Chapter 9
1056 Words
Arnav’s jaw tightened. He slowly lowered his weapon and dropped it on the concrete floor. Diya felt a sob catch in her throat. She knew Arnav would never surrender, but he was doing it for her father.
"Now, the girl comes to me," Mehra said, gesturing with his hand.
Diya started to walk forward, but her hand was gripping the small pocketknife she had hidden in the vest. As she reached Mehra, he grabbed her hair, pulling her head back.
"Such a pity," Mehra whispered in her ear. "You would have made a fine replacement for Aria."
At that exact moment, Arnav moved. He didn't go for his gun. He pulled a second, hidden pistol from his ankle holster and fired. The shot hit the screen, shattering the monitor into a thousand pieces. In the confusion, Diya drove the pocketknife into Mehra’s thigh.
Mehra screamed in pain, letting go of her. Diya dove behind a stack of wooden pallets just as gunfire erupted from all sides. Arnav was a blur of motion, taking down Mehra’s men with a precision that was terrifying to watch.
"Arnav, look out!" Diya screamed as one of the guards aimed at his back.
Arnav spun around, but he was a second too late. A bullet grazed his shoulder, spinning him around. But he didn't stop. He fired back, neutralizing the guard.
Mehra, limping and bleeding, was trying to reach for a remote on the floor—the one that controlled the hospital’s deadly drip.
"No!" Diya cried, rushing out of her hiding spot. She tackled Mehra, her small frame no match for him, but her desperation gave her strength. They struggled on the floor, Mehra’s hand inches away from the button.
A shadow fell over them. Arnav was standing there, blood dripping from his shoulder, his eyes filled with a darkness that was no longer human. He kicked the remote away and grabbed Mehra by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
"You touched her," Arnav hissed, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "You threatened what is mine."
"Kill me... and you'll never know... if he’s alive," Mehra gasped, his face turning blue.
Arnav pulled out his phone and pressed a button. A voice came through the speaker—it was Samuel. "The hospital is secure, sir. The intruder has been neutralized. Mr. Sharma is safe."
The look of pure terror on Mehra’s face was the last thing he saw before Arnav threw him against the metal pillar. Arnav didn't pull the trigger. He looked at the broken man on the floor and then at Diya, who was trembling on the ground.
He walked toward her, his gun falling from his hand. He knelt down and pulled her into his arms, his blood staining her green gown.
"It's over, Diya," he whispered into her hair. "It's finally over."
The chaos at the docks was replaced by the sterile smell of antiseptic at the Singhania Mansion. Arnav’s private doctor had already patched up his shoulder, but the mental wounds were still bleeding. Diya stood by the large French window of the study, watching the rain wash away the bloodstains from the driveway.
The contract sat on the mahogany desk, its edges slightly curled. One year. That was the deal. But after tonight, a year felt like a lifetime.
"The doctor said you should be resting," Arnav’s voice came from behind her. He was wearing a fresh black shirt, but his left arm was in a sling. His face was pale, the exhaustion finally catching up to him.
"I couldn't sleep," Diya said, turning to look at him. "Is my father... really okay?"
"Samuel is with him. He’s been moved to a high-security suite in the best hospital in the country. He’ll be back home in a week," Arnav replied, walking toward the desk. He picked up the contract and stared at it for a long moment.
"You’re free, Diya," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Mehra is in police custody. The evidence I gathered tonight will keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. You don't owe me anything anymore. I’ll have the papers drawn up by morning. You can go home."
Diya felt a sudden pang in her chest. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? Freedom. Her father’s safety. An end to this nightmare. Then why did her heart feel like it was being ripped out?
"Just like that?" she whispered. "After everything... you’re just letting me go?"
Arnav looked up, his eyes dark and unreadable. "I am a Devil, remember? I use people until they aren't useful anymore. You’ve served your purpose. Mehra is gone."
"You’re a liar," Diya said, walking closer to him until she was only inches away. "You’re lying to yourself. You didn't come to that warehouse because I was 'useful'. You came because you couldn't breathe at the thought of losing me."
Arnav’s jaw tightened. "Don't analyze me, Diya. Go home. Take the money I promised and build a life. Find someone who isn't covered in blood and secrets."
"I don't want someone else," Diya cried out, her frustration boiling over. "I want the man who stayed awake all night because I was scared. I want the man who took a bullet for me. I want the man who thinks he's a monster but is actually the only person who ever truly saw me."
Arnav grabbed her shoulders with his good hand, his grip desperate. "Look at me, Diya! I am broken. I am haunted by a ghost. I don't know how to love without hurting. You deserve better than a shadow."
"Then let me be your light," Diya whispered, reaching up to touch his face. "Aria wanted you to stay human, Arnav. Let me help you find that human again."
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words. Arnav closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. The wall he had built for five years didn't just crack—it crumbled. He pulled her into a kiss that was filled with all the pain, the longing, and the hidden love he had suppressed. It wasn't a contract anymore. It was a promise.
"If you stay," Arnav whispered against her lips, "I will never let you go. There is no turning back, Diya. You will be tied to the Devil forever."
- Writer
