77. Aaryansh

If you want to feel while reading, read the italic words with more emphasis, more pressure.

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The rain poured down in merciless sheets, turning the roads into rivers, the wind howling through the cemetery like a sorrowful wail.

Aaryansh had been searching for hours, his body drenched, exhaustion creeping into his bones, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t.

As he drove past the cemetery again, his eyes flickered toward the gravestones—only to freeze.

There.

A lone figure, kneeling in front of a grave, her head resting against the cold stone. The moment he saw her, his breath hitched.

Amrita.

She wasn’t moving. She didn’t react to the storm around her. The sight sent a sharp pain through his chest. She looked… lost. Broken.

Without wasting a second, he slammed on the brakes and rushed out of the car, rain drenching him further. His heart pounded as he took careful steps toward her.

She didn’t even flinch.

Her fingers trembled as she took out her phone, typing something with slow, mechanical movements. Then, she stood up.

Her phone slipped from her hands, hitting the muddy ground with a dull thud.

She didn’t pick it up. She didn’t react at all.

She simply… walked away.

Aaryansh’s brows furrowed. “Buttercup!” he called out, but she didn’t stop.

She walked out of the cemetery, aimless, her feet moving forward as if on their own. She had no idea where she was going.

She just knew she had to go. Away from everyone. Away from everything.

Away… so that she wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore.

Aaryansh’s stomach twisted. Something was terribly wrong. This wasn’t just grief.

This was deeper, darker. This was Amrita at her absolute breaking point.

Then—

His breath stopped.

A truck.

A massive, speeding truck barreling down the road.

Straight toward her.

His blood ran cold.

“BUTTERCUP!”

His scream tore through the storm, but she didn’t hear him. She kept walking, head down, unaware.

His heart nearly stopped as the truck came closer—too close—

With every ounce of strength in his body, Aaryansh sprinted, his feet splashing through the water.

The truck’s blinding headlights flashed against his rain-soaked face.

The driver honked.

Amrita didn’t stop.

Didn’t change her path.

Didn’t even lift her head.

She was going to die.

“No!” Aaryansh roared, lunging forward.

And just as the truck was about to hit her, his body crashed into hers, knocking her out of the way with sheer force.

They both hit the ground, rolling into the muddy roadside.

Pain shot through Aaryansh’s body as his back slammed into a bush filled with sharp thorns, piercing into his skin.

His head struck a rock, the impact sending a wave of dizziness through him.

Amrita gasped as she fell, her knees scraping against the rough ground, her elbows hitting hard. Blood trickled from a cut on her lip and cheek.

The truck roared past, its horn blaring in the distance, unaware of the life it had nearly claimed.

Aaryansh barely registered the pain.

His only focus was Amrita.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, ignoring the sharp pain in his back, the warm blood trickling down his skin.

She was still on the ground, breathing heavily, her hands trembling, her eyes unfocused.

“Buttercup,” he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.

She didn’t respond.

Aaryansh’s hands curled into fists. His chest tightened as he knelt beside her, ignoring the pain screaming through his own body.

His heart had never felt so heavy.

He reached out and cupped her face.

She flinched.

His fingers tightened slightly, grounding her, forcing her to look at him.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” His voice cracked, raw with fear, anger, pain. “What the hell were you doing?!”

She stared at him, eyes hollow, empty.

He shook her slightly, trying to bring her back. “You were going to die!” His voice broke. “Do you even understand that?”

Something flickered in her gaze. For a brief second, a shadow of realization passed through her face.

Then… nothing.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Aaryansh clenched his jaw. “Say something, dammit!”

She just… looked at him.

And in that moment, he realized—

She wasn’t even scared.

She wasn’t even shocked.

As if… she didn’t care.

As if… she wouldn’t have minded if the truck had hit her.

His hands fell from her face, his body going completely still.

A cold, terrifying chill ran down his spine.

He had always known that Amrita buried her emotions deep inside, that she never cried, never showed pain. But this—this was something else entirely.

This was something he couldn’t even begin to understand.

His throat tightened.

“Come with me.” His voice was hoarse, quieter now.

She didn’t move.

He exhaled sharply, pressing his forehead against hers. “Please,” he whispered.

A moment of silence.

Then, without a word, she nodded.

The night was unforgiving. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the air was thick with moisture, the wind howling as if mourning along with them.

Aaryansh drove in silence, his knuckles white against the steering wheel, his body still aching from the fall. But none of that mattered.

