Arsh:

The tension in the study room was beyond me. I just couldn't understand all this. My father stood by the window, his arms crossed as if what I did actually needed some debate on it.

I mean I did what they asked me of. Didn't I?

My grandfather sat with his back straight in the armchair, his stern eyes fixed on me.

Adhikrit bhai was massaging his temples throwing me threatening glances I couldn't care less about.

They have been discussing what had happened, their words still hanging in the air, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

I shifted my gaze between them, obviously not understanding their anger. "I don't get it," I said, my voice calm but edged with frustration. "You all wanted me to bring her. I did exactly that."

My grandfather's cold stare softened just a fraction, but his words remained harsh. "We wanted her here, yes. But not like this. You brought her against her will."

I shrugged, the tension building in my chest. "So what? She is here now. Isn't that what matters?" My father's gaze shifted from the window, locking onto me with a mix of disappointment and frustration.

"That's not the point," he said, stepping away from the window, his voice a low rumble. "You took away her choice."

I looked at him for a moment beofre I scoffed, "And? Did you actually think she will come with me willingly after what I did?"

She preferred dying than coming with me.

But I didn't say that out loud.

"Atleast you realise." Adhikrit fixed me with a glare as I cast away my eyes.

My Dad shook his head, throwing his hand up as he gritted his teeth. "Can someone please make this man understand just what we meant when we said we want our daughters in law home?"

Adhikrit bhai gently squeezed his shoulders and looked at me, his voice a little softer, "You were to ask her if she wanted this too."

My brows furrowed. "You all are telling me this now? After I have already brought her here? Now you have a problem with it?"

My grandfather's voice cut in, firm but still tinged with concern. "We are not saying we didn't want her here. But it's the how that matters. You brought her here against her will."

I clenched my fists, feeling the frustration churn inside me. "What matters is that she is here, with me whether she likes it or not. That's what should matter to all of us."

A heavy silence followed my words, the weight of it pressing down on me. My father exchanged a glance with my grandfather, a silent conversation passing between them. Then my father spoke again, quieter now, but no less firm.

"She deserves to be heard," he said. "You can't make decisions about her life without giving her a say. What kind of men would you be?"

The words hit me harder than I expected. I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Instead, my father continued, his voice much gentle now.

"We will call her parents," he said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "She will have a chance to chose, to tell us what she wants. If she chooses to stay and give this marriage a chance, then so be it. But if she decides she wants to leave, if she wants a divorce, then that will be her choice."

I felt a sudden surge of panic, though I managed to hide it behind a cold exterior. Divorce? That shit was never happening.

I was not going to leave her and that's it.

"You can't be serious," I argued, shaking my head. "You are really going to let her walk away? Just like that?"

My father's gaze softened, but he didn't waver. "Yes, if that's what she wants. It has to be her decision, not ours. Not yours."

I stared at all of them, feeling like the ground was slipping out from under me. My own resolve to never let her got suddenly felt fragile, breakable.

But I couldn't back down, not now. Not after I almost broke her fragile self by bringing her with me.

I wasn't going to let her go now that I truly have her where I wanted her to be.

"She is my wife," I said, my voice low, controlled. "I won't let her just walk away."

My grandfather spoke up, his voice quieter than before, but no less powerful. "If she stays, it will be her choice, not yours. You cannot force her. Not anymore."

I met his gaze, my chest tightening. I wanted to argue, to tell them they were wrong. But deep down, something in me knew they were right.

They were giving her a choice, something I hadn't. And that stung more than I cared to admit.

The hell? Does that matter?

Why should she be given a choice?

Does she deserves it at all? She is the enemy's daughter and I vow to make her suffer.

"She stays only if she chooses to," my brother repeated, softer now, almost as if he could see the battle raging inside me.

"Is that clear?" My father adds, his eyes fixed on me and I fully understand they didn't get me.

None of them did. They are too soft towards their enemies daughter but I am different.

I hate her but the moment my grandfather said we'd call her parents, something inside me twisted. What if she didn't want to stay? What if she...left?

No. She wouldn't leave. I wouldn't let her.

I slammed the door behind me as I left the study room. What the hell were they thinking? She didn't deserve choices. She didn't deserve anything but to suffer for what her family had done to mine. And yet, here they were, offering her an out.

An out.

The air in the hallway felt thick, suffocating. They were willing to give her a chance to walk away. They thought that somehow, she - the granddaughter of the man who ruined my family deserved a say in this.

