Arsh:

I have often wondered what's worse - the fact that I would never go back to her or that she will never allow me in.

I stared outside the huge glass window, my eyes fixed on the staff running here and there to check the last minutes arrangements while sipping coffee from the cup.

It's my wedding today but will it still be a wedding if they find out that I am already married.

I could smell roses and jasmine everywhere, it is suffocating, almost nauseating. My mother always favored an excess of flowers for special occasions, as if they could mask the monster beneath my face.

I adjusted the cufflinks on my sherwani, the smooth gold catching the light of the crystal chandeliers overhead.

Everything in this room was polished to perfection, reflecting an image of the power and control I held. But beneath it, everything was cracking. And theonee holding the hammer was getting on my each damn nerves. Aira Arsh Oberoi - the woman I claim as mine behind the curtains but refuse to give her my name in front of the world.

I have warned her - she won't shed tears unless she dares to smile. Watching her suffer has become my twisted luxury, a satisfaction that is only mine. I have caused more damage than anyone could ever heal.

My bride-to-be, Varya Rai Singhania, is someone I have known since childhood. A good match, that's what everyone said. Varya Rai Singhania is an epitome of perfection and they are right because she will make a perfect partner.

But they don't see the truth. Varya and I are bestfriends but never a good match - our egos clash too violently for that.

This marriage is a formality, a way to have more influence in society. Varya needs this as much as I do, for Adhikrit and Adira.

Since Noor bhabhi left us, Adhikrit has changed so much that even I barely recognize him anymore. Noor bhabhi's family is the only connection he has to his late wife other than their little girl Adira.

Varya being her little sister is the only one who can get through to him, and she is the only one our little Adira - Noor and Adhikrit's daughter, listens to.

We both knew how to handle it all and the headlines labelling us as childhood sweethearts were totally ridiculous when I know where her heart lies.

Honestly I couldn't care less about this marriage but my brother wouldn't hesitate before slicing my throat if I hurt Varya.

And still I ended up burying a secret that if came out threatened to turn my life over. My intention was to get revenge on the Agnihotris for everything they have done to us especially Noor bhabhi.

But my family wouldn't go well with my ways.

The front yard was buzzing with guests, and I wondered if they would still smile if they knew the truth. If they knew that just last night, I stood in the shadows outside another woman's window, watching her as she slept. A woman who bore my name in secret. A woman who was the daughter of our enemy.

My hand tightened around the cup I held, the crystal almost cracking under the pressure. I married her to destroy her family, to hold Vijay Agnihotri's reputation in my hand and I clearly have it - it lies in the ruins.

But somewhere along the way, my plan twisted into something more. I shouldn't have involved her because now she is messing up my whole mind. I couldn't even tell if I was stalking her out of strategy or obsession. Maybe both.

But no one could know. Not my family, who believed in doing the right things even after being immersed in the dark. They couldn't know that I already belonged to someone else, even if I could never truly have her.

I know my family and they would be against hurting an innocent just to have revenge.

But is she really innocent?

Anyone who has Agnihotri's blood flowing through their veins deserve worse than hell and I will make sure that all of them have it.

I set the cup down and forced a smile as I heard soemone enter my room. I turned around to find my mother standing at the door. She was radiant, glowing with pride, her eyes filled with tears of joy. It was almost enough to make me feel guilty. Almost.

She closed the door and walked towards me with love reflecting in her eyes.

"My son looks so handsome." she said, smoothing a strand of hair back from my forehead. "Today, you start a new chapter in your life. I am sure you will be a good husband "

I nodded, letting her words wash over me, meaningless and hollow. A good husband. I could never play the part. And Varya was okay with that so it would be our little secret.

I had been playing roles all my life - my truth is buried somewhere dark, far from the eyes of the people who thought they knew me.

My mother like always got emotional as tears welled up in her eyes and she took a little bit of the kohl in her finger from her eyes but before she could cast away the evil eyes likes she always does, we both heard a knock on my door - loud and insistent.

I didn't bother to answer. Whoever it was, they had let themselves in eventually.

