मुझसे ही मुझको तू चुराता है
जाने क्या होना है तेरे मेरे दरमियाँ

इश्के दी लाट तड़पावे
दिल ना लागे जब दिल लग जावे
इश्क दी लाट तड़पावे
दिल ना लागे जब दिल लग जावे

क्यूँ चाँद से हो जोड़े उमीदें
इक दुसरे से आ रौशनी लें
क्यूँ हम अलग यूँ लेते हैं सांसें
इक सांस में ही आ दोनों जी लें
ऐसे मिले फिर ना हो जुदा

इश्के दी लाट तड़पावे
दिल ना लागे जब दिल लग जावे

__________________________________

Siddharth didn't breathe. Not truly. Not the way a man breathes when he's alive. His heart had frozen in his chest the moment Noor's eyes lifted... and found his.

Her gaze-those brown eyes he had fallen in love with-looked hollow
-were empty.

Hollow.

Siddharth had never, not even in his darkest memories, seen her like that. Not even when she was quiet, not even when she was scared. There was always some life in her. Some softness.

But now... it felt like the Noor he knew was sitting behind a wall. A wall so thick, so far, he couldn't even knock on it.

A cold wave rushed through his spine, and his breathing slowed, deeper, heavier.

He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. Words were choking inside his throat. All he could do was stare-hoping, begging silently for a flicker of emotion to return to her face.

Tell me what you're thinking. Tell me you're okay. Tell me you're still mine.

But she just kept looking at him.

And then... slowly, painfully... she moved.

Her delicate hands, the same hands that once held his face when he couldn't sleep, the same hands that used to tremble in his palm whenever she got shy-those hands... they moved out from under his.

Siddharth blinked.

He looked down. The contact was broken.

His breath hitched in his throat.

And there it was-that feeling again. That horrible, suffocating chill that made his chest cave in. Like something inside him had just snapped. A single thread of connection had been cut. And for a second...

He forgot how to exist.

He trusted her. God, he trusted her. She was his Noor. His home. His sukoon

But there was something darker moving inside him now.

The shadows. The voices.

The ones that had never left.

They whispered, "You don't deserve happiness. You never did."

And it scared him-how loud those voices were.

Because for years, he had silenced them. For her.

But now, with just one small movement of her hand, they were crawling back into his head. Screaming. Reminding him of every time he had lost. Every time someone had looked at him like he wasn't worth fighting for.

And even as he stared at her, as she looked away, he kept whispering in his mind-

No. She's not like them. She's my Noor. She won't leave. She built you. She's the only one who's ever stayed.

But still... she looked away.

Siddharth didn't move. Didn't even blink.

His eyes remained locked on her face, but hers had drifted away, as if he wasn't even sitting in front of her. As if his presence didn't even matter.

And that hurt more than anything else.

He could hear people behind him. Whispers. Gasps. His own name being spoken in anger or pity-he didn't know. He didn't care.

Noor was getting up.

She stood. Quietly.

And Siddharth didn't follow.

He stayed kneeling. His eyes dropped to the floor. His fists clenched tightly on his knees.

She was walking away from him.

And with every soft step she took, he felt his soul getting dragged behind her.

She hadn't said a word.

Not a single word.

And Siddharth could feel his mind turning into a battlefield. He trusted her. He believed in her. But God, the fear. The fear was crawling through his skin. What if this was it? What if all those things he had buried came back now to take her away, too?

He swallowed hard. His jaw tightened until it ached. His fingernails dug into his palms. He still couldn't look anywhere else. He didn't want to. Didn't want to see where she had gone.

Because looking would mean accepting, she was no longer beside him.

And then, somewhere near the bench, Aditya saw his sister standing.

He watched her walk towards him.

His chest lifted with shallow hope. Maybe she had realised. Maybe she had seen Siddharth's truth. Maybe she finally understood who he really was.

He stepped forward.

His eyes filled with victory and concern.

"Thank God, Noor, you understood-" he began, reaching his hand out.

But Noor wasn't looking at him.

Her eyes were distant. Her steps were slow and controlled.

And then-

She looked up.

And Aditya saw them.

The fire.

A sudden burst of life inside the hollowness.

He froze.

He didn't know why-but he stopped speaking.

Something in her eyes...

It wasn't softness.

It wasn't surrender.

It was power.

And then she spoke.

Dead calm.

Sharp as a blade.

"Mere pati ke khilaaf ek aur shabd kaha apne to apni behen se haath do baithoge bhai."

("If you say one more word against my husband, you'll lose your sister forever, bhai.")

