Page 36 of Protect my Heart
It’s a photo. Peeking out from the transparent sleeve of his wallet. Me and Aarav—maybe ten?—sitting in the backyard of my old house, sunlight in our eyes, my fingers forming a V behind his head while we both grinned like idiots at the camera. My breath hitches.
Aarav grabs my hand, steering me toward the small metal tables set up nearby. I let him pull me along, still a little dazed from the whiplash of emotions. We sit across from each other, the plastic chair creaking under me as I plop down.
"You… kept that?" I ask quietly; he tilts his head, confused. “Our photo, in your wallet,” I add.
Realization dawns on him, and he clears his throat. “Yeah,” he says. “It made me feel closer to you.”
I scoff, not even trying to hide it. “That’s rich.” You didn’t reply to a single one of my letters, but you wanted to feel close to me? Unbelievable. Still my heart pounds at the thought.
His face breaks into a sad smile.
Silence stretches, thick and hesitant. Then I ask, barely above a whisper, “How long?”
He doesn’t look at me right away. Just runs a hand over his jaw before answering, “Since I started keeping a wallet.” Why? I want to shout at him. Then why did he not reply? Why did he never reach out?
I eye him suspiciously. This is too nice. Aarav being this nice? Yeah, no. Something’s up.
"Okay, spill," I say, narrowing my eyes. "Why are you doing this?"
Aarav leans back in his chair, the picture of relaxed arrogance, a lazy smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Can't a guy treat the woman he married once in a while?"
I cross my arms, unimpressed. "Not buying it."
He chuckles under his breath, shaking his head like I’m being ridiculous. "I was picking up food for Bhabhi. She was craving it. Thought I’d kill two birds with one stone—grab my dinner and... talk to you about the nurses I shortlisted."
He rubs the back of his neck, looking almost embarrassed. His cheeks even turn a little red, and for a second, I don't know what to do with this version of him—the one that's not all smug and impossible. Typical Aarav, though. Even when he’s being thoughtful, there’s efficiency involved. He’s a businessman before he’s anything else. Always about saving time, maximizing results. It stings a little, that tiny reminder:I’m not his family. I’m just part of a job he needs to manage. The giddy feelings vanish from my gut on the thoughts.
He pulls out his phone and slides it across the table to me. "Here. Go through these. You can call them and see if you’re comfortable with any of them."
I scroll through the PDFs, checking the profiles. God, he actually put effort into this.
"Thank you," I whisper, barely able to meet his eyes.
His expression softens. "Don’t thank me. If none of them are good enough, I'll find more. It’s important."
I stare at him, really stare, and something inside me tugs painfully. When he raises an eyebrow, questioning, I shake my head a little, still stunned. "It’s just... surprising," I say finally, "to see that you can actually be thoughtful sometimes... considering how painfully stuck-up you usually are."
Aarav scoffs, but there’s a real smile on his face this time. Not the smug ones he throws around like weapons. A real one. "Oh, wow. A backhanded compliment from Miss Toofan herself. I must be doing something right," he says, his voice low and teasing.
He leans forward, twirling a strand of my hair between his fingers like it’s the most natural thing in the world. My breath catches, but I force myself to stay still. "Don’t get too used to it," I mutter, swatting his hand away. "Your arrogance is your biggest flaw. Hands down."
"Careful, my beautiful wife," he laughs, a rich, deep sound that sends warmth flooding through me despite myself. "You’re way too quick with those insults."
And then he really laughs—head thrown back, eyes crinkling, the kind of laugh that makes you forget you’re supposed to be mad, supposed to be guarded, supposed to not believe in forever. For a second, it feels like we’re not married out of convenience, not trapped in whatever awkward mess this is. It feels... easy. Natural. Dangerous. I’m still staring at him when the waiter brings our plates. The smell of chole fills the air, thick and delicious, and my stomach roars loudly again, betraying me once more.
Aarav laughs even harder, covering his mouth but failing miserably. "You and your love for food," he teases.
"Don’t judge me," I grumble, already stuffing my mouth like a starved prisoner. My nose stings as my thoughts run through endless miles of ever after—forever. I shove them away before I reply to him. "This is literally the best part of my day."
There is no way Aarav can get a hint on what goes on in my head.
He watches me eat with that stupid soft smile still lingering on his lips, and for a moment—for just a heartbeat—I let myself pretend that this is real. That this is normal. That maybe, just maybe, we’re something more than two strangers tied together by circumstance and stubbornness. It stings, but still I let myself be a fool and believe it.
But reality waits, just outside the bubble we’ve somehow created tonight. And it’s only a matter of time before it crashes in.
CHAPTER 21
AARAV
