Chapter 57
The penthouse had never felt this silent.
Not even during the endless nights when Ayaan worked alone under dim lamps, surrounded by files and screens.
Not even in the last five months when Aayat had been far away and the place lacked her soft presence.
But tonight...
Tonight the silence felt different.
Heavier.
Sharp.
Like something was missing.
Ayaan paused outside her bedroom door. His chest felt tight as though the air had thickened around him. The clock on the hallway wall displayed 6:00 PM, and its ticking sounded louder than usual.
He lifted his hand and knocked gently.
"Aayat... mein andar aa jaaun?" he asked, voice low, hoping she'd answer.
But no voice came from inside.
No rustling.
No movement.
Nothing.
His heart fell into a sudden rhythm of panic. He knocked again, harder this time.
"Aayat?"
Still nothing.
Tension wrapped around him like a cold chain, and without another second wasted, he pushed the door open.
The room was dim-the curtains drawn, allowing only a muted blur of orange evening light to slip in. And there, on the floor beside the bed, sat Aayat.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't trembling.
She was just... still.
Her back leaned against the bed, knees pulled tightly to her chest, arms wrapped around them as though trying to hold herself together. Her eyes were fixed on something invisible in front of her, a distant point no one else could see.
And her silence...
Her silence stabbed deeper into Ayaan than her tears ever could.
He moved slowly toward her, each step careful-like approaching a fragile thing that might shatter from sudden movement. He lowered himself to the floor beside her, matching her posture, but didn't speak at first. He just sat there, giving her the space she wasn't asking for but clearly needed.
Minutes passed.
She didn't look at him.
Didn't acknowledge him.
Didn't blink more than necessary.
Eventually, he exhaled softly and said, "Kuch nahi bolo gi kya...?"
No reaction.
The silence around them deepened.
He tried again, voice gentler, almost pleading, "Please Aayat... aise chup toh mat raho yaar. Gussa kar lo... koi sawal kar lo... koi shikwa... kuch bhi. Bas aise khamosh mat raho. Tumhari khamoshi meri jaan le lay gy."
Still, she remained motionless, her gaze locked ahead.
Ayaan turned his face toward her, trying to catch even a flicker of expression. But she remained blank-emotionless in a way that terrified him.
He placed a trembling hand on her shoulder.
"Aayat... meri taraf dekho."
This time she turned.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Her eyes met his for barely a second before drifting away again.
Then, in a voice empty of emotion, she whispered, "Kya suna chahte ho tum? Mein kuch bhi keh loon... is se kya farq padega? Tumhari nazar mein.... main toh pagal hoon."
Ayaan felt something inside him twist painfully.
"Kis ne kaha ye?" he asked immediately.
He lifted his hand and placed a finger gently under her chin, guiding her face toward his. She didn't resist, but she didn't soften either. When she finally looked at him, he said quietly, intensely:
"Meri nazar mein tum kya ho, ye batanay k liye alfaz be kam pad jaye gay... aur jis din tum ye jaan jao gi na... us din aise baatein nahi karogi."
With the softest touch, he tucked the few strands of hair falling on her face behind her ear. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Kyun ke meri nazar mein... tum bohot khubsurat, Saaf dil, Zaheen, Bahadur Aur ek pak aurat ho..."
Her eyes flickered for a second before she looked away again.
"Ayaan," she murmured, voice breaking faintly, "ab in baaton se mera dil nahi bahelta. Tumhe mere samne aise acha banne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Kyun ke mere paas badlay mein tumhein dene ke liye kuch bhi nahi hai."
"Mujhe tumse kuch chahiye be nahi." he said instantly.
"Bas tum meri nazron ke samne raho. Mere liye yahi kaafi hai."
A faint, bitter smile touched her lips.
"Tumhare samne rahoon... aur tum sab kay samne mujhe pagal bana lo..."
Ayaan's eyes filled with tears-real, unhidden tears that he didn't bother wiping.
"Main Dr. Eleanor ko isliye nahi laya tha," he whispered, voice shaking, "kyun ke main tumhe pagal samajhta hoon..."
His throat tightened, and a tear broke free, slipping down his cheek.
"Main unhein isliye laya... kyun kay mein apni aayat kar raha tha.
.. kyun ke mujhe meri purani Aayat chahiye thi.
Jisse mein tang karta tha , chidhata tha, wo Mere saath hasti thi.
Mujh par bharosa karti thi..."
He paused, wiping his tears quickly.
"Par ye Aayat..."
Another breath trembled out of him.
"Ye Aayat toh mujhe apna dushman samajhti hai. "
He reached for her hand.
Surprisingly, this time... she didn't pull away.
"Aayat," he said softly, "ye jo ladki mere saamne baithi hai... ise main nahi jaanta yaar. Nahi samaj paa raha isss.... Ye bohot kamzor ladki hai."
Aayat's eyes glistened and a tear slipped silently down her cheek.
He gently wiped it away with his thumb.
"Kal office mein kya hua... mujhe nahi pata," he continued. "Par agar wahan meri Aayat hoti... tumhe maloom hai wo kya karti?"
Aayat's voice came out barely audible. "Kya?"
