Ahana’s hands trembled as she ripped the piece of paper—the letter Shiv had sent. She tore it apart and threw the fragments off the balcony, her heart pounding against her chest.

Dressed in the gown she had worn since yesterday, sweat now clung to her skin, not from heat but from the fear, confusion, and disbelief that consumed her.

“What just happened?” she murmured to herself, her voice quivering.

“No... this can’t be real. Maybe I’m overthinking... but that letter? It was definitely Shiv’s handwriting.”

She took a deep breath, trying to shake the heavy thoughts weighing her down. Grabbing her clothes, she quickly made her way to the washroom to freshen up, desperate to cleanse not just her body, but her mind.

Thirty minutes later,

Ahana stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a top. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, her expression hardened with determination.

“Instead of wasting time thinking about all this,” she whispered to herself,

“I should just run away. Who knows when that monster will show up again.”

She clenched her fists, anger and frustration bubbling up inside her.

“If I manage to escape, I won’t leave and run from Shiv... I’ll expose Aarav for what he is. I’ll tell the police everything!”

Lost in her thoughts,

Ahana didn’t notice when the door to her room creaked open. A shadow slipped inside, moving silently across the room, settling on the couch.

Ahana, still busy at the mirror, turned around absentmindedly—only to freeze in place, her breath catching in her throat.

“A-aap? Y-yaha?” she stammered, eyes wide with shock.

Sitting casually on the couch, watching her with a devilish smirk, was Aarav.

“Who else would be in a wife’s room if not her husband?” Aarav said, his voice laced with mockery.

“Wherever my wife is, her husband must follow, right?”

Ahana’s lips curled in disgust. “How dare you!” she spat, gritting her teeth. “Don’t you have any shame, barging into a woman’s room like this? You could’ve knocked.”

Aarav stood up slowly, his muscular frame, glistening with sweat from what seemed like a recent workout, made him look even more imposing. His presence alone was suffocating, and Ahana felt her pulse quicken with unease.

Without a word, Aarav moved closer. Ahana instinctively stepped back, attempting to slip past him, but his hand shot out, grabbing her waist. In one swift movement, he lifted her and placed her on the edge of the side table. She stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to react.

His eyes gleamed with amusement as he leaned in slightly.

“Oh, don’t worry, wife. If you want, you can meet your dear brother anytime.”

Ahana’s breath hitched.

“Really? Will you let me see him?” she asked, her voice filled with hope.

Aarav’s face was inches from hers, his breath warm against her skin. His voice dropped to a husky whisper.

“Of course, but... you’ll have to agree to two conditions.”

Ahana’s heart raced, a mix of excitement and dread twisting her insides. “What conditions?” she asked cautiously.

Aarav’s fingers lightly brushed through her hair as he spoke, his voice cold and calculated.

“I don’t like too many questions, wife. But if you want your family to stay safe, you’ll have to follow my rules.”

Her mind whirled, knowing she had no choice but to play along for now.

"Calm down, Ahana... if you want to escape, you need to stay calm," she told herself silently.

Aarav’s intense gaze never left her as he laid out his terms.

“First—no matter what, you will not attempt to run away. Not even think about it. You will obey me without question.”

Ahana’s temper flared, and she opened her mouth to protest, but Aarav cut her off.

“Second—you will cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for me every day. And each morning, you will kiss me.”

His lips curled into an evil smile, enjoying the discomfort etched on her face.

Ahana’s world spun. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Just moments ago, she had been planning her escape, and now this man was brazenly giving her the most outrageous commands as if they meant nothing to him.

“Never!” she exploded, pushing Aarav away.

“How dare you think I’ll do any of that! You think just because you forced me here, you can control everything? I’m not your puppet!”

Aarav’s expression darkened. His amusement turned to cold indifference as he stared her down.

“Ah, so you don’t like being asked nicely?” he sneered. “I have no problem using force, but believe me, what you’re thinking of doing will never work.” His voice was colder than ice.

He turned to leave, but Ahana, overwhelmed with frustration and anger—first from the cryptic letter from Shiv and now from Aarav’s impossible demands—snapped.

“All you know how to do is force people, isn’t it?” she shouted.

“You forced me into this marriage, and now you’re ordering me around like I’m your servant, blackmailing me at every turn!”

Aarav paused, his fists clenching tightly at his sides, though he didn’t turn around.

“You’re nothing but a monster, a shameless bastard! You think giving orders makes you powerful? Why don’t you tell your servants or cooks to do your dirty work, because I’m not going to play your sick games. I’ll run away from here, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

She continued, her voice rising, “If you want to be this shameless, go find another girl for your disgusting acts. I won’t be part of this!”

That did it.

Aarav’s blood boiled. His calm façade cracked, replaced by a terrifying rage.

Aarav’s fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, each breath he took simmering with unbridled rage. Her words echoed in his mind, “bastard,” “monster,” “idiot.”

Each one was like a strike, cutting deeper than he would ever admit.

He stopped dead in his tracks, every muscle in his body coiling with a tension so thick, it felt as if the air around them had stilled.

