Bound by mistake

CHAPTER 34（ARYAN）

The front door closed.

And silence filled the mansion.

I didn't move.

Not immediately.

I just stood there.

Staring at the door she had walked through.

As if she might suddenly come back.

As if this entire conversation could somehow be undone.

But she didn't come back.

And the silence remained.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.

My eyes fixed on the floor.

The room felt different now.

Wrong.

I rubbed a hand across my face.

Then closed my eyes.

Unfortunately...

That made everything worse.

Because the moment I closed them, I saw her again.

Was I not important enough to know anything about you?

My jaw tightened.

I asked.

But you didn't tell me.

Every word came back.

Clear.

Sharp.

Painfully clear.

I let out a slow breath.

Then another.

Trying to think.

Trying to find a defense.

An explanation.

Anything.

But every time I tried...

The same realization returned.

She was right.

Not about everything.

But about enough.

I had never hidden anything intentionally.

At least, I didn't think I had.

But that didn't change the outcome.

The result was the same.

Someone else knew things about me that my wife didn't.

And she had learned it from Riya.

Not me.

My chest tightened.

I looked around the room.

At her sketchbook.

The blanket she always stole.

The hair clip sitting on the nightstand.

Little pieces of her everywhere.

And suddenly the room felt far too empty.

I lowered my head into my hands.

"Idiot."

The word slipped out quietly.

Directed entirely at myself.

Because she hadn't left because of Riya.

Not really.

She left because she was hurt.

And somehow...

That hurt me more than if she had screamed.

At least anger was easy.

This wasn't.

This was disappointment.

This was sadness.

This was Mahi looking at me like she didn't know where she stood in my life.

I swallowed hard.

Then leaned back slightly.

Staring at the ceiling.

The same ceiling she had stared at earlier.

The same room where she had told me the truth.

And I hadn't even known how to answer.

For the first time in a very long time...

I felt completely helpless.

And that feeling stayed with me.

Long after she was gone.

I froze.

Completely.

Then suddenly—

Everything became clear.

No.

Absolutely not.

I wasn't going to do this.

I wasn't going to let her leave.

I wasn't going to let her sit alone and cry.

I wasn't going to let her think she had to carry this by herself.

Not again.

Not after everything.

Not after Aarushi.

Not after watching what happened when people left.

Not after seeing the damage silence could do.

My jaw tightened.

She was hurt.

Because of me.

And I knew it.

I made a mistake.

I realized it.

But I refused to make another one.

I stood up so quickly the chair nearly fell over.

Grabbed my keys.

And walked out.

Fast.

The drive to Alina's house felt endless.

My knuckles turned white against the steering wheel.

I barely noticed.

My thoughts were too loud.

Too fast.

Too many.

She was probably crying.

The thought made my chest tighten painfully.

Maybe she wasn't alone.

Maybe she was with Alina.

Maybe Alina was comforting her.

But that wasn't enough.

Because this wasn't Alina's mistake.

It was mine.

And I refused to let her sit there thinking nobody would come.

Thinking she had to deal with this by herself.

Thinking I would just stay home.

No.

Never.

Not Mahi.

Not her.

A bitter breath escaped me.

The image of her face before leaving flashed through my mind.

The hurt.

The disappointment.

The way her voice broke.

I tightened my grip on the wheel.

"Mahi..."

The name left my lips quietly.

Like a prayer.

Like a promise.

"I'm coming."

Because if there was one thing I knew for certain—

She would never have to wonder whether I would come for her.

Not today.

Not tomorrow.

Not ever.

And I pressed harder on the accelerator.

Because every second suddenly felt too long.

I stopped the car in front of Alina's house and stepped out immediately.

I didn't even bother locking it properly.

My heart was beating too fast.

I walked to the door and knocked.

Once.

Twice.

A few seconds later, I heard footsteps approaching.

The door opened.

Alina stood there.

The moment she saw me, her expression softened.

I didn't waste time.

"Where is Mahi?"

Alina looked at me for a moment.

Then silently pointed upstairs.

My stomach dropped.