Mom shook her head throwing me a glare and said, "Come in,"

It was Varya who stormed in first, her usually composed expression shattered by fury. Behind her, my father, Adhikrit and other family members followed, their faces a mix of concern and confusion.

Varya's eyes locked onto mine, cold and calculating. "You really don't care about anything, do you?"

I stepped forward, feigning indifference. "You will have to be more specific."

Her grip tightened around her phone before she threw it onto the table between us. The screen flashed with a paused video - a familiar image. Aira in a red lehnga, the daughter of our greatest enemy. But that wasn't the topic of focus right now because my face was clearly visible in it while taking rounds of the holy fire.

How did she get to know about this? And first of all which mother fucker has that video other than me?

"So, this is how you repay me for keeping quiet about this facade of a marriage?" Varya's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension in the room.

I glanced at the phone, then back at her. "You seem upset, Varya. I thought we both knew this marriage was nothing more than a convenience. You can walk away if you want. It makes no difference to me."

My eyes moved to my mother picking up the phone and playing the video as her eyes widened and my Dad and the rest of the family looked in the phone as well.

"You think this is about me being upset?" Varya's voice rose. "This is about respect. Reputation. You have put both of ours on the line with your little revenge plot. And you didn't even have the decency to tell me or any of us?"

I shrugged, unbothered by her anger. "What difference would it have made? You said it yourself - this marriage is nothing but an arrangement. Now that you know, we can end this charade. Go back to your life, and I will go back to mine."

Varya scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Is that all you have to say? You ruin a girl's life, and you think you can just walk away?"

"She deserved it," I replied coldly. "It was never about her. It was about what she represents - her family, her bloodline."

I barely registered it before a punch was thrown at me with full force and I almost staggered back but I refused to flinch, the attacker being Adhikrit.

"How dare you?" Adhikrit's voice was a low growl, filled with barely contained rage. "You are destroying someone's life for your petty revenge. And you didn,t even have the guts to tell us?"

I met his gaze, cold and unyielding. "I did what needed to be done."

"For Noor bhabhi,"

His eyes darkened even more as soon as her name escaped my lips, "Don't give me that bullshit!" he spat. "My Noor would die a thousand more deaths if she were here to see what you have done."

"I had clearly warned you against hurting Varya, you bastard." He added, screaming at my face as I looked up at him. "She is not hurt."

He gritted his teeth, raising his hands once again to hit me but Varya was quick enough to hold his hand, and he stopped.

"And you were going to get married to someone when you are already married?" My grandmother spoke for the first time, everyone's eyes widening as they noticed the little detail they had seemed to miss earlier and all I could see in my grandmother's eyes was disappointment for me.

I noticed Adhikrit take another step towards me so I hurried my explanation. "Pandit nakli hai bhai, isko bhi Pata hai mantra bhi nhi aate use. Shadi bhi drama tha."

"So you were planning another betrayal too." He questioned, his voice rising as I scrunched up my face. They were being too loud.

"Iska idea tha bhai." I pointed at Varya as everyone's gaze turned to her and she softly nodded.

Adhikrit was clearly getting more agitated because of the indifference on my face but Varya had held his hand.

I stared at the two as he looked back at her and she softly shook her head at him.

Idiots, they care for each other more than me and still want me to be the groom.

He stepped back and I realised not a single of them were okay with what I had done.

Very well, I didn't expect them to understand me anyways.

It was me who was present there when they killed Noor bhabhi mercilessly, and although Adhikrit killed those who were behind it, the Agnihotris were living happily after snatching our happiness and sacrificing a few pawns so I did what was necessary.

I forced them to be on their knees in front of me.

"Your need for revenge has blinded you, Arsh." My father's voice cut through the silence, stern and disapproving. My mother stepped forward, her gaze piercing. "We taught you better than this."

I kept my expression neutral, though the weight of her words settled heavily on me. "This has nothing to do with how I was raised, Ma. This is about justice."

"No." My mother's voice was firm, her eyes unwavering. "This is about you losing sight of what is right. I don't care what your reasons were. You married that girl, and that makes her our responsibility now. I expect you to bring her here and treat her with the respect she deserves."

I looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze. "She is nothing to me."

"But she is your wife," Varya interjected, her tone now calmer but still laced with agitation. That's why I didn't even tell her about it, I knew she'd want the same as my family even after being my bestfriend.

"Whether you like it or not, you have tied yourself to her. And if you think you can discard her just because she is an Agnihotri, you are a fool." She finished casting me a glare.

"She knows she is nothing to me and the feelings are mutual." I shot back. "This marriage was all about revenge."

"More like you have lost control," Varya said, crossing her arms. "And you hate it Arsh, you hate being the one not in control."

She glared at me, "But don't worry. I will make it easier for you. Consider our engagement null and void."

"Now go and get your wife." She calmly said as my mother squeezed her shoulder and gave her a small hug, caressing her head.

Adhikrit was still glaring at me but my father stopped him from raising his hands on me.

My mother muttered a small sorry to Varya and then came towards me, her voice softening but no less commanding. "Listen to me, Arsh. You have done enough, now go and bring our daughter in law home."

"This isn't just about you anymore. It's about our family, about our values. You may not care, but we do. That girl is your wife, and you owe it to her - and to us - to do right by her." My grandfather spoke for the first time and I knew it was the final decision.

I clenched my jaw, all of this was so ridiculous. "Fine. If that's what you all want, Ma."

She nodded, satisfied.

"Oh and Arsh, you better tell the press that it was me who broke the marriage. I won't compromise my reputation." Varya gushed out, giving me one last withering look before turning on her heel and leaving the room, Adhikrit following her out but not beofre throwing me a warning glare and saying, "And make sure she is here by tommorow because she is coming with us."

I gave him a nod and the rest of the family went out of the room as well finally leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I think back to the day before yesterday when I paid her a visit and I am sure she knew it was me in her room standing by her bed.

˚⋆𐙚｡ 𖦹.ᡣ𐭩˚

Flashback:

It had been two years since I last saw her up close, two years since I ruined her smile, thinking that would give me happiness.

Two years since I convinced myself that marrying her was just a means to an end, a way to hurt my enemy where it hurt most. But now, as I stand outside her room on her balcony, her name echoing in my mind, I realize just how deeply I have deceived myself.

I have been here before. Countless times, actually. Always from a distance, always watching. It's pathetic, really, how I have reduced myself to this - stalking her like an obsessed freak.

I have kept my eyes on her but I have never gotten so close. Except for once a year ago. I had to warn her because she seemed to be in delusion that I was gone.

I had to tell her otherwise.

I am getting married in two days and yet all I could think of is her. Varya and I are barely doing a drama, it's all fake but no one knows that.

It's the perfect option to throw her out of my mind but no matter what Aira just won't go away.

If I leave her alone, she will be happy.

'No.' I push that thought away. Happiness isn't something I have ever associated with her. It was never about her happiness, It was about power, control, revenge. But now, standing here, the lines are blurred again.

The night air is cool against my skin, but it does nothing to quell the heat raging inside me.

I slip into her room, moving with the silence I have perfected since I was a child. The french windows closes behind me with a soft click, sealing us inside.

I am closer to her now than I have allowed myself to be in years. Close enough to touch, close enough to ruin.

She is sleeping on the left side of the bed - like always, her dark hair spilling across the pillow like ink. The sight of it makes something primal stir in me, something I have kept buried for too long.

For a moment, I just stand near her bed, watching her, taking in the rise and fall of her chest, the way her lips part slightly with each breath. It's peaceful, almost too peaceful, and it makes me sick to my stomach. She doesn't deserve peace. Not after what her family has done to us. Not after what I have done to her and not after what she is doing to me.

Before I can think better of it, I reach out and tangle my fingers in her hair, the strands sliding through my hand like silk. I pull just enough to tip her head back, exposing the delicate line of her throat. My thumb grazes over her lips, and I can feel her breath against my skin, warm and soft.

I know I shouldn't be here. I know I should turn around and leave before I do something I will regret. But I can't. I am rooted to the spot, intoxicated by the scent of her, by the feel of her hair between my fingers.

