Bound by mistake

CHAPTER 17 （mahi）

The moment I heard the guest room door close, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Good.

He had finally stopped knocking.

I adjusted my blanket and settled deeper into the bed.

Victory.

A well-deserved victory.

He deserved it.

Completely.

Absolutely.

One hundred percent.

My phone rested on the bedside table.

I glanced at it.

No new messages.

Good.

I didn't care.

Not at all.

I turned onto my side and closed my eyes.

Sleep.

That was the plan.

Unfortunately, my brain had other ideas.

The ice-skating rink.

The gloves.

The way he had left without arguing.

The way he had said he'd come back.

My eyes opened.

Annoying.

Very annoying.

I flipped onto my back and stared at the ceiling.

A few seconds passed.

Then a minute.

Then another.

Still awake.

Wonderful.

I sat up and grabbed my pillow.

Then immediately stopped.

The guest room was directly across the hallway.

If I threw the pillow hard enough...

No.

Absolutely not.

I placed it back down.

Dignity first.

Always.

A smile threatened to appear on my face.

I quickly buried it beneath the blanket.

No smiling.

He had forgotten to text.

He deserved punishment.

A proper punishment.

Still...

A small voice in the back of my mind whispered something inconvenient.

He came home immediately after the meeting.

I ignored it.

And he apologized.

Ignored.

And he admitted he was wrong.

Ignored.

And he didn't argue when you locked him out.

I pressed the pillow over my face.

Traitorous thoughts.

All of them.

Eventually I lowered the pillow and looked toward the door.

The room felt strangely quiet.

Too quiet.

I frowned.

The realization arrived before I could stop it.

For the last few weeks, I had gotten used to another presence in the room.

The sound of pages turning.

A phone notification.

A quiet conversation.

Something.

Now there was nothing.

The realization annoyed me immediately.

I turned over and pulled the blanket higher.

"You're impossible, Aryan Rathore."

The room offered no response.

Probably because he was across the hallway.

Exactly where he belonged.

A yawn escaped me.

My eyelids grew heavier.

Slowly, the thoughts began to fade.

And just before sleep finally claimed me, one final thought drifted through my mind.

Maybe I'll let him back into the room tomorrow.

A pause.

Maybe.

Then darkness took over.

And somewhere across the hallway...

The guest room remained occupied by a very confused mafia boss.

I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket higher.

No.

Absolutely not.

I was not letting him back into the room.

Not today.

He had made a mistake.

A big one.

And he needed to realize that.

I folded my arms beneath the blanket.

He could sleep in the guest room.

One night wouldn't kill him.

Maybe it would teach him a lesson.

A simple text.

That was all he had needed to do.

One message.

One.

Instead, he disappeared for hours.

Hours.

I frowned at the ceiling.

What was I supposed to think?

That everything was fine?

That he was safe?

That nothing had happened?

The idiot.

A small part of me felt guilty.

Very small.

Microscopic.

I ignored it immediately.

No.

He deserved it.

Completely.

My gaze shifted toward the door.

He knew I had a nightmare.

He knew it had shaken me.

The memory surfaced instantly.

The dream.

The gunshot.

The fear.

The feeling of helplessness.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

No.

Don't think about it.

But my mind ignored me.

What if it wasn't just a dream?

What if something had happened?

What if he had been hurt?

What if—

I sat up immediately.

Enough.

I hated this.

I hated how my brain kept creating impossible situations.

He was fine.

Obviously.

He had come home.

He had been standing right outside this room.

Annoying me.

Knocking on the door.

Being completely alive.

I released a slow breath.

See?

Everything was fine.

Still...

My eyes drifted toward my phone.

Then away.

Then back again.

No.

I wasn't checking if he had messaged me.

Absolutely not.

I grabbed the pillow and buried my face in it.

Why was I even thinking about him?

He was sleeping perfectly fine in the guest room.

Hopefully.

Actually...

No.

Hopefully he was uncomfortable.

Just a little.

A tiny bit.

Enough to remember to text next time.

The thought made me feel better.

Much better.

