Will Die In Love

Chapter 76

As Paro walked, she glanced at the ring on her finger. Aditya had been so lost in thought, he probably didn’t even notice she wasn’t wearing it on her ring finger.

Sameer had told him about her engagement with Rishabh… but maybe even he didn’t know it had been called off.

When Adi congratulated her, Paro hadn’t corrected him. The pain in his face gave her a strange satisfaction. Call her twisted, but seeing him broken like that gave her a sick pleasure she couldn’t deny.

She knew it wasn’t right. As a doctor, she shouldn’t have spoken to him that way…especially not after his brain surgery, just a month ago.

But Aditya wasn’t just her patient. He was her tormentor. Her abuser.

In her twenty-nine years of life, Paro had seen enough. She knew Adi truly felt guilty and ashamed. And that confession, that vulnerability, gave her a peace that no punishment ever could.

How could she forget those nights she felt broken, vulnerable and helpless?

Even after building a career on her own, her colleagues still looked at her with pity. Some even had the audacity to say that she overreacted. That she should’ve felt lucky to be wanted by someone that rich and powerful.

But she didn’t need pity or disgraceful opinions. All Paro ever wanted was respect. To be treated as equal. Nothing more, nothing less.

Suddenly her phone rang, snapping her out of thought. Rishabh’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hello! Sorry, sorry I’m late. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Paro said quickly.

And Rishabh, as always, replied in his calm, gentle voice, “It’s okay.” Paro hung up with a smile.

There was no doubt that Rishabh was a gem. Since the day she met him eight years ago, he’d never made her feel less. Sometimes, Paro felt she didn’t even deserve a friend like him.

After Adi’s arrest, Rishabh was furious. But he never blamed her, not even after almost getting killed for her.

For eight years, Rishabh had been her quiet shadow. She shut the world out, threw herself into work and he respected that. He gave her space, yet never left.

How could she not care for someone like him?

But she didn’t love him the way he wanted. Their friendship meant everything, but her feelings were never romantic.

That truth made her feel selfish…accepting a love she couldn’t return. She had refused his proposal two years ago. But then her parents got involved. Maybe they thought someone like her who was abused, wouldn’t find a better man. That deepened her guilt.

Her parents had changed a lot since that incident. But something between them had cracked. Something that's beyond repair. She still loved them, but it wasn’t the same.

Even Rishabh’s parents welcomed her warmly. That only made it harder for Paro. She remembered her conversation with Rishabh almost a year ago.

“Rishabh, listen, you’re an amazing person. I don’t even need to say how much you mean to me as a friend. But I can’t ever love you romantically. Please… don’t agree to this engagement.” She had almost begged him.

Rishabh’s smile faltered, just a little. “Paro, I know you don’t love me. Not yet. But I promise, I’ll never pressure you. One day… maybe you’ll love me too. And even if that doesn’t happen, it’s okay. Just don’t say no to this engagement. You can trust me. I’ll never let you down.”