Bound by mistake

CHAPTER 20 （MAHI）

My phone buzzed.

I pulled it out of my pocket and glanced at the screen.

A message from Aryan.

A small smile appeared on my face before I could stop it.

I am coming to pick you up.

The smile widened slightly.

Then I immediately looked around.

As if someone might have seen it.

Ridiculous.

I quickly sent a thumbs-up.

Nothing more.

He did not need to know what I was thinking.

Or feeling.

Especially not feeling.

I placed my phone back into my bag and stepped outside the hospital.

The evening air was cold.

Snow still covered the ground.

A black car suddenly stopped in front of me.

My eyebrows pulled together.

The tinted window rolled down.

Green eyes.

Black hair.

Armaan.

I immediately resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Barely.

"What are you doing here?"

He smiled.

Far too confidently.

"I came to pick you up."

My suspicion immediately increased.

"Why?"

"Aryan sent me."

My eyebrows rose.

In surprise.

Then narrowed.

A liar.

A complete liar.

Aryan had texted me less than two minutes ago.

Unless he had suddenly learned how to be in two places at once—

This man was lying.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"And Aryan told you that?"

"Yes."

The smile remained.

I stared at him.

Unimpressed.

"Interesting."

"Why?"

I pulled my phone out.

His smile disappeared slightly.

Only slightly.

Enough for me to notice.

Because I had already opened Aryan's chat.

And pressed call.

Armaan sighed.

The sound was almost offended.

"You don't trust me?"

"No."

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

Without guilt.

Without shame.

A laugh escaped him.

For some reason that annoyed me even more.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Then Aryan picked up.

"Mahi?"

I kept my eyes on Armaan.

"Aryan."

A pause.

"Did you send Armaan to pick me up?"

Silence.

Then—

"No."

I nodded.

Exactly as expected.

Across from me, Armaan closed his eyes.

As if deeply disappointed in humanity.

Or perhaps in me.

Either way, I didn't care.

"A liar."

I said cheerfully.

Then ended the call.

Armaan looked at me.

I looked at him.

The snow continued falling around us.

Finally, he sighed.

"You didn't even give me a chance."

"You lied within the first ten seconds."

"Fair."

I pointed toward the road.

"Away."

His hand went to his chest.

Offended.

"Dismissed."

"Mahi."

"Away."

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then unexpectedly—

A laugh escaped him.

He shook his head.

Started the car.

And drove away.

I watched the car disappear around the corner.

Then looked down at my phone.

A message immediately appeared.

From Aryan.

What did he want?

A smile tugged at my lips.

Apparently...

I wasn't the only one asking questions.

I immediately pressed the call button.

The phone rang once.

Then he answered.

"You know," I said, "you can call me."

A brief silence.

"My hands are freezing. I can't text properly."

Another pause.

Then—

"Mahi."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

"What did he want?"

I could practically picture him.

One hand on the steering wheel.

Jaw clenched.

Eyes fixed on the road.

Thinking far more than necessary.

"He said you sent him to pick me up."

Silence.

The kind of silence that usually meant trouble.

"Aryan?"

A sharp breath came through the phone.

Then another.

As if he was forcing himself to stay calm.

"Did you sit in his car?"

I closed my eyes briefly.

Stupid man.

Honestly.

"No."

The answer came immediately.

"Why would I?"

Another pause.

Longer this time.

Then—

"Good."

My eyebrows rose.

Good?

What kind of answer was that?

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and started walking toward the hospital gate.

"Good?"

"Yes."

"Aryan."

"What?"

I narrowed my eyes even though he couldn't see it.

"That sounded suspicious."

"It wasn't."

"It was."

"It wasn't."

I sighed.

Men.

Impossible creatures.

"Aryan."

His voice softened slightly.

"Yes, Snowflake?"

I ignored the nickname.

A concerning habit I seemed to be developing.

"Why are you acting weird?"

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

Silence.

Complete silence.

For a second, I wondered if the call had disconnected.

Then he spoke.

"I'm not acting weird."

A lie.

A terrible lie.

An obvious lie.

I decided not to argue.

Mostly because I could already see his car turning onto the road leading to the hospital.

The headlights cut through the falling snow.

A smile appeared on my face.

Uninvited.

Unwanted.

Completely unstoppable.

"I can see your car."

"Good."

There was that word again.

Good.

As if he had spent the last ten minutes worrying about something.

Or someone.

