Aisha sat beside Rishi, absentmindedly tracing patterns on the back of his uninjured hand. The weight of the past hour sat heavily between them....the broken phone, the anger, the unspoken words. But more than anything, there was an unfamiliar heat simmering beneath the surface, something neither of them acknowledged yet refused to ignore.
Rishi cleared his throat, his fingers flexing slightly under hers. "You know, you don't have to take care of me. I'm supposed to be the one looking after you."
She scoffed. "Right. Because you're clearly doing a fantastic job keeping your hands intact."
His lips curled into a lopsided smirk, but there was something else in his eyes....something deeper, darker. He didn't say anything, just watched her, his gaze lingering too long, his expression unreadable. The silence stretched between them, charged and heavy, until Aisha finally looked away, feeling like she might combust under his scrutiny.
The moment shattered when her phone buzzed again....on the table, this time. The spare one she rarely used.
She reached for it hesitantly, already dreading the name that would appear on the screen.
Ranvir.
Her fingers hovered over the screen, debating whether to answer.
Rishi noticed immediately. "Don't."
She looked at him. "Rishi...."
"Aisha," his voice was firm, his jaw tight. "You know what he's going to do. He'll gaslight you, make you feel guilty for something that isn't your fault. You don't need to put yourself through that again."
She swallowed, fingers tightening around the phone. "I just… maybe I should...."
The phone rang again, cutting off her words. She hesitated for a moment too long, and Rishi, impatient as ever, reached over and snatched it from her hands before she could react.
"Rishi!"
He answered the call, holding the phone to his ear but didn't speak.
Ranvir's voice came through, laced with irritation. "Aisha, you better not be ignoring me again...."
Rishi smirked. "She is."
A beat of silence. Then, Ranvir's voice darkened. "Who the fu*k is this?"
Rishi leaned back, completely at ease, and yet his grip on the phone was ironclad. "Someone who's done watching you treat her like shit."
Aisha's breath hitched. She reached out for the phone, but Rishi held it away from her, his gaze never leaving hers. His expression was calm....too calm, which was even more terrifying.
Ranvir let out a humorless laugh. "You think you can just step in between us? You have no idea what kind of relationship Aisha and I have."
Rishi's smirk disappeared. His voice dropped, dangerously quiet. "Yeah? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like nothing more than a toxic power trip. And I think she's starting to realize that, too."
Ranvir's voice turned venomous. "You have no fu*king clue who you're dealing with."
Rishi chuckled, shaking his head. "Neither do you."
And then, just like that, he ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed. "Unbelievable. He doesn't even recognize his own brother's voice."
Aisha stared at him, heart pounding in her chest. "You didn't have to do that."
He turned to her, his expression softer now, but still intense. "I did. Because you wouldn't."
She swallowed, unsure how to process everything. "I could've handled it."
"Maybe," he murmured. "But you shouldn't have to."
The air between them was thick, their gazes locked. Aisha felt something shift in that moment, something irreversible. But before she could say anything, Rishi stood up and stretched, shattering the tension.
"Come on," he said, smirking again. "Let's get some food before you start stress-eating an entire chocolate bar again."
Aisha let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes. "You're annoying."
He winked. "And yet, here you are, still keeping me around."
As they left the room, Aisha knew things had changed. The lines between them were blurring, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to stop it anymore. But before she could dwell on it further, a sudden knock at the door made her freeze. Her heart stilled as a familiar voice followed....a voice that sent a cold shiver down her spine.
"Aisha," Ranvir's voice carried through the hallway. "Open the door. We need to talk."
Aisha's breath hitched, her body tensing at the sound. This wasn't the first time she felt this way....this horrible, gut-wrenching fear. Every time he called, every time his name appeared on her phone, a cold dread would settle in her chest. She never knew what he would say, what mood he would be in. Would he be apologetic? Would he be cruel? Would he use abusive words? The uncertainty terrified her.
Her fingers trembled slightly, her mind flashing back to the times he'd twisted his words, made her question herself, made her doubt her own reality. The feeling of being trapped, of walking on eggshells, came rushing back, suffocating her. She started trembling, her mind ,away from reality.
Just then a warm hand covered hers, steady and firm. She turned, finding Rishi's gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. "You're safe," he murmured, his voice low but resolute. "He doesn't control you anymore. He won't be able to hurt you, I'm here."
His fingers curled around hers, grounding her. Aisha took a shaky breath, gripping onto the warmth, onto the silent promise in his touch. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to the maid standing nearby. "Open the door."
