Tangled Hearts

Chapter10 - The Gift of Time

After a quiet drive down Sunset Boulevard, Aryan pulled his sleek black Tesla into the parking lot of The Grove, one of Los Angeles’s most popular shopping districts. The soft golden glow of late afternoon spilled through the windshield as the city buzzed around them.

Rhea turned toward him, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Why are we here, Aryan? I thought we were going straight home.”

Aryan kept his eyes ahead for a moment, then finally looked at her, his tone casual. “I need to buy something. Come on.”

Before she could ask further, he stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him. Rhea followed quietly, her heels clicking against the polished floor as they entered the mall.

They wandered through a few stores before Aryan finally stopped in front of a high-end watch boutique. Rhea blinked, tilting her head slightly. “You are buying a watch?”

“Yeah,” Aryan replied, stepping inside.

Rhea followed him like a quiet shadow, still puzzled. Her confusion only deepened when she noticed him scanning through the ladies’ collection—sleek, elegant timepieces glittering under the display lights.

“Wait,” she said hesitantly, watching him pick up a delicate rose-gold watch. “You are buying a ladies’ watch?”

Aryan did not respond immediately. He glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable, then turned back to the display.

“Are you… buying it for your mom?” she asked hopefully.

He smirked faintly, shaking his head. “Have you ever seen my mom wear a watch? She is more into meditation beads than metal bands.”

Rhea bit her lip. True—Sonia Mehra was not exactly the type to wear designer accessories. But if not for his mother, then for whom?

Her chest tightened with an unfamiliar ache. Was there someone else in his life? Someone special?

Her thoughts spiraled until Aryan’s sharp voice cut through. “Can you stop overthinking everything for five minutes?”

Rhea frowned, crossing her arms. “I’m not—”

Before she could finish, Aryan grabbed her wrist gently. She froze as he fastened the rose-gold watch around it with practiced ease.

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

Aryan did not answer immediately. He stepped back, looked at the watch on her wrist, then at her. “It is for you.”

“For… me?” Rhea’s voice came out small, her disbelief laced with wonder.

“Yeah,” he said coolly, though there was a faint softness in his tone. “Every morning, you make me wait outside for at least fifteen minutes while going to college. I figured a watch might help you understand what time actually means.”

Rhea glared at him, her face heating. “Seriously? You are giving me a gift just to insult me?”

Aryan shrugged and turned away, hands in his pockets, the corner of his lips tugging up slightly.

But as Rhea looked down at the sparkling watch on her wrist, her irritation melted into a reluctant smile. It was beautiful—and the fact that he chose it somehow made her heart skip a beat.

When they stepped out of the store, Aryan glanced back at her. “Do you want to get anything else?”

Rhea shook her head, still staring at her wrist.

“Then let’s go.”

As they walked through the mall, the hum of chatter and the clinking of cups from a nearby café filled the air. A group of college-aged guys lounging near the entrance started catcalling at passing girls. When Rhea walked by—slightly behind Aryan—they mistook her for being alone.

A sharp whistle echoed.

Aryan’s steps stopped cold.

The group snickered, and one of them began walking toward Rhea—but before he could get close, Aryan turned, his eyes dark and cutting. He strode back and wrapped his arm around Rhea’s shoulders protectively.

She froze, eyes wide, his cologne surrounding her.

“What did you just say?” Aryan’s voice was low but lethal. The mockers instantly paled, muttered apologies, and scattered like scared pigeons.

Rhea blinked, realizing what had happened. Embarrassed and grateful all at once, she whispered, “Thank you.”

Aryan said nothing. He simply took her hand and led her out of the mall, his grip firm but gentle.

For a few moments, neither spoke. But something between them had shifted—quietly, deeply.

That evening, Aryan stopped at a small, elegant restaurant overlooking downtown LA. Rhea frowned. “What is going on today? You are acting… weird.”

He smirked faintly. “Just thought you should try one of the best spots in the city.”

They settled into a corner booth. Before Rhea could open the menu, a waiter appeared with a cake—simple yet beautiful—with Happy Birthday written in soft white frosting.

Rhea blinked in surprise. “Cake?”

Aryan thanked the waiter and turned toward her. “Happy birthday, Rhea.”

Her jaw dropped. “What?”

Aryan raised an eyebrow. “Do not tell me you forgot your own birthday.”

Rhea’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. She actually had. College and studies had been so consuming, she had not even looked at the date.

“How did you know?” she asked, genuinely curious.

He hesitated, then shrugged. “Last night, after you stormed off during our argument, you left your phone in my car. At midnight, your dad called to wish you. Since it was late, he asked me to celebrate it for him.”

The mention of her father softened her instantly. “Dad…”

For the first time, her voice trembled with longing. Jay Malhotra had always been her anchor, and being away from him—even for work—was never easy.

Aryan noticed the flicker of sadness in her eyes. “Come on,” he said gently. “Cut the cake before I change my mind.”

She smiled weakly, picked up the knife, and cut a slice. When she offered him a piece, Aryan stayed still for a moment, teasing her with that infuriatingly calm expression. She pouted until he finally leaned forward and took a bite.

Then he returned the gesture—but instead of feeding her, he smeared a bit of frosting on her nose.

“Aryan!” she exclaimed, laughing despite herself. He chuckled—a rare, warm sound that made her heart flutter.

Later that night, when they returned home, Rhea lay in bed replaying every moment. The watch. The restaurant. The cake. Everything felt surreal.

Her phone buzzed. She smiled instantly. “Dad!”

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Jay said warmly.

“Thank you, Dad. And thank you for asking Aryan to celebrate with me—it was really sweet.”

There was a pause. “Aryan? What are you talking about, Rhea? I have not spoken to him in days. I did not even get the chance to plan anything.”

Rhea froze. Her heartbeat stumbled. “What? But he said—”

“Maybe he wanted to surprise you himself,” Jay said gently. “He is a good man, Rhea.”

After hanging up, Rhea sat silently, the truth dawning on her. She indeed forgot her phone last night and by the time she realised, it was late. So she decided to take it back the next morning and Aryan returned it to her in the morning. Even though Aryan had lied about her father's call, it was not to deceive her, but to make her happy.

Moments later, she found herself standing outside his door. He looked up, startled, as she walked in.

“Forgot your water bottle again?” he asked dryly.

She shook her head, stepped closer, and before he could react, wrapped her arms around him.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly against his chest.

Aryan stiffened for a moment, unsure what to do—but did not move away.

Rhea smiled faintly and left, leaving behind the faint scent of jasmine and confusion in the air.

As Aryan lay awake that night, he stared at the ceiling, thoughts swirling.

He did not understand why he did any of it—the gift, the dinner, the lie.

He only knew one thing: Rhea Malhotra was slowly becoming the reason his world no longer felt so silent.