The silence that followed hit harder than any scream ever could.

And for the first time...

Aditya didn't know what to say.

Neither did anyone else.

Siddharth still knelt beside the bench where Noor had been, his knees rooted to the cold ground, but his soul... his soul trembled. Something inside him had shattered and glued itself back together in the very same second. Her words echoed-ringing so clear that the chaos around them dulled into silence. Her voice. Her fire. Her choice.

It took him a moment.

A moment to realize she had chosen him.

He didn't move. Not right away. His body was still, like it didn't trust itself to believe what it just heard. He was still staring at the ground, lost in his own storm, when slowly-so softly it could be mistaken for the breeze-his head tilted.

His eyes rose, first cautiously... then fully. The blue of them once dark and clouded suddenly held a glimmer. A glimmer of being seen. Of being trusted. Of being hers.

He didn't need to see her face to feel it. His Noor had spoken.

And for Siddharth, that voice meant home.

A shaky breath left his lungs-the first real breath he had taken since he entered this corridor. The pressure in his chest began to loosen. He didn't even realize how tight it had been until now. Like his ribs had been holding back an ocean of grief, and Noor's words were the first crack in the dam.

And then he looked.

Noor was still standing in front of her brother. Her eyes-those once lifeless, hollow orbs-now held a fire. Not loud. Not fierce. But deadly silent. Her brother stood speechless and caught off-guard. The arrogance, the belief that he had won-gone from his face.

But Noor said nothing more. She didn't need to.

The silence that followed was heavier than a thousand screams.

Then, in the next moment, Noor turned.

Her steps were soft, but they echoed across the hospital corridor like thunder. Everyone-her mother, her sisters-in-law, the staff-stood still. Watching. Frozen.

She walked towards her husband.

Siddharth didn't look up at first. His gaze was still on the ground. still afraid.

But he felt her presence.

He looked up slowly.

And there she was.

Noor stood in front of him. Not crying. Not smiling. Just there. Silent. Her hand extended toward him.

He stared at her hand.

Then at her face.

Her expression was still unreadable, but the hollowness that haunted her eyes minutes ago... had shifted. Something new was there now. Something silent. Something sacred.

He didn't dare blink.

Because whatever was happening right now-whatever this was-it was hers. And he didn't want to miss even a breath of it.

His hand lifted.

Shaking.

And then he placed it into hers.

Her fingers curled softly, just enough to hold him.

And he stood.

His tall frame rose slowly, inch by inch, not with power-but with devotion. With surrender. With reverence.

As he stood, his eyes didn't leave hers. She was looking at him too now. But not like before. The pain was still there. The silence was still there. But the emptiness wasn't.

There was something else.

And Siddharth didn't need words to feel it.

She hadn't given up on him.

She hadn't given up on them.

Then, gently, Noor turned.

She started walking-quietly, softly-her hand still in his, pulling him forward. One step at a time.

He followed.

Not because she pulled.

But because that was the only place he ever wanted to be.

They had just taken a single step forward when a sharp voice cut through the air.

"Sir chad gaya hai ye tumhre Noor!"
("He's gone to your head now, Noor!")

Aditya screamed.

But Siddharth didn't react.

Not yet.

His eyes didn't leave Noor.

But Noor... Noor stopped.

And then, slowly, she tilted her head-not fully, just enough so her voice could reach him.

"Aur hume ye baat apnane me koi sharm nahi hai, balki garv hai."
("And I am not ashamed to accept that. In fact, I am proud of it.")

Her tone didn't rise.

But it carried the strength of a storm.

Siddharth stared at her. Not moving. Not speaking.

But everything inside him... everything... burned to the ground. And from those ashes-he felt something being rebuilt.

Hope.

She was still his Noor.

And she had just reminded the whole world of it.

He followed her, still holding her hand, as the hospital corridor remained silent in their wake.

Not a word was spoken.

But a storm had passed.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The door clicked shut.

Noor didn't move. Her hand lingered on the handle, trembling lightly. Her chest rose and fell, uneven. She stood there, her back toward him, her shoulders stiff, spine locked-like something inside her was trying not to collapse again.

Siddharth stayed behind her, a few steps away. Quiet. Still. His eyes were still following her every motion-not with suspicion, not with doubt, just with quiet surrender. His mind, which had been a battlefield just moments ago, had fallen into eerie silence. No more questions. No more fear. No past. No future. Just her.

But then, Noor let go of his hand.

The sudden loss of warmth from her fingers made Siddharth's eyes drop instantly to where their hands had just been joined. Empty. Cold. He looked up again, only to watch her take a step toward the door. His breath hitched.

