Aryan and Sanju were drowning in thoughts of each other, their hearts aching with every second of separation. Despite the misunderstandings, the emotional pull between them remained unshaken. The distance hurt the most at a time they needed each other the most. Aryan knew exactly how Sanju would be, fragile, overthinking, spiraling in silence and all he wanted was to be by her side, hold her, tell her everything. On the other hand, Sanju longed for Aryan’s warmth, the comfort of his embrace. But the tangled mess of unsaid feelings and buried anger held her back from calling him. It wasn’t until Ranjith’s words pierced her guarded heart that everything within her shifted , she needed to see Aryan, now more than ever.
Meanwhile, Aryan was pacing the living room like a restless soul when his phone rang. It was Ranjith. He answered it without a second thought.
“Ranjith, how is Sanju doing now?” Aryan asked, his voice laced with worry.
“Sir,” Ranjith replied with a heavy sigh, “the doctor checked her just a while ago. She’s still under chronic stress. He says this can’t continue like this. If it does, she might slip into depression.”
Aryan’s heart dropped. His legs gave up and he sank to the floor, feeling a helplessness that clawed at his chest.
“Sir…” Ranjith called softly, sensing the silence on the other end.
“Hmmm… Yes, Ranjith,” Aryan muttered, trying to pull himself together.
“The doctor gave her an injection to calm her,” Ranjith added gently, “but he also said this can’t be done every time. It’s not a long-term solution.”
Aryan swallowed the lump in his throat. “Is she sleeping now?”
“Yes, sir,” Ranjith said. “But… she’s been calling your name. Again and again in her sleep.”
“She said my name?” Aryan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes, sir. She’s been murmuring your name like it’s the only thing she can hold on to.”
That was it. Aryan grabbed his keys without another word and rushed out the door.
The hospital room was dim and silent when Aryan entered. His eyes fell on Sanju, curled up in bed, her cheeks stained with dried tears. The sight shattered something inside him. He slowly walked to her and sat by her side, his hand gently brushing her hair, the other holding her fragile hand.
“Sanju baby,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Please don’t be like this. I can’t see you like this. Please, trust me. Yell at me, scold me, even hate me… but don’t avoid me. Stay where I can see you.”
Just then, Ranjith and Kowsalya walked in, carrying a plate of food.
“Sir,” Ranjith said softly, “you haven’t eaten anything since last night. Please, have a few bites.”
“I’m not hungry. Take it away, Ranjith,” Aryan replied without looking up.
“Sir,” Ranjith insisted, “you need to stay healthy if you want to take care of Sanjana. What happens if you collapse? Who will take care of her then?”
Kowsalya added, her voice motherly and sincere, “I’ve known you for years, sir. For all the good you’ve done, God won’t let anything bad happen to you. But you need to eat.”
Suddenly, Sanju stirred in her sleep. Her lips quivered, and she began to moan softly, “Aryan… Aryan… please don’t leave me…”
Tears welled in Aryan’s eyes. He leaned closer, cupping her cheeks, gently patting her to calm her down, but she kept calling his name. Desperate to soothe her, he tried to wake her.
“Sanju… Sanju, look at me. I’m here, sweetheart.”
His voice, constant and pleading, finally reached her. Her eyes fluttered open, confused and teary, until they landed on him.
“Aryan…” she whispered.
“I’m here, baby,” he said, brushing her hair back gently.
“Aryan… I’m sorry… please don’t leave me,” she cried.
“Where would I go, leaving you?” he said, hugging her carefully as she reached out and clung to him, sobbing.
“Shhh… Please don’t cry, Sanju. I can’t handle it when you cry like this.”
“I’m not crying,” she sniffled. “But promise me you’ll stay.”
“I’m always with you,” he said, tightening the hug. “Even if you ask me to leave, I won’t.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
He pulled back just enough to cup her face and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering while she smiled faintly, clutching his collar.
