The loud banging on my door dragged me out of an already restless sleep. I groaned, burying my face deeper into the pillow, willing whoever it was to go away. After a grueling work shift yesterday, my body felt like it had been hit by a truck, and the last thing I wanted was to deal with someone’s unnecessary drama.

For a brief moment, the banging stopped. Finally. I sighed in relief, closing my eyes again.

But of course, peace was never an option. The knocking returned, more aggressive this time, making me flinch. Whoever was on the other side was persistent, determined even.

I gritted my teeth, turning onto my back with a scowl.

Who the hell is it?

"Aadhya, agar do minute mein bahar nahi aayi toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga!"

(Aadya, if you don't come out in two minutes, no one will be worse off than me!)

I shot up in bed as Dadi’s sharp voice cut through the door like a blade. My heart dropped, and my drowsiness evaporated instantly.

Dadi. Shit.

My eyes flew to the clock on my bedside table, 4:00 PM.

I was so dead. I swallowed fixing my hair as I made my way to the door. I took a deep breath and slowly cracked it open. Dadi stood there, looking like she’d just seen a ghost. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and something dangerously close to fear.

My brows knit together in concern. “Dadi… sab theek hai na?” I asked, my voice raspy from sleep.

(Grandma, everything okay?)

Without answering, she pushed past me into the room. “Darwaza band karo,” she hissed, already pacing like a storm waiting to explode.

(Close the door.)

I shut the door quickly, standing stiff as a board. It was never a good sign when Dadi came into my room unannounced, especially like this.

“Dadi…” I called cautiously.

She turned to look at me, her sharp eyes scanning my face as if searching for something. Her silence was unnerving.

“Tumne bataya nahi ki woh yahan aane wala hai?” she demanded, each word laced with restrained fury.

(You didn't tell me he was coming here?)

“Kaun, Dadi?” I asked, confused. What was she even talking about? No one ever came here. I barely let anyone into my space. Samarth and Diy knew better—they never showed up at my place.

(Who?)

“Wahi… woh rakshas jisne humein marne ki dhamki di!” she snapped, her voice cracking slightly under the weight of fear.

(The same… the demon who threatened to kill us!)

My heart stuttered. There was only one man who’d ever threatened my family’s life.

“Rudransh?” I asked, though deep down, I already knew the answer.

“Haan, aur kaun ho sakta hai?” she snapped, her voice cutting through the silence like a whip. My breath caught.

(Yes, who else could it be?)

What was he doing here?

“Tumne humein bataya kyun nahi? Kya chahti ho ki woh hum sab ko zinda jala de?” Her fury was palpable as she stormed toward me.

(Why didn't you tell us? Do you want him to burn us all alive?)

“Dadi, I didn’t know,” I said frantically, panic rising in my throat. “I swear I didn’t know he was coming.”

“Jhooth!” she snarled, her hand suddenly tangling in my hair. She yanked hard.

( A Lie!)

I gasped, the sharp pain shooting through my scalp. “Dadi, please—”

“Jabse woh aadmi tere pichhe pada hai, tu toh apne aap ko raani samajhne lagi hai, hai na?” she mocked, her grip tightening. "Aapna zaban chalane lagi hai."

(Ever since that man is after you, you have started thinking of yourself as a queen, right?) (You have started talking.)

“I'm not lying,” I whimpered, blinking through the tears that burned my eyes.

“Bolna band kar,” she hissed, dragging my face closer to hers. “Ek baat yaad rakh jab uska shauk pura ho jaayega, woh tujhe kachre ki tarah fenk dega. Aisa aadmi tere jaisi ladki ke liye kabhi nahi rukta. Tu uske liye sirf ek tamasha hai, ek raat ka nasha uske liye koi ehmiyat nahi rakhti.”

(Stop talking)

(Remember one thing, when his desire is fulfilled, he will throw you away like garbage. A man like this never stops for a girl like you. You are just a distraction for him, a night's fun that has no value for him.)

Her words didn’t just sting they sank in.
Quiet, brutal, and precise.

If she had hit me again, I could’ve taken it. 

Pain fades. Skin heals.
But this? These words cut deeper.

Today, especially her words hit harder. Because they felt true. Because no matter how much I pretended otherwise... I was nothing more than a distraction for Rudransh.

Just someone to pass the time with.

And I had the NDA to prove it.

