70| Youre never returning to him. #5
"Maybe," He whispers. "I am the most fucked-up man you'll ever meet."
Aashika's brows rise, a rare hint of surprise crossing her face. Yet, she says nothing.
Malang turns her gently, letting her back settle against his chest just for a moment. Then, in a quiet voice, he murmurs. "Your pulse is faster than normal... am I the reason?"
"If your pulse stops right now," she replies calmly, "how about I'm the reason?"
His movements stop for a moment before he leans slightly closer to her ear.
"Why are you so violent, hmm?" he asks.
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I don't know if sharing all of that with Aashika was the right thing to do. All I know is that I couldn't hold myself back at that moment. I don't usually let my emotions spill in front of others unless I'm comfortable with them.
So maybe... she's earned that place in my life.
Well, after seeing that self-obsessed bitch (Malang) dancing with her, staying there was officially out of the question.
And besides, I'm already on my way to the sky deck after getting a text from Bro.
It was, "Come to the sky deck, Princess." Nothing else.
Weird.
Sometimes he behaves like Aayansh.
But whatsoever, I'm in no mood to leave this place anytime soon. It's already past midnight, yet every moment of this night is still alive in my mind... the way Aayansh distracted me back there, the Viennese Waltz, those little moments... everything.
There's a saying 'When everything starts going too well, be cautious.' So... I'm just a little uneasy?
And the way my brother suddenly called me like that... I don't have a good feeling about it.
He's your brother. Your very first safe place. Stop fucking overthinking, I remind myself.
The whole area is deathly silent. My footsteps reverberate through the emptiness, but I don't so much as flinch.
Moments later, I'm finally there.
But there's no one here. Only the cool wind whispering through the void.
Why did he call me here if he isn't even here?
Just when I'm about to lose my shit, I hear a soft voice behind me.
"Princess?"
Relief washes over me.
I whirl around to face him. My brother. He's already making his way toward me, his expression as composed as ever.
"Why did you call me here?"
"Thought to spend some time with my sister before leaving,"
Something inside my chest instantly sinks. "You're leaving...?"
This time, he doesn't say a word. He simply holds my gaze for a beat before a small, weary smile tugs at his lips.
Then, he draws his hand from his pocket and gently rests it against my cheek. "Did you enjoy the soirée?"
I nod. "Yeah. It was for Aayansh's mom, so-of course I did."
"You have a life of your own," Bro says firmly. "Not everything has to revolve around him and his people."
I don't know why, but uncertainty grips me. For the first time, I'm hesitating before him.
"I know! And I'm very clear about my life and the choices I've made!"
"Good,"
"So," He begins softly, as if choosing his words with care. "It's been almost a year since you married?"
Oh. I'd almost forgotten. Our first anniversary is just seven days away.
"I-Yes," I answer, my brain slow to catch up with the randomness of his question.
Anticipation settles heavily in my veins. Deep down, I already know where this is leading.
"You know I don't like twisting my words," He says, I don't interrupt.
Not yet.
"I've never tried to control your life, princess. Not even when you made the stupidest decisions."
'Stupidest decisions of my life'-My marriage with Aayansh.
I knew someday, I'll have to face him with the guilt of that.
But tonight?
I knew what Bro had witnessed that day-Aayansh drenched in blood, standing amidst the bodies of his own father, grandfather, his family. No one who had seen that nightmare up close could ever erase it from their memory.
Especially because he involved me in it. I knew my brother would never accept that.
Things have always been complicated between us, but this... He's not wrong for being concerned about me.
And I'm not wrong for standing by my love, even when it haunted every part of me.
My fingers curl slightly into my palms, clinging to my composure until I can't anymore.
"And I'm still not doing that," he continues. Not once does his voice harden.
"I know why you're bringing this suddenly," I cut in with a firm voice.
"The way all that happened was wrong. My marriage wasn't."
"I know what you witnessed in Rome made you question everything between Aayansh and me."
I take his hand in mine, silently seeking the comfort I've always found in him.
"Trust me, for a moment, even I thought I'd never go back to him after seeing him like that. But I also knew I loved him... so deeply that there was never any going back."
"So I chose to stand by him... exactly as he was."
Every word I speak comes straight from my soul. And If I had to live through that nightmare all over again, I'd still choose him.
That isn't sane. I know.
But love doesn't always have to be sane.
The moment I mentioned her marriage, guilt flashed across Tara's face. That was the last thing I intended.
I never wanted her to feel that way. Never wanted to be the reason guilt and pain found their way into her eyes.
Yet this time, it's about her future, and I don't have the luxury of being anything but firm.
Well, the way she's trying to justify everything without me even asking... says a lot.
Her marriage... the choice she made when she picked that life over trusting me. Though, I was at fault too. We raised her too protected, too untouched by the ugliness of the world, she never learned that people outside don't love gently.
She was immature enough to make that impulsive choice, and I was helpless enough to bow before it.
So it's high time for me to fix what I allowed to happen.
After witnessing everything with my own eyes-the brutality, the bloodshed, the way my sister still stood by the man who keeps dragging her into his darkness... hell would freeze over before I still let her stay with him.
Besides, he's done countless unforgivable things.
Tara is still too immature, too blinded by her feelings to see the toxicity I see so clearly. And no matter how I look at it, I can't find this ending well.
I want her to live and grow peacefully, not be thrown into a world of violence she was never meant for.
I rest my hand on her head, grounding her. "You don't have to explain things to me, princess."
Her face relaxes, just a little.
"I know you're worried about me," she adds anyway. "But trust me, Aayansh has changed. Maybe not for the world, but for me. He cares about what I feel, what I want, he stays patient with me."
I cannot help but stare at her, torn between frustration and helplessness.
She thinks men like him change.
For anyone.
I believe others can. But not Aayansh Oberoi.
Never him.
"You know, in Rome, when he left me alone among his enemies," Tara's voice pulls my attention back. "Even I doubted him for a moment. But you saw it yourself... I didn't get a single scratch, even in the middle of all that bloodshed."
"Aayansh is not perfect, he-he's so brutal. I know. But he's mine, that's enough for me to love him with everything... And love is not changing the path even when your own feelings start haunting you. Right."
Her answer comes as no surprise to me.
A heavy smile tugs at my lips at her innocence. "Hmm, I trust you."
But not your choices. And definitely not the man you call your husband.
"As you should!" She beams at me.
I let a few moments pass, allowing the stillness around us to settle.
"It's your birthday in four days," My tone turns severe this time.
Her eyes brighten. "You remember!"
Of course.
"You're a crowned princess, Tara. And you know that your birthday is never merely personal for families like ours. Last time, many things went wrong."