The tension between them was palpable as they sat in the car, the silence stretching between them like a heavy blanket. Vihaanâs hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, while Aarohi stared out the window, the city lights blurring as they passed by. Neither of them said a word, the anger from their argument still hanging in the air like smoke.
Aarohi could feel the frustration and the weight of everything pressing down on her, suffocating her. The fight with Vihaan had been too much, too intense, and she knew that neither of them were in the right frame of mind to continue talking.
Finally, breaking the silence, she spoke, her voice soft but firm.
âVihaan,â she said, her tone careful, âcan you just take me home? I need some time to think. We both need time to cool down.â
Vihaan didnât respond immediately, but after a moment, he gave a short nod, the tension in his body still obvious. His eyes were on the road, but she could feel the storm inside him, a storm he was trying to hold back.
âFine,â he said quietly, and they drove in silence for the rest of the journey.
When they reached her house, Aarohi didnât get out immediately. She looked at him, her heart heavy with the words left unsaid. She wanted to explain, to tell him how she was feeling, but she knew that it wasnât the right moment.
Without saying anything, she opened the door and got out. Vihaan didnât say a word either, his eyes following her as she walked towards the door, the space between them feeling insurmountable.
Aarohi paused at the door, her hand resting on the knob. She turned to look at him one last time.
âIâll⦠Iâll talk to you later, okay?â she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Vihaan didnât reply. He simply nodded, but it wasnât enough to bridge the gap between them. Aarohi closed the door quietly behind her, leaving him standing there, the weight of the silence between them heavier than ever.
---
Vihaan stared at the door for a few moments, his heart still racing, his mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. He didnât want to let her go, but he knew she was right. They both needed time to cool off. He wasnât sure what was worseâthe fight or the way he had acted. He was usually in control, always the one who had the upper hand, but with Aarohi, things were different.
He punched the steering wheel in frustration before starting the engine again. He needed to get away, to clear his head, to do something that would help him think. His mind kept replaying their fightâthe way she had looked at him when she said he was controlling, possessive.
He knew she was right, but he couldnât let go of that need to protect her.
With a growl of frustration, he pulled his phone out and called Karan.
âHey,â he said when his best friend picked up. âI need to drink. Meet me at the bar in 15 minutes.â
âVihaan, whatâs going on?â Karan asked, sounding concerned.
âIâll explain when I get there. Just meet me.â
---
Vihaan arrived at the bar a short while later, walking inside with his shoulders tight, his mind still clouded by the events of the night. Karan was already there, sitting at the bar with a drink in front of him.
Without waiting for a greeting, Vihaan slid into the stool next to him and ordered a drink. Karan looked at him, his eyes narrowing.
âSo, what happened?â Karan asked, his voice calm but firm. âYou donât usually come to me for advice unless somethingâs really wrong.â
Vihaan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, the alcohol already beginning to settle his nerves.
âItâs Aarohi,â he said, running a hand through his hair. âIâI canât stop thinking about what she said. About me being possessive. But itâs just⦠I canât help it, Karan. I donât want to lose her.â
Karanâs expression softened as he listened. Heâd known Vihaan for years, and he could see how much this was eating him up inside.
âVihaan,â Karan said gently, âyou need to stop thinking about everything as âmineââespecially her. Sheâs not some possession that you can control. The more you try to hold onto her like that, the more youâll push her away.â
Vihaanâs fists clenched at the words, but Karanâs voice was steady, and his words hit too close to home.
âI know you care about her. Iâve seen it. But youâre turning this into something toxic, man. You canât control everything, and if you keep trying, youâre going to lose her. Itâs not about keeping her âyours,â itâs about trusting her, respecting her space. You have to let her breathe.â
Vihaan stared at his drink, the weight of Karanâs words settling over him like a wave.
âI donât know how to do that,â Vihaan admitted, his voice low. âIâve never felt this way before. I donât know how to let go.â
âYouâre not letting go of her,â Karan said, taking a sip from his own glass. âYouâre just letting go of the need to control everything. Let her be herself. Let her be with you because she wants to be, not because youâre forcing it.â
Vihaan sat there, absorbing Karanâs advice, the truth of it sinking in slowly. He knew Karan was right. He didnât want to lose her. But his obsession with control, with keeping her close, was the very thing that could tear them apart.
---
Meanwhile, Aarohi sat in her room, her heart still racing from the events earlier. She couldnât stop thinking about the fight, about how she felt like she was suffocating under Vihaanâs possessiveness. It wasnât that she didnât care about him, it was the opposite. But the way he had treated her, as though she were a prize to be guarded, had shaken her.
She had been thinking about it all evening, and she knew something needed to change.
She couldnât keep going like thisâliving in a relationship where trust was conditional, where every move she made was scrutinized. But she didnât want to give up on them either.
She grabbed her phone and typed a message to Vihaan, her fingers trembling slightly as she hit send:
âWe need to talk. But not tonight. We both need time to cool off. Letâs take a step back, and when weâre ready, weâll figure this out together.â
Aarohi placed her phone down on the bed, hoping that the space would help them both come to their senses. She needed time to think, to breathe, and maybe, just maybe, the distance would give her some clarity.
---
Just as she began to feel a sense of relief, her phone buzzed again, and Aarohi picked it up, expecting to see a response from Vihaan. But what she saw instead made her heart stop.
The message was from an unknown number.
âDo you really think he loves you, or are you just some stupid possession to him?â
Aarohiâs breath caught in her throat, the words echoing in her mind like a painful reminder of the fight she and Vihaan had just had. Her hands shook as she stared at the screen, her mind racing. Who was this? How did they know about her and Vihaan? And why were they saying this?
Aarohi felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Was this some sort of cruel joke, or was someone deliberately trying to create more tension between her and Vihaan?
She stared at the message, her mind spinning. Was this person trying to plant doubt in her heart?
She quickly checked her call logs and messages, hoping for some clue as to who had sent it. But there was nothingâjust an empty, anonymous number.
Aarohiâs chest tightened, and she could feel her anxiety building. The past few days had been so overwhelming, and now this? She wasnât sure who to trust, or who to believe anymore.
---
The message haunted her, the words echoing in her mind as she sat frozen on her bed. What did this mean for her and Vihaan? Could this anonymous message be the thing that tipped her over the edge, or was it just a cruel attempt to manipulate her emotions?
As Aarohi stared at her phone, unsure of what to do next, she realized that things between her and Vihaan were far from simple. There were layers of doubt, jealousy, and now, even more confusion thrown into the mix.
Would she confront Vihaan about this unsettling message, or would the doubt it planted push her further away from him? And who could be behind this message, trying to drive a wedge between them?