Chapter 88 Forever in Your Arms
Aarav carried Ira inside their home just in time for dinner. The mansion was warm, glowing under the soft lights, a contrast to the storm that had brewed inside him for days. But now, as he looked at her—safe, fragile, his—Ira was the only storm he wanted to endure.
She sat on the bed, still weak, her fingers playing with the edge of her dupatta. Her doe eyes held exhaustion, but there was something else—a silent trust, an unspoken comfort she had found in him.
"Eat," Aarav ordered, his voice firm yet gentle. He took the bowl of soup from the tray and held out the spoon to her lips. She frowned, crossing her arms.
"Aarav, I can eat on my own."
His jaw clenched. "I wasn’t asking."
Ira sighed but allowed him to feed her. With every spoonful, his eyes never left her, as if making sure she wouldn’t disappear again. She felt his fingers brush against her lips when he wiped a stray drop away, sending shivers down her spine. He ate his own meal without complaint, something he rarely did, but tonight was different. Tonight, he was with her, and he wouldn't take this moment for granted.
After dinner, the silence between them wasn’t heavy—it was comforting. He watched her get up, her bare feet padding softly against the floor as she walked toward the balcony. The rain outside had slowed to a gentle drizzle, the scent of wet earth filling the air.
Aarav followed her.
Standing behind her, he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. She gasped slightly but didn’t resist. His chin rested on her shoulder as they gazed at the world outside, the city lights twinkling against the rain-washed streets.
His breath was warm against her ear when he finally spoke.
"Ira, you know... I never needed love in my life. I saw people changing after falling in love, turning weak, desperate. The word 'love' wasn’t in my dictionary. It wasn’t meant for me." His arms tightened around her, as if holding her was the only thing keeping him standing. "But then you happened to walk into my dark life, and everything changed."
She turned her face slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of his expression. His eyes were soft yet intense, filled with something raw, something dangerous—something real.
"I don't know when, Ira," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "but you make me breathless when you're not by my side. I don’t recognize myself anymore. You’ve ruined me for anything else."
She swallowed hard, her heart hammering. "Aarav—"
"Shh," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Let me finish."
His grip on her waist tightened. "I was never scared of losing anything. I had nothing to lose. But you... you changed that. You became the only thing I can’t afford to lose. If something happens to you, I don’t think there will be anything left of me."
Ira closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the depth of his words, the sincerity in his confession.
"I never believed in fate or destiny, but if they exist, then they must have sent you to me for a reason. You weren’t meant to be just my wife, Ira. You were meant to be my salvation." He turned her around gently, cupping her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. "I was a man who never prayed, never begged. But if keeping you by my side means getting down on my knees every day, I’ll do it."
A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. He caught it with his lips. "No more tears, love. I can't bear them."
She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her with a kiss.
Slow. Deep. Claiming.
She melted into him, gripping his shirt, holding onto him as if he was the only thing anchoring her to the world. And maybe he was.
When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers. "I love you, Ira. More than I ever thought possible. And I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."
Ira let out a shaky breath, her lips parting in a soft smile. "You already have, Aarav."
The rain continued to fall outside, but in that moment, they had everything they needed—each other.
And for the first time in his life, Aarav Malhotra wasn’t afraid of love.
He had embraced it.
Because love, in the form of Ira, had embraced him first.
She turned in his arms, looking up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Aarav... you don’t even know how much you've changed me too. I used to think love was just a fairytale—something meant for others, not for me. But you—" her voice cracked with emotion— "you taught me that love isn’t about losing yourself. It’s about finding someone who makes you better, stronger. You did that for me."
His thumb brushed against her cheek, wiping away the tear that slipped down. He leaned in, capturing her lips in a slow, deep kiss, pouring all his unspoken emotions into it.
They stood there, lost in each other, the rain tapping against the glass as a witness to their love.
Later that night, as they lay in bed, she nestled against his chest, tracing patterns on his skin.
"What now, Aarav?" she whispered.
He tilted her chin up, looking into her eyes with unwavering intensity. "Now? Now, I spend every moment proving to you that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Now, I love you until my last breath."
Ira smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his chest, right above his heart. "Then, I guess I'm stuck with you forever."
He smirked, tightening his hold around her. "Damn right you are."
And with that, they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in the warmth of each other, knowing that no matter what life threw their way, they had found their forever in each other’s arms.
The End.