Dark Love: A Psycho Lover

Season 1 Episode 11

Ishika lay on the bed, phone in hand, staring at the blank screen. She hadn't spoken to Priya in days. Each time she tried to reach out, Arav would somehow know—he always knew. He'd taken to checking her phone regularly, rationalizing it with claims of "protecting her" from people who "didn't understand their relationship."

As she scrolled, she noticed that her recent calls with Priya had vanished. When she opened her message thread, a wave of anxiety washed over her; Priya's texts had been deleted.

A few minutes later, Arav walked into the room, phone in hand, his eyes dark and questioning.

"Who were you texting?" he asked, his voice steady but with an edge that felt like a threat.

Ishika swallowed, forcing herself to sound casual. "No one. Just checking some old messages."

"With who?" Arav pressed, stepping closer. "I told you, you don't need people who don't support us."

"Arav, you deleted my messages with Priya, didn't you?" she asked, her voice strained with frustration. "Why? She's my friend, not an enemy."

"Friend?" he scoffed, crossing his arms. "Priya's always been a bad influence. You know that. She doesn't understand us. She's just trying to make you doubt me."

"Arav, Priya just listens. She doesn't judge," Ishika replied, fighting the sting of her own words. "Can't I have anyone to talk to?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" He softened his tone slightly, tilting his head. "Why would you need anyone else when you have me?"

Ishika took a breath, her voice a murmur. "Because I need someone who isn't always... watching me."

His face twisted with a pained expression. "Watching you? I'm looking out for you, Ishika! You're so naive sometimes. People out there, like Priya, don't understand us. They'll just fill your head with doubts."

"It doesn't feel like you're looking out for me, Arav," she whispered, her gaze fixed on the floor. "It feels like you're trapping me."

"Trapping you?" he echoed, incredulous. "You know I'm just protecting you, right? The world isn't a kind place, Ishika. I'm the only one who really cares about you."

Her silence was answer enough, and Arav seized it, his tone softening with what she could only call calculated affection. "You just don't see it now. One day, you'll thank me. You'll see I was doing this for you."

Ishika forced a smile, though the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Maybe," she replied softly.

Over the next few days, her sense of isolation only grew. Priya's absence left a hollow ache that Arav's presence could never fill, no matter how many times he'd check in on her. She found herself jumping at every notification, her heart racing at the thought of him reading through her messages, judging her every interaction.

One evening, after an hour of silence, she finally dared to broach the subject again.

"Arav, please. I just want to have a normal conversation with my friends without feeling... watched," she said, keeping her tone light but firm.

He frowned, his eyes darkening. "Friends who poison your mind against me? Why would you even want that?"

"Because they're my friends!" Ishika's voice shook. "I need people who can support me—us—without questioning everything I do."

Arav sighed, rubbing his temples as though exasperated. "You're being overdramatic, Ishika. I'm trying to protect you. But if you'd rather trust them over me..."