Chapter- 29 ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɢᴇ ᴏꜰ 18

Why can't he just leave me alone? Whenever I think I'm doing fine, he shows up, reminding me how vulnerable I am. I can't bear it; it's breaking me again and again. What is his problem? He was the one who said he doesn't love me, and now he wants to clear things up. Why? Do I look like a doll he can use and throw away whenever he wants?

I can't seem to forget what he said, and now he's standing here, wanting to clear things up. But I don't have the strength to listen to his words.

"Aarav, please leave. I truly don't have the strength to listen to anything." My tears spill over, and I'm on the edge of breaking down. I don't want him to see me like this.

"Okay, just calm down. I'll leave... just calm down," he says softly, his voice low, before turning to leave—not without glancing at me one last time.

I sat on my chair and drank some water to calm myself. Then there was a knock on the door. I sighed and let the person in.

"Dr. Aanya, this is the report you asked for regarding the patient."

I took the file, thanked her, and she left. I started examining the file but was interrupted by a call. I glanced at my phone—'Mom' was flashing on the screen. I sighed deeply and picked the call.

"Aanya, I want you to be at home tomorrow," she ordered, without even asking how I was or offering any greetings.

"And why is that?" I asked in a cold tone.

"It's important. You have to be here, and that's it," she said curtly before cutting the call, not giving me a chance to utter another word. Sometimes, I wonder why I was even born. The person I loved the most isn't with me, and the one I long to be loved and cared for by shows me no affection at all. She's my mom, right? She used to love me—so what happened? Why did she change so much?

After Dad's death, she stopped showing me any affection. Then she remarried her so-called ex-husband and started living in my dad's house. Thank God the Malhotra business is in my brother's name. To the world, Yuvraj is the owner because everyone believes my brother is dead—foolish people. If the business were in my mom's name, she would have handed it over to her current husband, something I would never have allowed to happen.

I took my phone and dialed Ansh bhai's number. After a few rings, he picked up the call.

"Hello, princess! How are you?"

"I'm fine, bhai. How are you?"

"Good," he replied.

"Bhai, mom called me and asked me to come home tomorrow," I said hesitantly.

"Do you want to go?" he asked. I felt doubtful, an uneasy feeling settling in my chest.

"I don't know, bhai..." I whispered.

"Hmm... Listen, you should go. And if they say or do anything that bothers you, just call me or drop me a text right away. I'll be there for you, okay?"

His words brought a sense of comfort, but the uncertainty still lingered.

"Okay, bhai. Thank you."

"Always, princess. Don't overthink too much and try to get some rest tonight."

"I'll try," I said softly before ending the call.

As I put down the phone, I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling. Tomorrow felt heavy, like a storm waiting on the horizon. But knowing Ansh bhai had my back made it a little easier to breathe.

Author's Pov

On the other side, Aarav was hurt, and he knew he had to bear the consequences of what he had done and said to her. He was also tense about the marriage ultimatum his parents had given him. He was determined that he would not marry the girl; whatever happens, he would only marry his love and no one else.

Meanwhile, after talking to Ansh, Aanya got busy with her work—the only thing that could distract her from Aarav's thoughts. Time passed, and once she was done for the day, she decided to meet Dhruv before heading home.

In Dhruv's cabin

She knocked on the door and went in. There, Dhruv sat on his chair. He looked at her and gave a soft smile.

"You wanna talk, Aanu?"

She was quite surprised. How did he know that she wanted to talk?

"I know you, Aanu. And as a psychiatrist, I can tell when my patients need me. I guess we should continue our sessions again," he said, looking at her.

She sat opposite him and took a deep breath because whatever she was about to say were things she had never shared with anyone. It was high time she spoke about them, and Dhruv was the only person she could trust with the secrets of her life.

Aanya leaned back in her chair, her eyes fixed on the floor as if the weight of her memories was pulling her gaze downward. Dhruv waited patiently, his pen poised over his notepad, but he didn't rush her.

"It all started when I was 18," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was attending this charity event organized by my college. It was a grand affair—elegant decorations, influential guests, And then... I saw him."

Dhruv raised an eyebrow slightly, encouraging her to continue.

"Aarav," she said, a faint smile touching her lips. "The crown prince. He was surrounded by people, all trying to get his attention. But he didn't seem to care about the crowd or the cameras. His eyes... they were sharp, focused, like he could see right through you."

