Helpess rivan
Hey hiii mayawiyans!!!
And this is the last free update on rowllr??
So enjoy and don't forget to like and comments!!!!
___________________
The drive to the airport felt endless.
Every red light was too slow.
Every turn felt wrong.
Every second felt stolen.
His phone remained in his hand.
No new messages.
No new updates.
Nothing.
And somehow that silence terrified him more.
The private jet was already waiting.
Of course it was.
It always was.
Ready at a moment's notice.
Ready for emergencies.
Ready for war.
Ready for anything.
But never for this.
The moment the car stopped, RIVAN was already out.
Walking so fast it was almost a run.
His mind was somewhere else.
Thousands of miles away.
In London.
The atmosphere inside Reyansh's villa was suffocating.
Nobody was speaking.
Nobody knew what to say.
Jinal stood near the living room window.
Her hands trembling.
Her face pale.
Reyansh was on his fourth phone call in ten minutes.
Trying to stay calm.
Trying to think.
Trying not to lose control.
Because the image wouldn't leave his head.
Devyani.
Covered in blood.
Unconscious.
Found on the side of the road.
Hours earlier everything had been normal.
Or at least as normal as things could be.
Then she disappeared.
Nobody noticed immediately.
She had been quiet lately.
Spending time alone.
Studying.
Reading.
Thinking.
So when she wasn't seen for a few hours, nobody panicked.
Until her phone stopped responding.
Then came the call.
A stranger.
A hospital.
An accident.
And suddenly the world tilted.
Jinal sat down heavily.
Tears threatening to spill.
Her voice shook.
Reyansh closed his eyes.
Because she did.
The irony was cruel.
Months ago she had cried while promising she'd never drink again.
Never touch it again.
And now...
Nobody knew what had happened.
Nobody knew why she had gone there.
Nobody knew why she was alone.
Nobody knew how she ended up injured.
The only thing they knew
was that she'd been found bleeding.
And that had been enough to send everyone into panic.
Jinal wiped her eyes.
Reyansh exhaled heavily.
The words should've been reassuring.
But they weren't.
Because stable wasn't awake.
Stable wasn't smiling.
Stable wasn't complaining.
Stable wasn't Devyani.
The silence stretched.
Then footsteps echoed from the hallway.
The villa was unusually quiet.
The kind of quiet that made thoughts louder.
Dangerously louder.
Devyani sat on the edge of her bed.
A book lay open in front of her.
Unread.
Forgotten.
Her eyes were staring at the same page for nearly twenty minutes.
Yet she hadn't understood a single word.
Because her mind wasn't in London.
It wasn't in her studies.
It wasn't in the present.
It was somewhere else.
Six months of buried emotions had finally started cracking.
The room felt smaller.
The walls felt closer.
Her chest felt tight.
She inhaled deeply.
Then again.
Then again.
It didn't help.
Suddenly every memory came back.
The airport.
The divorce papers.
The anniversary.
The way he had kissed her forehead.
The way he had told her to eat on time.
The way he had walked away.
Six months.
Six months without hearing his voice.
Six months of pretending she was fine.
Six months of learning.
Growing.
Improving.
And yet
some wounds refused to heal.
Her breathing became uneven.
She whispered to herself.
But memories didn't stop.
Instead they became worse.
She remembered his room.
His scent.
His laughter.
The way he used to call her kitten.
The way he looked at her.
The way he always knew when she was upset.
The ache inside her chest became unbearable.
She stood abruptly.
The book fell to the floor.
She didn't care.
She needed air.
Needed silence.
Needed anything except these thoughts.
Within minutes she was downstairs.
The guards immediately straightened.
Devyani wiped her face quickly.
One of them immediately reached for his phone.
"No."
Her answer came instantly.
"No one informs Reyansh."
The guards hesitated.
"Ma'am..."
She repeated.
More firmly.
And before anyone could argue
she was already gone.
The city lights blurred around her.
For nearly an hour she wandered aimlessly.
Walking.
Thinking.
Trying to outrun herself.
She failed.
Because memories travel faster than people.
Eventually she stopped outside a bar.
The music drifted through the entrance.
People laughed.
Talked.
Lived.
For a moment she simply stood there.
Staring.
Then slowly
she walked inside.
The atmosphere felt foreign.
Uncomfortable.
Loud.
Yet somehow
less lonely than her own thoughts.
She found a corner seat.
