Chapter 22 Tomorrow
Morning peace lasted exactly twelve minutes.
That was how long Ekansh Rathore remained calm before becoming emotionally catastrophic again.
The entire Mehra family sat in the living room while breakfast tea cooled untouched on the table.
And Ekansh stood in the middle of the room explaining marriage like a man defending a legal case.
"It needs two people," he argued seriously. "Bride and groom. Done."
Rishabh Mehra stared blankly.
"That is not how Indian families work."
"Why?"
Savita Mehra sighed softly.
"Because marriage is not just emotion, beta."
"It literally is."
"No," Rajeev Mehra added calmly, "it's responsibility, preparation, rituals—"
"I can provide all of that."
"That's not the point."
Ekansh's jaw tightened slightly.
The calm from last night was already cracking.
Aarohi noticed instantly from where she sat silently watching him.
He was getting overwhelmed.
Too many people.
Too many opinions.
Too much uncertainty.
For someone abandoned repeatedly, even delay felt dangerous.
Rajeev continued gently,
"We are not saying no."
"But?"
"But marriage tomorrow morning is unrealistic."
The second that sentence landed—
something shifted in Ekansh's expression.
Panic.
Real panic.
His breathing changed immediately.
Aarohi stood subtly.
"Ekansh—"
"You're delaying."
"No one is delaying—"
"You'll take her away from me."
The room fell silent instantly.
Savita's face softened painfully.
Because the fear in his voice sounded heartbreakingly genuine.
Rajeev tried again carefully.
"Beta, listen—"
"No."
Ekansh stepped back suddenly.
His hands trembling now.
"She promised she wouldn't leave."
"I am NOT leaving," Aarohi said quickly.
But he barely seemed to hear her anymore.
The trauma spiral had already started.
Years of abandonment crashing into present fear.
His breaths became uneven.
Sharp.
Fast.
"You'll change her mind."
"No one is changing anyone's mind," Rishabh said cautiously.
But Ekansh looked cornered now.
Like everyone around him was trying to separate him from the only safe thing he had left.
Then suddenly—
he grabbed the fruit knife lying on the dining table.
Everyone froze.
"EKANSH!"
The blade pressed against his own wrist instantly.
Not dramatically.
Desperately.
Like he genuinely wasn't thinking rationally anymore.
Savita gasped in horror.
Rajeev stood abruptly.
"Put the knife down."
But Ekansh was already hyperventilating badly.
His eyes looked terrified.
Not violent.
Terrified.
"You can't take her away from me," he whispered brokenly.
Aarohi's heart slammed painfully against her ribs.
"She's my sanity."
His hand shook violently against the blade.
"If she leaves, I—"
"EKANSH!"
Aarohi moved instantly.
Before anyone else could react, she reached him in seconds, grabbed his wrist sharply, twisted the knife free, and threw it across the room.
The metal clattered loudly against the floor.
And immediately she wrapped both arms around him tightly.
"It's okay."
Ekansh completely broke.
His body trembled violently against hers as years of buried fear surfaced at once.
"I can't lose you," he whispered shakily.
Aarohi held his face firmly.
"You're not losing me."
Tears streamed down his face openly now.
No control left.
No walls.
No mafia lord.
Just a terrified wounded man clinging to the only person who made life feel survivable.
"I cannot live without you," he choked out. "Please."
The raw desperation in his voice shattered the room.
Even Rishabh looked emotional now.
Ekansh buried his face against Aarohi's shoulder desperately.
"She makes my head quiet," he whispered brokenly. "Please don't take her."
Aarohi's own eyes burned now.
Because this wasn't obsession anymore.
This was years of untreated trauma attaching itself to safety with everything it had.
His body shook harder suddenly from emotional exhaustion.
Aarohi gently held his face again.
"Look at me."
His tear-filled eyes lifted instantly.
"We'll marry tomorrow morning."
The entire room froze.
Ekansh blinked slowly.
"...Really?"
Aarohi nodded softly.
"Small temple. Just family."
For one second—
he looked completely stunned.
Like he genuinely couldn't process getting something good without losing it first.
Then relief crashed through him so hard his knees nearly gave out.
A shaky breath escaped him.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
The tension holding him together finally snapped completely after that.
His body sagged heavily against her.
"Aarohi—"
Then suddenly—
he fainted.
"Ekansh!"
Rishabh immediately rushed forward.
Together, Aarohi and Rishabh carefully helped the unconscious Ekansh upstairs to her room.
Savita looked close to tears downstairs.
"He's so broken."
Rajeev sighed heavily.
"Yes."
Then quietly—
"But he loves her more honestly than most men ever will."
—
Night came softly afterward.
Rain tapped lightly against the windows again.
Ekansh slowly woke around midnight feeling exhausted and disoriented.
The first thing he saw—
Aarohi sitting beside him.
Immediately his breathing eased.
"You stayed."
A small smile touched her lips.
"Obviously."
Weakness still lingered heavily in his body after the breakdown.
Aarohi helped him sit up carefully before bringing food toward him.
"You need to eat."
Normally Ekansh would've refused anyone feeding him.
But from her?
Never.
Quietly, he let her feed him with her hands while watching her face the entire time.
Every few bites, he held the spoon toward her too.
"Your turn."
Aarohi sighed softly.
"You're impossible."
"And marrying you tomorrow."
Fair point.
The room slowly filled with softer silence afterward.
No panic.
No fear.
Just warmth.
Eventually Aarohi slid beneath the blanket beside him again.
Immediately Ekansh moved closer instinctively.
One arm wrapping around her waist carefully.
Like even unconscious fear still needed reassurance she was real.
His forehead rested lightly against hers.
For a while neither spoke.
Then quietly—
"Good luck for tomorrow," Aarohi whispered softly.
Ekansh smiled faintly against her hair.
"I already got lucky."
And sometime later—
wrapped around each other like home—
they both finally slept peacefully before the morning that would change everything forever.