Sanchi took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"Fine... if that's what you want."
"If you want me to stay with you as your wife..."
"Then I will."
Kabir's eyes narrowed.
"But I have one condition."
A dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"A condition...?" he chuckled softly. "You're setting conditions in front of me?"
For the first time, Sanchi looked directly into his eyes.
There was no fear.
Only determination.
"Yes."
A few moments of silence passed between them.
"I'll stay with you."
"I'll live under your name."
"I'll be known as your wife."
"But until the day I accept this relationship from my heart..."
"You will not touch me."
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
"No force."
"No threats."
"No rights over me."
Her voice was calm.
Yet every word felt sharper than a blade.
"You will never make any decision about my life without my consent."
"And if you ever threaten my family again..."
She paused.
Then looked straight into his eyes.
"I'll stand against you."
"Whether you're Kabir Arora... or the entire world."
For a moment, Kabir simply stared at her.
This was the first time someone wasn't speaking to him out of fear.
Someone was standing in front of him as his equal.
The silence between them stretched.
Then suddenly...
Kabir smiled.
A smile that was dangerous.
Yet strangely fascinating.
He gently brushed his fingers against her cheek.
"Sanchi..."
"Everything else is acceptable."
"But..."
Sanchi frowned.
"But what?"
Inside, Kabir laughed bitterly.
Not touching you?
That's like asking me not to breathe.
But he kept those thoughts to himself.
"What I mean is..." he said calmly.
"You are my wife."
"In front of the world, I'll have to act like your husband."
"So yes, I'll touch you when necessary."
"But until the day you come to me willingly..."
"I won't cross the boundary."
His voice dropped lower.
"But remember one thing."
"The day you walk toward me on your own..."
"The day you choose me yourself..."
"That day, I'll consider it my victory."
Sanchi immediately replied.
"That day will never come."
Their eyes locked.
This was no longer a marriage.
This was a war.
A war between two equally stubborn souls.
---
On The Road...
The car sped across the endless highway.
Silence filled the space between them.
A silence loaded with hatred.
Eventually, exhaustion overcame Sanchi.
Leaning against the seat, she closed her eyes.
Within minutes, she fell asleep.
Kabir glanced at her occasionally.
His gaze suddenly landed on her injured hand.
The knife wound.
The bandage was missing.
His expression darkened.
"Stupid girl..."
He quietly asked the driver for the first-aid box.
Carefully, he lifted her hand into his palm.
As if it were made of fragile glass.
He cleaned the wound.
Applied medicine.
Wrapped a fresh bandage around it.
His fingers trembled slightly.
"Why do you keep hurting yourself?"
Sanchi shifted in her sleep.
Without realizing it, she grabbed the edge of his shirt.
Kabir froze.
For several seconds, he simply stared at her.
Then slowly freed himself and turned his face away.
The cold mask returned.
---
The Next Morning...
The sun had begun to rise.
Golden rays spread across the sky like a royal blanket.
A faint trace of the moon still lingered above.
Perhaps even the moon was waiting to see the sun before disappearing.
Perhaps that was its version of love.
The soft morning light entered through the car window and fell across Kabir's face.
His eyes slowly opened.
For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.
Sanchi was sleeping peacefully against his chest.
Like a child.
And somewhere during the night, he had wrapped his arms around her protectively.
As if shielding her from every danger in the world.
Kabir looked down.
Golden sunlight illuminated her face.
A few strands of hair rested against her cheeks.
Her lips looked dry.
Her breathing was soft.
For the second time, he lost control.
Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Then closed his eyes again.
As if he wasn't ready to let go of that moment.
A few minutes later, Sanchi woke up.
For a brief second, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Then reality hit.
She immediately moved away from him.
The memories of last night returned.
Before either of them could say anything—
The car stopped.
Sanchi looked outside.
And froze.
In front of her stood a magnificent royal palace.
Calling it a haveli felt wrong.
It looked more like a king's palace.
Built from white marble.
Covered in intricate carvings.
The golden sunlight made it shine like pure gold.
Even from inside the car, its beauty was breathtaking.
The door opened.
"Get down."
Kabir's voice was calm.
Sanchi stepped out.
The moment her injured foot touched the ground—
Pain shot through her body.
"Ah..."
She lost her balance.
Before she could fall—
Kabir caught her.
Without asking.
Without warning.