Sitting quietly.
Watching people.
Groups of friends laughing.
Couples dancing.
Strangers talking.
Nobody knew her.
Nobody recognized her.
And for once
that felt comforting.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Her gaze drifted toward the glasses lined behind the counter.
A promise echoed inside her head.
His voice.
RIVAN's voice.
The memory hurt.
Her fingers tightened.
She remembered making that promise.
Remembered how serious she had been.
But tonight
everything hurt.
And she was tired of hurting.
So tired.
The bartender approached.
She stared at the menu.
Not really seeing it.
Then quietly ordered something.
The first glass arrived.
She hesitated.
A long hesitation.
Then drank.
The liquid burned.
Far more than she remembered.
Much stronger than before.
Much harsher.
Her eyes watered instantly.
She almost stopped right there.
Almost.
But then another memory surfaced.
The airport.
And suddenly she wanted the silence in her head.
So she ordered another.
And another.
And another.
Time blurred.
The music became louder.
Or perhaps her thoughts became quieter.
She couldn't tell anymore.
The alcohol hit harder than the first time.
Much harder.
Her vision slowly blurred.
The room tilted slightly.
Voices became distant.
Yet she continued.
Because for the first time in months
she wasn't thinking.
And that temporary relief felt addictive.
Dangerously addictive.
Hours later
when she finally stood
her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
The world spun violently.
She grabbed a table for support.
A laugh escaped her lips.
Broken.
Weak.
Then suddenly
tears followed.
Because even now.
Even drunk.
Even barely able to stand.
There was only one person she wanted.
"RIVAN..."
The whisper disappeared into the crowd.
No one heard it.
No one answered.
And for the first time in six months
Devyani felt completely alone.
The night felt heavier than usual.
Devyani stepped out of the bar, and the cold London air immediately brushed against her skin. Normally it would have helped. Normally it would have cleared her mind.
Tonight it did nothing.
The alcohol was stronger than anything she had ever tasted before. It burned her throat, clouded her thoughts, and made the entire world sway around her.
She stood on the pavement for several moments, staring at the glowing city lights.
Everything looked beautiful.
Everything looked distant.
Everything looked lonely.
A shaky breath escaped her lips.
Her eyes burned.
She had spent six months trying to become stronger.
Six months trying to become the version of herself RIVAN wanted her to become.
She learned English from scratch.
The girl who once struggled to understand simple sentences was now reading entire novels.
She learned how to use public transport.
She learned how to order food.
She learned how to talk to strangers.
She learned how to make decisions without looking around for someone else's approval.
Every single day she pushed herself.
Every single day she learned something new.
Every single day she waited.
Waited for a call.
Waited for a message.
Waited for something.
Anything.
But nothing came.
Not once.
Not in six months.
A painful laugh escaped her.
Her eyes filled again.
She whispered to herself.
Her voice cracked.
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
She remembered waking up every morning and checking her phone.
Remembered staring at his contact.
Remembered wanting to call him.
Remembered stopping herself every time.
Because he was the one who wanted distance.
He was the one who signed the divorce papers.
He was the one who sent her away.
Then why did it hurt her so much?
Why did she still miss him every second?
Why did she still look for him in every crowd?
Why did she still hear his voice before sleeping?
Her chest tightened painfully.
She pressed a hand against it.
Trying to breathe.
Trying to calm down.
But the more she tried, the worse it became.
The city around her became blurry.
People walked past her.
Cars moved along the roads.
Nobody knew the storm inside her.
Nobody knew how exhausted she was.
The loneliness had become unbearable.
Not because London was bad.
Not because Reyansh or Jinal treated her badly.
They loved her.
They cared for her.
But they weren't him.
And that was the problem.
She wiped her tears.
More followed.
She laughed through them.
A broken laugh.
The kind that sounds more like crying.
She muttered.
Another tear fell.
The memory shattered whatever little control she had left.
A sob escaped her.
Then another.
Soon she was crying openly.
Standing alone in the middle of a foreign city.
Completely broken.
Her vision blurred.
Her breathing became uneven.
The alcohol made everything worse.
The pavement beneath her feet seemed unstable.
The streetlights stretched into strange shapes.
The world spun slowly around her.
She tried to walk.
One step.
Then another.
Her body felt strangely light.
Her legs weak.
Her head heavy.
A car horn sounded somewhere.
She barely registered it.
