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Prefer song-:
"Ang laga de"
"Bond Bond"
"Dill main chupa lunga"
"Katra Katra"
"Raat ka Nasha"
"Hai rama"
"Ashique banaya apne"

Mature Content 18+

<<<Happy Reading>>>

Sometimes love isn't about knowing how to hold someone closer.
Sometimes it's about knowing exactly when to let go. 

M A H I R A

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, letting out a long breath. My heart was still beating too quickly.

But this time, it wasn't from fear. It was something else.
A strange, fluttering sensation that I didn't quite know what to do with.

I slowly looked at myself in the mirror, and for a moment, I almost didn't recognise the woman staring back at me.

I was so used to seeing that girl. The timid one. The frightened one. The girl who was always afraid of what her own body might remember.

But tonight... I was looking at someone who barely recognised that girl anymore.

My cheeks were still warm from everything I'd said to Abir.

I want this with you.

The words replayed inside my head.

They had come out so naturally. Without forcing myself to say them. Without second-guessing them. Because I had wanted him for so long.

I'd just been afraid of my own fears. Of my body. Of the memories I couldn't control. Of that instinctive response that sometimes appeared before I even had the chance to understand what was happening.

But somehow... When it was Abir, it felt different.

Maybe it wasn't about erasing the fear.
Maybe it was about finally learning that fear didn't get to decide everything for me.

My mind drifted back to that private lounge.

To the way I'd reached for him without thinking, the way my body had responded without freezing.

There had been hesitation. Of course there had. But there hadn't been that desperate instinct to run.

My body recognised him. Trusted him. Perhaps even more than I had learned to trust myself.

And maybe that was why being myself around Abir had slowly stopped feeling like something I had to survive...and started feeling like living.

I lifted a hand and touched my cheek, staring at my reflection.

For the first time, the woman looking back at me ....She looked like someone finally willing to step forward.

A small smile touched my lips.

"You'll be okay..." I whispered to the woman in the mirror. "Because he never lets you feel like there is something wrong with you. And he never makes you feel terrible for being exactly who you are."

The thought sent another nervous flutter through my stomach.

My smile softened.

I quickly took a warm shower, dried my hair, and went over to unfasten my luggage to find something comfortable to wear.

But instead... My fingers brushed against a small box tucked carefully between my clothes.

I knew exactly what it was.
Something Shristy had handed me right before we left home for this trip.

I could almost hear her voice from that day.

"When you feel it's the time, open it." Then she'd smiled knowingly. "But if you don't find the perfect moment... don't open it. There's no rush."

I'd carried that box all the way here without untying the ribbon. Until tonight.

My hand rested on the lid. For a few seconds, I simply stared at it.

Then I took a breath. And opened it.

My breath caught.
For one fleeting second, nervousness fluttered through me again. But I didn't close the box.

I didn't put it away.

Instead, I carefully picked up the champagne-brown silk babydoll set—a delicate top and matching shorts that felt like liquid air against my fingers.

My fingers trembled slightly as I slipped off my towel and put it on. I looked at myself in the mirror afterward.

I took several long, steadying breaths, resting a hand over my hammering chest. You can do this, Mahi. You'll be fine. You're safe with him.

And somehow... That was enough.

When I finally turned the handle and pulled the bathroom door open, I expected to find Abir waiting patiently by the edge of the bed, my heartbeat already was loud enough to feel in my ears.

Instead... my steps froze entirely.

The entire room had changed.

The overhead lights were off. In their place, dozens of candles flickered softly around the room, their warm golden glow reflecting against the enormous glass windows and painting delicate shadows across the walls.

Fresh flower petals were scattered across the floor. Rose petals. Jasmine. Tiny white blossoms.

They formed a loose, imperfect path from the bathroom toward the bed and around the sitting area.

My lips parted in a quiet gasp. A shiver ran through every single vein in my body. He had done all of this in the short thirty minutes I was in the shower.

