At Aanya's house…
Aryan stood near the window and saw that it had started raining.
His heart tightened.
Did Aanya come back?
If she came, it's okay… but if she didn't…
His heart sank slightly.
After some time, he heard loud voices downstairs—Radha and Naveen.
Aryan frowned.
Looks like something has happened… I should go.
He was about to step out, but suddenly stopped.
No… it won't be right if I go directly. What will they think?
He paused, thinking.
Then his eyes fell on a water jar.
An idea struck him.
He quickly emptied the water into the sink, picked up the empty jar, and went downstairs.
As Aryan came down, Radha and Naveen looked at him.
"Aryan babu?" Radha said.
Aryan showed the empty jar casually.
"There was no water in my room, so I came down…"
Then he looked at them seriously.
"Is everything alright, Uncle, Aunty? You both look tense."
Radha said worriedly,
"Aryan babu… Aanya hasn't come back yet. And it has started raining. She doesn't even have an umbrella… or her phone."
Naveen looked frustrated.
"Why did you let her go at this time?" he said to Radha.
Radha replied defensively,
"The shop is nearby. I thought she would return before it rained. I even told her to take an umbrella, but she didn't listen."
Aryan's expression grew serious.
"I'll go and bring her," Naveen said, getting up.
"Uncle, wait," Aryan stopped him.
Naveen turned to him.
Aryan stepped forward.
"Uncle, please don't worry. I'll go and bring Aanya."
"No, Aryan babu," Naveen said. "We don't want to trouble you."
"There's no trouble," Aryan replied firmly. "I'll bring her."
"But—" Naveen tried to say.
"I know the route, Uncle," Aryan continued. "I've seen the store."
Radha nodded.
"Yes, that one only."
She then looked at Naveen.
"Let Aryan babu go. You already have a slight fever. If you go in this rain, it will get worse. Have you forgotten? Aanya's wedding is in ten days."
Hearing about the wedding, Aryan suddenly turned his face away.
Naveen fell silent.
Radha handed an umbrella to Aryan.
"Be careful, beta."
Aryan nodded and left immediately.
Meanwhile…
Aanya was walking alone in the rain.
Tears mixed with raindrops on her face.
Her mind was drowning in pain.
Marriage…
Everything is happening so fast…
Mr. Aryan…
She walked without awareness, without direction.
Lost.
Broken.
Back near the store…
Aryan arrived, slightly breathless.
He looked around.
The shop was closed.
Rain poured heavily.
He frowned, worry growing in his eyes.
"Where did she go…?"
He looked around in the rain, but he couldn't see clearly as it had started raining heavily. Still, he kept searching for her.
After a few moments, at a distance, he finally spotted Aanya.
A wave of relief washed over him.
But then his eyes widened.
A car was coming fast… and Aanya was walking right in the middle of the road, completely unaware.
"AANYA!" he shouted.
But she didn't react.
The car kept honking loudly.
In a split second, Aryan ran toward her and pulled her aside, crashing into her as he dragged her out of the way.
Aanya didn't look at him.
Aryan, breathing heavily, looked at her in anger and fear.
"Have you lost your mind?! What are you doing? Who walks in the middle of the road in this rain?!"
She stayed silent.
Didn't even look at him.
Frustrated, he threw the umbrella aside and grabbed her shoulders tightly.
"Are you even listening to me?!"
Slowly… Aanya lifted her eyes.
Her tears mixed with the rain on her face.
"Why should I listen to you, Mr. Aryan?" she said, her voice trembling.
"Who are you to tell me anything?"
Aryan went silent for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to control himself.
Then he picked up the umbrella and held it over them.
"Aanya, first… let's go, okay?"
Aanya looked at him angrily. Suddenly, she snatched the umbrella from his hand and threw it away. Then she grabbed his collar tightly.
"Why are you not understanding, Aryan?!"
Aryan looked into her eyes.
Aanya continued, her voice trembling with pain,
"Whenever I want to talk, you don't want to talk. Why?"
Aryan looked away.
"Look at me!" she shouted.
He slowly looked back at her.
"Just like how you can't see my tears in this rain… you're not able to see my pain either. Why? Why didn't you accept me? I know you like me. I'm not that stupid!"
Aryan looked away again, holding back his tears.
"Why are you lying? To me… and even to yourself?" she asked.
Aryan took a breath and said, trying to stay calm,
"Aanya, let's go home. Aunty and uncle are worried about you."
"I'm not going anywhere until you answer me properly!" she shouted.
"Aanya, first let's go—"
"I said I WON'T GO!"
Aryan held her hands, trying to pull her away.
"Let's go."
Aanya forcefully pushed his hand away.
"Why are you not understanding?!"
"Why are YOU not understanding?!" Aryan shouted back.
Aanya froze.
"You said you know me, right?" Aryan continued emotionally.
"Then tell me—what do you know about me? Other than what I eat, what I do, my hobbies… what do you actually know?"
Aanya stayed silent.
Aryan stepped closer.
