CHAPTER 9 （mahi）
I pulled off my gloves and tossed them into the disposal bin.
Finally.
This surgery had felt endless.
I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the stiffness in my muscles.
A long operation always left me feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.
I washed my hands thoroughly before glancing at my reflection in the mirror.
Tired.
Very tired.
But alive.
Which was always a good sign.
After drying my hands, I gathered my files and reports.
The juniors assigned to the night shift were already waiting.
After a quick handover, I finally left the department.
My shift was over.
Freedom.
I stepped out of the hospital building and inhaled the cool evening air.
Then I froze.
A familiar figure stood near the railing.
Aryan.
A black suit stretched across his broad frame.
One hand rested casually in his pocket while the other held his phone.
The city lights reflected faintly against the glass behind him.
For a moment, he looked more like a magazine cover than an actual person.
Then his eyes landed on me.
He straightened immediately and adjusted his coat.
Suspicion filled me at once.
I walked toward him.
"What are you doing here?"
For weeks, I had been coming and going from the hospital.
Weeks.
He hadn't once shown up.
Hadn't asked how my day was.
Hadn't appeared out of nowhere like some mysterious businessman.
And now he was standing outside my hospital.
Waiting.
Definitely suspicious.
Very suspicious.
I stopped in front of him and narrowed my eyes.
"How was your day?"
My eyes widened.
I stared at him.
For a second, I genuinely wondered if I'd heard him correctly.
Aryan Rathore.
The man who usually communicated in short sentences and annoyed looks.
Had just asked me about my day.
Suspicion immediately intensified.
"What do you want?"
A smirk appeared on his face.
As if he had expected that exact response.
"Always straight to the point."
I narrowed my eyes.
That wasn't an answer.
Aryan adjusted his coat once more.
"We're going to a party."
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Just to make sure my ears were functioning correctly.
"A party?"
"Yes."
I stared at him.
"Who exactly is 'we'?"
His gaze moved from himself to me.
The meaning was painfully obvious.
I sighed.
Of course.
I should've known.
"I don't do parties."
His expression didn't change.
Not even slightly.
"I wasn't asking."
"I said we're going."
He opened the passenger door of his car.
"So we're going."
I stared at him.
He stared back.
A battle of wills began.
Unfortunately, Aryan appeared perfectly willing to stand there until sunrise.
I looked at the car.
Then at him.
Then at the car again.
A deep sigh escaped me.
"This feels suspiciously like kidnapping."
A corner of his mouth twitched.
"Get in the car, Mahi."
"I'd like it officially recorded that I object."
"Noted."
"You didn't note anything."
"No, I didn't."
The man wasn't even pretending anymore.
The man wasn't even pretending anymore.
Muttering complaints under my breath, I climbed into the car.
Aryan closed the door behind me.
Victory flashed across his face for half a second.
I immediately pointed at him through the window.
"Don't look so proud of yourself."
His smirk widened.
Which was answer enough.
I dropped into the passenger seat and immediately crossed my arms.
"I had a long surgery today."
Aryan started the car.
"I know."
"I'm tired."
A pause.
"I want to sleep."
Without looking away from the road, he glanced at his watch.
"It's seven in the evening."
I stared at him.
"So?"
He looked at me briefly.
I pointed a finger at him.
"Sleep doesn't magically stop existing after seven p.m."
For a second, he didn't say anything.
Then he looked at me through the rearview mirror.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
"You are my wife."
I narrowed my eyes.
That sounded suspicious already.
"I understand that you're tired."
A pause.
"But this is important."
I sighed dramatically.
"How long?"
"Three hours."
My eyes widened.
Three hours?
Three?
Not one.
Not two.
Three.
I immediately unbuckled my seatbelt and threw myself across the back seat.
"This is a hostage situation."
Aryan gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Clearly trying not to laugh.
"It is not."
"It absolutely is."
I stretched out completely.
Three hours.
Three whole hours.
People could complete entire surgeries in that time.
Aryan finally failed to hide his amusement.
A small smirk appeared on his face.
"Don't worry."
I looked at him suspiciously.
"First, you have to change."
That sounded even worse.
"Then it'll be fine."
I sat up immediately.
Crossed my arms again.
And glared at him.
"You keep saying things will be fine."
"Yes."
"They never are."
This time, he actually laughed.
A short laugh.
Barely there.
But enough to make me stare at him.
The sound disappeared as quickly as it came.
As if it had escaped by accident.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I filed that information away for future investigation.
