Beyond Destiny ~ A Saga Of Timeless Love

55 ~ Hurling Imperilment

"I think I would miss you even if we never met."

Ruhanika

I stormed out of the cabin, my chest heaving with a mix of frustration and dread. Dev's obstinacy was legendary, and I knew he wouldn't take this situation lightly. He never did. He would stop at nothing to achieve what he wanted, but that was exactly what I couldn’t let happen. The thought of him being involved in this mess terrified me. He needed to be far away from me—for his own good.

Questions swirled through my mind, a relentless storm that refused to quiet. What was I supposed to do now? Every decision I’d made to keep him at a distance seemed futile. I had resolved to stay away from him, yet here I was, trapped in circumstances that seemed to conspire against me. It never even occurred to me that he would become the CEO. How could fate be so cruel?

And then there was her voice in the back of my mind, a haunting echo of guilt and fear. She was right, I thought bitterly. I am cursed. I had already caused him to lose his life once, and I swore I wouldn’t let history repeat itself. No matter what it took, I would not let him get close to me again. His life was too precious, and I couldn’t bear the thought of putting it in jeopardy.

But his bleeding knuckles haunted me. My heart clenched at the memory. What should I do? My instincts screamed at me to help him, to do something, anything. But every logical part of me knew I couldn’t afford to get involved.

As I wandered through the corridor, grappling with my thoughts, I caught sight of Arjun Bhaisa’s cabin. An idea struck me—perhaps a way to help Dev without directly involving myself. I hesitated for a moment, gathering my thoughts, before knocking softly and stepping inside.

"You again?" Arjun's exasperated voice greeted me the moment I entered. He barely looked up from his desk, his tone carrying a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

I rolled my eyes at his predictable reaction. "I wanted to tell you something," I said firmly, ignoring his dismissive attitude.

His brow lifted in mild surprise, his gaze finally meeting mine. "And what exactly do you wish to tell me?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Avoiding his penetrating stare, I forced the words out. "That man is injured. His knuckles are bleeding," I said carefully, hoping he wouldn’t press for too many details.

"Which man?" Arjun asked, confused.

"The CEO," I replied, my voice quieter than I intended.

His expression shifted instantly. "What, Dev? How?!" He shot to his feet, his earlier indifference replaced by concern.

"I saw that his knuckles were bleeding, but I don’t know how it happened," I lied smoothly, keeping my face neutral. "You should go and do his first aid or at least tell someone to take care of it."

Arjun’s eyes narrowed as he studied me, suspicion creeping into his features. He clearly didn’t believe me entirely. "Tell me one thing," he said after a pause.

"What?" I asked, startled by the intensity in his voice.

"You didn’t attack him, did you? You’re not trying to get even or anything?"

I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. "Are you for real?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, as if realizing the absurdity of his question. "Look, I don’t trust you," he said bluntly. "What if you did do something? I was just confirming."

I shook my head, disbelief mingling with irritation. "Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath before turning on my heel and walking out of his cabin.

As I made my way down the corridor, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Lying wasn’t something I did often, but this time, it felt necessary. If Arjun had known the truth, I would’ve had to explain everything—and that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. Dev’s safety came before everything else, even my own conscience.