CHAPTER 15 （mahi）
The first thing I did after waking up was check my phone.
A mistake.
Three missed calls from Alina.
Seven messages.
And one voice note.
I stared at the screen.
Then at the clock.
Then back at the screen.
It was eight in the morning.
Who had this much energy at eight in the morning?
Certainly not me.
I opened the first message.
ALINA: Wake up.
The second.
ALINA: Wake up.
The third.
ALINA: If you don't wake up, I am coming there.
I sat up immediately.
The woman was fully capable of following through on that threat.
I texted her back.
Me: I'm awake. What's up? You're not exactly an early bird.
Almost immediately, three dots appeared on the screen.
Then a message arrived.
Alina: I felt bad about canceling our day out because of my husband.
Alina: So I'm planning another one.
Alina: For further details, call me.
A smile appeared on my face.
I sat up straighter and immediately pressed the call button.
The phone rang twice before she answered.
"Hello."
"So what's the plan?" I asked.
I could practically hear her smiling.
"You like snow, right?"
My smile widened.
"Of course."
"Well, unfortunately, I can't make snow fall in the middle of November."
A pause.
"So how about an ice-skating rink?"
My eyes brightened immediately.
"Ice skating?"
"Yes."
I leaned back against the headboard.
"That actually sounds fun."
"I know."
The pride in her voice made me roll my eyes.
Of course she already knew that.
"So we're going?"
"Yes."
I could already picture us spending the entire day talking, laughing, and making fun of each other.
Perfect.
Then Alina casually added,
"I'll bring my husband."
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"You'll bring who?"
"My husband."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because he wants to come."
That sounded suspicious.
Very suspicious.
"And?"
"And what?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Alina."
She sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
I knew it.
There was always a second reason.
"I need someone to carry the shopping bags."
I stared at the phone.
For several seconds.
Completely speechless.
"You are unbelievable."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"It sounded like one."
I rubbed my forehead.
Of course.
This was the real reason.
Then another thought hit me.
A dangerous one.
"Wait."
"What?"
"If your husband is coming..."
A grin immediately entered her voice.
"Yes."
"You want me to bring Aryan."
"Exactly."
I fell backward onto the bed.
Absolutely not.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because this is supposed to be a girls' day out."
"It still is."
"No."
"Yes."
I groaned.
Alina laughed.
The traitor wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.
"Mahi, relax."
"I am relaxed."
"That's a lie."
Fair.
A complete and undeniable fair point.
"So?"
I stared at the ceiling.
Then closed my eyes.
Defeat.
Pure defeat.
"Fine."
A victorious squeal nearly burst my eardrum.
"I knew you would agree!"
The call ended a few moments later.
I slowly lowered the phone.
Then looked toward the bedroom door.
A new problem immediately presented itself.
I had agreed.
Which meant I now had to ask Aryan.
And somehow...
That felt significantly harder than agreeing to the trip itself.
I took a deep breath.
Then another.
Then one more for good measure.
This was ridiculous.
I had performed surgeries.
I had handled emergencies.
I had survived medical school.
Why was I nervous about asking one man a simple question?
I silently made my way toward Aryan's study.
At the same time, I offered a small prayer to the universe.
Please let him be busy.
Please.
Let him be in an important meeting.
Or on a call.
Or solving world hunger.
Anything.
I stopped outside the door and knocked.
"Come in."
My shoulders immediately slumped.
Wonderful.
The universe hated me.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
Aryan sat behind his desk, a file open in front of him.
He looked up.
Green eyes met dark ones.
I pointed toward the file.
"Are you busy?"
"No."
The tiny bit of hope I had left shattered into a million pieces.
I wasn't giving up that easily.
I took another step forward.
"Are you sure?"
Aryan looked at me for a moment.
Then slowly closed the file.
"Yes."
A pause.
"I'm sure."
Another pause.
"Why?"
Suspicion immediately entered his voice.
I froze.
Apparently my plan had reached a major obstacle.
The obstacle being...
I had absolutely no plan.
