Chapter Five – The Edge of Obsession

The bruises on Aarav’s jaw bloomed purple and green by the next morning. Navya saw him across the quad as she walked with Priya, trying to pretend she hadn’t spent the entire night replaying the fight, his fury, and the way his voice had cracked when he admitted he couldn’t stand the thought of her getting hurt.

He stood alone, a cigarette dangling between his fingers, hoodie pulled low. Students gave him a wide berth, their whispers fluttering like moths. Aarav Rathore: the fighter, the troublemaker, the boy everyone both feared and wanted.

But Navya saw more now. She saw the way he flexed his injured hand as if it pained him. She saw the tightness in his shoulders, the restless energy that had nothing to do with arrogance and everything to do with survival.

She wanted to go to him. She wanted to touch the bruise on his cheek and tell him she wasn’t afraid. But Priya tugged her arm.

“Nav,” Priya muttered, “don’t even look at him.”

Navya forced herself to nod. But her eyes betrayed her, flicking back once more. Aarav was already watching her. His gaze pinned her where she stood, burning, daring, claiming.

Her breath hitched. She tore her eyes away, but the heat lingered all the way to her next lecture.

---

In Class

The lecture hall buzzed with chatter before the professor arrived. Navya tried to lose herself in her notes, but her pulse quickened when a voice drifted over her shoulder.

“Hey, Sharma.”

It wasn’t Aarav. It was Raghav Malhotra — cricket team captain, poster-boy of the college, the kind of boy parents approved of. He leaned casually against her desk, flashing a practiced smile.

“You’re in my econ tutorial, right?” he asked.

Navya blinked, startled. “Uh… yes.”

“Good. Because I’m terrible at it,” Raghav chuckled. “Maybe you could help me out sometime? Study session?”

She opened her mouth, fumbling for an answer, when she felt it: that familiar shift in the air, the prickle along her skin. She didn’t need to turn to know Aarav had entered the room.

And from the way Raghav’s smile faltered, she knew he’d noticed too.

“Sharma,” Aarav drawled, sliding into the seat directly behind hers. His voice was low, edged, the kind of tone that could cut glass. “Didn’t know you were giving free tutoring.”

Raghav stiffened, his easy charm evaporating. “Just asking for help, Rathore. Relax.”

“Relax,” Aarav repeated, amusement curling his lips. He leaned forward, close enough that Navya could feel his breath on the back of her neck. “That’s not my specialty.”

The tension crackled like static. Students shifted uncomfortably, pretending not to notice, though every ear strained toward them.

Raghav cleared his throat. “Anyway, think about it, Sharma,” he said quickly, then moved back to his friends.

Navya’s heart pounded. She turned halfway in her seat, whispering fiercely, “What the hell was that?”

Aarav’s eyes glittered, dark and unrepentant. “That was me making sure you don’t waste your time.”

“You don’t own me,” she snapped.

He leaned closer, so close she could see the flecks of amber in his irises. “Don’t I?”

Her breath caught. Heat flooded her veins, equal parts fury and desire. She whipped back around as the professor finally entered, but she could feel him behind her the entire class, his presence a storm she couldn’t escape.

---

After Class

She didn’t get far. Aarav cornered her near the stairwell, his arm braced against the wall above her shoulder.

“You think you can smile at him like that and I’ll just let it go?” he demanded.

Her eyes flashed. “I wasn’t smiling at him. And even if I was, it’s none of your business.”

“Everything about you is my business,” he growled.

Her pulse thudded in her ears. She hated how much those words thrilled her. “You’re insane.”

“Maybe,” he said, his voice dropping into something softer, more dangerous. “But you’re mine, Navya. Whether you admit it or not.”

Her throat tightened. She should have shoved him away, should have told him she’d never belong to anyone. Instead, she whispered, “You don’t get to decide that.”

A slow smile curved his lips. “Then prove me wrong.”

Before she could reply, footsteps echoed down the hall. Aarav pushed off the wall, casual, mask sliding back into place. He walked away without another word, leaving her trembling against the cold cement.

---

That Night

Navya told herself she wouldn’t answer. When the unknown number lit up her phone at midnight, she pressed her lips together, staring at the screen.

Open your window.

Her chest constricted. She should ignore it. She should turn off her phone.

Instead, she found herself creeping to the balcony, heart hammering.

And there he was. Aarav Rathore, leaning against his bike parked across the street, looking up at her window like he had every right.

When he saw her, his lips curved into that devastating smirk. He raised a hand, curling his finger in a silent summons.

Every part of her screamed no. But her feet moved anyway.

---

The Ride

The night air was sharp as she climbed onto the back of his bike. She didn’t even have time to ask where they were going before he revved the engine, the roar drowning out her thoughts.

They sped through empty streets, neon lights streaking past, the wind tugging at her hair. She clutched his jacket, her cheek pressed against his back, the thrum of his heartbeat steady beneath her palm.

It was reckless. It was insane. It was freedom.

When they finally stopped, it was at the edge of the city, overlooking the highway lights sprawled like constellations. Aarav killed the engine and swung off the bike, lighting a cigarette.

“Why am I here?” Navya asked, her voice trembling.

He exhaled smoke, eyes fixed on the horizon. “Because I needed you to see. This is who I am. Fights. Nights like this. Smoke and ash. And you—” His gaze snapped to hers, sharp as glass. “You shouldn’t want me. But you do.”

Her lips parted. She wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong. But the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, she whispered, “And what if I do?”

His cigarette burned down between his fingers, forgotten. In two strides he was in front of her, his hand cupping her jaw, his thumb grazing her lower lip.

“Then, princess,” he murmured, his voice rough with want, “you’ll never get free again.”

And when his mouth crashed onto hers, fierce and unrelenting, Navya realized he wasn’t making a promise. He was making a vow.

---

Later

By the time Aarav dropped her home, her lips were swollen, her heart a frantic mess. She slipped inside silently, every nerve buzzing with the memory of his kiss, his hands, his claim.

She collapsed onto her bed, pressing her face into the pillow, torn between terror and exhilaration. She was falling, faster than she could catch herself. And she didn’t know if there would be anything left to land on when she hit the ground.

But one truth burned clear in her chest, undeniable.

She couldn’t stay away.

---

Aarav

Back in his room, Aarav sat on the edge of his bed, smoke curling from the half-burnt cigarette in his hand. He replayed the feel of her lips, the way her small hands had clutched his jacket, the fire in her eyes when she defied him.

She was nothing like the others. They had been distractions, easy fixes for restless nights. But Navya—she was different. She was dangerous in a way even he hadn’t anticipated.

Because she made him want.

And Aarav Rathore didn’t want. He took.

But with her… he wanted everything.

And he knew one thing with absolute certainty: he would burn the world to the ground before letting anyone else touch her.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***