The car engine died as we pulled into the mansion's garage.
Finally.
I pushed open the door and stepped out.
My entire body ached.
After a long surgery and a forced party invitation, all I wanted was a bed.
Unfortunately, life rarely cared about what I wanted.
Aryan walked ahead while I followed him toward the entrance.
The moment I stepped inside, I froze.
Interesting.
Noor and Kavya were already sitting in the living room.
Clearly waiting.
Noor was wearing a soft pink dress that shimmered whenever she moved.
The glitter scattered across the fabric caught the light beautifully.
She looked adorable.
Like a walking fairy.
Beside her sat Kavya.
Her dark blue dress hugged her figure perfectly.
Tiny crystals sparkled across the material.
The deep neckline immediately caught attention
Which, judging by the design, was probably the point.
Kavya noticed me first.
A smile appeared on her face.
I smiled back.
Politely.
Respectfully.
Completely fake.
The kind of smile that existed solely because society expected it to.
For a second, neither of us looked away.
Then Noor jumped to her feet.
"Mahi!"
Relief immediately filled me.
Thank God.
A normal person.
At least someone in this house greeted people without hidden agendas.
A genuine smile appeared on my face when I looked at Noor.
Unlike the smile I had given Kavya.
This one was real.
"You look beautiful."
Noor immediately brightened.
"Really?"
She stood up and twirled.
The skirt of her pink dress flared around her.
I laughed softly.
"Really."
Her smile widened.
"Thank you!"
Then she pointed at me dramatically.
"Now I'm waiting to see your dress."
I placed a hand over my heart.
"I won't keep you waiting."
Noor nodded in satisfaction.
Mission accomplished.
I made my way upstairs.
A few moments later, I pushed open the bedroom door.
And froze.
Aryan was standing inside.
A dress rested over one arm.
The moment he saw me, he held it out.
"You'll wear this."
I took the dress from him.
It was green.
Elegant.
Expensive.
Beautiful.
There wasn't a single flaw in it.
I looked up at him.
"Okay."
His eyebrows rose slightly.
"Okay?"
I nodded.
"Now get out."
A pause.
"I need to change."
Then I pointed toward the door.
"And wait downstairs."
To his credit, he didn't argue.
He simply handed over the dress and walked out.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Immediately, I locked it.
Then I looked at the green dress.
Beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
I placed it carefully inside the wardrobe.
And closed the door.
No.
I was already being forced to attend a party.
There was no chance I was letting someone else decide what I wore too.
I opened another section of the wardrobe.
I quickly slipped into the dress.
The moment I turned toward the mirror, a smile tugged at my lips.
Okay.
This was worth it.
The wine-red silk hugged my figure perfectly.
The elegant neckline wasn't too revealing, yet it somehow made the entire dress look sophisticated.
A subtle slit ran along one side, allowing easy movement without taking away from its elegance.
The silk shimmered softly beneath the lights.
For the first time since leaving the hospital, some of my exhaustion disappeared.
I looked good.
Really good.
I sat down at the vanity table and began styling my hair.
Open.
Definitely open.
After a few minutes, I leaned back and examined my reflection.
A satisfied smile appeared on my face.
Thank God.
Today was a good hair day.
My hair was actually cooperating for once.
A rare and beautiful event.
A rare and beautiful event.
I wasn't in the mood for heavy makeup.
So I kept it simple.
Moisturizer.
A touch of eyeliner.
Curled lashes.
And my favorite red lipstick.
Done.
Simple.
Elegant.
Effective.
I stood up and looked at myself one last time.
The dress.
The hair.
The makeup.
Everything worked perfectly together.
"Beautiful."
I nodded at my reflection.
"I agree."
Confidence was important.
Self-appreciation was healthy.
And if nobody else was going to compliment me first, I could do it myself.
Satisfied with my work, I grabbed my phone and quickly snapped a picture.
A few seconds later, I sent it to Alina.
Knowing her, she would either compliment me—
Or accuse me of trying to give people heart attacks.
Possibly both.
I made my way toward the stairs.
Halfway down, my phone buzzed.
A message from Alina.
A smile immediately appeared on my face.
I opened the chat.
If looking beautiful was a crime...
A pause.
...you'd be sentenced to life imprisonment.
A laugh escaped me.
Typical Alina.
I quickly typed back.
Enough. I already know I'm beautiful.
Her reply appeared almost instantly.
That confidence should be studied by scientists.
Still smiling, I slipped my phone into my clutch and continued downstairs.
The living room came into view.
