The silence between them felt heavier than the fight itself.
Neither of them apologized.
Neither of them stepped back.
For a long moment they simply stared at each other, breathing hard, both too stubborn to surrender.
Then suddenly—
Arsh let go of her wrist.
Not gently.
Not harshly either.
Just… decisively.
"Go," he said quietly.
The word shocked her.
Aakrati blinked.
"You wanted to go, right?"
His eyes looked colder than she had ever seen.
"So go."
For a second she didn't move.
Part of her expected him to stop her again.
To say something softer.
To laugh and say he was joking.
But he didn't.
He simply turned away.
That hurt more than the argument.
Aakrati grabbed her bag from the chair.
"Fine."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"If you don't want to talk, I won't force you."
She walked to the door.
For a moment she paused.
Waiting.
Maybe he would stop her.
Maybe he would say her name.
Maybe—
Nothing.
So she left.
The door closed.
And the moment she was gone—
Arsh's calm expression disappeared.
His hand slammed against the table.
"Damn it."
The room suddenly felt suffocating.
He ran his hand through his hair, pacing the room restlessly.
Why did that Krish guy bother him so much?
It wasn't just jealousy.
Arsh had never been insecure around other men before.
He had always known exactly who he was.
Charming.
Dangerous.
Irresistible.
Women liked him.
Men respected him.
But Krish…
Krish had something Arsh didn't.
Stability.
The kind of man who could easily become the perfect husband.
And the thought of Aakrati choosing someone like that—
Made something ugly twist inside Arsh's chest.
No.
That wasn't going to happen.
Not after everything.
Not after she looked at him the way she did.
Arsh's jaw tightened.
"She's mine."
The words came out quietly.
But they felt like a promise.
Or maybe a warning.
Meanwhile, Aakrati sat on the edge of her bed in her room.
Still shaken.
Still confused.
Her heart was beating too fast.
She touched her wrist absentmindedly where he had held it earlier.
It didn't hurt.
But the intensity of that moment kept replaying in her mind.
Why was he so angry?
Krish was just a friend.
Nothing more.
Yet the way Arsh looked at her…
It almost felt like he thought she belonged to him.
The thought made her cheeks warm.
And uneasy at the same time.
She shook her head.
"He was just jealous."
A small smile appeared on her face despite everything.
And strangely—
A part of her liked that he cared that much.
She lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"He's crazy."
But her voice was soft.
Almost fond.
Within minutes exhaustion took over.
And she fell asleep.
Arsh didn't sleep.
Not for a long time.
Around midnight he walked out to the balcony.
The cool night air helped a little.
His eyes automatically drifted toward the balcony next door.
Aakrati's room.
The lights were off.
She was asleep.
For a moment he considered going there.
Knocking on the door.
Pulling her into his arms and forgetting the fight.
But then he remembered her words.
"I will do whatever I want."
Arsh smirked slightly.
"Oh really?"
His eyes darkened.
"We'll see about that."
The next morning—
Aakrati woke up feeling surprisingly normal.
The fight from last night still lingered in her mind, but she didn't want the whole trip to be ruined because of one argument.
She grabbed her phone.
No messages from Arsh.
That annoyed her a little.
"Wow," she muttered.
"So dramatic."
She got ready and decided to go downstairs for breakfast.
When she reached the lobby—
She froze.
Arsh was already there.
Sitting casually on a couch.
Drinking coffee.
Like nothing had happened.
He looked up.
Their eyes met.
And suddenly his lips curved into that familiar confident smile again.
"Morning."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"That's it?"
He shrugged.
"You expected a speech?"
"Yes!"
She crossed her arms.
"You yelled at me yesterday!"
"And you yelled back," he replied calmly.
Aakrati huffed.
But something about his relaxed attitude made it impossible to stay angry.
"Are we fighting or not?" she asked.
Arsh stood up slowly.
He walked toward her.
Too close.
Just like last night.
But this time his voice was softer.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you're still planning to spend time with that Krish guy today."
Aakrati stared at him.
"You're unbelievable."
He smiled slightly.
"And you like me anyway."
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
She looked away.
"That's not the point."
But Arsh had already noticed the reaction.
And something inside him tightened again.
God, she was adorable.
Too adorable.
Too easy to want.
Too easy to get addicted to.
His fingers gently lifted her chin so she had to look at him again.
"You're spending today with me."
It wasn't a question.
It sounded more like a decision.
"Arsh—"
"No interruptions today."
His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek.
"Just us."
Her heart skipped.
The intensity in his eyes was impossible to ignore.
"Okay…"
The answer slipped out before she could stop it.
His smile returned instantly.
"Good."
But something had changed.
Aakrati didn't notice it yet.
But Arsh did.
Last night's argument had awakened something dangerous inside him.
Before, he simply liked her.
Now—
He wanted her.
Completely.
Her time.
Her attention.
Her laughter.
Her loyalty.
Every part of her.
And the idea of anyone else getting even a piece of that…
Made his blood boil.
He slipped his arm around her waist casually.
But the grip was slightly tighter than before.
Possessive.
Protective.
Obsessive.
Aakrati didn't resist.
She leaned into him naturally.
Still trusting him completely.
Still believing his intensity was just love.
But Arsh already knew the truth.
This wasn't just love anymore.
It was something darker.
Something deeper.
Something dangerous.
And the worst part?
He didn't want to stop.