CHAPTER 36（MAHI）
The whole party felt like a dream...
A dream I didn't want to end.
I stood near the counter with Alina, watching them from a little distance.
Vrishti was laughing as Aryan let her drag him into some harmless game.
He looked completely out of place...
And yet somehow completely at ease too.
My smile softened without me realizing it.
"Happy birthday, Mahi," Alina said suddenly, nudging my arm.
I turned toward her.
"Thank you," I said softly.
She leaned casually against the counter.
"So..." she asked, studying me, "is everything okay between you two now?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
A pause.
"He told me everything."
My fingers tightened slightly around my glass.
"And he didn't make excuses," I added.
Alina smiled faintly.
"That's good."
I nodded again, but something in my expression shifted.
"But I still remember..." I said quietly.
"That feeling."
Alina tilted her head slightly.
"What feeling?"
I looked down for a second.
"The moment he hid things from me."
Silence stretched between us.
Then Alina said gently,
"Mahi..."
I looked up.
Her expression was softer now.
"But you are doing the same."
My brows pulled together immediately.
"What?"
She didn't look away.
"You were angry because he didn't tell you about his past."
A pause.
"But you didn't tell him yours either."
My throat tightened slightly.
I wanted to interrupt.
But I didn't.
Because she was right.
Alina continued quietly,
"You both want honesty..."
"But both of you are scared of it."
I stayed silent.
For a moment, the laughter from the party faded into the background.
Even Aryan felt far away now.
And all I could hear was my own thoughts...
Replaying everything.
Every time I almost spoke.
Every time I stopped myself.
Every fear I had ignored.
My grip loosened slightly.
"...I never thought of it like that," I admitted softly.
Alina gave me a small, understanding smile.
"Most people don't."
I looked back toward Aryan again.
He was still laughing with Vrishti.
Unaware of the storm I suddenly felt inside me.
But something had shifted.
Quietly.
Deeply.
And I could feel it starting to change everything I thought I knew.
The drive felt quieter than usual.
Not because no one was speaking...
But because I wasn't.
I sat in the passenger seat of Aryan's car, staring out of the window as the city lights slowly faded behind us.
My reflection looked back at me in the glass.
But I didn't really see it.
Alina's words kept replaying in my mind.
You are doing the same.
You both want honesty...
But both of you are scared of it.
I tightened my fingers slightly in my lap.
Scared.
Was I scared?
My chest felt heavy in a way I couldn't explain.
Aryan was driving like normal.
One hand on the wheel.
Focused.
Calm.
Like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
My gaze shifted toward him for a second.
And I immediately looked away again.
Because I didn't know how to sit beside him right now.
I didn't know how to be normal.
My thoughts started spiraling quietly.
If I tell him...
What if he looks at me differently?
What if he becomes distant?
What if he says nothing... just like Raj did?
My fingers curled tighter.
No.
Don't think about that.
But the thoughts didn't listen.
They never did.
The car turned slightly onto a quieter road.
And the city lights started thinning out.
I realized I had been silent for too long.
Aryan finally spoke.
"Snowflake."
I flinched slightly.
"Hmm?"
A pause.
"You're quiet."
I forced a small laugh.
"I'm always quiet."
That earned a soft glance from him.
"No," he said simply.
"You're not."
Silence again.
I looked back out the window.
My throat felt dry.
My heart... heavier.
I didn't know how to explain what was happening inside me.
Because it wasn't anger anymore.
It wasn't jealousy either.
It was something deeper.
Something uncomfortable.
Something real.
The car slowed slightly.
And I realized we were leaving the main road completely now.
Trees appeared on both sides.
The air felt colder through the slightly open window.
Aryan spoke again, softer this time.
"We're almost there."
I nodded faintly.
But inside...
My mind was still somewhere else.
Still stuck between words I had never said...
And words I was suddenly afraid to say.
The car continued forward.
And with every passing second...
It felt like something inside me was getting harder to hold in.
The car slowed down gradually.
Then finally came to a stop.
Aryan stepped out first.
Opened my side of the door like he always did.
But I didn't move immediately.
Something in my chest felt tight.
He noticed.
"Come," he said softly.
Not demanding.
Just... steady.
I took a breath and stepped out.
And froze.
The wind was stronger here.
Colder.
The cliff stretched wide in front of us.
Below—
the city lights shimmered like scattered stars.
For a moment, I couldn't even speak.
"...Aryan," I whispered.
He didn't answer.
Just walked a few steps ahead.
And gently took my hand.
That small touch grounded me instantly.
Then—
the first firework exploded in the sky.
I flinched slightly.
Looked up.
Another burst followed.
Then another.
Slowly...
