Continuation of Avinash's POV..
She slapped me hard against the face and snapped angrily, "YOU DARED TO SAY 'NO' TO ME?!" I heard a sharp gasp beside us. Bhairav's jaw literally dropped. I almost smiled despite myself. 'Kaun bataye isse... aaj teesri baar thappad padd raha hai.. Woh bhi bina kisi galti ke..!' (Who's going to tell him... today i'm getting slapped for the third time... that too without any fault...!)
Enough is enough. Before she could do anything else, i grabbed her wrist, lifted her effortlessly and threw her over my shoulder. The moment she realized what i was doing, all hell broke loose.
She started kicking, hitting my back with her small fists, protesting loudly. "Chhodo mujhe! Utaaro mujhe! Mujhe dance karna hai!" (Let me go! Put me down! I want to dance! ) Then even louder, "Ohh! Behre ho kya?! Sunai nahi deta kya?! Utaaro mujhe!" (Oh! Are you deaf or what?! Can't you hear?! Put me down!)
I ignored every word. I knew she wouldn't listen to anyone right now and also realised that— My little drunken khargosh was far more dangerous than she looked.
I glanced at Bhairav and said calmly, "Iski khatirdari achhe se honi chahiye" (He should be well taken care of.) while looking briefly toward that man lying there and then walked forward, carrying my stubborn Rani-sa on my shoulder. She kept shouting the entire way.
Near the car, i opened the door and made her sit inside. Immediately, she slid toward the other side, reaching to open that door—but i was faster. I got in after her, grabbed her hand with one hand and locked the car with the other.
She froze. Now she was looking at me with wide, innocent eyes—completely silent, just staring. Not a single word. That sudden quiet was far more dangerous than the shouting.
I pulled out my phone and called one of my bodyguards. "Drive the car.. My penthouse" Yes, i had brought bodyguards and Bhairav with me tonight. Not for my safety—but for hers. Always for hers.
I knew she wouldn't let me drive. She would definitely do something reckless. So i settled into the back seat with her. The car started moving.
Immediately, i switched on the partition. No one needed to see her like this. No one needed to hear anything. I couldn't allow anyone to witness my jaan in this state.
Then i looked at her now she was looking out of the window silently, so i just leaned back against the seat, closed my eyes and rested my head against the headrest.
For a few moments, there was only silence. Then i heard her soft, drawn-out voice, "Rana-saaa... mujhe garmi lag rahi hai." (Rana-saaa... I'm feeling very hot.)
I opened my eyes and looked at her—and what i saw made me stiffen in alarm. Her saree pallu had slipped down, lying forgotten near her feet and now her upper body was just in a blouse and.. she was clearly uncomfortable, restless in her movements, unaware of herself.
I turned my face away at once and closed my eyes again. Not once—not ever—would i take advantage of her. She wasn't in her senses.. But i was and that line could never be crossed until she wants and only when she is in her full senses.
Before i could react further, i felt a sudden weight against me. I opened my eyes in shock to find her head resting on my lap, a careless giggle escaping her as if this were all a game.
My heart sank. Gently, carefully, i lifted the fallen pallu and placed it back around her shoulders, trying to preserve what she herself could not. She frowned and pushed it away again.
"Nahi... mujhe bohot garmi lag rahi hai." (No... I'm feeling very hot.) I tried once more, slower this time, firm but gentle. And then—without warning—her hand slapped my face hard.
My eyes widened."Kahaa na mujhe garmi lag rahi hai!" (I told you na I'm feeling hot!) she snapped, irritation flashing across her features. "Behra kahi ka!" (You deaf idiot!)
She turned away again, restless and stubborn, completely unaware of the turmoil she was causing. I just sat there frozen, my jaw tight and my hands clenched. This wasn't anger i felt—it was helplessness. She simply started playing with my shirt buttons.
And i realized one thing clearly: my Rani-sa was fearless... enough to strike me whenever she wished, without hesitation, without restraint. But i didn't even argue... i didn't stop her. If she wished to command, to scold, to strike— i would endure it all.