Was she leaving again?

But instead of walking away, Noor raised her hand and calmly shut the door. For a second, she didn't turn. She just stood there, both palms resting against the wood. A heavy silence blanketed the room, and in that silence, Siddharth could hear the quiet shaking in her breath.

She wasn't fine.

Not even close.

Siddharth's feet shifted, the instinct to reach her pulsing in his chest-but he stayed. Something about her silence kept him rooted.

Noor finally turned. Slowly. As if her entire body was carrying weight too heavy for her frame. Her eyes locked with his.

Gone was the emotionless girl from moments ago.

Now, Siddharth saw everything.

Pain. Anger. Fear. Love.

All of it. Raw. Open. Wild.

His chest clenched so tightly it hurt. It actually hurt. Because he could see the storm in her, and he knew-he knew he had caused some part of it. He had not been there. She had cried. She had broken. Alone.

And now she was standing, eyes burning, feet moving.

Toward him.

Siddharth closed his eyes for a split second. Bracing. Bracing for whatever was about to come.

Was she going to yell? Was she going to ask about what her brother said? Was she going to accuse him? Was she-

Smack.

His eyes opened.

Noor was in front of him. Her tiny frame shaking. Her palm resting flat on his chest where she had just hit him. Not hard. Not enough to hurt him. But enough to make his heart lurch.

"Kahan gaye the humein chhod ke?!"
(Where did you go, leaving me?!)

Her voice cracked. Angry. Broken. Her tears, which had threatened to fall for so long, finally rolled down her cheeks, unchecked.

Siddharth couldn't speak. Couldn't even breathe.

Another hit, this time on his shoulder. Noor's tears were falling faster now, her whole body trembling with the emotion she had buried for too long.

"Kahan gaye the humein bina bataye?!"
(Where did you go without telling me?!)

Another slap.

"Kitna darr gaye the hum!"
(We were so scared!)

Her voice hiccuped between words. Her hand struck his chest again, weaker now, her body slowly melting with the flood of feelings she couldn't stop anymore.

"Kitne akele the hum..."
(We were so alone...)

Siddharth's eyes never left her face.

This-this was what broke him.

This. Her tears. Her trembling hands. Her breaking voice.

It shattered something inside him.

Not the accusations.

Not the demons from the past.

None of it could break him the way her love just did.

Because in that one moment, while she was still crying and hitting his chest with her small fists, Siddharth felt something shift inside him.

Something warm. Something powerful.

Something that wrapped around the deepest, darkest part of him like light entering a room that had stayed locked for years.

She had chosen him.

And it wasn't just in words.

It wasn't just because she stood beside him in front of her family.

It wasn't because she held his hand in front of the world.

It was this.

This moment.

Her hitting him while crying, even after hearing those words. Those words that once in his life has ruined everything.

Her small body shaking in his arms.

Her hiccups and breathless sobs.

The way she pressed her face into his chest like she wanted to hide from everything-but not from him.

It was all this. It was real. And raw. And unfiltered.

And Siddharth felt it.

He felt it like his heart was finally being held-not crushed.

He felt it like all the broken pieces of him were suddenly being seen-not judged.

He felt it like the most dangerous, reckless, guarded man in the world had finally found the one person who could destroy him-but chose to love him instead.

His knees almost went weak.

He had been so scared just moments ago.

Scared in a way he hadn't been since he was a boy. The kind of fear that doesn't shout-but sits quietly in your bones, whispering: what if she leaves too?

What if they win again? What if the only person he's breathing for thinks of him the same as people did 18 years ago?

But now, here she was.

Crying in his arms.

Punching his chest with those tiny fists that didn't hurt his body, but made his heart ache in ways he didn't have words for.

Telling him how bad person he was, between sobs, and still-still-still, she was in his arms.

And suddenly...

He didn't feel scared anymore.

The world could say anything.

His past could scream in his ears.

His demons could rise again.

But this... this womem--His Arranged wife in his arms, her messy tears soaking his shirt, her shaking voice yelling at him like he was the worst-but holding on like he was her world...

This was the only truth that mattered.

Siddharth closed his eyes.

And for the first time since that day-the day that changed everything years ago-his chest didn't feel heavy.

It felt full.

For the first time since he woke up that morning, a small smile formed on his lips.

His eyes shimmered, filled with unshed tears.

Because last time... when the world turned against him, it believed the worst.

This time... his world was in his arms.

Still choosing him.

Still with him.

Overwhelmed, he bent down slightly, pressing his lips softly to her forehead.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Like he was trying to say sorry in a language that only she could hear.

