𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

• 23 •

|ONE EVENING|

Aryan came back home unexpectedly to retrieve some important papers. To his surprise, he found his mother talking with Arya in their house. His mood shifted instantly, and he couldn't control his anger. He blurted out furiously, "What are you doing in my house?"

His mother tried to explain, saying, "Beta, I was here to meet my bahu," but he didn't let her finish. Instead, he broke a glass in his rage and demanded, "Get out of my house!"

His mother left, tears in her eyes, and Arya attempted to calm him down, saying, "You don't need to..."

But he interrupted her, still furious, "You come with me." He took her hand and led her to a room. Once inside, he forcefully removed his hand and slammed the door shut in anger.

Arya tried to reason with him, "Mr. Roy, you shouldn't have done that. She was just..."

He approached her and pinned her against the wall, pressing his body against hers. His tone was menacing as he warned, "You don't need to meddle in my family matters. You don't need to act like a real wife of mine, and if you cross the line, you will see the monster inside me." He leaned closer, causing her to cry out, "Mr. Roy, please, let me go. You're hurting me."

Arya's pleas fell on deaf ears as Mr. Roy tightened his grip, his eyes filled with a dangerous intensity. The fear in her voice only seemed to fuel his anger, leaving her trapped and helpless against his wrath. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, and he finally released her, leaving the room in anger. She collapsed to the floor, gasping for air and clutching her bruised arms. Trembling with fear, she realized that she had never seen this side of Mr. Roy before. 

***
ARYA's POV:

I had never seen this side of him before, and it was frightening. I knew he had a dangerous edge, but I couldn't fathom how he could harbor so much anger against his own mother and then take it out on me. He wasn't even listening to reason; his eyes seemed so dark and devoid of the man I had married.

As I lay on the floor, tears streaming down my face, I found myself praying, "God, I don't want to live here. Please, send me back to my maa and dad." I felt utterly helpless, How could I help him? how I could ever mend the broken relationship between Aryan and his mother. "Maa and Papa, I miss you" I cried out, my heart heavy with sorrow. 

(After a long, emotional outpour, Arya eventually fell asleep on the floor, emotionally drained.)

***
ARYAN's POV:

After a long day, I returned home, opening the door to our room carefully to avoid waking Arya. I stepped inside and found her lying on the floor. Guilt washed over me as I remembered the hurtful words I had spoken earlier. I had taken out my anger on her, a pure soul who didn't deserve it. It pained me to think about why I had done it.

She appeared to have fallen asleep after a long session of crying, her cheeks still stained with tears. I noticed the bruises on her hand, a painful reminder of my anger. "You don't need to meddle in my family matters. You don't have to act like a real wife of mine." I had told her, and now I regretted it deeply. She shivered in her sleep, and I realized she might catch a cold lying on the floor.

Without further hesitation, I gently lifted her in my arms and placed her on the bed. Then, I stepped out of the room and returned with some ointment. I began applying it carefully, trying not to wake her. However, my efforts failed, and she woke up in shock, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. I tried to explain, "I was just applying some ointment." but she burst into tears. sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't know how to console her.