He lifted her into his arms.
Sanchi's eyes widened.
"Kabir! Put me down!"
"Be quiet."
His voice was low.
Yet commanding.
At the palace entrance, several people watched the scene.
A few women smiled.
"What a loving husband."
Sanchi's face instantly heated up.
The word husband reminded her of the sindoor hidden beneath her hair.
Instinctively, she touched her forehead.
No one could know the truth.
The wedding would happen again.
This time in front of the entire world.
Kabir noticed everything.
But remained silent.
Only an unreadable smile appeared on his lips.
"Stop pretending," Sanchi muttered angrily.
"I can take care of myself."
Kabir looked ahead.
"I know you can."
"But I don't want people calling me an irresponsible husband."
Sanchi stared at him.
A strange question surfaced in her mind.
"Last night..."
She hesitated.
Kabir looked at her.
"What?"
"My hand..."
"Who bandaged it?"
For a second, he remained silent.
Then casually shrugged.
"The driver."
Sanchi didn't believe him.
Because she still remembered...
Someone had held her hand with incredible care.
---
Before she could ask anything else, her family arrived.
The moment Sanchi saw them, tension appeared on her face.
Kabir noticed instantly.
Within seconds, he stepped closer.
Very close.
Leaning toward her ear, he whispered.
"The great Sanchi who dares to challenge Kabir Arora..."
"Always becomes helpless in front of her own family."
Sanchi's face turned pale.
Her eyes widened.
"How do you know that?"
A smirk appeared on Kabir's lips.
"My sweet wife..."
"Who would know you better than me?"
Before she could respond, her parents arrived.
"What happened, Sanchi?" Shaileshbhai asked worriedly.
"How did you get hurt?"
Before Sanchi could answer, Kabir spoke calmly.
"It was just a small accident, Papa."
"Don't worry. I've handled everything."
Right, Sanchi?"
Sanchi looked at him suspiciously.
Then nodded.
"Y-Yes... just a small accident."
Their eyes met.
Neither could understand what the other was thinking.
Suddenly, Kusumben's cold voice interrupted.
"Enough drama, Sanchi."
Sanchi froze.
"Drama?"
"Yes. Why are you acting like something huge happened?"
Something inside Sanchi snapped.
"Mom... do you even know what happened to me yesterday?"
Without looking at her, Kusumben replied—
"You're not a child anymore."
"Handle your own problems."
Silence.
A painful silence.
Then Sanchi smiled bitterly.
"Fine."
"I'll handle everything myself."
She turned to leave.
Her injured foot gave way again.
And once more—
Kabir caught her.
"Sanchi... are you okay?"
His voice carried unexpected concern.
Before she could answer, Kusumben scoffed.
"Don't worry, Kabir."
"Sanchi has always been dramatic."
That was it.
The last thread holding Sanchi together finally broke.
Without saying a word, she bent down.
Removed the bandage.
Tore away the cotton.
Then poured water over the wound.
The medicine washed away.
A deep injury became visible.
Swollen.
Red.
Still bleeding.
Everyone fell silent.
Even Kusumben.
Shaileshbhai's expression hardened.
"Kusum."
"Sanchi isn't acting."
Then he turned toward his daughter.
"Go to your room."
Sanchi quietly started walking away.
Kabir remained standing there.
Silent.
But his eyes followed her every step.
Then he noticed it.
Drops of blood.
One after another.
Leaving red footprints behind her.
Something snapped inside him.
His jaw tightened.
His fists clenched.
Without thinking—
He strode forward.
Stopped directly in front of her.
And before anyone could react—
He picked her up in his arms again.
Sanchi looked at him in shock.
"K-Kabir... what are you doing?"
He ignored her completely.
This time, his grip was tighter than before.
Much tighter.
She could feel his racing heartbeat.
The hard expression on his face reminded her of the old Kabir.
The dangerous Kabir.
The one she feared.
He carried her straight to their room.
Placed her gently on the bed.
Then stepped closer.
Very close.
His face stopped inches away from hers.
His warm breath touched her cheeks.
His eyes were turning red with anger.
And this time...
The anger wasn't directed at her.
To Be Continued...
Why is Kabir so angry?
What truth is he hiding?
And why does Sanchi's pain affect him more than his own?
The secrets of the past are slowly beginning to surface...
Stay tuned for the next chapter.
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