His voice barely came out, rough and cracked and breathless.

"Maaf kar dijiye, Noor..."
(Please forgive me, Noor...)

Another kiss. Another breath.

"Maaf kar dijiye..."
(Please forgive me...)

He held her tighter. His arms completely wrapped around her, like if he let go now, he would lose himself again.

Siddharth held her tighter.

His arms circled her waist completely now, his lips resting gently on the top of her head as if sealing her pain inside his chest. Noor's fists clenched into the fabric of his shirt, twisting it with all the force of her breaking heart. Her tears soaked through the fabric, and the sound of her soft sobs filled the quiet cabin. It was a kind of cry that didn't ask for sympathy-it asked to be held, to be allowed to fall apart in the arms of the one person she trusted not to let her shatter.

The warmth she'd been searching for all day-the warmth that had been missing in the chaos, the coldness of her brother's eyes, the silence around her father's hospital room-it was finally around her. It was Siddharth. It was the way his arms didn't let her go. It was the steady beat of his heart against her cheek. And it broke her more than anything, because now that she had it, she couldn't hold back anymore.

Everything poured out of her. The fear. The loneliness. The pain. The helplessness.

She knew she couldn't cry in front of the family. They would break. But Siddharth-her Siddharth-he would hold her so tight that breaking wouldn't be an option. She knew that. She trusted that.

And Siddharth

The overwhelming feeling that took over him was beyond words. It wasn't just love. It was being loved. Fiercely. Blindly. With all the fire that had been burning in her since morning.

This time, it felt like there was someone to protect his heart.

Last time, there wasn't. Last time, there was only silence. Only betrayal. Only the slow destruction of everything he had built.

But this time-this time, he had her.

Noor.

The woman who had stood between him and the world. The woman who had taken every piece of his broken self and stitched it back together with her quiet presence. And now, she wasn't just loving him-she was protecting the child inside him. The one no one had ever looked at. The one who had cried silently in corners of rooms when no one was watching. The one who had never been chosen.

She had chosen him.

And suddenly, Siddharth felt the strongest pull in his chest-the desire to tell her everything. Everything.

Every scar. Every memory. Every pain.

He wanted her to know the things he had buried so deep that even he had stopped visiting them. He wanted her to know the boy he once was. The boy who was never protected. The boy who became a man who trusted no one. The man who learned to silence every feeling.

But now... he wanted her to hear it all.

Because she wasn't just someone who loved him-she was someone who would stand between him and his past. She would fight for that child. She would fight for the broken parts of him like they were her own.

And it broke him all over again.

His knees felt weak. It was hard to stay standing.

He bent slightly, his hand still firm around her waist, and lifted Noor gently into his arms. She didn't resist. She just stayed close, still crying, her face buried in his chest. Her fists now only gently hitting his shirt like a child who didn't know what else to do with the pain.

Siddharth took a few slow steps to the sofa and sat down carefully, cradling her in his lap.

Like you would hold a child.

Like you would hold your entire world.

She trembled in his arms. Her face tucked in his neck. Her tears soaking his skin. Her words, soft and broken, made no sense to anyone else-but Siddharth felt every one of them.

Her pain was loud, even in her whispers.

Her fingers still clutched his shirt tightly, and Siddharth wrapped his other arm across her back, holding her like he was shielding her from the world.

He gently patted her head, the way you'd soothe a baby. His other hand came to her cheek, patting it softly. His heart ached with every sound she made.

Noor looked up for a second-her eyes swollen and wet, her face red and shaking. The innocence on her face made his chest tighten.

She looked at him like a child trying to explain why she cried.

"H-hume samajh nahi aa raha tha hum kya kare! Hum b-bahut dar gaye the. P-papa... woh... woh andar..."
("I-I didn't know what to do! I was so scared. P-papa... he... he's inside...")

Her voice cracked and dissolved into another sob. Siddharth's own eyes filled. They were burning, begging to break open, but he kept steady-for her.

He cupped her wet cheeks, kissed one tear-soaked cheek gently, and whispered with a softness that could burn down mountains.

"Bharosa kariye, Noor. Main sab theek kar dunga. Bas aap mere saath hain ab... ab main sab theek kar dunga."
("Trust me, Noor. I will make everything right. Just stay with me... now I will make everything right.")

He kissed her forehead. Gently. Reverently.

Noor looked up at him, her eyes swimming in pain, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Because the way she clung to him, the way she buried her face again in his chest told him everything.