Aryan leaned back in his chair.
Watching me.
Waiting.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
I crossed my arms.
Uncrossed them.
Then crossed them again.
His eyebrow rose.
Higher this time.
"Mahi."
"Hm?"
"You're being strange."
I gasped.
The accusation.
"I am not."
"You are."
"I am not."
His second eyebrow joined the first.
An impressive achievement.
"Mahi."
I looked at the ceiling.
Then at the bookshelf.
Then at the window.
Anywhere except at him.
A small smirk appeared on his face.
Traitor.
He knew.
He knew I wanted something.
And he was enjoying this.
Finally, I released a breath.
"Alina called."
"Okay."
"We're going out."
"Okay."
A pause.
"She invited you."
Silence.
Aryan stared at me.
I stared back.
Then he blinked.
Once.
Slowly.
"She invited me?"
I pointed a finger at him immediately.
"Not me."
"Alina."
The smirk on his face grew.
"Oh?"
I narrowed my eyes.
I already disliked where this conversation was going.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Whatever you're thinking."
Unfortunately...
The smirk only widened.
"We're leaving at two," I said, crossing my arms.
Silence.
Aryan looked at me.
I looked at him.
Inside my head, however, a completely different conversation was taking place.
Why, universe?
Why do you hate me?
Why can't you just agree once?
Why can't you create one small problem-free day?
Aryan's lips twitched.
As if he could somehow hear my thoughts.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Then he simply said,
"Okay."
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"Okay?"
He nodded.
"Okay."
I stared at him.
Waiting.
For the argument.
For the questions.
For the refusal.
For literally anything.
Nothing came.
Aryan picked up his file again.
"Meet you at two."
That was it.
That was his entire response.
I continued standing there.
Confused.
Deeply confused.
Slowly, Aryan looked up from the file.
"Why are you still here?"
My mouth opened.
Then closed.
A fair question.
Unfortunately, I didn't have an answer.
"I..."
Another pause.
"You agreed."
His eyebrow rose.
"Yes."
"Immediately."
"Yes."
The suspicion growing inside me became impossible to ignore.
Nobody agreed that quickly.
Nobody.
Especially not Aryan.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What are you planning?"
A small smirk appeared on his face.
The exact opposite of what I wanted to see.
"Nothing."
A lie.
A very obvious lie.
I pointed a finger at him.
"That face means you're planning something."
"The fact that you know what my faces mean is concerning."
I froze.
Immediately.
Aryan looked back down at his file.
Completely calm.
As if he hadn't just said that.
My brain, meanwhile, had stopped functioning.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
Without another word, I turned around and walked out of the study.
Dignity first.
Panic later.
The moment the door closed behind me, I pressed a hand against my forehead.
Two o'clock suddenly felt far too close.
==================================================================
I sat on the edge of the bed.
My eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Aryan stood in front of the mirror adjusting the cuffs of his shirt.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The man had agreed far too quickly.
No questions.
No arguments.
No negotiations.
That alone was enough to make me suspicious.
What was he planning?
More importantly...
What was his angle?
My gaze remained fixed on him.
Unblinking.
Relentless.
Aryan caught my reflection in the mirror.
A few seconds passed.
Then he sighed.
"Staring isn't a good habit, Mahi."
I immediately pointed a finger at him.
"You are not going to teach me what is good or bad."
One corner of his mouth twitched.
The audacity.
I narrowed my eyes further.
"I know you're planning something."
Aryan adjusted his watch.
Completely calm.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
I crossed my arms.
He turned around to face me.
An annoyingly innocent expression rested on his face.
A clear sign of guilt.
"I haven't done anything."
"Yet."
His eyebrow rose.
"Yet?"
"Exactly."
I stood up from the bed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like a detective closing in on a suspect.
Aryan watched me approach.
Amusement flickered in his eyes.
Another crime.
I stopped in front of him.
"Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"What you're planning."
"I'm planning to go ice skating."
"A lie."
A small laugh escaped him.
The sound immediately made me suspicious.