I have never had this kind of power over her, I have never allowed myself to want it. But I do want it. I want to shatter the peace she has found without me, to remind her who she belongs to.

But then, something changes. Her breathing hitches, her body stiffens ever so slightly, and I realize that she is awake. She is awake, but she doesn't open her eyes, doesn't flinch or pull away.

Instead, her hand moves, so subtly I almost miss it, and she clutches the bedsheet, her fingers curling into the fabric. She knows I am here, and she is still pretending to sleep. My grip on her hair tightens, just for a second, just to see if she will react. But she doesn't. She stays still, her breathing steady, as if daring me to do more.

It's a game, then. One she is determined to win. But what she doesn't understand is that I never lose.

I lean down, so close that my lips nearly brush her ear, and I breathe in her scent, letting it fill my lungs. She shivers, just barely, but still, she doesn't move. My thumb traces the line of her jaw, down to her chin, before I finally let go of her hair. For a moment, I linger, savoring her scent so as to make it stay on me or I won't be able to sleep the night.

I could stay here all night, could keep her trapped in this silent battle of wills. But I know when to retreat for my own sanity.

With one last glance at her, I pull away and step back, moving to the window. I leave as quietly as I came, the window clicking shut behind me. Outside on the balcony, I take a deep breath, the cool air doing little to calm the storm inside me. She thinks she won tonight, but she is wrong.

This is far from over.

- Flashback over.

˚⋆𐙚｡ 𖦹.ᡣ𐭩˚

Present:

I looked down at my wrist watch - the clock striking 6 in the evening. We leave in an hour so I should probably hurry up.

Besides she has a knack for getting on my nerves and I sweat I will make her play for the little stunt she pulled on me. The car engine hums beneath me as I pull up to her apartment and park the car.

I couldn't see anything in the cameras because she took them out this morning, I have no idea what she is up to but I know what her little mind guessed, she thought I had leave her alone once I got married.

But she was wrong, because neither was I ever getting married and I never will because I am already married to her.

I take the elevator to the 11th floor and use the spare key to open her door because I had no intention to warn them about my entrance.

My eyes search for her and there she is. The breath catches in my throat as if I haven't prepared for this, as if I haven't imagined this moment over and over. But nothing could prepare me for the reality.

She is seated in the center of the room, surrounded by people. They are all smiling, but she is the only one who doesn't look like she belongs. And she doesn't, because I own her - body, heart and soul.

Her smile is a careful mask - one I have studied for months through the shadows. But it's the sparkle in her eyes that catches me off guard. I have never seen her look anything but scared.

She may look strong and confident, but with an edge of fragility that I know I have put there. And she is with him - Neil Arora something - her bestfriend cum fiance before I married her. I know everything about him: his background, his habits. He is harmless to me, but very important to her, and maybe that's why his presence claws at my insides.

She laughs at something he says, a sound I am probably hearing for the first time, and it's like it doesn't belong to me.

But it should, because she belongs to me.

There is something intimate in the way they talk, the way he had held her hand on his. Oh and they are all dressed in very fancy dresses. If I didn't know any better, I would think they were getting engaged.

Without the groom?

My warning wasn't taken seriously. I see,

My hands curl into fists at my sides, the urge to drag her away overwhelming me.

But I stand still, rooted in place, watching them like an outsider. I hate it. I hate that she tried this even after my warnings.

I hate that seeing her with him makes me want to burn everything down, including myself.

I take a step forward waiting for them to notice me, and the atmosphere shifts. The room falls silent as they notice my presence.

There is nothing but silence in the room as soon as they realise who I am and I relish the power that comes with that silence, the knowledge that I amm about to disrupt whatever life she has managed to build without me.

She finally looks up hearing the gasps around us, and for a moment, her eyes meet mine. Recognition flickers there, followed by something else - surprise, fear, maybe anger.

I can't tell, and it infuriates me that I don't know her well enough anymore to decipher her emotions. But there is certainly something that looks a lot like defiance in her eyes.

I see the questions in her eyes, the demand for answers, for explanations that I am not ready to give.

