Rudra and Ravi were halfway across the driveway, the Delhi sun burning sharp lines across the marble path, when Rudra froze.
The SUV parked near the front gates had headlights glowing.
Engine running.
Doors closing.
And then—
Anaya in the driver's seat.
Janvi in the passenger seat.
Ria adjusting her bangles like they were going to a picnic instead of casually slipping past Singhaniya security.
Rudra's heartbeat spiked.
"Ravi," he said, voice dropping into that lethal calm.
Ravi didn't need instructions. They both broke into a run.
The car inched forward.
"ANAYA!" Rudra shouted.
Anaya's hand froze on the steering wheel. Her breath caught like the air had betrayed her. She slowly turned her head, and the moment she saw him—his furious eyes, his storm-ridden stride—she pushed the car into park.
She stepped out immediately. "Rudra…? Aap thik ho? What happened?"
Rudra didn't answer. He just lifted a hand, silently signaling:keys. Now.
Ravi stepped up smoothly, plucked the keys out of the ignition before anyone realized, and held them behind his back.
Ria leaned out from the back seat, brows knitting. "Um, excuse me? Why are you taking our car keys? What did we do? We're literally going to the mall."
Ravi stepped back a pace, jaw set. "You girls are not going out."
Janvi blinked. "Why?"
Ria crossed her arms, giving Ravi a lethal stare. "Give. Us. The keys."
Ravi took a strategic three steps backward.
"No."
The word dropped like a stone.
Anaya looked at Rudra, confused, her voice softer, tinted with that little tremble he hated hearing. "Rudra… please. I need to buy a gift for Misha dii. Tonight is her engagement."
Janvi hopped out too. "Yes! We promised! Please, let us go. We won't be long."
Ria chimed in from behind, "We literally planned this since morning!"
Rudra dragged a hand over his face, trying to find words that didn't involve confessingsomeone tried to kidnap his wife less than twenty-four hours ago and he was two seconds from losing his mind again.
He swallowed. Looked at the sky. Looked at Ravi likeI swear, say something useful.
Ravi looked back likeSir, I am security, not a poet.
Both were useless.
And then—salvation.
Mrs. Singhaniya stepped out of the mansion like a queen stepping onto her balcony.
Elegant sari, gentle smile, and the exact energy of a mother who has already guessed ninety percent of the truth without being told anything.
"Girls," she called warmly, "if you need to buy gifts, we can purchase them from here."
Ria blinked, confused. "From… here?"
"Yes," she said, walking closer. "We've already contacted the stores. They're sending collections to the mansion. You can choose comfortably without stepping out."
Rudra exhaled.
Ravi exhaled.
Both looked like prisoners who'd just been granted bail.
Rudra rubbed his left eyebrow, muttering under his breath, "Thanks, Mom…"
Mrs. Singhaniya only gave him a tiny smile that saidI know exactly why you're behaving like this, idiot child.
Anaya looked between Rudra and Ravi with a suspicious squint. "So… you both already called stores? Why didn't you tell us before?"
Ria folded her arms. "Exactly. We literally dressed and came all the way out."
Janvi slapped her forehead softly. "Yeh log na…"
The three girls exchanged that specific look women share when they collectively realize:
their men are hiding something.
And doing a terrible job of it.
Mrs. Singhaniya looped her arm around Anaya, guiding her back toward the house.
"Beta, he's… a possessive husband. You'll understand."
Anaya sighed, resting her head briefly against her mother-in-law's shoulder. "Yeah, Mumma. I know. But still…"
Mrs. Singhaniya squeezed her gently. "Today we cannot risk anything. The house is full. Media is here. Rajawats are here. The whole city will be watching. Until the announcement is made… you remain inside."
Ria and Janvi exchanged shocked looks. "Media? Rajawats? Already?!"
Mrs. Singhaniya nodded.
"Yes. So stay with Anaya. Don't leave her alone for a second."
Both girls nodded instantly, shifting closer to Anaya like personal bodyguards.
Behind them, Rudra and Ravi stood awkwardly in the sunlight—two tall men who had just fought kidnappers yesterday and were now terrified of telling three women, "We're scared to let you out of our sight."
But they didn't have to say it.
Not today.
Because their actions screamed louder than any truth they weren't ready to reveal.
