Love sick rivan and forced kiss #3
"They'll find each other despite every obstacle."
ZAID remained silent for several seconds.
Then he let out a long, defeated breath.
"...Fine."
He looked upstairs one last time.
"I still don't like him."
Reyansh laughed.
"Neither do I most days."
That earned the smallest smile from ZAID.
Without saying another word, he turned around and quietly walked away.
Reyansh watched him disappear down the hallway before murmuring to himself,
"Some battles are fought between people..."
He looked toward Devyani's room.
"...and some are fought inside the heart."
"The second kind is always harder."
Devyani patiently fed him the last few spoons of soup before placing the empty bowl back onto the tray. She handed him his medicines, watched him swallow them without creating any more drama, and finally stood up from the edge of the bed.
"Okay," she said, dusting her hands lightly. "I'm leaving now."
RIVAN looked up immediately.
She continued before he could interrupt.
"If you need anything... call one of the servants."
"They'll help you."
She picked up the tray and turned toward the door.
Behind her came an exaggerated sigh.
"Yeah..."
She stopped but didn't turn around.
"Now the servants will also give me love."
His voice was filled with theatrical disappointment.
"Ohhh..."
"Okay."
"I understand."
"I'll ask them to lovingly feed me medicines too."
Devyani slowly turned back to him.
For a second she simply stared.
Then she couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"When exactly did you become this cheesy, Mr. Thakur?"
The RIVAN she had known years ago had never spoken like this.
He was expressive in actions...
Not in words.
This version of him felt... strangely different.
RIVAN rested his head against the headboard and smiled without embarrassment.
"Recently."
The answer came so naturally that she almost laughed.
Instead, she let out a dramatic groan.
"Ahhhh..."
She shook her head.
"I am seriously going."
He only smiled wider.
"Okay."
She picked up the tray again and walked toward the door without looking back.
A few seconds later...
She disappeared beyond the hallway.
The room fell silent.
RIVAN kept staring at the doorway long after she was gone.
The smile on his lips softened into something quieter.
Something far more genuine.
"You are still so innocent, Kitten..."
he murmured under his breath.
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"You pretend to be cold..."
"But your heart still melts before your mind allows it."
His gaze remained fixed on the empty doorway.
Then, with complete confidence, he whispered,
"Par..."
"Biwi toh tum hi banogi meri."
There was no arrogance in his voice.
Only unwavering certainty.
Not certainty that he owned her...
But certainty that he would spend however long it took earning her back.
After a while, he leaned back against the pillow and glanced at the bandages wrapped around his body.
Curiously, he pressed one of the stitched wounds.
Nothing.
Another one.
Still nothing.
He frowned.
"Damn..."
He muttered.
"These don't even hurt anymore."
He lightly touched another bruise.
"Fucking hell..."
"The doctor made it sound like I was dying."
A small laugh escaped him.
Then his hand slowly moved away from the stitches...
And settled over the left side of his chest.
His smile disappeared.
The laughter faded.
His fingers unconsciously clenched against his shirt.
"This..."
he whispered.
"This still hurts."
Unlike the wounds on his body...
The one inside refused to heal.
No medicine could stitch it.
No bandage could hide it.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a slow, deep breath.
"Few more days..."
he murmured to himself.
"Don't lose patience."
"You waited two years."
"You can wait a little longer."
Opening his eyes again, he looked toward the ceiling.
"I know I can win you back, Kitten."
Another pause.
"It's not that I don't love you."
A faint, self-deprecating smile crossed his face.
"I've always loved you."
"I was just..."
He exhaled heavily.
"...terrible at showing it."
His jaw tightened.
"So learn."
"Try harder, RIVAN."
"Express it."
"Don't make the same mistake twice."
He nodded once to himself, almost like he was making a promise.
"This time..."
"I won't just love her."
"I'll make sure she feels loved."
Only then did he close his eyes, allowing himself a few moments of quiet determination before the next battle began
.
.
.
.
The next two days passed in an unusually peaceful rhythm.
Peaceful...
At least for everyone except Devyani.
Because somehow, every single hour of her day ended with RIVAN.
If she stepped into the garden, he was already sitting there with a cup of coffee, pretending he had "accidentally" chosen the same place.
If she walked toward the library, he would mysteriously appear looking for a book he had absolutely no intention of reading.
If she sat in the living room, he would quietly occupy the sofa opposite her, not speaking much, simply watching her over the pages of a newspaper he never actually read.
It was becoming suspicious.
Very suspicious.
On the third morning, Devyani finally reached her limit.