Without another word, I walked past her.

Fast.

Too fast.

By the time I reached the staircase, I was practically running.

Every horrible possibility ran through my mind.

Was she still crying?

Did she hate me?

Would she even talk to me?

I reached the door.

Took a breath.

And pushed it open.

The sight inside nearly stopped my heart.

Mahi was lying on the bed.

A blanket wrapped tightly around her.

Like she was trying to hide inside it.

The moment she saw me, she froze.

Her eyes were red.

Painfully red.

The sight made my chest tighten.

Then she immediately pulled the blanket higher around herself.

As if putting distance between us.

I swallowed hard.

"Mahi."

No response.

I stepped inside.

Slowly.

"Mahi, let's go home."

The answer came immediately.

"No."

Firm.

Certain.

My stomach twisted.

I took another careful step.

"Mahi—"

"No."

She sat up slightly.

Still holding the blanket.

Still refusing to look directly at me.

"I don't want to."

The room fell silent.

I stared at her.

At the tear stains on her cheeks.

At the way she was avoiding my eyes.

And suddenly...

Going home didn't matter anymore.

Nothing mattered except this.

I slowly pulled a chair closer and sat down.

Not too close.

Not forcing.

Just there.

"Mahi."

She looked away.

I deserved that.

"I know you're hurt."

A bitter laugh escaped her.

"You think?"

Every word hit harder than it should have.

Because she wasn't wrong.

I lowered my gaze.

Then nodded.

"Yeah."

Silence.

"I know."

Another silence.

Then I forced myself to continue.

"I messed up."

Mahi froze.

Just slightly.

I noticed.

"I should have told you."

My throat tightened.

"I should have told you everything."

She still didn't look at me.

But she was listening.

"I didn't hide it from you."

The moment I said it, I hated how weak it sounded.

I rubbed my face.

Then corrected myself.

"No."

A humorless laugh escaped me.

"That's not true."

I looked directly at her.

"I didn't tell you."

A pause.

"And that's the problem."

For the first time, she looked at me.

The hurt in her eyes nearly destroyed me.

"You asked me."

My voice dropped.

"And I didn't answer properly."

Another pause.

"You wanted to know me."

I swallowed.

"And I kept saying it doesn't matter."

Mahi's grip on the blanket tightened.

I continued.

"But it mattered."

A pause.

"It mattered because it mattered to you."

Silence.

Neither of us moved.

Then suddenly—

"Do you know what hurt the most?"

Her voice was quiet.

Dangerously quiet.

I looked up.

She was staring at me now.

No tears.

No anger.

Just hurt.

"The café."

My chest tightened.

"The river."

Another pause.

"The stories."

She laughed softly.

But there was no happiness in it.

"She knew all of it."

A pause.

"And I didn't."

Every word felt like a knife.

"I felt stupid, Aryan."

That hurt more than anything else she had said.

Because Mahi never called herself that.

Never.

"I sat there listening to someone else tell me things about my husband."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"And the entire time I kept wondering..."

Her voice broke.

"...why didn't I know?"

I closed my eyes briefly.

Because I didn't have an answer.

Not one that would make this better.

When I opened them again, she was looking away.

Trying not to cry again.

And that somehow made everything worse.

She looked at me.

Her eyes still red.

Still tired.

Then quietly asked—

"Why are you here?"

A pause.

"You should have stayed at home."

She looked down at the blanket in her lap.

"I would have come back eventually."

The words hit harder than they should have.

Because they sounded so certain.

So resigned.

As if she genuinely believed I would just wait.

I took a deep breath.

Then another.

Trying to find the right words.

Trying not to mess this up again.

Finally, I spoke.

"No."

Mahi looked up.

I held her gaze.

Steady.

Certain.

"I'm not doing that."

A small frown appeared on her face.

I swallowed.

Then continued.

"I'm not like the people who left you alone."

Silence.

The room instantly grew heavier.

I saw it.

The way her eyes widened slightly.

The way her breathing paused.

But I kept going.

Because she needed to hear this.