Before I could get a word out, there was a knock at the door. Dadi released her grip and stepped back, her eyes still burning with contempt. “Remember what I said,” she hissed, her voice low and cruel. “Tum sirf ek rakhail ban sakti ho… aur kuch nahi.”

(You can only be a mistress... nothing else)

With that final blow, she opened the door and walked out, leaving silence in her wake.

I stood frozen, her words echoing in my head like shards of glass slicing through my chest. My heart felt heavy, my throat tight. The sting of her voice lingered far longer than the pain in my scalp.

“Aadhya Di?”

Sanvi’s soft voice pulled me out of the haze. She stood in the doorway, concern written all over her face.

I blinked fast, wiped at the tears before they could fall, and forced a small smile. “I’m fine,” I lied, my voice barely steady.

She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded anyway. “Di, he is waiting for you downstairs,” she said gently.

I gave another nod. “You go ahead. I’ll just freshen up and be right there.”

Sanvi lingered for a second, clearly hesitant to leave me like that, but she eventually turned and walked away.

As soon as I was alone, I exhaled deeply, my whole body sagging from the weight of everything. I made my way into the bathroom and stood under the shower, letting the cold water ground me, and wash away the sting at least for now.

When I stepped out, I threw on a simple kurta and jeans, tied my damp hair back into a ponytail, and stared at myself in the mirror.

“You’re okay,” I whispered to myself, trying to calm the storm inside. Duke rubbed against my leg, grounding me with his warmth and steady purring. I bent down and picked him up, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

“Hey baby,” I murmured softly, holding him close. “You’re the only one in my life who doesn’t hurt me, you know that?” My voice wavered, thick with emotion. “Thank you for being the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

He nuzzled into my face as if to say he understood, and for a moment, I allowed myself to lean into that comfort. I chuckled faintly, gave him one last kiss, and gently set him down as I rolled my shoulders taking a deep breath. My reflection stared back at me hair tied back, eyes still a little puffy. I straightened my kurta, adjusted the sleeves, and prepared myself to step out.

But the second I turned around, I froze.

He was there.

Rudransh stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame like he had all the time in the world. Yet there was nothing casual about the way his eyes bore into me. Those piercing silver eyes took in my expression, the tension in my shoulders.

He looked devastating, as always. Dressed in one of his custom-made grey suits that hugged his tall, well-built frame perfectly, he looked like he’d stepped out of a dream or maybe a nightmare. His long hair was tied half-up, but a single strand had escaped, falling across his forehead in that effortlessly messy way that made him even more dangerous.

My breath hitched, my heart stalling for a beat.

“What… what are you doing here?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

He didn’t respond immediately. His eyes roamed my face, his expression unreadable, yet intense. There was something brewing in him, something cold and burning all at once. Then his voice cut through the silence low, steady, and sharp.

“Who hurt you?” His voice was rich, low, and unmistakably commanding. I blinked, realizing he had overheard me talking to Duke. “I asked you something, Bambi.” He straightened, his towering presence making the room feel even smaller as he approached me with deliberate, measured steps.

My throat went dry, and I instinctively took a small step back. His proximity was overwhelming. The space around us felt suffocating as if the air itself had thickened with his godly presence. I swallowed hard, unable to move or speak, as he stopped right in front of me.

“Mr. Raval, what are you doing in my house?” I managed to ask, my voice barely more than a whisper, shaking with the weight of his gaze.

“You haven’t answered my question, Bambi.” His voice was a calm, dangerous hum as he reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear with a soft but forceful motion.

I shook my head, desperate to get my bearings. “No one. I was just rambling,” I said, my hands balling into fists at my sides, trying to keep myself from trembling under his watchful eyes.

His expression darkened, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “You’re lying,” he muttered, trailing his fingertips down the side of my cheek as if memorizing every inch of my skin. “One thing about me—” he leaned closer, his silver eyes locking onto mine, “is that I hate liars.”

I flinched involuntarily, but I refused to break eye contact. He was close enough now that I got a whiff of his scent which was just as good as the last time. The heat radiating from his body made an involuntary shiver run down my spine. My jaw clenched in disbelief at his audacity.

“So, I’ll ask again.” His voice dropped to a whisper, full of menace. “Who hurt you?”

I couldn’t hold it anymore. The anger, the frustration, the hurt from all the degrading things Dadi called me it all bubbled to the surface in an instant.

“Who do you think, Mr. Raval?” I spat, the words tasting like venom on my tongue. “It’s obviously you.”

