Chapter 19 Stay
The room felt unbearably quiet after his confession.
"I love you."
Ekansh Rathore watched Aarohi Mehra carefully, like his entire world depended on her next words.
And maybe it did.
Aarohi could physically see the fear behind his calm expression now.
Not fear of rejection alone.
Fear of abandonment.
Fear that loving someone automatically meant losing them eventually.
Then suddenly he spoke again.
Fast.
Almost breathless.
"If you think I'm unstable, I'll do treatment."
Aarohi frowned slightly.
"Ekansh—"
"No, listen."
His voice became rougher.
More desperate.
"I'll take restraints if needed."
Her heart dropped instantly.
"I'll take injections."
"Stop."
"I'll do anything, even those ECT sessions"
The panic in his voice made her chest ache.
Because he genuinely believed she might leave if he wasn't fixed enough.
His breathing started becoming uneven now.
Too fast.
His hands trembling slightly.
Hyperventilating.
Aarohi immediately moved closer.
"Ekansh, breathe slowly."
But he kept talking over her desperately.
"You said this attachment is unhealthy, fine, I'll change it—"
"You don't need to change for me."
"Yes I do!"
The sharpness in his voice cracked painfully halfway through.
"I know I'm messed up."
Silence.
Heavy.
Raw.
"I know normal people don't stand in rain for six hours." His breathing shook again. "I know this isn't normal."
Aarohi's chest tightened painfully.
"Ekansh—"
"But don't go." His voice broke completely now. "Please."
That single word nearly shattered her.
Because this terrifying man—
this feared mafia lord—
looked absolutely terrified right now.
Not of violence.
Not of enemies.
Of losing her.
His breaths became sharper again.
His trauma response spiraling rapidly.
Aarohi immediately cupped his face gently.
"Look at me."
His eyes found hers instantly.
Focused only on her.
"You are not crazy."
His breathing still shook.
"You are traumatized."
A pause.
"Huge difference."
The words visibly hit him.
Aarohi kept her voice soft and steady.
"You don't need restraints."
His jaw tightened weakly.
"You don't need ECT."
A faint tremor crossed his expression at the memory.
"You don't need people forcing needles into you because you feel too much."
One tear escaped his eyes silently.
Aarohi's own chest hurt now.
"You know what you needed all these years?"
He looked at her helplessly and whispered meekly.
"What?"
"Someone who stayed."
The room went completely still.
His breathing slowly faltered softer now instead of panicked.
Aarohi moved even closer carefully.
"You were an angry, traumatized boy surrounded by cruel people."
Another tear slipped down his face.
"You didn't need punishment."
Her thumb brushed gently beneath his eye.
"You needed emotional safety."
Something inside him visibly cracked at those words.
No one had ever framed his pain that way before.
Not violent.
Not unstable.
Wounded.
Aarohi wrapped her arms around him slowly.
And for one second—
Ekansh froze completely.
Like he still couldn't believe softness belonged to him.
Then suddenly he held her back tightly.
Desperately.
His face buried against her shoulder as his breathing finally began calming properly.
Aarohi gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"I'm not leaving."
The sentence broke him completely.
A shaky breath left him.
"You promise?"
The vulnerability in those two words hurt unbearably.
Aarohi held him tighter.
"I promise."
Silence filled the room again.
But this time it felt warm.
Safe.
And slowly, very slowly, Ekansh relaxed fully in her arms.
Like his body was finally understanding rest for the first time in years.
Then Aarohi pulled back slightly just enough to look at him.
His eyes looked red from emotion.
But calmer now.
Soft in a way she had never seen before.
And then—
He smiled.
Small.
Real.
Completely unguarded.
Aarohi froze.
Because suddenly he didn't look terrifying at all.
He looked beautiful.
Broken and beautiful and finally breathing.
Ekansh noticed her staring slightly.
"What?"
Her voice came out softer than intended.
"You smiled."
A strange expression crossed his face.
Almost confused.
Then quietly—
"I don't think I've done that since my mother died."
The sentence hit her straight in the heart.
Before she could respond, Ekansh lifted one hand slowly toward her face.
Careful.
Giving her enough time to move away.
His voice stayed low.
"Can I kiss you?"
No force.
No assumption.
Just permission.
Aarohi looked at him for one long second.
Then finally—
She nodded softly.
And Ekansh kissed her like she was something precious.
Not aggressively.
Not hungrily.
Just slow warmth and trembling relief.
Like after years of surviving darkness—
he had finally found home.