"How...?" The word left my lips as little more than a whisper.

I took a hesitant step forward. Then another.
My gaze moved slowly across the room until I finally found him. Abir stood near the window with his back partly turned toward me.

He was lighting the last candle.

"Abir..." the sound barely louder than the crackle of the flames.

He didn't waste a split second turning around at the soft call of his name. And froze.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

He had changed into a deep brown crochet shirt, the soft fabric resting loosely over his broad shoulders. Only two or three buttons were fastened near the bottom, leaving the upper portion casually open.

He looked ridiculously, painfully handsome—so much so that my heart skipped several beats in rapid succession.

His eyes moved slowly from my face to the rest of me, taking its sweet, unhurried time—as if he couldn't get enough of the sight, as if he were trying to memorize every inch of me in the candlelight.

When his gaze finally returned to mine, every sharp line in his posture softened.

There was no impatience in his eyes. No expectation. No pressure.
Only warmth.

Something that felt unmistakably safe. Something that felt like mine.

I suddenly became very aware of myself.
I clasped my hands together, the toes of one foot nervously curling against the other over the soft petals.

He didn't say a single word. He didn't move an inch toward me. He just stood there, staring at me as though the rest of the world had completely ceased to exist.

And somehow, that was more overwhelming than anything he could have said.

Another long, suspended minute passed. Neither of us broke the spell—until a droplet of burning candle wax suddenly tipped over the edge of the flame and fell straight onto Abir's hand.

"shhh..." He finally blinked, breaking his trance as he looked down at his skin.

"Careful!" I gasped, instantly abandoning my nervousness as I hurried across the petal-strewn floor toward him. "You'll burn yourself!"

I reached him in three quick steps, my hands automatically reaching for his. I gently blew over the small red mark on his skin where the hot wax had landed.

"You're supposed to be paying attention," I murmured, carefully brushing the cooling wax away from his knuckles.

"I was paying attention." Abir's voice came lower than usual, carrying an emotion that sent another nervous flutter through my stomach. "To the only thing in this room that mattered."

My head snapped up. For a second, I couldn't find an answer.

Because he wasn't looking at his hand anymore. He was looking directly at me.

His dark eyes held mine beneath the warm candlelight, and standing this close to him, I suddenly became painfully aware of how the champagne silk felt impossibly thin between us, and the heat radiating off his chest was dizzying.

My heart wasn't where it was supposed to be anymore. It was gone.

And after spending the last ten minutes convincing myself that I could actually do this, Abir was making it considerably harder to remember how breathing worked.

The warmth radiating from him made my already unsteady heartbeat stumble again.

"Abir..." I breathed. My voice came out barely louder than a whisper. "When did you..." I gestured helplessly toward the candles and the scattered petals. "How did you even manage all this?"

He reached out, a quiet smile gracing his face, but he stopped just short of touching me—as if he were waiting for an unwritten permission.

I looked at his hand. Then at him. And slowly nodded. Only then did his fingertips reach my cheek.

"Candles were sitting on the kitchen counter," he explained casually. "And the flowers..." He shrugged. "I picked them from the garden."

My eyebrows lifted. "The restricted ones?"

I clearly remembered the little rules listed in the villa's welcome book. No flowers were to be picked without permission.

He nodded, completely unbothered.

"Just wanted it to be perfect for you." His thumb brushed gently across my cheek. "You deserve that."

"And the rule?"

"Doesn't matter." His eyes softened. "You don't need to worry about it tonight."

I couldn't help smiling.
I leaned instinctively into his palm, letting the warmth of his hand settle some of the nervousness twisting inside me.

His fingers gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face. For once, Abir seemed to search for the right words.

"You..." He paused. His gaze travelled slowly across my face before returning to my eyes. "Every time I think it's impossible for you to look more beautiful..." The corner of his mouth lifted. "You somehow manage to prove me wrong."

A quiet smile touched my lips. I looked down, suddenly unable to withstand the intensity in his eyes.