⋆˚✿˖° 𓂃⊹♡⊹𓂃 °˖✿˚⋆⋆˚✿˖° 𓂃⊹♡⊹𓂃 °˖✿˚⋆
The Singhaniya Mansion did not look like a home that evening. It looked like a small royal court preparing for a coronation. Soft golden lights pooled along the ceilings, spilling warmth over the marble floors. Tulips and orchids unfurled their fragrance in every corner, carried by servants rushing past with trays of designer outfits. Jewellers displayed glittering stones that shimmered like pieces of captured moonlight. Stylists buzzed around with fabrics swaying on their arms, their movements a blur of color. It was Misha's engagement day, and the world had arrived inside one house.
But while the mansion glowed like a palace, one corner of it held a quieter world. Anaya walked with Janvi beside her, and both paused in the living room as they took in the overwhelming display. The entire space had been transformed into a private shopping plaza. Silk sarees, lehengas, gowns, diamond sets, shoes, clutches, perfumes, everything imaginable was laid out in a grand arc. Ria stood in the center of it all, hands on her waist, eyes dancing like a child in a candy store.
The way she moved from one tray to another made Anaya and Janvi exchange a look. Ria picked up a necklace, gasped loudly, dropped it, then rushed to another with even more excitement. "THIS!" she exclaimed, lifting an emerald choker. "I swear I need this. And that bracelet. And maybe… those earrings. And possibly the entire left side of this room."
Janvi whispered under her breath, "Her obsession with shopping is a whole personality trait."
Anaya laughed lightly, the sound like a gentle wind brushing over water. She reached for a platinum bracelet, running her fingers across its smooth surface. It shimmered faintly, elegant and understated, perfect for gifting Misha. Just beside it lay a rose-gold necklace set, its design intricate and delicate. She held it up and turned to Janvi. "This one… Janvi, this would look breathtaking on you."
Janvi was busy comparing earrings, stunned by the price tags. "Do you think so?"
"Yes," Anaya nodded warmly. "This shade would compliment your skin tone. Should I buy it for you?"
Janvi blinked, almost dropping the earrings. "You're buying me something this expensive?"
Anaya immediately hid the necklace behind her back like a guilty kid. "No! I wasn't— I just thought— I mean—"
Janvi smiled knowingly. "If my friend selects something for me, I'll definitely wear it."
Before the moment could melt into sentiment, Ria slid between them like a dramatic heroine from some Bollywood entry scene. "Wait. Janvi, you live in that 3BHK apartment, right?"
Janvi blinked, confused. "Uh… yes?"
Anaya narrowed her eyes. "But you're interning with me… so how do you manage to buy this stuff?"
Janvi puffed up her cheeks and shrugged. "I… have savings. So I buy what I like. Sometimes. Not always. Okay—maybe always."
The three looked at each other and burst into soft laughter.
Ria looped her arm around Janvi. "So you're saying if we pick something for you, you'll accept it?"
Janvi nodded shyly. "Yes."
Anaya and Ria shared a mischievous glance. "Okay."
"Okay what?" Janvi asked carefully.
But they only walked away grinning, leaving her suspicious and helpless in equal measure.
Time slid forward with more laughter, more silk, more diamonds.
But while the girls drowned in colors and joy, upstairs… the air was turning heavier.
༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•༶༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•༶
Rudra's cabin was nothing like the festive chaos downstairs. It was dimmer, quieter, and carried the weight of a war room. Thick silence stretched across the space, only broken by the faint ticking of a wall clock. Rudra stood by the window, hands behind his back, his gaze locked on the garden below. Outside, he could see Anaya laughing with the two girls. Every time she smiled, some knot inside his chest loosened… and yet tightened at the same time.
Aarav leaned against the desk, flipping through a file absently. "Tomorrow the Rajawats are coming. Are we actually ready to handle that circus?"
Ravi sat on the sofa, spinning a pen between his fingers, his expression sharp and unreadable. "Why invite them at all? We don't owe them anything."
Aarav snorted. "Dad wants to reconnect with old allies. He thinks it'll stabilize some business ties."
Rudra didn't turn from the window. His eyes stayed glued to Anaya's figure far below. She was holding a necklace to Janvi's neck and beaming like a child. She looked so unaware, so untouched by the shadows lingering right behind her.
Rudra's jaw tightened. "I need to protect her. At any cost."
Aarav came closer, concerned. "Bhai, she's literally downstairs. In our home. Who's going to hurt her here?"
Ravi's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Enemies don't need to break in. Sometimes they're already inside. And a house full of guests is the easiest place to hide an attack."
Aarav frowned. "You're being paranoid."
Rudra finally looked away from the window. "Paranoia is what keeps people alive."
There was nothing dramatic in his tone. Just a truth sharpened by experience.
Ravi put the pen down and added quietly, "And today… any stranger could slip in. With the Rajawats invited, we can't trust anyone."
Aarav threw his hands up. "Fine. So what do we do? Stand guard with guns?"