"See?"
I pointed at him again.
"That."
"What?"
"That laugh."
His expression became completely neutral.
Far too quickly.
Suspicious.
Extremely suspicious.
"Mahi."
"Yes?"
"You've watched too many crime shows."
I gasped.
The accusation.
Coming from him.
The man who probably investigated every employee before hiring them.
"I have not."
Aryan simply looked at me.
Silence.
I looked away first.
Unfortunately.
A victory for him.
A tragedy for me.
Then he reached past me and picked up his car keys.
"Ready?"
I frowned.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"No mysterious plan?"
"No."
"No hidden motive?"
"No."
"No secret agenda?"
"No."
I stared at him for several seconds.
Then narrowed my eyes.
"I don't believe you."
Aryan smiled.
The kind of smile that made me even more suspicious.
"Good."
And somehow...
That answer worried me more than anything.
Before I could respond, a car horn sounded outside.
Thank you, Alina.
Finally.
A distraction.
I immediately headed toward the door.
Aryan followed behind me.
The moment we stepped outside, I spotted Alina waving dramatically through the car window.
As if we hadn't seen her.
As if she wasn't the only person hanging halfway out of a luxury vehicle.
I waved back.
Mostly because I was worried she might fall out.
The car stopped in front of us.
Alina jumped out before the driver could even park properly.
"Mahi!"
I barely had time to react before she wrapped her arms around me.
I hugged her back.
"Hello to you too."
She pulled away and immediately grabbed my arm.
Then she looked me up and down.
Approving.
Good.
Apparently I had passed inspection.
Only then did her attention shift toward Aryan.
"Hello, Aryan."
Aryan nodded politely.
"Alina."
I looked toward her husband.
He was standing beside the car looking remarkably calm.
The poor man had probably spent years dealing with Alina.
At this point, nothing surprised him anymore.
"Ready?" Alina asked excitedly.
"Ready."
She clapped her hands together.
"Good."
Then she pointed toward the car.
"The boys can sit together."
My brows pulled together.
"The boys?"
"Yes."
She looked at Aryan and her husband.
Then back at me.
"The boys."
I exchanged a look with Aryan.
He looked just as confused as I felt.
Wonderful.
We were united in confusion.
Before either of us could argue, Alina dragged me toward the backseat.
"Come on."
I stumbled after her.
"Alina."
"No."
"Alina."
"No."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
"You were going to."
Fair.
That was completely fair.
A few moments later, the car pulled away from the mansion.
And for the first time all week...
I found myself smiling.
Today felt normal.
Peaceful.
Fun.
For once, there were no nightmares.
No Raj.
No family drama.
Just me.
My best friend.
And an afternoon that promised absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Which, in hindsight...
Should have been my first warning.
The moment I stepped inside the ice-skating rink, cold air hit my face.
A smile immediately appeared on my lips.
The entire rink glittered beneath bright lights.
People skated across the ice.
Children laughed.
Music played softly through the speakers.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
Beside me, Alina gasped dramatically.
"This is beautiful."
Her husband looked at her.
"It's a skating rink."
"It is a beautiful skating rink."
I snorted.
Aryan stood beside me with his hands in his pockets.
His expression remained calm.
As usual.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
Still suspicious.
Very suspicious.
"What?"
he asked.
"Nothing."
A lie.
A very obvious lie.
His eyebrow rose.
I immediately looked away.
No evidence.
No witnesses.
No crime.
Alina suddenly grabbed my wrist.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"We need skates."
Of course.
A very important detail.
A few minutes later, we were sitting on a bench changing into skating shoes.
I tied my laces quickly.
Alina, meanwhile, was struggling.
Her husband was helping her.
Traitor.
I should have brought my own assistant.
Once finished, I stood up.
Immediately.
A mistake.
My balance vanished.
The world tilted.
I sat back down.
Very gracefully.
As if I had meant to do it.
Aryan looked at me.
I looked at Aryan.
Neither of us spoke.
Unfortunately, Noor's influence had spread.
