_____8_____

Vayran
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I stood across the room, my gaze hard and unyielding as I watched her. She looked at me as if I’d crawled up from the depths just to torment her. Not that she was entirely wrong. She’d signed up for this—there was no backing out now. Welcome to hell, I thought with a smirk, feeling a twisted satisfaction.

But then she had the nerve to roll her eyes at me. She had no idea what kind of danger she was playing with. I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly to keep my irritation in check. Wrong move, princess. Provoking me when I’m already watching your every move? Not smart. She threw me a side-eye, completely unfazed, which was mildly amusing. I didn’t meet many people who could look at me with such defiance.

Her stubbornness shouldn’t bother me. And yet… I could feel my pulse quicken, just as it had yesterday when I met her. My mind drifted to our little argument over those broken AirPods. Pathetic. She thought I couldn’t replace them in an instant?

Eventually, she slipped away upstairs, clearly avoiding any interaction with me. I waited long enough for the elders to lose track of me in their conversation before making my move. I told them I’d go “check” on her. As I passed my grandfather, he shot me a sharp look—a warning, no doubt. His eyes told me clearly: “Usko daraana mat. (Don’t scare her.)”

I only smirked back, ignoring him as I headed up toward her room.

When I reached her door, I stopped. From inside, a soft melody drifted out, unfamiliar and strangely soothing. She was singing. Intrigued, I opened the door without a sound, stepping inside and leaning against the wall, watching her from the shadows.

There she stood, in front of the mirror, taking off her bangles, lost in the song. Her voice was quiet, almost haunted. Then I noticed it—tears, faint but undeniable, clinging to her lashes. Something in me twisted, but I forced myself to ignore it. Why should I care? Yet, somehow, her voice filled the silence, calming the jagged edges in my mind. Pathetic.

What was this feeling? I shook it off, forcing myself back to reality. Why would I care? But her tears… they were doing something to me. I’d locked away these feelings since the day my mom passed, the day I decided to shut out the world.

Still, something about her wouldn’t let me look away.

I leaned against the doorframe, letting the shadows hide me, watching her without a trace of shame. She was singing, her voice soft but laced with something broken. Her back was turned, and she had no idea I was here, intruding on her little moment of weakness.

"Tere mere darmiyaan hai baatein ankahi…”

She sang as she slipped off her bangles one by one, her movements slow, almost tired. Her reflection in the mirror revealed eyes that were far from the fiery, defiant gaze I’d seen earlier. This was different. Raw. And that strange spark within me burned a little brighter, despite my efforts to stay detached. This girl—my supposed wife for the next ten months—was a mess of contradictions. She had the nerve to fight with me over a pair of earpods one minute and be singing her heart out the next, eyes full of ghosts.

"Kehne do inko zara… phir ho na ho…”

The song trailed off as she stopped, sensing my presence. Her head snapped up, eyes locking onto mine in the mirror. She froze, then turned, trying to hide the vulnerability that had just slipped out. Too late. I’d seen it all.

I chuckled coldly, moving closer, narrowing the distance between us to mere inches. "You’re an interesting one, Aaravika," I muttered, the smirk on my lips widening. "But don’t think for a second that I’ve gone soft. I see right through you."

Her jaw tightened as she glared at me, the fire back in her eyes. And that fire—it was infuriating. It was maddening. And, damn it, it was irresistible.

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Yo! I know this chapter is short but no worries wait for a few days🥲 then I will release another though that might also be short but please have patience like your Shabnam as I'm also excited to show imagination here🤌

Byeᥫ᭡

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