K.R Mansion

The next morning arrived with another kind of chaos inside K.R Mansion. The entire house had been unusually peaceful for once, servants moving quietly while breakfast was being served at the dining table. Everyone was busy eating in silence when suddenly a loud cheerful voice echoed through the mansion, instantly breaking the calm atmosphere.

“See who’s back? Of course Aryav Shekhawat.”

Aryav walked inside dramatically, spreading his arms with his usual shameless confidence as if he had returned after years instead of disappearing for a few days. The moment he stepped into the dining area, every single head turned toward him in shock.

“So what? Aarti utaaru aapki? Bhagode.”

Before anyone else could react, Anvaya spoke while casually taking another bite of her breakfast. She rolled her eyes at him without even properly looking up, clearly unimpressed by his dramatic entry.

(What now? Should I welcome you with rituals? Runaway.)

“Why are you so rude all the time? And who are you calling a runaway? I had work, that’s why I had to leave,” Aryav argued immediately, narrowing his eyes at her while pulling a chair for himself. Anvaya ignored him again, acting as if his entire existence was irrelevant.

“Leave her, beta. Welcome back,” Yamini said softly, instantly calming the situation before it could turn into another useless argument. “I was worried about where you disappeared to, but Krevansh told me you had some important work.”

Her tone carried the same warmth she used for all the children in the house, and Aryav instantly softened hearing it.

“Ji aunty, important work tha.”

Aryav replied with a smile, though his eyes briefly shifted toward Krevansh with irritation. Meanwhile Krevansh sat there calmly eating his breakfast as if Aryav wasn’t even present, his complete ignorance somehow annoying Aryav more than any insult could.

(Yes aunty, it was important work.)

“Ishvika? Where is she?”

Aryav suddenly asked loudly while glancing at Krevansh with a teasing smile. The effect was immediate. Krevansh’s hand paused slightly midair before his jaw tightened unconsciously the moment Ishvika’s name came from Aryav’s mouth.

“She—”

Yamini had barely started speaking when another voice echoed from the hallway.

“Bhai! I told you to wait for me but you left me behind and now you’re here eating? Wow!”

A girl in her early twenties entered the dining area with an annoyed expression, one hand placed on her waist while glaring directly at Aryav. In her irritation she failed to notice the entire family sitting there staring at her.

Aryav instantly gave her an awkward smile, already sensing trouble.

Before she could continue complaining, someone suddenly turned the corner in a hurry and collided directly into her. Her balance slipped instantly and her body tilted backward dangerously. A small gasp escaped her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the fall

but before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her firmly.

The entire dining table went silent for a second.

Aryav had already stood halfway from his chair in panic before stopping abruptly the moment he saw who caught her.

Rishvik.

Rishvik’s heartbeat instantly became uneven as the girl fell against him. One of his hands held her securely by the waist while the other steadied her arm. For a moment he simply stared down at her face—eyes tightly shut, lips pressed nervously together, soft strands of hair falling over her cheek.

Then slowly

She opened her eyes.

And something inside him completely stopped working.

Her green eyes locked with his black ones, holding his gaze for a second too long. Rishvik had flirted with countless girls before without ever taking anything seriously, but right now his chest tightened strangely, his heartbeat loud enough for even him to hear.

Apparently

Anushka heard it too.

Her eyes unconsciously dropped toward his chest where his heart was beating ridiculously fast before lifting back toward his face again. Realizing how close they were standing, she immediately pushed him away and straightened herself quickly, though her fingers trembled slightly.

“Ghochu hai kya bey? Akal ke andhe, dekhke nahi chal sakta kya?”

She snapped instantly, pointing a finger directly at him while Rishvik took a small step back in complete shock. Around them, everyone watched silently, clearly entertained by the entire scene.

(Are you stupid? Blind or what? Can’t you walk properly?)

“Wo actually, I—”

Rishvik awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck while trying to explain himself, but before he could complete his sentence, she cut him off immediately.

“Shut up. Idiot. Side hato.”

(Move aside.)

She pushed past him irritably and started walking toward Aryav before finally noticing how many people were actually sitting there.

And froze.

“Aby pagal aurat, dekh toh leti itne log hai aur Krevansh bhi—shit!”

She mumbled under her breath while nervously glancing toward Krevansh. Unlike everyone else, Krevansh showed absolutely no reaction at all. He continued eating quietly, his expression unreadable as usual.

