CHAPTER 58! Ill TRY #2
Aryav's expression changed almost imperceptibly. "Why sorry?"
Ayaan shrugged with complete seriousness. "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
Ayaan shook his head. "Mumma said you were angry. She said you got hurt."
Something unreadable settled behind Aryav's dark eyes. He looked toward the staircase, then back at his son.
"Did your mother tell you to say sorry?"
Ayaan nodded.
"And kiss my left cheek?"
Another nod.
Aryav was silent for a long beat. Then he pressed a brief kiss to the boy's forehead. "Your mother worries too much."
Ayaan frowned. "Are you still hurt?"
The question caught Aryav off guard. He looked at his son for several seconds before answering. "No."
Ayaan seemed satisfied. "Put me down, papa."
Aryav set the boy down gently. Ayaan immediately ran toward his toy cars in the corner, leaving Aryav standing there. His gaze drifted toward the staircase again.
?Aadhira's door was slightly ajar, spilling a thin slice of light into the hall. He didn't announce himself; he simply stood in the threshold.
?Aadhira was sitting on the edge of the bed, completely absorbed in a book with a pen held loosely between her fingers.
For a man accustomed to rooms falling silent the moment he entered them, there was something strangely disarming about watching her remain completely unaware of his presence.
?He stepped inside, pulled a heavy armchair across the wooden floor, and sat down.
?The sharp scrape of wood against the floor made Aadhira freeze. She snapped the book shut, her eyes widening.
"When did you come?"
?"When you were reading." He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I asked Shaurya to apologize for the sin I committed. Will you forgive him, Aadhira?"
?She frowned. "Why would Bhai apologize for something you did?"
?Aryav stood up slowly, taking measured, quiet steps toward the bed.
Aadhira instinctively backed away until her spine met the headboard. He stopped just inches from her.
?"Then why did Ayaan apologize for something you did?"
And suddenly, something in his expression made her stomach tighten.
Why was he saying that?
Her eyes dropped for a moment.
But Aryav wasn't really talking about Ayaan, was he?
He was talking about her.
About the slap.
About the fact that she still hadn't properly apologized.
Aadhira's fingers tightened around the edge of the book.
She had slapped him.
She hadn't known the truth then, but that didn't change what she'd done.
Should I apologize?
Her eyes lifted to his face.
Aryav was still watching her, waiting.
Yes.
Aadhira swallowed.
Yes, Aadhira. You should.
She drew in a quiet breath.
?Aadhira's breath caught in her throat. "I am... I'm sorry," she stammered, heat instantly rushing up her neck. "I shouldn't have slapped you when I didn't even know the truth."
?"Ayaan didn't apologize like that. His apology was better."
?"You're comparing my apology to a seven-year-old's?"
?"I am. Ayaan followed instructions better."
For a second, Aadhira simply stared at him.
Then disbelief replaced her embarrassment.
Her mouth fell open slightly.
Heat rushed straight to her face.
And then she understood.
The kiss.
Of course.
Oh God.
Aadhira wanted to disappear beneath the duvet.
He had come all the way here just to make her apologize-and now he was comparing her apology to Ayaan's?
She glared at him.
?The flush on her face deepened into a burning red as the realization hit her-the kiss on the left cheek. "No."
?"I didn't say anything," he replied smoothly.
?"You're thinking it."
?"I don't need to."
?"I am not kissing you," she said firmly.
?His eyebrow lifted. "I didn't ask you to."
Her cheeks burned hotter.
She hated that he could do this-say so little and somehow make her feel as though he knew exactly what was going through her mind.
And worse...
He did.
Or at least, she was beginning to think he did.
Fine, it's not a big deal just a kiss.
She can do this.
?She stared at him, her hand lifting almost against her own willpower.
Aadhira's fingers stopped a breath away from his cheek. for one suspended moment, neither of them spoke.
She could feel the warmth of his skin without even touching him. her heart began beating harder.
What am I doing?
She almost pulled her hand back. then she remembered his words.
"Ayaan's apology was better."
Aadhira's lips pressed together to hide the nervous smile threatening to appear.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Her fingertips finally touched Aryav's cheek.
Barely.
Just enough to make his entire expression still.
She traced the place she'd hurt him once with the lightest touch, her eyes fixed on his. then, before she could lose her nerve, she leaned forward.
Her lips brushed his cheek.
A soft, fleeting kiss.
Nothing more.
But the moment she pulled away, she realized Aryav hadn't moved at all.
His eyes remained on her.
Aadhira's breath caught.
"I..." She swallowed. "That's my apology."
Aryav's jaw tightened slightly.
"That was better."
Her eyebrows drew together.
"Better?"
He gave the smallest nod.
"Much."
Aadhira could feel the place where her lips had touched his skin, as if the warmth had somehow remained there.
And judging by the way his fingers slowly curled at his sides, she wasn't the only one affected.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
?For several long seconds, the silence in the room stretched until it became almost unbearable.
Aadhira lowered her eyes, suddenly intensely aware of how close they were standing, her cheeks burning as the reality of what she had just voluntarily done settled in.
?Aryav didn't mock her. He didn't offer a smirk or a sharp comment.
He simply remained where he was, his breathing deliberate, his eyes fixed on her face as if registering the unexpected touch.
?She swallowed, her fingers twisting self-consciously into the fabric of the bedsheet. "I... I only did it because you wouldn't stop."
?A faint shift passed through his expression-something quiet and unreadable. "I didn't force you."
?Aadhira snapped her gaze back to his. For a long, fragile moment, neither looked away. Aryav's eyes dropped slowly to her mouth, lingering there until Aadhira felt the air leave her lungs.
When his eyes returned to hers, the unspoken tension was terrifyingly clear.
?Aryav took a half-step closer. Not enough to touch, but just enough for her to feel the hard wall of his presence.