9. "THE EYES THAT REMEMBERED"
[Next Morning — Study Room]
Lyra had woken up early. Something inside her had shifted after last night's press conference. The words of the world had hurt her, yes—but Rayaan's unwavering gaze, full of belief, had stirred a strange kind of strength within her.
She walked into the study room, which felt more like a library. Books, silence, and the faint scent of old pages gave her peace. She picked up a vintage book and began to read.
Just then, a staff member arrived.
"Ma'am, the Boss would like to see you... on the terrace."
Lyra nodded nervously, her heartbeat slightly faster.
---
[Terrace – Rooftop Balcony Overlooking the Snowfields]
Rayaan stood near the railing in a black turtleneck and overcoat. The Volga River stretched out ahead, but his thoughts were somewhere else.
Lyra quietly walked up to him and stood beside him. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
"Are your eyes okay?" Rayaan asked without looking at her.
Lyra turned to him, surprised. "Huh?"
"Last night... when you sat there—it was freezing. Your eyes looked red," he said, now turning to face her.
Lyra gave a small smile. "You… observe that much?"
"I only notice what's impossible to forget," he replied.
His words shook something inside her heart.
Rayaan continued looking into her eyes…
---
[FLASHBACK]
He was lying in a clinic, bleeding, drifting in and out of consciousness. A girl was beside him—face covered, gloves on. Her hands were trembling, but her eyes… they held pain. Defeated pain.
"If you want to live, I'll have to hide you… do you understand?"
Her voice held no fear—just fierce determination.
Rayaan was barely conscious, but he remembered those eyes. Those eyes had saved his life.
The same eyes... were now right in front of him.
Lyra's eyes.
---
[FLASHBACK ENDS]
"Where did you go?" Lyra asked, noticing him staring at her.
"Just noticing… your eyes still have redness," Rayaan said, lying without flinching.
Lyra chuckled lightly. "Don't stare so hard… or your eyes might turn red too."
"What are you thinking?" he asked softly, noticing the sadness behind her smile.
"I was thinking… I couldn't even defend myself in front of the media. Without you, I would've broken completely. If you hadn't been there, my existence would've been over," she replied with a fake smile.
"You have more strength inside you than you think," Rayaan said with pride. "You've just never looked at yourself properly. I'm only a shield… but you're the real warrior."
A fresh layer of tears welled up in Lyra's eyes, but she lowered her gaze to hide them.
---
[Rayaan's Inner Thought]
"She's still the same... like 2.5 years ago. Pain in her eyes, but never on her lips. Back then, she hid behind a mask. Today, it's a fake smile. Both are ways to hide the same pain."
---
"Come inside, it's cold here… and put in some eye drops," Rayaan said as he turned to leave.
They walked down together.
---
[Later That Day – Mansion Office Room]
After the press conference, Rayaan decided to work from home for a few days—not for himself, but for Lyra. He wanted to give her time… to breathe.
He was at his system, checking something, when Zorav walked in.
"Boss, after the press conference, the media has completely changed its tone. But the IP address from which the news was leaked... it wasn't from a Russian journalist. It came from a political rival's system."
"Trace it. Anyone who tries to play with Lyra's name... I'll make sure they bleed. No one gets away so easily. I need to know—who dares to insult Rayaan Malik's honor," Rayaan said in a chilling tone.
Zorav looked shaken. "And for Lyra…?"
Rayaan simply said:
> "She doesn't just need a roof... she needs trust. And I'll become her sky, her shield, her protector. No matter what… I won't let her get hurt. Not again."
His voice carried madness—and the stubborn obsession to protect Lyra at all costs.
Zorav left. Rayaan remained at his desk. He pulled out a small, old file from the drawer — a brown envelope. Inside it was a faded slip — an NGO volunteer report.
> "Unidentified female volunteer. Assisted during critical gunshot case. No identity disclosed."
Rayaan touched the slip gently, as if reliving a memory.
"You forgot me, Lyra. But I could never forget your eyes."
---
[Evening – Mansion Garden]
Lyra was walking in the garden when a little girl bumped into her—Maria, a staff member's six-year-old daughter. Lyra sat with her and began looking at her drawings.
Rayaan watched them from a distance. His eyes held a softness the world had never seen.
Another memory flashed before him.
---
[Flashback – 2.5 Years Ago]
Rayaan lay on a stretcher, vision fading due to blood loss. He had held the girl's (Lyra's) hand.
"Your... name?" he had whispered.
"What will you do with it? Just stay alive," she had replied.
With a lifeless voice, he had said, "I'll remember your eyes."
---
[Back to Present]
A rare smile appeared on his lips.
"Boss?" Zorav approached. "The press conference clip has gone viral. People are saying — 'Russian Devil has a heart after all.'"
Rayaan replied coldly…
> "I am the Russian Devil… but for her, even my life is too small a price. I can leave everything now… except the one who makes this heart beat."
---
[Night – Mansion Corridor]
Lyra was walking toward the library when Rayaan appeared. They bumped into each other.
"You're here?" Lyra asked.
"What are you doing here this late?" Rayaan threw the question back.
"I couldn't sleep… thought I'd read something. Books help," she said with a soft smile.
"Something bothering you?" Rayaan asked gently.
Lyra wanted to say something... but gave a short reply, "No… just couldn't sleep."
Rayaan turned to the bookshelf and handed her a diary.
"Read this. Maybe you'll find the words you're looking for."
Lyra opened the diary. On the first page, it said:
> "Ever cried so much for a stranger… that their pain started to feel like your own?"
There were faint bloodstains on the page. She shut the diary tightly.
"Goodnight," she whispered and walked away — but something had stirred inside her.
Rayaan stood in the corner, holding that same NGO report. He re-read the diary quote and murmured:
> "You've forgotten, but I live to remember. You've become my reason, Lyra."
---
[Lyra's POV – Bedroom]
Lyra stood in front of the mirror. Her heartbeat was loud… Rayaan's strange words, the way he looked at her, those quotes… she didn't know why they made her feel this way.
> "He looks at me like I'm a hidden secret… like he already knows everything I've forgotten."
> "Did I really meet him before? Or is this connection just beyond reason?"
Her heartbeat was fast.
But for the first time… curiosity was stronger than fear.
---
Will Lyra remember?