Chapter 10
Sairaj
Velmoria, 4:53 PM
I walk into the house after a long flight, only to find it looking more like an exhibition. My mother is examining diamond necklaces lined up in front of her, while Neeti Bhabhi tries one on, tilting her head toward Atharva for his opinion. He barely looks before nodding.
I roll my eyes. Ridiculous.
As I turn toward my father's office, Vidhi calls out, "Sairaj, choose one for Amber Bhabhi! We can't decide."
Before I can respond, Kabir smirks. "Yeah, Bhai, help us out... as if you'd know her likes." he said loud enough for just me to hear. I almost turn, but my mother gives me a pointed look.
I shoot him a look before Vidhi hands me a necklace. I glance at it and scoff. "Too heavy." She hands me another. "Too much going on." Another. "Too old."The next one is even worse. "Too tacky."
The designer looks personally offended. What? She's not looking for reviews?
Then, my eyes land on a simple, single-studded diamond necklace.
Elegant. Understated. Beautiful.
Amber Agnihotri doesn't need diamonds to shine. She would make diamonds look beautiful.
The thought is too foreign. Too wrong.
I don't say it aloud. I just point at the necklace and walk away.
I push open my father's office door. "Atharva. Kabir. A word."
They follow, shutting the door behind them.
My father looks at me as I take my seat. "So?"
He already knows the answer.
I place the papers on the desk. "We have the deal. And Alex Vitalio as one of the allied."
Kabir frowns. "What?"
Atharva smirks.
"Alex Vitalio is an ally now?" Kabir asks, incredulous. "How did you-what did you-?"
"You'd know if you paid attention to your own business."
Kabir scoffs.
"And Valeria is dead."
Silence.
My father exhales slowly. "Who?"
I meet his gaze. "Me."
One revenge down. She was involved. Fourteen years ago, she was fucking involved.
My father inhales sharply. "You declared war against them."
I lean forward, unbothered. "It was war from the beginning, Father."
He exhales, nodding once. "Good work."
As we step out, Atharva speaks. "By the way, Kabir is going to your wife's house tomorrow. With Ranvijay Singh Rajvanshi."
I pause. "Why?"
Atharva's smirk deepens, and I already know the answer before he says it.
Kabir. That pain in the ass. He's going for Ishika.
Atharva confirms my suspicion. "Vikrant wants in on the manufacturing unit in the south of Vandhara."
I exhale sharply. "Of course he does."Not surprising. Vikrant Agnihotri is losing power, and he's ready to do anything to keep it. He's done it before, and he's right where I want him.
"Ranvijay agreed to go", Atharva continues. "He's meeting Kabir to discuss terms."
Ranvijay. My best friend. Amber's father's enemy.
I roll my shoulders back. "I'll go."
Atharva raises an eyebrow. "Of course you would."
I narrow my eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
He doesn't waver. "Whatever made you angry."
The air between us shifts.
I step toward him, calm, composed, but seething. "You're really getting on my nerves these days, brother."
Atharva remains unshaken. "Me, or her?"
Kabir steps in between, pushing us apart. "Alright, time up. Sairaj, you leave tomorrow afternoon."
I keep my glare locked on Atharva. The bastard is still smirking.
I turn away, exhaling slowly.
I hope I don't run into her.
But something inside me tells her- I will.
After the engagement night, she has been continuously assaulting my thoughts, which aren't very decent. And I don't wanna get distracted, not by her. I have waited for this for years to make her feel everything.. everything that..I had suffered.. everything that my..
My hand flexes...the urge to break something.
To break her.
Next afternoon, Ranvijay waits for me in his car, fingers drumming against the wheel. I slide into the passenger seat.
"Congratulations," he says smoothly.
I barely glance at him. "For?"
His lips twitch. "For being engaged to the girl you've been stalking for a while now."
The engine revs.
I exhale sharply. "Shut the fuck up and drive."
Ranvijay Singh Rajvanshi.