I settled back against the mattress.

Tomorrow.

I would continue being angry tomorrow.

Tonight, however, sleep was finally beginning to win.

My eyelids grew heavier.

And the last thought that crossed my mind before drifting off was—

Next time, just send a text, idiot.

Then sleep finally claimed me.

Sleep refused to come.

I tossed.

Turned.

Closed my eyes.

Opened them again.

Nothing worked.

Finally, I sat up.

A sigh escaped me.

What would he be doing?

Was he sleeping?

Was he even warm enough?

I immediately frowned.

No.

I wasn't worried.

I was a doctor.

Doctors checked on people.

That was completely normal.

Perfectly reasonable.

A voice in my head disagreed.

You are the one who sent him there.

I ignored it.

Then ignored it again.

Eventually, I lost the argument.

With myself.

Grabbing my blanket tighter around my shoulders, I stepped out of the room and quietly made my way down the hallway.

The guest room door stood slightly open.

I carefully pushed it wider.

A burst of cold air immediately touched my skin.

I shivered.

"What on earth..."

The room felt like a freezer.

My eyes narrowed.

The idiot hadn't even turned on the heater.

Of course he hadn't.

I stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind me.

The heater sat untouched in the corner.

One press of a button later, it hummed to life.

Much better.

Only then did I look toward the bed.

Aryan was asleep.

Or at least I hoped he was.

The blanket barely covered half his body.

I stared at him.

Then at the blanket.

Then back at him.

Unbelievable.

How had this man survived adulthood?

A breath escaped me.

"Stupid kid."

The words came out softer than intended.

Carefully, I stepped closer.

Then gently pulled the blanket higher.

Covering his shoulders.

Immediately improving his chances of surviving the night.

You're welcome.

For a moment, I simply stood there.

Watching to make sure he didn't wake up.

His face looked different when he slept.

Calmer.

Less guarded.

No sharp remarks.

No impossible expressions.

No infuriating logic.

Just quiet.

My gaze drifted to the faint crease between his brows.

Even in sleep, it remained.

As if he spent too much time thinking.

Too much time carrying things alone.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

One I didn't examine.

Because examining feelings never ended well.

Instead, I folded my arms.

My eyes scanned the room.

A frown immediately appeared on my face.

No water.

Not even a single glass.

I looked at the bedside table again.

Then at Aryan.

Then back at the empty table.

A sigh escaped me.

"Why are you so careless, Aryan?" I muttered softly.

The man got thirsty every night.

Every.

Single.

Night.

It didn't matter whether it was summer or winter.

There was always water beside his bed.

Always.

And tonight?

Nothing.

Unbelievable.

I quietly stepped out of the room and made my way downstairs.

The mansion was completely silent.

Only the ticking of a distant clock could be heard.

I entered the kitchen and filled a jug with water.

The moment it was full, I paused.

Actually...

This probably wasn't enough.

Aryan drank ridiculous amounts of water.

I narrowed my eyes at the jug.

Then shook my head.

No.

Today he was being punished.

This was enough.

More than enough.

He should be grateful.

Balancing the jug carefully, I made my way back upstairs.

The guest room felt much warmer now.

Good.

At least the heater was doing its job.

I walked toward the bedside table and placed the jug down.

Click.

The small sound seemed unusually loud in the quiet room.

Satisfied, I looked toward the bed.

Aryan hadn't moved.

He was still asleep.

The tension I usually saw in his face was gone.

His features looked calmer.

Peaceful.

Almost younger.

A memory surfaced without warning.

His smile at the ice rink.

The rare one.

The genuine one.

The one that reached his eyes.

A small smile appeared on my lips.

Without permission.

Without warning.

My eyes widened immediately.

I froze.

Completely.

Absolutely.

Frozen.

Mahi.

No.

My hand flew to my mouth.

Why was I smiling?

What was there to smile about?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I looked at Aryan.

Then quickly looked away.

No.

This was dangerous.

I looked at him.

My brows pulled together.

"What are you doing to me, Aryan Rathore?" I whispered.

