CHAPTER 39（MAHI）
I woke up slowly.
For a few seconds, I forgot everything.
The warmth around me.
The calmness.
The feeling that for once... I didn't have to pretend.
Then everything came rushing back.
Snow.
Aarushi.
My past.
My tears.
And Aryan.
I froze.
My eyes slowly opened and I looked around the room. The sunlight was entering through the curtains, making everything look softer than it actually was.
But my heart?
It was beating like I had just run miles.
Because I remembered every word I said last night.
Every secret I had buried for years.
Every memory I never wanted anyone to know.
And I told him.
I actually told Aryan.
I sat up slowly, pulling the blanket closer to myself.
"What did I do..." I whispered.
Not because I regretted telling him.
But because for the first time, someone knew the real me.
Not the Mahi who smiles.
Not the Mahi who jokes.
Not the Mahi who acts like nothing affects her.
He knew the girl who still missed someone she lost.
The girl who still carried words that hurt her.
The girl who was scared of being too much for someone.
I looked towards the other side of the room.
Aryan was sitting near the window, quietly looking outside.
For a moment, I just watched him.
Yesterday, I thought after knowing everything, maybe he would look at me differently.
Maybe he would see me as weak.
Maybe he would think I was broken.
But he didn't.
He stayed.
And somehow that hurt more than anything.
Because I wasn't used to people staying.
"You're awake."
His voice made me look away quickly.
"Yeah..." I replied softly.
There was a silence between us.
A different kind of silence.
Not awkward.
Just full of everything we didn't say.
I looked down at my hands.
"Aryan..."
He turned towards me.
"I am sorry."
His eyebrows pulled together.
"For what?"
"For telling you all of that. I ruined your night. You didn't have to listen to my problems."
For a second, he just stared at me.
Then he walked closer.
"Mahi."
The way he said my name made me look up.
"Do you really think I see you as a problem?"
I stayed quiet.
Because maybe a part of me was scared of his answer.
He sat beside me.
"You trusted me with something you were carrying for years."
His voice was calm.
"That isn't a burden."
My eyes started getting heavy again.
"I was scared..."
"Of what?"
"That after knowing everything, you would see me differently."
He looked at me for a few seconds.
"Mahi, I do see you differently."
My heart sank.
Until he continued.
"I see you as someone who survived things she shouldn't have had to handle alone."
A tear escaped before I could stop it.
He noticed.
Of course he noticed.
He always noticed.
I quickly wiped it.
"I hate crying in front of you."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Why?"
"Because you always see it."
He smiled slightly.
"Maybe because you always try to hide it."
I rolled my eyes a little.
"Annoying."
"Very."
And somehow...
I laughed.
A real laugh.
After everything.
I laughed.
And maybe that was the strangest part.
That after opening the most painful chapter of my life, I still felt safe.
With him.
I looked at Aryan.
"Thank you."
He frowned.
"For what?"
"For staying."
His expression softened.
"Mahi..."
He paused.
"I'm not going anywhere."
And for some reason, those four words felt like something my heart had been waiting to hear for years.
I didn't know what would happen tomorrow.
I didn't know if my past would ever stop hurting.
But today...
Today I wasn't carrying it alone.
I didn't know what would happen tomorrow.
I didn't know if my past would ever stop hurting.
But today...
Today I wasn't carrying it alone.
For the first time in years, that thought didn't scare me.
It comforted me.
I looked away from Aryan, trying to hide the small smile that appeared on my face.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Mahi."
I sighed.
"You know you are very irritating, right?"
A small smirk appeared on his face.
"After hearing your entire life story yesterday, this is what you decided to tell me?"
I looked at him, pretending to be offended.
"Yes."
He shook his head.
"Unbelievable."
And just like that...
We were back.
Not exactly the same.
Something had changed between us.
Something quieter.
Something deeper.
Before, Aryan knew my habits.
He knew when I was angry.
He knew when I was annoyed.
He knew when I was pretending to be okay.
But now...
He knew why.
He knew the reason behind the silence.
The reason behind the smiles.
The reason behind the girl who always said "I'm fine" even when she wasn't.
And somehow, that made me feel lighter.
A few minutes later, I got up from the bed.
"Where are you going?"
"To make tea."
He looked surprised.
"You are making tea?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"I just never thought you would voluntarily enter the kitchen."
I gasped.
"Wow. After I shared my deepest secrets with you, you still insult me?"
He laughed.
A real laugh.
And for some reason, hearing that made my heart feel warm.
"Fine, fine. I take it back."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't."
I smiled.
The room filled with a silence again.
But this time, it wasn't heavy.
It was peaceful.
While making tea, I kept thinking about last night.
About how scared I was.
About how many times I wanted to stop talking.
But Aryan didn't rush me.
He didn't tell me to forget.
He didn't tell me that everything happens for a reason.
