LOGINBut the moment he extended his hand towards her, she immediately put her small palm into his big one and scooted closer sitting in his lap. Ryker was shocked for a while because she has started doing things which look like the most natural things in the world. Like she belongs there. Belongs to him. He exhaled sharply at the sudden contact because her natural fragrance started to mess with his head already. "Dekhiye main aap ke saath rahunga wahan aur main kisi ko kuchh galat nahi karne doonga aap ke saath. Aap bharosa karti hain mujh par?" He questioned so calmly but inside he was trying to focus. She looked up at him with her doe eyes innocently. (Translation: Look, I will stay with you, and I won't let anyone do anything wrong to you. Do you trust me?) "Ji ham karte hain." She said with a nod. (Translation: Yes I do.) "Haan to phir aap ko chinta karne ki koi bhi zaroorat nahi hai. Main hoon aap ke saath. Jaaiye taiyar ho jaaiye." He said gently putting her down on the
She opened her eyes and looked at his face while he was already looking at her. Another breath. Slower this time. Her fingers clutched his shirt tightly. Almost desperately. Like she was holding onto something real. Something that wouldn't disappear. He felt it. The way her grip tightened. The way her body leaned into him instead of away. "Bohot acche…Bas aise hi." he murmured quietly. Her breathing started to turn normally. Not perfectly. But enough. The panic loosened its grip- Just a little. Her voice came out weak. Broken. (Translation: Very good...Keep going.) "Woh jo hamara rasta r-rok rahe the niche wo hamein unke paas le gaye t-the." She said in her small voice mentioning that men downstairs and Abhinendra. A lone tear trickled down her cheek. His jaw hardened instantly. But his voice stayed calm. (Translation: The one who was blocking my path down below, he took me to *him*.) "Wo bas ek bura sapna tha, bacche. Yahan koi nahi hai." He said wiping that tear gently.
The haveli had gone silent. It was past midnight now and there were no footsteps. No voices. No movement. Only the distant ticking of a clock somewhere in the corridor… and the faint rustling of night air slipping through the half-open window. Inaayat lay curled on her side, her dupatta clutched lightly near her chest, her breathing soft, almost peaceful. For a moment it seemed like she was finally resting. But then Her brows tightened. A faint crease forming between them. Her fingers curled, sweat formed on her face and her body trembled. The calm shattered. Darkness. The kind that swallows everything. The kind that consumes one's whole existence. Her breathing laboured and her fists clenched. She stood in the same courtyard. But it wasn't the same. The lights were gone. The shadows were longer. Heavier. Watching. Footsteps echoed behind her. Slow. Measured. Too close. Her breath quickened. She turned and there he was. The same man. The one from earlier. His smile stretched wi
"Dekhiye ye… sahi hai?" She asked him hopefully. He stepped closer. Looked down. The letters were still imperfect. But better. Much better. He nodded once. (Translation: Look at this... Is it correct?) "Pehle se kaafi sahi hain..." He said honestly. Her face lit up instantly. A small, genuine happiness. Too quick. Too pure. She didn't notice how his gaze lingered. Just a second longer than usual. She looked back at the page. Then asked softly. (Translation: Way better than before...) "Aap nahi the…" She said but her voice trailed off. The words slipped out. Unplanned. Unfiltered. She realized it immediately. Froze. Her fingers tightened slightly on the notebook. (Translation: You were not here...) "Main nahi tha… matlab…?" He questioned. She didn't know how to fix it. Didn't know what she had just revealed. Ryker didn't respond immediately. He just looked at her. Carefully. As if piecing something together. (Translation: I was not here...means?) "Kya hua boliye?" Th
Almost a whisper. Silence. Thick. Heavy. Dangerous. Something in his control snapped- just a little. His hand lifted brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. Slow. Intentional. Her breath caught again. But she didn't move. Didn't pull away. His voice, when it came was no longer just protective. It was something else. Something possessive. "Mere saath kabhi bhi dar'engi nahi aap. Naa hi mujhse dar'engi. Aur naa hi kisi aur se." He said knowing now she doesn't fear him like she used to and that's what he wanted. (Translation: You will never be afraid while you are with me. You won't be afraid of me nor of anyone else.) Her eyes widened slightly. He leaned in just enough- not touching. But close enough to blur the line. "Aap ko kisi se bhi darne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Main hoon naa. Main sab sambhal loonga." He said it in such a way that she couldn't handle it. (Translation: You don't need to be afraid of anyone. I'm here, aren't I? I'll handle everything.) Her hear
The haveli had fallen into its usual rhythm again. Days filled with preparations. Voices. Instructions. Movement. But for Inaayat something had shifted. Not loudly. Not suddenly. Just… quietly. It started with small things. Very small. Like the way her eyes search for him as soon as she wakes up early in the morning. Like the way she couldn't eat without him beside her. Like the way her breath hitches when he moves away from her. Like the way her eyes would automatically search for him in a crowded room. Without thinking. Without realizing. Just like now- she stood near the staircase, holding a tray, her gaze moving across the hall. Guests. Servants. Family members. But not him. Her brows pulled together slightly. She didn't even care how she ended up in the situation where she had to serve guests who have started coming for the wedding. When she went to take a bath this morning, Ryker was in the room but when she came out, he was gone. She waited for him for a while but when sh
"Acchi jagah? Wo hame kyun nahi le gaye acchi jagah? Hum kab jayenge iss duniya se hame bhi uske paas jaana hai." She asked wiping her tears immediately after hearing that her Bhanu will be sad if she'll cry. She sniffed and tried to control herself. (Translation: A good place? Why didn't he take
He felt so helpless that he wanted to kill himself for being like that. He didn't want Inaayat to marry the monster she was talking about, he wanted a calm, mature and understanding man to marry her who would protect her from the cruel world around her. He himself wanted to marry her off to someone
'Bewajah nahi, wajah hai mere paas. Mujhe iss ladki se jald se jald shaadi karni hai.' as soon as Inaayat heard it, the ground slipped under her feet. Her mind went blank and she couldn't think anything straightly. (Translation: It is not without reason, I have a reason. I want to marry this girl
Ryker was sitting there with Inaayat against him. She was exhausted by too much crying at once. He decided to let her have a long break so he didn't ask anything further and kept sitting there while doing- absolutely nothing. To be honest he didn't want to do anything either, he wanted to just sit