And it was becoming difficult to watch her like this just in her blouse. I was trying hard to control myself as she was looking breathtaking already and having her so restless next to me was making it impossible to stay calm. I knew if i tried to correct her again, to reason with her, she would only lash out and i had already been slapped four times tonight. My cheek still felt a bit numb from the last one. I was a man who handled empires and enemies without blinking, but right now, i was terrified of a fifth slap.
So i just closed my eyes and leaned back against the headrest, choosing silence. Suddenly, i felt a shift in weight. It was light at first, then i felt her move completely. I didn't open my eyes, thinking she was just moving away to the other side of the seat.
But then, I felt her whole weight settle right on top of me. She was sitting on my lap, her legs on either side of me. My eyes snapped open instantly.
She was just sitting there, smiling at me. She leaned forward and dropped her head onto my shoulder, her fingers going right back to playing with my shirt buttons. I couldn't help it—my hands moved on their own and i wrapped my arms around her waist. Her skin was bare there, warm and soft against my palms.
Then she spoke again—so softly that it barely sounded like anger anymore. "Kash aapne yeh shaadi zabardasti se na ki hoti..." (I wish you hadn't forced this marriage...) The words struck deeper than any slap. "Kash meri marzi shamil hoti," (i wish my will was included,) she continued, her voice uneven, fragile in a way that terrified me. "Aapne mere saath galat kiya hai." (You did wrong to me.)
I looked down at her instinctively. Thank God—her eyes were dry. No tears. Because I knew, with cruel certainty, that if i saw tears there, i would break completely. "Aapne sirf apni family ke baare mein socha," (You only thought about your family,) she said, her voice trembling now. "Mera parivaar nahi hai toh kya hua? Mera bhi toh apna choice.. Apna decision hota hai..." (So what if I don't have a family? I too have my own choices, my own decisions...)
Each word felt like it was being carved into my chest. "Aap aisa kaise kar sakte ho?" (How could you do this?) She sounded... broken. Not angry. Not loud. Just hurt.
I swallowed hard, my throat tight and then she continued, "Aapne kaha tha ki mein jo bhi saza dungi woh aapko manzoor hogi..!?" (You said you would accept whatever punishment I give you, right?) I just nodded slowly and hummed now, unable to speak, bracing myself for whatever she would say next.
She was quiet for a moment and then— "Mujhe aise saza dena nahi aata," (I don't know how to punish like that,) she said, almost sadly. "Gussa usse dikhaya jaata hai..." (Anger is shown to someone...) Her voice dropped further. "Saza usse di jaati hai... jo hamara apna hota hai." (Punishment is given to someone who is our own.)
My breath stilled. "Aur aap... mere apne nahi ho." (And you... are not mine.) That was it. "Ye shaadi," (This marriage,) she murmured, exhaustion seeping into every syllable, "sirf zabardasti se hui thi..." (It was just forced...)
Her words lingered in the air long after she fell silent... and i didn't say anything. I couldn't. Anything i said now would either be a lie—or a wound deeper than the one i had already given her.
After a long while, I finally spoke, my voice low, unsure. "Matlab... aapko mere saath, mere paas nahi rehna?" (So... you don't want to stay with me, near me?)I swallowed hard before forcing the rest out. "Aap chahti hain ki main aapse door rahoon?" (Do you want me to stay away from you?)
She didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched, heavy and confusing. Then, softly—almost hesitating—she said, "Aapka paas aana mujhe bura nahi lagta." (I don't feel bad when you come close to me.)
I looked at her, startled. "In dino," (These days... ) she continued quietly, "jab bhi aap mere paas aate hain... ya mere liye chhoti-si-chhoti cheez bhi karte hain... mujhe achha lagta hai." (Whenever you come to me... or do even the smallest thing for me... I liked it)
Her voice wavered, embarrassed but honest. She glanced down and then back at me. "Pata nahi kyun... jab bhi aap paas hote ho na," (I don't know why... whenever you're near...) she said, touching her stomach lightly, "toh yahan ajeeb-si gudgudi hoti hai." (I feel a strange flutter here.)
She frowned, genuinely confused. While pointing towards her heart she said,"Meri dhadkanein achanak tez ho jaati hain." (My heartbeat suddenly becomes fast.) Then, after a pause, she blurted out, half-panicked, "Kya main... mar rahi hoon? Aisi ajeeb-ajeeb cheezein mere saath kyun ho rahi hain?" (Am I... dying? Why are these strange things happening to me?)