The words escaped before I could stop them.

Immediately, I regretted it.

A dangerous sentence.

A very dangerous sentence.

I straightened and turned toward the door.

Retreat.

That was the plan.

A strategic retreat.

One step.

Then another.

Almost there.

"Mahi."

I froze.

Completely.

My eyes widened.

Very slowly, I turned around.

Aryan was awake.

Of course he was.

Because the universe hated me.

A familiar smirk rested on his face.

The annoying one.

The one I wanted to erase permanently.

He shifted slightly against the pillow.

Dark eyes locked onto mine.

Then he said—

"Thank you."

Silence.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

Neither of us moved.

Then I pointed toward the heater.

Immediately.

"That was for the room."

Aryan's smirk grew.

I pointed toward the blanket.

"You were sleeping without it."

The smirk grew again.

A tragedy.

I pointed toward the water jug.

"You get thirsty."

The smirk became unbearable.

Absolutely unbearable.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"That."

A pause.

"The smirking."

His eyes sparkled with amusement.

Wonderful.

Just wonderful.

"Mahi."

"No."

"You came back."

"No."

His eyebrow rose.

I realized my mistake instantly.

Unfortunately...

It was too late.

"You didn't?"

"No."

Aryan glanced toward the water jug.

Then toward the heater.

Then toward the blanket.

Then back at me.

The evidence was stacked heavily against me.

A disaster.

I crossed my arms.

Defensively.

A very reasonable reaction.

"I was conducting a medical inspection."

A dangerous silence followed.

Then—

A laugh escaped him.

A real laugh.

I was offended immediately.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Medical inspection?"

"Yes."

His shoulders shook again.

The traitor.

I took one threatening step forward.

"Keep laughing."

His smile remained.

Infuriatingly calm.

Infuriatingly warm.

"Thank you."

This time there was no teasing.

No smirk.

No joke.

Just those two words.

Something in my chest tightened unexpectedly.

I looked away first.

Obviously.

"I'm still angry."

"I know."

"Good."

His smile returned.

Smaller this time.

Softer.

"I know."

The silence that followed felt strangely comfortable.

Which was another problem entirely.

One I refused to think about.

Immediately.

And permanently.

So I pointed toward him.

Again.

"Sleep."

Aryan raised an eyebrow.

"You came all the way here to tell me to sleep?"

"Yes."

"A very important medical instruction."

"Exactly."

His lips twitched.

I turned around before he could say anything else.

Because staying here felt dangerous.

And because if I looked at that smile one more time...

I might forget why I was angry in the first place.

And that would be unacceptable.

Completely unacceptable.

Behind me, I heard his amused voice one final time.

"Good night, Doctor."

I didn't turn around.

"Good night."

Then I marched out of the room with as much dignity as possible.

Unfortunately...

I had a feeling Aryan Rathore had just witnessed the most embarrassing fifteen minutes of my life.

I closed the door behind me.

The soft click echoed through the hallway.

For a moment, I simply stood there.

Then leaned my head against the door.

A slight smile still lingered on my face.

My eyes widened.

Immediately.

"Mahi."

I straightened.

"What is wrong with you?"

The smile vanished.

Good.

Much better.

I crossed my arms.

"He ignored you."

A very important point.

"He disappeared for hours."

Another excellent point.

"He didn't text you."

Exactly.

Finally, some common sense.

"So why are you smiling?"

Silence.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

The problem was...

I didn't know.

Not even a little.

Which somehow made everything worse.

I pointed a finger at absolutely nobody.

"This is ridiculous."

The hallway remained unhelpfully silent.

I sighed.

Then started walking.

"He left you worried."

My pace quickened.

"You thought something happened to him."

Faster.

"You were angry."

Even faster.

"And rightfully so."

Exactly.

Very rightfully so.

I nodded at myself.

Feeling much better.

Then a faint rustling sound came from inside the guest room.

I immediately stopped walking.

My eyes narrowed.

No.

Absolutely not.

I was not turning around.

Not happening.

I pointed toward the closed guest room door.

"You stay there."