Rudra stepped forward, his voice firm. "Aarav. I need you to do something for me."
Aarav straightened at once. "Anything."
Rudra's gaze hardened. "Find everything you can about RJ Company. Every hidden transaction, every board member, every shell company they're connected to. I want to know how deep their roots go."
Aarav blinked. "RJ? Aren't they the ones who took over right after Malhotra Industries crashed? Almost overnight? Their CEO is still anonymous, right?"
Ravi froze.
The pen fell from his hand and hit the table with a sharp crack.
His entire expression shifted… darkened… as if someone had ripped open a wound he thought he'd buried.
"Why…" his voice shook, "why RJ?"
Rudra stared at him. "Because everything about them feels wrong. Their timing. Their silence. Their growth. Every move is calculated. Every step is suspicious."
Aarav leaned forward. "Suspicious how?"
Rudra exhaled slowly. "Every thread I pull… leads back to the same night."
Aarav frowned. "Which night?"
Before Rudra could respond, Ravi whispered, voice trembling, "I will destroy them."
Aarav flinched. "Ravi, calm down. It's just a company."
Ravi slammed his palm down on the table. "They destroyed my family!"
Aarav stared, eyes widening. "Your family? But they destroyed Malhotra Industries! They took over after the Malhotras—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Froze.
His thoughts connected like lightning through a storm cloud.
His eyes widened at Ravi.
At Rudra.
At the truth sitting silently between them.
"No…" Aarav whispered. "No, that's impossible."
Rudra didn't blink. "Aarav. It's time you knew."
Ravi swallowed hard. The words tasted like rust and pain.
"I'm not just security."
Aarav stared at him, heart thudding. "Then who are you?"
Ravi's voice dropped to a whisper that scraped at the walls of the room.
"I am Anaya's older brother."
Aarav's breath punched out of his lungs. "What?! But everyone thinks he died in the car crash with the Malhotras!"
Ravi's eyes glimmered with old fire. "That's what RJ wanted the world to believe."
Aarav felt the ground shift beneath him.
Rudra stepped closer, his voice quiet but sharp enough to scar. "Anaya's family didn't die in an accident."
Ravi finished the sentence for him. "They were murdered."
Aarav took a step back, chest tightening. His eyes flew to Rudra. "And you think RJ was behind it?"
Rudra turned slowly, his gaze trailing back down to the garden where Anaya was touching fabrics with childlike happiness, oblivious to the truth bleeding across her past.
"I don't think," he said softly. "I know."
Ravi stood beside him, fire burning in his eyes. "They erased my identity. They tried to erase hers. They destroyed everything we had."
Aarav's voice cracked. "Rudra… if that's true, then the real danger isn't coming someday."
He swallowed hard.
"It's already on the way. With the Rajawats."
Rudra closed his eyes for one second. Just one.
Then he whispered the vow he carried like a weapon:
"I couldn't save her family.
But I will protect her now.
Even if I burn the world down to do it."
Ravi nodded. Aarav nodded.
Three men aligned by a single girl.
Below them… Anaya laughed softly, unaware of the storm that had already begun to crawl toward her.
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺
Evening dripped into the Singhaniya Mansion like warm honey, slipping across the corridors with music, perfume, and the laughter of guests getting ready for the engagement. Upstairs, the men's wing was quieter, lit only by soft yellow lamps reflecting off polished wooden floors.
Aarav stepped out of his room first, adjusting the collar of his dark green sherwani. The embroidery caught the light, making him look exactly like the charming menace every girl whispered about. He turned once in the mirror, ran a hand through his hair, then strutted into the hallway like he owned the world.
Right on cue, Ravi emerged from his room next door — wearing a deep royal-blue kurta, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hair slightly damp, jaw sharp enough to cut through metal. He looked annoyingly perfect for someone who kept pretending he wasn't trying.
Aarav whistled dramatically. "Well look at us… one green flag, one blue flag. Dynamic duo."
Ravi rolled his eyes. "Bas kar. Where is Rudra?"
Aarav shrugged. "Probably still brooding in the name of 'work.' Or staring at Anaya from a distance like a Shakespeare hero."
Ravi didn't react, but his brows twitched in faint amusement.
"Anyway," Aarav continued, "I should go check on Janvi. She's ready. I want to see—"
Before he could take a step, Ravi's hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar from behind.
Aarav choked on air. "Bhai?? What the hell—"
"You're not going there," Ravi said, voice firm, tugging him back like a misbehaving puppy.
Aarav twisted around with big betrayed eyes. "Why? Aren't YOU the one who keeps glaring at me about security? I'm just… appreciating beauty, man."
