The corridor fell silent again.
But the silence was no longer peaceful.
It was heavy… suffocating.
Kabir's heartbeat echoed in his ears as he looked at Aarya.
Her face had lost all color.
For the first time…
The "Queen of Rejections" looked completely shaken.
"You heard that… right?" Kabir whispered.
Aarya didn't reply.
Her eyes were fixed somewhere in the distance.
Like she already knew what that voice meant.
And that made it even more terrifying.
Kabir stepped closer.
"What… was that thing?"
Aarya closed her eyes for a second.
Taking a deep breath.
Like she was finally giving up on hiding.
Then slowly…
She looked at him.
And this time—
There was no anger.
No attitude.
Only truth.
"It's not a 'thing'…"
Kabir's throat went dry.
"…it's a curse."
Those words hit harder than anything else.
"A… curse?" he repeated, confused.
Aarya nodded faintly.
"Something that has been with me for years."
Kabir stared at her.
Trying to process everything.
"This… is not possible…"
But after what he just experienced…
He couldn't deny it either.
Aarya turned away slightly.
Her voice became quieter.
"Anyone who gets close to me…"
She paused.
Her hands clenched tightly.
"…gets hurt."
Kabir's chest tightened.
"The accident yesterday…"
Aarya nodded.
"That was just the beginning."
Silence.
Kabir's mind raced.
"So all those rejections…"
Aarya gave a small, bitter smile.
"You think I enjoy humiliating people?"
Kabir didn't answer.
Because now…
He knew the truth.
"I push them away…" she continued,
"…before the curse destroys them."
Her voice trembled slightly.
But she didn't stop.
"Some people didn't listen."
Kabir felt a chill.
"What happened to them…?"
Aarya didn't look at him.
"Accidents."
One word.
But it carried so much pain.
"Some survived…"
A pause.
Long.
Heavy.
"…some didn't."
Kabir's eyes widened.
His breathing became uneven.
This wasn't just serious.
This was deadly.
"And now…" he whispered,
"…it's targeting me?"
Aarya finally looked at him again.
Her eyes filled with guilt.
"Because you didn't stay away."
Silence wrapped around them again.
But this time…
It wasn't empty.
It was filled with truth.
Dangerous truth.
Kabir looked down for a moment.
Trying to calm his thoughts.
Trying to understand everything.
Then slowly…
He looked back at her.
"So if I stay away now…"
"…will it stop?"
Aarya didn't answer immediately.
And that hesitation…
Was enough.
Kabir's heart sank.
"It won't… right?"
Aarya shook her head slightly.
"Once it starts…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"…it doesn't stop easily."