Silence.

Good.

At least someone was listening.

I nodded once.

Satisfied with this arrangement.

Then stomped my foot against the floor.

A completely mature reaction.

And quickly made my way toward my room.

Far away from Aryan.

Far away from his stupid smile.

Far away from the strange feeling that kept appearing whenever he looked at me.

I entered my room and shut the door.

Firmly.

Then climbed into bed.

Pulled the blanket over my head.

And made a decision.

Tomorrow.

I would continue being angry tomorrow.

Definitely.

Probably.

Hopefully.

...

Maybe.

My eyes immediately opened.

"No."

The answer came out loud this time.

Tomorrow I was absolutely being angry.

One hundred percent.

With that settled, I buried myself deeper beneath the blanket.

Unfortunately...

The last thing that crossed my mind before sleep finally arrived was not the nightmare.

Not Raj.

Not the ice-skating rink.

It was a pair of dark eyes and an annoying smirk.

The realization annoyed me so much that I pulled the blanket over my face.

Then finally drifted off to sleep.

===========================================

Sunlight streamed through the window.

I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow.

Five more minutes.

Just five.

Unfortunately, my body had already decided to wake up.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

My gaze immediately drifted toward the couch.

Empty.

The events of yesterday came rushing back.

Right.

Aryan.

Guest room.

Punishment.

A small nod escaped me.

Good.

He had slept in the guest room without complaining.

Which was much better than a hundred apologies.

I rubbed my eyes again and climbed out of bed.

The cold floor immediately greeted my feet.

Rude.

Very rude.

Yawning, I made my way toward the window.

Then stretched my arms above my head.

A pleasant crack echoed through my shoulders.

Much better.

My eyes drifted outside.

And I froze.

Completely.

The entire lawn was covered in white.

The trees.

The pathways.

The bushes.

Everything.

Snow.

My eyes widened.

Then immediately brightened.

"Snow!"

The word escaped before I could stop it.

All thoughts of punishment vanished.

Completely.

A crime.

But an understandable one.

I pressed both hands against the glass.

Fresh snow.

Actual fresh snow.

A laugh escaped me.

The kind I hadn't heard from myself in days.

Maybe weeks.

Without thinking, I hurried toward the wardrobe.

Then stopped.

A very important question.

Sweater first?

Or shoes first?

No.

Jacket.

Definitely jacket.

Actually—

Shoes.

No.

Jacket.

I stared at the wardrobe.

My excitement had apparently damaged my ability to think.

A tragedy.

A complete tragedy.

Finally, I grabbed the first warm clothes I could find.

My hands moved twice as fast as usual.

Because snow waited for nobody.

A few minutes later, I rushed toward the door.

Then froze again.

A terrible realization struck me.

Aryan.

I narrowed my eyes.

No.

I was still angry.

Very angry.

Extremely angry.

The snow changed nothing.

Nothing at all.

...

Maybe I would be angry after touching the snow.

Yes.

That sounded reasonable.

A perfect plan.

Satisfied with my logic, I opened the door and hurried into the hallway.

Only for my feet to stop instantly.

Because standing at the other end of the hallway was Aryan.

And unfortunately...

He had witnessed my entire snow-induced panic.

A smile appeared on Aryan's face.

"Good morning."

I blinked.

Right.

I was supposed to be angry.

A very important detail.

Unfortunately, there was currently snow outside.

And my happiness had occupied all available space.

There was simply no room for anger at the moment.

I would revisit the issue later.

Maybe.

"Good morning."

His eyebrow rose.

Interesting.

Apparently he had expected something else.

Maybe a glare.

Maybe a threat.

Maybe another eviction notice.

Instead, he got a smile.

A rare event.

Aryan looked me up and down.

Taking in the jacket.

The boots.

The scarf hanging loosely around my neck.

Then he looked back at me.

"Where are you going at six in the morning?"

My smile widened immediately.

I pointed dramatically toward the window.

"Outside."

His brows pulled together.

"Why?"

I stared at him.

Completely horrified.

"Why?"

