41

Tara sat curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over her legs, staring blankly at her laptop screen. She had been trying to study for the past hour, but the words weren't making sense. Her mind was elsewhere—trapped in the events of the past twenty-four hours.

Seeing Aryan's parents yesterday had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. The moment she had recognized Meeta standing there, her heart had lurched, and instinct had told her to run. And she had. Just like she always did when it came to Aryan.

She sighed, shutting her laptop. She needed to stop thinking about this. It was over. She had made her decision.

A sudden knock at the door startled her.

She frowned, hesitating. She wasn't expecting anyone. For a brief second, she thought about ignoring it. But then, with a sigh, she got up and walked over.

When she opened the door, her breath caught.

Aryan.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the door. He looked... intense. Determined. His eyes locked onto hers with an urgency that sent a shiver down her spine.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Tara," he said, his voice low, almost desperate. "I want you."

She blinked, thrown off. "What?" What happened to him? She thought.

"I want you, Tara," he repeated, stepping closer. "I don't want to do this hide-and-seek thing anymore."

She inhaled sharply, taking a step back. "Aryan, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about us," he said, his gaze never wavering. "I don't care about anything else. I just know that I want you."

She blinked, caught off guard. "What—what are you saying?"

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "My mom—she won't come between us anymore. She knows she was wrong. She won't stop us, Tara. It's just us now."

Tara's breath got caught in her throat, "Aryan. What are you saying? Just—stop."

"I can't stop, Tara. I've stopped for way too long.  I even stayed away because you told me to—but I can't do this anymore. I know you said we can't be together because my mother wouldn't allow it but, trust me, she doesn't mind now. She's sorry and she won't be an obstacle in our path. She supports us, Star."

Tara scoffed, "And what if she changes her mind—in the future? What then? Do we end again? Is this a game?!"

"I'LL FIGHT HER FOR YOU, TARA." His voice yelled, "Today and everyday."

Tara's throat tightened as she processed the tone. His sudden out burst—a sign of assertiveness and security. She shook her head. "Aryan, no... I don't care about any of that. We decided to stay away. We're done."

His jaw clenched. "No, we're not."

"Tara—"

"No," she cut in, her voice firmer this time. "I don't want to start this again. Just go."

His jaw clenched. "Why?"

"Because this won't work," she said, wrapping her arms around herself. "You can't read the same book again and expect a different ending."

"This book didn't have an ending yet, Tara. Only an interval."

"Stop it Aryan. We both know how this ends."

"It doesn't have to end," he argued.

She exhaled, frustrated. "What's wrong with you, Aryan? Please. Just leave."

"I am wrong without you, Star. I can't leave." he said stubbornly. "Not without you."

Her throat tightened. She turned away, willing herself to stay strong. "You don't get to just come here and say things like this. You don't get to decide for both of us."

He exhaled sharply. "Fine. I'll go. But first, tell me you don't feel the same way."

Silence.

She refused to look at him.

"Tara," he said softly, stepping closer again. "I want you. You and me—this isn't over."

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the ache in his voice. "It is."

His fists clenched at his sides. "No, it's not."

She swallowed hard. "Please, Aryan. Just go."

He didn't move.

Instead, all of a sudden, Tara's back hit the wall, her breath catching as Aryan's hands came up, caging her in. His body was close—too close. The heat of him, the intensity in his dark eyes, made it impossible to think straight.

"Tell me you don't want me, Tara," he murmured, his voice rough, almost daring her.

She swallowed hard, her pulse hammering in her ears. "Aryan... just go."

His jaw tightened. "Not until you say it. Say you don't want me, and I swear I'll leave."

She tried to look away, but his fingers caught her chin, tilting her face back to him. His eyes searched hers, his own filled with something raw and unshakable.

"You can't," he whispered. "Because it's not true."

Tara's breathing was uneven. She pressed her hands against his chest, as if pushing him away—but her fingers curled against the fabric of his shirt instead.

"This isn't right," she whispered.

Aryan scoffed, his lips curving into a smirk, but there was no humor in it. "You think that matters to me? After everything?"

She exhaled shakily, trying to form words, trying to fight the pull between them. But then his voice dropped lower, firmer.

"You are mine, Tara. You always have been."

Her heart stopped.

"And no matter how much you run, no matter what you say—now, I will always come back for you."

Tara felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

She shook her head, finally finding her voice. "You were horrible to me, Aryan. You let me go without a fight, you let me break, and now you just waltz back in like nothing happened?"

Aryan's expression darkened. "You think it was easy for me? You think I don't live with that regret every damn day?" His voice lowered, raw and unfiltered. "I hate myself for how things happened. For not fighting for you when I should have. For letting my mother's fear dictate my choices."

Tara clenched her jaw, trying not to let his words affect her. "It doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything." He took a step closer, his voice unrelenting. "I can't see you with anyone else, Tara. I won't. I am ready to spend the thousands days, or more, apologizing to you, winning you—anything, but I won't let you go again." His hands flexed at his sides as if he was barely holding himself together. "I tried to tell myself that I'd let you go if that's what you wanted, but I can't. Because it's not what I want. And it's not what you want either."

She stiffened, refusing to let the truth in his words break through her defenses.

Aryan leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "You can push me away all you want. But don't forget, sweetheart..."

He pulled back just enough to meet her wide, stunned eyes, his own filled with dark promise.

"You were mine first. And you'll be mine again—just like I was yours then, and will be yours again."

And just like that, he stepped back, releasing her, but not before running his knuckles down her cheek in a touch that burned.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out, leaving her breathless, shaken, and utterly undone.

💜