"You took away her choice."

I clenched my jaw, pacing the length of the room. My family didn't understand.

I couldn't stand it. Couldn't stand the way they looked at me as if I were the villain in this story.

But was I?

My hands tightened into fists as the thought snaked its way into my mind. I shook it off. No. I wasn't wrong. She deserved whatever the hell was comin her way.

No one of that family deserves the mercy I have in my heart.

They wanted me to let her go, just like that, after everything. After the lengths I went to have her by my side. For what? So she could spit in my face and run back to the very people who wrecked my family?

No. Not happening. Not while I still have a breath in my body.

My footsteps pounded against the floor as I made my way to my room where she stayed. My mom told me too keep this version of myself away but with Aira around it was impossible not to hage each blood in my vain crave to destroy something - to destroy her.

She was mine. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to stay, because if I let her go... I would lose. And losing wasn't an option.

When I reached the door to my room, I didn't hesitate. I swung it open with enough force that it banged against the wall, making her jump. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking startled and terrified, and for a split second, that fear in her eyes made something twist inside me.

But I shoved that feeling down. She deserved to be scared. After everything her family had done, this was the least of what she deserved.

"You think you are going to walk away from this?" I asked, my voice low, barely controlled.

She didn't answer right away. Her eyes were wide, glued to me, and I could see the fear swimming in them. It fed the dark part of me, the part that had wanted this from the start - to make her understand the kind of power I held over her.

I always have and always will.

'Answer me," I snapped, stepping closer. "You think you are just going to run back to your family?"

Aira flinched but still didn't say anything. Her silence grated on me, pushed me further over the edge. I moved until I was right in front of her, looming over her as she sat frozen on the bed.

She is annoying when she opens her mouth but it's even more infuriating when she keep her voice to herself.

"You don't get it, do you?" I leaned in, my voice like a hiss. "You don't have a choice in this. My family may be willing to let you go, but I am not. You are not leaving."

Her breath hitched, and I could see her trembling now. There was a flash of something in her eyes - maybe defiance, maybe desperation - but it didn't matter. She wasn't going anywhere.

"Why are you doing this?" she finally whispered, her voice shaky, barely audible.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Why? Because your family owes me everything. They have ruined mine, and I will ruin what they hold dear."

Her lips parted, but she didn't speak. Her body was shivering, her hands gripping the edge of the bed wishing it all to be a nightmare but newsflash Mrs. Oberoi - this is your fucking reality now.

"And don't think for a second that your parents will be able to save you," I continued, my voice cold. "They can't touch me. No one can. You are mine now. Whether you like it or not."

Her eyes darted around the room like she was looking for an escape, but we both knew there wasn't one. I watched as she swallowed hard, trying to muster the courage to respond.

"What have I done?" she finally asked, her voice shaking. "I am not my grandfather or any one from my extended family. Why are you doing this to me?"

I clenched my jaw, the rage boiling up again. "You are a part of thay family. That's enough."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but I wasn't about to let that sway me. She could cry all she wanted. It wouldn't change anything.

"My family will come for me." She argues.

"They won’t come for you, Aira," I say, my voice low and controlled.

She looks at me, confusion written on her face. "What do you mean?”

I lean back just a little, crossing my arms. "Thanks to a few strings I pulled, they are not allowed to fly until I decide otherwise."

Well, grandfather said otherwise so I had informed my secretary to allow them to fly and they were coming in the Oberois private jet. Dad was going to host them in our house, our enemies in our fucking house.

All because of her.

But before her parents reach her, I need to carve it in her mind that she will have to chose to stay when ny family asks and I will make sure of it even if it means threatening her with her family's life.

Her eyes widen in disbelief. "My father is.."

"I am way more powerful than you think Aira." I interrupt.

"You can't just keep me here," she finally snaps, defiance rising in her voice. "They will come for me."

"You don't understand," I said, stepping closer again, towering over her. "You are just a pawn in a game that started long before you were even part of it. Your family, they took something valuable from mine. And now, I am going to make sure they know what it feels like to lose something precious."

She shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't ask for this, I didn't do anything to you."

My chest tightened with something I couldn't quite name, something I wasn't willing to admit. Maybe she was innocent in all this. But that didn't matter. She was still a part of them.

"You think I care?" I growled, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. "You are nothing but collateral damage."

