Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 101 - Chapitre 110

A few days had passed in silence since the roka. But two hearts were too loud inside the chests. The decorations were gone. The lights had dimmed. The haveli had returned to its usual grandeur- calm, controlled, almost regal. But beneath that calm something had shifted. Something unsettled. The servants walked a little more carefully. Conversations lowered when certain people entered the room. Even the walls seemed to hold onto whispers they weren't supposed to hear. And today- The main hall was once again prepared. Not for celebration this time. But for the decision. A low wooden chowki had been placed in the center, covered with a clean white cloth. Brass plates, flowers, incense, and a small sacred fire arrangement were set neatly. The pandit sat cross-legged, flipping through his worn panchang, murmuring calculations under his breath. Sudha sat nearby, her posture straight, eyes sharp with anticipation. Beside her, Dadi leaned slightly forward, curiosity and control gleamin

A few days later, one fine afternoon, the city was unusually quiet. Even the haveli was silent because everyone was resting in their rooms. Late afternoon light filtered softly through the window, falling across the small wooden table where Inaayat sat in her room, completely focused or at least trying to be. A frown on her face and disappointment in her eyes. A notebook lay open in front of her. On the page there were crooked, uneven lines. A... B... C... Or at least… attempts to write them. Her fingers tightened around the pencil, knuckles turning slightly pale as she tried again. Slowly. Carefully. She drew a line. Then sighed and then another line. Then she tried to connect them but the shape came out wrong again. She tried again and this time more carefully as if she would hurt the page but her grip on the pencil said otherwise. She gently moved the pencil and drew the lines but it came out wrong again. Her breath hitched in frustration. "Nahi…hamein kuchh nahi aata."she

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 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

But 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