Her tears didn't stop. She kept crying. Her father. Her fear. Her loneliness. It was all too much.

Siddharth continued patting her back, patting her head. Whispering nothing, just holding her close. Trying to breathe for her. Trying to keep her from drowning in her own sobs.

She murmured things in her sleep-like daze- "Papa..." "Dar lag raha hai..."
("Papa..." "I'm scared...")

She was losing herself in the pain. She had carried too much. Too long.

And Siddharth... He watched her. Her face still pressed against him. Her body trembling.

And slowly, her breathing began to slow. Her eyelids drooped, heavy with exhaustion, her body slumping slightly more into his chest.

The pain hadn't left-but the warmth around her was pulling her into rest. Into the one moment of peace she had craved all day.

Her fingers still twisted his shirt. Her lips still moved with broken murmurs. But Noor was falling asleep.

And Siddharth sat still. Watching her face. he was watching the most precious thing he had ever seen. His blue eyes soft, full of ache, full of love. Full of the weight of a man who had just been given the one thing he never thought he would have again- A home. In her.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Siddharth sat there quietly, his arms still wrapped around Noor's small frame, his eyes watching her swollen face-the face of his world, the girl who had just cried her soul out in his arms. Her lashes were wet, stuck together like wilted petals, her breath still slightly uneven, and her brows furrowed even in sleep. She looked tired, as if her body had finally given up after holding in too much for too long.

He didn't move. He didn't blink. He just watched her. His thumb slowly caressed the side of her waist, his other hand gently pressing over her arm, holding her like a fragile heartbeat. His lips rested against the crown of her hair, and in his heart, a soft ache kept blooming.

His little wife.

The warmth of her body against him, the way she had cried, the pain in her words-everything was still echoing in his chest.

And then-

Knock.

Siddharth didn't hear it the first time. His mind was still too full of her. But the second knock came louder.

He blinked. His gaze broke from Noor for the first time in a long while. Another knock. He slowly turned his head toward the door, then back to Noor. His hand instinctively tightened around her, reluctant to let her go. But the knocking wouldn't stop.

So with utmost care, Siddharth shifted. His arms remained around her as he stood up, carrying her gently as if she were made of glass. He walked to the nearby couch and laid her down slowly, almost worshipfully. His hand placed a pillow beneath her head, making sure it supported her neck just right. He brushed her hair away from her cheek, watched her for one more second-then clenched his jaw.

Another knock. This time, harder.

He turned sharply.

He walked to the door like a storm wrapped in silence.

The moment he opened it, he was met with the calm yet alert face of his younger brother.

Veer.

For a beat, neither spoke. Siddharth's face had changed. The softness, the desperation, the ache from before-it was gone. The man who stood in front of Veer now was cold, composed, but dangerous. His expression carried no kindness. No cracks.

But Veer? Veer had tears just sitting in his eyes, unshed but glistening.

Veer didn't try to peek inside the room. He didn't tilt his head to see Noor.

He just asked, with a quiet but trembling voice, "Bhabhi kaisi hai?"
(How is bhabhi?)

Siddharth paused. For a moment, something flickered in his expression. He tilted his head back slightly, glancing over his shoulder at the girl sleeping on the couch.

"Theek hai," he murmured.
(She's fine.)

He looked at her once again, then turned fully to his brother. "So rahi hai."
(She's sleeping.)

Veer nodded. He didn't ask for more.

A breath passed between them.

Then Veer spoke again, his voice a little firmer. "Woh... Doctor aaye the. The operation is done. Filhal toh sab thik hai... par unka hosh aane tak ka wait karenge."
(The doctor came. The operation is done. For now everything is fine... but we'll wait until he regains consciousness.)

Siddharth took a slow breath.

His eyes softened just for a second. The tight knot in his chest loosened. Finally. He didn't even realize how badly he'd been holding his breath until now. His eyes went to Noor again, and some unspoken weight inside him shifted.

But then-

Veer said, more quietly, "Bhai... Aditya ji keh rahe the... Secretary sahab jab gir gaye the... jab unko heart attack aaya... woh aapko dhoond rahe the. Aapka naam le rahe the."
(Bhai... Aditya ji said... when Secretary sir collapsed from the heart attack... he was looking for you. He was taking your name.)

Siddharth's jaw flexed.

His hand curled slightly into a fist. His bow-tie inside his pocket suddenly felt too heavy.

He didn't respond. Just a small nod. A flicker in his eyes. His mind was already racing.

Why?

But before he could dwell deeper-

"Bhai?" Veer said again.

"Haan?" Siddharth looked at him this time, jaw still tight.
(Yes?)

