20. Aaryan

It was a restless night again.

When Aaryan confessed his feelings, he thought he would feel better, and even when Mary said yes, he was sure of being emotionally well but it did nothing good to his unstable heart. He felt nothing in the name of peace or calmness, even when he hugged Mary. He imagined that being with Mary would be magical. He would feel out of the world, but his heart was aching badly. Something was wrong with this as if he was making a mistake somewhere.

He thought about it but there was nothing wrong. He was not doing anything wrong and once again he thought ignoring it would solve this on its own.

There was another thing making him devastated. Mary ran away. Maybe Mary regretted saying yes and that's why she disappeared after accepting his proposal. Aaryan was sure that he saw fear on her face but why would Mary be afraid of going to her own house?

Thinking about all of it, he never realized when he fell asleep. He was already waking and sleeping in the cycle when someone called him. It was not that dangerous haunting sound but someone familiar. "Ryan, wake up!" Aaryan opened his eyes and sat up in a flash. His heart was racing as he thought it was again, that thing. He was sweating so much, gasping for air, but when he looked around, there was someone in the room this time. Aaryan looked at the clock saying two and then at Amara "Why are you waking me up at midnight?" He asked in confusion. "Something happened to Mary," She said. His eyes opened wider, and he was fully awake in a second. "What are you saying, Amy?" Aaryan unknowingly shouted the words out

"I was offering prayer, and I heard the sound of an ambulance. I went out to check, and it was Mary. Something happened to her, they took her to the local hospital" Aaryan jumped out of the bed and grabbed the keys. Without saying anything to Amara he rushed out

The way to the hospital was filled with fear. He didn't stop for a second and drove as fast as he could. His vision was getting blurred, and his senses weren't working. All Aaryan doing, was praying for her to be safe.

Entering the hospital, he ran to the reception desk. "Hello, I am searching for Mary Christopher. She was just brought in. Can you please tell me which room she is in?" he asked, hardly catching his breath. "Can you please tell me what's your relationship with the patient, Sir?" He asked

"Boyfriend. I am her boyfriend" Said Aaryan and after a moment the lady replied "You can go to room number 4E" She pointed to the right and Aaryan nodded "Thank you" Saying that word he hurried to the room

When Aaryan opened the door he saw her. Mary was on a bed with her head on the wall. He remembered her looking like an angel in that white dress, but right now, it was filled with the splash of blood, and it was crushing him just by looking at her. Her eyes, the eyes that held two oceans in them, were bruised, and they were red. Her nose had bandages on it, and the wound on her lip looked so dark, as if blood was still dripping from it. Her entire body was crying in pain, and she was staring at him. "Mary," he was so startled by her condition that he could not recognize his voice. "Hey," She said and tried to put a smile on her numb face, but she failed. "What happened?" Aaryan was standing by the bed now. "I- just fell off the stairs," and she laughed, hardly. He knew it was just to make him believe in her words because Mary was lying "What happened, Mary?" His body felt spikes of anger after every scratch his eyes witnessed. "I am clumsy, and that's it, Aaryan." When she tried to smile this time, the grin turned into a hard gasp for breath. The laughter was making her hurt "Who did this to you?" Aaryan asked, she laughed one more time "It's nothing–"

"Stop laughing, Mary! I know it's hurting you to fake a laugh," he roared. Mary's smile disappeared, and with the smile gone, she appeared even more broken. "Tell me, Mary," Aaryan slowly bend himself down, closer her. "No one did anything to me. I told you, I am just clumsy." She stared directly into his eyes, and it was hurting Aaryan to look into her eyes. "Stop lying, Mary!" he yelled. She got afraid of that shout and pinched her eyes

"I am not lying," Mary said silently. "I am going to ask you one more time, and if you don't answer, I will find it myself." Aaryan took a moment for his unsteady breaths, but it didn't help him, and he asked again "Who did this to you, Mary?" She didn't reply. Aaryan waited for a moment, and then he turned back, aiming for the door, but then "My brother," she said, and he froze. "My brother did this to me" Aaryan turned around. "What?" He asked in absolute shock, moving back to her. Mary started to cry. Her eyes were all wet, tears flowing through the bruises making her skin itch. She covered her face with bruised hands and her sobs filled the entire room. Aaryan ran to her and wrapped her in his arms. Mary broke down in tears and cried louder. Aaryan always knew that there was something wrong with Matthew, but never in his wildest imagination had he thought him beating his sister. "Why?" He didn't know how or what to ask. Aaryan was startled, and his brain was unable to work. "Because I broke the curfew." She said as if it was the biggest crime to commit. It made sense of why Mary was horrified about it and how she ran to her house. Aaryan released her from the hug and wiped her eyes gently, but there was nothing he said. "I am okay," she said but Aaryan knew she was never okay.