Not yet. Not here. Not when she is standing so close to someone else. My jaw tightens, and I force myself to remain calm, to remember why I am here.

No murder today Arsh.

But as I stand here, the lines blur once more. The plan, the control, the power - it all fades in the face of something I refuse to name. Something that feels like guilt.

Aira stands slowly, her movements deliberate, as if preparing herself for a battle even she knows she can't win. "What are you doing here?" she asks, her voice steady but laced with tension.

I am surprised she managed to ask a question.

"Collecting what's mine," I reply taking a step closer, feigning indifference. "You are coming home."

My eyes fall on the ring her mother is holding and it boils my blood.

She crosses her arms, her chin lifting in defiance. "I have a home and it's definitely not with you."

A muscle ticks in my jaw. Her resistance only fuels the fire in me. "You are getting engaged? Despite being married already."

"Back off, I am sure your wife won't approve." she counters, her voice sharp.

"But I didn't get married. I guess you were too happy to check the headlines today. No?" I scoffed, directing a glare at Neil who took a protective step shielding her from my gaze.

Her father and brother did the same.

"What do you mean?" Her mother asked, the ring in her hand falling down to the ground.

"I am here to take my wife home." A few of my gaurd were waiting outside because I had no intention to leave her behind.

"The audacity. You really think you can just walk in and drag me back?" My wife grumbles throwing a glare at me.

I allow a cold smile to curl my lips. "That's exactly what I am going to do."

The rest of the people gathered murmur among themselves but I don’t care. My eyes remain locked on Aira's. I can see her mind working, searching for a way out.

She glances toward Neil who stood beside her. He has got that protective stance, the kind that makes me want to remind him who she belongs to.

"I am only here to take her home." I state raising my hands when her brother takes a threatening step towards me.

But he doesn't stop there and that's my men's cue to enter inside and hold them back.

"Aira lets go." I say the words, more like testing them on my tongue knowing very well she won't come.

Aira's eyes widen slightly maybe realising I was here for her, and I see the flash of panic she tries so hard to hide.

"You have no right..." she starts, but I cut her off.

"I have every right," I snap, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You are still my wife, and you will come with me whether you like it or not."

Neil shifts entirely in front of her, shielding her from me, and it takes everything in me not to lash out. "Step aside," I warn him, my voice laced with a threat he would be foolish to ignore. "This don't involve you."

"Not anymore," The idiot retorts, standing his ground. "She has moved on from you and that joke of a marriage. You need to get that in your head."

Joke. The word grates against me, stirring an anger that simmers just beneath the surface. "Joke?" I echo, letting out a cold laugh. "The marriage would be joke if I want it to be and it will be ber truth if I decide that."

His jaw clenches, and I see the challenge in his eyes. But before he can respond, Aira places a hand on his arm, stopping him. "Neil, don't," she says softly, her voice trembling.

It boils my blood, their interaction is getting way beyond me.

"Leave him out of this," she snaps, following my gaze. She moves to shield him, but I don't miss the way his eyes dart between us, uncertain and uneasy.

She has been strong for too long or atleast pretended to, and I am the storm that has come to tear her walls down. But beneath the anger, there is fear - and that's what I need.

"I am not going with you," she says firmly, but I can hear the waver in her voice.

I step closer, closing the distance until she is forced to tilt her head back to look up at me. "Oh, you will," I say softly, but my voice carries the weight of an unspoken threat. "You don't have a choice."

I fiex my gaze on her. "Stop wasting my time, you and I we both know I always get what I want."

She flinches, but she doesn't back down. "I am not going anywhere with you," she declares, her voice stronger than before. "You were done with you revenge, why come back now?"

"Stop getting on my nerves." I growl, taking another step closer. "You are mine and if you think I will watch by the sideline and gladly let you get married to someone else, you are in for a surprise darling."

"I am not your possession!" she fires back, the defiance in her eyes blazing.

I smirk, amused by her courage.

Her mother's gasp cuts through the tension, her voice trembling as she speaks. "You can't do this, you have no right over her."

I ignore her, my focus solely on Aira. "I am giving you two choices, Aira," I say, my tone icy. "Come with me willingly, or I will drag you out of here myself."