"Bhai... kab tak khud ko aur badnaam karenge aap? Kab tak doosre ke gunaah ko apna sach banakar jiyenge?"
(Bhai... how long will you keep defaming yourself? How long will you carry someone else's sins like your truth?)

Siddharth's eyes narrowed.

Anger.

Burning. Silent. Controlled. But there.

He stared at Veer, his jaw ticking. "Veer, maine pehle bhi tumse kaha hai-"
(Veer, I've told you before-)

"Nahi bhai! Aaj nahi! Jab rishta nahi hai toh kyun bandh rakha hai khud ko aaj tak? Jab jeene marne se farq nahi padta aapko, toh uske gunaah apne sar kyun le rakhe hain?"
(No bhai! Not today! When there's no relationship left, then why have you kept yourself tied to it? When life or death means nothing to you, then why are you carrying his sins on your head?)

Siddharth froze.

He didn't answer. Because he had no answer.

The words struck him in places too deep to speak of. He turned away, his face tilting to the side, jaw clenched harder now.

Veer watched that.

Watched how his brother couldn't look at him.

"Aaj mujhse nazar toh chura lenge aap, bhai," Veer's voice trembled, "par kya bhabhi se bhi chura payenge? Kya bhabhi ko bhi... waise hi jaane denge? Hamesha ke liye?"
(Today you'll turn your eyes away from me, bhai... but will you turn away from bhabhi too? Will you let her go too? Forever?)

That was it.

Something inside Siddharth snapped.

The mere mention of letting Noor go-it exploded in his veins.

Before the words could even settle in the air, Siddharth had moved. A flash of motion.

He grabbed Veer's collar in one sharp jerk and yanked him forward until Veer stood on his toes.

His dark blue eyes were furious. Burning. Wild.

"Aaj bol diya. Dubara zubaan pe na aaye yeh."
(You said it once. Don't you dare repeat it again.)

Their eyes clashed like fire.

But this time, Veer didn't look away.

His little brother had always bowed in front of Siddharth's temper. But not today. Not when it was about Siddharth's own heart.

He didn't blink. Didn't move.

Siddharth's grip stayed, but something in him shifted too. Because he saw it. In Veer's eyes.

Not defiance.

Love.

Protection.

A desperate fight-for him.

But before another word could pass, another voice broke the tension.

"Bhai-"

They didn't even turn.

The voice was enough.

Adarsh.

Standing a few steps away, his phone in hand, his face stiff.

He looked at both of them-one gripping the other by the collar, the other standing on his toes. Both burning with things they didn't know how to name.

But Adarsh's face said it all.

There was something bigger now.

His voice broke in, urgent, serious.

"Bhai... bahar media khadi hai. News dekhiye."
(Bhai... the media is outside. Look at the news.)

Adarsh stepped forward, his face stiff with urgency. He didn't speak this time. He simply held his phone in front of both of them.

Siddharth's hand, still gripped on Veer's collar, slowly released. Veer stood straight again. His chest rising and falling as the weight of tension settled.

On the phone screen, a breaking news banner flashed red. A female anchor's voice pierced the air.

Siddharth leaned in slightly, brows furrowing.

The news was out.

The scandal.

Every secret, every carefully hidden crack-now laid bare for the world to see.

Veer looked at the screen in horror. Adarsh's face paled. But Siddharth-his expression didn't break. Not even once.

His jaw tightened. His eyes sharpened.

Adarsh pulled the phone back as the news ended. His voice came out like a whisper.

"Bhai... what are we going to do next?"

"Kab hua yeh?" Veer asked instantly.
("When did this happen?")

Siddharth's eyes were still locked ahead, focused somewhere far. Silent. But the silence wasn't confusion-it was calculation.

Then his voice came, clipped. "This morning."

His mind was already calculating. Adarsh and Veer exchanged glances. They knew that look.

"Announce a board meeting. Right now," Siddharth ordered.

His voice left no room for doubt.

"Veer. You will attend it. Adarsh... call the media head. Talk to him about this. And I said talk. Samjha?"

("Did you understand?")

Adarsh and Veer shared another glance. Then Veer asked, "Are you not coming, bhai?"

Siddharth didn't even pause. "No."

Veer frowned. "Bhai... you need to come with us. Things are falling apart."

Siddharth turned his head. He knew Veer was right. He knew his absence could cost everything. But his eyes moved to Noor again. Her face still wet from earlier tears. Her hand still trembling slightly.

And he said it. Without blinking, without fear:

"Let the world burn into ashes-I'm not leaving my Noor again. Dubara mere wajah se inki aankhon mein aansu nahi aayenge."