The maid hesitated for a second before nodding and stepping forward. The sound of the lock clicking open sent another shiver down Aisha's spine, but Rishi's grip on her hand tightened, a silent reassurance that he wasn't going anywhere.
Aisha instinctively pulled her hand away from Rishi's grip the moment she saw Ranvir. Her heart pounded, a mess of emotions swirling within her. But when Ranvir's gaze shifted to Rishi, a flash of relief crossed his face, as if realizing who had been with Aisha all along.
His expression quickly darkened, though, as he turned back to Rishi. "So, it's you," Ranvir scoffed, stepping forward. Then, with a sudden realization, he let out a short breath, almost relieved. "At least it's you. I should've guessed you'd be involved in some twisted prank like this."
Rishi remained seated, his expression unreadable. "And you always have a way of blaming others for your messes."
Ranvir let out a humorless laugh. "Mess? The only mess here is her," he jerked his chin toward Aisha. "She never listens. Always running her mouth, always acting like she knows better. I swear, handling her is a full-time job."
Aisha flinched at his words, but before she could respond, Rishi was already on his feet, his stance rigid. "Watch how you talk about her."
Ranvir sneered. "Oh? You playing her knight in shining armor now? Please. You don't know the half of it. You are my brother , you should be taking my side. She...."
"I know enough," Rishi cut him off, voice dangerously low. "And I don't need to hear any more of your bullshit."
Rishi's patience snapped. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as his eyes darkened with fury. "You are my brother, Ranvir, but that doesn't mean I'll stand by and let you talk like that." His voice was eerily calm, but the warning in it was unmistakable.
Ranvir scoffed. "Come on, Rishi. You know how she is. Stop protecting this bit*h and...."
The sound of a punch cracked through the air before Ranvir could finish his sentence. He stumbled back, gripping his jaw, eyes wide with shock. Rishi's knuckles throbbed, but he barely noticed. His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "You sh*thead, cheat*ng monster. Don't you dare talk about her like that again."
Ranvir staggered, rubbing his jaw, his expression twisting in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? I never cheated on her!" His voice carried a mix of frustration and indignation, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes....just enough to make Rishi's rage intensify.
""How pathetic," Rishi scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "We saw everything, Ranvir. You don't get to lie your way out of this."
Ranvir's expression twisted, but instead of admitting fault, his anger flared. "Oh, so it's my fault now? Because she was always clinging to me? Always making a big deal out of nothing? She never knew when to back off!"
Rishi's eyes blazed with fury as he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "So, it's her fault now? Do you even hear yourself? We didn't raise you to be this kind of man, Ranvir. We didn't raise you to be a liar, a manipulator, and a damn coward."
Aisha clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as her vision blurred with unshed tears. She had tolerated enough....enough gaslighting, enough excuses, enough pain. Her chest tightened as a wave of emotions crashed over her, and before she could stop herself, she let out a shaky breath and whispered, "I can't do this anymore."
Ranvir staggered back, holding his jaw, his eyes blazing with fury. "Look at yourself, Aisha! You've turned two brothers against each other! The one who never even raised his voice just punched me because of you. And now you're standing there, acting like the victim? You've ruined my life, you...."
Rishi grabbed Ranvir by the collar, his patience wearing dangerously thin. "She didn't ruin anything. You did that all on your own."
Ranvir sneered, shoving Rishi's hands away. "You think you're a hero, don't you? Defending her like this? You don't know what she's really like. She's manipulative, selfish...."
"Enough!" Rishi's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. His fists clenched at his sides, every muscle in his body screaming for him to do more than just yell. "You don't get to paint yourself as the victim. Not after everything you've done."
Aisha stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest. She wanted to speak, wanted to tell Ranvir to leave, to never come near her again, but her voice felt trapped in her throat. It was Rishi who stepped forward, blocking her from Ranvir's view.
"You need to leave," Rishi commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Ranvir glared at him, his jaw tightening. "This isn't over."
Rishi didn't flinch. "Yes, it is."
With one final, venomous look, Ranvir turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The echo of it vibrated through Aisha's bones, but she still couldn't move.
It wasn't until she felt Rishi's warm hand on hers that she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "He's gone," Rishi murmured, his voice softer now.
Aisha nodded, still shaken. "Thank you."
Rishi exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "You don't have to thank me for doing what's right."
She lost balance, her knees giving out, and she was falling to the ground. Before she could hit the floor, Rishi rushed forward, catching her in his arms. She clung to him instinctively, her body trembling against his. He held her tightly, his grip firm and reassuring, as if shielding her from everything that had just happened. For the first time in a long time, she hugged someone so desperately and tightly.
And for the first time, Rishi held her just as tightly back.