Two days have passed
Since I shattered her bangles—our bangles
And left a scar, not just on her hand
But deep within my soul.
I should have treated her like my queen,
But I behaved like the ogre they say I am.
And maybe, they're right.
I lied to her that day,
But who am I lying to now?

I miss her—badly.
Her words, once gentle like a breeze,
Were the medicine my heart needed.
Now, the silence between us screams louder than any argument.
She hasn't come back.
Not even a glance my way.
Am I meant to be alone forever?

I said I wanted this divorce—
But what I feel now is only regret.
I wish I could pull her close,
Apologize, kiss her... feel her warmth again.
But my pride—my rage—
They're the real enemies.
I am trapped by my own anger,
My stubbornness, my ego.
And now, I wonder...
Will I ever see my fairy again?
Or should I live in this endless torment?

-From Ishaan's present diary entry

Ishaan's POV

I closed my diary, a glumness weighing on my face. Tara's fragrance was fading from my room, day by day. I placed my diary inside a secret drawer on my nightstand. 

I slept on her mattress, hoping to feel her presence around me after she left the Divan mansion. I turned off the light and placed my head on her pillow. My bedroom had echoes of Tara's words and our arguments. Her voice lingered in my ears.

I inhaled her scent from the blanket, trying to console my heart, which ached for her. I decided to close my eyes and sleep, hoping to see Tara in my dreams.

In my dream, she was there. My exquisite Tara, holding my hands and dancing with me. Her smile brought happiness to my soul that I missed these days. She was happy with me. But then, her gaze shifted from me to Dhruv, who stood beside us.

I felt a surge of anger. Dhruv, even in my dreams? I raised my fist, ready to strike him. But before I could, I heard a knocking sound. The noise pulled me from my dream, snapping me back to reality.

I snorted as I sat up, irritated that someone had disturbed my beautiful dream of my fairy. I halted before opening the door, a strange feeling settling in. 

I glanced around the room, making sure everything was in place. I took a deep breath. I felt my heart pounding in my chest when I inhaled oxygen from my lungs.

Once certain, I opened the door to find Jaya standing there, with panic on her face. I glared at her for waking me up.

"Why are you knocking on the door in the middle of the night?" I snapped.

"Brother, I think a thief has entered the mansion. The back door to the kitchen is open," Jaya's voice trembled with panic, but it stirred no real concern in me.

"The servants probably left it open," I said with a yawn.

Behind Jaya, I noticed Abjit, Nikhil, and Rachana standing outside my room. Something felt off, but I didn't want to deal with it.

"Do you know what happened to the brownies Aunt Rachana made for me today?" Jaya asked, her voice turning into a fake sob that irritated me further.

I raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

"Half the brownies are missing! I went to the kitchen for water, and they were gone!" Jaya's frightened tone was almost amusing.

"Maybe a ghost ate them," Abjit teased, knowing Jaya was afraid of ghosts.

"No, it must have been a thief! I'm calling the police," Jaya insisted, scrolling through her phone.

I glanced around at everyone's faces. Something wasn't right, but I didn't want the police coming here at midnight. I signaled with my eyes for Abjit to handle the situation.

"Jaya, the ghost must have eaten the brownies. If you call the police, maybe it'll come after you next," Abjit mocked, making Jaya clutch his arm in fear.

"Unbelievable!" Jaya muttered.

"Maybe a wild cat got in and ate them," I suggested, glancing at Nikhil and Rachana, who remained silent.

"But—" Jaya began, but I cut her off.

"Go to sleep now," I said, my tone firm. Reluctantly, they all left.

Once they were gone, I started to think. The open kitchen door, missing brownies at midnight... something didn't add up. Then, the familiar jasmine fragrance in my room and the silence from Mr. and Mrs. Divan made it clear—Tara had come back to the mansion.

A grin spread across my face. My prediction was right. I noticed something weird beneath the bed.

"Tara, come out right now," I called, crossing my arms.

"Tara, if you don't come out right now, I'm coming in." I warned.

"No... don't do that," her voice whispered beneath the bed.

"Come out," I ordered.

Tara crawled out from under the bed, and just seeing her made my heart flutter. She avoided eye contact, clearly embarrassed. I moved closer, my heartbeat quickening as I looked into her glowing face.

What are you doing to me, Tara? You're the only one who can make my heart flip with joy.