Tears finally spilled down her cheeks, but instead of softening me, it just made me angrier. Because even now, even seeing her cry, it still didn't give me any satisfaction rather it made me feel like i was the monster my mom told me never to be. Why did I feel like shielding her from the very pain I was causing her myself.

I leaned in close, my face inches from hers. "You can cry all you want, Aira. It's not going to change a damn thing. You are going to chose to stay if you want your family to live."

I didn't have to say more. The look in her eyes told me she understood.

She was terrified. Of me. And maybe that's exactly what I wanted. Maybe it was easier to make her fear me than to face the fact that I didn't hate her as much I wanted to.

"My family will give you a choice." I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "But I am sure you know what choice you are going to make."

I straightened up, stepping back, watching as she stared up at me with wide, tear-filled eyes. She was scared, yes. But there was still that spark of rebellion.

No matter what she wanted, I wasn't letting her go.

Never

I moved towards my drawer and took something out making sure she doesn't see it, I moved back to her.

"But you know what?" I ask, my voice now a low growl. "Let's give you a choice. It's not fun otherwise."

I can see her breathing quicken, fear creeping into her eyes. She tries to speak, but I am already moving, gripping her wrist as I pull her toward the door."Let go of me!" she struggles, but I don't stop.

My grip tightens, and I drag her through the house and outside.

Her body was stiff with fear. She kept glancing at me, her eyes wide and desperate, like a caged animal.

I led her through the dense trees, the moon barely lighting the way. She stumbled once or twice, but I didn't stop. I will make sure she chooses me and that's it.

We reached the edge of the clearing near the outhouse, a secluded spot far from the main house, away from anyone who could hear or see us. I let her go, watching as she took a few tentative steps back, her chest rising and falling with quick, panicked breaths.

"Do you want to leave?" I asked, my voice low, deadly.

Her eyes flickered with curiosity, confusion even, but she didn't answer. She was too scared to speak, too scared to do anything but stand there, trembling.

"Run, then," I said, my words sharper now, "Run if you want. But you won't get far."

She hesitated, her gaze darting between me and the dark forest behind her. She wanted to, I could see it. But she was frozen, unsure if this was another one of my twisted games.

I reached into my shirt and pulled out the gun, watching her eyes widen in horror. I could feel her pulse even from this distance, the fear pumping through her like a wildfire.

"You want to leave?" I said coldly, handing her the gun. "There is only one way to make sure I won't come after you."

She stared at the weapon like it was a snake, her eyes wide, lips trembling. She looked at me like I was insane. Maybe I was. I didn't care.

"If you want to leave, you are going to have to kill me," I said, pushing the gun into her hand. "That's your only way out."

She shook her head, tears spilling over her cheeks as her fingers barely wrapped around the gun. "I - I don't..."

"You think I am joking?" I snapped, taking a step closer to her. "Shoot me. Or I will never let you go."

She stumbled back, her fingers gripping the gun now, but her hands were shaking. She didn't know what to do. She was trapped, just like I wanted her to be. But there was that spark of desperation in her eyes again.

She wanted to be away from me so bad and yet won't take the opportunity I have given her.

"Shoot me!" I shouted, taking another step toward her. "Or I will drag you back to that house, and you will never leave. Is that what you want?"

And that was the truth.

She backed up against a tree, her breath coming in short gasps. I kept moving forward, kept closing the gap between us.

"Stop," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Stop, please."

I didn't stop. I kept walking, watching her hands tremble around the gun.

"I am not going to stop, Aira," I said, my voice low and menacing. "You either pull that trigger, or you come back with me. Those are your choices."

She was panicking now, shaking, crying, but still, she couldn't bring herself to shoot. The gun was pointed at me, but her hands were shaking too much.

I kept moving forward, my eyes locked on hers, until I was standing right in front of her, daring her to do it. "Do it. Or I swear, you will never see freedom again."

She squeezed her eyes shut, her finger shaking on the trigger. I thought she wouldn't do it. She is too soft, too weak.

And then the shot rang out.

Pain exploded in my side, hot and searing, knocking the breath out of my lungs. I stumbled back, my hand instinctively going to the wound as blood began to spill out. I looked down, seeing the crimson stain spreading across my shirt.

She shot me. She actually shot me.

I let out a dark laugh, my vision blurring slightly from the pain. She stood there, frozen in shock, the gun still in her trembling hands, staring at me as if she couldn’t believe what she had done.