“Fight me all you want,” he whispered. “Just don’t walk away from me again.”
She slowly pulled out of the hug, her eyes still wet. “I need to fight a lot,” she murmured. “But first… I need water. My throat is so dry.”
“I’ll get it for you,” Aryan said quickly, standing up.
But as he handed her the glass, she stopped him with a look.
“What’s wrong? Have the water,” he said.
“Did you eat anything, Aryan?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah, I had,” he lied, avoiding her gaze.
“Call Ranjith anna,” she said suddenly.
“Why?” he frowned.
“Because you won’t tell me the truth. I’ll ask him instead.”
He sighed, defeated. “Fine. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.”
“Then first, you eat something. Only then I’ll drink water.”
“Sanju…”
“No way, Mr. Aryan,” she cut him off sternly.
He smiled, despite himself. “Do you know what it does to me when I hear you say Aryan? You killed me yesterday by calling me Mr. Chaitanya.”
“Well,” she said with a teasing glare, “if you don’t eat right now, you’ll be permanently called Mr. Chaitanya.”
“No, no!” he laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ll eat!”
Aryan picked up the plate and sat next to her. He gently offered her a spoonful first, then took a bite himself. They fed each other slowly, quietly, with unspoken affection. The hunger strike that lasted 24 hours came to an end — not just for food, but for each other.
Later, Aryan sat on the bed with Sanju nestled against his chest, his arm wrapped protectively around her.
“Sanju…” he murmured.
“Hmm?” she responded sleepily.
“I’m sorry.”
She looked up at him, her expression soft but stern. “No. I’m not accepting your sorry. And we are definitely going to fight.”
“Are you sure?” he teased.
“Hmm… yes,” she nodded. Then her voice turned serious. “Why didn’t you believe me?”
Aryan frowned. “What?”
“Why didn’t you believe me, Aryan?”
He blinked, confused. That wasn’t the question he was expecting. He thought she’d be upset about him hiding things, not this.
“Wait… You think I didn’t believe you?”
“If you truly believed in me,” Sanju said, “then you would have told me about Sunita. You would’ve trusted me to understand. But you didn’t. Did you really think I wouldn’t believe you?”
Aryan stared at her, stunned. “Wait… So you’re not mad about Sunita?”
“Oh, I am,” she smirked. “That’s a whole separate issue. But my real anger? It was because you didn’t believe me. That hurt more.”
Aryan took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I thought you didn’t believe me. That you ignored me because of that.”
Sanju shook her head with a faint smile. “Well then, now answer my question.”
Aryan took a deep breath, his fingers gently brushing through Sanju’s hair as she rested in his arms. He could feel the heaviness still lingering in the room despite their shared tears. Sanju, although comforted by his presence, still had questions buried in her heart.
“Its not like that, baby,” Aryan said softly, meeting her eyes. “I believe you more than me. She is not a person worth to be spoken about whom I don’t even have in any of my thoughts. She is not worth to have a flashback. I was at the beginning stage of expanding my business and there were many successful people then. She was a budding model and worked for me. People used to say that we made good pair and I won’t deny that I felt that she was beautiful at that time and I didn’t deny any gossips about us. Before anything could happen between us she got huge money and best projects to leave me from someone and she left. She is nothing more. “
Sanju looked at him, her gaze firm yet vulnerable. “Then why did she say you proposed to her?”
Aryan scoffed lightly, shaking his head. “Maybe she got some money again to act. You know how easily people are bought when their morals are for sale.”
Sanju frowned, her brows furrowing. “But why? Why would anyone go to such lengths?”
“It’s simple,” Aryan replied, his tone turning serious. “To separate us.”
Her lips curved slightly, despite the tension. “What if someone came to me with some deal to leave you?”
He raised a brow curiously. “And what would you do then?”
“I’ll pay a rupee more than what they offered,” she smirked, “and tell them clearly, Aryan is only mine and I’ll never leave him.”
