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I V A A N

"Itna pyar kyu karte hain aap mujhse? Or mujhe kabhi pata hi nahi chala, kese?" her question left me amazed. (Why do you love me so much? And I never realized how)

What did she mean by 'why' and 'when'?

I hugged her tightly, caressing her hair, and said, "I don't know when it happened, and as for why you didn't realize, it's because you never looked at me the way I did."

She moved from my embrace, looking at me with her doe eyes, her lips motioning to say— to kiss me.

I suddenly realized it was something so tragically, fucking frantic that it felt like it was all a facade. She tasted so sweet, unbelievably sweet. Her sudden move to kiss me, our first kiss, twisted my insides. God knows what I'm willing to do with her right now.

The urge to unwrap her, to embrace her inner beauty, overtook me. I held her in my arms, still kissing her. Is she aroused? No, sorry, no such words for a woman.

So intense,fucking hot, so sweaty—my condition worsening with each passing moment.

Carefully, I walked with her to her room, forgetting that Vansh was still at home as we kissed. I locked the door; she broke the kiss, still gazing into my eyes. She arched back, her arm moving as my mouth left wet kisses on her neck, over that tiny, beautiful scar.

I didn't know how or when she got it, but I'm going to embrace all of them because they belong to her, and she belongs to me.

She felt so rare. I wanted to commit the darkest sins with her, but she felt too weak to face them. My hands moved towards her dress, but before I could proceed, her eyes met mine, silently asking for permission.

I pulled her towards me with a jerk. "May I?" I asked. She blinked twice in response, making me think she agreed.

I began to unbutton— "Ivaan, rukein," she said.(stop)

"You don't want it?" I asked, trying to understand why she stopped me.

"No, I mean—I want to—but I do—" I stopped her mid-sentence and placed my palm on her cheek.

"If you're not ready, that's perfectly fine. I was too quick," I reassured her.

I never wanted her to think I only desired her body. It's true that men don't require much time when it comes to intimacy, but women need time and reassurance. She is practically giving all of herself to her husband or partner, so do men but in my opinion, it's much harder for women. This is a non-negotiable belief for me.

"I am sorry for making you excited. It all happened in the heat of the moment." No, she doesn't have to feel guilty.

"It's not your fault, okay? I am the one who loses balance and, to be precise, gets horny," I said, and I saw her laughing.

It was the most beautiful scene in this whole tiring, dramatic day.

I bent down to her 5'4" height while I stood at 5'9". "You look pretty when you smile, so keep doing that, Mrs. Malhotra."

"The name still has time."

"You never know. Besides, if you believe me, I don't want to waste another second without you." She moved towards me, hugging me tightly.

"All of it happened so fast that it's like a dream for me. In just 48 hours, you became my everything from just a friend, and I can't believe that out of all the people on this planet, I am saying all of this to you."

I suddenly pulled back and looked at her with a frown; it hurt my ego. "What do you mean by that?"

"That I never thought someday you'd be so important to me. So important that even the thought of you not being with me might scare the life out of me," she said and then paused, as if she was adoring me.

Her eyes said everything. It was the look that Mom gave Dad, and in every lifetime, I wanted a love like theirs. And I have found one. Her eyes filled with tears. I was scared. I didn't care if it wasn't because of me. Whatever the reason for her tears, I just couldn't bear to see her cry.

"Ivaan, yo-" she stopped and then continued, "Ivaan, you know I was - I was very scared to love you back or accept your feelings. I was scared."

I patted her back as she took deep breaths and continued, "You know Devang, the boy from the other day? He was the one my mother wanted me to marry. I never loved him, but in our hometown, which was a small place, he said he'd marry me. He was the son of my father's friend. One day, he went out of town, and when he came back, he somehow framed me, accusing me of cheating on him. He forced false allegations on me and showed morphed pictures, staining my whole existence because his father wouldn't agree to his marriage with someone else. Meanwhile, I had started developing feelings for him, but he cheated. Since then, I never thought I would love someone."

"But see - I love you, Mr. Malhotra," she said.

By now, her face was stained with salty tears, but she looked relieved.Only I knew how much I was controlling myself to not go and kill that guy who hurt my Adira.

"I am never letting you go, my little birdie." She laughed, or to be precise, cringed at the nickname.

"You're bad at nicknames."

"You'll know the reason soon," I said and kissed the top of her head.

Moving towards the bed, I made her sit comfortably with her head on my chest, covered with the duvet. The feeling was everything.