(You crazy woman, at least look around properly… Krevansh is here too—shit!)

“Hayee, galat baat. Itni haseen ladki ko pagal bol rahi ho aap.”

Rishvik whispered dramatically near her ear before casually standing beside her again with a grin.

(That’s unfair. A beautiful girl like you calling yourself crazy?)

“Flirting mein zero skills hai tumhari, bacche.”

Anushka rolled her eyes at him before finally looking properly toward Aryav.

(Your flirting skills are zero, kid.)

“Relax princess, they’re like family,” Aryav said warmly before taking her hand and guiding her toward the dining table. “She’s my sister, Anushka Shekhawat.”

Anushka sat down beside Anvaya awkwardly, suddenly looking much calmer and more nervous under everyone’s attention.

“H-Hello everyone…” she said softly before continuing awkwardly, “I’m really sorry actually… I didn’t mean to—”

“Are didi relax, Rishvik bhaiya ko aadat hai aur hume bhi.”

Anvaya replied casually while glancing toward Rishvik, who was still staring at Anushka as if he had forgotten how blinking worked.

(Relax sister, Rishvik bhaiya is used to this… and honestly, so are we.)

“Yes my child, you don’t need to apologize,” Yamini added sweetly before Rishvik could defend himself. “It was his fault anyway.”

Instantly, Anushka smiled brightly at Yamini while Rishvik looked personally betrayed by his own family.

“Wah wah, dushman na kare kaam jo apno ne kiya hai.”

Rishvik said dramatically while clapping slowly, making everyone roll their eyes at him once again.

(Amazing. Even enemies don’t betray someone the way family does.)

And then

Anushka laughed.

Not softly. Not politely.

She laughed openly while holding her stomach, completely unable to stop herself after seeing Rishvik’s offended expression. The sound of her laughter filled the dining hall so naturally that for a moment everyone simply stared at her.

Aryav froze.

So did Krevansh.

Yamini, Anvaya, and Rishvik looked between the two men in confusion, unable to understand why both of them suddenly looked shocked.

Anushka slowly stopped laughing, still smiling slightly before finally noticing Aryav’s expression.

Instantly

Her smile disappeared.

“Ahem… I-I think I should rest. I’m not feeling well,” she said quickly, avoiding everyone’s gaze. “Can someone show me the guest room?”

Anvaya immediately nodded and stood up, taking Anushka upstairs with her while the others silently watched them leave.

The moment they disappeared, silence settled over the table.

“She never laughs.”

Aryav finally spoke quietly, his playful expression completely gone now. “Not after our parents died.” A sad smile appeared on his face as he looked toward Rishvik.

“I tried everything… literally everything,” he continued softly. “But she never laughed like that again. This is the first time I’ve seen her laugh from her heart.”

He stepped forward and hugged Rishvik tightly.

“Thank you… seriously.”

Rishvik stood there awkwardly after Aryav pulled away from the hug, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes. Around him, everyone slowly returned to eating breakfast normally, but his mind remained stuck somewhere else completely.

Or more specifically

On someone else.

“Why are you smiling alone like an idiot?”

Anvaya’s teasing voice instantly snapped him out of his thoughts. She had returned downstairs after showing Anushka the guest room and now stood beside him with her arms crossed, looking highly entertained.

Rishvik immediately cleared his throat and fixed his expression. “Who’s smiling?” he said casually before sitting back down in his chair as if nothing had happened.

“Me?” Anvaya scoffed dramatically. “Bhaiya, your face literally looks like those cringe Bollywood heroes after first sight love.” Her words made Aryav choke on his juice while Yamini laughed softly beside him.

“Hayee rabba… pehli nazar ka pyaar.”

Anvaya added dramatically, placing her hand over her heart while Rishvik glared at her.

(Oh God… love at first sight.)

“Shut up, drama company,” he muttered, throwing a spoon toward her while everyone else silently enjoyed watching him lose his composure for once.

Krevansh, however, remained quiet.

His eyes briefly lifted toward the staircase where Anushka had disappeared moments ago before shifting back toward his plate. Unlike the others, his silence carried thoughtfulness rather than amusement.

He had noticed it too.

The way Aryav froze hearing his sister laugh.

