7 Punishing me

In Aarvi's bedroom.

In a simple black slip top and shorts, Aarvi was working on her laptop sitting on a single black armchair resting her foot on the footstool.

Aaron knocked on the door and entered inside the modern and simplistic complete black room. Just a little amount of white and grey details were used to balance the artistic look of the room.

As much as Aaron knew from ten years back, she loved colors and now she sacrificed all the colors.

Before Aarvi, her oriental black cat stared at the intruder sitting on the arm of the chair. Its eyes always caught Aaron's attention but he couldn't understand why it always gives a resentful look to everyone excluding Aarvi.

Aarvi saw the first aid box and her medicine box in his hand. He was more like her caretaker than a doctor. Even though both avoid talking, Aaron never missed attending her.

Seeing him point to the bed, she obliged and sat down beside him while her cat, Laze followed quickly and circled her marking its territory. Then it curled on her lap glaring at Aaron as if a third wheel entered on their date night.

She was about to take her daily dose of medication for the heart but heard "Fur." Aaron didn't have any OCD, he was just a clean freak. He was double conscious due to her health.

Like many other days, he fed her the tablets, handed her a glass of water to drink.

He had just held her right hand to disinfect the wound, Aarvi's left backhand reached his forehead feeling his hand warmer than usual. Aaron was surprised and she blurted out "You are burning."

The roles swapped in a second.

Aarvi left Laze on the floor sending it towards its bed which again glared at Aaron walking regally to its bed with a look of, 'Housebreaker! Hmph'

Aarvi fetched a thermometer from the first aid box and placed it in his mouth. She quickly washed and sanitized her hands to avoid making him uncomfortable.

Aaron rarely gets to see her real emotions so he was late to react looking at her running around in the room. "Your hands are cold, I am fine."

Aarvi pulled the thermometer out to see the reading. Her brows furrowed and showed it to him, "Are you a quack?"

Aaron: "..."

Okay, he agrees he has a fever but quack? He didn't want her to worry but he liked it.

Popping a fever table from the wrap, she handed it to him with a glass of water. Aaron was obedient as a puppet who followed without a word.

He was ready to do anything for her but he just needs her by his side. He was watching her without realizing she had called his assistant.

"Speaking. What did Doctor..."

Aaron sleekly pulled her mobile from her hand and spoke completely changing the topic. "Reschedule my morning meeting." His voice was crisp and stern void of emotions unlike how he speaks to Aarvi. Then he hung up the call.

Seeing Aarvi waiting for him to speak, he briefed, "Long flight and I had emergency surgery at noon."

One second passed...

Two seconds passed...

Three seconds passed...

...

Ten seconds passed...

Both stared at each other in the eye until Aaron spilled out, "Skipped last three meals and didn't sleep last night."

Aarvi had expected it. he works all night just to return back soon from the business trip. Her low yet unyielding tone sounded in the room, "Go to bed."

Her gaze was clearly and loudly asking him, 'Can't you follow instead of just lecturing me about a healthy routine?'

He was an eye candy of the Rivas family from the time he was born, he is a most eligible bachelor in country A but for her, his looks, power, or family never mattered and goes against him.

He had no choice but to lose to her. "After..." 'dressing your wound.'

Aarvi cut in and her voice turned cold, "Now!"

Aaron: "..."

He left her room like a neglected husband thrown out of the bedroom by an inconsiderate wife.

Aarvi took care of her wound by herself. She continued to work for a few more hours and went to Aaron's room where he was sleeping soundly.

She checked his temperature to realize he was still burning. She started a cold compress treatment with a wet towel.

Two years back, her body was very fragile and attracted cold and fever easily. All those nights, Aaron never left her side. He had looked after her day and night ignoring everything. So she knew a lot about the minor health issues and treatments.

Smoothening his frowns, it reminded of how he used to sit right next to her during those nights.

When she woke up after her misfortune, she was mute for months seeing unknown faces around her by thinking why didn't she die on the day she was shot on the left chest to kill her.

She had even tried to suicide without knowing what was going on in her life. She had the same face but where were the deep wounds and bruises on her body? Why was she taking so many medicines?

She had almost believed the novelistic transmigration to a body of a girl who was showered with all love and care that her own family never showed.

A simple groan of her was worrying every maid, the housekeeper of Aaron's mansion, and mainly Aaron. But those weren't enough to erase her haunting past.

It was after three months of bed rest due to unstable health, she got to know she was in a coma for nine months. Hence her wounds were healed without a mark. She was taking so many medicines because she had a heart transplant that might need lifelong medication.

She wasn't sure why Aaron never asked who she was but thinking about the dirty side of the wealthy families, she ran away from the hospital when he took her out for the examination but he had found her fainted in front of the hospital.

It repeated a few times, she had thrown a lot of tantrums but Aaron didn't mind any of that and tended to her bringing her back to his mansion every time. It took her time to realize he was protecting her.

How could he be a threat who waited nine whole months waiting for her to wake up? How could he be a threat who sat right next to her for three months due to her unstable health? How could he be a threat who is around her another two years to strengthen her physically and mentally?

In her life, she had nobody as caring and protective as Aaron that she many times had a wishful thought that why didn't he come to her life sooner? Those wishful thoughts didn't hold a place in her life knowing he was protecting her due to the heart inside her but not for her.

Being called 'a jinx' by her parents all her life, she never expected anybody to treasure her.

...

Aaron woke up in the middle of the night touching the wet towel on his forehead. After realization, he looked aside to see dozed off Aarvi sitting on the stool and resting her head on the edge of the bed.

Stroking his fingers on her velvety soft cheeks, he asked the questions which he never dared to ask her directly. "Cupcake, why did you erase me from your memory? Didn't you promise to be with me? Are you punishing me for leaving without informing?"