2.

AFTER SOME DAYS💥

ये कैसा इश्क़ है

जो बंदूक की नोक पे खड़ा है,

तुम सज़ा भी हो मेरी...

और तुम ही खुदा है...

Chalo shuru krte h 💓

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ HIMADRI POV ~

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

The sun wasn't even up yet.

I was in bed but I wasn't really sleeping. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Arnav's face. Heard the way he screamed my name in that parking lot. Saw those roses dropping from his hands and hitting the wet ground like something bleeding out.

My anger issues usually make me feel powerful. Like there's fire running through my veins instead of blood. Like I can handle anything the world throws at me.

But that night I just felt heavy.

I rolled over and stared at my glasses on the side table. I don't know why but they looked lonely sitting there. Small. Quiet. Like they were waiting for me to put them back on and face whatever came next.

Go to sleep, Himadri.

And then -

CRASH.

I was out of bed before I even processed what the sound was. Heart slamming against my ribs. No robe. No thinking. Just running.

I go to them.

I really wish I had stayed in bed this time.

When I reached the living room my feet stopped on their own.

The front door was hanging completely off its hinges. Three men in expensive black suits standing inside my house - my messy mine house - and one of them had his shoe right on top of the clay earrings I'd spent three weekends making by hand. Just standing on them like they were nothing.

But that wasn't what made my blood go cold.

Namita and Himakshi were on my sofa.

Bodyguards surrounding them from every side. Standing so close there was barely space to breathe. Namita was crying quietly, both hands gripping the cushion, face completely drained of color. Himakshi wasn't crying - she was staring at the floor, body shaking, jaw set tight - and somehow that scared me more than the crying did.

I need you to understand something about me. I am not afraid of anything. My parents made absolutely sure of that. They raised me to be

Fearless. Bold. Unbreakable.

But they also taught me one thing above everything else - the only thing in this world truly worth protecting is the people you love.

And my people were surrounded.

I looked around the room fast. Calculating. The guard standing nearest to me was slightly apart from the rest.

I didn't scream. I didn't run to them. I didn't do any of the things they were probably expecting me to do.

My mom and dad were in Switzerland. I'd called Namita and Himakshi to stay with me while they were gone because I hated the empty apartment.

Looking back - worst decision of my life.

"LET THEM GO!"

I didn't think. I just ran toward them - and a hand caught my arm and spun me around so fast the room blurred.

I crashed into a chest.

Not a normal chest. A wall. Solid. Unmovable. Like running into a building.

I looked up.

And the world did that thing where it slows down for a second.

Veeranshu Singhania.....

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

~ IN LIVING ROOM ~

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

He was... enormous. I knew he was 6 feet tall, I'd heard people say it, but standing right in front of him was something else entirely. He filled the space like the room had been built around him. Dark suit. Curly hair slightly messed from the wind. And those eyes - black, completely black, looking down at me like I was something he'd already decided what to do with.

"You have a lot of nerve, Doctor."

His voice. God, his voice. Deep and smooth like something expensive. But cold.So cold.

Who are you." I yanked my arm. His grip didn't move. " who are you??? I dont even know you ???Why are you in my house....

What you want ???"...

He didn't answer immediately. He walked - slowly, like he had all the time in the world - and sat down in my father's favorite wooden chair. Leaned back. Crossed one leg over the other.

Like a king. In my house. In my father's chair.

"Everything," he said calmly, "You took something from my family. Now I'm taking something from you....

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

~ HIMADRI POV ~

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

I walked toward Veeranshu slowly.

Like I was going to talk. Like I was going to fold. Like I was scared.

He watched me walk toward him. Something shifted in his eyes - he was trying to read me.

He didn't read me fast enough.

Two steps away I turned sharp - grabbed the gun out of the nearest guard's hand before anyone could react - spun around - and pointed it directly at Veeranshu Singhania's face.

THE ENTIRE ROOM FROZE.......

I held it completely steady. Hands not shaking. Eight years of surgery had taught me one thing - your hands do what your brain tells them. And my brain was saying hold it Himadri. Don't you dare shake.

"Inhe jane do," I said. Quiet. Firm. "Right now. Both of them. And get out of my house."

("Let them go," I said. Quiet. Firm. "Right now. Both of them. And get out of my house.")