Then his voice softened. "Nervous?"

I lifted my head again. I wanted to say no. To pretend I was perfectly fine. But lying to Abir had never been particularly easy.

He always saw straight through me.

So I nodded. "A little."

"Me too."

My eyes narrowed at him in sheer disbelief.

A puffing breath come out of my mouth. "Anything can be possible, but nervousness in Abir Singh?... Is one of the feature that untraceable in him."

A quiet smile tugged at his lips.

"But when it comes to you..." His voice softened. "Every unknown feature somehow finds its way into me."

I couldn't stop myself from chuckling.

I turned toward the bed, though the mere thought of actually getting into it sent another rush of adrenaline through my body.

Instead of acknowledging it, I reached for my night cream.

"You don't know, Mahi." Abir followed me, moving toward his side of the bed. "You make me want to behave good."

I glanced at him while rubbing the cream between my palms. "Why so?"

He removed his watch and placed it carefully on the bedside table.

Then he climbed onto the mattress, settling on his knees.

"You want to know how?" He gave a quiet laugh, but there was something almost embarrassed beneath it. "mujhe exactly pata hai main kya chahta hoon....lekin jab tum itni confidently mere paas aati ho na, Mahi... mujhe yaad hi nahi rehta ki mujhe composed rehna bhi hai." [I know exactly what I want… but when you come this close to me so confidently, Mahi, I forget that I’m supposed to stay composed.]

My eyebrows lifted. "Still you possess universe of control when it comes to me. Jaise tumhare liye control karna naturally aata ho." [Like controlling yourself comes naturally to you.]

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"See?" He shook his head, his dark gaze never leaving mine. "It's definitely dangerous when you start playing this game."

I slowly climbed onto the bed too, moving another inch closer to him, "Kyun?" [Why?]

His eyes met mine.

"Because..." His gaze held mine, steady despite the tension tightening between us. "Mujhe sirf tumhe paana nahi hai, Mahi. Mujhe tumhare saath woh ye pal jeena hai." [I don’t just want to have you, Mahi. I want to live these moments with you]

Something inside my chest softened. I moved closer again until barely any space remained between us.

He didn't grab me. He didn't pull me in. He simply stayed still, letting me feel.

"And what if I don't regret it?"

His breath caught. "Then I'll probably spend the rest of my life wondering how I got this lucky."

"That's all?"

"No." His gaze held mine. "I'll probably also be terrified of doing anything that makes you look at me differently tomorrow morning."

My lips curved. "So Mr. Perfectly-Controlled Abir Singh is actually nervous?"

"Zyada khush mat ho." [Don't get too happy.]

"So..."My fingers rose instinctively and settled against his chest. His heartbeat was racing beneath my palm. "That means I'm not the only nervous one."

"No." His forehead gently touched mine as he closed his eyes. "Definitely not."

I closed my eyes too, leaning in until my nose brushed gently against his. For several suspended seconds, only our uneven, mingled breaths filled the quiet space between us.

Then his voice came barely above a whisper.

"Mahi..." he voice came barely above a whisper, his breath warm against my lips.

"Hm?"

"Kya main tumhe chu sakta hu?" [Can I touch you?]

The question made my eyelashes flutter open. My eyes met his, finding a intensity so raw it took my breath away.

There was no teasing in it now, only a quiet question.

"Wherever you allow me to touch..." he asked, his voice thick with a reverent, worshipful quiet.

He looked at me as if I were his sole devotion, as if he wanted nothing more than to treat my body like sacred ground.

I swallowed before correcting softly, "...wherever I let you."

His expression softened immediately as he nodded softly.

I took a breath.

"Every single inch of me craves for you, Abir..." I leaned closer. "...you can touch me."

His eyes closed briefly, as though those four words had taken more strength to hear than I could possibly understand.

When his eyes opened again, the gentleness in them burned hotter than any flame, replaced by a devotion so raw it made my breath catch.