Her mind was somewhere else.
Back in India.
Back in the haveli.
Back in his room.
Back in his arms.
She took another step.
The road seemed to tilt beneath her.
Her foot landed wrong.
Suddenly her balance disappeared.
The world lurched violently.
A bright flash of headlights filled her vision.
Someone shouted.
She couldn't understand the words.
Everything happened too fast.
Her weakened body stumbled forward.
Then sideways.
Her foot slipped completely.
She crashed onto the road.
The side of her head struck the hard pavement with brutal force.
Pain exploded through her instantly.
A sharp, blinding pain.
For a second she couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
Warm liquid slowly spread beneath her temple.
Blood.
The realization came slowly.
Very slowly.
Her vision became darker.
The city sounds grew distant.
People were gathering.
Someone was running toward her.
Someone was calling emergency services.
Voices echoed around her.
Panicked.
Urgent.
But they sounded far away.
As though she were underwater.
Her eyes struggled to stay open.
The cold road pressed against her skin.
The warmth of her own blood pooled beneath her.
And suddenly she wasn't thinking about London anymore.
Wasn't thinking about studies.
Wasn't thinking about growing stronger.
She was thinking about him.
Only him.
A familiar face appeared inside her fading consciousness.
Dark eyes.
A stern expression.
A voice she missed every day.
A voice she would have given anything to hear right now.
Her lips trembled.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
"Pati ji..."
The whisper was barely audible.
Almost lost beneath the city noise.
Her eyes slowly closed.
The lights disappeared.
The sounds disappeared.
Devyani wiped her tears with the back of her hand and tried to keep walking.
Her vision was blurred.
The alcohol had made everything hazy.
Streetlights melted into streaks of gold.
The distant sounds of traffic echoed strangely in her ears.
She wasn't paying attention anymore.
Her mind was somewhere else entirely.
With him.
Always with him.
Every road somehow led back to RIVAN.
Every thought ended with his name.
She took another step.
Then another.
Her breathing remained uneven.
Her chest felt tight.
The loneliness inside her felt heavier than her own body.
A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes.
She blinked.
The road ahead became even more blurry.
A horn suddenly blasted through the night.
Loud.
Sharp.
Terrifying.
Devyani froze.
Her head snapped up.
Bright headlights were rushing toward her.
Far too fast.
Far too close.
For a second her brain stopped working.
Everything happened at once.
The screeching of tires.
The roar of the engine.
The terrified shout of the driver.
The blinding lights.
Fear exploded through her chest.
Her eyes widened.
A scream escaped her lips.
The driver reacted instantly.
He jerked the steering wheel with all his strength.
The vehicle swerved violently.
The tires screamed against the road.
The car narrowly avoided a direct impact.
But not completely.
The side of the vehicle clipped her.
The force threw her sideways.
A cry escaped her as she lost her balance.
The world spun.
The ground rushed toward her.
Then—
impact.
Her body hit the pavement hard.
Pain shot through her shoulder and side.
Her head struck the ground.
Everything blurred instantly.
The driver slammed the brakes.
The vehicle finally came to a stop several meters away.
For a moment the entire place went silent.
Then chaos erupted.
People shouted.
Someone ran toward her.
Others rushed from nearby shops.
The driver stumbled out of the car, his face pale with shock.
"Oh my God!"
He rushed forward.
"I didn't see her—"
Devyani could barely hear him.
The sounds around her seemed distant.
Muffled.
As if coming from another world.
Her body felt strangely heavy.
She tried to sit up.
Couldn't.
Tried to speak.
Couldn't.
Her vision flickered.
The night sky above her seemed to sway.
Tears mixed with the pain.
And in that moment, lying on the cold road surrounded by strangers, only one thought remained.
Not London.
Not the accident.
Not even the fear.
Just him.
Her trembling lips moved weakly.
"RIVAN..."
The name escaped like a prayer.
A desperate one.
As darkness slowly crept into the edges of her vision, she wished for only one thing.
To see him.
Just once.
One more time.
Blood trickled from the side of her head.
At first it was only a thin line.
Then more.
Slowly staining her hair.
Sliding down her temple.
Across her cheek.
Onto the cold pavement beneath her.
Her right hand was worse.
When she had fallen, instinct had made her throw her arm forward to protect herself.
The skin along her palm and wrist had torn against the rough road.
Small cuts.
Deep scrapes.
Blood coated her fingers.
