Page 21

“I’ve never told anyone this before,” I admitted, my voice hoarse. “I’ve never let anyone see...”

“I see you, Vishnu,” Simran interrupted gently. “I see your pain, your strength, and your loyalty. You are the strongest man I know, to have hidden all this pain for years and never ever complained. You’ve carried this burden for so long, protecting everyone else. Maybe it’s time to let someone protect you for a change.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow. Protect me? The concept was so foreign, so at odds with everything I’d built my life around that I had trouble processing it. Yet, in that moment, it was what I wanted—more than anything.

“I don’t know how,” I confessed quietly, the admission costing me more than I cared to admit. Laying bare my vulnerability before her made me feel exposed in a way I had never allowed myself to be.

Simran’s hand tightened on mine. “You begin by not pushing people away. By letting someone in, even if it’s just a little bit.”

Perhaps for the first time, I looked at her. Like really looked at her—seeing past her flirtatious personality.

“Why?” I asked, unable to comprehend why she would want to take on my burdens. “Why do you care?”

Simran’s lips curved into a soft smile. “Because behind that tough exterior, I’ve always seen someone worth caring about. Someone who deserves more than he’s been given.”

Her words washed over me like a healing balm, soothing wounds I hadn’t even realised were still raw. I wasn’t used to hearing that someone saw me… or that someone truly cared. And in that moment, I felt something I hadn’t experienced in years—hope.

I watched as tears spilled down Simran’s cheeks, her empathy for my pain both unexpected and overwhelming. Without thinking, I reached out and gently brushed away the moisture from her cheek. The tenderness of the gesture surprised me, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

My fingers lingered, tracing the soft curve of her cheek, and then skimmed over the corner of her lips. The air between us seemed to crackle with tension, humming with a new kind of energy I hadn’t felt in years. Simran’s palms rested against my chest, her touch soothing yet electrifying as she tried to calm my racing heart.

We drew closer, the distance between us shrinking until I could feel the warmth of her breath on my face. My body responded to her proximity in ways I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time. The world around us faded, leaving only this moment, this connection. Simran and my connection!

Suddenly, reality crashed back as the music changed its tempo. I jerked away, the spell between us broken. Simran blinked hard, her eyes wide as she cleared her throat. But she couldn’t hide the faint blush colouring her cheeks.

“Give it some time, Vishnu,” she said softly, getting back to the main topic. “This too shall pass. When you have fought all these battles alone so far, I’m confident you’ll win over this one too. Just give yourself some time to heal and come out of it. Sitting here and drinking yourself into oblivion is not going to help. You need to rest. Let me take you back to Walia mansion.”

The mere thought of returning to that house, with all its secrets and pain, made my stomach churn. “I don’t want to go home,” I admitted. “I can’t go there. Not now. Not tonight.”

“Stop acting like a child. If you don’t want to go home, fine. But then you’re coming with me to my place. I can’t let you stay here and spend all your time drinking alone.”

Her offer caught me off guard. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “I don’t need anyone with me, Simran. Just go home.”

“I know you don’t need anyone,” she retorted, her tone brooking no argument. “But I’m not going to leave you alone like this. And you can’t decide that for me. I know where I belong, and right now, that’s here, with you. Nowhere else.”

Her words left me speechless with their sincerity. We locked eyes again, and I saw a depth of care there that I’d never noticed before. After a moment, Simran broke the tension with a teasing smile.

“Don’t worry,” she said, her voice lighter. “You’ll be safe at my home tonight. I have a spare bedroom where you can crash for the night, and then tomorrow you can decide what you want to do next. Be my guest tonight.”

A part of me wanted to agree. I was mentally exhausted, and Simran’s attention, support, and understanding had been a balm to my wounded soul. But another part of me, the part that had spent years keeping everyone at arm’s length, rebelled against the idea.

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think—”

“I’m not leaving without you,” she interrupted, her voice firm. “We can sit here all night and wait for the staff to push us out when they close. I don’t mind. But even then, I am not leaving without you. So, you better come with me now.”

Before I could protest further, she settled the bill and turned to me with an exasperated sigh. “Vishnu, come on. Stop being so stubborn. You know I can’t drag you out myself. Have some pity on me and just help me by walking to the car.”

Her persistence wore down my resistance. With a resigned sigh, I tossed some cash on the table for my drinks and followed her out of the club.

The cool night air hit me like a splash of cold water as we stepped outside, clearing some of the alcohol-induced fog from my mind. Simran led the way to her car, and I found myself watching her. There was a grace to her movements I’d never noticed before, a quiet strength that seemed to radiate from her.

As we drove through the city’s deserted streets, I found my gaze continually veering to her profile. The streetlights cast a golden glow on her face, highlighting the determination in her eyes as she focused on the road ahead. In the silence of the car, everything began to sink in—the evening, the confessions, the relief.

Sharing my burdens with Simran had lifted some weight off my chest. The relief I felt was palpable, like taking a deep breath after being underwater for so long. Who would have thought that opening up to Simran, of all people, would bring the calm I’d so desperately been seeking?

As we pulled up to her apartment building, I realised that for the first time in years, I wasn’t facing my demons alone. And while a part of me still rebelled against the idea of needing anyone, a larger part of me was grateful for Simran’s stubborn insistence on being there for me. I would forever be indebted to her for tonight.

CHAPTER 6