Beside him, Amrita sat motionless, her gaze locked on the raindrops sliding down the window.

She hadn’t spoken a single word since he pulled her off the road. She hadn’t argued when he made her sit in the car.

She hadn’t even flinched when he gripped the wheel too tightly.

She was… empty.

And that terrified him.

Instead of taking her home, he drove toward the hills, a place far away from the suffocating weight of grief and expectations. A place where it was just the two of them.

The car came to a halt at the very edge of the hilltop. The view below was a vast, endless abyss, the darkness stretching out like an ocean with no shore.

Aaryansh stepped out, rain lightly soaking his clothes, and walked to the very edge. He didn’t look back—he knew she would follow.

And she did.

Her steps were slow, her movements mechanical, but she came.

They stood side by side, the wind whipping around them, the world eerily silent.

Aaryansh turned to her. His face was hard, unreadable, but his eyes burned with something raw.

"You wanted to die, right?" His voice was quiet, yet it sliced through the air like a blade.

Amrita blinked, but didn’t react.

"Alright," he continued, his gaze never leaving hers. "Then do it. Jump from here."

She slowly looked down. The height was dizzying, the drop endless.

But there was no fear in her eyes. No hesitation.

Just… nothing.

She took a tiny step forward.

But before she could move any further, his fingers curled around her wrist, stopping her.

Her gaze lifted to his, questioning.

Aaryansh’s grip tightened. His eyes, dark and stormy, bore into hers, filled with a torment he couldn’t contain anymore.

"But take me with you."

Her breath caught.

His voice, so calm yet so agonizingly raw, sent a shiver through her.

"You think I can live without you?" he asked, his tone laced with pain. "You're wrong, Buttercup. I can’t."

She stared at him, stunned.

His grip tightened even more, his body completely still. "So, if you're going to end it, fine. But don't you dare leave me behind. Take me with you."

Her lips parted, her heart slamming against her ribs.

His words shattered something inside her.

She had thought she was alone in her pain. That her presence only brought suffering.

But here he was—telling her that without her, he wouldn't exist either.

The realization hit her like a wave, stealing the breath from her lungs.

She slowly shook her head. “No…” she whispered.

Aaryansh let out a broken chuckle, his forehead pressing against hers. “Then don’t go.”

His voice cracked. His hands trembled. His entire body screamed desperation.

"Don't you dare leave me alone, Buttercup."

For the first time that night, her chest ached with something other than emptiness.

And for the first time in a long time…

She felt alive.

Amrita’s breath was uneven, her chest rising and falling with the weight of emotions she had buried for so long.

She gripped the edges of her drenched dress, her fingers trembling as she took a step back, her eyes locked onto Aaryansh’s.

"But I hurt you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.

Aaryansh shook his head instantly. "No, you didn’t."

She let out a bitter laugh, looking away. "I did. Again and again. I pushed you away. I threw your love back in your face. I—I never let you in."

Aaryansh took a step closer, his hands cupping her cold, rain-soaked face. "You didn’t push me away, Buttercup. You were just scared. And I—" he swallowed, his voice gentler now. "I was never going to let you fight alone."

She clenched her jaw, her eyes burning. "But I was cruel to you. I was cold. I never even—" she exhaled shakily. "I never even told you that I—"

He pressed a finger against her lips, silencing her. "You don’t have to say it."

She blinked up at him, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"I know," he whispered. "I know it in the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching. I know it in the way you take care of me without saying a word. I know it because even in your silence, you are mine."

Her lip trembled, but she shook her head again. "I’m bad for you."

"You’re everything to me."

She sucked in a sharp breath. "I bring pain—"

"You bring me peace."

Her hands fisted at his shirt, her vision blurring. "I don't deserve you, Aarya."

His hold on her tightened. "Then let me decide that."

A sob nearly escaped her, but she forced it down. "Why do you still stay?"

He smiled—soft, but firm. "Because you are worth it, Buttercup. Every scar, every fear, every wall you’ve built—I’ll break them all. Again and again. No matter how many times you run, I will always, always find you."

Her breath caught.

Her heart, the one she thought had turned to stone, fluttered violently in her chest.

For the first time in her life, she wasn’t fighting alone.

She wasn’t unloved.

She wasn’t a curse.

She was his.

And Aaryansh Raghuwanshi would never let her forget that.