"I'm not going to sit at home while you're hurting."

A pause.

"I'm not going to pretend everything is fine."

Another pause.

"And I'm definitely not going to leave you alone and hope you'll deal with it by yourself."

The room fell completely silent.

I lowered my gaze briefly.

Then looked back at her.

"I know you're hurt."

My voice dropped.

"And I know it's because of me."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"I know I made a mistake."

Another pause.

"I know I should have told you."

Mahi looked away.

I could see tears gathering in her eyes again.

But this time I didn't look away from them.

I let her see that I saw them.

Because pretending they weren't there would only make things worse.

"I can't change what already happened."

My fingers tightened slightly.

"But I can be here now."

A pause.

"And I will be."

Another pause.

"No matter how angry you are."

The tears finally slipped down her cheeks.

One.

Then another.

My chest tightened painfully.

"Mahi..."

My voice was softer now.

"I wasn't scared of your anger."

A pause.

"I was scared of this."

Her brows furrowed.

"This?"

I nodded.

Seeing her cry.

Seeing her hurt.

Knowing I was the reason.

Knowing she was sitting here thinking she had to carry it alone.

I took a careful step closer.

Then another.

"I don't care if you yell at me."

A pause.

"I don't care if you make me sleep with Ekaansh for the next ten years."

A tiny laugh escaped her through the tears.

Just for a second.

And it felt like sunlight breaking through clouds.

I held onto it immediately.

Then I gently sat beside her.

Not too close.

Just enough.

"Mahi."

She didn't answer.

So I continued.

"I came because I love you."

Silence.

"I came because you're my wife."

Another pause.

"And because the thought of you sitting here crying while I stayed at home..."

My throat tightened.

"...felt worse than any fight we could ever have."

For the first time since I entered the room...

Mahi looked directly into my eyes.

And this time she didn't look away.

I looked at her.

Really looked at her.

At the red eyes.

The tears still clinging to her lashes.

The hurt I had put there.

My chest tightened painfully.

And for the first time since entering the room...

I stopped trying to explain myself.

Stopped trying to justify anything.

Because there was nothing to justify.

I had hurt her.

That was the truth.

I took a slow breath.

Then quietly said—

"I'm really sorry, Mahi."

Silence.

The words hung between us.

Simple.

Honest.

No excuses attached to them.

No "but."

No explanation.

Just an apology.

I lowered my gaze briefly.

Then continued.

"I should have told you."

A pause.

"You shouldn't have had to hear those things from someone else."

My throat tightened.

"Especially not her."

Mahi looked down at the blanket.

I could see her fingers twisting the fabric.

So I continued.

Because she deserved to hear it.

"You asked me."

A pause.

"More than once."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"And I kept acting like it wasn't important."

I shook my head.

"It was important."

My eyes found hers again.

"Because it was important to you."

The room remained quiet.

But this time it wasn't hostile.

Just heavy.

Emotional.

Raw.

I swallowed hard.

Then admitted the part that hurt the most.

"When you said you felt like the last person to know me..."

My voice dropped.

"I realized how badly I messed up."

A tear slipped down Mahi's cheek.

I fought the urge to wipe it away.

Not because I didn't want to.

Because I hadn't earned that right yet.

So I stayed where I was.

And simply told her the truth.

"You know what's funny?"

A humorless smile appeared on my face.

"You know me better than anyone."

A pause.

"You know when I'm lying."

Another pause.

"You know when I'm tired."

Another.

"You know when I'm angry."

My voice softened.

"You know what coffee I drink."

"What side of the bed I sleep on."

"What I do when I'm stressed."

A small smile touched my lips.

"You even know when I'm pretending to work but actually staring at you."

That earned the smallest twitch from her lips.

Tiny.

But it was there.

I held onto it.

Then said quietly—

"But somehow..."

A pause.

"I forgot to tell you the things that happened before you."

My jaw tightened.

"And that's my fault."

Not yours.

Mine.

I looked directly into her eyes.

Steady.

Certain.

"I'm sorry, Snowflake."

A pause.