She paused, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her outfit.

"But it wasn't his title or his looks that made me notice him. It was what he did next. An old woman—frail, struggling to cross the road just when he was returning from the event outside the event hall—dropped her bags, and the traffic wasn't stopping. Cars were honking, drivers yelling, and no one stepped forward to help her. No one... except Aarav."

Dhruv nodded slightly, his expression calm and attentive.

"He stepped out of his car, and walked straight to her. He didn't care about the impatient drivers or the cameras capturing every move. He helped her gather her things, spoke to her softly, and escorted her safely across the street. And then... he smiled at her. It wasn't a rehearsed smile, not one meant for the cameras. It was real. Genuine."

"That was the moment, Dhruv. The moment I felt something shift inside me. It wasn't love at first sight—it was respect. A deep admiration that eventually turned into something more. And from that day on, Aarav wasn't just the crown prince to me. He was... Aarav."

Aanya's voice trembled as she continued, her gaze distant, lost in the labyrinth of her past.

"After that day, Aarav became someone I couldn't stop thinking about. It wasn't just a silly teenage crush, Dhruv. It was... deeper. Every time I saw him in the news, attending events, or spotted his photos in magazines, my heart would flutter. But reality was always there, reminding me of who he was—a crown prince—and who I was... just an ordinary girl."

Dhruv nodded, his eyes warm with understanding.

"For years, I carried that feeling in my heart, nurturing it in silence. But then, Rehan happened."

She paused, her fingers clutching the arms of the chair as if holding on for support.

Dhruv's voice was soft, steady. "Why did you accept Rehan's proposal, Aanya?"

Her voice broke as she replied, "Because I was scared. Scared of holding on to a love that could never be. Scared of breaking my own heart by hoping for something impossible. I thought accepting Rehan's proposal would heal me, that it would make me forget Aarav. But love doesn't work that way, does it? "

"It doesn't mean that Rehan didn't mean anything to me, I never used him to forget Aarav, at that time I had only one thing to break this hope that I'll get Aarav. After accepting Rehan's proposal I gave my 100%  but I couldn't because of my studies, Neet exam and then my MBBS. After that he asked for marriage and at that time, I never wanted to get married but when i actually wanted to he married Aisha.. "

She wiped away a tear that had escaped down her cheek.

"But fate has a cruel sense of humor, Dhruv. Eight years later, when I was finally starting to make peace with my choices, I saw him again. At Aisha's wedding."

Aanya's voice softened as if the memory was both a gentle caress and a sharp wound.

"The moment I  saw him standing across the room, time froze. Aarav hadn't changed much—still carrying himself with that same grace, the same piercing gaze."

Dhruv observed her carefully, noting the way her breathing grew shallow with every word.

"I avoided him the entire evening, Dhruv. Every time he looked my way, I turned around. Every time our paths almost crossed, I walked away. Because I knew... I knew that if I looked into his eyes for even a second longer, I'd fall for him all over again. And this time, I wouldn't have the strength to walk away."

The room fell silent except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Dhruv let her sit with her emotions, giving her the space she needed.

"And the rest you know, Dhruv. How I fell for him all over again, and how he broke me in the worst way possible. Even when he wasn't there physically, he was always there emotionally. In that one month, he made me feel loved.." Aanya's voice trembled as she spoke those words, her eyes glistening with tears. She paused, trying to steady her breathing, but the weight of her emotions was relentless.

"Do you love him now??" Dhruv asked

"What do you think??"

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Jo meri manzilon ko jaati hai..

Tere naam ki koi sadak hai na?

Jo mere dil ko dil banati hai..

Tere naam ki koi dhadak hai na?

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Heyy my lovely readers, how are you guys? I hope you guys are doing good and a very happy new year to you all.. And again I apologize to you all coz I'm not able to update frequently due to my exams and they are starting from friday 17th, so gotta prepare for that. So my updates will not be frequent but whenever i complete writing the chapter, I'll upload it.

So mainly, you guys were commenting that 'How can Aanya fall in love with him in 1 month' and I hope you guys are satisfied by my The Unexpected Twist... Do COMMENT YOUR REVIEWS ON THIS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND PLEASE VOTE!!!!!

Thank you,

Your Author,

Aeris..

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