Amrita stood still, rain drenching her to the bone, her heart pounding violently against her ribs.

Aaryansh's words echoed in her ears—words that shouldn’t make sense, words that she had spent years refusing to believe.

But they did.

And that terrified her.

She had spent a lifetime convincing herself that she was unlovable. That she was a burden. That she destroyed everything she touched.

But here he was, looking at her as if she was his everything.

Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but her throat closed up. A sharp ache swelled in her chest, foreign, unfamiliar, unbearable.

And then—

It happened.

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

Amrita froze.

No.

She didn’t cry. She never cried.

But then another fell. And another.

Her body swayed, her knees giving way beneath her. Her breath came in short, erratic gasps.

The pain she had buried for years, the suffocating weight of loss, of loneliness, of guilt—it all came crashing down.

And before she could stop herself, before she could force the pain back inside—

A sob tore through her.

Raw. Broken. Unrestrained.

It shook her entire body, and suddenly, she couldn’t hold herself up anymore.

She collapsed into Aaryansh’s arms.

For the first time ever, she let someone catch her.

His warmth engulfed her instantly, his arms locking around her, strong and unyielding.

Her fingers clutched onto his shirt like a lifeline, desperate, trembling, afraid—afraid that if she let go, she’d fall into nothingness.

She buried her face into his chest, sobbing like a wounded child, her entire body shaking with the force of it.

Her breaths came out ragged, choked, as years of bottled-up grief finally escaped.

She couldn’t stop.

The tears kept coming, soaking his shirt, her broken gasps filling the silence between them.

Aaryansh held her tighter, one hand tangled in her rain-soaked hair, the other pressing against her back, grounding her, steadying her.

"I’ve got you," he murmured, voice thick with emotion. "I’ve always got you."

Her sobs grew harsher, her grip tightening on him as if she was terrified he’d disappear.

"I—I can't—" she choked, her voice shattering.

"You can," he whispered, his lips against her hair. "You will. And you don’t have to do it alone anymore."

She shook her head against his chest, unable to form words, unable to think.

All she knew was that she had never needed someone like this before. Never let anyone see her like this before.

But it was him.

And he stayed.

Through the storm, through her silence, through her pain—

He stayed.

Her arms moved on their own, wrapping around his waist, clutching him with everything she had.

And for Aaryansh, it was everything.

She had never hugged anyone before. Never let anyone close enough.

But now, she was holding him.

His breath hitched as he felt her warmth against him, her heartbeat wild against his own.

He closed his eyes, gripping her even tighter, memorizing the way she fit against him, as if she had always belonged there.

"Buttercup," he whispered, voice hoarse, full of something deep, something irreversible.

Her hands fisted in his shirt, holding him closer, as if she was afraid this moment would slip away.

And Aaryansh—

Aaryansh never wanted to let go.

He wanted to hold her forever.

She finally pulled back, her tear-streaked face looking up at him, her lips quivering.

"Why are you like this?" she whispered.

His lips curled into a soft smile. "Like what?"

"So patient. So kind. So… mine."

His heart clenched.

"Because I love you, Buttercup," he murmured.

Her breath caught.

"I love every part of you," he continued, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

"The fire. The ice. The walls. The wounds. You think you push me away, but all you do is pull me in deeper."

She swallowed, struggling to breathe. "I hurt you."

His hand moved to her jaw, tilting her face up. "No, Buttercup. You healed me."

She shook her head, her fingers brushing the wound on his forehead. "You got hurt because of me."

"And I'd do it again," he said without hesitation.

"Why?" she whispered, voice barely audible.

"Because you’re mine," he murmured, leaning in, his breath fanning over her lips. "And I'd take every wound, every storm, every ounce of your pain if it meant you'd never feel alone again."

Her eyes filled again, but this time, it wasn’t just grief. It was something more.

Something terrifying.

Something beautiful.

Her hands trembled as they moved to his face, tracing the contours of the man who had shattered her defenses so effortlessly.

And then, without thinking, without hesitation—

She leaned in.

Their lips met.

Soft at first. Gentle. A whisper of a touch.

But then—

Something shifted.

Aaryansh cupped her face, tilting her head, deepening the kiss, pouring every ounce of his love, his devotion, his soul into it.

It was slow, deliberate—an unspoken vow, a promise that he would never leave.

She melted into him, her hands sliding up his chest, gripping his shirt like she needed him to breathe.