Then softer—

"I never wanted you to feel like an outsider in my life."

The tears in her eyes grew again.

And mine weren't doing much better.

Because watching her hurt was one thing.

Knowing I caused it...

That was something else entirely.

So I reached out slowly.

Not touching her.

Just offering my hand.

And waited.

Because this time...

The choice was hers.

She looked at me.

Then at my hand.

Then back at me.

For a long moment, she said nothing.

And honestly...

That silence scared me more than her anger ever could.

Finally, she spoke.

"What if you do the same thing again?"

My chest tightened.

A pause.

"What if I feel this helpless again?"

Her voice was quiet.

Too quiet.

The kind of quiet that comes after crying.

The kind that hurts to hear.

She looked down at the blanket.

Then whispered—

"Then what will I do?"

For a second, I couldn't answer.

Because she wasn't asking about today.

She was asking about tomorrow.

The future.

Trust.

Us.

I looked at her.

Really looked at her.

Then said softly—

"As you're a doctor..."

A small smile appeared on my face.

Weak.

Tired.

"You know about poison."

Mahi blinked.

Confused.

I continued before she could stop me.

"So just do it."

Her eyes widened immediately.

"Aryan—"

"At least it will be less painful than staying away from you."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Then—

"Aryan Rathore."

That was my full name.

Never a good sign.

I smiled faintly.

"There she is."

Mahi stared at me.

Half shocked.

Half annoyed.

And maybe...

Just maybe...

A little less sad.

She grabbed the nearest pillow and hit me with it.

Directly in the chest.

"Idiot."

I caught the pillow before it fell.

"That's fair."

Another pillow hit me.

Harder this time.

"Complete idiot."

"Also fair."

A third hit followed immediately.

I didn't even try to dodge.

Because honestly?

I deserved every single one.

Finally, she stopped.

Breathing heavily.

Staring at me.

I slowly placed the pillow aside.

Then looked at her.

No jokes this time.

No teasing.

Just honesty.

"If I do it again..."

My voice lowered.

"You tell me."

A pause.

"Immediately."

Another pause.

"You yell."

"You fight."

"You throw pillows."

A tiny smile appeared on her lips.

I continued.

"But don't leave me wondering."

My throat tightened.

"And don't sit alone carrying it."

Silence.

Then I admitted the truth.

"I can't promise I'll never make another mistake."

Her eyes softened slightly.

Because we both knew that would be a lie.

"But I can promise this."

I moved a little closer.

Carefully.

"I'll never stop trying to fix it."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

This time, she didn't wipe it away.

Neither did I.

I just held her gaze.

Steady.

Certain.

"And if you're hurting..."

A pause.

"I'll come looking for you every single time."

The room fell silent again.

But this silence felt different.

Softer.

Warmer.

And when she finally looked down at the hand I was still offering...

She didn't look away this time.

She looked at me.

Then at my hand.

Then back at me again.

For a second, neither of us moved.

Then—

A weak smile appeared on her face.

Small.

Tired.

But real.

The most beautiful thing I had seen all day.

Slowly, she placed her hand in mine.

A breath of relief escaped me immediately.

Before I could stop it.

The tension that had been crushing my chest since she walked out of the house loosened slightly.

Thank God.

Mahi looked at our joined hands for a moment.

Then suddenly moved closer.

Without a word.

Without hesitation.

And rested her head against my chest.

I froze.

Only for a second.

Then my eyes closed.

A sigh escaped me.

A peaceful one.

A relieved one.

The kind of sigh that comes when something precious finally stops slipping through your fingers.

Slowly, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Carefully.

As if she might change her mind and disappear again.

But she didn't.

She stayed exactly where she was.

Listening to my heartbeat.

And for the first time since entering the room...

Everything felt quiet.

Not awkward.

Not tense.

Just quiet.

My chin rested lightly on top of her head.

And I closed my eyes.

Holding her a little tighter.

Not because I was afraid she would leave.

But because I finally could.

A few minutes passed like that.

Neither of us speaking.

Neither of us moving.

Just breathing.