Nobody moved.

I clicked the safety off. That small sharp sound bounced off every wall.

Veeranshu looked at the gun between his eyes.

Then he looked at me.

And I saw something in his face I hadn't expected. Not fear. Not panic.

Something almost like - damn.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

~ VEERANSHU POV ~

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

She had my gun pointed at my face.

Not one of my men had seen it coming. Honestly - I hadn't fully seen it coming either. I had watched her walk toward me slowly and I had thought she was going to beg. Going to plead. Going to be like every other person who folded the moment they saw my men surrounding their people.

She grabbed a gun instead.

I looked at her standing there - night suit, bare feet, no glasses, hair everywhere, gun completely steady in both hands - and something shifted in my chest that I didn't have a name for.

6 years.... yes, 6 years I had obsessed with her.... every part of Herr...

I'm stalk her since 6 years...

I know a single detail about her... where she go, what's her schedule, her friends, her family, her staff ..... everything, a single detail about Herr......

This was exactly who I knew she was. And somehow up close she was still more.

I raised my hand slowly. My men stepped back from her friends.

She still didn't lower the gun.

"Gun rakh do Himadri," I said.

"No." Her eyes didn't move from mine. "Inhe jane do. Abhi. Aur tum bhi niklo mere ghar se. I'm not asking again."

("Put the gun down, Himadri," I said."No." Her eyes didn't move from mine. "Let them go. Now. And you get out of my house too. I'm not asking again.")

"No one dare to me talk like this... but shee... everyone afraid to meet with my eyes but she ..she didn't break her eyes contact... the firmness, the sharpness, the confidence.... only for this reason I'm obsessed....I love herrrrr....my,only mine... She even don't know what she doing with me !! Godddd..."

I looked at her for a long second.

Then I smiled.

Not warm. Not kind.

The kind of smile that makes people in my boardroom go very quiet very fast.

I reached into my jacket pocket slowly - she tensed, finger moving slightly on the trigger - but I pulled out only my phone. Turned the screen toward her.

And watched her face change.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

~ HIMADRI POV ~

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I looked at the screen.

A live video.

A ROOM . Clean. Quiet. Soft lamplight. White sheets.

My mother.

My father.

Sleeping peacefully in their bed in Switzerland. My mother had her hand near her face the way she always slept. My father was on his back the way he always did. They looked so peaceful.

So completely unaware.

And around that room - four men. Standing in the shadows at each window corner. Still as statues.

Each one holding a gun.

Pointed directly at my parents.

The gun in my hand started shaking.

I hadn't even realized it was shaking until I heard Veeranshu's voice - very quiet, very calm -

"Mera ek ishara kaafi hai, Himadri."

("One signal from me is enough, Himadri.")

I couldn't look away from the screen. From my mother's face. From my father's hand resting on top of the blanket.

"Ek ishara. Aur tumhare mom dad ke andar ek ek bullet hogi. Woh abhi so rahe hain. Unhe pata bhi nahi chalega. Neend mein hi..." He paused. Let that image sit. "Kya tum chahti ho woh usi neend mein hamesha ke liye so jayein?"

("One signal. And there will be a bullet each inside your mom and dad. They are sleeping right now. They won't even know. In their sleep..." He paused. Let that image sit. "Do you want them to sleep in that sleep forever?")

My throat closed completely.

The gun dropped from my hands.

It hit the floor with a loud sound but I barely heard it. I was still staring at that screen. At my parents. At those four men standing in the dark around their bed.

"Youuu..." My voice came out broken. Completely broken. "You had planned this in advance...."

"I always planned in advance.... MS. HIMADRI..." he said simply. He put the phone back in his pocket. "Ab tum mujhse shaadi karogi."

《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《

~ AUTHOR POV ~

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》

Namita made a sound from the sofa. She had seen the screen too.

Himakshi grabbed her hand tight and didn't let go.

Himadri stood in the middle of her living room. The gun on the floor at her feet. The mangalsutra image burning in her mind. Her parents' faces burning in her mind.

She was shaking.

Not from fear exactly. From something bigger than fear. The kind of feeling that comes when you realize the game was never fair to begin with. When you realize the other person moved their pieces before you even sat down at the board.

