THE IInd DECISION

31. you are safe with me

Ashi Pov:-

The shrill sound of my alarm pierced through the quiet, dragging me from a restless, feverish sleep. My eyelids fluttered open, heavy and unwilling, and the first thing I saw was Ayan. He sat beside me, his posture relaxed, but there was something about the way his hand rested on the bedside table that felt tense, his other hand laid on the bed, just inches from mine. He looked... perfect, like he always did, even at six in the morning. His hair was slightly damp, his shirt crisp, as if he'd already showered.

He rose the moment I stirred, moving with an elegance that almost made me feel clumsy in comparison. I pushed myself up in bed, wincing slightly as the ache in my back reminded me of the fever I'd had all night. But it was ebbing away now, and I felt somewhat better.

"hey..." I whispered, my voice rough.

He turned to me immediately, his expression softening as he leaned in, his voice low and soothing. "Shh, its oaky. you need to Rest."

I shook my head, ignoring the concern in his eyes. ",It's fever only, I have to work" I mumbled, already swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. The moment I said it, his expression shifted. His brows knitted together, his lips parting slightly in confusion. He looked at me like I had just said something utterly absurd, as if my insistence on working was foreign to him.

"I'll freshen up," I added quickly, avoiding his gaze as I stood. He didn't stop me. He just nodded, but there was a weight to his silence, something lingering between us that I couldn't quite place.

I grabbed a towel from the wardrobe and hurried into the bathroom, my mind racing. As soon as the hot water hit my skin, the tension should have melted away, but instead, the pounding in my head only got worse. Memories I had been desperately trying to suppress began to surface. Akash's voice, sharp and cruel, taunted me. "Like you don't know love?" His words sliced through me like knives, and the world around me spun. I clutched the bathroom wall, trying to steady myself, but another image flickered through my mind.

Me. Crying. Broken. In someone's arms... Ayan's arms.

I gasped, the memory hitting me with the force of a hurricane. I had cried. In front of him. My chest tightened. I broke down in front of Ayan, my contracted husband, the man I was supposed to keep at a distance.

No. I couldn't let myself be weak. Not in front of him. Not ever. I quickly turned off the shower, my fingers trembling as I dried myself off. I needed to get out of here, needed to compose myself, but when I turned toward the hanger, I froze.

My clothes... I didn't bring them. How could I have forgotten something so basic? Was I so distracted thinking about Ayan that I forgot? A wave of embarrassment washed over me, but I forced it down.

"Ayan?" I called out weakly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Are you in the room? Can you get my suit from the wardrobe?" The dizziness returned, and I clung to the sink for support. "Ayan?" I called again, but the only response was silence.

With no other option, I wrapped the towel tightly around me, but it barely covered my thighs. Water dripped from my hair, cold against my skin, as I cautiously stepped out of the bathroom. I felt vulnerable, exposed.

Just as I closed the bathroom door behind me, the bedroom door swung open. Ayan walked in, and for a moment, time stood still. His face froze, eyes wide, as he took in the sight of me. His cheeks flushed deep red, his breath catching in his throat. I mirrored his shock, a strangled scream escaping my lips. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

For a few agonizing seconds, neither of us moved. Then, just as I tried to step back, my feet slipped on the wet floor, and I went tumbling forward. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact, for the pain, for the humiliating thud-