Two months had passed since Mehak first crashed into Aditya's life like a hurricane.

In the beginning, Aditya had been cold, silent, and impenetrable. But day by day, delivery by delivery, Mehak had chipped away at his walls with nothing but her unfiltered tongue and a basket of flowers.

She had become a constant in his life. Every morning at 11:00 AM, the heavy silence of the Vardhan estate would be shattered by the sound of a van and a girl who refused to believe in the concept of private space.

She told him everything. She told him about the annoying aunty who tried to haggle over the price of a single rose. She told him about the stray dog she had named Ladoo because he was round and sweet. Sometimes, she just complained about the humidity making her hair look like a bird's nest.

Initially, Aditya would grunt or tell her to be quiet. Then, he started listening. Eventually, he started responding. He found himself waiting for 11:00 AM. He found himself remembering small details, like how she liked her tea with extra sugar or how she hated the smell of marigolds.

On this particular morning, Aditya was sitting on the sofa, not his desk. Mehak was right there, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, peeling an orange. 

"Aur pata hai? Kal na maasi ne mujhse saari safai karwayi. My back is literally breaking, Aditya! Aap toh bade log ho, aapko kya pata mehnat kya hoti hai."

(And you know what? Yesterday maasi made me clean everything. My back is literally breaking, Aditya. You are rich people, you don’t know hard work.)

Mehak said, tossing a piece of orange peel into a small bin. Aditya leaned back, a small, relaxed smile on his face. He didn't even correct her for calling him by his first name anymore.

"Mehnat toh main bhi karta hoon, Mehak. Just because mere paas paisa hai doesn't mean I don't work."

(I also work hard, Mehak. Just because I have money doesn’t mean I don’t work.)

He replied softly. Mehak laughed, tapping his thigh playfully with her hand. It was a gesture that would have gotten anyone else's hand broken two months ago, but now, Aditya's muscles didn't even tense up. He actually liked the warmth of her touch.

"Acha? Orders dena mehnat hoti hai? 'Yeh karo, woh karo, Khanna usse maaro'...how difficult!"

(Really? Is it hard work in giving orders? ‘Do this, do that, Khanna kill him’…how difficult!)

She teased, her voice full of mischief. Aditya shook his head.

"Main Khanna ko maarne ke orders nahi deta...Mostly."

(I don’t order Khanna to kill…mostly.)

"See! You admitted it!"

Mehak leaned her head against the side of the sofa, looking up at his hidden eyes.

"Waise, thank you haan. Aap bohot achhe listener ho. Mere dost toh bhag jaate hain jab main bolna shuru karti hoon. Par aap...aap toh tolerate kar lete ho."

(By the way, thank you. You are a very good listener. My friends run away when I start speaking. But you…you tolerate.)

Aditya felt a strange tug in his heart.

"Tolerate nahi karta, Mehak. Aadat ho gayi hai. Jab tum nahi hoti, toh ye kamra bohot bada aur... bohot khali lagta hai."

(I don’t tolerate, Mehak. I am habitual now. When you are not there, this room feels too big…too empty.)

Mehak went quiet for a second, a rare occurrence. She reached out and gently touched his hand that was resting on his knee.

"I'm glad. Main hamesha rahungi aapko pareshaan karne ke liye. Promise."

(I will always be there to tease you.)

For Aditya, Mehak was the only light in his world of black. He couldn't see the colours of the flowers she brought, but he could feel the colour she brought into his soul. She made him feel human. She made him feel like he wasn't just a blind shadow.

But the world Aditya lived in wasn't made of flowers and laughter. It was a world of blood, debts, and brutal reality. And that reality was about to crash into their quiet morning.

The door to the study burst open. It wasn't the polite knock of a servant. It was the heavy, panicked entrance of Khanna.

"Sir! Problem ho gayi hai. Wo Shetty ke log...unhone humare warehouse pe attack kiya hai. Aur unka ek aadmi yahan gate tak pahunch gaya hai. He's armed!"