She had just entered the kitchen to make herself coffee when she turned around and nearly jumped.
RIVAN was standing barely a few feet away.
Calm.
Freshly showered.
Dressed in a black T-shirt despite the doctor's strict instructions to rest.
His bandaged hand rested casually inside his pocket.
She narrowed her eyes.
"You."
He smiled.
"Me."
She folded her arms.
"Are you following me?"
RIVAN looked genuinely offended.
"What?"
"I asked if you're following me."
He shook his head with complete innocence.
"No."
"Then why are you everywhere I go?"
He looked around the kitchen as if trying to understand the question.
"I also live on Earth."
She blinked.
"What?"
"You go places."
"I go places."
"Our places match."
"It's called coincidence."
She stared at him for a full five seconds.
Then deadpanned,
"For forty-eight hours?"
He nodded confidently.
"Very strong coincidence."
From the dining table, Payal quietly covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
Aradhya leaned toward her and whispered,
"He deserves an award."
"For confidence."
Payal nodded seriously.
"Not confidence."
"Shamelessness."
Meanwhile, Devyani stepped closer until she stood directly in front of him.
"Mr. Thakur."
"Hmm?"
"I wasn't born yesterday."
"I know exactly what you're doing."
He blinked.
"What am I doing?"
"Following me."
"No."
"Yes."
She inhaled deeply.
"I'll prove it."
RIVAN folded his arms.
"I'm listening."
She suddenly pointed toward the back door.
"I'm going outside."
"Okay."
"If you come behind me..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...you're guilty."
RIVAN nodded seriously.
"Fair."
Without another word, Devyani walked out of the kitchen.
She counted inside her head.
One...
Two...
Three...
Then she spun around dramatically.
"Aha!"
RIVAN stopped mid-step.
One foot was still hanging awkwardly in the air.
The two of them stared at each other.
Silence.
Then RIVAN slowly lowered his foot.
"I was..."
He looked around thoughtfully.
"...checking the weather."
Devyani looked up.
The entire area was covered with a roof.
"There is no sky."
RIVAN followed her gaze.
"...Indoor weather."
Payal burst into laughter.
Aradhya nearly fell off the chair.
Even Virendra had to cough into his newspaper to hide his smile.
Devyani simply closed her eyes for two seconds.
When she opened them again, she looked completely done with life.
"You need help."
RIVAN nodded sincerely.
"I know."
"The kind where doctors keep you in a building."
"Hmm."
"And don't let you out."
RIVAN smiled.
"But then who'll follow you?"
Another awkward silence.
"So..."
He asked hopefully.
"...Should I leave now?"
"YES!"
RIVAN sighed dramatically.
"You're becoming very rude."
"I'm becoming?"
She almost laughed in disbelief.
"You've been irritating me for three straight days."
"Irritating?"
He placed a hand over his heart.
"I'm giving you attention."
"I don't want it."
"I know."
"Then stop."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Doctor's orders."
She frowned.
"What?"
"He said I need extra care."
"And lots of love."
"So naturally..."
He smiled proudly.
"...I'm staying near my medicine."
The kitchen exploded with laughter.
Payal bent over the table, clutching her stomach.
Aradhya wiped tears from her eyes.
Even Reyansh, who had just entered, paused after hearing the last sentence.
He looked at RIVAN.
Then at Devyani.
Then back at RIVAN.
"Besharam."
RIVAN grinned.
"Doctor's prescription."
Reyansh grabbed the fruit bowl from the counter and threw an apple at him.
It hit RIVAN squarely on the shoulder.
"Oye!"
"My stitches!"
Reyansh folded his arms.
"They're magically healed whenever you follow my sister."
"But they start hurting when she leaves."
"Miracle recovery."
The entire family laughed again.
Standing in the middle of all the chaos, Devyani looked around at everyone.
Then at RIVAN, who was rubbing his shoulder dramatically while secretly smiling because she hadn't left the room yet.
Against her own will...
The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
Just a tiny smile.
It lasted barely a second.
But RIVAN saw it.
And somehow...
That one tiny smile felt bigger than every victory he had ever achieved in business.
For the first time since returning...
He thought to himself
Progress.
Very small...
But progress nonetheless.
.
.
.
.
The entire Thakur family had silently reached the same conclusion.
Something was seriously wrong with RIVAN.
Not medically.
Mentally.
Because the man walking around the villa could not possibly be the same RIVAN Thakur they had known all their lives.
The old RIVAN barely smiled.
This one smiled every ten minutes.
The old RIVAN answered in one-word sentences.
This one somehow managed to flirt while asking for water.