The car stopped in front of me.

I opened the passenger door.

Before getting in, I leaned down slightly.

"Aryan?"

He looked at me.

"What?"

A smile tugged at my lips.

"You are acting weird."

Then I got into the car before he could answer.

The look on his face was worth every second.

Aryan pulled the car onto the road.

Snow continued to fall outside.

The heater filled the car with warmth.

But the strange tension between us remained.

I looked at him again.

"Aryan."

No response.

"Aryan."

"What?"

"You are acting weird."

The muscle in his jaw twitched.

A clear sign.

Unfortunately for him, I noticed everything.

His hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

Then he finally spoke.

"I won't let anyone come near my wife."

For a second, I stared at him.

Then a laugh escaped me.

An actual laugh.

The serious expression on his face made it even worse.

"Your wife won't let anyone come near her."

I pointed at myself.

"In case you've forgotten."

His eyes shifted toward me briefly.

Then back to the road.

"I haven't forgotten."

The answer came too quickly.

My smile widened.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

I leaned back against my seat.

"Then why are you acting as if I'm incapable of handling one man?"

"He lied to you."

"So?"

"So?"

Aryan glanced at me.

The look he gave me suggested I was missing something obvious.

"He approached you knowing exactly who you were."

I frowned.

"Which is strange."

"Exactly."

I stared at him for a moment.

Thinking.

Then realization hit me.

"Oh."

His jaw tightened again.

"You understand now?"

I nodded slowly.

"You're jealous."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The kind of silence that only made me more suspicious.

"Aryan."

Nothing.

"Aryan."

His grip tightened further.

I smiled.

Dangerously.

"Aryan Rathore."

"What?"

I turned fully toward him.

"You're jealous."

"I'm not."

A lie.

A terrible lie.

An embarrassing lie.

I laughed again.

This time louder.

The expression on his face almost made it worth it.

Almost.

"Keep laughing, Snowflake."

"Oh, I will."

His eyes narrowed.

Mine sparkled.

For some reason...

The ride home suddenly became much more entertaining

I looked at him.

A smile slowly appeared on my face.

"Aryan Rathore."

His eyes remained on the road.

"Relax."

No response.

I folded my arms.

"Maybe I don't like you."

A lie.

A complete lie.

The thought appeared instantly.

Annoyingly.

I ignored it and continued.

"But I am loyal."

I pointed at myself.

"So stop being jealous."

The moment the words left my mouth, Aryan took a sharp turn.

The car smoothly entered another road.

He remained completely silent.

My eyes narrowed.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

"Aryan."

Nothing.

"Aryan."

Still nothing.

I leaned forward slightly.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Unfortunately."

I blinked.

"Unfortunately?"

His jaw tightened.

Again.

"You talk too much."

My mouth fell open.

The audacity.

"The audacity."

A corner of his mouth twitched.

Almost a smile.

Almost.

I immediately pointed at him.

"There."

"What?"

"That."

"What?"

"That face."

His expression became blank instantly.

A terrible attempt.

"You're hiding something."

"I'm driving."

"That's not an answer."

"It is today."

I stared at him.

He stared at the road.

The silence stretched between us.

Then—

"Maybe I don't like you."

He repeated my words calmly.

I nodded.

"Exactly."

A pause.

Then he spoke again.

"Yet you came to check on me at midnight."

My confidence disappeared.

Immediately.

"Oh."

Aryan continued driving.

Calm.

Far too calm.

"You turned on the heater."

I looked out of the window.

The snow suddenly became fascinating.

"You brought me water."

The trees outside were also fascinating.

"You fixed my blanket."

I pressed my lips together.

Hard.

A dangerous smirk appeared on his face.

"I should be jealous of myself, Snowflake."

Heat rushed straight to my face.

I hated him.

I really did.

Unfortunately...

The smile threatening to appear on my face wasn't helping my argument.

I looked at him.

"I told you."

I pointed a finger at him.

"I am a doctor."

Aryan glanced at me briefly.

"Yes."

"So it is in my nature to take care of people."

I lifted my chin.

"Nothing else."

For a moment, he simply looked at me.

Then nodded.

"You're right."

My eyes narrowed immediately.

He agreed far too easily.

That was suspicious.

Very suspicious.

I pointed at him again.

"And don't you dare bring that up ever again."

A smirk appeared on his face.

"Why?"

I crossed my arms.

"If you value your life."

His smirk only grew.

