Blood stained love

7

Outside the ICU

Dev reached the ICU corridor, his heart pounding. A nurse tried to stop him at the door. “Sir, you can’t just—”

“Move,” Dev growled, his voice low, his words like a blade cutting through the air.

The nurse faltered, sensing the intensity in his gaze, and stepped aside. Dev pushed open the door, bracing himself for the sight that awaited him.

But the bed inside was not Kaya’s.

Instead, it was her mother, Vasundhara, lying motionless, her face pale and her chest rising faintly under the oxygen mask. Machines beeped steadily, their sounds filling the room with a mechanical hum.

Dev froze for a moment, relief washing over him—but only for a second.

She’s not here.

His mind shifted. Kaya wasn’t in that bed, but he knew what this meant to her. Vasundhara wasn’t just a parent; she was Kaya’s entire foundation, her strength. If this crumbled, so would she

Behind him, the sound of hurried footsteps brought him back. One of his men, Ajay, arrived, panting. “Sir, I checked. Advocate Sharma isn’t admitted here.”

Dev didn’t respond. His eyes flickered around the hallway, scanning for any sign of her.

“She’s here somewhere,” he muttered under his breath.

The ICU corridor stretched long and silent, save for the muffled sound of sobbing coming from the far corner. Dev followed the sound, his feet moving instinctively toward it.

And then he saw her.

Kaya sat on the floor, her back pressed against the cold wall, knees drawn to her chest. Her face was buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with every silent sob. It wasn’t the fierce advocate he’d seen in court or the fiery woman who had challenged the most powerful. This was someone else—broken, vulnerable, lost.

Dev stopped in his tracks, standing at a distance. He clenched his fists as a surge of emotions coursed through him. Anger, guilt, helplessness—they all collided within him, making his chest ache.

In his mind, words poured like a storm:

Every tear she sheds is a curse to this world. A reminder of how cruel life can be. And if I could… I’d tear this world apart, brick by brick, until she never has to cry again.

He inhaled sharply, his gaze fixed on her trembling form. How does someone so strong break like this?

Ajay stepped beside him hesitantly. “Sir, should I—”

“Stay back,” Dev cut him off, his voice low but firm. He didn’t want anyone else near her, not now.

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, his jaw tight. For all his power, all his influence, this moment made him feel utterly powerless. He couldn’t fix this. He couldn’t bring back her smile, couldn’t erase the pain from her eyes.

And yet, there was one thing he could do. He could make sure no one—no one—ever dared to hurt her again.

He stood there silently, watching her. He wanted to approach, to say something, anything, but words felt inadequate. What could he possibly say to ease the pain of a daughter who feared losing her mother?

Minutes passed, maybe hours, and Kaya’s sobs softened into quiet sniffles. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, her gaze distant and unfocused.

Dev’s heart twisted. She looked so small, so fragile in that moment. And yet, even in her vulnerability, there was a quiet strength in her.

This woman... he thought, his fists clenching again. She’s more powerful than she knows. But damn it, why does it hurt so much to see her like this?

For the first time in years, Dev felt something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel: fear. Not fear of loss or defeat, but fear of what her pain was doing to him.

He stayed rooted in place, silently standing guard. Even from a distance, he was there for her, even if she didn’t know it. Because for Dev, protecting her wasn’t a choice—it was a necessity.

Kaya lifted her head, still trembling, wiping her tears. Her gaze shifted toward the entrance as she heard hurried footsteps, and then she saw him—Arjun. His face was a mixture of concern and anger, his hands outstretched as he reached her.

"Kaya..." Arjun’s voice broke through the silence. "What happened? You should have told me sooner. I’m here now. I’m not leaving you alone."

Before Kaya could react, Arjun gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. It was a gesture that she desperately needed, and she melted into it, collapsing against him. She let out a strangled sob, her body shaking violently as she cried into his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist, clinging to him like a lifeline.

"I can’t lose her, Arjun," she whispered, voice hoarse, muffled against his shirt. "I can’t lose her... she’s everything to me.”

Arjun stroked her back gently, murmuring words of comfort, his tone soft but insistent. "Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. We’ll get through this. You’re not alone anymore."

But Dev... Dev was standing there, watching them from the corner of the hallway. His heart thudded painfully in his chest. The anger, the rage, the jealousy—it all surged inside him like a storm breaking free.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. I left. I walked away.

