45

I watched as his hand moved up, deftly unbuttoning his sleeves. Then, with deliberate slowness, he began to unbutton his shirt, one button at a time.

Confusion and a flush of heat surged through me as I watched him.

"What are you doing—" I started to ask, but my voice faltered and died as soon as he removed his shirt, revealing his skin.

The only thing I could see were the scars.

His entire chest was a canvas of scars and marks.

The gruesome scars twisted like vines across his body, each one a silent testament to the unspeakable horrors he had endured. Some looked like burn marks, while others were different, each telling its own story.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I took in the sight before me, too afraid to ask how he had gotten them. All my tension and frustration evaporated as I looked at him.

A shiver ran down my spine when I touched the longest scar with my trembling hand. It stretched from his shoulder to his torso.

I sniffed and met his eyes, which were calmly watching me.

"How...how did you get these?" I stuttered.

"It's a long story," he replied with a sad smile.

"No worries. I have nowhere else to be," I said, gathering my courage.

He chuckled softly and sat on the sofa, patting the space beside him. I sat down quietly, and his arms slowly wrapped around me, making me blush as my body made contact with his bare skin.

"These scars... I got them when I was 13." He paused, looking away. "My parents... they aren't my real parents."

I stared at him, wide-eyed, as he continued.

"My real mother died when I was 12. It was just a normal day. I was returning from school when I saw smoke coming from our house. Aarav and Natasha were too young to understand, so I told them to stay put and call our father.

I ran towards the house, which was engulfed in flames. Fire was everywhere. Seeing the neighbors gathered around only made my heart race faster.

When I reached the house, they told me my mother was still inside. My world collapsed, and without thinking, I jumped in. I had to save her. I couldn't imagine life without her. I searched the entire house but couldn't find her. Then, I heard a noise from the living room, which was burning down. I rushed in and found my mother, unconscious, in a corner.

The smoke was thick, making it hard to see. I leaped towards her and sprinkled water on her face. She slowly opened her eyes, and I tried to help her stand. But it was futile. She looked at me in horror, begging me to leave and save myself. But I refused. I couldn't leave her. She was my everything.

Then, she showed me a bottle in her hand. It was poison. My mind went blank when she said she had consumed it and didn't have much time left. She told me to take care of my siblings and father. I wanted to ask her why she did it, but then I heard the fire brigade. They rescued us, but it was too late. She was gone." He paused, looking at me. Tears streamed down my face as I felt the weight of his pain.

He wiped my tears and continued, "I fell into depression. They labeled my mother's death as suicide, but I knew it wasn't. There was more to it than we saw. The case was closed, but I needed to find out why. To understand what drove her to that point."

He paused and gulped; I could see the struggle behind his strong facade. He was trying hard not to break down. I told him he could stop if he didn't feel like speaking, but he shook his head and opened his mouth.

"I did everything I could to find out the reason. But I was just 12, not smart enough to solve this mystery. That moment turned into trauma. I fell into depression and started getting panic attacks, which made me drop the topic. My father was worried about us, so after a few years, he remarried to give us a mother. It was his biggest mistake. She turned out to be the worst stepmother anyone could ever have."

He looked down at his chest. "These scars are from her. My father never really loved her, so she took out her anger on me. She was mentally ill."

I breathed out, running my fingers over his scarred skin. My tears fell onto his scars and rolled down his torso.

This is too much.

Too heartbreaking.

I just wanted to hug him and never let go.

He continued, "I sent my siblings to my grandma, away from her, so they wouldn't suffer like I did. One day, my father found out and decided to divorce her. But before he could, he passed away. She took all his properties and kicked us out onto the street, leaving us with nothing. Then, my uncle adopted us and gave us a better life. My current father is actually my uncle. My father's brother."

Dhruv Uncle is such a kind and good human, I thought.

"So, did you find the reason?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

He nodded and placed his hands over mine on his chest.

"It was her brother behind everything. My grandma only had two children: my mother and my uncle. They had a good relationship until my uncle got involved in illegal activities. My grandparents hated it and distanced themselves from him, eventually kicking him out. After my grandpa's death, my grandma transferred all the property to my mother. This enraged him. He was on the street and wanted the property to run his illegal business. My mother refused, saying she would rather die than transfer the property. She knew he had turned into a psycho and would destroy everything if he got power.

