Aarohi And Dev

CHAPTER 38

Dev POV

Her expression softened, and she smiled warmly at me before saying, "I guess, in a way, love itself is a kind of magic, isn't it?"

Holding her hand, I said, "It is. And sometimes, the wishes we make are heard by the people who love us, and they do everything they can to make those wishes come true." I found myself revealing my true inner desires without actually saying them explicitly. I had never expressed my thoughts so openly before. Somehow, this woman in front of me-my rose-radiated such comfort that I was saying and doing things I never knew I could.

She squeezed my hand gently and replied, "I am grateful to the one before me and the unseen hand that grants my wishes. Both of you have touched my soul in ways beyond words."

A surge of conflicting emotions overtook me-joy in knowing I was the one she was grateful to, the one who brought even a sliver of happiness into her life, but also a pang of deep-seated guilt at the thought of her discovering my secret vigil. The very notion of being separated from her, even for a fleeting moment, was intolerable. What if she despised me once she knew the truth? I had killed a man who wronged her and was quietly orchestrating revenge against my father's murderer. How would she react? For the first time, I felt a profound fear-fear of losing her forever.

Clasping her hand in mine, I gently kissed it and said, "Ye Mohabbat mujhe us junoon ki mehfil mein le ja rahi hai, jisse main waqif nahi tha, sirf kahaniyon mein suna tha"
[ This love is leading me to a gathering of that passion, of which I was unaware, and which I had only heard of in tales. ]

As I looked into her eyes, they were dreamy and shimmering with hope-the hope of trusting me blindly. Guilt crept in with every passing second I spent with her. "It's late, I think I should go now," I said, sensing she must be tired. I stood to leave, slipping on my shoes, but my steps halted as she grasped my wrist.

"I love you," she confessed, her voice soft yet unwavering.

Her words left me breathless. I couldn't meet her gaze, knowing it would break my resolve and make me act impulsively. I was so happy that I felt I could die from it, but I didn't want to ruin this moment by thinking about a future that might never come.

I turned to her, seeing tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Her vulnerability tugged at my heart. I stepped closer, kissed her forehead gently, and pulled her into my embrace.

"Thank you, Rose. You have no idea how much I love this moment, this time. I will never let you cry and always love you," I whispered. For the first time, I was at a loss for words. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I couldn't find the right ones. This overwhelming happiness was almost too much to bear.

"Your heart is beating very fast and loud," she stated, nestled in my embrace, her closeness allowing her to hear it.

"Because of you," I confessed, earning a smile from her.

After bidding goodbye, we parted ways. As I drove home, I couldn't stop thinking about how happy I was. Yet, an internal debate raged within me about whether to reveal my dark secrets to her-the fact that I had been stalking her, the truth about my father's story, my plan for revenge, and the real me.

As I lay in bed, my heart echoed with her laughter, her smile, her sweet voice, and her heartfelt confession. Despite feeling sleepy, I didn't want to succumb to sleep and risk losing these beautiful moments in my thoughts.

The next day, I texted her a good morning as soon as I woke up. Feeling content, I got ready and headed to the office, thankful for the peaceful start after the usual chaos of my days.

Later, Aman barged into my cabin. "The last party I attended because of Mukherjee was a bust. I didn't get any useful information. Today, he's attending a private event in Dahisar. Should I look into it?" he asked. Aman and I had been hitting dead ends trying to gather information on Khurana. Not a single clue seemed promising enough.