CHAPTER 21 （ARYAN）
If someone had told me this morning that I would end my day carrying an unconscious man to a hospital because he wouldn't stay away from my wife—
I would have laughed.
Now?
Not so funny.
I looked down at Armaan.
Still unconscious.
Still alive.
Unfortunately.
"Mahi."
She immediately looked at me.
"What?"
"Open the car door."
Her eyes narrowed.
Suspicious.
Always suspicious.
"Why?"
I stared at her.
Then at the unconscious man.
Then back at her.
To her credit, she understood immediately.
"Oh."
A few moments later, we somehow managed to get Armaan into the back seat.
Somehow.
Mostly because Mahi insisted on checking his pulse every thirty seconds.
"He is breathing."
"I know."
"What if he stops?"
"He won't."
"What if—"
"Mahi."
She crossed her arms.
Then sat in the passenger seat.
Clearly offended.
I started the engine.
The car pulled away from the mansion.
For several minutes, silence filled the vehicle.
Then—
A laugh escaped her.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
No.
Absolutely not.
I knew exactly where this was going.
"Mahi."
Another laugh.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Wonderful.
"Don't."
She looked out of the window.
Trying and failing to hide her smile.
"I'm not saying anything."
A lie.
A terrible lie.
The smile on her face alone was saying plenty.
A few seconds later—
"You punched him."
I said nothing.
"You actually punched him."
Still nothing.
Her smile widened.
I could see it in the reflection of the window.
"You were jealous."
I released a slow breath.
Very slow.
Dangerously slow.
The woman beside me was enjoying this far too much.
"I wasn't jealous."
A laugh escaped her.
Again.
The traitor.
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
Behind us, Armaan groaned.
Good.
At least he was alive.
One less problem.
Unfortunately, Mahi immediately twisted around in her seat.
"See?"
I blinked.
"What?"
"He's alive."
"Yes."
She nodded.
Then looked at me.
"You should still apologize."
I nearly drove into a tree.
"Apologize?"
"Yes."
I stared at the road.
Then at her.
Then back at the road.
"Mahi."
"What?"
"He was flirting with my wife."
She blinked.
Then looked away.
Immediately.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
For some reason, her ears had turned slightly pink.
The realization improved my mood considerably.
A smile threatened to appear on my face.
I quickly hid it.
Unfortunately, Mahi noticed everything.
Her eyes narrowed.
And suddenly I realized I had made a terrible mistake.
Because now she was smiling too.
And whenever Mahi smiled like that—
It usually meant trouble for me.
The car stopped in front of the hospital.
Before I could even turn off the engine—
Mahi was out of the car.
Gone.
Just like that.
I watched her practically run toward the entrance.
A few moments later, she returned with a hospital attendant pushing an empty wheelchair.
Of course she did.
The efficiency was honestly terrifying.
I got out of the car and opened the back door.
Armaan was still unconscious.
Unfortunately.
I stared at him.
Then closed my eyes briefly.
No.
I wasn't touching him.
Not because I couldn't.
Because if I touched him right now, I wasn't entirely sure what I would do.
The hospital staff took over.
A much safer option.
Within minutes they had him seated in the wheelchair and were already moving toward the emergency department.
Mahi followed immediately.
Talking to another doctor.
Explaining something.
Giving instructions.
Completely professional.
Completely focused.
As if she hadn't spent the last hour threatening to poison me.
I released a breath.
This woman was really something else.
I followed her inside.
The hospital was quieter than usual at this hour.
The bright white lights reflected off the polished floors.
A few minutes later, Armaan disappeared into an examination room.
Finally.
Peace.
I walked over to where Mahi was standing.
She was reading something on a chart.
Focused.
As always.
"I am not paying his hospital bill."
Her eyes lifted immediately.
Not surprised.
Not even slightly.
"As if I would let you."
Good.
At least we agreed on something.
"He asked for this problem."
She closed the file.
Then pointed toward the examination room.
"So he can pay for himself."
I nodded.
Excellent.
A reasonable solution.
Then a thought occurred to me.
I looked at her.
"Then why did we bring him here?"