A man who wears power like a second skin, moves like he owns the air around him. Regal. Calculated. Always two steps ahead. We've beaten the shit out of each other more times than I can count, years of animosity turning into something resembling loyalty. I respect him-he's earned that much. But that doesn't mean he doesn't get under my damn skin.
Especially now, with that knowing smirk, his gaze flicking between me and the road. Testing. Pushing.
And the bastard enjoys it.
He chuckles but does as I say.
As we pull out onto the road, he muses, "How do you tolerate that bastard in the same room?" He's talking about Vikrant Agnihotri.
I stare ahead. "I don't know." I pause before adding, "I'm waiting for the right time."
Ranvijay hums, then smirks. "She's beautiful."
My head snaps toward him. "Watch it, Rajvanshi."
His smirk widens. "Ohh, so she gets under your skin. Atharva wasn't wrong."
I roll my eyes.
"You said it was strictly business."
"It is." I will have to make sure it's strictly business, the impact she's had had on me, the way her scent, fucking lillies, envelope me and make me want to drown and lick every last taste of it off her skin was an inevitable thought everytime she was close. That has to change. She's my enemy, she's the reason my family suffered. She deserves every bit of hatred and suffering, and I will make sure, she does.
His knowing smile remains, but he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut. If he didn't, he'd be nursing a broken nose by now.
We drive in silence until we pull into the driveway of the Agnihotri estate-its old palace-like structure looming, dark and uninviting.
I still hate this place.
I just can't seem to hate that one specific room.
My gaze flickers toward the balcony, the memories of that night crawling back-the way her lips felt against mine, the way she looked at me after.
I still don't know why I kissed her.
I won't repeat it.
Even though I told her to do just that, to test her , to push her. But nothing. She hasn't once tried to defy her dearest father. Never said no to him. She was the perfect little daughter. Pathetic.
I shake my head as Viraj Agnihotri steps into view, waiting for us. He nods, acknowledging our presence but nothing more. He hates me. Understandable.
I'm marrying his sister against her will.
I would hate me too. But unlike his father, Viraj is a man of his word. And for that, I respect him.
He's making a name for himself in the west of Vandhara, even internationally, strengthening his hold with the Italians.
Yet, his father still wants to be on the throne.
The soft clatter of cutlery against plates fills the space as I step inside. Ranvijay walks beside me, his usual smirk in place. Inaya, the supposed bestfriend is yawning into her tea, Alekha scrolling through her phone.
Then, my gaze finds her. A genuine smile on her face, her cheeks rosy, with whatever her nephew has said to her. I have never seen her genuine expressions, other than that of hate, fury and disgust. But this, this was different.
She lifts her head, eyes locking onto Rajvanshi and her mask slips back on smoothly. There's no surprise, no hesitation-just sharp calculation as she stands, smoothing down the silk of her dress.
And then she walks toward us.
Not toward me.
"Mister Rajvanshi," she greets smoothly, her voice light. "Heard a lot about you."
My jaw clenches.
Ranvijay takes her hand, bowing slightly, pressing a kiss to the back of it.
He's testing me. I let my silence speak. But my patience has limits.
She tilts her head, studying him. "All good things, I hope."
His smirk widens. "That depends. Are the rumors true?"
"Which ones?"
"That you make a terrible husband."
Ranvijay chuckles, unfazed. "I wouldn't know. Haven't had the pleasure of a wife yet."
Her father enters then, shaking hands with Rajvanshi before leading him toward his office.
She watches them go.
I step in beside her, close enough that my presence engulfs hers.
I don't give her time to react before I murmur, low and lethal, "Don't even think about it, Amber."
She turns slightly, meeting my gaze.
"What if I did?" she challenges.
My lips curl, slow and deliberate.
"If you let any other man touch you, Amber, your next gift will be a skull."
I don't wait for a response. I don't need one.
I turn and walk away, leaving her standing there.
This isn't over.
Vikrant Agnihotri is already seated when Ranvijay steps in ahead of me, carrying that damn smirk he always does. I follow behind, slower, heavier, letting my presence speak before I do.