Aryan immediately realized he had asked the wrong question.

A very wrong question.

"There is snow outside."

I pointed toward the window again.

As if the answer wasn't obvious.

"So?"

I gasped.

Actually gasped.

"So?"

The audacity.

The disrespect.

The complete lack of appreciation for nature.

I placed a hand over my heart.

"You are impossible."

Aryan looked entirely unbothered.

"There will still be snow in an hour."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Mahi."

I pointed toward the window for the third time.

"The first snow is special."

A pause.

Then I added,

"It needs to be appreciated immediately."

His lips twitched.

The traitor was trying not to laugh.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't."

"I'm not."

Another lie.

A terrible one.

I moved toward the staircase.

Aryan followed.

Of course he did.

"Mahi."

"What?"

"It's six in the morning."

"Exactly."

"Normal people are asleep."

I smiled.

"Good thing I'm not normal."

His eyes closed briefly.

As if he was questioning every life decision that had led him to this moment.

A reasonable reaction.

I practically bounced down the stairs.

Snow.

There was actual snow.

Fresh snow.

Untouched snow.

The best kind.

Behind me, Aryan watched in silence.

Then a strange look crossed his face.

One I didn't notice.

Because I was already opening the front door.

The cold air rushed inside immediately.

And the moment I stepped outside and saw the entire world covered in white...

I forgot everything else.

Even Aryan.

For a whole three seconds.

Which was probably a personal record.

The snow continued to fall around us.

Soft.

Silent.

Beautiful.

The first snowfall of the season.

The most important snowfall.

I stepped forward onto the fresh snow and immediately stopped.

Important things first.

I folded my hands together and closed my eyes.

The cold air brushed against my cheeks.

Please, God.

Keep everyone around me happy.

Keep them safe.

A few seconds later, I opened my eyes.

The sky above was covered with drifting snowflakes.

Each one moving differently.

Creating patterns only to disappear moments later.

A smile appeared on my face.

Then Aryan's voice came from beside me.

"What were you doing?"

I looked at him.

"Praying."

His eyebrow rose slightly.

"Why?"

I looked back at the snowfall.

The answer seemed obvious.

"My mother used to say something."

Aryan remained silent.

Waiting.

"If you make a wish on the first snowfall of the season..."

My gaze lifted toward the sky.

"It comes true."

A smirk immediately appeared on his face.

I should have expected that.

"What did you wish for?"

I looked at him.

Then narrowed my eyes.

Honestly.

Sometimes he asked very suspicious questions.

"Nice try."

His smirk widened.

"What?"

"Wishes can't be told."

"Why not?"

I pointed a finger at him.

"Because then they don't come true."

Aryan looked entirely unconvinced.

A tragedy.

Some people had absolutely no imagination.

"So now we are trusting snowfall magic?"

I gasped.

Offended.

Deeply offended.

"It's not magic."

"Then what is it?"

I opened my mouth.

Then realized I had no answer.

A small problem.

Very small.

"It's..."

I searched for a reasonable explanation.

Finding none.

Finally, I folded my arms.

"It's tradition."

"There it is."

I ignored him.

Completely.

Then bent down and scooped a handful of snow into my gloved hands.

Cold.

Perfect.

A smile immediately returned to my face.

Aryan watched me for a moment.

Then shook his head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Suspicion filled me instantly.

"No."

I pointed at him again.

"You said that yesterday too."

A dangerous silence followed.

Then his lips twitched.

"I've never seen someone this happy about frozen water."

I stared at him.

Absolutely horrified.

Frozen water?

Frozen water?

The man had reduced snow to frozen water.

I looked up at the sky.

Then back at Aryan.

Then back at the sky again.

Clearly, God gave intelligence unevenly.

The snowfall continued around us.

And for the first time in a long while...

Everything felt peaceful.

"You will absolutely tell this frozen water that if you keep standing there instead of coming over here."

I pointed toward the snow-covered lawn.

Aryan immediately raised both hands in surrender.

"No. I'm good."

Coward.

"By the way," he continued, "I don't like snow."

I stopped.