His palms slid upward with deliberate hunger, fingers spreading wide over my thighs before gripping my hips and dragging up to my waist. The heat of his skin on mine sent a jolt straight between my legs.

He didn't give me a second to breathe. One hard tug and my chest slammed against the solid wall of his torso...erasing every last millimeter of space.

A broken gasp tore from my throat. My fingers clutched at his neckline of shirt, yanking him down as I tilted my head up, closing the final distance to press my mouth against his.

The kiss started slow, but only for a heartbeat. Then it turned deep, wet, and consuming...the kind of kiss that silenced every lingering ghost of my past and whispered that I was finally home.

His tongue pushed past my lips, stroking mine with slow, filthy rolls that made my knees weaken.

"hmmm..." I moaned into his mouth, sucking on his like I needed it to live.

Abir groaned low in his chest—a sound so primal it vibrated straight through my body.

His hands didn't stay still, One palm slid under my thigh and lifted, forcing my leg around his hip so my core pressed flush against the hard ridge straining behind his sweat pants.

I rocked against him without thinking, chasing friction.

"Abir..." I whimpered when he sucked my tongue harder, the pull sending a sharp pulse straight to my core and he seized the split second to deepen the kiss, his tongue tracing mine with a slow, possessive rhythm that stripped away the last of my control.

I was drowning in him, undone by a single kiss before we had even truly begun.

When I was entirely out of air, he finally broke the seal of our lips, though he didn't pull away.

He broke the kiss only to drag his mouth down my jaw, teeth scraping, tongue soothing. Every open-mouthed kiss left a wet trail that cooled in the air and made me shiver.

hen he reached my neck, he didn't hesitate. He latched onto the spot that always made me weak, sucking hard enough to bruise while his tongue flicked over the skin. Every small bite drew broken, breathless sounds from my throat.

My head fell back. A loud, helpless moan ripped out of me. My nails dug into his shoulders as my hips jerked forward again, grinding shamelessly.

He bit down, sharp and sudden. The sting melted into liquid heat when he licked the mark, then sucked again, harder...all restraint shattered.

"Ah..." A quiet gasp tore from my chest.

I had no idea pleasure could feel this sharp, this overwhelming. A tight, sweet ache twisted deep in my lower abdomen every single time his mouth returned to that spot.

I arched into his touch, utterly helpless beneath him.

"Abir... please..."I gasped, voice shaking. My fingers tangled in his hair, yanking him closer.

"You want me to stop," he rasped against my throat, his hot breath fanning across my hypersensitive skin.

"No...." I whimpered, my nails digging deeper into his back through the soft crochet fabric. "I want you."

His hands tightened on my hips, pulling me closer still, so close that every ragged breath he took echoed through my entire body.

He lifted his head slowly, his dark, heavy gaze locking onto mine. In the flickering candlelight, he looked like a man pushed to his absolute limit, yet he didn't move an inch further until he saw the total, unyielding desire reflected in my eyes.

I forced my fluttering eyelids open, meeting his gaze.

His eyes briefly dropped to my robe, already slipping from one shoulder, before returning to mine. He drew in a slow breath, as though he were fighting his own impatience.

"Do you mind... if I take off my shirt?" His voice was quieter now. "I just want to feel closer to you."

Because he had promised he would be slow. Careful. He wasn't taking anything from me. He was waiting for me to choose.

And somehow, that patience made my heart race even more. I didn't trust my voice, so I simply nodded.

A dark, beautiful smile broke across his face

He undid the remaining buttons of his shirt one by one. Slowly. Deliberately. Even though I could tell he was holding himself back from doing it faster.

I slipped my robe from my shoulder myself, my movements suddenly feeling far more deliberate than they had a moment ago.

As the shirt slipped off his broad shoulders, revealing the sculpted, breath-stealing contours of his chest, my gaze lingered on him despite myself.

I was nervous—so nervous my fingers trembled—but curiosity and desire tangled with that nervousness until I couldn't look away.