Kavya and Noor were sitting together on one sofa.
Aryan sat alone on another, scrolling through his phone.
The first person to notice me was Kavya.
Her gaze swept over me from head to toe.
Slow.
Evaluating.
Calculating.
I pretended not to notice.
The sound of my heels against the stairs seemed loud enough to attract everyone's attention.
Noor looked up.
The moment she saw me, her face lit up.
Meanwhile, Aryan finally raised his head from his phone.
And froze.
I nearly missed it.
Nearly.
But I saw it.
The brief pause.
The slight softening in his eyes.
Gone so quickly that I might have imagined it.
A second later, his usual unreadable expression returned.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Noor immediately jumped to her feet.
"Bhabhi!"
She hurried over.
"You look gorgeous."
A genuine smile appeared on my face.
"Thank you."
Then my gaze drifted toward Kavya.
She was still staring.
I resisted the urge to wave.
Slowly, my eyes moved to Aryan.
A thought crossed my mind.
A wonderfully petty thought.
After all, he had picked an entirely different dress.
I tilted my head.
And asked deliberately,
"How do I look?"
Silence.
Noor looked between us.
Kavya suddenly seemed very interested in the answer.
Aryan held my gaze for a moment.
Then said simply,
"Beautiful."
No hesitation.
No teasing.
No sarcasm.
Just one word.
Beautiful.
For some reason, that answer caught me off guard.
Not because of what he said.
But because he sounded like he meant it.
I hadn't really been expecting that answer.
Beautiful.
Simple.
Direct.
No teasing.
No sarcasm.
Just beautiful.
For some reason, that made it harder to respond.
Before I could think of something clever to say, Aryan adjusted his coat and stood.
"Let's go."
His eyes met mine briefly.
Then he started walking toward the entrance.
Coward.
I followed behind him.
The moment we reached the front door, he stepped ahead and pulled it open.
Then he gestured dramatically.
"Lady."
I eyed him suspiciously.
He looked completely serious.
I rolled my eyes.
Then got into the car anyway.
A few moments later, he slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
As the car pulled away from the mansion, a thought occurred to me.
I looked over my shoulder.
"Noor and Kavya?"
Aryan kept his focus on the road.
"Ekaansh is bringing them."
I frowned.
"Why do we need two cars?"
A sigh escaped him.
The kind that suggested he had already predicted this conversation.
"I don't want Kavya near you."
Confusion immediately filled me.
I turned toward him.
"Why?"
For the first time since we left the mansion, Aryan glanced at me.
"Because she's Avni's daughter."
I blinked.
"That's your explanation?"
"Yes."
I stared.
Waiting for more.
Nothing came.
"That's not an explanation."
"It is."
"No, it isn't."
Aryan tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
Then finally said,
"Mahi."
A pause.
"I've spent years dealing with Avni."
Another pause.
"And I've spent years dealing with Kavya."
His eyes returned to the road.
"Trust me."
The seriousness in his voice surprised me.
Aryan wasn't someone who wasted words.
If he was saying this, he genuinely meant it.
Still...
I crossed my arms.
"You're being dramatic."
Aryan laughed.
Actually laughed.
A short sound.
Barely audible.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
Something about the certainty in his voice made me narrow my eyes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Apparently, I wasn't the only person investigating people anymore.
After a few minutes of silence, Aryan spoke.
"Why didn't you wear the dress?"
I turned toward him.
"What dress?"
"The green one."
Oh.
That dress.
I looked down at my wine-red dress.
Then back at him.
"Is this one not good?"
For a brief moment, his grip tightened on the steering wheel
Then he said,
"No."
I blinked.
My eyebrows immediately rose.
"No?"
A corner of his mouth twitched.
"I meant no, that's not the problem."
A pause.
"It's beautiful."
For some reason, that answer made me look away.
I glanced down at myself.
Then another thought occurred to me.
"Is it too revealing?"
Aryan looked at me.
Really looked at me.
For a second.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
I waited.
He continued driving.
Silence stretched between us.
Then he added,
"You can wear whatever you want."
I blinked.
His gaze remained fixed on the road.
"I know how to protect you."
For a moment, everything inside me froze.
The car.
The road.
The city lights.
Everything faded into the background.
Butterflies.
A horrifying amount of butterflies.
Flying.
Everywhere.
In my stomach.
I immediately looked straight ahead.
Absolutely not.
No.
No, thank you.
I refused.
I mentally grabbed a spray bottle.
The strongest pesticide available.
Those butterflies were getting evicted immediately.
