Terrorized By Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 19: The Beginning of Something New

He didn't tell her he loved her, yet the sweetness of his hug would be enough to leave her smiling for days to come. She was sure that he loved her, and she had no reason to rush him. He accepted her love. That was what she wanted.

Mahima understood that this game was a dangerous one. She knew that perhaps he was right, perhaps there was no winning. Maybe she would lose. She didn't care. She really didn't. Right now, her whole being just ached. It ached for him. It wanted to get close to him, to love him, to be with him. It was like she couldn't understand anything. She didn't understand life anymore... and she sure as hell didn't understand her own feelings for him. It was so simple, yet so complicated.

Perhaps this was the paradox of love. Maybe this was why they said love was illogical and completely beyond reasoning.

He broke the hug and she looked up at him with her tear filled eyes, a serene smile on her face. She watched as his gaze on her softened, like he was finally letting go, like he was finally allowing himself to love her.

"I don't know how to make you understand that what you're doing is stupid," he told her.

This time his tone didn't contain mirth or coldness. His tone was soft. Loving. The way he spoke to her made her heart melt.

"How so?" she asked him.

Could anything be stupid in love?

"You're risking your whole life," he murmured, and reached forward, gently tucking a few strands of stray hair behind her ear, before he repeated, "Your whole life. Do you even understand?"

"I understand," she whispered, closing her eyes upon feeling his cold fingers on her warm cheek. "And I accept."

"It's not so easy," he replied. "You don't know..."

"What don't I know?" she asked him, opening her eyes and looking at him.

He kept on saying that she didn't know something... but what was it? How dangerous this world was? She knew. She knew it was a dark place. Her parents were killed, and then she witnessed her Rani Aunty being murdered. She watched her childhood friend Aditya be taken away in front of her very eyes. She knew what it felt like to be stripped of her dignity by her own brother.

How could she not know how cruel this world was?

"I can't tell you," he answered.

He had to put his mission above all else, above even love. If the day came where he was ordered to kill her, then he had to do it. How could he accept to love her when he may have to end her life with his very own hands?

"I know. I know this world is a horrible place. I know that there are those scary terrorists. I know your job is to fight them. I know I might lose you. That's why you're saying this is dangerous... but Dev, I can't even deny these feelings. I wish you could understand this. I hate those terrorists as much as you do. I really, really hate them. They have done so many horrible things to people close to me, but you're such a good man. On one hand, there's them, and on another hand, there's you. My hero. The one who saved me," Mahima told him, meaning every word she said. "How can anyone not fall in love with you? You are just so amazing."

Aditya looked down, a pang of guilt hitting his chest. She didn't know that he was the terrorist she hated. She didn't know that she had fallen in love with someone from the same group of men who she vowed to stay away from. She had no idea that she was here because they kidnapped her, not because they saved her.

He wanted to love her, he really did, but how could he when he had to keep the mission above her? These feelings... they were difficult. They were hard to fight. He couldn't surrender to them, yet he couldn't erase them.

Was it possible to love her in secret? Was secrecy even an option for a terrorist like him?

"Mahima," he murmured, and she shivered upon hearing her name escape from his lips. "Are you sure? This danger can be way beyond what you're expecting."

"How many times do I have to tell you. I'm absolutely sure," she told him with such intensity that he had no choice but to drop his guards.

"Then okay," he told her.

"Okay?" she asked softly.

Aditya nodded.

"Okay," he agreed.

She blushed slightly, when she realized that he just said okay to them being together.

"Okay?" she asked again, still doubtful about whether she really heard correctly.

His lips curved upwards and her heart melted all over again when she saw him smile.

"Yes, okay," he replied.

"So... you and I... we're..." she asked, having a difficult time finding the words to say.

"Yes," he confirmed.

She smiled widely. She couldn't help it. Her lips pulled upwards naturally. The colour of her cheeks got deeper. She had a... boyfriend? Was this what it was?

She felt so embarrassed, but so happy. She didn't even know how to explain the feeling.

Mahima just turned around and ran out of the room. After she reached the living room area, she pressed her back against the wall and started to hyperventilate.

"Oh... my... God..." she gasped, and then smiled even more widely. "Oh my God!"

She was in a relationship with the man she loved. What more did she want? She loved him and had his love too.

Mahima was yet to learn that sometimes love just wasn't enough.