But now? Seeing Arjun hold her like that? His jaw tightened, the muscles in his face twitching with raw aggression. He balled his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

He’s touching her. He’s holding her.

His mind screamed for him to move, to go to her, to tear Arjun away and demand that she acknowledge him—but no, I walked away.

A savage desire to destroy, to tear the world apart, coursed through him. The image of Arjun’s hand on her back, his fingers tracing comforting circles, burned into his mind. He wanted to rip it off. He wanted to smash every inch of the world that allowed this to happen.

I’m the one who made her feel alive, Dev’s thoughts hissed, his chest heaving. I was the one who was there for her. I made her strong. And now he’s the one comforting her?

His breathing grew heavier as he fought the rage bubbling within. His entire body felt as though it was about to explode. He wanted to grab Arjun by the throat, shove him away from her, demand to know why he was standing there, touching what was his.

But no.

Dev stood frozen, his eyes locked on Kaya’s back as Arjun held her close, her sobs softening as the comfort of his embrace worked its magic.

This isn’t right. She’s not supposed to be here, not with him. She’s supposed to be with me. I left, but that doesn't mean I can’t fight for her.

Kaya’s hand was clutching Arjun’s shirt now, her grip so tight that Dev’s own fingers ached with the phantom feeling of her touch. He wanted to scream, to drag her away, to show her how much he still cared, how much he still wanted her.

She’s mine, his mind growled, but the words didn’t feel as confident as they once did.

He took a deep breath, trying to control the storm raging inside him.

But the anger only grew. It burned hotter. His body itched to act, to make the world see what they had lost when they pushed him out.

Kaya’s head slowly lifted from Arjun’s chest, her tear-streaked face turning slightly to look around the room. But she didn’t see Dev. She didn’t notice him, not yet.

Arjun was the one in front of her, the one whose arms she sought comfort in, the one whose voice she responded to, not the man who had once been everything to her.

Dev's heart twisted. He had a split second where his hands itched to reach out, to touch her, to pull her back to him. But no.

He could already feel the gap. He could feel it expanding, like a chasm that was too deep to cross. She was slipping away. She was moving on.

He couldn’t allow that.

With a final look, Dev turned and stormed away, his steps heavy as if the weight of the world was pushing him down. His chest was tight with emotions he didn’t understand, but there was no way he could let this go.

He had to fix this.

I’ll show her. I’ll make her remember. I’ll make her see what we had.

Dev sat in his luxurious penthouse in Delhi, his fingers tapping restlessly against the smooth surface of the table. Reyansh, seated opposite him, looked slightly uncomfortable. The silence between them was thick with unspoken tension, a tension that had grown over the course of the day.

Dev’s mind was still consumed with the image of Kaya, crying, clinging to Arjun. His knuckles were white from the force with which he clenched his fists, his jaw set tight. Every time his thoughts wandered back to the scene, his blood boiled.

How dare he? How dare Arjun hold her like that?

Reyansh noticed the shift in Dev’s demeanor and decided to speak up. "Dev, we should head back to Abu Dhabi soon. This case is wrapped up, and you’ve made your point. We don’t need to stay here much longer.”

Dev’s eyes darkened, his gaze cutting through Reyansh like a blade. “I’m not going anywhere,” he growled, his voice low and threatening.

Reyansh shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew better than to argue with Dev when he was like this. But the truth was, he was starting to feel the weight of the man’s anger. Dev’s possessiveness had always been extreme, but this… this was something different.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted their conversation. A woman entered the room, her heels clicking on the marble floor. Her presence immediately caught Dev’s attention. She was tall, confident, dressed in a sharp business suit. Her eyes locked with Reyansh’s, and she offered a sly smile before turning to Dev.

“Reyansh,” she said, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm, “You’ve done well. The plan’s moving forward exactly as we hoped. Vasundhara’s... well, she’s taking her last breath, isn’t she?”

Dev’s eyes narrowed. The words hit him like a punch to the gut. Vasundhara, Kaya’s mother, was dying? And it was connected to Reyansh? His blood ran cold as the fury inside him exploded.

Reyansh looked at the woman with a small nod. “Yes. It’s almost over now.”