The moment those words left her mouth, my voice rose instinctively. "RANI-SA!" She looked up, startled. "Aap aisa dobara nahi bolengi," (You will never say that again.) I said firmly, fear clear in my tone. "Kabhi bhi nahi." (Never.)
She went quiet again. Slowly, she leaned closer—not demanding, not restless—just seeking comfort. I didn't pull her closer, didn't move at all. I just stayed still, letting her decide the distance.
And in that silence, i understood something painfully clear... She wasn't angry anymore.
She wasn't punishing me. She was confused... and scared of her own feelings.
Minutes passed in heavy quiet. The car moved smoothly beneath us, the city lights flickering across the glass. Slowly, her body soften, the sharpness in her posture dissolving into something loose, unfocused.
Then she laughed. Softly. Randomly. Not at me. Not at anything i could see.
She was giggling at something only she knew, lost in her own world. Then she spoke again, her voice slow and strained, "Rana-sa... bohot garmi lag rahi hai..." (Rana-sa... I'm feeling very hot...)
That was when it hit me. She hadn't been just drunk, but... she had been drugged. My blood ran cold. And in that instant, everything inside me hardened—not with anger, but with resolve. Someone was going to answer for this.
Then she pulled back slightly and straightened, looking directly at me. Her gaze struggled to stay focused—slow blinks, her head swaying as if the world refused to stay still. She kept shifting restlessly, like a child unable to explain what was wrong.
"Rana-sa... garmi..." (Rana-sa... Hot...) she murmured again, her voice small now, almost complaining. There was something painfully vulnerable in her expression—confusion mixed with discomfort. I clenched my jaw and forced myself to look away for a second, steadying my breath. Whatever this was, it wasn't something she fully understood. And i did.
I could feel how close she was, how unaware she had become of distance and had crossed that line. Every instinct in me screamed to move—but not toward her. Away from the edge this moment was pushing me toward.
I stayed still. For her. When i looked back, she was staring at me only. Quiet. Observing. As if trying to make sense of something. I knew that look too well—my little khargosh always wore it when she was thinking about something deeply.
My chest tightened. Then what she spoke next.. made my heart forgot how to beat.
"Kiss me." The words landed like a blow.
For a moment, my heart stopped beating. My breath caught painfully in my chest as the weight of what she had just said sank in.
This wasn't her true self speaking now, but the alcohol and drug clouding her voice. And i would not let this moment become something she could never take back.
So i turned my face away immediately, every muscle in my body rigid, my voice low but unyielding. "No."
The moment the word left my mouth—"No." Her palm slapped my face again... but this time it burned more than before. The sound echoed inside the car, sharp and final.
"You dared say NO to me again?" she shouted, fury flashing across her features. "YOU DARED TO SAY 'NO' TO KISS ME?"
I shut my eyes, my jaw tightening as i absorbed the blow. I didn't know what else to do. She wasn't herself—every attempt to reason, to stop her.... only earned me another slap. I felt less like a man and more like a target.
So i chose stillness. I thought, 'If i said nothing.. If i did nothing... then maybe i could survive the night without another slap.
And that... that was when everything went wrong. My eyes flew open, wider than they'd been all night because....
to be continued.......
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Ik you guyzz might be shouting... maybe even screaming at me right now😭😂
And yes, ik.. ik — i always have the best timing to end a chapter, lol. Hehehe🤭
Btw, how was the chapter? Do let me know.
.........
I'm literally very busy this days, guyzz... because my mom had undergo an operation and i was at the hospital with her wholetime. Thankfully, everything is fine now🤍
But then tooo... i still have lot on my plate— college to attend.. Chalo woh toh naa bhi attend karu toh chalta hai..!
But intership... abb woh mere baap ki company toh hai nahi..😂 Toh jaana hi padta hai..!😭woh bhi without pay ke😭
And then house chores as well.. I have to do all the work as i stay in nuclear family.. It's honestly been really hectic for me.
I truly hope you all can understand. I'm trying my best to update as early as possible.
Thank you so much for your patience and for staying with me till now— it really means a lot♥️✨
As soon as all this gets sorted.. I will start updating just like before— on a daily basis✨
Love you all💕
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