Decided by Destiny

CHAPTER 27 *Confession*

As ishaan said "No you didn't do anything wrong"
He murmured "i did"

She stepped closer, her brows knitting together. "How? You've just kissed me... it's not a big deal. What's wrong with it?"

Ishaan clenched his jaw, his hands gripping the railing tighter. "It just is. I shouldn't have done that."

Aastha folded her arms, determination shining in her eyes. "You're hiding something. Just tell me the truth, Ishaan."

He shook his head. "There's nothing to tell. It was a mistake."

Her chest tightened at his words. "A mistake? You kissed me like you meant it, Ishaan. Like you wanted it as much as I did. So why are you running away now?"

"Because..." He hesitated, his gaze darting away.

"Because what?" she pressed, taking another step toward him.

He exhaled sharply. "Because this isn’t right. You don’t understand, Aastha. I... I can’t."

"Can't what?" Her voice was barely above a whisper now.

Ishaan closed his eyes briefly before looking at her again. "I can’t tell you."

Frustration flared in her. "You’re making excuses. Just say it, Ishaan! Whatever it is, I can handle it."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. "No, you can’t. And I won’t let you."

Aastha stared at him, hurt and confusion swirling inside her. "So that's it? You're just going to shut me out?"

He ran a hand down his face, visibly torn. "It’s for the best."

She shook her head, her voice breaking. "For whom? Because it sure as hell isn’t for me."

Ishaan remained silent, his jaw tight.

Aastha took a step back, blinking away the sting in her eyes. "Fine, don’t tell me. But just know this, Ishaan—whatever you're hiding, whatever you’re so afraid of, it won't change what I feel right now."

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked back inside, leaving him standing there, battling the turmoil within him.

_______

    Ishaan couldn’t ignore the shift in Aastha’s behavior the next morning. She wasn’t the same her usual warmth and curiosity had been replaced by cold indifference. At first, he thought he was overthinking it, but as the day passed, it became painfully clear.

The first time he noticed it was at breakfast. Usually, she’d wait for him to join her, even if she started eating. Today, she had already finished when he walked in. She barely glanced at him, offering only a curt nod before excusing herself to their room. He frowned, setting his coffee down. "Aastha, you didn’t wait?" he asked, but she only responded with a distracted hm, not even looking back.

The second instance was in the evening. She was on the couch, reading a book something she never did in the living room. Normally, she’d be around him, finding excuses to chat or even tease him. This time, when he sat next to her, she shifted away, putting more distance between them. He called her name, but she simply turned the page without reacting. "Aastha, what’s wrong?" he tried again, his voice tinged with frustration.

She finally looked up, her eyes unreadable. "Nothing," she said simply, before standing up and walking away, leaving him sitting there, his chest tightening with unease.

Ishaan couldn’t take it anymore. He had spent the entire day feeling suffocated by her coldness. He had never been on the receiving end of her indifference, and he hated it. He needed to fix this needed to tell her the truth before she pulled away completely.