His gaze hardened for a moment, and I saw the flicker of something dark, something dangerous, in his eyes. But then, as quickly as it came, it disappeared, replaced by the same cold indifference I had come to expect from him.

“Me?” His lips twisted into a sardonic smile, the silver of his eyes gleaming dangerously. “I don’t remember doing anything that would make you think you’ve been hurt and you saw firsthand what happened when I hurt people.” 

I took a step forward my hands trembling at my sides. “I’m not talking about hurting me physically.” The lump in my throat refused to go away making it hard to swallow. 

He tilted his head, studying me as if I were some puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. “Enlighten me, then,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “What exactly have I done?”

I could feel the weight of every moment I had spent under his control, every sharp word and cold touch that had left scars that weren’t visible but were painfully real. "You hurt me," I whispered, more to myself than to him, though he heard me clearly. "You hurt me just by being you."

He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he just stared at me, his silver eyes unreadable, before speaking again, his voice softer but no less intense. “Bambi,” he said slowly, “you’re going to have to be more specific if you expect me to care.”

An unexpected laugh bubbled out of me sharp, broken, and soaked in pain. It caught even me off guard. My vision blurred as tears welled in my eyes, and then spilled freely down my cheeks. I shook my head slowly, a bitter smile stretching my lips.

“You don’t care at all, do you?” I said between shaky breaths, my laughter unraveling into quiet sobs. “All you’ve ever cared about is how to control me… how to get me into your bed. Never once have you stopped to ask how I feel or if I even want to sleep with you.”

I wiped my face roughly, my hands trembling. He stood there, silent, unmoved, his face an emotionless mask that betrayed nothing. Not a single flicker of guilt. Not a hint of remorse.

“You barged into my life and demanded that I become your mistress.” My voice cracked as the words tumbled out. “You set the rules, you forced that contract on me. You made all the choices. Did it ever occur to you to ask if I even wanted any of it?” I paced unable to stand still.

He exhaled deeply as if my pain was something mildly inconvenient. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned away and scanned the room. His gaze landed on my desk, where my books lay open and scattered. He walked over casually like he belonged here.

“I saved you,” he said finally, glancing over his shoulder. “From marrying a sleazy old bastard, or did you forget that?”

I stared at him, furious. “Yes, I’m grateful for that. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still forcing something on me that I don’t want! You want me to be your mistress as if that’s the only role I’m allowed to have!”

He turned to face me fully, his expression cool, as if he couldn’t understand why I wasn’t bowing at his feet with gratitude.

“Do you even know what I’ve been through because of you?” I snapped. “What I’ve had to endure because of your so-called ‘proposal’?”

He tilted his head slightly, not even flinching. “Then tell me,” he said calmly like we were discussing the weather. “Tell me who hurt you. I’ll take care of them.”

“You mean kill them, right?” I scoffed, the disgust in my voice unfiltered. “Because that’s your answer to everything. Hurt. Kill. Destroy. Not everything can be solved with blood.”

He let out a short, amused laugh and moved toward the bed, lowering himself to sit on the edge like he had all the time in the world.

“So what do you want me to do?” he said dryly. “Sit down with them? Have a polite conversation over tea? That sounds… tedious. Why make life harder when it can be so easily fixed?”

My jaw dropped at the sheer absurdity of his logic. “How can you even sleep at night?” I whispered, genuinely baffled by how casually he talked about ending lives like it was part of a daily to-do list.

He looked at me then, eyes unreadable, voice quiet. “I don’t.”

Before I could respond, Duke brushed against his leg, purring like a motor. Rudransh bent down, scooped him up, and held him in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. My eyes widened in disbelief as I watched Duke nuzzle into his chest, clearly enjoying the affection.

“You too, Duke?” I muttered, utterly betrayed. “What a little traitor.”

“No, Bambi,” he said, his voice low, intense, every word laced with conviction. “Isse pata hai ki main tumhe aur isse dono ko duniya ki har cheez de sakta hoon. Agar tum kaho, poori duniya tumhare pairon ke neeche rakh dunga. All you have to do… is accept me. Completely. Be mine.”

(He knows that I can give you and him everything in the world. If you say so, I will put the whole world under your feet.)

I stared at him, my mind racing with a thousand conflicting thoughts. Who was this man standing in front of me? One moment, he was cold and threatening the next, he was promising me the world. A twisted, impossible dream.