And the way Anushka instantly stopped laughing the moment she saw their expressions.

Something about it felt painfully familiar.

“She used to laugh a lot before,” Aryav suddenly said quietly, breaking the lighter atmosphere. His fingers tightened slightly around the glass in his hand as his playful demeanor faded again. “After mom and dad died… she just stopped.”

The dining table slowly fell silent again.

“She still smiles sometimes,” Aryav continued softly, staring down at the table. “But laughing like this? I haven’t seen that in years.”

Rishvik’s expression changed slightly hearing that. For the first time since meeting her, the playful excitement in him softened into something quieter. He remembered the way her eyes had changed after laughing as if she had suddenly remembered she wasn’t supposed to.

And somehow

That bothered him more than it should.

“Accha bas, enough emotional talks in the morning,” Anvaya suddenly interrupted dramatically, clearly trying to lighten the mood again. “I’m getting second-hand depression because of you people.”

Yamini sighed helplessly while Aryav laughed softly.

“Waise,” Anvaya continued while narrowing her eyes toward Aryav suspiciously, “where exactly did you disappear ?”

Instantly, Aryav straightened in his seat.

“Business work.”

“Liar.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your face literally screams illegal activities,” she replied confidently while pointing at him accusingly.

Rishvik burst into laughter while Yamini hid her smile behind her cup. Even Krevansh’s lips twitched faintly for half a second before disappearing again.

“Wow,” Aryav placed a hand over his chest dramatically. “This house insults me too much for someone this handsome.”

“Handsome? Aaina dekha hai?”

(Handsome? Have you seen your face in the mirror?)

Anvaya shot back instantly.

“Dekho aunty!” Aryav complained dramatically while looking at Yamini. “Your daughter bullies me emotionally.”

“She’s right though,” Rishvik added casually while taking another bite of food, earning an offended gasp from Aryav.

“Traitor.”

“Truth hurts.”

Suddenly, Krevansh pushed his chair back and stood up from the dining table. The sound instantly pulled everyone’s attention toward him. The playful atmosphere that had filled the room moments ago quieted slightly as all eyes landed on him, but unlike the others, his expression remained completely unreadable.

Cold. Controlled. Calm.

Only the slight tightening of his jaw hinted that something was running inside his mind.

He adjusted his shirt slowly before lifting his gaze toward Aryav, who was still leaning lazily against his chair with amusement written all over his face.

“Aryav,” Krevansh said in a steady voice, “once you’re done here, come to the study room. I need to talk to you about something.”

His tone wasn’t loud, yet it carried enough authority to silence the room naturally. Aryav straightened slightly, hearing the seriousness hidden beneath Krevansh’s calm expression, but before he could respond, Krevansh turned his attention toward Yamini.

“And Chachi…” he paused briefly.

For a second the word baccha almost slipped from his lips automatically, but he stopped himself midway.

“Send breakfast to Ishvika’s room,” he corrected quietly. “I’m going there.”

The moment Ishvika’s name left his mouth, something subtle shifted across everyone’s expressions.

Rishvik smirked instantly.

Anvaya tried very hard not to smile.

Even Yamini’s eyes softened slightly because over the years they had all seen Krevansh angry, violent, ruthless… but never like this. Never someone who remembered whether another person had eaten or not.

Especially not with this kind of quiet concern.

Krevansh ignored all their expressions completely.

Without waiting for anyone’s reply, he turned and started walking toward the staircase upstairs. His posture remained calm and composed, but the speed of his steps betrayed him slightly. It almost looked like his mind was already in Ishvika’s room long before he reached there.

Aryav watched him disappear upstairs before slowly leaning back into his chair again.

Then after a few seconds

A grin spread across his face.

“Yeh banda gaya.”

(This man is completely gone.)

Rishvik immediately burst into laughter while Anvaya nearly choked on her juice trying to hold hers in. Yamini shook her head helplessly, though she couldn’t hide the small smile forming on her lips.

_______________________________________

Ishvika POV

I had just stepped out of the washroom when my steps slowed near the bed. Krevansh was already sitting there, quietly watching me as if he had been waiting for me to come out. The moment our eyes met, something inside me softened again. I didn’t know why, but whenever I looked into his eyes, the noise inside my head slowly disappeared. For those few moments, I forgot the fear, the pain… everything.

“Where are you lost, baccha?”