"You don't know anything about me."
"Then why don't you tell me?" she replied softly.
"You won't understand."
Aanya went quiet.
"And whatever you're feeling… it's not love. It's just attraction."
"How do you know it's attraction?" she asked.
Aryan fell silent.
"Do you know how many years I waited for you?" Aanya continued, her voice breaking.
"What you're calling 'attraction'… isn't for 3 or 4 months, Mr. Aryan. It's been five years."
Aryan looked at her, stunned.
"I loved you from the moment I met you."
There was a pause.
"Okay," Aryan said slowly.
"So you love me, right? Let's say we get married… after a few years, you'll realize it was a mistake."
"Why would I think like that?!" Aanya shouted.
"Because I'm not the same Aryan you loved!" he shouted back.
Aanya froze.
"The Aryan from five years ago… and the Aryan now are not the same. I've changed. So stop this nonsense… and marry the person your parents chose."
Aanya stood there, speechless.
"He works in the US. He's a nice guy, right? So marry him."
Aanya stepped closer, her eyes filled with anger and pain.
"Nonsense? You think my love is nonsense?"
Aryan didn't respond.
"It's my mistake," she said, crying.
"Even after you rejected me, I still had hope… thinking one day you would understand. But now I realize how stupid I was."
Tears streamed down her face.
"It's my mistake to love you. My mistake to propose to you. My mistake to think you loved me too."
Aryan clenched his fists.
"But thankfully… nothing is too late."
He looked at her.
"I'm getting married on the 21st. And I will marry Kunal. Like you said—he's a nice guy. Even if we don't love each other… I believe he's far better than you."
Aryan's expression hardened.
"At least he won't hurt me like you did."
"…Congratulations," Aryan said quietly.
"I don't need your wishes, Mr. Aryan," she replied coldly.
"Because to me, you're nothing but negative energy. You only think about yourself—you've never cared about anyone else."
Aryan stayed silent.
"And one more thing—don't come to my wedding."
He looked at her sharply.
"You're negative energy. I don't want it affecting my marriage."
She paused, then continued bitterly,
"And by the way, why are you even staying at my house? There are so many hotels. You're rich, right? You could easily afford one."
Aryan didn't respond.
"You stayed today… fine. But tomorrow, leave before I wake up. I don't want to see your face.
She turned to leave, then stopped.
Without looking back, she said loudly:
"And one last thing—people are not gods. They can't read minds. If you expect others to understand your pain without saying anything… then that's your stupidity."
She started walking away, then shouted—
"And pick up that umbrella! If it gets lost, my mom will scold me!"
Meanwhile, at home, Radha was tense, pacing back and forth.
"The rain stopped a long time ago… then why haven't they come yet?" she said worriedly.
Naveen tried to calm her.
"Just a while ago, you were telling me to relax, and now you're the one getting stressed. Calm down—Aryan babu went to bring her, right?"
"But still…" Radha murmured, unable to relax.
Just then, Aryan and Aanya arrived.
Radha saw them and immediately felt relieved. She rushed towards them.
"Where were you both? Aanya, didn't I tell you not to go out? Look at you—you're completely drenched!"
"Aunty, we waited until the rain stopped," Aryan said.
Radha looked at him and asked,
"Aryan babu, even you're drenched! Wait… where is the umbrella?"
Naveen gently said,
"Radha…"
Aryan replied calmly,
"Aunty, I left it outside since it was wet."
"Oh, you did right," Radha nodded.
Aanya cut in,
"Mom, I'm going to my room."
She started going upstairs.
"Dry your hair, otherwise you'll catch a cold," Radha called out.
Aanya didn't respond.
Aryan's gaze followed her silently.
Radha then turned to him.
"Aryan babu, you also go to your room and dry your hair."
Aryan gave a small smile.
"Yes, aunty."
He then went to his room.
That night…
Aryan couldn't sleep.
Aanya's words kept echoing in his mind…
The next morning, Aanya woke up and checked the time.
10:00 AM.
She frowned slightly.
Did Mr. Aryan leave already? she wondered.
Then she quickly shook her head.
Wait… why am I even thinking about him? He has so much ego. I'm sure he must have left early in the morning… maybe at 5 AM itself.
After freshening up, she went downstairs.
"Mom—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Aryan was sitting at the dining table… eating calmly.
Aanya froze in shock.
Radha noticed her and smiled.
"Aanya, you're up? Come, sit and eat.
Aryan glanced at her.
Aanya was still standing there, stunned.
Radha frowned slightly.
"What are you doing? Come sit."
Aanya snapped out of her thoughts and slowly walked to the dining table. She sat down, still stealing glances at Aryan, confusion clearly visible on her face.
Radha noticed her empty plate.
"Why is your plate still empty?"
Aanya blinked and quickly started serving food.
But her mind was elsewhere.
What is he doing here? After everything that happened yesterday… I thought he would leave…
Lost in her thoughts, she accidentally spilled some chutney.
Aryan looked at her.
---
End Of Chapter 70.