Saanvi Khanna
You can learn everything you need to know about a man from the way his house breathes.
Aaryan's family estate doesn't breathe—it watches. It remembers. Every chandelier and shadow feels like it holds secrets, unsaid names, screams muted by money.
The air is heavy here. Not with dust, but with legacy. With expectations folded into curtain hems, and sins tucked under velvet rugs. Even the silence feels rehearsed—trained to obey.
I linger at the edge of the hallway, fingertips brushing the cool marble. It's too polished. Too pristine. Like someone tried to scrub out the history bleeding through the cracks.
The portraits lining the wall all wear the same expression—arrogance passed down through generations, preserved behind gold-leafed frames. Men with eyes that follow you, women with lips curled like secrets. Each face stares like they know I don't belong here.
Maybe I don't. But I won't let that show.
A creak echoes behind me.
I turn, expecting Aaryan. I know the sound of his footsteps by now—heavy, deliberate, like he owns gravity itself.
But it's not him.
It's her.
A woman in heels and cruelty. Older. Colder. With Aaryan's jawline and none of his warmth. She moves like a weapon sharpened by upbringing—flawless posture, hair too perfect to be kind.
"I'm his sister," she says, voice like crystal shattering. Every syllable precise and jagged. "And you're not welcome here."
I offer a smile. One I don't mean. One I've worn like armor too many times. "I didn't come here for your welcome."
She steps closer, her perfume sharp and expensive. "You think you're special?"
"No. I know I'm dangerous."
The air crackles.
She tilts her head, lips curling—not quite a smile, more a challenge. "So was the last woman who thought she could fix him."
My breath stills. Just a fraction. A flicker. But she sees it.
I try to mask it—lift my chin, steady my gaze. But it's too late.
"Did he tell you about her?" she asks. Her tone is casual, but her eyes are loaded. Hunting.
"No," I reply, flat.
"Of course not. Dead women rarely come up in dinner conversation."
My stomach turns, a slow twist of dread. But my face? It stays composed. Unreadable. I won't let her have that.
She leans in, voice hushed like poison. "He destroyed her. Not by cheating. Not by leaving. But by loving her in a way no one survives."
Then, just like that, she's gone. Her heels click away like a verdict passed. But her words?
They stay.
They settle in the space between my ribs and whisper in the corners of my mind. Every step back to him feels heavier.
When I find him later, in his study with a drink and that unreadable face, I don't ease into it. There's no room for softness now. The chandelier light glints off the glass in his hand, casting distorted patterns on his face. But even shadows can't hide the weight in his eyes.
I say it without preamble.
"Tell me about her."
He stiffens, just slightly. Barely a shift. But I know it's there. I see the flicker behind his eyes.
"You met my sister."
"She said you ruined someone."
He sets the glass down, eyes shadowed. The silence between us stretches, filled with things he doesn't want to say—but will.
"I did."
The honesty hits harder than denial would have. It's not theatrical. It's quiet. Heavy. Real.
I step closer, the thick carpet muffling my movements. My voice softens, but it doesn't lose its edge.
"What happened?"
His voice is gravel when he speaks. "She thought I was broken. Wanted to fix me. I let her think she could."
"And?"
"She gave everything to a man who couldn't give anything back. So when I left, I didn't just hurt her—I erased her."
Each word feels like a blade dragged across open skin.
The weight of it sits heavy between us. No theatrics. Just truth. Raw and terrible.
I move to him, placing my hand on his chest. His heartbeat is steady—but fast. Caged thunder.
"Are you going to erase me too?" I whisper.
His hand covers mine. Warm. Firm. Unshaking.
"No. But I'll burn the world down if you try to leave."
The words aren't said in anger. They're not a plea.
They're a promise.
I should be scared.
But I'm not.
Because monsters don't scare me anymore. Only the ones who love like fire and leave you in ashes do.
And Aaryan?
He's already flicked the match.