He spoke softly while standing up from the bed and walking toward me slowly. A small smile rested on his face, calm and gentle in a way I still wasn’t used to. My heart strangely felt lighter hearing his voice, as if my body had already started recognizing safety around him.

“I showered again,” I said excitedly, immediately showing him my white suit with a bright smile. “And see—I wore different clothes too.”

I lightly held the sides of my dress while looking up at him with shining eyes. The soft fabric brushed against my skin, clean and warm unlike the rough clothes I had worn all my life. Even something this small felt precious to me.

Krevansh stopped right in front of me, his eyes slowly moving over me before his lips curved faintly.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “And you’re looking beautiful.”

He lowered himself slightly to my height, his gaze never leaving my face.

“You made even this simple dress look beautiful.”

For a second, I only stared at him. Then immediately shook my head before looking down at my dress carefully.

“Are nahi bhudu,” I said seriously, a pout appearing on my lips. “This dress was already beautiful before only. That’s why when I wear it, I also look beautiful.”

My fingers softly touched the fabric as if comforting it.

“And don’t say things like that,” I added quietly. “What if she gets upset?”

A small smile appeared on my lips again as I looked down at the dress lovingly.

“You’re beautiful, my cute dress.”

But when I looked back at Krevansh, my smile slowly faded.

He was looking at me strangely.

Not angry.

Not cold.

Just… sad.

His jaw tightened slightly while something painful flickered inside his eyes. It looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. For a moment, I simply stared at him, trying to understand what had suddenly changed.

Did I do something wrong?

Before I could think more, he suddenly stepped closer and gently pulled me toward himself. My breath caught softly as his hands came up and held my cheeks carefully. His touch wasn’t rough like I was used to. It was slow… almost careful, as if he was scared of hurting me.

“You don’t remember anything?” he whispered while looking directly into my eyes. “Baccha… what happened yesterday?”

Something in his voice made my chest tighten.

Pain.

He sounded like he was hurting.

“Y-yesterday… I-I…” I tried to remember while staring into his eyes, but my thoughts suddenly became blurry. “No… I don’t remember…”

I pressed my fingers together nervously while trying harder to think.

“I… we… um…”

Nothing came back.

Only heaviness.

Krevansh’s expression softened instantly seeing my struggle. His thumbs slowly caressed my cheeks while he shook his head lightly.

“It’s okay, baccha,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to remember if you can’t.”

His voice was calm, but his eyes still carried that same ache.

I kept looking at him silently for a few moments before slowly biting my inner cheek.

“Why are you looking like you’re in pain?” I asked softly. “Did something happen?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

He just stood there holding my face gently, looking at me in complete silence as if he was trying to hide something that hurt far more than words could explain.

Krevansh slowly removed his hands from my face, but his eyes remained fixed on me as if he was searching for something inside them. For a few moments he didn’t speak at all. The silence around us felt unusually heavy, not uncomfortable… just full of things left unsaid. Then he looked away slightly and took a deep breath, his jaw tightening as though he was forcing himself to stay calm.

I kept staring at him quietly, trying to understand why he suddenly looked so hurt. There was anger in his eyes, but beneath it I could see something softer too… something painful. I had seen people angry before. Baba was always angry. Chachi enjoyed cruelty. But whatever existed inside Krevansh felt different. His anger looked like it was hurting him more than anyone else.

“Evaan…” I called softly, making him look back at me instantly.

“Did I make you upset?”

The question left my lips before I could stop it. I didn’t know why, but the thought of him being hurt because of me made my chest feel strangely uneasy. For a second he simply stared at me, then suddenly a quiet breath-like laugh escaped him, tired and helpless.

“You really don’t think about yourself even once, do you?” he whispered.

His voice sounded low, almost broken. Before I could understand what he meant, he slowly lifted his hand and tucked the loose wet strands of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed against my skin so gently that I froze slightly. I wasn’t used to touches that didn’t hurt.

“You were the one hurt yesterday, baccha,” he said quietly. “Not me.”

I frowned hearing him.

“Hurt?” I repeated softly. “But I’m okay now.”

And I truly meant it. For the first time in years, my body didn’t feel trapped in fear every second. The bruises still existed. The pain was still there. But around him it somehow felt smaller, weaker… manageable. Like his presence itself stood between me and the world that had always hurt me.