Veeranshu watched her.

He didn't gloat. Didn't look satisfied. Just watched - steady, patient - like he had all the time in the world and he already knew exactly how this ended.

"Mera bhai mar gaya," he said after a moment. Quietly. "Arnav singhania...Tonight. His car hit a tree on the highway." A pause. "He was trying to call you when it happened."

Himadri closed her eyes.

he roses. The rain. His face in the mirror -

"He said your name," Veeranshu continued. "He was in my arms. And the last thing he said was your name."

Something cracked open in her chest that she couldn't close back up.

"So now," he said. "You owe my family a life. And I am here to collect it."

SLIENCE....

LONG HEAVY....

Then Himadri opened her eyes.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

~ HIMADRI POV ~

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

I looked at him.

Really looked at him for the first time since this all started. At those black eyes that didn't flinch. At that jaw that didn't soften. At that face that had planned every single detail of this night before he ever walked through my door.

"If I agree," I said. My voice was flat. Empty. Like something had been hollowed out of it. "My parents stay safe. Forever. Not just tonight. Forever."

"You have my word." (VEERANSHU)

"Your word means nothing to me."

"It will," he said. Simple as that.

I looked at Namita. She was crying again, silently, shaking her head at me. Himakshi had her face turned away, jaw tight, like she couldn't watch.

I looked at the gun still on the floor between me and Veeranshu.

Then I looked back at him.

"Fine," I said.

One word. The smallest word. The heaviest word I had ever said in my entire life.

He picked up his phone again. Made one call. Said two words -"come in"....

My broken front door opened wider.

A pandit ji walked in.

Dhoti. Tilak on his forehead. Pooja thali in his hands - varmala,sindoor, mangalsutra. Everything already prepared. Everything already ready. Like he had been waiting outside this whole time.

Because he had been.

My mouth fell open.

Namita grabbed my arm - "Himadri ye kya kar rahi hai-"

("Himadri, what is she doing -")

I still couldn't answer her. I was looking at this pandit standing in my living room at 4 AM and I was understanding - really understanding - that JERK!!! DEVIL!!! had planned every single second of this night.

Before he came. Before he broke my door. Before he even got in his car.

He had known exactly how this was going to end.

And I had had no idea.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

~AUTHOR POV~

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Within ten minutes the living room of Himadri Malhotra looked completely unrecognizable.

A small havan setup in the corner. Diyas burning. Flower petals on the floor. Marigolds arranged around the edges. The pandit sitting cross legged, already beginning the mantras in a low steady voice.

Nobody had asked any questions. The pandit had been paid very well to ask none.

Himadri stood in the middle of it all.

Still in her night suit. Bare feet on her own floor. No glasses. Hair open. And around her - her own house. Her own furniture pushed aside. Her own life rearranged in ten minutes by a man she had never met before tonight.

Namita and Himakshi sat back on the sofa. Bodyguards still surrounding them. Namita had stopped crying. She was just watching now with a hollow expression, holding Himakshi's hand so tight both their knuckles were white.

Veeranshu stood next to Himadri. Dark suit. Straight back. Face completely unreadable. Like this was a board meeting and not a forced wedding at 4 AM in someone's living room.

The VARMALA came first.

The pandit held out the garlands.

Himadri looked at the one in her hand. Then at Veeranshu. Her jaw was set so tight it had to hurt.

She stood her on her TIP-TOES.. to put the VARMALA around his neck like she was placing a burden down. Stiff. Controlled. Eyes burning with everything she wasn't saying out loud.

Veeranshu put his around her without any expression. Without any hesitation.

Then the PHERAS...

Seven rounds around the small HAVAN KUND...

Her dupatta tied to his suit jacket because there were no proper wedding clothes. No family. No baraat. No music. No celebration. Just a broken front door and diyas burning and a pandit who kept his eyes on the fire and nowhere else.

WITH EACH "PHERA" HIMADRI KEPT HER EYES DOWN.....

WITH EACH "PHERA" VEERANSHU KEPT HIS EYES ON HER....

-------------------------------------------------

~ VEERANSHU POV ~

-------------------------------------------------

Round four....

She hadn't looked at me once since the rituals started. Eyes down. Jaw tight. Shoulders stiff. Like if she kept her eyes low enough none of this would be completely real.