He was thinking about everything at the moment, about Mary's face being covered by a mask, her wearing a hoodie in hot weather, the scratch on her cheek, the one on her forehead, and she was trying to hide them all. It was all clear now "Why?" He asked again. Her hands fell from her face. "It's normal for me," she said casually with a scary smile. "This has been happening for years now. Every time I make a mistake, I get punished by my brother," Years she said. He was sure he had heard years. Years. For how long has she been bearing this? He was so afraid, so scared to even ask, "Where are your parents?" was all he could say

"My da- dad is dead. My mother is suffering from severe depression and she could not do anything. Matthew probably had given her sleeping pills tonight." Aaryan just felt like his heart broke and shattered in his chest. He was not ready to believe but everything was in front of him. She was telling her story to him. Aaryan didn't think, getting to know Mary would be like this. "We- we can report him," he said when nothing was coming to him "That would make it all worse" she sighed awfully "But–"

"There is no solution for this,"

"My father can help. He is a police officer." Aaryan nodded his face violently with his words. "Sit down," she said, pushing him down from his arm gently, and he listened. "Do you think someone would believe that a priest beats his sister?" The answer was a clear no because as much as he knew, priests were supposed to be some of the best humans "My father would believe"

"Then your father will be in danger too," Mary said as if she had tried everything he was suggesting "No, we–" She cut in again

"When I was fifteen my brother threw me in a river because I missed a prayer in church. I told the police about it. Matthew said that I had been suffering from PTSD after the death of my father and making this all up. No one believed me, but there was one officer. He said he will trust me and he tried to help me, and in the end, he died." his brain and mouth went numb at the same time, and he was unable to proceed with anything. "My brother is a respected member of the community. Everyone believes in whatever he says as if his words are the words of God. Who is going to believe me against him?" no one was and he could not say those words out loud

"Aaryan, please leave this room right now." Aaryan's face shifted emotions, and he glared at her. "I am never leaving you, Mary," he declared, pressing on her hand. He was there for her, he would save her from everything "You don't understand it. He is dangerous, more than you can even imagine. It's easy for him to murder people"

"I don't care the hell happened to me, Mary. I can not leave you!" he raised his voice

"But I do care and I won't let anything happen to you!" she said louder and for a moment the two of them were quiet "Please leave me, Aaryan, my brother will be here anytime and if he sees you here, it- it will result in something bad" She said and her eyes were silently begging him to go "What if he does anything to you again?" Aaryan never wanted to cry in front of her but he didn't know for how long, he could hold himself from breaking "As long as I act accordingly, I will be safe" Mary took a deep breath and with her voice mixed with tears, she said a word filled in ache "Please" Aaryan looked at her, she was crying again and he knew it was the time for him to go "Okay" he never wanted to say but Mary stopped crying after listening to it "Thank you" she said. Aaryan took a breath "You have my number. Please call me anytime you need me, Mary" He stood up against his will. She nodded, stretching her lips but Aaryan didn't smile. He moved. His hands were still holding hers, but then they fell apart.

When he reached the door, he turned around but Mary wasn't even looking at him. He took a breath again and then left the room.

Matthew wasn't there, and he was grateful for not encountering him because Aaryan didn't know what he would do if he saw him again. But he located someone else in the hospital. It was his father, in the uniform. "Aaryan?" Yusuf said with uncertainty, "Baba." For the first time in his life, Aaryan wanted to act like a toddler again and run to his father for a hug. He wanted his father to catch him because he was falling. His feelings were all a mess. It was hard for him to understand, why his heart felt so heavy as if he would throw up any second. Aaryan needed a hug so badly, but instead, he stepped forward and stopped. "What are you doing here?" his father asked, his voice was filled with concern. "I was here to visit a classmate," Aaryan replied, pointing his hand toward her room "Is Mary your friend?" Yusuf asked. Aaryan was aware that his father surely knew his friend's children, but he had never mentioned them. It was the first time he had heard something about that family from his mouth. Aaryan nodded in response "Did she tell you what happened?" By his words, it was clear that Aaryan's father was in charge of this case, and unknowingly, he was involved with Matthew. "No," he lied. Yusuf didn't ask any other questions and just stood there in silence. "Your shift is over, right? Let me drive you home, Baba." Aaryan was feeling different, almost as if he was scared about his father. Mary just told him the story of an officer who tried to help her. He knew his father was going to do it as well and Aaryan could not even think about something happening to him "Well, okay" His father sounded a little shocked and pleased