Chapter 29

The door clicked shut behind him.

And for a long moment, silence screamed louder than anything ever had.

Sanaya didn't move.

Couldn't.

Her heart was pounding in her chest — like it was trying to break free, to run after him, to ask him not to go.

But her feet… they were frozen. Stuck between past pain and present truth.

She slid down to the floor, her back still pressed against the railing, the soft wind playing with the ends of her dupatta.

He had said he loved her.

Madly. Completely. Irreversibly.

And she had felt it — not just in his words, but in the way his voice had broken on "I'll wait."

Why now?

Why after everything?

She hugged her knees to her chest, eyes squeezed shut as the tears kept coming — not in loud sobs, but in a quiet, soul-deep ache that left her chest tight and trembling.

For the first time… she wasn't crying because he had hurt her.

She was crying because he hadn't.

Because he had seen her pain. Held it. Honoured it.

And then walked away.

"You're not just mine, Sanaya. I am yours."

Her hand moved to her chest, as if trying to hold those words where they hit the hardest.

And in that moment, for the first time since the day she had entered his world as a stranger… she wanted to believe him.

---

Later that night – 1:14 AM

Sanaya tossed and turned in bed. Her blanket felt suffocating. The silence felt louder than before.

She sat up abruptly, breathing heavily, then turned her head toward the balcony — the same place where he had shattered her walls with nothing but honesty.

A decision clicked inside her like a lock opening.

She slipped out of bed, padded softly to the hallway, and stopped in front of his room.

Her hand hovered over the doorknob.

She could hear the faint sound of the fan. The quiet rustle of someone shifting on a bed.

Her chest tightened.

What if he was asleep?

What if he wasn't?

She knocked — once. Softly.

No answer.

She knocked again.

And then the door opened.

Abhimaan stood there — messy hair, bare feet, and eyes heavy with surprise. He hadn't expected her.

He looked at her for a long second, saying nothing.

She lowered her gaze. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I couldn't sleep."

He swallowed. "Me neither."

A silence settled. Not uncomfortable. Just thick with things left unsaid.

Finally, she lifted her gaze again. "Can I come in?"

His brows furrowed slightly, but he stepped aside.

She walked in slowly, her eyes scanning the room she hadn't entered in weeks. It smelled like him — musky, warm, and something deeply comforting.

"I won't stay long," she said, standing near the window. "I just… I needed to ask you something."

He waited, standing a few feet away, arms crossed — not in defiance, but like he was trying to hold himself together.

Sanaya turned to face him. "Why me?"

Abhimaan blinked. "What?"

"You could have had anyone. You're Abhimaan Rathore. Powerful. Smart. Untouchable. So why choose someone you didn't even know… for marriage? Why not say no when our families brought up my name?"

He sighed — walked to the edge of the bed and sat, elbows on his knees.

"I didn't know it would be you," he admitted. "But when I saw your photo, I… I paused. For the first time in months."

She didn't speak.

He continued, "You looked so… quiet. Not sad. Just like someone who had so much to say, but never did. I don't know why, but I wanted to know your story."

He smiled a little. "I thought maybe you'd walk in, and I'd figure you out in a day or two. But instead… I got lost."

Sanaya's breath caught.

He met her eyes. "You scared me. Because you were never what I expected. You never tried to impress me. You never played games. You never cared who I was."

She swallowed hard.

"And somehow, in this big, loud world… you became the only thing I wanted to protect."

Her voice trembled. "Even when I hated you?"

"Especially then," he whispered.

---

A long pause followed.

She slowly moved toward the bed and sat on the far edge, keeping a polite distance. Her voice came out in a cracked whisper.

"I've hated you so much these past few weeks."

He nodded. "I deserved that."

"I felt like… I was just a burden. A deal. A mistake."

His eyes turned soft — almost pained.

"But tonight… when you said all that on the balcony…" She looked at him, her eyes glossy. "I think a part of me shattered. And another part healed."

He didn't move.

"I don't know what we are yet," she admitted, "but… I don't want to run anymore."

A long breath left his lips.

"Does that mean… I can hold your hand again?" he asked, only half teasing.

She didn't answer.

Instead, she reached out, her fingers brushing his gently.

His hand wrapped around hers instantly — warm, steady, safe.

They sat like that in silence — fingers entwined, hearts trying to catch up to the moment.

Finally, Sanaya looked at him and whispered, "Don't let go again."

Abhimaan leaned forward slowly — not for a kiss. But to rest his forehead against hers.

"I won't," he promised. "Even if you push me a thousand times, I'll come back. Because loving you… is the only thing I'm sure of."