But it was real....

Her dupatta was tied to my jacket. She was walking the same circle as me. The fire was between us.

Round five....

I looked at her face in the diya light. She wasn't wearing her glasses. She'd left without them. Small detail. Shouldn't matter.

It mattered somehow.

Round six....

She stumbled slightly on a flower petal on the floor. Caught herself immediately. Didn't look at me. Didn't ask for help.

Of course she didn't.

Round seven....

The pandit spoke the final words. The mantras ended. The fire crackled quietly and settled.

I looked at her standing next to me.

Mrs. Himadri Veeranshu Singhania

The sindoor was next. The pandit handed it to me.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

~ HIMADRI POV ~

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

I looked at the SINDOOR in his hand.

And that was the moment everything became completely real. Not the VARMALA. Not the PHERAS. Not even agreeing to it.

BUT THIS.... THIS ONE ...AND MY WHOLE LIFE IS CHANGE.......😭🥀

He stepped closer to me. I didn't move back. I had promised myself I wouldn't move back from him even once tonight. I had already lost too much. I was not losing my spine too.

He raised his hand.

His fingers were completely steady. Like filling a stranger's maang at 4 AM was the most normal thing in the world to him.

The SINDOOR was cold when it touched my hair. I felt it settle into the parting.

Red. Heavy. Permanent feeling.

His fingers stayed a second longer than needed.

I stared straight ahead at the wall behind the pandit. At the small painting my mother had hung there three years ago. A mountain and a river. She had said it reminded her of peace.

I focused on that painting and didn't blink and didn't breathe and didn't feel.

Then the MANGALSUTRA. He lifted it and tied it around my neck carefully. The weight of it settled against my chest. Cold. New. Like something that had no business being there.

When his hands dropped back the pandit spoke the final blessing.

Then it was quiet.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

~ AUTHOR POV ~

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The diyas were still burning.

Flower petals on the floor. Smoke from the havan drifting slowly toward the ceiling. The pandit packing his thali quietly without looking at anyone.

And in the middle of all of it - Himadri Malhotra.

Standing completely still. Mangalsutra around her neck. Sindoor in her hair. Vermala on her shoulders. In her own living room. In her night suit. At 4 AM.

Namita couldn't hold it anymore.

She was off that sofa before anyone could stop her - bodyguard reached out to grab her arm but she shook him off like he was nothing and ran straight to Himadri and wrapped both arms around her so tight it had to hurt.

Himakshi was right behind her.

Both of them. Arms around her at the same time. From both sides. Holding on like if they let go she would disappear.

Namita was sobbing properly now - not that quiet scared crying from the sofa. This was full. Broken. The kind of crying that comes from watching someone you love get hurt and not being able to do anything about it.

"Himadri..." Namita's voice was completely gone. Barely there. "Himadri kya ho gaya yaar. Kya kar diya tune. Kya kar diya."

("Himadri..." Namita's voice was completely gone. Barely there. "Himadri, what happened. What have you done. What have you done.")

Himakshi wasn't crying. She never cried easily. But her arms around Himadri were shaking. And her jaw was so tight it looked like it could break. She pressed her face into Himadri's shoulder and just held on.

Himadri stood between them.

She didn't cry. She didn't shake. She just stood there with one arm around Namita and one around Himakshi and let them hold her for a moment. Just one moment.

She looked at the diyas still burning on her floor. At the flower petals. At the havan ash still warm in the corner. At her father's chair pushed sideways. At her mother's painting still on the wall - the mountain and the river.

Peace, her mother had said.

She almost laughed.

Then she pulled back slowly and looked at both of them.

Namita's face was completely wet. Eyes swollen. She was still gripping Himadri's arms like she was scared to let go.

Himakshi finally looked up. Her eyes were red but dry. Jaw still set. Looking at Himadri the way she always did - like she was trying to read everything Himadri wasn't saying out loud.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

~ HIMADRI POV ~

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Himadri looked at both of them for a long second.

Then she lifted her hand and wiped Namita's face with her thumb. Gentle. Careful. Like she was the one who needed to be comforted and not the other way around.

"Rona band karo," she said softly. "Mera mascara bhi nahi tha aaj. Tumhara kyun waste ho raha hai."