Ahana’s chest rose and fell rapidly, a mixture of anger and panic clouding her thoughts. Her heart thudded in her ears as she watched his back, expecting him to leave, to storm out like he always did.

But this time, something was different.

Suddenly,

Aarav turned sharply on his heel, his eyes ablaze with fury. The sudden movement made Ahana take a step back, her spine pressing into the wall behind her. Her breath hitched as their eyes locked—his dark, stormy gaze was no longer just filled with frustration or annoyance. This time, it was personal.

She had pushed him too far.

In a flash, he was in front of her, his movements swift and predatory. Ahana barely had time to react before he slammed his hand against the wall beside her, trapping her in the small space between his body and the cold concrete.

The air around them crackled with tension, so thick it was almost suffocating.

His proximity was overwhelming, his scent, the heat radiating from his body—it was everywhere, and Ahana had nowhere to escape.

Her heart pounded in her chest, but she lifted her chin defiantly, refusing to back down, even though her instincts screamed at her to run.

Aarav’s eyes bored into hers, his breath harsh and uneven. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence hanging heavy between them.

“You think you can insult me and get away with it?”

Aarav hissed through gritted teeth, his voice low and menacing. His other hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her even closer until their faces were just inches apart.

Ahana’s pulse raced, but she refused to look away.

“You—”

she started, but her voice wavered, betraying her fear.

“What?”

Aarav barked, his grip tightening around her wrist. “You think you know me? You think you can provoke me like that?” His voice was thick with restrained fury, but beneath it, there was something darker—something dangerous.

“I don’t care what you think you can do to me,” Ahana spat back, her voice trembling despite her best efforts. She felt her skin burn where his fingers gripped her wrist, the pressure almost unbearable.

“You’re just a coward, hiding behind your threats. You think you scare me?”

Aarav’s lips curled into a humorless smirk, his eyes glinting with something primal.

“I should scare you, Ahana.” His voice dropped lower, barely above a whisper, but the threat in it was unmistakable.

“Because I’m not the kind of man who forgives.”

Ahana’s heart hammered against her chest, but she refused to let him see her fear. She narrowed her eyes, her voice shaking but determined.

“You think I’m scared of you? I’m not scared of a man who hides behind power and intimidation. I’ll never be afraid of you.”

Aarav’s jaw clenched, his grip on her wrist so tight she could feel the pulse of his anger through his skin. His eyes flickered with a storm of emotions—anger, frustration, but also something she hadn’t seen before. It was as if she had peeled back a layer, exposed a part of him he didn’t want anyone to see.

He leaned closer, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. “You should be,” he growled, his voice a dangerous whisper. “Because I can break you, Ahana. I can tear down everything you think you are. And there won’t be anything left of you.”

Ahana’s breath caught in her throat, but she stood her ground. “Do it,” she challenged, her voice barely above a whisper. “Destroy me. But you’ll never break me, Mr. Rathore.”

For a moment,

something flickered in Aarav’s eyes, a flash of hesitation. He stared at her, his chest rising and falling rapidly as if he were fighting a battle within himself. His grip on her wrist loosened slightly, and Ahana could feel his pulse racing against her skin.

But just as quickly as the moment came, it was gone. Aarav’s expression hardened again, his jaw tightening as he pulled her even closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke in a low, dangerous voice.

“You’ve already underestimated me once,” he whispered. “Don’t make the mistake of doing it again.”

Ahana’s breath hitched as his words sent a shiver down her spine. There was something terrifying about how close he was, how his presence seemed to consume every inch of space around her.

But instead of fear, it was something else that made her pulse quicken—a mix of adrenaline and defiance that surged through her veins.

Her voice was steady when she finally spoke, her eyes blazing with the same fire that had drawn him in since the beginning. “And you’ve underestimated me too, Mr. Rathore,”

she said, her voice laced with conviction.

“You think you can control me. But one day, you’ll realize you can’t.”

Aarav’s gaze darkened, his eyes narrowing as her words hit their mark. His chest heaved as he stared down at her, the tension between them nearly unbearable. For a fleeting second, Ahana thought he might lash out—his hand still held her wrist tightly, and she could feel the power radiating from his body.

But instead, Aarav let out a low growl, his jaw clenched in frustration. Without another word, he released her abruptly, stepping back as if touching her had burned him. His face was a storm of conflicting emotions—anger, desire, confusion—all warring with each other as he tried to regain control.

Ahana pressed her back against the wall, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she watched him.

Despite everything, despite the fire raging in her, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something between them had shifted in that moment. Something dangerous. Something that neither of them fully understood.

Aarav turned his back to her, his fists clenched at his sides, his voice hoarse when he finally spoke.

“Don’t think for a second that this is over,” he muttered, his voice laced with threat. “You’ll regret every word.”

Without waiting for a response, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ahana stood there, her heart still racing, her body trembling from the intensity of what had just happened. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm the storm within her.

But she knew. She knew that whatever this was between them this collision of fury, power, and something far more complicated it was far from over.

Ends .

I hope u liked this chapter.

Give a lot of love to this book...... Let's meet in our next chapter..

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By writersanahh 🤗💓