Dev slammed his fist onto the table, making everyone in the room jump. “What do you mean, ‘it’s almost over’?” His voice was laced with venom.

The woman, unfazed by Dev’s outburst, stood tall. “You don’t know, do you? Reyansh orchestrated it all. He’s the one who made sure Vasundhara’s condition deteriorated. That’s why Kaya was absent. That’s why she’s so devastated. This... this was always part of the plan.”

Dev felt his vision blur with rage. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails were digging into his palms, his body vibrating with the urge to tear something apart.

He turned to Reyansh, his voice like gravel. “You. You did this. You made her suffer like this, and for what? To control her? To break her?”

Reyansh, suddenly taken aback by the intensity of Dev’s anger, shifted uncomfortably. “It wasn’t supposed to go this far. We needed Kaya out of the picture, but I—”

Dev slammed his fist into the table again, this time cracking the surface. “No. You used her. You hurt her. And now, I’m going to make you regret it.” His eyes were wild, his breathing rapid. “You’re responsible for every tear that Kaya shed today. For every second of pain she’s going through.”

The woman, still standing near the door, looked at Dev with a smirk. “He’s right, you know. Reyansh played his part perfectly. You can’t blame him for doing what needed to be done. This city runs on these deals.”

Dev shot her a look that could have burned through her. “And you’re just as complicit,” he spat. “If I wanted, I could burn you both to the ground right now, but I’ve got something more important to handle.”

Dev’s chest heaved with unspent anger. He grabbed his coat, throwing it on with shaking hands. “Reyansh, you don’t understand what you’ve done. I will make you pay for every second of Kaya’s pain. I’m coming for you. And I’m coming for her, too.”

As he turned to storm out of the room, Reyansh called out behind him, his voice hesitant. “Dev, what are you doing? Where are you going?”

Dev didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed his keys from the table and walked out with the force of a hurricane. The only thing on his mind was Kaya.

He needed to find her. He needed to make sure she was okay. And then… then he’d make everyone who had hurt her pay.

In the depths of his fury, Dev’s thoughts raced: I’ll tear this city apart if it means putting her back in my arms. No one hurts her. No one.

The hospital corridor felt like a battlefield. The sterile white walls seemed to close in on Dev as he stormed through the doors, his footsteps like a drumbeat in the silence. His mind was consumed by thoughts of her—Kaya. The tears. The pain. Arjun. Damn Arjun. The man had no right to be near her.

Every second spent away from Kaya was a second that made him angrier, more obsessed, more ruthless. Five years. Five years he’d walked away from her, thinking that he had control. But now, now it was different. Now, the mere thought of her with someone else made his blood boil. Why the hell is she crying like that? Why is he comforting her?

Dev’s hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles pale, as he sped through the streets. His heart hammered in his chest with each passing second. His mind was a mess of rage and regret, the two mixing like fire and gasoline. She was mine. I made her cry once, but never again. I’ll burn this world to the ground before I let anyone hurt her again.

Meanwhile, inside the hospital, the air was thick with tension. Arjun stood beside Kaya, his hands gently resting on her back as they looked at Vasundhara. The woman who had once been strong and vibrant was now lying on the hospital bed, her breath shallow, her body frail. Kaya’s face was pale, streaked with tears as she held her mother’s hand, her heart breaking in real-time.

“Mom,” Kaya whispered, her voice cracking. “Don’t leave me… please, don’t leave me alone.” She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. “I need you… I need you to be here when I… when I make everything right. For you, for us.”

Vasundhara’s eyes fluttered open, weak but still filled with wisdom. She coughed, her chest heaving as she struggled for air, but there was a calmness in her eyes, as though she had accepted the inevitable.

“Kaya,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, “you... you need to move forward. You’ve been strong... so strong. But I want you to be happy... Find someone who can... make you happy. Tie the knot, beta... before it’s too late. Don’t let time slip away.”

Kaya’s sobs grew louder, uncontrollable now. She bent down, resting her head on her mother’s frail hand. “I can’t, Maa… I can’t... I can’t let go.”

The room was heavy with emotion, every word from her mother a plea, a final wish. And in that moment, Kaya felt as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Her heart ached, knowing that her mother wouldn’t be around much longer, and that Arjun—Arjun—was the one her mother wanted her to be with.