Her bangles were cracked.
One of them shattered completely beside her.
The sight would have terrified her under normal circumstances.
But right now everything felt distant.
Unreal.
Like she was floating somewhere outside her own body.
People surrounded her.
Voices echoed.
Questions.
Shouts.
Panic.
Yet she couldn't understand a single word properly.
The world had become a blur of lights and shadows.
Her eyelids felt heavy.
So heavy.
A stranger knelt beside her.
Another voice.
Someone removed their jacket and carefully placed it beneath her head.
Someone else tried stopping the bleeding.
The driver stood nearby looking horrified.
His hands were shaking.
He kept apologizing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
But Devyani wasn't listening.
Her thoughts were fading.
Drifting.
The city lights above her looked strange.
Beautiful.
Far away.
She blinked slowly.
The faces around her became blurry.
Then darkness threatened to pull her under.
A sharp pain from her head forced her eyes open again.
A weak cry escaped her lips.
The sirens arrived minutes later.
Though to her it felt like hours.
Paramedics rushed toward her.
Their movements quick.
Professional.
Urgent.
Questions were asked.
Her pulse was checked.
A light flashed into her eyes.
Someone gently supported her neck.
Someone wrapped her injured hand.
Blood stained their gloves.
The sight made them move faster.
The stretcher was brought out.
Carefully they lifted her.
Pain exploded through her body.
She whimpered.
Her fingers weakly curled around the blanket they covered her with.
The ambulance doors slammed shut.
The siren wailed.
And London blurred past outside.
Inside the vehicle, machines beeped softly.
Medical staff continued talking.
Checking.
Monitoring.
Working.
But Devyani kept slipping in and out of consciousness.
One moment she was awake.
The next moment everything vanished.
Then she would wake again.
Only for a few seconds.
Just enough to feel the pain.
Just enough to remember.
Him.
Always him.
A single tear escaped the corner of her eye.
The paramedic thought it was because of the injury.
It wasn't.
It was because even now
when she was scared.
When she was hurt.
When she felt completely alone
the person she wanted wasn't there.
The ambulance finally reached the hospital.
Doctors were already waiting.
The moment the doors opened, they rushed her inside.
Bright white lights filled her vision.
Footsteps echoed.
Voices overlapped.
Medical equipment rolled beside her.
The ceiling passed above her in a blur.
Blood stained the edges of the sheets.
A nurse gently wiped the side of her face.
Another doctor examined the wound on her head.
The emergency room became a whirlwind of activity.
And amidst all the movement, all the noise, all the urgency
Devyani finally lost consciousness completely.
Leaving only blood-stained bandages, worried doctors, and a hospital room filled with uncertainty behind her.
By the time Reyansh and Jinal reached the hospital, the emergency staff had already cleaned most of the blood from Devyani's face.
But it didn't make the sight any easier.
If anything, it made it worse.
Because now they could see her.
Really see her.
The pale skin.
The bandages wrapped around her head.
The cuts on her hand.
The bruises beginning to darken along her arm.
The oxygen tube resting beneath her nose.
The unnatural stillness.
The silence.
The absence of her voice.
The absence of her endless questions.
The absence of her laughter.
Jinal stopped walking.
Completely.
For a moment she couldn't breathe.
Couldn't blink.
Couldn't think.
All she could do was stare.
The whisper broke from her lips.
Her eyes immediately filled with tears.
The guilt hit her so hard it felt physical.
Like someone had punched her chest.
She should have noticed.
She should have checked on her.
She should have understood that Devyani wasn't okay.
For six months everyone had been focused on making her stronger.
Making her independent.
Making her adapt.
Nobody had noticed how much she was hurting.
Nobody had noticed how lonely she truly was.
And now
here she was.
Lying unconscious in a hospital bed.
Covered in injuries.
Because she had been suffering alone.
Jinal lowered her head.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
Her voice trembled.
Reyansh immediately looked at her.
She wiped her face angrily.
Her shoulders shook.
Reyansh remained silent.
Because the truth was
he blamed himself too.
Every single one of them did.
For months they had watched her smile.
Watched her study.
Watched her improve.
And they had convinced themselves she was healing.
Maybe they wanted to believe it.
Maybe it was easier.
Now reality stood right in front of them.
Bandaged.
Bruised.
Broken.
Reyansh stared at Devyani for a long moment.
Then his expression hardened.
