The moment I heard she agreed to marry someone else, the ground beneath me might as well have crumbled. My angel, my Jaan, tying herself to another man? The thought was unbearable-a searing pain that tore through me, leaving nothing but chaos in its wake.
I stared at the live feed on the screen, my jaw tightening as I took in the scene. There she was, sitting across from him. That worthless piece of trash. His audacity to sit near her, to even look at her, ignited something feral within me.
Her face told a story of its own. She wasn't smiling. Her eyes lacked their usual light, her body language stiff, almost detached. She looked anything but happy. Why, Jaan? Why are you doing this to yourself? To me?
My fists curled at my sides, nails digging into my palms. He leaned closer, his lips moving, saying something I couldn't hear but didn't care to. Every word he spoke, every second he was in her presence, fueled the inferno building inside me.
And then it happened-he touched her hand.
It was like a match striking a powder keg. My vision blurred, consumed by an all-encompassing rage. He touched her. He dared to touch what's mine.
I shoved the desk in front of me with all my strength, the sound of wood splintering echoing in the room. Papers scattered, a lamp toppled, and I didn't stop. My hand reached for the monitor, yanking it free before hurling it across the room. It smashed against the wall, the shards of glass reflecting the chaos in my soul.
She agreed to this? To him? The thought was unbearable. It clawed at me, ripping through my composure.
"She's mine," I growled through gritted teeth. The words felt like a vow, an unbreakable truth. No one else had the right to her. No one else could claim her.
I stormed across the room, grabbing a chair and sending it flying into a bookshelf. The sound of the impact was satisfying but not enough. Nothing would be enough until she was back where she belonged-in my arms, under my protection.
I sank into the ruins of my once-pristine office, my head in my hands. Her face lingered in my mind-the way she laughed when she thought no one was watching, the way her eyes softened when she was lost in thought. She was my everything, the one thing that brought light into my cursed existence.
And now she was slipping away.
No.
I stood abruptly, reaching for my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before dialing Vedant. He answered almost immediately.
"Ashtram," he said, his tone sharp. "What's going on?"
"She's agreed," I said, my voice low but trembling with fury.
"Agreed to what?"
"To marry someone else," I spat, the words tasting bitter. "She's agreed to be his. That bastard. She doesn't belong to him. She never will."
Vedant exhaled, the sound heavy with hesitation. "Ashtram, you need to calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" I snapped, the anger boiling over again. "She's mine, Vedant. Mine. I won't let this happen."
"Alright," he said after a pause, his voice measured. "What's the plan?"
I clenched the phone tightly, my mind racing. "I'll stop it. Whatever it takes, I'll stop this farce. I don't care who gets in the way."
There was silence on the other end, but I knew Vedant well enough to sense his agreement.
"You're not thinking straight," he finally said, his tone cautious. "But if you're going to do this, I'm with you."
I ended the call without another word, my resolve solidifying like iron. She might think she had no choice, but I'd show her she did.
Her roka was done. The announcement of her marriage was made. Just ten days. Ten days until they chained her to someone else. The thought made my blood boil, every fiber of my being rejecting the idea. No, no, never.
The functions had already begun, colorful decorations and celebrations marking her supposed happiness. But my angel... my Jaan... she was drowning in sorrow. Her face lacked its radiance, her laughter absent, her eyes void of the light that used to make me forget my cursed existence. She was suffering, and I could feel every ounce of her pain.
I had been watching, planning, working behind the scenes. Over these days, I gathered every piece of information about Arhan-the man who dared to think he could take her from me. He lived in London, some self-proclaimed successful businessman. But what lay beneath the surface was far more sinister.
The man was a fraud. A cheat. His business dealings were riddled with lies and corruption. He wasn't honest, not in his work, not in his life. And if he couldn't be honest in the smallest of things, how could he ever be honest with my angel? My Goddess?
It disgusted me to think of her with him. A man who wasn't worthy to breathe the same air as her, let alone touch her. She was purity, a divine creation, and he... he was trash. Garbage pretending to be gold.
The very thought of his name on her lips made my fists clench. My vision blurred with fury, and I slammed my hand against the wall. No, Jaan. Don't worry. This isn't the end.
I couldn't let her go through with this. I wouldn't. If the world thought they could separate her from me, they had no idea who they were dealing with.
I leaned back against the edge of my desk, running a hand through my hair as the plan began to solidify in my mind. She would hate me for this-I knew that. She would curse me, fight me, and cry. But it was better this way. Better than watching her shatter into pieces beside someone who would never cherish her the way I do.
She was mine to protect, mine to love, mine to save. And if saving her meant becoming the villain in her story, I was ready to embrace it.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Vedant. He picked up on the first ring.