Krevansh looked at me for a long moment after that, and something in his expression shifted again. His jaw clenched tightly while anger flickered through his eyes. It looked like he had suddenly remembered something terrible.

“You shouldn’t say you’re okay when you’re not,” he said quietly. “People will start believing it.”

I lowered my eyes slightly after hearing him.

“But if I say I’m hurting…” I paused softly, pressing my fingers together nervously, “then people get angry.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the room fell completely silent again. I looked up in confusion only to see Krevansh standing unnaturally still. His eyes darkened instantly while his breathing turned heavier, as though my simple words had triggered something dangerous inside him.

I didn’t understand why.

Wasn’t it true?

Whenever I cried, Baba punished me more. Whenever I begged for food, Chachi laughed. Whenever I said I was scared, they called me dramatic. Slowly, I stopped saying things at all. It was easier that way.

Krevansh suddenly turned away from me and walked toward the window. His broad shoulders looked stiff, his fists clenched tightly by his sides. I could see the anger in the way he stood there silently, trying to control himself without saying a single word.

Slowly, I walked closer to him.

“Evaan?”

He closed his eyes briefly before looking back at me.

“What?” he asked quietly, though his voice still sounded strained.

I hesitated before lightly grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.

“You’re really sad,” I whispered. “I can feel it.”

The second my fingers touched him, his entire expression softened. His eyes dropped toward my hand holding him before slowly lifting back to my face. Something unreadable passed through his gaze, deep and overwhelming.

And then suddenly

He pulled me against his chest.

My breath caught softly as his arms wrapped tightly around me, one hand moving protectively behind my head while the other held me close like he was scared something would take me away from him. For a few seconds neither of us spoke. I could only hear his heartbeat beneath my ear fast, uneven, restless.

“You don’t deserve any of this,” he whispered against my hair, his voice rough with emotions he was trying hard to hide. “None of it.”

I didn’t fully understand his words.

But I understood his pain.

Slowly, carefully, I wrapped my arms around him too. And the moment I did, Krevansh closed his eyes like a man who had spent years surviving without comfort and had finally found something that felt dangerously close to peace.

_______________________________________

Krevansh POV

“I already warned you, Mr. Rathore. Her condition is extremely critical.”

The doctor’s words had been haunting me since last night. Even now, while holding Ishvika against my chest, his voice echoed inside my head again and again like something carved permanently into my mind. Every sentence felt heavier now because I could finally understand what he meant when he said her mind was no longer carrying pain normally.

“Her brain could not handle that much trauma,” the doctor had continued carefully. “Something triggered her deeply. That’s why her mind shut down to protect itself.”

I tightened my arms around Ishvika slightly at the memory.

“She has partially regressed mentally. Sometimes she may act completely normal, and other times like a little child. She has also lost parts of her memory not everything, but enough to affect her emotionally.”

I remember standing there silently while hearing him speak, but inside me something had completely lost control.

“Please don’t put her under more emotional pressure,” the doctor had warned softly. “Her body has already suffered too much. If this continues… even her body may eventually give up.”

That sentence stayed with me the most.

Give up.

The thought alone made something dark crawl violently inside my chest. I lowered my gaze toward Ishvika resting her head quietly against me now, her small fingers still lightly clutching my shirt even now as if somewhere in her broken mind she had already decided I was safe.

And God

That terrified me.

Because people like me destroy everything they touch. Yet she trusted me so easily.

I slowly rested my chin against her head and shut my eyes briefly. She didn’t deserve any of this. Not the bruises on her body. Not the fear hidden inside her voice. Not the kind of pain that forces someone’s mind to become a child again just to survive reality.

No one deserved that.

The memories of last night flashed before my eyes instantly.

Flashback

The entire room had been drowning in tension. Yamini chachi sat beside Ishvika on the bed, gently caressing her hair while worry completely covered her face. Rishvik and Anvaya stood nearby silently, both looking shaken after witnessing her condition.

The only sound in the room was the doctor checking Ishvika while silence suffocated the rest of us.

Then suddenly

The doctor looked toward me.

“Mr. Rathore… this usually happens when the human brain cannot tolerate pain anymore.”

His voice was calm, but every word felt like someone pressing harder against an open wound.

“Something must have triggered her trauma severely. Her mind is responding like a child because somewhere inside, that feels safer for her than reality.”