Mahi crossed her arms.
The expression on her face immediately told me I wasn't going to like the answer.
"As human beings, we should help people who need help."
I stared at her.
Then at the examination room.
Then back at her.
"He was flirting with you."
"That's not a medical condition."
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it again.
Unfortunately...
She had a point.
A very annoying point.
Mahi looked strangely pleased with herself.
Which meant I was definitely losing this argument.
Again.
I shook my head.
"You are impossible."
A smile appeared on her face.
Small.
Soft.
Dangerously distracting.
"No."
She tilted her head slightly.
"I'm a doctor."
For some reason...
That answer made absolutely no sense.
And yet somehow...
It explained everything.
Mahi stretched her arms above her head.
The exhaustion was obvious.
The long shift.
The drama.
The hospital trip.
Everything had finally caught up to her.
"The doctor will take care of him."
She yawned.
"Don't worry."
Then pointed toward the parking lot.
"Now I am tired."
A pause.
"I want to sleep."
A smirk appeared on my face.
"As you wish, Snowflake."
She rolled her eyes.
A predictable reaction.
A few minutes later, we were back in the car.
The roads were mostly empty.
Snow continued falling outside.
The headlights cut through the darkness.
Silence settled between us.
But my thoughts refused to stay quiet.
They kept returning.
Again.
And again.
And again.
To a certain conversation.
A certain kitchen.
A certain woman.
And a certain sentence.
A smile appeared on my face before I could stop it.
Unfortunately—
Nothing escaped Mahi Sharma.
Her eyes immediately narrowed.
"Why are you smiling?"
I took a turn.
Carefully hiding the amusement in my voice.
"I remembered something."
Instant suspicion.
"What?"
I kept my eyes on the road.
A much safer option.
"What is this something?"
I glanced at her briefly.
Her eyebrows had already pulled together.
Trying to figure out what I was thinking.
Good luck with that.
The smile on my face widened slightly.
"Mahi."
"What?"
I leaned back against my seat.
Then repeated her exact words.
"I will defend him."
Her confusion lasted exactly one second.
Then realization hit.
Immediately.
"Oh."
A dangerous amount of satisfaction settled in my chest.
I continued.
"He is my husband."
The silence that followed was beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
I could practically see her replaying the conversation in her head.
Word by word.
Sentence by sentence.
My smile widened.
"Mahi."
She looked out of the window.
Refusing to look at me.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Mahi."
"What?"
The answer came suspiciously fast.
I looked at her.
Then at the faint pink tint spreading across her cheeks.
Then back at the road.
For the first time all day—
My mood improved considerably.
"You defended me."
She immediately pointed toward me.
Without looking.
"I defended marriage."
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
A rare occurrence.
The look she gave me was worth every second.
"You defended me."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You absolutely did."
She groaned dramatically.
Then crossed her arms.
Clearly surrendering to her fate.
Unfortunately for her—
I had no intention of forgetting those words anytime soon.
And judging by the expression on her face...
She knew it too.
She finally looked at me.
The pink tint on her cheeks remained.
Though she was clearly pretending otherwise.
"So what?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"So what?"
"Yes."
She crossed her arms.
As if she was about to explain something painfully obvious to a very slow child.
"You are my husband."
The smile threatening to appear on my face immediately became stronger.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Mahi continued.
"I have to defend you when I need to."
She pointed at me.
"And you have to defend me."
The certainty in her voice made something in my chest shift.
Because to her—
It was simple.
Natural.
Obvious.
As if there had never been another option.
As if standing beside each other was simply what we were supposed to do.
I looked at her.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
She blinked.
Clearly expecting an argument.
"Okay?"
I nodded again.
"Okay."
A suspicious expression immediately appeared on her face.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Mahi."
"What?"
"You are looking at me like I committed a crime."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Because you agreed too easily."
A laugh escaped me.
Of course.
I agreed.
And now she was suspicious.
I shook my head.
Then looked back at the road.
"You are right."
Silence.
Then—
A very soft smile appeared on her face.
Small.
Barely noticeable.
The kind most people would miss.
Unfortunately for her—
I wasn't most people.