Vikrant's eyes flick between us, calculating. "Rajvanshi," he greets, stretching out a hand. "I trust the drive wasn't too tiring."
Ranvijay clasps it, his grin all teeth. "Not at all. Though I'm hoping this meeting will be worth my time."
Vikrant's gaze slides to me. He offers a practiced smile-too smooth. "Sairaj, beta, let's not pretend we're on opposite sides now. We're family, after all."
Did that bastard just call me beta?
I settle into my seat, tapping my fingers once against the polished wood of his desk. "Family?" I echo, tilting my head slightly. "That's a generous interpretation."
His expression remains carefully neutral, but I catch the way his fingers curl against the armrest. He's trying to use this supposed new bond to his advantage. As an in.
Ranvijay leans back in his chair, clearly entertained. "Let's not dance around, Agnihotri. You need us more than we need you." Agnihotri, the name leaving a bitter taste as it rolls out of my tongue. The more I look at the fat shit, the more I want to crack his head open, put it back and smash it all over again. But not yet. Not until I beat him where it would hurt him the most.
Vikrant exhales through his nose. "I already brought Ranvijay in. His stake in the Vandhara unit is secured."
"And?" I say flatly.
"And I assumed you'd be smart enough to follow along."
I let out a low chuckle. "Follow along?" I repeat, amused. "Vikrant, you must think I take orders from someone other than myself."
His jaw tightens, but he schools his features quickly. "It would be in your best interest, beta."
The word makes my teeth clench.
I lean forward slightly. "You want in? Fine. But we don't share control. The Vandhara unit runs my way. You get your percentage, and you stay the fuck out of my decisions."
Vikrant's lips press into a thin line. "And if I refuse?"
Ranvijay chuckles, shaking his head. "Then we pull protection, and you can explain to your enemies why they suddenly have free rein to tear your empire apart."
Silence.
Vikrant exhales, fingers drumming against the desk. Then, he smiles-tight, forced. "You never forget the details, do you?"
I let my gaze bore into him, my voice dropping to a quiet edge. "I never forgot, Agnihotri."
His shoulders tense, but he doesn't speak. He doesn't need to. He knows exactly what I'm talking about. That night. What he allowed. What he cost me.
A beat passes. Then another.
Finally, he nods. "Fine."
Ranvijay grins, slapping his hands together. "Well, that was easier than I expected."
Vikrant extends his hand. I clasp it, firm, unyielding.
He may have thought time dulled my memory. But time only sharpened it.
Vikrant tells us to wait at the bar while he gets the papers ready. I don't argue, just walk onto the terrace where the bar sits, shaded under a large canopy, the pool glistening under the sun.
Ranvijay settles into his chair, scrolling through his phone, while I undo the button of my blazer, rolling my shoulders back. The air is warm, the shade doing little to cool the simmering heat inside me.
Then-a splash.
My gaze snaps toward the pool.
Her.
Amber.
A blue bikini-what the fuck?
She emerges from the water, sleek, smooth, the sun casting a sinful glow on her skin. Water clings to her like it worships her. My grip tightens around my glass.
Then it happens.
She looks at us.
She looks at me.
For a moment, there's shock in her gaze. But then-nothing. Her lips curve, not into a smirk, but into something far worse. Indifference.
And then she continues.
She lets her limbs float, her body moving with ease, slow, unhurried, every shift of her muscles a fucking provocation. She tips her head back, throat exposed, arms gliding over the water, completely at peace-completely in control.
My jaw clenches. I exhale through my nose, forcing my pulse to steady, but then my gaze shifts.
I glance at Ranvijay, still on his phone. He lifts a hand, amusement flickering in his eyes as if to say enjoying the show?
Bastard.
She swims for a good ten minutes.
Ten fucking minutes of this slow, simmering torture.
My pulse is unsteady, my muscles coiled tight. I feel a heat rush through my groin, and my fingers tighten around my glass. Oh, so now I feel things? Nothing in Rostavich when that girl nearly got on her knees for me, but this? I won't lie, I have thought of this, her before, thought of her in more ways than I want but this was disastrous, Fuck me.