Aryan, completely unaware of the crisis unfolding beside him, continued driving.
Meanwhile, I was fighting for my life.
A few moments later, another massive mansion came into view.
I stared at it.
Then stared some more.
I was officially tired of rich people and their obsession with enormous houses.
How many rooms did one person need?
A hundred?
Two hundred?
The car rolled to a stop in front of the entrance.
Before I could reach for the handle, a chauffeur opened the door for me.
I stepped out and adjusted my dress.
The evening breeze brushed against my skin.
For a moment, I simply looked at the mansion.
Huge.
Predictably.
Beside me, Aryan adjusted the sleeves of his suit.
Then he started walking toward the entrance.
I followed behind him.
The sound of my heels echoed softly against the stone pathway.
Everything was going perfectly.
Until it wasn't.
Without warning, Aryan stopped.
I walked straight into his back.
My nose collided with what felt like a brick wall disguised as a human being.
"Ow."
He immediately turned around.
I glared at him.
"What are you doing?"
Aryan blinked.
"What?"
"Why did you stop like that?"
I rubbed my nose dramatically.
"Do you enjoy creating traffic accidents?"
For a second, he simply stared at me.
Then he closed his eyes.
A brief sigh escaped him.
"Okay."
I crossed my arms.
"Okay what?"
"My mistake."
I paused.
Aryan Rathore had admitted fault.
Voluntarily.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I lifted my chin.
Then nodded graciously.
"Accepted."
His eyes opened.
Unfortunately for him, I was already trying not to smile.
Aryan looked like he regretted apologizing immediately.
Which only made the situation better.
"Can we go inside now?" he asked.
"Yes."
Aryan stopped near the entrance and offered me his arm.
I looked at him.
Then at his arm.
Then back at him again.
He raised an eyebrow.
"We're a married couple."
Oh.
Right.
Appearances.
I nodded and slipped my hand through his arm.
Immediately, I noticed the difference.
His skin was warm.
Mine was not.
Together, we started walking toward the entrance.
After a few steps, Aryan glanced down at me.
"Are you cold?"
I frowned.
"No."
His gaze briefly dropped to where my hand rested against his arm.
"Then why is your hand freezing?"
I looked at my hand.
Then at him.
Then shrugged.
"I'm always cold."
A pause.
"So don't worry."
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
His eyes lingered on me as if trying to decide whether he believed that answer.
Then he looked away.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Most people accepted my answer immediately.
Aryan didn't seem convinced.
Unfortunately for him, it was the truth.
I had always been cold.
Winter.
Summer.
Rain.
It didn't matter.
My hands were usually freezing.
And judging by the look on his face, he had just added that information to whatever mental file he was secretly keeping on me.
Which was mildly concerning.
I ignored the look he gave me.
Unfortunately, the moment I looked around, I regretted it.
People.
So many people.
Everywhere.
Talking.
Laughing.
Socializing.
My social anxiety immediately woke up and chose violence.
This was exactly why I avoided parties.
Hospitals were easier.
Patients were easier.
Even surgeries were easier.
At least unconscious people didn't try to make small talk.
Without realizing it, my grip tightened on Aryan's sleeve.
He glanced down.
Then at me.
"Are you okay?"
I looked at him.
"Yes."
A pause.
"Extraordinarily."
His expression remained completely blank.
Which meant he didn't believe me at all.
Wonderful.
We eventually stopped near the bar.
Aryan picked up a glass from a passing waiter and handed it to me.
"It'll help."
I looked at the drink.
Then at him.
Then back at the drink.
"I don't drink."
His eyebrows rose slightly.
"No?"
"No."
A pause.
Then I lowered my voice.
"For public safety."
Aryan blinked.
"What?"
I sighed dramatically.
"If I drink, I become extroverted."
Silence.
Aryan stared at me.
I stared back.
"It happens very fast."
"How fast?"
I thought about it.
"A blink."
His mouth twitched.
"I don't believe you."
I pointed a finger at him.
"That's exactly what Alina said."
"And?"
"And I spent the next two hours talking to complete strangers."
Aryan looked amused.
"That sounds normal."
"It is not normal."
"It is."
"It absolutely isn't."
I placed the glass back onto the tray of a passing waiter.
"I value my dignity."
Aryan finally laughed.
A short laugh.
The kind he always seemed surprised to make around
Meanwhile, I looked around the room again.
Still too many people.
Still overwhelming.
Without thinking, my hand found his sleeve again.
This time, neither of us mentioned it.