The room fell silent instantly.

Anvaya gasped softly while Rishvik stared toward unconscious Ishvika in disbelief. Yamini chachi’s eyes filled with tears immediately as she gently stroked Ishvika’s forehead again like trying to comfort a child who had already suffered too much.

But I couldn’t react.

I simply stood there staring at Ishvika while anger burned violently beneath my skin.

Because barely half an hour ago

She was fine.

Or at least trying to be.

When Rishvik and I came upstairs after dealing with that bastard, we heard loud crashing sounds coming from Ishvika’s room. The moment we rushed inside, the entire place looked destroyed.

Flower vases shattered across the floor.

Pillows thrown everywhere.

Broken glass spread near the walls.

And in the middle of that chaos

Ishvika stood trembling on the bed while crying uncontrollably like a terrified child. Her hands clutched her head tightly as tears streamed endlessly down her face.

“No… no please… don’t beat me…” she kept sobbing repeatedly. “I’ll be good… I promise…”

That sight still made my chest tighten painfully.

I had seen people scream before.

I had tortured men worse than death without blinking once.

But hearing fear in her voice broke something inside me. And then suddenly she fainted.

Right there in front of me.

For one second my entire body stopped functioning. I still remembered how cold her skin felt when I caught her . How lifeless she looked in my arms. How violently my heartbeat had started racing for the first time in years.

“She was fine just a while ago,” I had said through clenched teeth while staring at the doctor. “How is this even possible?”

My voice barely sounded calm at that point. The veins on my forehead were visible from how hard I was trying to control myself.

Because all I could think about was Arvind Thakur.

The man who destroyed his own daughter so brutally that even her mind gave up surviving.

The doctor sighed heavily before speaking again.

“Trauma doesn’t disappear, Mr. Rathore,” he said quietly. “Sometimes people survive for years carrying pain… and then one day the mind simply collapses.”

Those words stayed with me.

Because now whenever I looked at Ishvika

I no longer saw only bruises.

I saw years of suffering trapped inside a girl who never even got the chance to grow up properly.

Flashback end

I slowly pulled back just enough to look at Ishvika properly, but my arms still remained wrapped around her protectively. She stood quietly against my chest, her small fingers clutching my shirt tightly as if she feared I would disappear the moment she let go. Her grey eyes stayed fixed on me silently, not scared this time… just searching, almost trying to understand why someone was holding her without hurting her.

That thought alone made something inside my chest ache painfully.

Years.

She had spent years surviving without softness, without safety, without even basic affection. And now she looked overwhelmed just because someone hugged her gently. I lowered my gaze toward her face, noticing how carefully she looked at me like she still couldn’t believe any of this was real.

“Why are you staring at me like that, baccha?” I asked softly, brushing my thumb lightly against her cheek.

She blinked slowly before lowering her eyes for a moment. I could feel how tiny she looked standing this close to me, almost disappearing against my body. Then after a few seconds, she spoke in a voice so quiet that I almost missed it.

“You hug warm…”

The words were simple. Innocent.

But God

They hit somewhere dangerously deep inside me.

For a second I forgot how to breathe properly. No one had ever said something like that to me before. No fear. No conditions. No hidden meaning behind the words. Just honesty spoken so naturally that it shook me more than it should have.

I looked away briefly and took a slow breath, trying to control whatever was happening inside my chest. But when I looked back at her again, she was still staring at me with that same quiet expression.

“Is that bad?” she asked softly.

I instantly shook my head.

“No,” I whispered. “It’s the best thing I’ve heard in years.”

The room fell silent again after that. Rain tapped softly against the windows while Ishvika slowly rested her forehead back against my chest. This time I held her even tighter without thinking, one hand moving gently through her hair while the other stayed securely around her waist.

And suddenly

A thought crossed my mind so naturally that it almost scared me.

Mine.

Not in the sense of possession.

Something deeper.

Something far more dangerous.

Like my entire existence had already started placing her somewhere close to my soul.

I shut my eyes briefly.

This was bad.

Very bad.

Because I had spent years turning myself into someone ruthless enough to destroy Arvind Thakur without mercy. Revenge was supposed to be the only thing inside my head. Hatred. Anger. Blood debt.

But now every thought somehow ended with Ishvika.

Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts again.

“Evaan…”

“Hm?”