The entire sky lit up.
Colors spread across the darkness like painted light.
Red.
Gold.
Blue.
White.
Reflections danced in his eyes as I turned back toward him.
"Aryan... what is all this?" I asked softly.
He didn't answer right away.
Instead, he stepped closer.
Still holding my hand.
Never letting go.
Then he said quietly,
"Happy birthday, Snowflake."
I blinked.
My breath caught slightly.
Because his voice wasn't playful this time.
It was different.
Serious.
Warm.
Intentional.
I looked at him properly now.
And for once...
he wasn't hiding anything behind that calm expression.
He slowly raised my hand.
And turned it slightly in his grip.
My heart started beating faster.
"Aryan..." I said again, softer this time.
He finally met my eyes.
And the world behind him faded completely into fireworks.
"I wanted your birthday to end like this," he said.
A pause.
Not rushed.
Not unsure.
Just steady.
"So you remember it properly."
My throat tightened slightly.
I didn't know what to say.
He released my hand slowly.
And reached into his pocket.
My breath stopped for a second.
Because I already knew.
But still...
I didn't move.
He opened the small box.
The ring reflected the firelight above us.
Soft.
Simple.
Beautiful.
Not loud.
Just like him.
He took a slow breath.
And said,
"Snowflake..."
A pause.
"I didn't plan everything today just to make you smile."
Another pause.
"I planned it so you would know one thing."
My eyes stayed locked on his.
Unable to look away.
He stepped closer again.
Close enough that I could hear his breath over the wind.
"I don't want you to ever feel like you're not important enough to be told things."
A beat.
"I don't want distance between us."
His voice softened.
"But more than that..."
He looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered in that moment.
"I don't want a life where you're unsure where you stand with me."
Silence.
Fireworks continued behind us.
But I couldn't hear them anymore.
Only him.
Only this moment.
He lifted the ring slightly.
Not pushing it forward.
Just holding it.
Giving me space.
A choice.
Always a choice.
Then he said quietly,
"Happy birthday, Mahi."
A pause.
And then, even softer—
"Will you stay mine... completely?"
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
The fireworks were still bursting in the sky behind him...
But all I could hear was my own heartbeat.
Aryan stood there, holding the ring.
Patient.
Not pushing.
Just waiting.
That was what broke me the most.
Because he wasn't forcing a moment.
He was giving me one.
My breath shook slightly.
Then I took a step forward.
And another.
Until there was no space left between us.
"Aryan..." I whispered.
His eyes softened instantly.
I looked at him properly.
All the noise inside me... jealousy, fear, confusion, past memories...
Everything blurred for a second.
But one thing stayed clear.
Him.
And the way he was looking at me like I wasn't temporary in his life.
I let out a small breath.
"Yes."
A pause.
His eyes flickered slightly.
Like he needed to hear it again.
I nodded, tears already forming in my eyes.
"Yes," I said again, firmer this time.
"I choose you."
That was enough.
Aryan didn't speak immediately.
For once, he didn't tease.
He didn't smirk.
He just pulled me into him.
Tightly.
Like he had been holding back for too long.
And I broke.
Completely.
My arms wrapped around him instantly as tears slipped down my face.
"Aryan..." I whispered into his chest.
He held me closer.
"I've got you," he said softly.
And for the first time...
I believed it without hesitation.
The ride home felt different.
Quieter.
But not uncomfortable.
Just... full.
My hand stayed in his the entire time.
Neither of us let go.
Aryan would glance at me every now and then.
Like he was still trying to confirm this wasn't a dream.
I would look away every time.
Because I was smiling too much.
Too soft.
Too real.
When we reached home, everything was calm.
The world felt normal again.
But I wasn't.
Neither was he.
Eventually, sleep pulled him in.
He lay on the bed fully dressed for a moment, then drifted off without even realizing it.
I sat there for a while, just watching him.
Then slowly got up.
Careful not to wake him.
I walked toward the balcony.
The night air hit my face immediately.
Cold.
Quiet.
Real.
I leaned on the railing and looked up at the sky.
The fireworks were gone now.
Only stars remained.
And silence.
Alina's words came back again.
You both want honesty...
But both of you are scared of it.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
She was right.
I had said yes today...
But there was still something I hadn't told him.
Something I had buried for too long.
My fingers tightened slightly on the railing.
Raj's silence.
Aarushi's words.
The fear I never spoke out loud.
All of it came rushing back.
I swallowed hard.
"...I can't keep running from this," I whispered to myself.
I turned slightly, looking back at Aryan sleeping inside.
Peaceful.
Unaware.
Safe.
My chest tightened.
"I have to tell him," I said quietly.
Not because I was ready.
