"Yuvraj, please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Don't do this."
"Get up," he ordered, his voice as cold as ice.
Tears streamed down my face. "Please, I'll do anything. Just don't make me-"
"Step on the glass," he interrupted, his eyes burning wit...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The soft beeping of the machines was a constant in the background, reminding me of how close I'd come to losing him. Yuvraj's eyes were wide open now, though the confusion and vulnerability in them were almost too much to bear. He was awake, but it didn't feel like he had truly woken up—not yet. He was still trapped in the aftermath of everything he had done, and I was standing right there, unsure of what to do.
As I approached his bed, his hand twitched, and he managed a weak smile—his first genuine one in what felt like forever. But despite the appearance of that smile, it didn't erase the ache inside me. The bitterness, the hurt, the way his betrayal had shattered everything we once had.
He tried to speak, his voice raspy, almost fragile. "Aisha..."
My breath caught in my throat, and I almost didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear apologies, not right now, not after all this time. But I forced myself to listen.
"I... I'm sorry," he croaked. "For everything. I don't know how to fix what I've done, but I'm willing to try."
The sincerity in his voice hit me harder than I expected. But as much as I wanted to believe him, to fall into his arms and forget all the pain, I couldn't. I couldn't just pretend that things could go back to the way they were. No, not after everything.
I folded my arms across my chest, staring at him, my heart torn in two. "You hurt me, Yuvraj," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can just forgive you. You pushed me to a point where I didn't even recognize myself anymore."
The guilt that crossed his face was instant, and his eyes lowered, filled with shame. "I know. And I'll carry that guilt for the rest of my life. But please, Aisha, don't leave me. Not like this. I need you. I'm... I'm nothing without you."
There it was—his desperation, raw and unfiltered. Part of me wanted to reach out, to comfort him, to tell him that I understood. But I couldn't. I couldn't just let him back in without making sure he understood the gravity of what had happened, of what he had done to me. I needed him to feel it too, not just say the words he thought I wanted to hear.
I swallowed, trying to hold back the emotion threatening to break free. "I'm not leaving, Yuvraj. But things have to change. You can't keep doing this to yourself. You can't keep doing this to me."
He looked up at me, his eyes searching mine as if he was waiting for me to say something more, something that would give him hope.
"I'll stay," I said softly, my voice trembling, "but only on one condition."
His breath hitched, and I could see the fear in his eyes. "Anything, Aisha. Anything. Just tell me what you need."
I met his gaze, steady and sure. "I need you to get better. I need you to fight this—not just for me, but for yourself. You need to deal with your demons. I won't stay if you keep spiraling down this path. I won't be a part of your destruction anymore."