Fuck. Fuck.
My suit feels too tight, I loosen my tie, swallowing against the heat crawling up my throat, my control on a thin fucking leash.
And she's pulling at it.
And then-she steps out.
Water drips down her waist, gliding over the long lines of her torso, slipping past the swell of her hips, her thick thighs. Her ass-barely fucking covered.
Okay. This is too much.
I glance at Ranvijay.
He's busy on his phone. Good for him.
She walks away, slow, deliberate. She knows.
I stand up, my legs moving, before ny brain cab process it.
My hand grips her wrist.
Before she can react, other hand presses over her mouth, muffling her protests. I yank her into a guest room, the door clicking shut behind us.
Her back hits the wood, her body caged between it and mine, my palm still covering her lips.
Amber.
The scent of vanilla and something faintly floral-lilies, lingers on her, but beneath that, I can smell the tension radiating from her body. She struggles, mumbling against my skin, before sinking her teeth into my palm.
I tilt my head, jaw tight, eyes shimmering.
"Do you not care what kind of men are lurking around this house when you're this exposed?"
My voice is dangerously low.
She rips her mouth free.
"No, I don't. And who the hell are you to ask me that?"
Water dripping from her hair, onto her glistening skin, disappearing somewhere between the swell of her breasts. She exhales, anticipation and defiance crossing her features.
My lips curve, dark amusement laced with something else. "Sweetheart, I'm your fiancé. Soon-to-be husband."
She shoves me back. I let her, but only slightly.
"Don't touch me again," she snaps.
"Who knows where those hands have been? It disgusts me."
She says it subtly, but there's the slight hint of what I feel for her, possessiveness. She turns to leave, but my hand lands over hers, pressing against the doorknob.
Her scarf is tied around her waist, covering her ass and thighs. I tug at the knot lazily, undoing it with a deliberate flick of my fingers. It loosens. Slips.
My voice dips, slow, deliberate. "The only one I've been touching lately... is you."
Her breath catches. I see it in the way her fingers twitch at her sides, in the way her throat moves as she swallows.
Heat pools between us. Her skin dampens my suit as I lean in, my breath warm against her cheek.
"And I'm sure that disgusts you." My voice is a whisper of sin, laced with something wicked.
"Mutual feelings, biwi. I hate that I want to touch you. And yet... here we are."
I press my palms against the door, boxing her in.
"Look at me." It's not a request.
She stiffens, but her gaze finally meets mine.
"Not every man has sane intentions,"I murmur.
"Not every man will respect your choice. It was Ranvijay today-he's not a threat to you." My head tilts, my gaze sharpening.
"But I want you to understand something, little bird."
I let the next words settle in her bones.
"I do hate you. But I won't let you be exposed to violation."
Something flickers in her eyes. Something unreadable. She swallows hard. "And you?"
I still. The question unexpected, dangerous even."Me?"
She doesn't look away. "What are your intentions?"
Silence hums between us, thick with something unspoken.
Then, softly, darkly- "Mere iraade bilkul nek nahi hai."
"Go change" I say smoothly.
"What if I don't?"
Her pulse jumps. I hear it. I see it.
I sigh shaking my head, "Then little bird, i would have to do it for you", I state simply.
I would have, if the way her eyes danced with anticipation continued, I would have just to see how she would react to my touch.
She shoves past me, needing space, but as she reaches the door, her scarf slips completely, pooling at her feet.
I watch.
She freezes. Interesting.
I hold it between my fingers, gaze trailing over her with slow, searing intent.
She doesn't turn back. She doesn't dare.
But I see the way her shoulders lock, the way her skin flushes even as she steps into the elevator.
The doors close. She's gone.
I pocket her scarf, running the fabric between my fingers as I turn away. Why? I don't fucking know. I return to a smirking Ranvijay. He exhales sharply, ready to take a jab at me.
"Don't" I warn.
"I won't mind having a wife that hot," he says, his eyes lit with challenge.