A decision forming instantly.
He turned toward the doctor.
"Prepare everything."
The doctor blinked.
The room fell silent.
The doctor hesitated.
Cold.
Firm.
Absolute.
Every staff member instantly went quiet.
Nobody wanted to argue with reyansh.
Especially not when he looked like this.
Calm on the outside.
Furious underneath.
"Shift everything."
He continued.
"The equipment."
The doctor exchanged nervous glances with the others.
Then nodded.
Nobody argued further.
Jinal looked up.
Confused.
"Why?"
Reyansh turned toward her.
His gaze softened slightly.
He looked back at Devyani.
Sleeping.
Unaware.
Vulnerable.
Small.
Far too small for the giant hospital bed.
Then he answered quietly.
Jinal blinked.
Reyansh exhaled.
A faint memory surfaced.
Devyani crying over a simple injection.
Complaining about the smell.
Refusing to stay alone.
Asking endless questions because she was scared.
His jaw tightened.
His eyes remained fixed on her.
The room fell silent.
Jinal looked at Devyani again.
And suddenly she understood.
The cold walls.
The machines.
The unfamiliar environment.
The sterile smell.
For someone already emotionally shattered
it would feel awful.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Reyansh slowly moved closer to the bed.
Carefully.
As if afraid she might break.
He brushed a few strands of hair away from her forehead.
The same way an older brother would.
Then whispered quietly,
"Let's take you home, Devu."
For the first time that night
his voice cracked.
Because no matter how strong she had become...
No matter how much she had learned...
Right now
she looked like a lost little girl who simply wanted someone familiar to hold her hand.
The moment RIVAN stepped inside the villa, he knew something was wrong.
The silence felt wrong.
Too heavy.
Too tense.
Too suffocating.
The staff standing nearby immediately lowered their eyes.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
And that alone made his pulse spike.
His gaze swept across the hall.
Then stopped.
Reyansh was sitting on the sofa.
Motionless.
His elbows resting on his knees.
His hands clasped together.
His head lowered.
For the first time in years
he looked exhausted.
Truly exhausted.
RIVAN immediately strode forward.
Fast.
Restless.
His chest rising and falling unevenly.
Every second felt unbearable.
The sentence never finished.
A fist crashed into his jaw.
Hard.
Very hard.
The impact forced his head sideways.
The taste of blood instantly filled his mouth.
The entire hall froze.
Nobody dared breathe.
Nobody dared move.
Reyansh was already on his feet.
His eyes bloodshot.
His face twisted with fury.
The scream echoed through the villa.
Another shove.
Another burst of anger.
His voice cracked.
Didn't retaliate.
Didn't even look angry.
Because none of it mattered.
Nothing mattered.
Not the punch.
Not the insult.
Not the blood.
Not the anger.
Nothing.
Except one thing.
His breathing became uneven.
Almost desperate.
Reyansh froze.
Because he had never heard that tone before.
Never.
Not from RIVAN.
There was no authority in it.
No arrogance.
No dominance.
Only fear.
Raw fear.
RIVAN grabbed his collar.
Not aggressively.
Desperately.
His voice broke.
"Reyansh."
For the first time
it sounded like a plea.
"Where is she?"
The entire hall fell silent.
Nobody had ever seen him like this.
Never.
Not once.
The mighty RIVAN Thakur.
Looking terrified.
Looking helpless.
Looking like a man standing at the edge of losing everything.
Reyansh's anger faltered for a moment.
Only a moment.
Then it returned.
Stronger.
He shoved RIVAN away.
His voice thundered through the hall.
RIVAN remained frozen.
His heart hammering.
Reyansh's eyes filled with rage.
The word landed like a bullet.
RIVAN's entire body went still.
Reyansh continued.
"She was drinking"
Every word became harder to hear.
Harder to breathe through.
Silence.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"Congratulations."
Another laugh.
This one angrier.
The words struck harder than any punch.
Much harder.
RIVAN felt something inside him crack.
Reyansh noticed.
But he wasn't finished.
His voice lowered.
More dangerous now.
The hall became suffocatingly silent.
RIVAN lowered his gaze.
For the first time since arriving
he looked shattered.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Shattered.
Then finally
barely audible
he asked again.
This time there was no pride left.
No walls.
No armor.
Just a man asking about the person he loved most.
Reyansh stared at him.
Then exhaled heavily.
His anger suddenly feeling pointless.
