Aarohi And Dev

CHAPTER 53

Content Warning: This chapter contains graphic depictions of extreme torture and violence. Reader discretion is advised.
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Dev POV

The last thing I ever wanted was to see her like this, so shattered that I felt utterly powerless. It pained me to watch her try so hard to be strong, to pretend that nothing had happened, now that she had regained her composure. But I could see the battle within her, the effort it took to mask her true emotions. It was as though she believed she had to put on a brave face for my sake, and that broke me even more.

I gently took her hand in mine, my thumb tracing calming circles over her knuckles. "Rose," I whispered, my voice barely steady, "don’t force yourself to be strong for me. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you need to hide what’s in your heart." My chest tightened as I watched her face, waiting for her to respond, knowing that she was holding back so much.

"I let things unfold the way they did because I wanted you to confront it, to speak your truth, to let it all out. You deserve that. Every daughter deserves to understand why she wasn't loved the way she should have been, and every partner has the right to know what their love is feeling inside," I continued, my voice hoarse with emotion.

I wanted to fix everything for her, to give her the one thing I knew she longed for more than anything, her father's love. But that was the one thing I couldn't control, and it left me feeling utterly hopeless. Despite everything I had, despite all the power I possessed, I couldn’t give her the one thing she needed the most right now. And that truth hurt more than any enemy or obstacle ever could.

The moment the words left my lips, I felt her grip on my hand tighten. Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. My heart twisted in my chest as I whispered, "I’m sorry, Rose. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me." Inside, I swore that every person responsible for her pain would pay. But right now, all I could think about was her, and the pain she was carrying.

She shook her head gently, her voice cracking as she said, "It- It’s not your fault, Dev." Her words came out fragile, each one more broken than the last. "I-i al-always knew he didn’t love me, but I thought if I became the perfect daughter, maybe one day he would." Her voice finally gave way to sobs, her hand clutching at her heart as if to contain the ache inside. "I thought it wo-wouldn’t hurt- facing him, speaking the truth, but it do-does, Dev. It hurts- It hurts so much, right here," she cried, pressing her hand harder to her chest.

Her breathing became ragged as the tears poured out, her words barely audible through the sobs. "I was just a kid… I tried so hard…"

Seeing her like this, breaking before my eyes, shattered me. I couldn’t bear it. Without hesitation, I pulled her into my arms, wrapping her tightly in my embrace. I held her as close as I could as if my arms could shield her from every hurt in the world. She wept against me, her pain raw, her tears soaking through my shirt, and I held on, silently vowing that I’d be her strength when she had none left.

"I’m so sorry you had to endure this, Rose," I murmured, my voice heavy with sorrow as I gently stroked her back. The depth of my anguish was almost overwhelming, but all I could think of was how to offer her even a semblance of comfort amidst the chaos.

She slowly withdrew from my embrace, her fingers wiping away the tears that continued to glisten on her cheeks. Her touch was both tender and resolute as she cupped my face, her eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my heart ache. "You did nothing wrong," she said softly, her voice a fragile whisper. "Why are you apologizing?"

I shook my head, at a loss for words to convey the turmoil inside me. My only concern was to be a source of solace. "I’m not okay. Honestly, I feel completely broken, like a part of me has been torn apart, and I’m struggling to hold the pieces together. But I want to be okay, and I will be, eventually. I’ll keep pushing through this, for you, for us. I promise," she confessed, her voice trembling with the weight of her pain.