Because Alina started laughing.
Loudly.
"I didn't fall."
"You almost did."
"I said almost."
"Gravity disagrees."
I ignored her.
Completely.
Then I carefully stood up again.
This time successfully.
Victory.
I stepped onto the ice.
Immediately regretted it.
The surface was far more slippery than I remembered.
My feet moved.
Against my will.
My arms stretched out automatically.
A survival instinct.
Somewhere behind me, I heard Aryan trying—and failing—not to laugh.
I turned toward him.
"Dare."
He looked innocent.
"I didn't say anything."
"You thought it."
His lips twitched.
That was enough evidence for me.
Unfortunately, before I could continue the investigation, my foot slipped again.
And this time...
I was definitely falling.
I felt a strong hand wrap around my waist.
My breath caught.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to tilt.
Not because of the ice.
Because of him.
I looked up.
Aryan was far too close.
One arm around my waist.
The other steadying my shoulder.
His dark eyes met mine.
Neither of us moved.
Neither of us spoke.
The noise of the rink seemed to fade away.
And then—
Maula mere Maula...
My brows immediately pulled together.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Maula mere Maula?
In an ice-skating rink?
In the middle of the afternoon?
What were the chances?
Suspicion filled me instantly.
I slowly turned my head.
And found Alina standing a few feet away.
Phone in hand.
The song was blasting from her speakers.
My eyes narrowed.
Dangerously.
"Alina."
She froze.
The music continued for another second.
Then abruptly stopped.
Silence.
Her husband immediately looked away.
A man who had clearly decided not to involve himself in whatever was about to happen.
Smart.
Very smart.
Alina smiled innocently.
"What?"
I pointed at the phone.
"What was that?"
Her smile widened.
"It was a perfect moment."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
Completely unashamed.
"You were literally falling."
"I was being saved."
"Same thing."
"No."
"Yes."
I rubbed my forehead.
The headache arrived instantly.
Alina looked at Aryan.
Then at me.
Then back at Aryan.
A grin slowly spread across her face.
A dangerous grin.
One I recognized immediately.
Oh no.
She was planning something.
The realization hit me too late.
"Look at you two."
My eyes closed briefly.
No.
No.
Absolutely not.
"We are looking at nothing."
"You were staring."
"We were not."
"You were."
"We were not."
Aryan remained completely silent.
The traitor.
Not helping me at all.
Alina pointed dramatically.
"Even he isn't denying it."
I turned toward him.
"Aryan."
His lips twitched.
The beginning of a smile.
A betrayal of the highest order.
Alina gasped.
Then clutched her chest.
"Oh my God."
My stomach dropped.
"What now?"
She pointed at Aryan.
"He smiled."
I looked at her.
Then at Aryan.
Then back at her.
"Please go skate into a wall."
Her husband laughed so hard he nearly lost his balance.
And unfortunately...
Even Aryan looked amused.
Ignoring Alina completely, I pushed away from them.
The cold air brushed against my face as my skates glided across the ice.
Smooth.
Effortless.
Natural.
A smile appeared on my face.
Finally.
Something I was actually good at.
I bent my knees slightly and picked up speed.
The ice responded instantly beneath me.
For the first time since arriving, I wasn't thinking about Aryan.
Or Alina.
Or nightmares.
Or anything else.
Just the familiar feeling of skating.
The wind against my skin.
The sound of blades cutting through the ice.
Freedom.
My mind drifted back years.
Back to winter mornings.
Back to the frozen lake behind our house.
The surface would turn to glass during the coldest days of the year.
I used to spend hours there.
Sometimes alone.
Sometimes with Alina.
Falling.
Laughing.
Getting back up.
Then doing it all over again.
A soft laugh escaped me at the memory.
Those days felt so far away now.
I spun once.
Then twice.
The movement felt effortless.
Muscle memory taking over.
For a few precious moments, I forgot everything.
No responsibilities.
No expectations.
No complicated emotions.
Just me and the ice.
Across the rink, Alina's jaw dropped.