"Tara, look at me," I said softly, stepping closer.

Her lips were covered with chocolate brownies, and her blinking eyes reminded me of stars in the night sky. She looked nervous, making her even more irresistible.

"I didn't come to steal anything," she stammered.

No, Tara. You came to steal my heart. My cold stoned heart that beats only for you.

"I know you came back for me. Did you miss me?" I murmured, standing inches from her.

"No!" she denied, but I smirked.

She understood the meaning behind my smirk.

"I told you—you'd come to my room on your own. I won," I said with satisfaction.

"I didn't come to see you," Tara fumed.

"Fine. So you came to steal the brownies?" I teased, watching her disagree.

"I didn't know about any brownies," Tara lied.

"Don't lie, Tara. I know you came to steal them," I teased again, stepping closer.

Her breathing quickened, her heart racing in her chest. She tried to speak, but couldn't find the words. She lowered her head, trembling. Gently, I lifted her chin with my fingers.

"I..." she struggled.

My fingers brushed the chocolate on her lips. Her lips quivered at my touch.

"Is this brown matte lipstick or chocolate brownies?" I asked, showing her the chocolate on my thumb.

"Ishaan! I..." she stammered again as I leaned closer.

"Let me taste it and find out," I whispered, making her gasp.

My breath on her face gave her goosebumps. Her hands rested on my chest, not to push me away, but to hold me there. I leaned in, closer and closer, her grip on my shirt tightening instead of letting go.

I kissed her rosy, chubby cheek, more tempting than her lips at that moment. We locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between us.

"Ishaan, I need to go," she whispered, but her hands clung to my shirt.

"But I still haven't tasted it," I teased, my gaze fixed on her lips.

A knock on the door made us quickly move away from each other. "Who is it?" I shouted, annoyed at the interruption of such a perfect moment between me and my fairy.

"It's Nikhil and Rachana Divan outside your room," I heard Mr. Divan's voice.

 I went to open the door, but Tara ran to hide in our bedroom. I quickly pulled her back. I didn't want her to be afraid. She had every right to be here, in this room, in this mansion.

I opened the door, still holding Tara with one hand. Mr. Nikhil Divan seemed stunned, but Mrs. Rachana Divan wasn't. I assumed she had helped Tara enter the mansion.

"Tara, why are you here at midnight?" Nikhil's harsh tone made Tara fidget nervously.

"She came for me. Is that a problem?" I said, making Nikhil give us both a wary look.

"No, uncle. I came for the pink teddy bear," Tara replied, trying to hide her anxiety with a fake glare aimed at me.

"That teddy bear is mine. I won it by shooting the balloons, remember?" I teased her.

"No! It's mine. I gave you instructions, so I won the bear," she retorted. "I won't let that bear stay with an ogre-like you!"

"Oh? If you cared so much about the bear, you wouldn't have left me—this ogre—alone at the exhibition to chase after your hockey friend," I shot back, mocking her for leaving me behind that day.

Tara fell silent, glancing at Mrs. Rachana Divan for support. Rachana nodded encouragingly, so Tara took a deep breath and said, "The teddy bear is mine."

"Nope, the teddy bear is mine, and you're mine too," I declared, causing a gasp from the couple.

 Tara opened her mouth to argue but stopped, blushing when she realized what I had just said.

"Teddy..." she started again, clearly flustered, but was interrupted when Nikhil glared at her.

"Tara, stop acting like a child. Let's go. Shyam is waiting to drop you off," Nikhil said, his gaze shifting between Tara and Rachana.

Tara nodded, and panic began to rise in me. She was leaving again, just like that.

"Nikhil, let her stay the night in the guest room of the mansion. I'll keep her company," Rachana pleaded, but Nikhil's decision remained firm.

"No way!" he replied sternly, and Tara began to move toward the door.

Before she could leave, I grabbed her wrist. I didn't stop her the last time, but tonight I wasn't going to make that mistake again. At least, not until the divorce was final. I needed her by my side.

"Tara is staying here with me, in my room," I said firmly, shocking both Nikhil and Rachana.

"What?" Tara looked puzzled as I tightened my grip on her wrist.

"But—" Nikhil started to protest, but I cut him off.

"My decision is final. Good night," I said, slamming the door shut in their faces.

