chest.
But she wasn’t going to lose this fight.
She laughed, but it was empty. "You think you’re the only one with questions? Then tell me, Aarav, why do you hold me like I belong to you? Why do you kiss me like I’m your last breath? Why do you look at me like I’m your whole damn world?"
Aarav’s breathing turned ragged. "Because you are."
Ira’s heart stopped. But before she could process his words, he continued.
"But you don’t want the truth, do you, Ira? You just want to fight."
She clenched her fists, her voice shaking. "No, I want answers!"
Aarav slammed his glass down, his eyes burning with fury. "Fine! You want answers? You think I touch you because of a contract? Then why do you let me? Why do you kiss me back like you’ll die without it? Why do you look at me like I’m your everything?"
Ira’s eyes burned with unshed tears. "Because I love you, you arrogant bastard! I love you! And it kills me that I’m nothing to you!"
Aarav froze.
The world stopped.
She loved him. She loved him.
His entire body went stiff, his heart pounding so loudly it echoed in his ears.
But he couldn’t say it back.
He clenched his fists, voice hoarse. "And that’s your mistake, Ira. Not mine."
Ira shattered.
Aarav saw it—the way her soul broke in front of him. And it killed him. But he had no choice.
Because if he let himself love her, he’d lose her.
Ira laughed, but it was hollow. "I see. So it was just a mistake?"
Aarav clenched his jaw. "Yes."
Ira’s heart crumbled into dust.
She stood up, grabbing her purse. "Then let me fix my mistake."
Aarav felt panic rise in his chest. "Ira—"
She turned to him, her eyes filled with pain. "I hate you."
Aarav’s breath caught. But before he could stop her, she walked away.
For the first time in his life, Aarav Malhotra had everything he wanted in front of him… and he let it go.
Ira turned away, her heels clicking against the floor, her body trembling with the weight of her own words.
"I hate you."
Aarav had been stabbed before—but never like this.
His entire body went cold, his fingers twitching with the urge to grab her, to pull her back, to tell her—damn it, just stay!
But he didn’t.
Instead, he let the venom of her words sink in, burning through him.
And maybe it was the alcohol in his blood, or maybe it was the self-destructive part of him that had always chased pain, but he found himself laughing bitterly.
"Yeah?" His voice was dark, mocking. "Then why are you crying, Ira?"
She froze.
Aarav stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. He took slow, deliberate steps toward her until he was right behind her. His voice dropped, soft but sharp enough to cut through skin.
"If you hate me so much, why do you look like you’re about to break?"
Ira hated him. Hated the way he could see through her. Hated the way her body still shivered when he was near.
She hated that she loved him.
And maybe it was the pain, the anger, or the cruel irony of it all, but she turned around, lifting her chin, meeting his gaze with burning defiance.
"Because I finally see you for what you are, Aarav." She took a step closer, her voice turning sharp, slicing through him. "A coward."
Aarav’s jaw clenched. "Careful, Ira."
"No." Her voice shook, but she didn’t stop. "You’re a coward because you feel everything, but you refuse to admit it. You hold me, you kiss me, you whisper my name in your sleep like I belong to you, and the moment I ask what it means—you run."
Aarav’s fingers curled into fists. She was right. And that made it worse.
"Run?" His voice was a quiet storm. "No, Ira. You’re the one who keeps running." He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. **"Every time I touch you, you don’t pull away. Every time I kiss you, you don’t stop me. Every time I look at you like you’re mine—you drown in it. But the moment I don’t say the words you want to hear, you walk away."
Ira’s breath hitched. She felt exposed.
Aarav’s eyes darkened as he tilted his head, watching her. "Tell me, Ira," he murmured, his voice dangerous. "Did you ever really want my love, or just my confession?"
Ira snapped.
She shoved him back, her voice breaking. "I wanted the truth, Aarav!"
Aarav’s lips curled into a cruel smirk. "The truth? You want to know why I hold you at night? Why I can’t stop touching you? Why I kiss you like I’ll die without it?"
Ira’s hands trembled. "Yes."
Aarav stepped closer, invading her space, his voice deadly.
"Because it’s the only way I can shut you up."
Ira’s heart stopped.
Silence.
Aarav saw it—the way his words killed her. The way something in her broke beyond repair.
And he felt it too. The sharp, unbearable pain of watching the only person who ever loved him truly turn to dust in front of him.
Ira swallowed the lump in her throat, her entire body shaking. "You know what, Aarav?" She laughed—empty, hollow, dead. "You win. You don’t love me? Fine. You kiss me to shut me up? Fine. You hold me like you’ll break without me but pretend it means nothing? Fine."
Aarav opened his mouth, but Ira stepped back, cutting him off.
"But don’t you dare—don’t you dare—come near me again and act like you care."
Aarav’s breath was ragged. His chest tightened.
"Ira—"
She shook her head. "No. You don’t get to touch me. You don’t get to look at me. You don’t get to make me feel like I’m everything to you and then call it a damn mistake."
Aarav felt like he couldn’t breathe.
Ira turned, her vision blurred with tears she refused to shed.
She walked away, each step feeling like she was leaving a piece of herself behind.
Aarav watched her go, his fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his skin.
And when the door closed behind her, when he was finally alone—he broke.