Chapter 9 Possession
"You shouldn't touch dangerous things so gently."
The words wrapped around Aarohi Mehra slowly.
Darkly.
Not flirtatious.
A warning.
But his hand still held hers tightly.
Warm.
Protective.
Possessive.
Like letting go wasn't an option his mind liked anymore.
Aarohi looked down briefly at their joined hands before meeting Ekansh Rathore's gaze again.
"And you shouldn't look this surprised when someone's kind to you."
Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
That expression again.
The one that appeared whenever she treated him normally instead of fearfully.
Before either of them could say anything else, the room door burst open.
Vivaan Khanna walked in mid-sentence—
"Boss, the warehouse—"
Then he stopped dead.
Looked at their hands.
Looked at Ekansh.
Looked back at the hands.
"...I knew it."
Ekansh's expression flattened instantly.
"Get out."
Vivaan ignored him completely.
"This is insane. Forty-eight hours ago you were threatening surgeons and now you're holding hands like a Wattpad mafia boyfriend."
Aarohi coughed suddenly to hide her laugh.
Big mistake.
Ekansh noticed immediately.
Vivaan noticed too.
"Doctor, don't encourage him. He's already obsessed."
Silence.
Then—
"What?"
Aarohi blinked.
Vivaan looked between them slowly.
"Oh God," he whispered dramatically. "You don't know."
Ekansh's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Vivaan."
"No, because this is important psychologically." Vivaan pointed accusingly. "Boss has attachment issues."
"I'll kill you."
"At least let me educate her before murdering me."
Aarohi crossed her arms now, genuinely curious despite herself.
Vivaan looked delighted, someone was finally listening.
"When boss likes something," he explained seriously, "he becomes insane about protecting it."
"Vivaan," Ekansh said softly.
That soft tone was somehow more threatening.
Vivaan ignored survival instincts bravely.
"At nineteen he liked one specific whiskey brand. A rival company insulted it once. Boss bought their entire business just to shut them down."
Aarohi stared.
Vivaan continued proudly.
"At twenty-two he liked a particular hotel suite in Dubai. Someone booked it before him."
A pause.
"He bought the hotel."
Aarohi slowly looked toward Ekansh.
"...Please tell me he's exaggerating."
"He's not," Ekansh answered calmly.
That was somehow worse.
Vivaan nodded aggressively.
"And now," he announced dramatically, "he likes you."
The room went silent.
Aarohi felt the atmosphere shift instantly.
Dangerously.
Because Ekansh didn't deny it.
Didn't laugh.
Didn't dismiss it.
Instead his eyes remained fixed directly on her.
Steady.
Intense.
Honest.
Like the answer was obvious.
A strange tension curled low in Aarohi's chest.
Not fear.
Awareness.
Then Ekansh finally spoke quietly.
"He's wrong."
Vivaan sighed in relief. "Thank God."
Ekansh's fingers tightened around Aarohi's hand slightly.
"I don't like her."
Silence.
Then—
"She calms my head."
The words landed heavily.
Raw honesty again.
No games.
No smooth manipulation.
Just the truth.
"When she leaves," he continued quietly, eyes never leaving Aarohi's face, "everything becomes loud again."
Vivaan's expression slowly lost all humor.
Because that?
That wasn't an attraction anymore.
That was dependency forming in real time.
Dangerous emotional dependency.
Aarohi understood it too.
And that's why she gently pulled her hand free.
Immediately Ekansh's jaw tightened.
Not angry.
Affected.
That reaction alone proved how attached he already was.
Aarohi kept her voice calm.
"You're associating safety with me because I helped you during a traumatic state."
Vivaan mouthed thank you silently behind her.
Professional response.
Good.
But Ekansh only watched her carefully.
"No."
"Yes."
"No." His voice remained quiet. "I've had doctors before."
That shut the room up instantly.
Because he was right.
Other people had treated him.
Other women probably existed around him too.
Yet none had affected him like this.
Aarohi tried again carefully.
"Trauma can intensify emotional attachment."
"Maybe."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"But that doesn't make it fake."
The tension between them thickened dangerously again.
Vivaan looked ready to leave the planet.
Before anyone could continue, one of the guards rushed inside urgently.
"Boss."
Instant change.
The softness disappeared from Ekansh's face immediately.
Cold.
Sharp.
Deadly.
"What?"
"The survivor escaped."
The room temperature dropped.
Aarohi physically felt it happen.
One second vulnerable patient.
Next second underworld king.
Ekansh stood from the bed despite the injuries.
Pain flashed briefly across his face.
Ignored instantly.
Vivaan cursed.
"Boss, your stitches—"
"Find him."
The guard nodded nervously and left immediately.
Aarohi stepped forward automatically.
"You shouldn't even be standing."
"I'm fine."
"You were bleeding through your bandages this morning."
"Still fine."
Typical violent idiot behavior.
Aarohi folded her arms.
"You're not leaving this hospital."
Ekansh looked at her calmly.
Then—
"Come with me."
Both Aarohi and Vivaan froze.
"What?" Aarohi asked.
"If you come, I'll stay calm."
Vivaan covered his face dramatically.
"This is not normal behavior."
But Ekansh ignored him completely.
His eyes remained on Aarohi only.
Focused.
Waiting.
Like the answer genuinely mattered.
Aarohi should've said no immediately.
Absolutely no.
This man was emotionally attaching too deeply and too fast.
But then she noticed something beneath his calm expression.
Fear.
Tiny.
Hidden carefully.
He didn't want to lose the one place his mind felt quiet.
And somehow...
That made saying no unexpectedly difficult.