Completely.

"You what?"

His expression remained calm.

"I don't like snow."

The betrayal.

The absolute betrayal.

I stared at him.

Wondering if it was too late to lock him in the guest room again.

Aryan looked suspiciously amused.

"Is this your first time seeing snow?"

I looked at him as if he had just asked whether I had seen water before.

"No."

His eyebrow rose.

I folded my arms.

"I didn't count."

A smile appeared on my face as I looked around.

Snow resting on tree branches.

Snow covering the pathways.

Snowflakes drifting through the air.

Perfect.

"Winter is my favorite season."

Then I paused.

"After spring, obviously."

"Obviously."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't mock me."

"I'm not."

A lie.

A terrible lie.

I bent down and picked up a handful of snow.

The cold immediately seeped through my gloves.

Aryan watched with the same expression people used when observing strange wildlife.

"What's so special about it?"

I gasped.

Again.

Why did this man keep asking offensive questions?

"It's snow."

"That's not an answer."

"It is."

"No, it isn't."

I pointed at the white lawn.

"Look at it."

Aryan looked.

Then looked back at me.

"I am."

"No."

I shook my head.

"You're seeing frozen water."

"Because that's what it is."

I placed a hand over my heart.

The disrespect was unbelievable.

"I'm seeing winter mornings."

His brows pulled together slightly.

I continued anyway.

"I'm seeing snowball fights."

A pause.

"Snowmen."

Another pause.

"Hot chocolate."

His expression softened slightly.

Interesting.

"I'm seeing school holidays."

The smile on my face grew.

"And skating on frozen lakes."

For a moment, Aryan didn't say anything.

He simply watched me.

Then his gaze shifted toward the falling snow.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

Barely noticeable.

But there.

"You really love it."

I looked around at the snowfall.

Then up at the sky.

Then back at him.

"Of course I do."

The answer came immediately.

Without thought.

Without hesitation.

Aryan shook his head.

A strange look crossing his face.

As if he wasn't looking at the snow anymore.

As if he was looking at me.

Then he said quietly,

"I can see that."

And for some reason...

The way he said it made my heart skip a beat.

A very annoying beat.

One I chose to ignore immediately.

I crouched down and gathered a handful of snow in my gloved hands.

The flakes melted slowly against the warmth of my skin.

A small smile appeared on my face.

"Snow is my favorite thing about winter."

The words came out softer than intended.

Aryan stood beside me.

Silent for a moment.

Then he asked,

"And why is that?"

My smile faltered.

Just slightly.

I looked up at the sky.

Snowflakes drifted lazily through the air.

Beautiful.

Peaceful.

Familiar.

"I don't know."

A lie.

A complete lie.

I knew exactly why.

Because my most beautiful memories lived here.

In winter.

In snow.

In November.

For a moment, I wasn't standing in the Rathore mansion anymore.

I was back home.

Wrapped in layers too big for me.

Tiny footprints scattered across fresh snow.

My mother's laughter echoing through the cold air.

Her warm hand holding mine.

Her voice.

Her smile.

The way she would brush snowflakes from my hair.

The memory hit so suddenly that my chest tightened.

I looked away before Aryan could notice.

The snow in my hands suddenly seemed far more interesting.

Aryan watched me quietly.

Too quietly.

As if he knew there was more to the answer.

But thankfully...

He didn't push.

Instead, he sat down on the stone edge of a nearby flower bed.

For once, saying nothing.

And somehow that made it worse.

Because silence gave memories room to breathe.

I swallowed hard.

Then forced a smile onto my face.

A practiced one.

The kind people accepted without questioning.

The kind that hid things.

"It's just snow."

Another lie.

This one even worse than the first.

Because snow had never been just snow.

Not to me.

Not ever.

Across from me, Aryan studied my face.

His gaze lingered for a second longer than usual.

Then he looked away.

Giving me the escape I desperately needed.

For that...

I was unexpectedly grateful.

The snow continued to fall around us.

Quietly.

Gently.

Covering the world in white.

And for a brief moment, I allowed myself to miss her.