I skated past her and grinned.
"What happened?"
She pointed at me dramatically.
"You said you were rusty."
"I am."
"Mahi, if this is rusty, I don't want to know what talented looks like."
I laughed.
The sound came easier than it had in days.
As I pushed away again, my gaze briefly landed on Aryan.
He stood near the barrier.
Watching.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Not uncomfortable.
Just...
Different.
For some reason, seeing him there made me smile.
And before I could question why, I turned away and let the ice carry me forward once more.
I was gliding smoothly across the ice.
The cold air brushed against my face.
A smile rested on my lips.
I had always loved this feeling.
The freedom.
The speed.
The way everything else seemed to disappear.
For a few precious moments, there were no responsibilities.
No expectations.
No problems.
Just me and the ice.
And somehow...
That feeling reminded me of another winter.
"I don't like you one bit, Mahi!"
Aarushi's voice echoed through the room.
I froze.
The hatred on her face was impossible to miss.
My throat tightened.
I tried to stop the tears building behind my eyes.
Tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat.
Failed.
My father stepped into the room.
His brows immediately pulled together.
"What happened?"
I looked at him.
Then at Aarushi.
Then back at him.
The concern in his eyes only made everything worse.
I couldn't explain it.
Couldn't say it aloud.
So I did the only thing I knew how to do.
I ran.
"Mahi!"
I ignored him.
"Mahi, come back!"
I kept running.
The cold air hit my face the moment I stepped outside.
Snow covered the ground.
The trees.
The rooftops.
Everything.
I grabbed my scarf from the porch and hurried forward.
Away from the house.
Away from the shouting.
Away from the hurt.
The snow crunched beneath my boots.
My vision blurred.
I wiped at my eyes angrily.
I hated crying.
Especially over something I couldn't change.
The forest behind our house stood silent beneath the winter sky.
For a while, I simply walked.
No destination.
No plan.
Just putting distance between myself and the words that still echoed in my head.
I don't like you one bit, Mahi.
The words hurt more than they should have.
Maybe because they weren't new.
Maybe because part of me had already known.
Or maybe because hearing them aloud made them real.
I stopped beside the frozen lake.
The surface shimmered beneath the pale sunlight.
Beautiful.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Everything I wasn't feeling.
A shaky breath escaped me.
Then another.
Slowly, the tightness in my chest began to ease.
The lake never asked questions.
It never chose sides.
It simply existed.
And somehow...
That was enough.
A laugh pulled me back to the present.
I blinked.
The ice rink came back into focus.
The bright lights.
The music.
The people.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
Watching my reflection shimmer beneath my skates.
Then I pushed away again.
Faster this time.
Leaving the memory where it belonged.
In the past.
I stopped near the edge of the rink.
Alina had somehow convinced her husband to join her on the ice.
"Come on, hubby!" she called.
I smiled a little.
The poor man still hadn't finished putting on his skates.
I felt someone's gaze on me.
I turned.
Aryan.
"What?"
"Nothing."
A lie.
I narrowed my eyes.
He ignored me.
Instead, his hand disappeared into the pocket of his coat.
A moment later, he pulled out a pair of gloves.
I blinked.
"What are those?"
He looked at me as if I had asked the world's most ridiculous question.
"Gloves."
"Thank you, Aryan. I wasn't aware."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Then he held them out.
I stared.
My brain took a second to catch up.
"Why?"
"You forgot yours."
I immediately frowned.
"I did not."
"You did."
"No."
"Mahi."
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it again.
Because...
I couldn't actually remember where my gloves were.
His expression told me everything.
He knew.
The traitor knew.
A sigh escaped him.
"Your hands are cold."
Instinctively, I looked down.
My fingers had already turned slightly red.
I hadn't even noticed.
Aryan shook the gloves slightly.
"Take them."
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Not because of the gloves.
Because he had noticed.
Again.
The way he noticed when I was upset.
When I was lying.
When I skipped breakfast.
And now this.
I took the gloves.
"Thank you."