He tossed the shirt onto the floor without a second glance. Bathed in the warm, dancing amber of the candles, he looked hotter than the flames themselves.

He noticed.

A crooked smile touched his lips, making my stomach twist with a strange mixture of embarrassment and anticipation.

"Touch me if you want, Glowfly," he murmured, almost like a quiet invitation. "I'll be honored if you do."

His fingers gently found my wrist and guided my hand toward him, stopping before giving me the chance to decide whether I wanted to continue.

The moment my palm met his warm skin, heat bloomed violently against my skin. The hard, steel-like muscle beneath my fingers was scorching, the heavy, rhythmic thud of his heart hammering directly under my touch.

My breath hitched, completely stuck in my throat.

The contrast between the steadiness of his body and the trembling of my hand made me suddenly feels so right.

"Mahi..." I looked up at him.

"Can I..." He paused, searching for the right words, his eyes lingered briefly on my top before returning to my face. "...take yours off too?"

And somehow, that question made my heart beat harder than anything else had. I couldn't answer.

Not because I didn't know what I wanted, but because I didn't know how to put it into words.

My heart pounded so fiercely against my ribs that I was certain he could hear it.

I looked at him, then at the hand still resting gently around my wrist. There was no pressure in his touch.

He was waiting. For me.
And somewhere in that quiet moment, the trust I'd been building in him settled a little deeper.

I gave him a small nod without meeting his eyes.

He released my wrist.
For a fleeting second, I thought his hand would move toward the edge of my top. Instead, his fingers found my chin.

One gentle tug tilted my face toward his. "Can I have your words, Glowfly?"

My breath caught.

I should have hesitated. I should have needed another moment to gather my courage.

But, to my own surprise, I didn't.

"Yes..." The word barely escaped my lips.

His expression softened immediately, as though that single word meant far more to him than I could ever understand.

Abir's fingers stayed at her chin for a heartbeat longer, thumb brushing the curve of her jaw. Then he leaned down to kiss me again. 

He cupped my jaw, tilting my head so he could taste deeper. My hands slid up his chest, gripping his shoulder, pulling him closer without rushing.

He broke the kiss and dragged his mouth down my throat, his hand slid down, slow enough that I could track every inch. He caught the hem of my top between his knuckles and lifted it just enough to slip his palm underneath.

A sharp gasp hitched in my throat as the fabric whispered against my skin as his hand traveled upward, taking his sweet, unbearable time testing every single reaction my body had to his touch.

Warm fingers traced the line of my ribs, pausing when they met the soft swell beneath my breasts. He didn't cup or squeeze. He simply rested there, feeling the rise and fall of my breathing, the heat of skin that had never been touched by anyone else.

I stayed perfectly still. The only movement was the quick flutter of my pulse under his fingertips.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, his warm breath brushing my skin and making it harder to breath even. "Want me to stop or....continue?"

My breath left me in a shaky exhale. I swallowed, gathering whatever courage I had left.

"Don't..." her breath came out shaky. "Not yet."

It came out barely above a whisper, but his breath softened as soon as he heard it.

Then he drew a long, steadying breath through his nose. Both hands moved to the hem. 

He peeled the top upward, fabric sliding over my ribs, over the swell of my breasts, catching briefly on my arms before he eased it over my head and free of my hands.

The cool air hit my bare skin. My nipples tightened instantly. 

I reacted without thinking, arms crossing tight over my chest, palms flat against my own skin as if I could hide myself from his eyes.

Abir didn't reach for me again. He let the top fall to the floor beside his shirt, hands loose at his sides, giving me the space to decide.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, unable to meet his gaze. The scars on my skin suddenly felt far more visible than they had a moment ago.

Even though a part of me knew he would still look at me the same way, another part—the frightened, insecure part—was terrified of finding something different in his eyes.

"Mahi..." he said softly.

"Hmmm," I murmured, still refusing to look at him.