(Let the world burn into ashes-I'm not leaving my Noor again. Never again will tears come into her eyes because of me.)

His voice carried a calm rage. Like a quiet fire.

Adarsh and Veer didn't reply. They knew nothing they said could change that.

As they turned to leave, Siddharth looked out the window, the sky above burning gold in the evening light.

The fire had already started.

Let's see who survives the flames.

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.

.

.

.

.

.

The wind had picked up.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Adarsh and Veer had gone. Siddharth was still standing there, alone outside his office. His hands were deep in his pockets, eyes lifted toward the sky, but his mind was running fast-too fast. It was like a thousand pieces of a puzzle were moving at once and he was trying to lock them in place with nothing but instinct.

He wasn't just a doctor anymore-he was a man with something to protect.

The sky was getting darker. Night had started to settle in, and Siddharth's tall figure stood like a shadowed monument under the dim hospital light. His jaw was clenched, but his face was unreadable-calm. Dead calm. That kind of calm that comes right before a storm.

Then slowly, as if some decision had finally formed inside him, he blinked. Once. A slow blink. And nodded faintly to himself.

Without a word, he turned around and walked back into his office.

As the door opened, the soft yellow light inside spilled over him, and his eyes instantly moved to Noor.

She was still on the sofa. Sleeping. But her position had shifted-one of her legs now hung slightly off the edge. Her hand was still resting near her waist, and her face... it still carried the exhaustion of everything that had happened.

Siddharth walked slowly toward her.

He stopped beside the sofa and knelt down. This wasn't the man who had been gripping his brother's collar a few moments ago. This was someone else. Someone softer. Someone who had fallen in love, and never found his way out.

He gently held Noor's ankle in both hands-his touch feather-light. His thumb slowly rubbed over her skin, his eyes lifted to her sleeping face. But there was something dark in his expression. Something heavy. As if he knew the path ahead was going to cost him more than anything before.

His head bent down, and he softly placed a kiss on her ankle, just above the silver payal he had gifted her.

Then another kiss.

And this time, his lips lingered. His eyes closed. His forehead lightly brushed her leg. It was a moment of worship. Of silent love.

"Papa?"

Noor's sleepy whisper pulled him back. Her voice was faint, confused.

Siddharth looked up. Noor's eyes had just opened. She blinked at the unfamiliar room, at Siddharth sitting on the ground beside her feet.

He gave her a small smile. Quiet. Tired.

She slowly sat up, her body still adjusting. Siddharth shifted slightly, still kneeling, and then spoke in a low voice.

"Thik hai ab. Operation ho gaya. He's just unconscious."
("He's okay now. The operation is done. He's just unconscious.")

A wave of visible relief spread over Noor's face.

Her eyes fluttered shut for a second as she exhaled a long breath-like she was silently thanking every force that had listened to her prayers. Her body softened. That weight... it lifted.

In the next moment, she felt Siddharth's hand gently hold hers.

She opened her eyes and looked down at him.

He was still looking up at her.

"Chalein?" he asked softly.
("Shall we go?")

Noor nodded.

Sleep had completely disappeared from her body now. Her heartbeat, once trembling in fear, had returned to a steadier rhythm. She reached for her slippers and wore them, still holding Siddharth's hand. And Siddharth finally stood up, never letting her go.

They walked out together.

The corridor outside was no longer crowded.

Her mother sat on the bench, not crying anymore-but her face was still pale and tense.

Her brother stood a little away, talking to the doctor. He didn't even turn to look at Noor when she walked past. She noticed. But said nothing.

Her feet moved automatically.

She reached the glass panel of the ICU. A small circle in the frosted window let her see inside.

Her father.

Lying still.

Machines surrounded his bed. Wires attached to his chest. An oxygen mask covered half his face. He looked older-frail-more than she had ever seen.

Her throat tightened. Her eyes welled up.

She stared at him silently. Her heart filling with ache.

But her gaze shifted to the machine beside him. The beeping.

It was steady.

And for the first time in her life... the sound of a machine brought her peace.

He was alive.

Her father was still breathing.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but this time, they didn't burn. They were gentle. Grateful.

She stood like that for a few minutes, soaking in the relief, her hand still in Siddharth's. He hadn't looked inside. He had only looked at her. Let her have this moment.

And when she finally stepped back, wiping her eyes, she noticed her brother had left. Her heart pinched a little. But she didn't say anything.

She turned to Siddharth.