His gaze met mine briefly.
Then he nodded once.
As if it wasn't a big deal.
Maybe to him it wasn't.
But as I slipped the gloves on and immediately felt warmth return to my fingers...
I wasn't so sure.
Across the rink, Alina was watching us.
A grin slowly spread across her face.
Oh no.
That could not be good.
I narrowed my eyes at Alina.
Thankfully, she didn't say anything.
But that grin...
That grin meant trouble.
Experience had taught me that much.
I immediately looked away before she could start whatever plan was forming inside her head.
A wise decision.
Very wise.
I pushed away from the barrier and began skating again.
This time, Aryan matched my pace.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The only sound was the soft scrape of skates against the ice.
Then Aryan glanced at me.
"You're good at this."
A smile appeared on my face.
"Yes."
I spun lightly before falling back into step beside him.
"When I was a kid, I found a frozen lake behind our house."
His gaze shifted toward me.
Listening.
Not interrupting.
Just listening.
I continued.
"Whenever I was upset, I used to go there."
The memory surfaced easily.
Almost too easily.
"I would spend hours skating."
A small laugh escaped me.
"Sometimes my father had to come looking for me because I would completely forget the time."
The corners of Aryan's mouth lifted slightly.
I could almost picture it myself.
A younger version of me stubbornly refusing to come home.
A very accurate image.
Aryan nodded slowly.
Taking in every word.
For some reason, that made me continue.
"The lake was quiet."
I looked down at the ice beneath my skates.
"It didn't ask questions."
A pause.
"It didn't expect anything from me."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Aryan was silent for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
"So it was your hiding place."
I blinked.
The answer came too quickly.
Too accurately.
My gaze moved to him.
He wasn't looking at me.
His attention remained on the ice ahead.
As if he hadn't just understood something I hadn't even explained.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
I looked away first.
"Maybe."
His lips twitched.
The smallest hint of a smile.
As if he knew that "maybe" actually meant "yes."
Unfortunately...
He was probably right.
A strange sense of peace settled inside my chest.
Not because I was skating.
Not because I was doing something I loved.
Because Aryan was here.
The realization annoyed me immediately.
I didn't understand it.
And worse...
I didn't want to understand it.
The more I tried to ignore it, the more obvious it became.
Somehow, his presence made things quieter.
Easier.
Safer.
I hated that.
Then his phone buzzed.
The sound pulled me from my thoughts.
Aryan glanced at the screen.
His expression changed slightly.
Not enough for most people to notice.
Enough for me.
He answered the call.
"Okay."
A pause.
"I'm coming."
Suspicion immediately filled me.
Aryan ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
I looked at him.
He looked at me.
I narrowed my eyes.
He sighed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Who was it?" I asked.
"No one."
A lie.
An obvious lie.
My suspicion doubled.
"No one called you?"
"No one important."
"That's different."
Aryan rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.
A habit I had started noticing recently.
Usually when he was tired.
Or avoiding a conversation.
"I have some work."
I frowned.
"What work?"
"Business."
"What business?"
His eyebrow rose.
"Mahi."
"What?"
"I'm a CEO."
I opened my mouth.
Then immediately closed it.
A fair point.
Unfortunately, I wasn't finished.
"Then why didn't you tell me you were busy when I asked you to come today?"
Aryan released a breath.
Because apparently I was exhausting.
A completely unfair accusation.
"Because at that time, I wasn't."
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Annoyingly calm.
Annoyingly reasonable.
The worst kind of person.
A person with logic.
I hated those people.
"You're leaving?"
"A meeting came up."
I looked away.
The strange peace that had settled inside me earlier vanished so quickly it almost startled me.
Aryan noticed.
Of course he noticed.
The man noticed everything.
His gaze remained on me for a second longer.
Then he said quietly,
"You'll still be here when I'm done, right?"
I blinked.
The question surprised me.
Before I could think too much about it, I answered.
"Probably."
The corner of his mouth lifted.
"Good."
And for some reason...
That single word brought some of the peace back.