And for the rest of the drive home...
That smile stayed in my head far longer than it should have.
I stopped the car in the driveway.
The engine went silent.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Mahi immediately opened the door.
Of course she did.
The woman had spent the last hour talking about sleep as if it were a sacred religious experience.
We stepped out into the cold night air.
Snow continued to fall around us.
Soft.
Silent.
Beautiful.
And freezing.
The moment we entered the mansion, warmth surrounded us.
Much better.
The sound of our footsteps echoed through the quiet halls.
My footsteps.
Her shoes clicking against the marble floor.
Somehow I had started recognizing that sound.
A dangerous realization.
We climbed the stairs.
Walked down the corridor.
And headed toward our room.
I reached the door first.
She reached the room first.
The moment she stepped inside, she dropped her bag onto a chair and dramatically spun around.
"Finally."
A grin appeared on her face.
"I can sleep."
I smiled despite myself.
"Yes."
She pointed a finger at me.
"Do not disturb me."
I nodded obediently.
"As you wish."
"Good."
Then she practically launched herself onto the bed.
The mattress dipped beneath her weight.
A satisfied sigh escaped her.
She grabbed the blanket.
Wrapped herself inside it dramatically.
And immediately transformed into a burrito.
A very annoyed-looking burrito.
I stared.
She stared back.
Only her face remained visible.
Nothing else.
Not even a hand.
"Mahi."
"What?"
"You look ridiculous."
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
"I look comfortable."
"You look like a caterpillar."
"I look warm."
"You look trapped."
"I look happy."
I lost that argument surprisingly fast.
The traitor.
Mahi adjusted the blanket further around herself.
Somehow.
I wasn't entirely sure how.
Then she sighed again.
The content kind.
The exhausted kind.
The kind that only appeared after a very long day.
Within seconds her eyes began to close.
Then opened again.
Then closed.
Then opened.
A losing battle.
I sat on the edge of the bed and watched her.
The woman who had spent the entire day arguing with me.
Threatening me.
Defending me.
Embarrassing me.
And somehow making me smile more than I had in years.
"Mahi."
One eye opened.
"What?"
A smile appeared on my face.
"Goodnight, Snowflake."
Her eyes rolled dramatically.
Even half asleep.
"Goodnight."
A pause.
Then—
"Aryan?"
I looked at her.
"Yes?"
Her eyes were already closed.
"I still think you overreacted."
I stared at her.
For several seconds.
Then a laugh escaped me.
Of course.
Of course that would be the last thing she said before sleeping.
A few moments later, her breathing evened out.
And just like that—
She was asleep.
Meanwhile...
I had a feeling I would never hear the end of today's events.
I placed my coat on the chair.
Then lay down on the couch.
For several minutes, I simply stared at the ceiling.
Sleep refused to come.
Not surprising.
Too much had happened today.
The snow.
The hospital.
Armaan.
Mahi.
Especially Mahi.
I closed my eyes.
Only for them to open again a few minutes later.
Still awake.
I reached for my phone and checked the time.
1:03 a.m.
Wonderful.
Everyone in the house was asleep.
Everyone except me.
My gaze drifted toward the bed.
Mahi was asleep.
Completely asleep.
Wrapped inside her blanket like a burrito.
One hand resting beneath her cheek.
Her breathing soft and even.
Peaceful.
For a moment, I simply looked at her.
Then—
My phone vibrated.
The bright screen illuminated the dark room.
My expression immediately hardened.
Ekaansh.
At this hour?
Not good.
I stood up and answered.
"Brother."
His voice came immediately.
"We have a problem."
I looked toward the bed again.
Mahi didn't move.
Still asleep.
Good.
"What problem?"
A brief silence.
Then—
"You need to come now."
No explanation.
No details.
Which told me everything I needed to know.
It was serious.
I looked at Mahi again.
For a second, I considered ignoring the call.
A ridiculous thought.
One I dismissed immediately.
Some responsibilities couldn't wait until morning.
"Okay."
The word left my mouth quietly.
"I'll be there."
The call ended.
The room fell silent again.
I lowered the phone.
Then looked at Mahi.