She stares at me, her chest rising and falling with the rapid breaths she is trying to control. For a moment, I see the fear take hold, but then it's gone, replaced by a steely resolve. "I would rather die than go with you," she spits out.

I lean in closer, so only she can hear me. "I won't let that happen," I whisper, my voice laced with menace. "I simply have better plans for you."

I take a breath, controlling the satisfaction that wells up inside me. I can almost hear all the disapproving but I don't care, I am taking back what is mine, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Her family stands frozen, torn between protecting her and the reality that there’s little they can do against me. The only sound is the rapid beat of her pulse, echoing the chaos in her mind.

There is a flicker of panic in her eyes before she masks it with anger. "I am not scared of you." she whispers fiercely. "Leave us alone."

My gaze hardens. "But you should be. Start fearing me Aira." I say, my voice colder than I intend. She flinches, just slightly, but I catch it.

Her father fianlly steps forward, his face stern. "You won't take her anywhere," he says, his voice carrying authority but the thing Inwas the only one in authority over here. Her brother, equally determined, moves to stand beside him. "We are not afraid of you. If you think you can just walk in here and..."

"I'm not thinking," I cut him off, my gaze sharp as a blade. "I am doing it."

The air thickens with tension as my men quietly position themselves, blocking any escape routes. Aira's brother clenches his fists, ready to fight, but we will know it's useless.

I don't want a repeat of last time because my family won't like it but other than that I could care less about the Agnihotris.

Her mother's voice trembles with desperation. "Please spare my daughter."

But I have had enough. Without another word, I snap my fingers, and my men spring into action. Four of them grab her father, her useless ex - fiance and brother, holding them back despite their struggles. The rest make sure no one else interferes.

Aira's eyes widen in panic as she realizes what was happening. "No! Let them go!" she cries, trying to step towards them, but I am faster. I seize her arm and pull her close, her struggles nothing more than a futile attempt to escape my grasp.

"Stop fighting, Aira," I hiss in her ear, my voice cold. "This is happening whether you like it or not."

"No!" she shouts, her voice filled with raw emotion. "I won't go with you! I won't!"

Ignoring her protests, I tighten my hold and lift her off her feet. She kicks and writhes, her hands pushing against my chest, but I don't let go. "Put me down!" she demands, her voice breaking, but I don't respond.

Her father's shout echoes through the room, filled with rage and helplessness. "You can't do this to my daughter!"

"I can and I will, she is mine now," I respond coldly, walking toward the door with Aira struggling in my arms.

The sound of her family's protests fills the air, but my men keep them restrained. Aira's mother sobbed, pleading me to leave her alone, while her ex-fiance curses me with every ounce of his strength. But their words are meaningless. I am beyond reason, beyond caring.

As I reach the door, Aira struggles in my arms, her eyes filled with desperation. "Please... don't do this," she whispers, her voice trembling with fear and anger.

I pause for a brief moment, meeting her gaze. For a split second, something flickers in my chest, a pang of guilt, perhaps - but it vanishes as quickly as it came. "You don't get to decide, Aira. I do."

With that, I stride out of the building and step into the waiting car. Aira's screams fill the air, but I push her inside, shutting the door on her protests. My men quickly follow, securing the area as the car speeds away.

Inside, Aira continues to fight, her nails clawing at my arms, her voice hoarse from screaming. "Let me go!" she pleads, her eyes wild with terror. "You can't do this!"

She hadn't struggled this much not even when we we got married.

I tighten my grip on her, forcing her to stay still. "Enough, Aira," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."

She glares at me, tears streaming down her face, but she no longer has the strength to fight. "You won't get away with this," she whispers, her voice barely audible.

I lean in close, my breath warm against her ear. "I already have."

The car speeds through the night, taking us directly to the private airport. I was sure that one thing was crystal clear to her now - Aira may have thought she was free, but she was never out of my reach.

Not then. Not now. Not ever.

Chapter 3 is out, so do let me know your thoughts on this one.

The next update totally depends on your votes and comments yo this one so don't be a kanjoos 😭