His fingers tangled in her hair, his lips brushing over hers with a tenderness that made her knees weak.

He kissed her bruised lips softly, tracing them with his own, as if healing every wound, every scar.

He kissed away the pain, the loneliness, the fears.

He kissed her like she was his world.

And for the first time in her life—

Amrita let herself be loved.

She let herself belong.

And in that moment, in the drizzling rain, on the edge of the hill—

She was no longer lost.

She was home.

The kiss slowed, their breaths mingling, their foreheads pressing together as the world around them faded into nothing.

The rain that had been raging for hours finally softened into a drizzle, before stopping completely—as if the heavens themselves had been holding their breath for this moment.

Aaryansh didn’t move away. He couldn’t. He was still holding her, still lost in the feeling of her warmth, her presence, her acceptance. He felt her fingers clutching his shirt, her breaths shaky, uneven.

Amrita was still trembling, but it wasn’t from the cold anymore. It was something deeper—something raw, overwhelming, new.

She had given in.

For the first time in her life, she hadn’t fought against the feeling, hadn’t shoved it away or buried it under layers of indifference. She had let it in.

She had let him in.

The realization made her dizzy.

Her hands slowly loosened their grip on his shirt, sliding down until they rested against his chest.

She could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips, strong and unwavering, as if it had always been meant to sync with hers.

Aaryansh cupped her face gently, his thumbs wiping away the remnants of her tears. His eyes were soft, searching, as if memorizing every emotion flickering across her face.

The storm had ended, but the silence that followed was louder than any thunder.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, brushing damp strands of hair away from her face.

“I—” She tried to speak, but her voice failed her.

She felt hollow and full at the same time, exhausted and weightless.

He noticed.

Without another word, Aaryansh pulled her into his embrace again, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Not because she was crying. Not because she was broken.

But because she needed it.

And because he needed it too.

Amrita closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against his chest. The silence between them wasn’t empty—it was everything.

She didn’t know how long they stood there, holding each other. It could have been minutes.

It could have been hours. But for the first time, she didn’t count the seconds.

She didn’t need to.

Aaryansh sighed, his breath warm against her temple. “Come home with me.”

She stiffened slightly. Home. The word felt foreign on her tongue, as if she had never truly had one before.

“I—”

He pulled back just enough to look at her. “No running, Buttercup.” His voice was firm, but gentle. “Not anymore.”

She bit her lip, looking away. “I don’t know how.”

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Then let me teach you,” he whispered.

Her heart clenched.

This man.

This man, who had chased her through the storm, who had pulled her back from the edge—literally and figuratively.

Who refused to let her go.

She exhaled shakily, nodding.

Aaryansh smiled—a real, soft, relieved smile.

He slipped his fingers between hers, holding her hand tightly, like he was afraid she’d disappear again.

And together, they walked down the hill.

The rain had stopped. The sky had cleared.

And for the first time in her life—

Amrita didn’t feel alone.

The sky had begun to lighten, streaks of soft gold and warm orange breaking through the darkness.

The clouds, once heavy with rain, had drifted apart, revealing the first hints of the rising sun. The world was quiet—serene, as if it had washed away all the pain of the night.

Inside the car, Amrita sat in the passenger seat, her head resting against the cool glass of the window.

Her eyes followed the shifting colors of the sky, the corners of her lips curling into the faintest of smiles—small, almost unnoticeable, but there. A hope smile.

For the first time, it didn’t feel forced.

For the first time, she wasn’t smiling for the sake of others, or to mask her emotions.

This time, it was real.

Aaryansh’s hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles still slightly pale from how tightly he had held it before.

But now, his grip was looser, relaxed. His mind, however, was anything but.

He could still feel her.

The way she had collapsed in his arms, how she had let herself go—how she had finally cried, breaking the walls she had spent years building.

And the kiss.

God, the kiss.

His lips tingled just thinking about it.

It wasn’t just a moment—it was a shift, a promise, a connection so deep that it terrified him and thrilled him all at once.

He wanted to talk about it, wanted to ask her what she was thinking.

But when he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, he noticed something.

She was silent, but not in the way she usually was. It wasn’t the cold, distant silence he was used to.

This silence was warm.

Soft.

Content.

And just like that, Aaryansh decided he wouldn’t break it.

He wouldn’t force her to speak. He wouldn’t demand answers.

He would wait.

Because Amrita — wasn’t running.

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A love that refused to break...💘