Chapter 11 Attachment
Aarohi should have said no immediately.
Professionally.
Logically.
Emotionally.
Every part of her training screamed the same warning—
But when Ekansh Rathore looked at her like that...
Not as a mafia lord.
Not as a monster.
Just as someone asking not to be left alone—
The answer became harder.
Vivaan Khanna noticed her hesitation instantly.
And he looked deeply concerned.
"Aarohi," he interrupted carefully, dropping formalities for the first time, "you really should go home."
Ekansh's eyes shifted toward him sharply.
Vivaan ignored the death glare bravely.
"This isn't healthy anymore."
Silence.
Then Ekansh spoke calmly.
"You can leave too."
Vivaan stared.
"Oh good. The psycho is jealous now."
"I'm not jealous."
"You literally look homicidal every time she talks to another human."
Aarohi rubbed her forehead tiredly.
"Why is this conversation happening like I'm not here?"
"Because he's emotionally malfunctioning," Vivaan answered immediately.
"Vivaan."
"And because you somehow turned Jaipur's most feared man into a clingy patient."
Ekansh looked genuinely offended now.
"I'm not clingy."
The room went silent.
Then both Aarohi and Vivaan looked at him.
Slowly.
Ekansh frowned slightly.
"...What?"
Vivaan pointed dramatically.
"You asked her not to leave six times today."
"That's not clingy."
"You asked what time she'd return."
"Planning."
"You asked her to come to a mafia warehouse."
"Emotional support."
Aarohi accidentally laughed again.
A real laugh this time.
Small.
Warm.
And once again the entire world seemed to stop for Ekansh.
His eyes locked onto her instantly.
The hardness in his face softened in seconds.
Vivaan saw it happen.
And that scared him more than violence ever had.
Because nothing should hold this much power over a man like Ekansh Rathore.
Nothing.
Aarohi noticed the intensity too this time.
Really noticed it.
The way he watched her.
The way his entire body seemed calmer when she smiled.
The way his anger disappeared around her voice.
This wasn't an ordinary attraction.
This was psychological imprinting mixed with emotional starvation.
Dangerous combination.
Before the atmosphere could grow heavier, Aarohi stepped back slightly.
"You need rest," she repeated firmly.
"And you need sleep too," Vivaan added quickly. "Preferably far away from this man."
Ekansh ignored him.
"Will you come tomorrow?"
Aarohi hesitated.
tiny mistake.
Because he noticed instantly.
His jaw tightened.
"You won't."
"I didn't say that."
"But you thought about it."
Silence.
The frustrating part?
He was right.
Because Aarohi had spent the last hour internally debating whether continued contact was ethical anymore.
Professionally, she should transfer his care to another psychologist.
Emotionally...
Her chest tightened unexpectedly at the thought.
That alone was a problem.
"You're overanalyzing," Ekansh said quietly.
"I'm literally a psychologist."
"You think too much."
"And you don't think enough."
A faint smirk appeared briefly on his face.
"There it is again."
"There what is?"
"That look." His gaze stayed on her steadily. "Like you're arguing with yourself."
Aarohi crossed her arms defensively.
"I'm evaluating the situation."
"No." His voice softened unexpectedly. "You're deciding whether to leave me."
The directness of the statement hit too accurately.
Vivaan muttered under his breath,
"This man reads attachment issues like business contracts."
Aarohi looked toward Ekansh carefully.
"You barely know me."
"I know enough."
"That's not how emotional dependency works."
"I don't care what it's called."
And there it was again.
That terrifying honesty.
No pretending.
No manipulation.
If he felt something, he simply admitted it.
Like emotions themselves were weapons he no longer bothered hiding.
The problem?
That honesty affected her more than charm ever could.
Before Aarohi could answer, the door opened again.
One of the guards stepped inside nervously.
"Boss."
Ekansh's expression cooled immediately.
"What?"
"Your father is here."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Everything changed instantly.
Aarohi physically saw the shift in him.
His posture stiffened.
His jaw locked.
And the calm she had spent hours building shattered in seconds.
Fear and rage mixed violently behind his eyes.
Not panic.
Not weakness.
Something darker.
Older.
Vivaan cursed softly.
"Why the hell is he here?"
The guard swallowed nervously.
"He said he wants to see his son."
Ekansh laughed once.
Cold.
Terrifying.
"That man lost the right to call me his son ten years ago."
Aarohi noticed his breathing changing again.
His fingers flexed sharply at his sides.
His trauma response was activating fast.
The room suddenly felt too small.
"Send him away," Vivaan said immediately.
But the guard hesitated.
"He brought... the music box."
Everything stopped.
Ekansh went completely still.
Aarohi frowned slightly.
Music box?
Then she remembered.
His mother's last belonging.
The one thing his father used to control him.
The color slowly drained from Ekansh's face despite the anger.
And for the first time since meeting him...
Aarohi saw something worse than rage in his eyes.
Fear of losing the last piece of his mother.