Just existing.

Then Mahi mumbled against my chest—

"I'm still angry."

A laugh escaped me.

A real one this time.

"I know."

A pause.

"I'm not forgiven."

"I know."

Another pause.

"You'll suffer for this."

I nodded immediately.

"I know."

That earned a small laugh from her.

Soft.

Warm.

And God...

I had missed that sound.

I pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

Then whispered—

"Good."

She looked up at me.

Confused.

I smiled.

Because for the first time all day...

The hurt in her eyes wasn't the only thing I could see anymore.

And that alone felt like a miracle.

I stood up slowly.

Before Mahi could react, I slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her waist.

Then lifted her effortlessly into my arms.

"Mahi."

She blinked.

Then immediately—

"Aryan."

I ignored her.

Completely.

"Aryan."

Still ignored.

"Aryan Rathore."

No reaction.

I simply adjusted my hold and made my way toward the door.

A sigh escaped her.

One that sounded suspiciously like she was trying not to smile.

I chose not to mention it.

The walk downstairs was surprisingly peaceful.

Mahi rested comfortably against my chest.

One hand lightly gripping my shirt.

As if she had forgotten she was supposed to be angry.

Unfortunately for her...

I noticed everything.

The moment we reached the living room, I found Alina pacing around.

A worried best friend.

The second she looked up and saw us—

She froze.

Completely froze.

For a second.

Then a huge grin spread across her face.

"There we go."

Mahi immediately buried her face against my shoulder.

Bad sign.

For her.

Excellent sign.

Alina pointed dramatically.

"Finally."

A pause.

"Someone who can carry you, Mahi."

Mahi's cheeks instantly turned pink.

Bright pink.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

Hard.

Because laughing would be a terrible idea.

A truly terrible idea.

Alina, unfortunately, was just getting started.

"You know," she continued thoughtfully, "Advik tried carrying me once."

Mahi immediately looked up.

"Alina."

"Then he nearly dropped me."

"Alina."

"So I support this arrangement."

"Alina!"

I finally lost the battle and laughed.

A short one.

But enough.

Mahi immediately glared at me.

Then at Alina.

Then back at me.

Neither of us looked particularly sorry.

Which only made her blush harder.

Alina crossed her arms proudly.

"As I was saying."

A dramatic pause.

"This is very cute."

"Goodbye, Alina."

Mahi's voice was immediate.

Firm.

Dangerously firm.

Alina grinned.

Not intimidated in the slightest.

"See you tomorrow."

Mahi pointed at her.

"You're impossible."

"And you're adorable."

I looked away immediately.

Because I valued my life.

Mahi groaned.

Then hid her face against my shoulder again.

Alina laughed.

Loudly.

Proudly.

Completely unbothered.

I shook my head.

Then started walking toward the door.

"Bye, Alina."

"Take care of her."

I looked down at Mahi.

Then back at Alina.

A small smile appeared on my face.

"Always."

For the first time that evening...

Mahi didn't argue.

I carried her to the car and carefully settled her into the passenger seat.

Before I could close the door, her fingers wrapped around my wrist.

I looked up.

Mahi was watching me.

Quietly.

The streetlights reflected softly in her eyes.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then she whispered—

"I'm still angry."

A smile tugged at my lips.

"I know."

A pause.

"But..."

She looked away briefly.

Then back at me.

"I'm glad you came."

Something in my chest loosened.

The last bit of fear I had been carrying all evening finally disappeared.

I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

"Always."

Her eyes softened.

And this time...

She didn't look away.

I closed the door gently and walked around to the driver's side.

A few minutes later, we were on the road.

The city lights passed outside the windows.

The radio played softly in the background.

Neither of us said much.

We didn't need to.

Halfway home, I felt something brush against my hand.

I glanced down.

Mahi's fingers had found mine.

Not tightly.

Not desperately.

Just there.

As if reminding herself.

As if reminding me.

I intertwined our fingers immediately.

And neither of us let go.

Outside, the night stretched endlessly ahead.

But for the first time all day...

Neither of us felt alone.