Ruh ki Thirkan

Chapter 44: Reopening Old Wounds

Arav stood in the middle of the studio, arms crossed, his face unreadable as he watched Ishika enter. There was an awkward tension between them, the kind that weighed heavily in the air, making every movement feel stiff. Ishika could feel her heart racing, her palms sweaty as she stood in front of him, uncertain of what he wanted to say.

“I don’t know how you expect this to work,” Arav began, his tone sharp, clipped. “But we need to be clear about one thing—I’m here for the job, nothing more.”

Ishika blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of his words. “I understand that, Arav. I’m here to work too.”

His jaw tightened at the sound of his name, and his eyes flickered with something unreadable, something almost pained, before he looked away. “Good. Then let’s keep it professional.”

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She had been prepared for this coldness, but hearing it still stung. Every word he said felt like a deliberate strike, reminding her of the distance that had grown between them.

“Is that why you called me here? To remind me to be professional?” she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

Arav’s eyes flashed with anger. “No. I called you here because I need to set things straight. I don’t care about what happened between us before you left. That’s over. But we’re working together now, and I expect you to pull your weight.”

His words were laced with venom, and Ishika could feel the sting of his resentment. She wanted to defend herself, to explain why she had left without a word, but she knew it wouldn’t matter. Arav didn’t want her reasons. He wanted his anger.

“I will,” she replied, her voice firm. “I’m not here to cause any trouble.”

“Good. Because I won’t tolerate any distractions.” His gaze was hard, unwavering, as if he was challenging her to slip up.

Ishika held her ground, refusing to let him see how much his words hurt her. “I’m not the one distracted, Arav. You are.”

That seemed to strike a nerve. His expression darkened, and for a moment, the façade of indifference cracked, revealing the anger simmering just beneath the surface.

“I’m not distracted,” he bit out, stepping closer. “I’m focused. Focused on making sure I don’t make the mistake of trusting someone like you again.”

Ishika flinched at the harshness of his words, her heart tightening in her chest. “Arav, you don’t understand—”

“I don’t want to understand!” he shouted, the sudden outburst echoing through the empty studio. His voice was raw, filled with more emotion than she had heard from him in months. “You left. You made your choice, and now you expect me to just—what? Pretend it never happened?”

“I never asked you to pretend!” she shot back, her own frustration rising to the surface. “I left because I had to, Arav. You think it was easy for me?”

“Didn’t look that hard,” he sneered, his eyes blazing with bitterness. “You walked away without a second thought, didn’t you?”

Ishika felt her chest tighten, her breath catching in her throat. She had expected anger from Arav, but this level of hatred, this deep resentment—it hurt more than she’d imagined.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Then explain it to me,” Arav challenged, stepping even closer, his presence towering over her. “Explain why you left, why you didn’t say anything, why you didn’t think I deserved to know.”