"You... should run now," I said through gritted teeth, each word a struggle as I clutched my side. "If you don't... I will make sure... you regret this."

I looked into her eyes, making sure each words stays there and she understands the meaning behind them.

But she didn't move. Her eyes were wide with horror, her hands covering her mouth. She dropped the gun, and her knees gave out beneath her as she knelt beside me.

"No... no, no, no," she whimpered, her hands hovering over me like she didn't know what to do. "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean..."

"Go," I hissed, fighting against the growing pain. "Leave me here. Run. Because if you don't, if I survive this..."

She didn't listen. Instead, she pressed her hands to my wound, trying to stop the bleeding, her panic only making it worse.

"I... I can't," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I can't leave you like this."

"Then you are a fool," I growled, grabbing her wrist in steel like grip in my hand. "Because if I survive... you will never be free of me."

Tears flowed down her eyes as she frantically shook her head refusing to go, throwing away her only chance.

She didn't listen. Of course, she didn't listen. She was too soft, too weak.

She helped me stand and dragged me toward the outhouse, struggling under my weight. I could feel the blood pouring from my side, feel the cold creeping into my limbs. I should have been furious. I should have hated her even more. But all I could think about was she could have left and yet she didn't. How close she came to pulling the trigger and walking away for her own good.

The outhouse was made of glass, you could see everything on the outside if you were inside but nothing was visible from outside.

She noticed the doors were locked and her panic rose even more. I rolled my eyes at her stupid care and used my fingerprint to unlock the door.

Inside the outhouse, she laid me down on the couch in the living room her hands shaking as she tried to stop the bleeding.

"Tell me what to do," she begged, her voice hoarse with desperation. "Please... tell me how to save you."

I gritted my teeth against the pain, every word a struggle. "It's... it's not that bad. Just stop... the bleeding."

She tore a piece of her own cloth and pressed it to the wound, her hands slick with my blood. I could feel the pain rise but it was nothing serious. I wasn't going to die, her aim is too bad or I could have actually died.

She worked frantically, tying the cloth tight around the wound, and I groaned as the pain shot through me again.

"I will call a doctor," she whispered, reaching for my phone.

"Don't... tell anyone," I rasped, my vision swimming.

She nodded, too scared to disobey me as I unlocked my phone and dialled my friend who is also a doctor and told him to come to the outhouse.

I watched her, the panic in her eyes, the fear that she might have just killed me. She was so desperate to save me. Did she know that if I survive, I will make sure she would regret ever pulling that trigger.

****

The room spun in and out of focus, my vision dimming with every breath I took. The blood loss was getting to me, but I knew I will be okay.

I heard the car park outside. Aira, sitting beside me, shot a glance at the door, her hands still pressed tightly against the makeshift bandage she had wrapped around my side.

Her eyes were wide, her breathing shallow, like she was caught between staying to help and running for her life.

She somehow managed to stand up and went to open the door for him.

"Where is he?" Abhi's voice cut through the fog of pain, sharp and professional, but I knew him well enough to catch the edge of concern.

I grunted, forcing myself to sit up slightly as he came into view followed by Aira who stopped at a safe distance.

Abhi knelt beside me, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.

"Oh ny god, man," he muttered, shaking his head. "What the hell happened?"

My lips twisted into a grim smile. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

He shot a glance at Aira, who stood frozen a few feet away, her arms crossed tightly around herself like she was holding on for dear life. He didn't ask questions. That's why I called him. He knew how to keep his mouth shut.

He leaned in, his hands deftly working to remove the blood-soaked cloth Aira had tied around me. The pressure released slightly, and I groaned as a fresh wave of pain surged through me.

"You got lucky," Abhi muttered, shaking his head again as he examined the wound. "It's bad, but not fatal. Bullet passed clean through, no major organs hit. But you have lost a lot of blood."

"Let's get you settled in a more comfortable space first." He mumbled and called Aira over who was almost shivering but she followed his words and they both supported me yo nearest room downstairs, helping me lie down on the bed.

She then scrambled back giving Abhi the space after he brought his bag to the room.

Aira stood in the corner, her back pressed against the wall, watching everything with wide, horrified eyes. She looked like she was going to be sick, like she hadn't just shot me, like she hadn't made this whole mess.

Something clicked Abhi as he glanced up at her, his expression dark. "You did this?"