Ravi's jaw tightened — not at the mention of beauty, but at the name they both silently avoided.
Aarav smirked. "Waise… don't you want to see Ria?"
Ravi froze.
Absolutely froze.
His ears turned the faintest shade of red, which Aarav obviously noticed with the speed of a hawk spotting prey.
"Oh ho. Someone's blushing in 4K resolution."
Ravi glared. "Shut up."
Aarav laughed. "Just saying. She did look—"
"I said shut up." Ravi straightened, cleared his throat, and bulldozed out of the topic. "Don't change the subject. We need to check security."
Aarav groaned like he'd been stabbed. "Security? Right now? Bro, even Rudra isn't this cold to me anymore!"
Ravi grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward the stairs. "Let Rudra stay cold. At least his coldness makes sense. You? You're a security hazard."
Aarav staggered behind him dramatically. "Seriously? Can ONE person in this house treat me with love?"
"No."
"Ravi please."
"No."
"Not even a little—"
"Chup. And walk faster."
Aarav sighed loudly, defeated, as the two of them disappeared toward the security control room — one sulking dramatically, the other pretending he wasn't secretly flustered about a certain girl with big brown eyes waiting downstairs.
⋆˚✿˖° 𓂃⊹♡⊹𓂃 °˖✿˚⋆⋆˚✿˖° 𓂃⊹♡⊹𓂃 °˖✿˚⋆
The room glowed warm and golden, fairy lights brushing over the midnight-blue fabrics laid out across the bed. Anaya stood near the vanity, her silk saree cascading around her like quiet moonlight. The gold border shimmered every time she moved, delicate and regal, matching the soft bun pinned with tiny golden studs.
She adjusted her pearl choker once… twice… her fingers fumbling even though she knew exactly why.
Her eyes kept flickering toward the walk-in closet door.
And right on cue —
Rudra stepped out.
Midnight blue kurta.
Black shirt beneath.
The sleeves pushed slightly to reveal the sharp lines of his wrists.
And that slow, dangerous walk… like he owned the air she was breathing.
Anaya's fingers froze on her necklace hook.
Rudra saw it — saw her stare, saw her swallow hard, saw the tiny tremble in her breath — and a lazy smile stretched across his lips.
Not mocking.
Not teasing.
Just… a man completely aware of the effect he had on his wife.
He walked behind her, sliding his hands around her neck to fix the clasp she hadn't been able to close. His fingertips grazed her skin, and her breath hitched instantly.
"Lagta hai aaj…" he whispered, voice low, warm against her ear, "Mrs. Anaya Rudra Singhaniya ka plan… mujhe heart attack dene ka hai."
Anaya's lips curved shyly. "Nahi… bas achha lagna hai."
Her voice was soft, hesitant. "Aaj bahut guests aa rahe hain."
Rudra hummed, the sound vibrating right against her spine as he moved her hair aside and picked up her earrings.
He fixed one ear stud, his fingers brushing her earlobe — intentionally slow — then moved to the other.
Anaya closed her eyes for a second.
God. Control was impossible around him.
"But Rudra…" she murmured softly, "aaj main tumhari wife banke nahi jaa rahi."
He paused.
"Aaj I'll be Ria ki friend. Bas friend."
She said it carefully, like walking through glass.
Rudra didn't get angry.
He didn't even tense.
He simply reached for her mang-tika, placed it carefully on her forehead, and lowered his lips to kiss the spot right above it — a claim more intimate than any touch.
Then, with a gentleness that contrasted the intensity in his eyes, he picked a small black bindi and placed it between her brows.
His thumb brushed her cheek.
"For the world," he murmured, voice steady as a heartbeat, "you can be whoever you want."
He tilted her chin up so she had no choice but to look directly into those deep brown eyes.
"But mere liye… you are my wife."
His wife.
His heartbeat.
His unspoken world.
Anaya's breath softened, her chest rising and falling as she gazed at him with the kind of affection that could melt kingdoms.
She smiled — slow, warm, overflowing.
"With you," she whispered, "main hamesha wahi hoon… Mrs. Rudra Singhaniya."
Rudra's smile deepened.
Not the intimidating one.
Not the businessman one.
This one was only for her.
He tightened the saree drape on her shoulder, almost possessive in the way his fingers lingered.
Then he stepped back and looked at her fully — from her bun to her pearls to her midnight-blue silk.
His voice dropped, filled with a quiet worship.
"Perfect."
She blushed instantly.
And in his eyes…
the storm that could destroy worlds settled into something soft.
Something only she could create.