“Will you really not leave me?”

The question was soft, uncertain… almost careful. Like someone who had spent her entire life watching people walk away from her. My jaw tightened instantly hearing it.

Without saying anything, I slowly lifted her face upward so she could look directly into my eyes.

“Listen to me carefully, Ishvika,” I said quietly, my voice calmer than usual but firm enough to make her focus only on me. “Now that you’re with me, no one touches you without my permission.”

Her lips parted slightly as she stared at me silently.

“No one scares you.”

I gently wiped the tears gathering near her eyes before continuing.

“And no one hurts you again.”

Something shifted inside her expression hearing that. Not complete belief… not yet. But hope. Fragile, trembling hope like she wanted to trust my words but didn’t know how.

And somehow that hurt more than her tears.

Because she should have never reached a point where kindness felt unbelievable.

“You promise?” she whispered.

I stared at her for a few seconds before answering quietly.

“With my life.”

The moment those words left my mouth, Ishvika smiled.

Small.

Soft.

But real.

And God help me

That tiny smile felt far more dangerous to my heart than any bullet I had ever survived.

I kept looking at her for a few moments after that smile faded softly from her lips. It was such a small thing, barely there, yet it affected me more than it should have. Maybe because it was real. Not forced. Not scared. Just… pure. And somehow that made my chest feel unbearably heavy.

Ishvika slowly lowered her gaze after realizing I was still staring at her. Her fingers tightened slightly around my shirt before she spoke again in a small voice.

“Evaan… can I ask something?”

I nodded quietly, still brushing my thumb gently against her cheek.

“You said no one will hurt me now…” she hesitated for a second before looking up at me carefully, “then you also won’t hurt me one day… right?”

The question was simple.

But it shattered something inside me instantly.

For a moment I couldn’t answer her.

Because she wasn’t asking dramatically. She wasn’t doubting me out of attitude or fear. She was asking like someone who genuinely believed kindness always disappears after some time. Like someone who had learned that every safe place eventually becomes painful too.

My jaw clenched hard.

I slowly pulled her closer again until her forehead rested beneath my chin. One of my hands moved protectively around the back of her head while the other rubbed slowly against her back, trying to calm both her and myself.

“I would rather destroy the world before hurting you,” I whispered quietly.

The moment those words left my mouth, Ishvika went still in my arms.

Then slowly

Very slowly

She wrapped her arms around me tighter.

That tiny action affected me more than any confession could have.

I closed my eyes briefly, breathing her in, trying to calm the storm inside my chest. I had faced death without fear. I watched blood spill without regret. But standing here holding this fragile girl who trusted me so blindly suddenly made me terrified of myself.

Because what if Rajveer chachu was right?

What if one day she learned the truth and looked at me with hatred instead of trust?

The thought alone made my chest feel hollow.

“Evaan?” her soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts again.

“Hm?”

“Why does your heartbeat become fast ?”

I almost let out a tired laugh hearing her innocent question. Slowly, I looked down at her only to find her staring at my chest curiously where her head rested moments ago.

She genuinely wanted to know.

“You ask too many dangerous questions,” I muttered quietly.

A small pout instantly formed on her lips hearing that.

“But I want to know.”

For a second I simply stared at her expression before shaking my head helplessly. Then slowly, without even realizing it, my fingers moved and tapped lightly against the tip of her nose.

“It happens because of you, baccha.”

Her brows furrowed immediately in confusion.

“Because of me?” she repeated softly.

I nodded once.

“When someone becomes too important…” I paused briefly before continuing in a quieter voice, “the heart starts fearing losing them.”

The moment I said that, Ishvika became unusually silent.

Her eyes remained fixed on me while something soft shifted across her expression again. Not fully understanding perhaps… but feeling the emotions behind my words anyway.

Then suddenly she lifted her hand carefully and placed it against my chest right above my heartbeat.

“It’s really fast,” she whispered in surprise.

I let out a slow breath, my gaze locked onto her face.

“Yes,” I said quietl

y. “Because you scare me.”

That made her eyes widen instantly.

“Me?” she asked softly, almost shocked. “But… I’m small.”

Despite everything weighing inside my chest, a quiet laugh escaped me hearing her logic.

“Yes,” I murmured while looking directly into her eyes. “And somehow that small heart of yours became my biggest weakness.”

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Happy reading 💗