But because I couldn't keep pretending I was fine without it.
I took a slow breath.
And for the first time...
I wasn't just scared.
I was deciding.
My fingers tightened around the ring he had given me.
It still felt unreal.
Like if I loosened my grip even a little...
It would disappear.
I inhaled slowly.
No.
If he was honest with me...
Then I had to be honest too.
Snowflake...
The voice made me flinch.
I turned quickly.
Aryan was standing there.
Leaning casually near the balcony door.
Like he had always been there.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to steady my voice.
He smirked slightly.
"Looking at you."
I rolled my eyes immediately, trying to hide the warmth creeping up my face.
"Of course you are."
He stepped closer.
Not rushing.
Not forcing.
Just... present.
He stopped right beside me.
Close enough that I could feel him there, but not enough to overwhelm me.
I looked away first.
Because suddenly, my thoughts weren't as steady anymore.
"Aryan..." I said softly.
He hummed in response.
"I wanted to tell you something."
That made him turn slightly toward me.
His expression shifted.
More attentive now.
"Yes?" he asked gently.
And just like that—
everything I had decided to say...
came crashing into one sentence in my head.
No one will ever choose you because of that scar.
Aarushi's words echoed so sharply that my chest tightened.
My grip on the ring loosened slightly, then tightened again.
Aryan was still waiting.
Patient.
Unaware of the storm in my mind.
I looked at him.
Really looked at him.
The same man who had gone out of his way to make my birthday feel like something worth remembering.
The same man who never once made me feel like I had to earn my place beside him.
My lips curved into a small smile.
"...Thank you," I said instead.
He frowned slightly.
"For what?"
I shook my head gently.
"For today."
A pause.
His eyes searched mine.
Like he knew I was holding something back.
Like he could feel it.
But he didn't push.
Not yet.
Instead, he exhaled softly.
"That's not what you were going to say."
My breath caught.
For a second, I almost broke.
Almost.
But I forced the smile to stay.
"...Maybe I'll say it later," I replied quietly.
Aryan didn't look convinced.
But he nodded slowly anyway.
"Okay," he said.
A pause.
"But you will."
I looked away again.
Because he was right.
And that scared me more than anything.
He stepped slightly closer.
Not touching me.
Just there.
"Come inside," he said softly.
"You've been thinking too much."
I let out a small, almost helpless laugh.
"...You always say that."
"And I'm always right," he replied.
That finally made me smile for real.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
And just like that...
the moment softened again.
But somewhere deep inside me...
I knew the truth hadn't gone anywhere.
It was just waiting.
I leaned my head against his chest.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The thoughts in my mind felt overwhelming, all tangled together in a way I couldn't untangle tonight.
Aryan seemed to sense it.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me a little closer.
Not possessively.
Just reassuringly.
Like he was silently telling me I didn't have to carry everything alone.
I looked up at him.
He looked down at me.
The worry in my chest eased slightly.
A small smile found its way onto my face.
"Thank you, Aryan," I whispered.
His expression softened.
"You don't have to thank me for that."
Maybe I didn't.
But I wanted to.
I rested my forehead lightly against his shoulder and closed my eyes.
For the first time that night, the noise inside my head began to quiet.
Aryan's hand moved gently across my back.
A simple gesture.
Yet somehow it made me feel safer than any words could.
After a moment, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
He hugged me back immediately.
No questions.
No pressure.
Just warmth.
Just understanding.
And standing there beneath the night sky, surrounded by silence, I allowed myself to stay in that moment a little longer.
Because right then...
Being in his arms felt like home.
I stayed there for a while.
Listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Feeling the warmth of his arms around me.
For once, neither of us needed words.
The night was quiet.
The world was quiet.
And slowly...
My thoughts became quiet too.
I looked down at the ring resting on my finger.
The moonlight caught against it softly.
A small smile appeared on my face.
So much had changed.
In just one day.
My birthday had started with flower petals and handwritten notes.
It had ended with fireworks, family, and a promise.
And yet...
The most important thing wasn't the ring.
It wasn't the surprise.
It wasn't even the fireworks.
It was the feeling.
The feeling that for the first time in a very long time...
I wasn't facing everything alone.
I lifted my gaze toward the stars.
Then back to Aryan.
He was already looking at me.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"What?" he asked softly.
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
It was everything.
I leaned against him again.
And this time, I allowed myself to simply be happy.
The truth still waited.
The fears still waited.
The conversation I needed to have still waited.
But not tonight.
Tonight...
I just wanted to remember this moment.
The warmth.
The peace.
The certainty.
And standing there in his arms, beneath a sky full of stars, I made myself a promise.
Tomorrow...
I would tell him everything.