"And I won't mind having you as an enemy again." I say calmly, I'm anything but.
Vikrant shows up later with the paperwork.
I sign it, I feel his greedy vulturous eyes on me,I wanna be out of here as soon as possible.
I head out walking towards the hallway, skin still tingles from the warmth of hers, from the way her pulse raced against my hand. My fingers flex, clenching into fists. It doesn't matter. She doesn't matter.
Always at the wrong time, at the wrong place. Her body collides with mine for just a second-just long enough. My hands catch her waist on instinct, steadying her. Soft. Warm. And though I step back, though I let go, the feel of her lingers.
"Running into my arms now, biwi?"
My voice is smooth, teasing, but there's something else beneath it, something darker. Something that won't let her go.
Amber scowls, pulling away, fussing with her dupatta as if I had actually unraveled her. "If I knew you were standing there, I would've changed directions."
I chuckle, letting my gaze settle on her-sharp, slow, deliberate.
"Well, biwi, I'll make sure you run into my arms one day. And by your own choice."
I reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She stiffens. I lower myself slightly to her level, watching her.
She hates that I do this. That I get too close, that I touch her without permission, that she reacts to it.
Her lips press together. Her chin lifts. A pathetic attempt at defiance.
"You should watch where you're going, or I'd assume you like my hands on you."
I step past her, smirking to myself, but just as I do, I catch the slight exhale she lets out-like she thought she was free of me.
Not yet, biwi.
My fingers curl around her wrist, halting her, and I lower my voice. "Lost in thoughts about me, Amber?"
She doesn't answer. I see it in her eyes-the war she's fighting within herself.
But she won't win.
She yanks her hand away, meeting my gaze head-on. "Not everything revolves around you. Don't flatter yourself, Suryavanshi. I wasn't looking for you, anyway."
I let out a slow smirk. "No? Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"
Her fist clenches, her eyes flare with the fire.
"I was just thinking," she says, feigning carelessness. "About my options."
My jaw ticks. My patience thins. "And?"
She meets my gaze with something that almost looks like confidence. "And I think Ranvijay would make an excellent replacement."
There it is. I like how she won't give up, the more she runs, the better the chase gets. The better I would feel breaking her. But there's still the little spark of rebellion and she thinks it will push me away. A low chuckle escapes me-deep, humorless.
"You really think you can use him against me?"
She tilts her head, all bravado. "I don't think, Sairaj. I know."
She doesn't know a damn thing.
I step closer, letting my presence suffocate her. "Amber," I murmur, letting her name drag over my tongue, "if you think running into another man's arms will make me let you go, then you don't know me at all."
She stiffens, but I see it. That slight tremor in her breath. That flicker of something behind her eyes.
"I don't belong to you," she says, a weak lie.
I exhale softly, watching her. Testing her. "Then maybe it's time you play your cards."
My smirk vanishes. I brush my fingers against her wrist again, just a ghost of a touch before I lean in, my breath caressing her skin.
"Go ahead, little bird," I whisper, slow, deliberate. "But remember-caged or not, you belong to me."
A shiver runs through her. She tries to mask it, but I see it.
"I don't," she says, like a prayer she wants to believe.
I hum in amusement, tilting my head. "We both know that's a lie."
And then I leave, not because I want to, but because I want her to feel the weight of my absence.
She will never be rid of me. I will keep coming back, again and again, breaking her piece by piece until there's nothing left but what I leave behind.
As I step away, I hear her inhale sharply.
Damn me all she wants-she will still crave me.
And then, just as I reach the door, she speaks.
"And Sairaj?"
I halt. Slowly, I turn my head, raising a brow. Maybe I underestimate her, she's got a spine. I smile.
Her chin is lifted, but I can see the tension in her shoulders, the effort it takes for her to meet my gaze.
"Your iraade will never come true."
For a moment, I just stare.
She has no idea.
No idea that I have already set the pieces in motion. That every move she makes plays into my hands. That this war she thinks she's fighting-she has already lost.
I say nothing. I don't need to.
Because she will see.
Soon enough.
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