A smile tugged at Aryan’s lips. “I don’t think it would be that easy… but let’s see.”
Sanju narrowed her eyes. “Why do you say that?”
He looked at her, the weight of truth pressing against his chest. “Sanju, there are so many things I need to tell you. But I need you to trust me. When the time is right, I’ll explain everything. I’m not hiding things because I don’t trust you. I’m doing it to keep you safe. Do you understand?”
She nodded hesitantly. “Hmm… okay.”
“So… is the issue settled now?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” she said, lips pressing into a pout. “Not yet.”
“What now?” he asked, almost amused.
“How could she hug you?” she demanded.
Aryan sighed. “She just appeared out of nowhere. I was talking to Ranjith, and before I even realized what was happening, she hugged me.”
“Still, I can’t accept that,” Sanju grumbled. “Did you at least take a bath?”
He smiled faintly. “Your blood cleaned her dirt off my shirt. Still, I stood under the shower for a long time.”
“Sorry…” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Actually, I should be the one apologizing,” Aryan said gently, cupping her cheek. “Just remember this, Sanju, even if I ever say I hate you, don’t believe it. Know that there will be a reason behind it… and that reason will be to protect you. Protect us.”
“Are we… do we have enemies, Aryan?”
He nodded solemnly. “More than I can count. But that doesn’t matter. Just believe in us. That belief will keep us strong.”
“I still don’t understand everything,” she murmured, “but… I trust you.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Aryan moved quickly, taking the seat beside her bed. “Come in,” he called out.
The nurse entered with Sanju’s medication, gave her the tablets, and quietly left. Soon after, Ranjith and Kowsalya walked in.
“Ranjith, Kowsalya maa,” Aryan said, standing, “you both should head home now.”
“Sir,” Kowsalya offered, “shall I stay outside in case you need anything?”
“No, I’ll take care of her. You both can come back in the morning.”
“Okay, sir,” Ranjith nodded.
“Sanju dear,” Kowsalya said kindly, brushing her hair, “rest well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Once they left, Aryan locked the door and returned to Sanju’s side. He sat on the bed, his arms wrapping around her as she leaned into him.
“Sanju…”
“Yeah?” she looked up at him.
“Will you do something for me?”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Don’t stress yourself about anything. Whatever happens, I’m here for you. Just be happy. Don’t let anything shake that.”
She nodded. “Okay…”
“You can’t keep taking tablets to control your stress,” he said gently. “It’s not good for your health.”
Sanju smirked. “Well, we can reduce stress without tablets too.”
Aryan tilted his head. “And how’s that?”
“Kissing reduces stress. Pavi told me that,” she said with a wink.
Before she could say anything else, Aryan lifted her face and kissed her deeply. It wasn’t just a kiss — it was a pouring out of all the unspoken words, the pain, the relief, the longing. A single tear slipped from her eye, touching his hand. He wiped it away tenderly with his thumb as they finally broke apart, breathless.
“Then remember,” he whispered, “you’re not going to have stress anymore.”
She shyly hid in his embrace, and he pressed a kiss to her hairline.
“When can we go home?” she asked softly.
“I’ll check with the doctor tomorrow,” he said.
“No,” she insisted. “Let’s go home tomorrow. I want to be home.”
Aryan smiled. “Okay, I’ll speak to the doctor. We’ll go home.”
“Hmm… good.”
“It’s getting late now,” he said, lying down. “Come on, sleep.”
“What about you?”
“I’m sleeping too, baby.”
He pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head on his chest, fingers clutching his shirt tightly.
“It gives a warm feel when you do that,” he said, brushing his hand along her back.
“Is it?” she asked, looking up.
“Yes,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“I don’t know why… but once you’re beside me, my hands just find their way to hold you.”
He chuckled, holding her even tighter.
Soon, they both drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s warmth, their hearts beating in sync. Each night, their bond grew deeper, making it impossible to imagine a day without one another. It wasn’t just love, it was the beginning of a forever.
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