"She would have shown Aaliya her place," he said firmly.
"She would've come in her full AK form... puri hitler ban jati... jo haal tumne mere office ka kiya, woh haal wo Aaliya ka karti. Waha per Confidence ke saath sir utha kar khadi hoti, na kay sir jhuka kar khadi kanp rahi hoti."
Aayat swallowed hard, looking down.
"Meri Aayat sirf apnon ke liye Aayat thi.
.. bakiyon ke liye AK. Per iska matlab ye nahi hain kay wo buri thi.
Uska dil mom ki tarha tha , naram ...
Aur tumhe pata hain.
... Wo kabhi apni ami ko dhakka nahi deti.
Aur agar galti se lag bhi jata, toh foran unke paas jaati, unhein uthati, aur maafi maangti. .."
More tears slid from her eyes.
"Wo Aayat mar gayi hai, Ayaan," she whispered.
"Nahi." His voice broke but stayed firm.
"Nahi mari wo. Agar wo mar gayi hoti... toh tumhari aankhon mein aansu nahi hote."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Tumhe pata hai Aayat... jab Ramsha ki maa hospital mein thi... aur main tumse mila... tumhari ankhon mein guilt tha aur tum un k liye sach mein pareshan be thi.... Tumhein bura lag raha tha us aurat ke liye bhi... jisne tumhari zindagi barbaad ki."
Aayat's breath hitched.
"Us din... tumhare liye mere dil mein izzat aur badh gaye thi. Tum upar se sakat aur andar se naram thi."
Silence stretched between them.
"Isliye mujhe meri wo Aayat chahiye," he said.
"Isliye maine Dr. Eleanor ko bulaya. Ab dant ka masla toh nahi hain dentist ko bulata... Achanak se badalta dekh kar psychiatrist ko hi bulauga na....Taake wo tumhara ilaj kar sake."
She turned to him, startled.
Her voice trembled. "Agar main kabhi normal na hui... toh?"
Ayaan cupped her face gently.
"Mere liye sirf itna kaafi hai... tum mere paas ho. Baaki sab jaye bhaad mein."
He stood up and extended his hand toward her.
"Ek baar aur mujh par bharosa karogi? Ek last chance dogi?" he asked.
His voice cracked.
"I promise is baar nahi jaaunga. Pehli baar bhi nahi gaya tha... bas tumse mila nahi nikalte waqt. Kyun ke jaanta tha tumhe dekha toh nahi jaa paunga. Aur waha raha toh tumhare faislay ke beech aa jaunga.
Mujhe maaf kar do aayat..."
Aayat looked up at him.
Then at his hand.
Then back at him.
Slowly... hesitantly... she placed her hand in his.
Ayaan pulled her up gently.
"I promise," he whispered, holding her hand with both of his, "ab kabhi ye haath nahi chhodunga. Chahe kuch bhi ho jaye."
This time Aayat broke.
Completely.
Tears flooded down her cheeks as she stepped forward and collapsed into his arms. Her fingers clutched at the back of his shirt as though holding on for life.
"Mein... mein thak gayi hoon Ayaan..." she sobbed. "Mujhe nahi pata mujhe kya ho raha hai. Mein akeli ho gayi hoon..."
He held her tighter, one hand gently stroking her hair.
She pulled back slightly, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes.
"Jab tum chale gaye thay... mein akeli ho gayi thi. Mujhse baat karne wala koi nahi tha waha. Mujhe ye kehne wala koi nahi tha... 'meri himmat le lo agar tumhari himmat khatam ho jaye...' Wahan koi nahi tha... Koi nahi samaj paa raha tha mujhe waha...."
Her breath shook violently.
"Wo kamre ki deewaarein mujh par tang ho jati thi jaise... Mein so nahi pati thi Ayaan... andhere se dar lagne laga tha mujhe."
A hiccup broke through her crying, and he wiped her tears continuously.
She clung to him like a child complaining after days of pain.
"Mein gussa nahi karna chahti kisi par... par ho jata hai apne aap..." she cried. "Maine ami ko dhakka nahi diya tha. Bas peeche kiya tha aur wo gir gayi. Gusse mein unke paas nahi gayi. Aur kal... mujhe nahi pata mujhe kya hua... maine tumhari cheezein tod di... I'm sor-"
Ayaan placed a finger on her lips gently.
"Koi baat nahi... tumse zaroori kuch nahi hain."
"No Ayaan... aur Aaliya-" she tried again.
"Aaliya ko maine dhakka nahi diya," she continued between sobs. "Usne mujhe dhakka diya tha pehle... maine apna haath chudaya aur wo gir gayi..."
Ayaan froze.
"What?"
His voice was sharp, fierce.
"She pushed you?" he asked again.
Aayat nodded weakly. And explain everything.
He inhaled deeply, jaw tightening.
He eased her onto the bed gently, making her lie down.
"Tum araam karo. Mujhe office mein thoda kaam hai," he said softly, though his eyes burned with anger he wasn't showing to her.
He stayed beside her one more moment, brushing her hair back.
Then he stood and walked out of the room-
-but the calm on his face did nothing to hide the storm brewing inside him.