"I need you to dig deeper into Arhan's dealings," I said, my voice calm but laced with authority.
"You've already got enough on him," Vedant replied. "We can bury him if you want."
"That's not enough," I said, my tone sharp. "I want every single flaw, every secret, every weakness. I want to destroy him in every possible way. I want him out of her life permanently."
Vedant hesitated for a moment. "Understood. And the marriage?"
My jaw tightened. "It won't happen."
There was silence on the other end before Vedant spoke again. "You're really going all in for this, aren't you?"
"She's mine, Ved," I said, my voice low but unyielding. "No one else can have her."
I hung up and stared out the window, the city lights flickering in the distance. My angel didn't realize it yet, but I would give her the world. I would pull her from this nightmare, even if it meant becoming her nightmare for a while.
You'll hate me, Jaan. But one day, you'll understand. And until then... I'll protect you, even if it means protecting you from yourself.
A twisted smile tugged at my lips as the plan came together in my mind. Soon, I'd give her a surprise she'd never forget.
A surprise that would ensure she could never be anyone else's.
The wedding day had arrived. The day that was meant to shatter my world-or so everyone thought. But no one could predict my moves. Not Arhan, not my Jaan, not even fate itself.
My men had done their job flawlessly, as always. Arhan was taken care of, hidden away where no one could hear him scream. It was almost too easy. A pathetic excuse for a man like him didn't even put up a fight. And now, here I was, in his place, draped behind the sehra, waiting for her.
In my cursed existence, I never imagined I'd be here. Marriage was never something I allowed myself to hope for. A love like this, a bond so sacred, seemed unreachable for someone like me. But then she came into my life-my angel, my salvation, my obsession. She changed everything. And now, she was about to become mine in every way.
And there she was.
She walked toward the mandap, her steps hesitant, her eyes downcast. Her face, usually radiant, was void of emotion, her smile nowhere to be seen. My heart twisted. She was still under the illusion that she was marrying Arhan.
No, Jaan. It's me. It's always been me.
As she sat beside me, the scent of her filled my senses, calming and intoxicating all at once. My angel. My bride. And as I stole a glance at her, my breath caught in my throat.
She was breathtaking.
The bridal attire hugged her perfectly, the intricate red and gold patterns enhancing her ethereal beauty. Her hair was adorned with jewels, and her kohl-lined eyes, though dull with sorrow, held the power to captivate my cursed soul. Fuck, she was exquisite.
The pandit began the rituals, his voice reciting the mantras as the fire burned brightly before us. My angel followed every instruction, her movements mechanical, her face pale and lifeless.
But I couldn't take my eyes off her. Every gesture, every word she spoke-even if it was out of obligation-tied her to me. She didn't know it yet, but she was mine. Forever.
The moment the pandit said, "Vivah sampurna huwa," a sense of victory surged through me. It was done. She was mine. Bound to me in every sense. But as I looked at her, a heavy weight settled in my chest.
My angel... my Jaan... she was more broken now than ever. Her eyes were hollow, her face pale, and the light I once saw in her was extinguished. The satisfaction I thought I would feel vanished, replaced by an overwhelming urge to protect her from the hurt I had caused.
She still believed she had married someone else. She thought she was bound to that bastard Arhan. My blood boiled at the thought, but I kept my gaze locked on her, forcing myself to stay calm.
No, Jaan. You're not his. You're mine.
As she sat there, looking more lost than ever, I couldn't bear it anymore. She is my angel, my everything, and she had no idea yet. But soon, she would.
I could see her shoulders tremble, the faintest hint of tears in her eyes, and my gut twisted. She is so beautiful in her bridal attire, yet she is so broken. She didn't deserve this, not yet, but it had to happen for her to understand, for us to be whole.
Her thoughts were still tangled, still thinking she had given herself to someone else. But no... it was never him. It was always me, and I was right here, just behind the veil, waiting.
The pandit's voice echoed in the air, the finality of the words hanging heavy. She was mine, but there was still one thing left.
I leaned closer, the veil still concealing my face, and whispered those words that would shatter the false reality she had built for herself.
"Congratulations, wifey."
Her head snapped in my direction, eyes wide in shock, her body stiffening at the words. She didn't know how to process it, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at me, disbelief flooding her features.
"What... What did you just say?" Her voice was shaky, broken.
I couldn't help but smirk as I watched her struggle to understand. The shock on her face, the confusion-it was exactly what I wanted.
"You heard me, Jaan. Congratulations... wifey."
Her world tilted as everything she thought she knew began to unravel. I could see it in her eyes, the slow realization dawning. But the best part was yet to come. She would never escape me.
And there, behind the veil, I finally allowed myself to bask in the knowledge that she is mine, completely and forever.
Write a comment ...