After many attempts to convince her, she didn't change her mind. So he tried to harm her. That day, he burned the house. It was him... who made her sign the papers and later forcefully poisoned her, so it would look like a..."

A tear rolled down his cheek as he finished the sentence and took a deep breath. I wiped it off, feeling my heart clench seeing him like that.

It was not fair.

He had been through so much.

I never expected this.

A pang of guilt started spreading through me as I realized I was being too harsh and forcefully made him speak these things out. Now, he is reliving that pain while speaking about it.

I could never imagine that behind his strong facade hid the pain of a little boy who had suffered so much.

"I'm sorry," I said, breaking the hug and looking into his eyes.

He gave me a sad smile. "I'm fine now. I'm healed." Then he added, "After some years, I reopened the case, and now my uncle is completely resting in hell."

I smiled, relieved that he had found justice.

I looked at him, wanting to say a million things to comfort him, but nothing came out. My mind was numb.

I rested my head on his chest and said, "You fought your battles all alone. I'm sorry."

"No, you helped me too," I heard him mutter under his breath. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked up at him, confused yet knowing the hidden meaning.

"What?"

"Nothing. I said you are helping me now. I've never shared this with anyone. Sharing with you has lessened something from my shoulders."

"Oh," I said, but I was sure I hadn't misheard him.

I hugged him tight and listened to his slow heartbeat, not realizing when I fell asleep.

==============

Advik's POV:

I watched as she slept peacefully in my arms, her breath soft and steady. A smile crept onto my lips as I gazed at her innocent face resting on my bare chest. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and I felt a surge of protectiveness wash over me.

The cold wind blew, causing her to shiver. I instinctively tightened my hold on her, wanting to shield her from the chill.

Relief flooded through me after sharing everything about my past. The weight I had carried for so long felt lighter, and I was overjoyed to see that it didn't change how she felt. She was still here, still with me, again.

Carefully, I picked her up in my arms, cradling her gently as I made my way inside. She snuggled closer, her head nuzzling into the crook of my neck, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly. Her warmth against my skin was comforting, grounding me in the moment.

Today, I was happier than I had been in a long time. I had her back.

She had been on the verge of expressing her feelings when that Vishant appeared, disrupting everything. I pushed the thought of him away, not wanting to taint this moment.

I couldn't stop smiling, my heart swelling with joy. I never expected her to fall in love with me again, especially after how I had treated her. Yet, here she was, in my arms, and I felt a sense of gratitude.

As I laid her down gently on the bed, she stirred slightly, her hand reaching out to grasp mine. I sat beside her, brushed a strand of hair from her face, and whispered, "I love you." Her lips curved into a faint smile, even in her sleep, and my heart soared.

I decided to go to my room, feeling the weight of the day's events. As I turned around, I felt a gentle tug on my wrist.

"Stay," her sleepy voice whispered, sending a warm shiver down my spine. I couldn't help but smile.

I turned off the lights and lay beside her, pulling her closer. She instinctively snuggled into me, her face burying into my neck with closed eyes. I closed my eyes, inhaling her sweet fragrance, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. It was still hard for me to believe that she was in my arms.

Today was different.

I was grateful that, despite me telling her not to come, she still came with me here. I would have regretted it so much if she hadn't. I would have never known about her feelings for me.

Everything was fine until Vishant appeared.

I have to do something about him.

I never liked that guy. Ria and Vishant were classmates. I was in the same school too. I heard a rumor once that Vishant had feelings for Ria. And I had a very great and successful meeting with him after which he stayed away from her. But once I graduated, his feelings resurfaced. In the last year of high school, he proposed to her. But then, she turned him down, and he disappeared.

I know he will try to take advantage of her memory loss. She is naive, and she might believe his lies.

The most important thing I was concerned about was her mental state. If she tried to think hard about the past, she might lose consciousness. I know because that's what happened when we tried to remember things after she woke up from the accident. She would get seizures, which would eventually make her forget the present too. She would lose her memories completely. She would forget me again.

And I don't want that to happen.

I won't let it happen.