He just listened.
And maybe that was exactly what I needed.
When I came back with two cups, he took one from my hand.
"Thank you."
I sat beside him.
"For tea or for yesterday?"
He looked at me.
"Both."
I smiled slightly.
"Aryan?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you ever get tired of listening to me?"
His expression immediately changed.
Not angry.
Just serious.
"Mahi, why do you always think you are too much?"
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
Maybe because somewhere along the way, I learned that people leave when they see the real parts of you.
He noticed my silence.
"You are not too much."
His voice was softer now.
"You are just someone who had a lot to say but never had the right person to listen."
My eyes became wet again.
"Stop making me cry."
He smiled.
"You are the one who cries."
I lightly hit his arm.
"Shut up."
"See? Back to normal."
I rolled my eyes.
But I was smiling.
And maybe healing didn't mean forgetting.
Maybe it meant finding people who could sit with your memories without making you feel like they were a burden.
I looked outside the window.
The sky was clear.
No snow today.
But somehow...
I still felt the warmth of it.
Because yesterday I shared my winter with someone.
And today...
For the first time...
I felt like I might finally see spring.
The morning felt different.
Not because everything had changed.
But because something inside me had.
For so long, I thought letting someone know my pain would make them leave.
But Aryan stayed.
And maybe that was the scariest and most comforting thing at the same time.
After breakfast, we went back to our usual arguments.
He complained about my tea.
I complained about his attitude.
And for a few hours, life felt normal.
Almost too normal.
I didn't know that sometimes the happiest moments are the ones you never realize you are living for the last time.
My shift passed like any other day.
I was tired, but happy.
I kept thinking about the morning.
About Aryan's words.
"I'm not going anywhere."
A small smile appeared on my face every time I remembered it.
When my shift finally ended, I packed my things and stepped outside.
The evening air felt peaceful.
I was about to call Aryan when everything changed.
I heard a voice behind me.
I turned around quickly.
But there was no one.
The empty road stared back at me.
For a moment, I just stood there, confused.
Maybe I was overthinking.
Maybe my mind was still stuck in the past.
I blinked a few times and looked down at my phone again.
My finger hovered over his name on the screen.
Aryan.
Just one call.
One second.
And he would answer.
I knew he would.
A small part of me wanted to press it immediately.
Wanted to hear his voice.
Wanted to tell him that something felt wrong.
But before I could...
I heard it again.
"Mahi..."
My whole body froze.
This time, I was sure.
I slowly turned back.
And that's when I saw her.
A figure standing a little away from me.
A woman.
The darkness covered most of her face, but somehow I could feel her eyes on me.
A sudden tightness filled my chest.
My fingers gripped my phone tighter.
Every warning inside me was telling me to leave.
To call Aryan.
To not take another step.
But another part of me...
The part that hated not knowing the truth...
Wanted to know.
Why was she calling me?
Who was she?
And how did she know my name?
I swallowed hard.
"Who are you?"
My voice came out quieter than I expected.
The figure didn't move for a few seconds.
Then she slowly stepped forward.
My heartbeat became louder.
The closer she came, the more familiar something felt.
Not her face.
Something else.
A memory.
A feeling I couldn't place.
"I think you know me, Mahi."
My eyebrows pulled together.
No.
I didn't.
I was sure I didn't.
"Sorry, but I don't."
A small laugh escaped her.
Not a happy one.
A cold one.
And that was the moment my fear turned into something else.
A realization.
This wasn't a random person.
She came here for me.
My phone was still in my hand.
Aryan's name was still right there.
One tap away.
But before I could press it...
She said something that made my blood run cold.
"Still choosing Aryan over everyone else?"
My eyes widened.
How did she know?
And suddenly...
I didn't care about finding answers anymore.
I only wanted to get away.
I took a step back.
"Who are you?"
My voice was steadier than I felt.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she took another step forward.
Slowly.
The darkness around her face made it impossible for me to see her properly.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand.
Trying to recognize her.
There was something about her presence that felt familiar.
But my mind couldn't find the answer.
"Stop."
I took another step back.
My fingers tightened around my phone.
Aryan.
His name was still on my screen.
One call.
I just needed one call.
But before I could move...
Everything happened too quickly.
A hand suddenly came from behind.
I froze.
A cloth covered my face before I could even react.
My eyes widened.
I tried to pull away.
I tried to move.
I tried to scream.
But nothing worked.
My hands felt weaker with every passing second.
My heartbeat was loud in my ears.
No.
Not now.
Not after everything.
Not after I finally let someone in.
My mind searched for one person.
One name.
Aryan.
I don't know why, but even in that moment, thinking about him made me feel a little less scared.
I tried one last time to fight against it.
But the world around me started fading.
The voices became distant.
The lights blurred.
And within seconds...
The darkness covered me completely.