"Open your eyes and look at me."

I didn't.
Instead, I shook my head. "I....I."

He didn't say anything. He simply waited. For a moment longer than I intended.

Then his voice came again, quieter this time. "Mahi... if you need a moment because this is overwhelming you, take it. I'm not going anywhere."

My throat tightened.

"But if you're hesitating because you think you'll find regret in my eyes..." His voice dropped, steady but sharper now, like a line drawn in stone. "Because you think I'd look at you differently after seeing scars that only prove you survived what most people wouldn't even endure...Then you don't know me at all."

Silence pressed between us, heavy and unbroken.

"Look at me," he said again, softer...but no less certain. "Not the way you think I'll see you. Not the way your fear is telling you I will." He pause. "Look at me the way I am right now... and tell me what you actually see in my eyes."

My fingers curled nervously against the myself. I slowly opened my eyes. And for a second, I forgot to breathe.

There was no pity. No hesitation. No regret.

Just him.

Looking at me as though the scars I'd spent years learning to hide had never made me any less beautiful in his eyes.

His eyes never left mine once. Like I was still his Mahi.

"You're not looking at them?" I whispered.

His brow furrowed slightly. "At what?"

I swallowed. "My scars."

He shook his head softly.  "I don't need to see them to know how beautiful you are." 

My lips parted as my chin wavered. I lowered my gaze, blinking rapidly a tear slipped free.

"I thought you'd look at me differently."

"I do..." His thumb caught it before it could fall any further, titling my head a little. "I look at you differently now."

I looked back at him, confused.

"With more admiration."

I smiled, a breathy little laugh escaping my lips as he wiped away the last trace of a tear.

"If you trust me enough..." he murmured, his gaze holding mine, "can I worship them?"

I looked down at myself, then back at him. For the first time, I didn't feel like I needed to hide the parts of me that had once made me feel broken.

I simply nodded.

With a slow, deliberate breath, I let my arms loosened, fingers sliding away from her breasts until both hands rested at her sides.  My chest rose and fell rapidly in the dim light, fully exposed to him for the first time.

Yet Abir didn't immediately look down. His dark, burning gaze stayed locked entirely on my eyes, giving me his complete, undivided reverence before anything else.

"You are breathtaking, Mahi," he whispered, his voice thick with an awe so profound it made my throat tight. "The most beautiful thing my eyes have ever seen."

Only then his large, warm palm slid gently around the back of my neck, his fingers cradling my nape with protective tenderness. 

He leaned forward, closing the distance between us, and captured my lips in a slow, lingering kiss that tasted of quiet promises and complete devotion. The kiss deepened, pulling every remnant of fear out of my chest until my hands instinctively reached up to grip his sculpted biceps.

Slowly, carefully, he eased me back onto the soft mattress, never breaking the seal of our lips until my head rested against the plush pillows.

When he finally drew back, he hovered over me, his forearms braced on either side of me. His eyes searched mine once more, ensuring I was grounded and safe in his arms, before his gaze finally drifted down to my chest.

It landed on the sharp line tracing across my right breast....the long, pale scar that had once felt like an ugly mark of my body.

He didn't flinch. He didn't rush.

With painful slowness, Abir reached out. His thumb pressed gently against the start of the scar, brushing the raised line with careful pressure, tracing its length from start to finish.

A sharp, breathless gasp hitched in my throat. My hips gave a tiny, involuntary twitch against the mattress as a shiver cascaded down my spine.

Then, leaning down, Abir lowered his head. He didn't just touch it—he pressed his lips directly over the long line of the scar, placing a soft, burning kiss right against the mark.

"Abir..." I whimpered, my fingers instantly tangling into his thick hair.

He licked the spot gently, his hot tongue soothing the sensitive skin before pressing another lingering kiss over it, treating my deepest insecurity as if it were sacred ground. 