"And what exactly are you going to do?"

I looked at him.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Then smiled.

"I am a doctor, right?"

He nodded.

"Right."

"So I know exactly how much poison is required."

Aryan nearly laughed.

"You're joking."

My smile widened.

"Am I?"

He looked at me.

I looked back.

Neither of us spoke.

A few seconds passed.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

I smiled sweetly.

"There."

I pointed at him again.

"That's your answer."

A laugh escaped him despite his efforts to stop it.

I immediately looked offended.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You threatened to poison me."

"I educated you."

"That is not education."

"It absolutely is."

He laughed again.

I rolled my eyes dramatically.

Honestly.

Some people simply refused to appreciate medical knowledge.

The car stopped in the driveway.

I grabbed my bag and stepped out.

The snow crunched softly beneath my shoes as I made my way inside.

The warmth of the mansion immediately greeted me.

I adjusted my bag and stepped into the living room.

And immediately—

My eyes landed on him.

Armaan.

Armay.

Arnav.

Whatever his name was.

No.

I had a better name for him.

The Liar.

Yes.

That suited him perfectly.

The Liar looked up the moment I entered.

And smiled.

I resisted the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes.

Barely.

Then my gaze shifted.

And landed on Kavya.

A strange smile sat on her face.

Not happy.

Not friendly.

Something else.

Something that immediately made my eyebrows pull together.

It lasted only a second before she looked away.

But I had seen it.

And I didn't like it.

Not one bit.

Before I could think about it further—

"Bhabhi!"

I looked toward Noor.

She was practically bouncing with excitement.

"You're finally home!"

A smile appeared on my face immediately.

Noor had that effect on people.

"I'm here."

She pointed dramatically toward the stairs.

"Go change and come for dinner."

I laughed softly.

"Yes, ma'am."

The grin on her face widened.

Satisfied with her authority over the household.

I shook my head.

Then looked toward Aryan.

He was standing near the dining room.

His gaze briefly met mine.

Just for a second.

Then shifted elsewhere.

Toward The Liar.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

My eyebrows rose slightly.

Whatever was happening between those two—

I wanted no part of it.

I had survived a hospital shift.

That was enough drama for one day.

So I simply nodded at everyone and headed upstairs.

Straight toward our room.

Completely unaware that downstairs...

Certain people were already making plans.

I closed the bedroom door behind me.

Finally.

A long shift.

A cold evening.

And all I wanted was to change into something comfortable.

I stepped into the changing room and reached for the zipper of my coat.

Then—

Bang.

The bedroom door slammed shut.

The sound echoed through the room.

I flinched.

My eyes widened in surprise.

For a second, I simply stood there.

Then immediately stepped back out of the changing room.

My gaze searched the room.

And landed on Aryan.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Both elbows resting on his knees.

His hands pressed against his temples.

His jaw was tight.

Far tighter than usual.

I frowned.

The annoyance I had been carrying all day disappeared instantly.

"Aryan?"

No response.

I took a step closer.

Then another.

"Aryan, are you okay?"

His shoulders stiffened slightly.

As if he hadn't realized I was standing there.

Slowly, he lowered one hand.

And looked up at me.

Something flashed through his eyes.

Frustration.

Anger.

Something else.

Something I couldn't quite name.

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Then I moved closer and stopped directly in front of him.

"Aryan."

My voice softened.

"What happened?"

He looked at me for several seconds.

Long enough to make me uncomfortable.

Long enough to make me wonder if something had gone wrong.

Then finally—

He released a slow breath.

And shook his head.

"Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes immediately.

A lie.

A complete lie.

The problem with living with someone was that eventually you learned their tells.

And Aryan Rathore was definitely not fine.

Not even close.

Aryan took a step forward.

I remained exactly where I was.

Neither moving.

Neither backing down.

"It's nothing, Mahi."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

"Just work stress."

I looked at him.

For several seconds.

Studying him.

Trying to decide whether I believed him.

I didn't.

Not even a little.

But there was something in his eyes.

A sharpness.

An irritation.

Not directed at me.

But still there.

And for the moment...

I decided not to push.

I released a breath.

Then nodded.

"Okay."

Aryan's shoulders relaxed slightly.

A tiny movement.

Barely noticeable.

But I saw it.

I grabbed my clothes from the bed.

"Okay."

The second okay carried a completely different meaning.

One he definitely understood.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Good.

Let him wonder.