Still sleeping peacefully.
Completely unaware.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
Lucky.
I wished she could stay unaware a little longer.
Unfortunately...
The world didn't work that way.
I grabbed my coat.
Moving as quietly as possible.
No noise.
No lights.
No disturbances.
The last thing I wanted was to wake her.
I was almost at the door when—
"Mmm."
I froze.
My eyes immediately moved toward the bed.
Mahi shifted slightly beneath the blanket.
Then settled again.
Still asleep.
I released a breath.
Slowly.
Then opened the door.
And stepped out into the dark corridor.
The warmth of the room disappeared behind me.
Replacing itself with something familiar.
Something colder.
Something dangerous.
Business was calling.
And this time...
It didn't sound patient.
I drove through the dark forest road.
The cabin came into view a few minutes later.
Light spilled from the windows.
Brighter than before.
Interesting.
I stepped out of the car and made my way inside.
The moment I entered, I noticed the difference.
The atmosphere had changed.
The tension was gone.
Replaced by anticipation.
Ekaansh sat near the table.
Robert was still there.
And beside him sat two other men.
Their faces covered.
Their hands restrained.
Ekaansh turned the moment he saw me.
A grin appeared on his face.
"Brother."
I raised an eyebrow.
"That expression usually means trouble."
"It means progress."
Now that was interesting.
A smile appeared on my face.
I glanced toward Robert.
"I thought he said he would never talk."
Robert looked away immediately.
My smile widened.
"Yet he broke in one day."
Ekaansh laughed.
"Not even one day."
I shook my head.
Disappointing.
Very disappointing.
Robert looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
Unfortunately for him, the floor wasn't cooperating.
I turned back toward Ekaansh.
"What did he tell us?"
The amusement disappeared from his face.
Instantly.
"There are more people involved than we thought."
My smile faded.
"How many?"
"A lot."
That wasn't the answer I wanted.
I folded my arms.
"And these?"
I nodded toward the two men.
Ekaansh's expression darkened.
"The main ones."
The room fell silent.
I studied them carefully.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I walked around the table slowly.
Taking my time.
One of them lowered his head.
The other kept his gaze fixed on the floor.
Neither seemed eager to meet my eyes.
A wise decision.
"What are their names?"
Ekaansh handed me a file.
I opened it.
Read the first page.
Then the second.
Then the third.
The more I read—
The colder my expression became.
Money.
Information.
Betrayal.
Months of planning.
Months.
I closed the file.
Slowly.
The sound echoed through the room.
"So."
I looked toward the two men.
"We finally meet."
Neither answered.
Ekaansh leaned back in his chair.
Waiting.
Everyone in the room was waiting.
For my reaction.
For my decision.
For my next move.
I looked down at the file again.
Then toward the two men.
Then back at Ekaansh.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
The kind that always made people nervous.
"Good."
Ekaansh immediately understood.
The smile on his face returned.
"Good?"
I closed the file.
"Now we know where to start."
And for the first time that night—
The pieces finally began falling into place.
I clicked my fingers together once.
Immediately, my men understood.
They moved forward.
Fast.
Efficient.
The black cloth covering the faces of the two captives was removed.
Both of them squinted.
Their eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden light.
Weak.
Predictable.
I watched them closely.
Then walked forward and pulled out a chair.
I sat down.
Calmly.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
And then looked at them.
One by one.
"Hello."
My voice was steady.
Controlled.
"Welcome to my world."
Silence filled the cabin.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
The two men avoided my gaze.
But it didn't matter.
Because I had already seen what I needed to see.
Fear.
Clear.
Undeniable.
I leaned back slightly in the chair.
Fingers interlocked.
Studying them.
Letting the silence grow.
People always made mistakes when they were uncomfortable.
And fear...
Fear made people honest.
One of them shifted slightly in his seat.
The metal chair scraped against the wooden floor.
Small sound.
But loud enough in the quiet room.
I tilted my head.
"You don't need to be nervous."
A pause.
"Yet."
That did it.
The fear deepened.
Good.
Very good.
I glanced toward Ekaansh.
He stood near the table.
Watching.