He was already looking at her. A soft smile on his lips. The kind that didn't stretch too much. The kind only Noor could recognize.

She smiled back.

The first smile since that dreadful call.

And it made Siddharth's heart skip a beat.

His grip around her hand tightened slightly.

"Kuch aur bhi dikhana hai aapko," he said, gently.
("There's something else I want to show you.")

"Chalengi mere saath?"
("Will you come with me?")

Noor nodded again. Without asking. Without needing answers.

Because right now, her trust in Siddharth was more than her fear.

And they walked away.
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.

Time passed quietly. Noor didn't know how much. Ten minutes? Twenty? But she noticed something strange.

They weren't heading toward the front entrance.

This wasn't where they had entered.

Instead, Siddharth was leading her through a different path-toward the back.

She could hear distant shouting from the front side of the hospital, like a commotion was going on. Something chaotic.

But she didn't ask.

She looked at Siddharth. He didn't look back.

His jaw was clenched. His brows drawn. And Noor knew... something big was on his mind.

His silence said enough.

Waiting outside was his car. The same black one. Polished. Powerful.

He opened the door for Noor. She sat down silently.

Her pallu had fallen. Siddharth reached forward, picked it up gently, and placed it over her lap. It was an unconscious gesture. Something he always did. Like breathing.

Then he walked around and got in.

His hand reached out and took hers again. Firm. Steady. Warm.

But Noor noticed something else.

There was weight behind that touch.

He was thinking too much.

She didn't say a word.

He started driving. The city lights faded behind them. The roads turned darker. Emptier.

It felt like late night. Or maybe just the heaviness of everything made it feel so.

No words were spoken between them. None.

But every few minutes... Siddharth squeezed her hand.

And Noor knew. He always did that when he was under pressure. When his mind was fighting wars.

She looked at him. But still said nothing.

They drove for thirty minutes. And then turned toward a forested path.

Ten more minutes.

And then the car stopped.

In front of a building.

Noor's heart skipped.

The building was silent.

Dead silent.

Not a single light.

It looked... abandoned.

Lonely.

The wind rustled around them, the air was cooler here. Something about this place made her uneasy.

But she stayed quiet.

She trusted him.

Siddharth turned to her, still holding her hand.

He lifted it and kissed the back of her palm making her feel home in the most chilling place she has visited.

Then got out.

He came to her side, opened the door, helped her out. Noor's eyes scanned the place again. Still dark.

She looked at Siddharth. He wasn't scared.

He wasn't even surprised by the stillness.

He looked like a man who had been here before.

He looked down at Noor. His voice calm.

"Trust me cherry."

She nodded.

They started walking.

Wind blew harder now. The air whispered things Noor didn't understand.

They reached the old stairs. Two. Three steps.

Then stood in front of the gate.

Siddharth looked at her.

"Kuch puchna nahi hai aapko?" he asked.
("Don't you want to ask anything?")

Noor looked at him. Her mind full of questions. But her mouth said nothing.

She simply tightened her hold on his hand.

And then whispered-

"Sab ke sawalon ka jawab denge to baaten kis se karenge? Humein jawab nahi... hissa chahiye Aarth... aapke dard mein."
("If you give answers to everyone's questions, whom will you talk to? I don't want answers... I want a part in your pain.")

Siddharth's heart skipped a beat.

In the middle of all this darkness... she had become his light.

He closed his eyes.

And a smile came.

That rare, small smile Noor knew too well.

The smile he gave when his words were not enough.

He opened the door. And suddenly, a flood of warm yellow light greeted them.

The inside was nothing like the outside.

It was peaceful. Elegant. Designed like a secret haven.

A wide hall. Clean. Organized. Safe.

Noor stepped in.

And then froze.

Her eyes widened.

There was a figure lying on a medical bed.

Connected to a ventilator.

Monitors around. Photos on the walls. Familiar. Unknown.

She didn't understand.

Siddharth stepped forward.

Her hand was suddenly empty. He had let go. She looked down. Then ahead.

He was standing in front of her. Calm. Tall.

Their eyes met.

And then, with a strange smile... a new one... Siddharth said-

"Mere atet mein aapka swagat hai, Noor."
("Welcome to my past, Noor.")

And everything inside her heart went still.

The door closed behind them.

The night wasn't over.

It was just beginning.

__________________________

Notice-

From now on, I'll be uploading once a week (on Monday) That's the schedule, and it's not up for discussion. Those who follow me on Instagram already know why, and that should be enough.

I'm done running behind responses & disrespecting my own self & work & now I'm not repeating things again and again. No targets, no expectations.

Enjoy♡