I turned around and walked toward the bathroom.

Then stopped.

Placed my hand on the handle.

And pulled the door closed.

Bang.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Not nearly as loud as his.

Just enough.

A perfectly reasonable amount of bang.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

Silence filled the bathroom.

For a moment, I simply looked at myself.

Then pointed at my reflection.

"This man is going to ruin my mind."

The reflection offered no helpful advice.

Typical.

I turned on the faucet.

Still annoyed.

Still concerned.

And still absolutely certain that Aryan Rathore had not told me the truth.

Unfortunately...

Getting the truth out of him was sometimes harder than treating stubborn patients.

And I dealt with stubborn patients for a living.

I looked at Aryan.

His gaze was fixed on The Liar.

Again.

I followed his line of sight.

The Liar was looking anywhere except Aryan now.

A wise decision.

I closed my eyes briefly.

A sigh escaped me.

Immediately, Aryan looked at me.

Slowly.

As if he had sensed it.

Unbelievable.

Absolutely unbelievable.

I looked up at the ceiling.

God.

Please save me from this situation.

No answer came.

Typical.

The dinner continued.

Surprisingly peacefully.

Too peacefully.

The kind of peaceful that usually appeared right before disaster.

People talked.

Noor laughed.

Someone told a story.

Someone else complained about the weather.

Normal family dinner conversations.

Yet the strange tension remained.

Sitting right beside me.

Wearing black.

And pretending everything was perfectly fine.

I stole another glance at Aryan.

His expression remained neutral.

His jaw remained clenched.

At this point I was beginning to think it was permanently stuck that way.

Eventually dinner ended.

One by one, everyone started leaving.

Chairs scraped against the floor.

Conversations drifted toward the living room.

Within a few minutes only a handful of people remained.

I stood up.

Aryan stood up beside me.

Finally.

Bed.

Sleep.

Peace.

Then—

My throat suddenly felt dry.

I looked toward the water jug.

Of course.

I had spent half the day talking to patients.

Naturally I was thirsty.

"You go," I told Aryan.

"I'll be there in a minute."

His eyes moved toward me.

Then toward the kitchen.

Then back to me.

For a moment he looked like he wanted to say something.

Instead he simply nodded.

"Don't take too long."

My eyebrows rose.

"I am drinking water, not migrating to another country."

A corner of his mouth twitched.

Victory.

A small one.

But still a victory.

Aryan shook his head and walked away.

I smiled to myself.

Then turned toward the kitchen.

I grabbed a glass and filled it with water.

Then took a long drink.

The cold water felt amazing against my throat.

Honestly.

It felt as though I had been thirsty for years.

I closed my eyes briefly.

Enjoying the moment.

"Mahi."

I jumped.

The glass slipped from my hand.

Crash.

Glass shattered across the floor.

My heart nearly stopped.

I spun around.

And immediately found the culprit.

The Liar.

Of course.

Who else?

My eyes narrowed.

"What is wrong with you?"

He smiled.

Actually smiled.

At this point I genuinely wanted to knock his teeth out.

A perfectly reasonable reaction.

"I am sorry."

His smile remained.

"I didn't mean to scare you."

A lie.

Everything about him felt like a lie.

I released a slow breath.

Then ignored him completely.

Because prison did not suit me.

And assault was generally frowned upon.

I crouched down and started collecting the shattered pieces.

One piece.

Then another.

Then another.

Behind me, The Liar remained standing there.

Watching.

Which somehow made the situation even more annoying.

I picked up another piece.

Then another.

Silence stretched between us.

I reached for another shard.

At the exact same moment—

Another hand reached for it too.

Our fingers touched.

For a second, I froze.

Not because of the touch.

Because his fingers remained there.

Longer than necessary.

Much longer.

My eyes immediately lifted to his.

Something in his expression made my irritation rise instantly.

I pulled my hand back.

Immediately.

Then grabbed a different piece of glass.

A few moments later, I stood up.

Walked toward the dustbin.

And dropped the shattered pieces inside.

Silence filled the kitchen.

The kind of silence that usually meant trouble.

I should have left.

Unfortunately—

He spoke.

"You know..."

I closed my eyes briefly.

No.

I did not want to know.

Not even a little.

"I've been noticing you."

I slowly turned around.

His expression was completely serious.

Which somehow made the situation worse.

"I noticed that."

The answer slipped out before I could stop it.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I kind of like you."

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

Then I turned toward the sink.