Waiting.
He knew this part.
The questioning.
The breaking down.
The truth that always came after silence stretched long enough.
I looked back at the men.
"Let's make this simple."
My voice lowered slightly.
"You tell me everything."
A beat.
"And I decide how long you leave this room breathing."
Neither of them spoke.
I sighed softly.
Disappointed.
"I was hoping you'd make this easier."
I leaned forward now.
Elbows resting on my knees.
Eyes locked on theirs.
"But it seems..."
A faint smile returned to my face.
"We're going to do this the hard way."
I leaned back in the chair.
Slowly.
The wooden legs scraped faintly against the floor.
My eyes stayed on them.
Unblinking.
"So."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Are you going to speak?"
A pause.
No response.
I exhaled softly through my nose.
Almost amused.
"Or should I make you speak?"
The words were quiet.
But the effect was immediate.
Both men exchanged a quick glance.
Weak.
Predictable.
I noticed everything.
Every flicker of hesitation.
Every shift of weight.
Every moment of doubt.
I stood up.
Slowly.
The chair behind me creaked as I moved.
I walked a few steps forward.
Then stopped directly in front of them.
Close enough for them to understand.
There was no space left for comfort.
Only consequences.
"Listen carefully."
My voice dropped lower.
Controlled.
Cold.
"You are not here because I enjoy company."
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"And you are definitely not here because I am patient."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
I crouched slightly so I was at their eye level.
Now they had no choice but to look at me.
"Last chance."
A pause.
"Are you speaking?"
One of them swallowed hard.
The movement was small.
But I saw it.
Good.
Fear was starting to work.
I tilted my head.
"Or are you waiting for me to decide for you?"
Behind me, I heard Ekaansh shift slightly.
He knew what came next.
And so did they.
The room felt smaller.
Tighter.
More suffocating.
One of them finally broke eye contact.
Weakness.
The other followed almost instantly.
Even weaker.
I straightened up again.
Calmly.
As if nothing had happened.
"That's what I thought."
I looked at him.
One second.
Two.
My expression didn't change.
But something inside me did.
"Say that again."
My voice was calm.
Too calm.
He swallowed.
"We... they were trying to kill you."
Silence.
The room went still.
Even the air felt heavier.
My jaw tightened slightly.
Not in fear.
In calculation.
"When?"
I asked.
His voice dropped lower.
"Tonight."
Pause.
"After midnight."
My eyes shifted instantly to the clock on the wall.
Time.
Always time.
Then my thoughts moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Mahi.
Home.
Asleep.
Unaware.
My hands curled into fists at my side.
I turned slightly.
"Ekaansh."
He straightened immediately.
"Handle this."
A single nod.
No questions.
No hesitation.
Good.
I didn't wait for anything else.
I was already moving.
Already leaving.
Already calculating distance, time, routes.
But one thought stayed louder than everything else.
Mahi is at home.
And for the first time that night...
The calm in my chest was gone completely.
Replaced with something far more dangerous.
Urgency.
I stepped into the car.
Slamming the door shut behind me.
The engine roared to life, but I barely heard it.
My grip on the steering wheel tightened immediately.
Knuckles turning white.
Jaw locked.
Eyes fixed on the road ahead.
But my mind wasn't on the road.
It was on her.
Mahi.
Asleep.
At home.
Unaware.
Unprotected.
A pulse of anger ran through me.
Sharp.
Instant.
Uncontrolled.
My foot pressed harder on the accelerator without me even realizing it.
Faster.
I needed to get home faster.
The trees outside blurred into darkness.
Headlights cutting through the night like a blade.
My breathing stayed steady.
But my thoughts didn't.
If anything happens to her—
My fingers tightened again on the wheel.
I didn't finish the thought.
I didn't need to.
The feeling was already there.
Clear.
Cold.
Absolute.
I exhaled slowly through my nose.
Trying to control it.
Failing slightly.
Because there were very few things in this world that could break my control.
And Mahi...
Mahi had become one of them.
The road curved ahead.
I didn't slow down.
Not even for a second.
Home was the only thing in my mind now.
And everything else—
Didn't matter.