Haunting darkness

The music around started to give her a headache, Aarvi went towards the mansion but Tia returned and said, "Sister Aarvi, I will get going, or else I will get too late."

Aarvi composed in no time without letting Tia read her state of mind and faintly smiled, "Did you call the driver?"

"Yeah, he is at the entrance. I will meet brother Shawn and leave."

Aarvi nodded and saw her sprinting towards Shawn. She turned to go to the mansion but saw Naomi and Aaron talking seriously. She didn't enter the mansion and walked away from the party.

The throbbing pain, the suffocation, her complex thoughts, she named everything as hurt, she is hurt for bringing trouble to the man who wanted nothing from her but her good health and safety.

She knew she shouldn't have heard him and stayed with him. She shouldn't have looked for him just because she wanted to. She shouldn't have thought about him whenever her past haunted her. She shouldn't have attached to him just because he looked after her.

She was called as bad luck in her parent's home just because of her birth, she didn't want to get the same tag living in Avron or living with Aaron. She had taken too much from them just because she had the heart of Rivas family member, she didn't want to be the hindrance to his happy life.

She wanted to live alone which wouldn't bring anybody trouble.

'Should I go far away from here where nobody could reach me?' She raised her head and saw the mansion brightly lit. Thought of losing everything filled her eyes. She wanted to be alone without anybody but slowly on one added up again making her hard to leave.

The one she could think of speaking at that time was her Apple pie. She looked around for the mobile and realized her mobile is with Aaron.

She knows Aaron will not let her go or agree for her to stay alone so she thought to leave silently. But leaving without a word didn't feel right. He had searched for her, looked after her, and made sure she was fine every day, she can't return the favor so she didn't want to be ungrateful.

She felt a sharp stinging pain in her chest but she wasn't sure if it was physically or emotionally.

When she was sitting thinking about Aaron, he was looking around for her after seeing Shawn and Dax with different people.

Naomi ran behind him, "Aaron, what's wrong?"

Aaron coldly said, "Leave..." He stopped a maid and asked, "Aarvi?"

The maid responded with a bow. "Young master, I haven't seen Miss."

Aaron moved ahead but heard an aged voice behind him, "Young master..." Aaron turned to see Melia reaching him holding an absorbent towel.

"Did Aarvi go on the top?" Aaron asked, taking the towel.

Melia answered looking towards the waterfalls, "I saw Miss going there. Since it's been more than fifteen minutes, I thought the towel might be needed."

Aaron nodded and went around the artificial waterfalls of the mansion and climbed up. It was a place where Aarvi always went whenever she wanted to be outside or speculate about something. It was like her hideout from everything and she would always keep her legs in water that Melia and Aaron knew well.

Naomi who heard everything went behind Aaron but a guard stopped her, "I am sorry, Miss. Nobody is allowed further." She didn't want to create a scene and become a laughing stock hence she didn't argue and went to the bar counter cursing Aarvi in her mind.

Aaron saw Aarvi gazing at the mansion immersed in her thoughts. He kneeled and carefully pulled her legs out of the water as he asked, "Isn't water cold?"

Aarvi tried to take the towel but Aaron didn't allow it and gently pressed the absorbent towel on her feet and ankle to dry it.

The way Aaron takes care of her, if any other girl was in her place, she wouldn't want to go away from him and it was no different for Aarvi.

Growing without her parents caring about her, she always wished to have someone to treat her like a treasure, like a precious princess who would get hurt even by lifting a little weight. She always felt that around him.

Many times she wished she could have him in her life but she is ruining some people's lives to stop them playing in other's life, she doesn't want his life to mess up with hers.

They were the polar opposite. He is warm light and she is haunting darkness. He is pure and tender and she is evil and scheming. He gives happiness to people and she is ruining the peace of mind. He is a gem of his family and she is the jinx of her family. He deserves happiness but she has nothing but desolation.

After drying, he helped her wear her heels and saw her mute watching him, "What's wrong?"

Aarvi shook her head and stood on her feet when Aaron pulled her up. "I will go to my room."

Aaron hummed and led her holding her hand as they alighted the uneven steps. She bid Dax who was leaving and met Shawn who was staying in the mansion so no girl for the night.

Aaron saw the security head and ordered, "Send everyone. Nobody should stay back other than Shawn."

"Roger that." He responded and quickly instructed the few to help everyone out.

Aaron was slightly tipsy, as soon as he went upstairs, he took shower and brushed his teeth disliking his own state. He was going to bed when he remembered Aarvi and her mobile.

---

In Aarvi's bedroom

Aaron saw her standing against the darkness watching the night. She hadn't changed her dress and she wasn't reacting to the Laze which was laying next to her feet waiting for her attention.

A thought raised in his mind remembering their conservation in the car. 'Should I let her know she is the one I love?' He brushed off the subject thinking to let her handle the Harmons first without increasing the complication for her. He entered the room and reached her.

Aarvi turned when she heard the footsteps. Aaron saw her eyes glistening in which he saw his own silhouette. Her dainty face was soothing to his eyes that he forgot everything else.

Her black orbs in her almond-shaped eyes were whirlpool pulling him deeper into them, her cheeks were slightly pink as if the blush was carefully applied. Her straight-edged nose was bonnie on her petite face. Her velvet red lips corners were unmoving.

Thinking he was there to check if she got the fever, she lowered her head allowing him to touch her forehead. It had been more than six months since she stopped having fevers or cold, he never stopped being assured about her health.

When her gaze left him, he sleekly held her face caressing her delicate cheek with his thumb without his knowledge. Aarvi was confused looking at his hand and raised her head to see him.

His eyes were full of tender love and warmth carrying infinite gentleness. She held his hand to remove from holding her but the next movement skipped her heartbeat for the first time. She could feel her heart start racing, she felt the heart as hers for the first time in two years.

She blinked seeing his face up close, too close and realized he was kissing her. His lips caressed her lip leading her to tighten her grip on his hand and pausing her breath.

Aaron came to his senses as soon as his lips touched her soft velvety lips and her cold palm on his forearm. He backed off instantly.

His kiss went as soon as it came.

He just wanted to check on her if she is fine and ask her why she was lost in thoughts or if she needed any help. He never wanted to do anything without her permission. "I'm sorry. I..."

Aarvi felt her heart shatter as if somebody hammered her heart to break into innumerable pieces. She pointed the door for him as her face turned cold as ice.

"Aarvi..."

Aarvi looked away saying, "Leave..." as her tears rolled on her cheeks. She got the response to her complicated feelings but she didn't expect his sorry for that, she wanted the reason. If his reason started with sorry, she didn't want to hear it.

Aaron left her room looking back at her repeatedly.

Aarvi wiped her cheeks controlling her sniffles. She hadn't believed when she heard from those ladies saying she was going to be a third woman between Aaron and Naomi. She had trusted Aaron but he broke her in just a second.

She didn't anticipate the movement she realized her feelings to destroy her faith.