(There is a problem. Shetty’s men…they attacked our warehouse. And one of those men have reached here. He’s armed!)

Aditya's entire aura changed in a split second. The soft, smiling man disappeared. His jaw locked, and his shoulders squared. 

"Mehak, hide yourself. Right now."

Aditya commanded. His voice was no longer the gentle tone she knew. 

"Aditya? Kya ho raha hai? Who is Shetty?"

(What is happening?)

Mehak stood up, her heart starting to race. She saw the look on Aditya's face, it was terrifying. He looked like a predator that had just caught a scent.

"Just go! Chup chap baitho aur awaaz mat nikalna!"

(Sit quiet and don’t let any noise escape!)

He roared. Mehak scrambled behind a large armchair, her breath hitching. She had heard stories about him being a mafia don, but she had always treated it like a joke. She hadn't seen the dangerous Aditya yet.

Suddenly, the glass window of the balcony shattered. A man jumped in, holding a jagged knife and a small pistol. He was breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot.

"Vardhan! Aaj tera khel khatam!"

(You are dead now!)

The intruder screamed. Mehak wanted to scream, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She watched, paralyzed with fear, as the man rushed toward Aditya, who was still sitting in his chair.

Aditya didn't look panicked. He tilted his head, listening to the man's heavy boots on the carpet.

As the intruder lunged forward with the knife, Aditya moved with the speed of a cobra. He grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it until a loud snap echoed in the room. The man screamed, but Aditya didn't stop. He stood up, delivering a brutal elbow to the man's face.

Blood sprayed across the desk. Aditya kicked the man's legs out from under him and pinned him to the floor with one knee. He grabbed the man's throat, his grip tightening.

The man choked. Aditya slammed the man's head against the floor, knocking him unconscious. He stood up, breathing slightly hard, his clothes dishevelled. There was a small splash of blood on his cheek.

The room went silent, except for the sound of the rain and Mehak's shaky breathing.

Aditya wiped his face with his sleeve, his expression returning to a cold, neutral mask.

"Khanna! Is kachre ko yahan se uthao. Aur guards ko kaho ki agar dobara aisa hua, toh sabki naukri jayegi."

(Get this garbage away from here. And tell the guards if this happens again, everyone loses their jobs.)

Khanna and two other men rushed in, dragging the intruder out. Within seconds, the room was empty again, except for Aditya and Mehak.

Aditya turned toward the corner where he knew she was hiding. His senses told him she was terrified. Her heartbeat was so fast it sounded like a drum.

"Mehak? Bahar aao. It's over."

(Come out.)

He said, trying to soften his voice, but the edge because of the incident was still there. Mehak slowly crawled out from behind the chair. Her face was pale, and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. She looked at the shattered glass, the blood on the carpet, and then at Aditya.

"Mehak..."

Aditya took a step toward her. Mehak instinctively took a step back, her back hitting the wall.

"You...you almost killed him."

Aditya stopped. He could hear the fear in her voice, real, raw fear. It hurt him more than any bullet could. The light he had felt for the last two months was suddenly being eclipsed by the darkness of his own life.

"This is who I am, Mehak. This is who I am. Maine tumse kaha tha ye duniya khatarnak hai."

(I told you this world is very dangerous.)

He said, his voice low and heavy with regret. Mehak couldn't find her words. Her muhfatt tongue had finally failed her. She looked at him, the man she had started to develop feelings for, and felt a wave of cold terror.

She realized she didn't know him at all. The man who blushed at her jokes was also the man who could snap a neck with his bare hands. Without saying a word, she grabbed her empty crate, her eyes fixed on the bloodstain on the floor. She ran out of the room, her footsteps sounding frantic and desperate.

Aditya stood alone in the ruins of his study. He listened to her van speeding away, the sound fading into the rain. The silence that followed was the heaviest he had ever felt. He had wanted her to see him, but not like this. Not as the monster he had to be.

He sank back into his sofa, his hand touching the spot where she had sat just minutes ago. The darkness was back, and this time, it felt permanent.