Aara had always believed that falling in love was supposed to feel light—soft smiles, harmless thoughts, a gentle pull toward someone.
What she felt now was nothing like that.
It was heavy.
She sat by the window in her room, knees drawn close, watching the sky slowly change colors as evening approached. Kabir's words, his silence, his presence—everything about him lingered in her mind like a shadow that refused to leave.
This isn't love, she told herself.
This is fear.
Fear of how deeply he affected her.
Fear of how quickly her world seemed to shift whenever he was near.
And most of all, fear of what would happen if she stopped resisting.
Kabir Rathod was not a man you fell for safely.
And Aara knew it.
---
Across the city, Kabir stood in his private gym, punching the heavy bag with controlled force. Each strike was sharp, precise—yet fueled by something far from discipline.
Her distance had become unbearable.
He wasn't used to wanting anything this intensely—especially not something he couldn't command. Deals bent to his will. Enemies feared his name. Power answered to him.
But Aara?
She pulled away, and it felt like losing ground in a battle he didn't know how to fight.
He stopped, resting his forehead briefly against the bag, breathing hard.
She's afraid, he realized.
And instead of calming him, that knowledge made something darker stir inside him.
If fear was what kept her distant…
Then he needed to make sure the world scared her less than he did.
The thought came easily.
Too easily.
---
The next day, circumstances forced what avoidance couldn't.
Aara found Kabir waiting near the parking area, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. Her instinct was to turn away.
But she didn't.
They stood facing each other, silence stretching between them.
"You're avoiding me," Kabir said finally.
Aara looked up. "Because I need space."
"From me?" he asked.
"Yes."
The honesty surprised them both.
Kabir took a slow step closer. "Why?"
"Because I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "And I don't like who I become around you."
His eyes darkened—not with anger, but intensity.
"And who is that?"
"Someone who stops thinking clearly," she replied. "Someone who forgets what's safe."
Kabir's voice dropped. "And what if I am safe?"
Aara let out a small, humorless laugh. "You don't even believe that yourself."
For a moment, something almost like pain flickered across his face.
"You think I'll hurt you," he said.
"I think you already have—without even trying," she replied.
That stopped him.
She met his gaze steadily. "I don't want to fall into something I can't get out of."
Kabir didn't move closer this time.
"Too late," he said softly. "For both of us."
Aara stepped back.
And for the first time, Kabir let her go.
But the decision cost him more than he showed.
---
While tension pulled Aara and Kabir apart, something quieter was forming elsewhere.
Rahul and Kavya sat at a small café, conversation flowing easily. There was no intensity—no fear.
Just comfort.
"You're not as annoying as I thought," Kavya said, sipping her coffee.
Rahul smiled. "High praise."
She studied him for a moment. "You worry too much about others."
"Someone has to," he replied. "Especially when Kabir is involved."
Kavya nodded. "He scares me."
Rahul's expression darkened slightly. "He scares himself sometimes."
Their eyes met, understanding passing between them.
Whatever was happening between Aara and Kabir—it wasn't simple.
And both Rahul and Kavya knew they were standing dangerously close to the fallout.
---
That night, Kabir sat alone in his study, lights dim, phone untouched.
He replayed her words again and again.
I don't want to fall into something I can't get out of.
His jaw clenched.
He had spent his life building exits—escape routes, safety nets, power structures. He never stayed trapped.
Until now.
Because the truth was brutal in its simplicity:
He didn't want a way out.
He wanted her in his world—protected, yes—but close. Always close.
And if obsession was the price of that desire…
He was already paying it.
---
Aara lay awake, heart racing despite the silence around her.
She knew she had done the right thing.
So why did it feel like she was losing something important?
She turned onto her side, eyes burning.
I'm afraid because it matters, she realized.
And that realization terrified her more than Kabir ever could.
---
Love hadn't begun yet.
But fear had.
And obsession was already waiting.