Give me that smile

I loved you (Part 9)

Everyone seemed so happy and started to congratulate them, taking pictures. Dev's mum noticed the distress on Aira's face and asked her, "Is everything okay? You're happy, right?" Dev interrupted and added, "She seems out of place; she just needs some time. She'll be alright." While everyone continued taking photos, Dev called Kai for a photo. He came and stood beside Aira, making her feel even more uncomfortable.

After the photo sessions, Aira left for her room, and Dev, being busy, let her go. She entered her room and started removing all the jewelry, throwing it away in anger, clueless about what to do. Someone knocked on the door. Aira shouted, "Please give me some time and leave for now, Dev!" The door was** ajar**, and Kai slipped inside, locking it behind him. Aira ran and hugged him. Aira started to cry and added, "I can't do it. Something is really wrong. I don't think I ever liked Dev. This marriage—I can't do this. I feel like I never wanted this marriage."

Kai, trying to comfort her, replied, "This all seems too fast for you, but you always wanted to marry him."

Aira pushed him away from the hug and gave him a stare, her eyes full of tears and pain."We were in love, weren't we?" Her voice trembled with a storm of emotions - hurt, betrayal. "You're hiding things, building walls around the truth. Maybe you think if I find out, I'll chase after you. Or maybe..." her voice hitched, "maybe you've found someone who fits better than me." Anger flashed in her eyes. She shoved him, hard, towards the door. No time for explanations. But as she reached for the knob, his hand grabbed hers. A warm current grounded her in the storm.

Before she could react, his lips were on hers. A desperate, searching kiss, a plea laced with unspoken words. She shoved him, angry, but he held her tight. His kiss felt different, filled with pain and secrets. Maybe, just maybe, it held the answer she craved. When he finally let go, their eyes met. Kai, his voice rough, whispered, "I loved you", the past tense a hammer blow to her heart.  "What?" Aira choked out. "I have someone else now," he said, the words devoid of emotion. "Yes, we were together." He was cold and unfamiliar. "I have someone else in my life now," he repeated, the words a cruel mantra. "So marry my brother."

Aira stood there, frozen in shock. This couldn't be real. "And the hell you did kiss me now?" she finally managed, her voice trembling. "Why did you pretend to care? Why did you help me when I was in trouble? Why did you search for me when I went missing?"Kai looked away, "All because of my brother, Aira," he mumbled, the truth a bitter pill to swallow. 

Aira, regaining control, choked out, "So you have someone else? Then get out of my room." Kai, his face a mask of guilt, mumbled an apology and left, the click of the door echoing in the tense silence. Alone, Aira trashed her room in anger, accidentally cutting her hand.

The noise brought Dev and Ahan. They rushed in, only to be met with a scene of devastation. Broken glass littered the floor. Dev's eyes were directed to Aira's hand, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of the wound. "Baby, what happened?" he demanded. Why is your hand bleeding?" Kai entered as if nothing happened.  Ahan, ever perceptive, noticed the awkward exchange and quickly interjected, "Maybe she slipped?" Aira, her gaze burning into Kai, coldly confirmed, "Yes, I slipped." Dev, oblivious to the underlying tension, scooped Aira into a comforting hug. "Come on," he murmured, guiding her out of the room. "Let's get that cut cleaned up." Dev takes Aira out of the room. Ahan calls the maids to clean up. Kai stands there without taking any action. Ahan notices him and asks, "It was you, right? She did all this because of you?" Kai adds, "Maybe," and leaves.

That day, the marriage date gets fixed. Aira's father wants the wedding to be soon, so it will be next week. When Aira and Dev hear it, Dev expresses his happiness, and Aira is confused. The wedding date news hit Aira like a ton of bricks. Next week? It felt way too soon. She peeked at Dev, his face glowing with pure joy. A weird mix of happy and scared bubbled in her stomach. He was happy, really happy. But was she.

A million questions buzzed in her head. Did she really want this? Was she ready to marry Dev forever? Everything that happened today made her feel like a jumbled mess. She needed time to sort her thoughts, all these loud voices in her head wouldn't shut up! There were things she had to tell Dev, things she'd been avoiding because she was scared of what he might think.

She wanted to arrange her thoughts first so, Aira left and headed for her room. Ahan, her always-watching bodyguard, would probably be waiting outside with a tensed face. Taking a big breath, she steeled herself for another chat. Reaching the door, she turned to Ahan, a worried look on her face.

"What's going on now, Ahan? Any other crazy surprises? Did my dead mom come back or what? You look super stressed!"Ahan looked at her for a while and asked, "Are you okay? I heard your wedding date got fixed and it's next week. Just wanted to check on you."Aira looked around and invited Ahan to come inside her room, thinking it best to discuss this matter with him. Ahan hesitated but then entered. Aira offered him a seat and started, "I'm confused. Kai says we were in a relationship, but not anymore, he has someone else it seems, and then he kisses me."

Ahan's eyes widened. "Kiss? I see this is a big concern." Aira looked at him and continued, "Do you think I should marry Dev? But I can't marry him without telling him all this."Ahan pursed his lips. "So you're thinking of telling Dev everything?"

Aira bit her lip, her voice barely a whisper. "Should I?"

Ahan shook his head firmly. "Not a good idea."Aira's shoulders slumped. "But I can't marry Dev like this. I don't even know if I truly have feelings for him."

Ahan stood up, his voice solemn. "Aira, listen. This isn't about your feelings. Your father wouldn't allow you to break off the marriage. It would cost him a lot. You don't really have a choice. You have to marry Dev. In our world, love doesn't always matter. It's more about money and reputation, and your father can't afford for this deal to fall through. Marrying Dev protects him. You can't even think about not going through with it. You have to."

Ahan's voice dropped to a low murmur. "It's not an option, Aira. It's the only way you can survive here."

Aira shot him a strange look, a flicker of fear crossing her features. "Are you saying my father will kill me if I don't marry Dev? Is that right?"

Ahan hesitated, his gaze flickering away. "I don't know that," he mumbled. "But trust me, marrying Dev is for the best. If you tell him everything about Kai, well... I don't think Dev has the biggest heart. He wouldn't want to marry someone who's already been with his brother's girlfriend. It wouldn't be good for Kai either. So, honestly, the best thing is to marry Dev and settle down. You'll get used to it eventually. Just do it."

 Aira stood up, her voice firm. "But I can't marry him like this, filled with doubts and secrets. I'll talk to my father. He'll understand." She started walking towards the door.Ahan's hand shot out, grabbing her arm gently but firmly. "Aira, wait! Do you think the accident that happened to you was just natural? Like no one deliberately caused it?"

Aira's eyes widened in surprise. Ahan's words hit her like a punch to the gut."Your face," Ahan continued, his voice grave, "it held a secret that day. You weren't alone in the car. Kai was with you."

To be continued...