I shivered, the sensation pulling a quiet sound from my throat...half gasp, half sigh

Tears of pure, overwhelming relief welled in my eyes as my chest arched upward into his touch, my fingers found his shoulder, not pushing, simply holding, anchoring myself as he continued the gentle devotion.

Abir's mouth closed over the peak of my breast, lips sealing around the sensitive bud with a slow, deliberate pull. His tongue flicked once, then again, drawing me deeper into the wet heat. The pressure was firm but careful, his teeth grazing just enough to make me breath hitch.

"Ahhh...." A quiet sob of pure release broke from my throat. He wasn't afraid of my scar. He didn't see a flaw. He saw only me.

My body eased beneath him. My shoulders loosened against the table, my fingers slackened on his shoulder, and my eyelids drifted shut.

The warmth of his mouth, the steady rhythm of suction, pulled a soft sound from her throat again. For a moment there was only sensation—his tongue circling, his hand cradling the curve beneath, the quiet intimacy of the act.

He sucked higher, lips drawing the nipple upward into the roof of his mouth, the pull sharper, more insistent before pulling away. 

And then...I opened my eyes.

Tears blurred the candlelight into trembling halos. Abir had shifted toward my other side, his presence still warm and familiar—

But suddenly...A weight.

A shadow.
A sharp intake of breath against my skin. For one fractured heartbeat, the room disappeared. A broad silhouette loomed over me. And through the blur of my tears, I saw a face.

Not Abir.

My breath caught.

I blinked hard. Once. Twice.

The image shattered.

Abir.

Abir was there again—dark eyes half-lidded, lashes low, mouth still latched to my skin. 

But my body had already remembered before my mind could tell it that I was safe.

Every muscle locked.

Her hands, which had been loosely tangled in his hair, froze rigid. Her chest stopped mid-breath, my entire body going deathly stiff beneath him as my mind struggled to catch up with why now.

A     B      I     R

Something changed the moment I moved to her other side. 

The soft, fluid rise and fall of her chest had stopped entirely. The hands tangled in my hair weren't holding me closer anymore; they were frozen stiff, her fingers locked like steel claws against my scalp.

That unnatural rigidity that vibrated straight through the skin resting beneath my lips.

I froze.

I lifted my head immediately, bringing my eyes up to her face. Her eyes were open, but they weren't really seeing me.

The warmth that had been in her expression only moments ago had disappeared, replaced by something distant and terrified.

I've seen this before.

I know what her body is telling me. Stop.

I moved away from her immediately., reaching for the duvet and pulled it gently over her, covering her exposed body before sitting beside her instead of touching her.

"Mahi..." My voice came out barely above a whisper. Her eyes finally found mine.

I could see the exact moment she realized where she was.
With me.
In our room.

Safe.

I reached out slowly, giving her enough time to pull away if she wanted. She didn't.

My palm settled gently against her hair. "It's okay...you're with me."

Her lower lip trembled.

I leaned down and pressed the softest kiss against her forehead.

Her eyes filled almost instantly.

"I'm sorry..." She shook her head, tears slipping silently toward her temples. "I ruined it."

"Shhhh..." I brushed one tear away with my thumb. "You didn't do anything wrong."

She stared at me for several seconds. Then, in a voice so small it almost disappeared— "How did you know?"

I looked at her. There was only one answer.

"Because I was watching you."

Her lips parted.

"But I wanted to..." She swallowed, unable to finish the thought. "I thought I could..."

"I know."

"Then why did you stop?"

My thumb continued tracing slow, reassuring circles against her cheek.

"Because wanting to continue and being ready to continue aren't always the same thing." I lowered my voice. "I knew you were somewhere else for a moment. And the second I realized that, there was nothing left to think about."

Her eyes shimmered again.

"But it's not the end, Mahi." I pressed another gentle kiss against her forehead. "We learned something tonight....We learned that you wanted this. You chose this. And even when something unexpected happened, you were still able to find your way back to me."

I paused.

"So we'll continue whenever you want to."