"You know, Adira, I also have a past. You know that Kavya? I despise her so much. She betrayed me. Our fathers were always friends, and I liked her back then, but I was a total nerd. She accepted my feelings but treated me badly, humiliating me in front of her friends. I let it go every time, but one day she cheated on me with my own best friend. She was playing with me. Even during my final term, she was the one who cheated in the exam, but somehow she and her group framed me. I was a total disappointment to my parents, and she did more uncountable worse things. But now that I've 'upgraded,' according to her, she wants me back, but I don't."

Yes, the feeling of telling everything is very comforting. I feel very light. I feel like I have nothing against Kavya anymore. I have moved on. I have something to treasure more than despising something for my whole life.

"I won't leave you, my little cager," she said and kissed my cheek.

"Okay, my birdie," I said and pecked her lips.

"So cringe," she laughed.

The whole night just passed in a flick with her laughter, us chatting, adoring each other, and most importantly, loving the feeling of loving each other.

A U T H O R

"Hiiii," Adira squealed, flying from here to there like a bird, Ivaan's bird.

"You look so happy, Adira," Tanvay asked.

"Of course, I am," she replied.

"What's the good news, Adira?" another employee asked her.

"Tell her, Adira," Tanvay said teasingly.

Of course, he knew everything because there were times when Ivaan asked for his opinion. He was not just an assistant to him.

"Tanvay," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Anyways, where's sir?" she asked, whispering in his ear.

"Today he has gone to his farmhouse at the end of the city. He didn't want to go, but Anik sir sent him," he said and moved away, leaving her with a sad pout on her lips, fidgeting with her fingers.

___________

"Adira, Nidhi ma'am is here to meet you," Tanvay said, rushing in and making her anxious.

"She wants to meet me? Why?" she asked, pointing to herself.

"I don't know. Go quickly; she looks tense." From his tone, Adira figured out that Nidhi was here to talk about last night.

She walked towards Ivaan's cabin and saw Nidhi pacing restlessly. She cleared her throat and said, "You called me, ma'am?"

A D I R A

She came towards me. I was thinking she would slap me or shout at me, but instead, she joined her hands in front of me and said, "I beg you, Adira, leave my son. I know you're a nice girl, and I know both of you love each other so much, but you don't know it's breaking the peace of my house. Building a new relationship at the cost of breaking an old one isn't right, and you can understand it very well. Ivaan said this morning that he will leave both of us for you because his father is strictly against your marriage."

My knees felt weak. She was basically asking me to leave him and go. Still, I asked her, "What do you want me to do?"

She looked down, her lips quivering. She closed her eyes for a second and then said, "Go away. Go from his life, Adira, before he comes back. Go from here before evening. Don't worry, you don't have to struggle. I have made preparations for you and your brother to stay."

Why do these rich people think love can be bought with money? I don't want their money. I never did. I wanted him, but I don't want to be the reason for the distance between him and his father. Besides, his mother is right. I am someone new, but to his father, Ivaan is his last hope. He has to choose them if it's a choice.

"Your son won't be able to bear it. He loves me. Please don't do this," I tried but failed.

"I know, I know everything, and I am happy that he has found love, but I can't bear him and Anik being distant," she said and moved towards the door, stopping to say, "I am sorry, Adira. If possible, forgive me," and left.

She left me broken in a place where I want to go into his embrace but can't. Something is stopping me. I can't go to him, but I also can't go away from him.

My legs went numb. I fell down on the floor, my hands shaking, my lips quivering, my whole body losing its energy. "I can't - I can't - I can't leave him."

His words echoed in my ears; the whole last night replayed in my head.

"I'd better leave such a company and partners who can't respect my wife. But if you think you can make me leave her? Not over my dead body, Dad,"

"You look pretty when you smile, so keep doing that, Mrs. Malhotra."

"I am never letting you go, my little birdie"

How he fought with his parents for me, for us; how he tried so hard for us. It'll be like all of his efforts will go in vain.

I cried so hard, my hands curled into fists when I mumbled, "Maa, I love him. First you left me, I can't afford to lose him. Maa, help me."

After crying for more minutes, I remembered his mother's words. I have to go. The emotional side is different. I can't become an obstacle between a father and son. He has to forget me. I am sorry, Ivaan.

I left from there, practically ran away. I know he's going to hate me after this. He's going to hate loving me in the first place. He'll despise my entire existence. I fucking hate myself more for letting him go through all of this once more.
All of this is so fucking painful, so difficult for me.

Forgive me, Ivaan, forgive me.

I love you, Ivaan Malhotra.

I might go from here, but I am leaving my heart. My hand moved toward my chest, I caressed over there and, smiling through my tears, words escaped from my lips, "It belongs to you."

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