Tangled Shadows

Chapter 9: The Truth She Hides

Aanya's POV :

I stared at my hands, my fingers tracing the lines of my palms as Arjun’s question echoed in my mind. "You’ve got a family too, right? What are they like?"

I hadn’t thought about sharing any of it with him. Yet, I had been so close—just seconds away from spilling everything, about my father, about who I really was. What the hell was I thinking? I couldn’t tell him. If I let it slip, I could ruin everything.

I opened my mouth, and the words were right there. I was going to say something, anything.

Then, my phone buzzed, vibrating loudly against the wooden bench, snapping me back to reality. The notification flashed across the screen—a message from my colleague at the café. Thank God.

I grabbed my phone quickly, as if it had saved me from my own thoughts. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel my pulse racing in my ears. I blinked rapidly, realizing just how close I’d been to revealing too much.

Arjun was still watching me, his eyes filled with curiosity. I could sense him waiting for me to continue, but there was no way I could let the conversation go any further.

"I—uh—I just remembered something I need to take care of," I said hurriedly, stuffing the phone into my pocket, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

Arjun frowned, confused. "Aanya, you were about to say something. You don’t have to hold back, you know?"

I shook my head, my heart still racing. "No, it’s nothing. Just forget it."

I stood up, my hands trembling slightly, and grabbed my bag from the bench. "I… I need to go."

"What? Why are you leaving all of a sudden?" Arjun’s voice sounded more alarmed now, and I hated myself for dragging him into this. "Did I say something wrong?"

His question pierced through me, and for a second, I almost stopped. Almost turned around to explain that it wasn’t his fault, that he hadn’t said anything wrong. But I couldn’t. He wouldn’t understand. No one would.

"You didn’t say anything wrong," I muttered, my voice softer now. "It’s just— I remembered I have some work to do. That’s all."

Arjun’s confusion turned into frustration, and I could hear it in his voice as he stood up, following me. "Aanya, you don’t have to run away from this. I’m trying to understand you, but you keep pushing me away."

I winced at his words, guilt gnawing at me. He didn’t deserve this—didn’t deserve to be pulled into my mess. But if I told him the truth, it would make everything worse. "I’m not pushing you away. I just… need to go."

I turned to leave, but his hand shot out, gently grabbing my arm, stopping me. "Aanya, wait. If you’re in some kind of trouble—"

"Arjun, I’m fine," I snapped, pulling my arm away. I hated how harsh I sounded, but I couldn’t let him dig deeper. "Really. I just remembered something important I need to take care of."

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. I could see the hurt in his expression, and it made my chest tighten. I didn’t want to hurt him. But the truth… it was too dangerous.

"I don’t have the café duty for the next few days," I said quickly, trying to change the subject. "So, if you want, you can come over earlier tomorrow, and we can finish the project faster."

Arjun blinked, the shift in conversation clearly catching him off guard. "Wait—what? We’re talking about this now? The project?"

"Yes, the project," I forced out, avoiding his gaze. "I just— We need to finish it. And I have time now, so…"

"Aanya, I’m not worried about the damn project right now," Arjun said, exasperated. "I’m worried about you. Something’s clearly bothering you, and you won’t talk to me. You don’t have to handle everything alone."

The sincerity in his voice nearly broke me. I could feel tears stinging the back of my eyes, but I fought them off, refusing to let them spill. I had to get out of here before I said something I would regret.

"It’s nothing, Arjun. Really," I lied again, my voice shaky. "Just… come by tomorrow. We’ll get it done."

Arjun took a step closer, his voice softening. "Aanya, please. You don’t have to keep pushing people away. You can trust me."

Trust. The word hit me like a punch to the gut. Trust him? How could I? How could I trust anyone with the truth about who I was? About my father, the wealth, the control he had over my life? I couldn’t risk it. Not with Arjun. Not with anyone.

"I need to go," I said again, more firmly this time, and before he could say another word, I turned and hurried away, practically running toward my apartment.

---

When I finally reached my door, I slammed it shut behind me, leaning against it as I struggled to catch my breath. My thoughts were spiraling out of control. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely pull out my phone to see if there were any more messages. Thankfully, there weren’t.

What the hell is wrong with me? I thought, pressing my palms against my forehead. I had almost told Arjun everything. I had almost let the truth slip.

I’m the daughter of the second wealthiest man in this city. My father’s name carried weight, a weight I had been running from for years. No one here knew the truth. No one knew who I really was, and I wanted to keep it that way.

If Arjun had known, if anyone found out, my father would have been furious. He already hated the fact that I wasn’t his perfect daughter, the one he could parade around in front of his business partners. I wasn’t Ayansh, the son who got everything, the son he cared about. I was just… Aanya, the daughter he’d never wanted.

I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. Tears welled up in my eyes, and this time, I didn’t fight them. I let them fall silently, the weight of it all crashing down on me.

The truth was too dangerous. It would ruin everything.

---

I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually, I wiped my eyes and forced myself to get up. I couldn’t fall apart now. Not when I’d been keeping it together for this long.

Tomorrow, Arjun would come over, and we’d finish the project. I’d have to face him again, act like everything was fine. But I’d build my walls back up. I had to. I couldn’t let him—or anyone—see through the cracks.

As I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, I made a promise to myself: I wouldn’t let this happen again. No more close calls. No more letting anyone in. Arjun couldn’t know the truth.

No one could.

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