"You were harsh towards your uncle and aunt!" Tara pointed at the door, scolding me.

"Well, I am an ogre, remember? What do you expect from me?" I chuckled sarcastically.

"I need to go home," Tara muttered, trying to pull away from my hold.

"You came into my room at midnight, stole my brownies, and disturbed my sleep. Now you want to leave? Did you even think about me?" I huffed, feeling more hurt than I wanted to admit.

It seemed like she didn't care about me anymore. I knew I was partly to blame for what I did in three years, but I still wanted her to talk to me.

"We can't stay together. We're divorcing," she reminded me, looking straight into my eyes.

"Stop being a reminder app! We're not divorced yet. Until that happens, you're still my wife," I told her firmly, making her snort.

Her phone buzzed, interrupting our conversation. It was a call from Mrs. Rachana Divan. Tara answered it.

"Aunt, I'm fine. Don't worry," Tara reassured Rachana. "I trust him; he won't hurt me." She glanced at me while saying that, and my heart warmed.

"Good night, Aunt. I'll see you in the morning." She hung up the phone, and I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her aura, her kindness—it all made me fall for her more and more.

"I love how you talk, Tara. You think you ramble, but your words are like poetry to me," I thought, although I didn't dare say it aloud. 

All I wanted was to listen to her—her chats, rants, everything.

"You shouldn't have spoken so rudely to them. Nikhil is your father's brother.  You should give him some respect," Tara said, trying to bring me back to reality.

I didn't respond, lost in my thoughts until she nudged me.

"Leave it," I muttered.

"Oh my god! What have you done?" she exclaimed, looking at the heap of tuxedos and blazers on the sofa. I shrugged, scratching my neck.

"It's just a few tuxedos," I said casually.

"A few? This is a mess! Your room used to be so neat. Now look at it!" she exclaimed, scanning the room.

"My life became a mess without you. Why should I worry about the room?" I mumbled under my breath, hoping she wouldn't hear me. 

But her gaze shifted to me. Did she hear it?

"Why aren't the servants cleaning the room?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I told them not to," I murmured, looking at my phone.

"Why?" she let out a sigh, exasperated.

"Because I believed you'd come back one day," I confessed softly.

"So you think I'm your maid, here to clean up your mess?" she teased, though her tone softened.

"No. I believed you'd come back and make my life colorful again," I clarified, seeing the surprise in her eyes.

"I didn't want anyone else in our room. I wanted your scent to linger here," I added, making her stare at me, stunned.

"Are you hungry?" I asked when she remained silent.

"No," she lied, her hand instinctively covering her stomach.

"Fine, I'll be back in five minutes. Don't wander around, wild cat," I said, walking out of the room with a grin.

"I'm not a wild cat!" she protested as I left.

I called Abjit and told him to take Jaya back to his home. I didn't want Jaya to bother Tara.

 Then I went to the kitchen, grabbed the leftover brownies, and returned to the room. Tara was already folding my tuxedos and putting them in the laundry bag.

I sat beside her and handed her a plate of brownies. She refused, clearly embarrassed.

"I know you like brownies. Let's eat together," I offered.

"No, let Jaya have them," she mumbled.

"Tara, Aunt Rachana made them for you, not Jaya. Just eat," I insisted, knowing how much Rachana loved Tara. She hesitated but finally took a bite.

"So, did you seriously come for that teddy bear?" I asked, taking a bite myself.

"Yes!" she replied without looking at me.

I stayed quiet as she drank some water. I stepped into the washroom to brush my teeth. 

After brushing my teeth, I noticed Tara preparing to sleep on her mattress, covering herself with a blanket in the corner of the room. I went near her, tugging the blanket from her.

"Should I sleep on the floor?" she asked, sounding a bit frightened.

"First, go brush your teeth. You had something sweet," I said sternly. She furrowed her brows but got up and went to brush her teeth.

As I waited, I wondered how to ask her to sleep in the luxurious bed with me rather than the old mattress in the corner of the room. 

She was my wife, after all, but I didn't want her to misunderstand.

What should I do now?

Let me know your views on the ninth chapter in the comment section.

This chapter was on Ishaan's Point of view. I hope you enjoyed.

Feel free to interact with me. Your comments and votes will motivate me, so don't forget to press the vote button and type a comment on this chapter.

The tenth chapter will be out tomorrow. Bye. Good Night.