I slid beside her and opened my arms. She came into them without hesitation. I pulled her gently against my chest, wrapping my arms securely around her.

"But for now..." I rested my cheek against her hair. "...this is enough."

Her eyes slowly closed as her arms tightened around me. A tear slipped beneath her lashes.

I held her a little closer. "I'm proud of you, Glowfly."

Her breathing gradually softened against my chest. And for tonight, I didn't need anything else.

And I stayed beside her.

Because sometimes loving someone meant knowing exactly when to stop...and making sure they never had to ask you twice.

<<<<>>>>

When Mahi finally fell into a deep sleep, I carefully shifted her head from my chest onto the pillow.

For a moment, I thought I could stay beside her until morning. Just hold her. Let her sleep without waking up to find the space beside her empty.

But after everything that had happened tonight, my body had other plans.

I needed a cold shower. A very cold one.

Mahi didn't stir when I quietly slipped out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Almost an hour later, I returned.

She was still sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was slow and even, her face softer in sleep than it had been all evening.

The duvet remained pulled securely over her.

My gaze lingered for barely a second before I looked away.

I didn't need another shower.

I shook my head and quietly left the room.

I needed a drink.
Something strong enough to warm the cold that had settled into my bones.

The private bar on our floor was still lit by a single dim lamp. I poured myself a glass of whisky and stepped onto the common balcony.

The mountain air greeted me instantly. Cold. Sharp.
Almost painfully clean.

The snow still covered the valley beneath the moonlight, but the snowfall had stopped long ago.

I rested my forearms against the railing and took a slow sip. The whisky burned its way down my throat, settling heavily in my chest.

But it didn't quiet my mind.

If anything, it gave my thoughts more room to speak.

Tonight.

Her stillness.
The way her body had suddenly gone still. The way I'd known before she said a single word.

I'd stopped myself before. I knew how to recognize the signs. I knew how to control myself. But that wasn't the part that frightened me.

What I didn't know was how to help her get past that moment without making her believe there was something wrong with her.

Because there wasn't. Nothing was wrong with Mahi.
Her body had simply remembered something her heart was still learning to forget.

I could protect her from almost anything outside these walls. I could stand between her and danger. I could fight people.

Threats.
Enemies.
Anything I could see.

But how was I supposed to fight a ghost that lived inside her own mind?

I took another sip.

I tried to think of every possible way I could help her. And rejected every answer that sounded even remotely like pressure.

I couldn't rush her. Couldn't force her to confront something before she was ready. Couldn't make her believe she was healed simply because she trusted me.

Maybe all I could do was stay. And let her decide the rest.

“What are you doing out here this late, man?”

I turned at the sound of Aviyan's voice behind me.

He stood in the doorway, hair slightly dishevelled, looking like he'd only just decided to investigate why the balcony light was still on.

“Did my best friend kick you out of the room?”

Normally, I would've had a response ready. Tonight, I didn't even bother. I simply turned back toward the mountains and took another small sip.

Aviyan watched me for a few seconds. His expression changed. “Lagta hai sach bol diya.” [Looks like I hit the truth.]

He walked over and stopped beside me. For a while, neither of us said anything.

The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable. It was familiar.
This days, he knew me well enough to understand when a joke wouldn't work.

I stared at the snow-covered valley.

Aviyan glanced at the glass in my hand, then back at me. “Anything I can help with?”

I didn't answer immediately. My fingers tightened slightly around the glass.

There were a hundred things I could've said. None of them came out.

Aviyan stayed beside me for another moment before glancing at the glass in my hand.

“You look like you're trying to solve world peace with that whisky.”

I gave him a sideways look. "Did my sister kicked you out?"

“Definitely not.” He folded his arms against his chest. A few seconds passed.

Finally, I exhaled. “I don't know.”

Aviyan's brows drew together. And for once...I didn't try to hide what that meant.

“I just…” The words stopped there. "...feel lost."

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>

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