("Stop crying," she said softly. "I didn't even have mascara on today. Why is yours going to waste.")

Namita made a sound that was half sob half laugh. "Himadri ye time nahi hai jokes ka-" ("Himadri, this is not the time for jokes -")

"Main serious hoon." Himadri's voice stayed soft. But steady. "Seriously tumhara mascara waste ho raha hai."

("I'm serious." Himadri's voice stayed soft. But steady. "Seriously, your mascara is going to waste.")

Himakshi let out a shaky breath. Something between a laugh and a cry.

They grabbed her again - quick, tight, one more time - face pressed into her shoulder. "Ham nahi ja sakti tujhe yahan akele. . Ye sahi nahi hai. Ye bilkul sahi nahi hai Himadri aur tujhe pata hai-"

("We can't leave you here alone. This is not right. This is absolutely not right, Himadri, and you know it -")

"Himakshi!! Namitaa." Himadri held her. Let her say it. All of it. Then pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

"Suno mujhe."

They went quiet.

"Mere mom dad safe hain abhi. Tum dono safe ho. That's the only thing that matters right now. That's the only thing." She held their face in both hands. "Main theek rahuungi. I promise."

("My mom and dad are safe right now. You two are safe. That's the only thing that matters right now. That's the only thing." She held their face in both hands. "I'll be fine. I promise.")

"Thumhe nahi pata-" ("You don't know -")

"Main doctor hoon." A small smile. Tired but real. "Main kisi ko bhi theek kar sakti hoon. Khud ko bhi."

("I'm a doctor." A small smile. Tired but real. "I can fix anyone. Even myself.")

Himakshi stepped forward and held Himadri's face in her hands this time. She looked at her for a long second - really looked, the way only someone who has known you for years can look - searching for the crack, the break, the thing Himadri was hiding behind that steady voice.

She found it.

She always found it.

She nodded once. Small. Tight.

Then Veeranshu's hand closed around her wrist from behind.

"Chalte hain. Mrs. Singhania "....

("Let's go. Mrs. Singhania...")....

He pulled her back. Away from them. Away from her people.

Namita reached out - "Himadri-"

"Ghar jao." Himadri looked back at her one last time. "Dono. Abhi. Please."

And then she was gone. Through the broken door. Into the dark.

Namita and Himakshi stood in the middle of that living room. Diyas still burning. Petals on the floor. The sound of a car engine starting outside.

Neither of them said anything.

There was nothing to say. 🖤

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

~ HIMADRI POV ~

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

I got into the black SUV.

Leather seats. Cold air. The smell of his cologne that I was already beginning to hate more than anything else in the world.

I looked out the window as we drove away from my street.

From my building. From everything I had ever built for myself.

He sat next to me. Already on his phone. Already working. Like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just walked into someone's life at 4 AM and destroyed every single part of it in one hour.

I looked at him.

"I HATE YOU.. MR.JERKKK," I said.

He didn't look up.

"Get used to it, Biwi ji." His thumb kept scrolling. "You have a very long life ahead of you in my house. And I'm going to make sure you think about my brother every single day."

I turned back to the window.

Jaipur passed by outside. Yellow streetlights on wet roads. My city. Quiet and completely unbothered by what had just happened to one of its people tonight.

He thinks he won.

I felt it coming off him - that settled satisfied energy of a man who always gets exactly what he wants and has never once been surprised by the ending.

He thinks he has a broken woman sitting next to him.

I touched the mangalsutra around my neck. Cold. Heavy. Brand new.

I let go of it.

He had no idea what he had just done.

He had brought fire into his house.

And one day - not today, not tomorrow - but one day - that fire was going to burn his entire world down to the ground.

Just wait, MR... DEVIL SINGHANIA..... 💢

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Vote target 20

Comment 4 .. then updated....

My insta acc- author.hillyyzzz... keep supporting...

My dears pretties ... ahhh in rewrite this again because tbh i also didn't like the first chapter but now I'm trying to write it more good as can as possible ....I gave my best and I hope you all like it now....

Tell me how was the chapter????

Is you curious about the next part????

Also voteee for ittt... love you allllllllllll..💋

4.2k wordsss....wohhhhhhh......