Aira flinched, her gaze flickering between him and me. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was too terrified to speak.

"She had no choice," I muttered through clenched teeth, my eyes locking onto hers. "I gave her one way out."

Abhi's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything more. He worked quickly, cleaning the wound, stitching me up in silence. Every touch, every poke of the needle sent fresh jolts of pain through me, but I forced myself to stay still, to grit my teeth and bear it.

I wasn't going to show weakness. Not now. Not in front of her.

As Abhi worked, I couldn't take my eyes off Aira. She was standing there, still trembling, still looking like she wanted to disappear. She had shot me, and still didn't go and now she was trapped in this mess. There was no way out for her anymore.

When Abhi was done, he sat back on his heels, wiping his hands on a cloth. "The wound is closed, but you are going to need to rest. Don't move around too much, or you will reopen it."

I nodded, grunting in response. The pain was still sharp, but at least the bleeding had stopped. For now.

Abhi stood up, his gaze flicking back to Aira, who hadn't moved from her spot near the wall. "You need to take care of him," he said, his voice rough but not unkind. "Keep him still, change the bandages, make sure the wound doesn't get infected. If anything goes wrong, call me."

Aira nodded quickly, her hands twisting together in front of her. She was terrified, not just of me but of what this meant. There was no escape now. I had made sure of that.

Abhi turned back to me, his expression grim. "You good?"

"Always," I muttered, though my body screamed otherwise. I wasn't fine. But I couldn't let him or her see how close I was to breaking.

He gave me a hard look before nodding. "I guess I will have to keep this a secret. Especially from family." He asked or more like stated already knowing my answer as I gave him a nod.

He picked up his bag and turned to leave, pausing at the door to glance back one more time. "Take care of yourself, man."

Aira followed him out, locking the main door from the inside, once he was gone. The silence in the room was thick, suffocating. I could feel Aira's eyes on me when she returned, still standing at a distance, the fear radiating off her in waves. She didn't know what to do, didn't know what would happen now. Hell, even I didn't know.

But what I did know was that she wasn't leaving. Not after this.

I let out a slow breath, the pain in my side making it hard to think clearly. "Come here," I said, my voice cold and controlled.

She hesitated, her body stiffening.

"I said come here," I repeated, my voice sharper now.

She flinched, then slowly, cautiously, took a few steps closer until she was standing beside the bed. I could see the way her hands trembled, how her breath hitched every time I looked at her.

"You should have escaped when I gave you the chance to." I asked, my eyes never leaving hers. "You shot me, Aira. You actually pulled the trigger but wasted the opportunity. Do you really think there is another escape?"

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She was too scared, too lost in her own terror.

"I told you," I continued, my voice low and menacing. "You either leave me dead, or you never leave. And look where we are now."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them back, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't want to cry in front of me, didn't want to show weakness. But I could see it. I could feel it.

And I will make sure she knows that too.

She felt bad because she shot me? The one reason behind all her suffering. She is scared of hurting me?

This is going to be so much fun.

"You made your choice, Aira," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You chose to stay. Now you are stuck with the consequences."

"I... I didn't want to..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

She didn't want to stay?

Well good fucking thing what you want doesn't matters at all.

"I didn't want to hurt you." It's like she had lost all her voice. She looked so scared, so fragile, so shocked.

She didn't want to hurt me? What a little human thing you are Aira.

Let me hurt you then.

"You already did," I said, my eyes narrowing. A lie, the gun shot didn't even kill me besides I manipulated and gaslighted her into it.

But it hurt her, to know that she hurt me and that made me happy.

"You have done more than that. But now? Now you are trapped."

Her breath hitched, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with panic. "I am sorry. I didn't..."

"You think sorry is going to fix this?" I snarled, pushing myself up despite the pain that flared in my side. "Sorry doesn't change anything. You shot me, Aira. And now, you have to live with it."

She took another step back, her eyes glistening with tears, but she didn't say anything. She knew. She knew there was no escaping this. No escaping me.

"Apni barbaadi aapko Mubarak ho Aira Arsh Oberoi." I spoke loud and clear and the shiver that went down her spine was so fucking visible as she sat down on the couch, sobbing amd crying.

I leaned back against the pillows, the pain in my side throbbing, but it was nothing compared to the rage building inside me. She thought she could get away and everything would be over.

But it wasn't.

And it never would be.

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