𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 ✓

• 43 •

A woman walked in dark alley, her steps growing quicker as she felt like she was being followed. She began to run as fast as she could, despite her condition, without looking back. The person behind her started running after her. Eventually, she stopped to catch her breath, her heart pounding in fear.

The person behind her reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned, her expression switching from fear to relief as she muttered, "Mr. Roy, it's you," and took a few deep breaths to regain her composure.

He nodded, concern in his eyes. "Little wife, are you okay?" She nodded her head in yes. He then took her into an apartment and unlocked the door. When they entered, he hugged Arya tightly.

He asked, "Little wifey, are you okay? You aren't hurt anywhere?" looking at her with worry and started kissing her forehead. 

She reassured him, saying, "Mr. Roy, I'm fine."

"No, you don't look fine," he said, still worried.

"I am fine, Mr. Roy, see," she said, jerking him.

"You are wifey," he replied, hugging her tightly as if she were the last person on Earth.

Then he said, "Sorry, wifey, because of me, you had to go through all of this." She made him sit and gently cradled his face in her palm, saying, "It's okay, Mr. Roy. Now we are together. What more could you want, huh?" She hugged him again.

Then they both sat down, and he said, "Wifey, I can't do this anymore."

"What?" she asked.

"I can't continue this act anymore. Didn't you see? They make headlines about you being a con artist and that you cheated on me. They're making trash comments about you everywhere, and I can't tolerate someone speaking ill or foul about my wife," he confessed.

She replied, "Mr. Roy, you can't give up. Didn't you see that people believe what those brother want to show? You can't give up. You need to find the real murderer of your father. If you give up, the culprit will be free and he might make me his next target and kill me."

He put his hand on her mouth and said, "No, never ever say you'll die. I have already lost you once; I don't want that again."

[Flashback to the night when Aryan returned home drunk and injured]:

I decided to leave the bar, needing to escape the tormenting thoughts and emotions. I headed home, knowing that Arya must be in the other room, and I had no desire to face her. Keeping my distance seemed like the only option for now.

I went to my room but couldn't sleep; my thoughts kept me awake. I dozed off on the sofa.

A person cried in his room.

he berated himself angrily, "Did that little kid not deserve even a shred of his mother's love? Did no one care about that helpless boy?" In his frustration, he shattered a glass in his hand, yet he didn't flinch; he felt no pain anymore. 

he muttered to himself, "Why do I even care about that weak boy from the past? He's long gone."

Girl, now standing near him, whispered softly, "I am proud of you. You have come a really long way."

The guy, startled, looked up, his eyes locking onto the girl's. For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still as they gazed at each other, two souls connected by an unseen thread.

"Arya " I got up, sweating and breathing heavily.

"Arya," she was Arya, the person I kept dreaming about. That night, after I got my mom's call, I was drunk and alone, and Arya was there, the girl who was in my room. I muttered to myself, 

"That means that wasn't just a dream. She was really there. But how?" She had to answer.

***

Aryan stood right before Arya's room, knocking on the door. She opened it and asked, "What do you want? Didn't I just say to stay away from me?" She started to close the gate.

Aryan said, "I want answers from you. I need to talk. just once. can i?"

"Okay," she said, opening the gate, and Aryan entered the room.

Arya stood facing in the opposite direction, her arms crossed over her chest. Her face appeared unreadable as she hid her pain and emotions.

"Ask what you want and go?" She turned towards his direction and then looked down. Her eyes fall on his hand, which was bleeding. he was about to say something, but she cut her off. She sat down and worriedly asked, "Are you mad, Mr. Roy? What did you do to your hand? You injured the same hand again? How many times do I have to tell you not to hurt yourself for others? You can't just do anything you want!" She looked concerned, examining the injured hand that was bleeding badly.

"Again?" he asked, but she didn't respond to his words, continuing to worry about his injured hand. "How did you know I've hurt myself before and in the same hand?" he asked her. She froze in her position, realizing what she had just revealed. 

"I never told you about my wound, and I've never been hurt in this hand in front of you. How do you know, then?" he pressed. Now his dream starting to make sense.

"It just looks like you've been hurt before. That's what I was saying," she replied nervously, getting up and avoiding his gaze.

"No, Arya, look in my eyes," he said, standing up. She continued to back away nervously.

"No, I really don't know. I was just—" She stammered, moving further back, looking around for an escape.

"You were just what? Then what about that day?" he asked, moving toward her.

"Which day?" she asked hesitantly, continuing to retreat.

"The day you entered my hotel room in the middle of the steamy night, remember? You asked me how I recovered so fast," he said, closing the distance between them.

(Arya recalled their conversation):

Arya: "Wait, you were seriously hurt. Last week. How did you recover so fast?"

Aryan: "What, Miss, have you lost your mind?"

Aryan: "Miss, it's been nine months since I was hurt."

"What...I...I mean..." she tried to answer, taking more steps backward.

"First of all, the security around the hotel was tight. You can't enter anyone's room that easily, even if you're a professional. That's when the room is on the 22nd floor, also the person who just got caught in someone rooms entering without their permission. and that she better know him can call the police and that's she could get behind the bars .How could she ask a question in that condition like how you recovered so fast? It's as if she just met that person last week," he said, moving forward and cornering her. He put both hands around her, caging her in.

"Answer me, Arya, and I want the truth," he demanded, leaning down to her eye level.