“What’s the point of all your promises,” I whispered bitterly, “when in the end, all I’ll ever be to you is a mistress?”

His gaze darkened for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, after giving Duke one last affectionate scratch, he set him gently down on the floor and straightened up. “Are you done getting ready?” he asked coolly as if nothing had just been said.

I blinked, caught off guard. “Yes…”

“Good. Let’s go have lunch. We’ll talk more there. Bring whatever you need for work I’ll drop you off after.”

“That’s not necessary. I can go by myself.”

He arched a brow. “Bambi, what did I tell you about picking your battles?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “Don’t be stubborn. I could carry you to the car, but I don’t think you’d appreciate that, especially with everyone downstairs. So come on. Let’s go.”

I let out a frustrated huff and grabbed my things. He followed close behind, and as we reached the staircase, I felt his hand slip into mine, his fingers lacing with mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. I froze mid-step, turning to look at him in surprise.

His face was impassive, calm. “Kya?” he said casually. “Yahi rukna hai?”

(What?) (You want to stay here)

I tried to pull my hand away, but he only tightened his grip. Groaning, I gave up and kept walking down the stairs with him at my side.

The moment we entered the living room, the energy in the room shifted sharp and tense. Everyone stood up. Papa’s glare was locked on Rudransh, a mixture of fear and helpless rage on his face.

“Aadhya, idhar aao,” Papa called, his voice sharp as his eyes flicked between me and the man beside me.

(Aadhya come here)

Rudransh gave him a mocking smile. “Mr. Sharma,” he drawled. “Aap aa hi gaye. Lekin aapko apni beti ki yaad sirf tab kyun aati hai jab main uske saath hota hoon?”

(You have come. But why do you remember your daughter only when I am with her?)

Papa’s face paled slightly as he looked at me. “Mr. Raval, please… let my Aadhya go.”

Rudransh stepped slightly in front of me, his silver eyes darkening, his tone dropping to something dangerously soft. “Mr. Sharma, she isn't getting rid of me anytime soon… She doesn't need you or anyone else, for that matter from now on. She has me now. So don’t worry about her. Not that you ever did.”

Then he turned to Dadi and Bhavna, who now looked at him as if they'd seen a devil one ready to drag their souls to hell.

“And you two,” his voice was quiet, yet deadly, “don’t think for a second that I don’t know what you’ve been doing to my Bambi. I know everything.” His eyes locked on Dadi. “And I will deal with each and every one of you… very soon.”

He took a step forward, making both women stiffen in fear.

“So be careful. Especially you, old woman,” he said, his tone sharp enough to cut steel. “Keep your hands to yourself, unless you want to lose them. Do you understand?”

Silence fell over the room like a thunderclap. Not one person moved.

I bit down on my bottom lip as a smile threatened to escape. Seeing the terror in their eyes brought me a strange, satisfying peace.

With one final cold glance that promised consequences, he gripped my hand and led me out of the house. The door shut behind us with a weighty finality.

The moment we were outside, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The fresh air had never felt so good.

“Tumhe maza aa raha tha na,” he said, a knowing smirk playing at his lips as we slid into the backseat of his car. “Jab mein unhe dhamki de raha tha.”

(You were enjoying right) (When I was threatening them)

I cleared my throat, composing my expression into something innocent. “What are you talking about?” I asked, feigning confusion while resisting the grin tugging at my mouth.

Kunal, sitting in the driver’s seat as always, didn’t glance at me or say a word. He simply started the car like clockwork. I frowned what happened to him?

Rudransh, however, had opened the door for me himself something that caught me off guard.

“There’s no need to do all this for me,” I muttered with a slight frown. “I can open my own door.”

“I know,” he said, his voice low and steady. “But from now on… I’ll be doing these things for you.”

My breath hitched slightly as he took my hand, his large, warm palm wrapping around mine like a quiet promise. I didn’t fight it this time. I simply let him lead me.

After about twenty minutes of silent tension and lingering glances, the car pulled up in front of an upscale restaurant. Modern glass walls, warm lighting, and a valet already rushing toward us.

Kunal stepped out wordlessly and opened Rudransh's door.

“Stay there,” Rudransh said, already halfway out the door.

He walked around and opened the car door for me again. This time, I didn’t protest. I just looked at him.

And for a fleeting moment, the man who had barged into my life demanding everything... felt almost like someone who wanted to give something back.

Something real. 

I quickly shook that thought away I don’t want to get entangled with him.