Too fragile for the beast

Chapter 32

Zahra lifted her eyebrows "Seriously? Just like that?"

Aryan said with a small, humorless smile
"It wasn't that serious. I liked her. She didn't like me. End of story."

Zahra blinked, caught off guard by the plainness in his voice. No sarcasm. No smirk. Just quiet honesty.

"Oh... I didn't know."

"Nothing to know. Life moves on."

The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was thoughtful. Zahra studied him—not the usual carefree version, but this quieter, shadowed side.

Then he glanced at her and the smirk returned like a shield.

Aryan:
"Don't look at me like I'm some broken-hearted poet."

Zahra said grinning as always "You? A poet? That's nightmare material."

Zahra sat there a moment longer, hugging her knees on the couch.

He'd liked someone. And lost.
She never imagined Aryan could be... human like that.

And maybe, just maybe... she was glad Sumaiya didn't like him back.

The glass in Zahra's hand was cold, but her palms were warm. Her heart was warmer — thudding hard, fast, unruly.

She stood there for a long second before she said it — not looking at him, just letting the words fall.

Zahra said softly which she was hiding for so long,
"Aryan... I've loved you since I was ten."

Aryan froze on the couch, the TV screen still playing behind him in flickers of light. He slowly turned toward her, his brows drawn together, not sure if he heard her right.

Aryan:
"What?"

Zahra looked at him now. Eyes wide, dark, shimmering with truth.
"I did. I still do."

He blinked. "Zahra—"

"You don't have to say anything. I'm not expecting anything back. But don't pretend like it's something silly or temporary. This isn't a crush. I've waited for years with this inside me."  Zahra cut him off.

Aryan stood, a bit too quickly, unsure of how to hold the weight of her confession.
Aryan:
"This... this isn't right. You shouldn't feel this way—"

Zahra stepped forward firmly,
"But I do. And I won't apologize for it."

The silence between them pressed in like thick fog.

Zahra took a deep breath and spoke again,
"You said Sumaiya didn't like you back. I do. I've always liked you. I've seen your bad moods, your silence, your stupid temper... and I still do."

Aryan looked down for a second. Then back up.
His voice was gentler this time, almost pained.

Aryan:
"You're making it hard, Zahra. I don't want to hurt you. I can't give you what you're looking for."

Zahra nodded but eyes unwavering,
"Maybe. But I'm not giving up on this either."

The sound of her footsteps faded down the hallway, but her words stayed.

Aryan stood in the dim glow of the living room, motionless. The TV continued flashing news stories he could no longer hear. His mind was far from the screen.

His hands fell to his sides, fists clenching slightly as he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"I've loved you since I was ten."

He dropped onto the couch, head tilted back, staring at the ceiling like it could offer him answers. But there were none. Just silence — loud, suffocating silence.