𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

• 44 •

Aryan leaned in, demanding the truth from Arya in a chilling tone.

Arya finally relented, saying, "Fine, I will tell you, but I know you wouldn't believe me, and you would think I am faking or lying, just like you believe those photos and paper."

"I never believed..."

"What?"

"Yes, do you think I became a lawyer without a keen mind? I'm self-made, so I know when people are lying or telling the truth. I can discern when a person is lying or not. But yes, I made a mistake once, trying to understand my mom."

"Then why did you do that drama? I was hurt."

"Because I needed to play along if I wanted to find my father's murderer. I couldn't involve you because I thought it would be better for you to remain unknown or to hate me."

"What?"

"Leave that aside for now; I'll tell you. Now, tell me the reason behind all of this. As much as I know, you don't seem like a normal person. I tried to connect the dots, but your existence doesn't make sense."

"Okay, the truth is you are a book character."

"What?"

"Yes, I'll explain everything. I'm from the real world, and I was reading this book called 'Fates' where you were the main lead with a rough background. So, what happened was, I was reading your book while sitting on the couch. You had an encounter that made it to the news, and your mom called you to congratulate you. But instead of being happy, you got angry."

Aryan listened in shock to the incredible information he was receiving.

"So, you were all alone at home, drinking, and remembering your past, and you were crying. That's when you broke the glass in your hand. I was reading that book, and I got so attached that I started crying. I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of the emotions, and when I opened my eyes, my surroundings had changed. My room's interior became completely different, and there you were, crying. I moved towards you and said, 'I'm proud of you, something more.' That's when our eyes met, and my surroundings changed again. Then my mom woke me up. After that, I was again summoned into your world when you got injured. And again, after that, when you were having... that nightstand, I was in the library in the real world, reading your book."

Aryan was still in disbelief, struggling to process the shocking revelation. "What?" he uttered in disbelief.

"Yes," Arya continued, "I didn't believe it either. I confronted the whole situation with Shivi's aunt. She told me it was just dreams or the impact of reading too many books, like lucid dreams. So, I went back to my normal life. But I still had questions about whether it was just a dream or imagination. That's when Shivi's aunty met me again in a cafe and told me..."

Aryan interrupted, "Wait, wait, who's Shivi's aunty, and why did you confront her?"

"She's my friend Shivi's aunt, and she's the writer of the book 'Fates.' Technically, she's the one who created you. So, in a way, you could say she's your creator. Now, where was I? Oh yes, Shivi's aunt met me at the cafe and told me the truth. She explained that it was you who was pulling me into your world whenever you felt vulnerable. I asked her how we could stop this, and she told me that you had never experienced love in your life, and your father was murdered and he didn't get his justice. So, the only way to find peace was for me to be in this book and help you find your lover and your father's murderer, so you could also find happiness."

Aryan fell to the ground, trying to wrap his head around all the information. "I'm just a mere existence of a book," he muttered, struggling to accept the reality.

"Your love, was that fake? Was it just because you wanted to see me happy? You never loved me?" Aryan said, his voice breaking as he sat on the ground.

"No, Mr. Roy, I really started having feelings for you. I don't know how it happened, but I got so connected to you. At first, I was here just to accomplish my task and leave this world. But now, I love you, Mr. Roy. I can't imagine my life without you. If that means I have to stay locked in this book, then so be it. I love you, and I can't play with your feelings," Arya said, tears streaming down her face.

Aryan hugged her tightly, overwhelmed with emotion. "I can't live without you, Arya," he whispered, holding her close.

***

Arya, still in his arms, asked after some time, "What was your reason for hiding the truth from me?"

Aryan continued to pat her back gently as he explained, "I didn't want you to be in any type of risk. I've known for a long time that those brothers, Afsar and Anwar, would plan something to take revenge on me. As soon as you entered my life, you became my weakness, and I knew they would use you against me."

Arya with teary eyes, whispered, "I was hurt for real, Mr. Roy."

Aryan sighed deeply, expressing his regret. "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you in many ways, and I'm truly sorry. I had to act with Tiara to make Afsar believe that he had succeeded in his plan. It was really hard for me, but I didn't have a choice. Tiara was making plans with Afsar. and My reporter told me that he tried to pay him, but I didn't want him to know that I knew his plan, so I had no choice but to keep playing. "

"I understand, Mr. Roy, but what you did wasn't correct. I won't say it was right, and I won't justify it. But considering the circumstances and the fact that your father's murderer is still free, you had no choice but to play the game they wanted," Arya said.

Aryan nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with remorse. "I'm sorry, wifey. I needed to make the whole situation look real and give them what they wanted so I could catch the culprit."

They held each other tightly, knowing that their love was their strength, even in the midst of deception and danger

|Flash Back Ends|

He put his hand on her mouth and said, "No, never say you'll die. I have already lost you once by hiding the truth. I don't want that again."

"Okay, now what?" she asked.

"The news about our divorce is all over the news. Everyone thinks I've divorced you for real, and that's exactly what we want. But, wifey, you can't go out from here. If you need something or any help, you can only call me or Utkarsh. It's not safe for you to go out. They've spread the news, and now everyone hates you. I don't have a choice; I can't take anything down. If I do, they will get suspicious of us, which we can't afford right now." he said.

"Hmm, I got it. I promise I will not go out."

"You know, Arya, why I kept you here?" 

"Why?" she asked 

"This was the very first place I rented when I started my journey as a lawyer. It's a small room, but this is where my roots are. I think it's the best place for you because no one will come looking for you here since it's not famous." he said

She looks around the room.

"Arya, take care of yourself, and now I need to go."

"Bye, I love you, Mr. Roy."

"Love you too, wifey. Goodnight. Utkarsh will keep Guarding here today to make sure you are both safe. I need to go back now."