Because looking at RIVAN now
he could see it.
The punishment hadn't only destroyed Devyani.
It had destroyed him too.
Reyansh pointed toward the staircase.
The moment the words left his mouth
RIVAN was already moving.
Running.
Not walking.
Running.
Up the stairs.
As if every second without seeing her was unbearable.
As if he couldn't breathe until he knew she was okay.
As if his entire world waited behind that door.
RIVAN stopped outside the door.
For the first time in years
he couldn't make himself enter.
His hand hovered over the handle.
Motionless.
Shaking.
Actually shaking.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
So loud it felt deafening.
Every possible fear had already crossed his mind during the flight.
Every terrible scenario.
Every nightmare.
Yet somehow
standing outside this room felt worse.
Much worse.
Because now he was only a few steps away from the truth.
A few steps away from seeing her.
A few steps away from finding out how badly she was hurt.
He closed his eyes.
Taking a slow breath.
Then another.
Trying to calm himself.
Trying to steady the storm raging inside him.
But it wasn't working.
Nothing was working.
Because for six months he had survived by telling himself she was safe.
Happy.
Growing.
Learning.
Living.
And now
all he could think about was blood.
The word echoed endlessly.
Blood.
Blood.
Blood.
His jaw clenched.
He pushed the door open.
Slowly.
The room was quiet.
Far too quiet.
The soft hum of medical equipment filled the air.
A monitor beeped steadily somewhere nearby.
Machines blinked.
Medical stands stood beside the bed.
The curtains moved gently from the breeze coming through the slightly opened balcony door.
Everything looked peaceful.
Until his eyes found her.
And his world stopped.
His steps halted instantly.
His chest tightened so violently it hurt.
There she was.
Lying on the bed.
Unconscious.
Still.
Silent.
A bandage wrapped around her head.
Another around her hand.
Bruises stained her skin.
Her face looked pale.
Far too pale.
The sight hit him harder than any bullet ever could.
For a moment
he genuinely forgot how to breathe.
All the air left his lungs.
His throat tightened.
His vision blurred.
And suddenly the room felt too small.
Too suffocating.
Too cruel.
Because this wasn't supposed to happen.
Not to her.
Never to her.
She was supposed to be laughing.
Asking impossible questions.
Arguing.
Complaining.
Smiling.
Not this.
Anything but this.
His feet finally moved.
One slow step.
Then another.
Then another.
Each one heavier than the last.
The closer he got
the worse it became.
The cuts.
The bruises.
The exhaustion visible even while unconscious.
The evidence of everything she had suffered.
His stomach twisted painfully.
Because he knew.
Deep down
he knew.
This wasn't just the accident.
This was six months.
Six months of loneliness.
Six months of missing him.
Six months of crying when nobody was watching.
Six months of carrying pain alone.
And suddenly every decision he had made felt unbearable.
He reached the bedside.
His fingers trembled as he looked down at her.
So small.
So fragile.
So heartbreakingly familiar.
A memory flashed through his mind.
Her sleeping peacefully beside him in the haveli.
Her stealing his pillow.
Her wrapping herself around him like she belonged there.
Because she did.
God.
She did.
A painful breath escaped him.
His knees almost gave out.
Slowly
very slowly
he lowered himself into the chair beside her bed.
His eyes never leaving her face.
As if looking away might make her disappear.
His hand hesitated above hers.
Afraid.
Terrified.
Then finally
he touched her fingers.
Carefully.
As though she were made of glass.
The warmth of her skin nearly broke him.
Because she was here.
Alive.
Still here.
A shaky breath escaped his lips.
His forehead lowered onto their joined hands.
And for several seconds
he simply sat there.
Silent.
Broken.
Overwhelmed.
The mighty RIVAN Thakur.
The man feared by everyone.
Reduced to a helpless man sitting beside the unconscious woman he loved.
His shoulders trembled once.
Only once.
Then he whispered so quietly that even the machines almost drowned it out.
His throat closed.
He tried again.
This time even softer.
The words shattered something inside him.
Because for six months he had stayed away.
For six months he had convinced himself it was necessary.
For six months he had watched her from a distance.
And now
looking at her lying there unconscious
all he could think was one devastating thought.
I should have come sooner.
The realization dug into his chest like a knife.
And for the first time since arriving in London
RIVAN allowed himself to feel the full weight of what these six months had truly cost them both.