Opened the tap.

And calmly started washing my hands.

Particularly the one he had touched.

Silence.

Heavy silence.

I dried my hands.

Then finally looked at him.

"I'm married."

The smile disappeared.

Good.

Maybe now this conversation could end.

I pointed toward my left hand.

Toward the ring sitting there.

The ring that should have made this conversation unnecessary.

"I have a husband."

My voice remained calm.

Steady.

Certain.

"And unlike some people..."

My eyes narrowed slightly.

"I don't lie."

The words landed exactly where I intended them to.

Right on target.

For the first time since entering the kitchen—

The Liar had nothing to say.

He opened his mouth.

I immediately raised a hand.

"No."

He blinked.

"Not a single word."

"Araam—"

His eyebrows pulled together.

"Armaan."

I waved my hand dismissively.

"Whatever."

His expression suggested he was questioning every decision that had led him to this kitchen.

Good.

Because I was too.

I crossed my arms.

"I am married."

I pointed toward my ring.

"End of discussion."

A smile appeared on my face.

The kind people usually wore right before ending an argument.

Unfortunately—

Armaan apparently had other plans.

He took a step forward.

"What if—"

"No."

"What if I—"

"No."

He released a breath.

Clearly frustrated.

Then said the dumbest thing possible.

"What if I'm better than your husband?"

Silence.

Complete silence.

I stared at him.

Trying to decide whether he had actually said that.

Or whether I had imagined it.

Then I rolled my eyes.

Hard.

"Oh, please."

I shook my head.

"Don't compare yourself to someone you can never be."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

For a second, even I froze.

Because that had sounded...

Far more personal than intended.

Armaan noticed it too.

The look in his eyes changed immediately.

"You're defending him."

I laughed.

Actually laughed.

"Of course I'm defending him."

The answer came naturally.

Without hesitation.

Without thought.

"He's my husband."

I turned to leave.

Unfortunately—

Armaan wasn't finished.

"Maybe he's your husband."

I stopped.

"But I'm much better than him."

Slowly.

Very slowly.

I turned around.

Then smiled.

A sweet smile.

The dangerous kind.

"It's good to dream."

His smile faltered slightly.

I continued.

"So keep dreaming."

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Then he took a step forward.

Invading my personal space.

Immediately.

Instinctively.

I took a step back.

The movement was small.

Barely noticeable.

But he noticed.

The smirk on his face widened.

"I am not used to hearing no."

I rolled my eyes.

Hard.

"Then get used to it."

My patience had officially expired.

"Now stay away from me."

Instead of listening—

He took another step forward.

And that was the exact moment a voice cut through the kitchen.

Cold.

Sharp.

Dangerously calm.

"Stay away from her."

Everything froze.

My head snapped toward the doorway.

Aryan stood there.

One hand resting casually in his pocket.

The other hanging by his side.

His expression was completely blank.

Which somehow made him look even more dangerous.

For a second—

A breath of relief escaped me.

Before I could stop it.

Before I could hide it.

Before I could pretend otherwise.

The moment the sound left me, Aryan's eyes shifted toward me.

Just for a second.

Just long enough to notice.

Then his attention returned to Armaan.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

Armaan straightened.

Aryan stepped into the kitchen.

Slowly.

Calmly.

Deliberately.

The space between us disappeared.

Until he was standing beside me.

Not in front of me.

Beside me.

His shoulder almost touching mine.

A silent statement.

A very clear one.

Mine.

The realization made heat rush to my face.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

Across from us, Armaan's expression darkened.

Because for the first time all evening—

He finally understood exactly where I stood.

And exactly who I stood beside.

I looked at Armaan.

And for the first time since this conversation had started—

I saw it.

Fear.

Actual fear.

The confidence.

The smirks.

The arrogance.

All gone.

Just like that.

I immediately pressed my lips together.

Trying very hard not to smile.

Unfortunately...

It was becoming difficult.

My gaze shifted toward Aryan.

His eyes never left Armaan.

Not once.

Not even for a second.

Aryan took another step forward.

"I told you this morning to stay away from her."

His voice remained calm.

Dangerously calm.

The kind of calm that made people nervous.

Across from him, Armaan remained silent.

A wise decision.

I looked between them.

Then back at Aryan.

And suddenly everything made sense.

He wasn't angry because of work.

He wasn't stressed.

He wasn't having a bad day.

He was angry because of this.

