CHAPTER 63! HIS APOLOGY #3
It wasn't an excuse. It was just a stark fact.
Aadhira’s mouth tightened, her lips curving up at the edges despite herself. A small spark of amusement broke through the tension.
"I told you to learn."
His dark eyes narrowed slightly, though there was no real anger in the gesture. "You did."
"And?"
He let out a long sigh, dragging one broad palm down his face and over the rough stubble of his jaw.
"Fine." He turned his entire body toward her, looking as though he were bracing himself to negotiate with an unpredictable rival. "Teach me."
Aadhira blinked, caught off guard. "Teach you what?"
"How to apologize."
There was something so rare and resigned in his tone that Aadhira felt a wave of mischief rise within her.
She crossed her arms, shifting in her chair to face him. Aryav watched her closely, sensing he had walked into a trap.
"You really want me to teach you?" she asked softly.
"I asked you to, didn't I?"
"Fine." Aadhira leaned in slightly, her eyes bright.
And her eyes were scerming she was going to make it difficult for him.
"First... " She begin with innocent face.
"you should kiss my left cheek."
Aryav stiffened. His eyes widened slightly, giving him away instantly.
Aadhira swallowed back a gasp of delight.
She had spent years believing Aryav was completely stoic and immune to vulnerability.
Yet here he was, visibly tense at the thought of deliberate physical intimacy.
He could fight Vivaan and Shourya together without taking a hit, she thought, enjoying the shift in power, but kissing his wife? No—she is soft, and he doesn't do soft.
"Then my right cheek," she added.
His jaw worked as he clenched his teeth, looking as though he might actually get up and walk away. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"And then," she continued, her voice dripping with sweetness, "you kiss my nose."
Aryav stared at her, suspecting every word was a setup.
"And my forehead."
His eyes narrowed further, but he didn't pull away.
"After that," she said, practically purring, "maybe a kiss on the lips."
There it was again—that brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes. For once, Aryav looked almost uncertain. For all his confidence and control everywhere else, he was strangely hesitant when it came to being close to her.
She leaned back just enough to study his reaction, laying out the final step with total gravity.
"And then," she said, her tone suddenly formal, "you kneel down."
Aryav’s face went completely blank.
Aadhira’s eyes gleamed with pure mischief. "You hold my feet and say, 'I am sorry, Aadhira. Please forgive me. I am ready to accept you as my queen and become your slave for the rest of my life. Please don't ever leave me.'"
For three long seconds, Aryav didn't move a muscle. He just stared at her.
The thought of Aryav actually saying those ridiculous words was too much for her.
A loud, bright laugh spilled from her throat. She threw her head back, her shoulders shaking as her laughter filled the bedroom.
Aryav didn't smile. He sat perfectly still, watching her.
As her laughter faded, she caught his gaze again. The annoyance she had expected wasn't there. Instead, his eyes were heavy and completely focused on her lips, as though her laughter was something he hadn't realized he was starving for years.
Aadhira’s breath caught. The playful air disappeared, leaving the room warm and quiet in a very different way.
"What?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"So," he murmured softly, "that's how an apology works?"
Aadhira swallowed hard. The wall of mock amusement she had built around herself suddenly felt very thin.
"Yes," she managed to whisper.
"Which cheek first... yes left, right aadhira." he repeated casually.
Before she could think, he moved. He bent down, bringing his face so close she could feel the steady warmth of his breath.
Instinctively, Aadhira fisted her fingers into her dress.
She held her breath.
He moved slowly, giving her time to pull back. But when his lips touched her left cheek, her eyes closed automatically.
It wasn't a rushed kiss; it was soft, lingering, and careful. There was no claim in the touch.
No demand. Just care. Without breaking the rhythm, Aryav shifted. His breath brushed across her skin before he found her right cheek, pressing another quiet kiss to her warm skin.
Her throat tightened. She hated that her body recognized him before her mind was ready to. These careful kisses brought a sudden sting behind her eyes.
So that's what it feels like to be loved by him.
He leaned in again, pressing a quiet kiss to her forehead, between her brows, and then down to the bridge of her nose.
Aadhira bit her lower lip, turning her head slightly to hide the blush spreading across her skin.
Aryav noticed immediately. He reached up, his calloused thumb resting against her chin as he gently pulled her lip out from between her teeth.
"Don't," he murmured softly.
He stayed there for a moment, tracing her chin. Aadhira closed her eyes, her pulse quickening as she braced herself for his mouth on hers.
Five seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Instead, she heard the quiet scrape of wood against the floor.
Confused, Aadhira opened her eyes—and her breath caught.
Aryav was no longer sitting. He had lowered himself all the way down, resting on his knees on the dark floorboards before her chair.
These hands had held guns, broken bones without hesitation, and signed orders that ruined men. Now, they moved slowly across the floor, coming to rest gently over her feet.
"Aryav, no—" Aadhira blurted out, her voice cracking as she tried to pull back.
"That's how it works. You told me, remember?" he said quietly. His tone was stripped of all arrogance, leaving only raw honesty.
He looked up at her from the floor with a quiet humility she had never seen in him.
"I am sorry, Aadhira," he said, his voice low and rough. "For the money. For making you believe you could be bought. For deciding what was best for you without asking what you wanted."
His jaw flexed. He swallowed hard.
"And for taking Ayaan from you. I thought I was protecting your future. I didn't understand that I was taking pieces of it away." He looked directly into her eyes, his hands steady over her feet.
"You didn't deserve any of it. I am so sorry."
Aadhira couldn't speak.
In every version of this moment she had imagined over eight long years, Aryav had come back with control and athourity to demand everything he owns, expecting to take her home even if she refused because she is ayaan's mom, She had never imagined him on his knees,
offering her apologies instead of control.
Her eyes burned. She turned her head away, swallowing hard before tears could spill over.
"Don't do that," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Aryav’s hands stilled over her feet. "Do what?"
"Don't Make it difficult to stay angry with you."
Aryav went completely still. His hands loosened around her feet. For once, he didn't try to fix the moment. He simply looked at her. And something in his expression softened.
“Then I won't ask you to forgive me tonight.”
Aadhira's eyes lifted to his.
“But I will spend the rest of my life giving you reasons to.”