Because of Armaan.

Because Armaan wouldn't leave me alone.

Aryan took another step forward.

Now standing directly in Armaan's personal space.

Close enough that even I felt uncomfortable.

"I told you."

His voice dropped lower.

"Stay away from my wife."

The words settled heavily in the room.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Well.

Except me.

Because unfortunately my heart had suddenly remembered how to run marathons.

Wonderful.

Just wonderful.

Across from us, Armaan's jaw tightened.

"But—"

"No."

The single word cut him off immediately.

Aryan didn't raise his voice.

Didn't shout.

Didn't threaten.

Somehow that made it worse.

Far worse.

His eyes remained fixed on Armaan.

Cold.

Steady.

Unmoving.

"You approached her."

Silence.

"You lied to her."

More silence.

"You ignored her answer."

The room felt smaller.

Much smaller.

And for the first time all evening—

I felt absolutely no desire to stop Aryan.

Because honestly?

I had told Armaan exactly the same thing.

Multiple times.

He simply hadn't listened.

Now...

He was listening.

I looked at Aryan.

His fists were clenched.

Hard enough for me to notice.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

Something between concern and alarm.

"Aryan—"

Before I could finish—

He moved.

Everything happened too fast.

One second he was standing there.

The next—

His fist connected with Armaan's face.

Armaan hit the floor immediately.

The sound echoed through the kitchen.

Silence followed.

Complete silence.

I stood frozen.

My eyes widened in shock.

For a moment, my brain simply stopped working.

Did that actually happen?

Slowly, I looked at Aryan.

Then at Armaan.

Then back at Aryan.

Then at Armaan again.

Just to make sure.

Yes.

That had definitely happened.

I cautiously stepped closer.

Then stood on my tiptoes and peeked around Aryan's shoulder.

Armaan wasn't moving.

My eyebrows rose.

"Aryan."

No response.

"Aryan."

Still no response.

I looked down again.

Then rolled my eyes.

Honestly.

"Stupid."

The word slipped out automatically.

Aryan finally looked at me.

"What?"

I pointed at the unconscious man on the floor.

"Him."

A sigh escaped me.

"I told him no."

I pointed at Aryan.

"Then I told you to calm down."

Then pointed at Armaan again.

"And now look at him."

For some reason, Aryan's jaw relaxed slightly.

Almost as if my reaction was not what he had expected.

Unfortunately for both of them—

I was already thinking like a doctor.

Which meant only one thing.

Paperwork.

And I hated paperwork.

"We have to take him to the hospital."

Aryan looked at me.

Then looked at Armaan.

Then back at me.

"He is not dead."

"What if he is?"

"He isn't."

"You don't know that."

"Mahi."

"Aryan."

I crossed my arms.

My doctor instincts had officially taken over.

I pointed dramatically toward the unconscious man on the floor.

"What if he has internal injuries?"

"He doesn't."

"What if he does?"

"He doesn't."

"What if—"

"He doesn't."

I narrowed my eyes.

He narrowed his.

Neither of us moved.

Finally, I crouched beside Armaan.

Checked his pulse.

Then released a breath.

Unfortunately.

Aryan was right.

The idiot was alive.

Disappointingly alive.

I stood up again.

My gaze slowly moved toward Aryan.

He looked away immediately.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

I studied him for several seconds.

Then it hit me.

Everything.

The car ride.

The slammed door.

The clenched jaw.

The glare.

The punch.

My eyes widened slightly.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

A smile appeared on my face.

"Oh."

Aryan immediately looked concerned.

A wise reaction.

"Oh?"

I took a step closer.

The smile on my face widened.

"So your mood was ruined because of him."

Silence.

Aryan looked away.

Which was answer enough.

I folded my arms.

Trying very hard not to laugh.

"You were jealous."

No response.

"Aryan."

Nothing.

"Aryan."

Still nothing.

The smile on my face became impossible to hide.

"You punched him because you were jealous."

His jaw tightened.

Again.

Which only made me more certain.

"Aryan Rathore."

"What?"

Finally.

I pointed at him.

"You spent the entire day being jealous."

His silence was my answer.

And suddenly—

Everything made sense.

The realization hit me so hard that I almost laughed.

This man.

This terrifying businessman.

This intimidating Rathore.

Had spent the entire day angry because another man looked at me.

For some reason...

That thought made my heart feel strangely warm.

Unfortunately for him—

I was never going to let him forget this.