The Devil's Love

Chapter Two

Shehnaaz wasn’t sure he was serious. She expected to see him again the next day or the day after. At least one more time. Maybe, she wanted her anger to find a release, maybe she wanted to see his eyes bearing into her and asking— begging her to love him back! He kept his word though, and she never saw him again that month. In a way, she was also thankful for the solitude, for the space that he gave her. Her life had changed in the blink of an eye and she was not ready for half of it. 

Although she never saw him, she knew Sidharth was keeping an eye on her, making efforts to keep her comfortable and safe. 

She realized, as the weeks passed by, that her husband was annoyingly paranoid. Sidharth Shukla’s men, all armed, with instincts of an eagle surrounded her at all times. For the first few weeks of their marriage, Shehnaaz barely stepped out of her room, even to eat. All her meals, and anything else she needed was delivered to her inside the four walls of her room. 

She knew it was childish, stubborn even but she needed time to get used to everything that had suddenly changed in her life. She needed time to understand that she could hope too. Her husband had said to her on the day of their wedding, hope was a lifesaver and worlds survive on it. She needed time, patience, and understanding to find the hope that had been snatched from her on the day of her marriage. 

Hope of a normal life with a good friend in the form of a husband. Here she was, a month into her marriage, surrounded by her husband's security staff, weapons that she had never even heard of. Nothing was normal anymore. It would never be. She was the queen of the Mafia and she barely knew the king.

It was not her fault. She was angry, scared and well beyond reasoning when she did meet him, on the day of their marriage. That wasn't a day for introductions. She had lost her whole life and her family that day and her husband needed to understand that.

Shehnaaz didn't know, she never realized but Sidharth did understand her, better than she did herself. His only fault was that he was not good at expressing it.

Every morning that Shehnaaz refused to leave her room, his heart cried a little. He blamed himself for doing this to her, imprisoning her in her own house. Every night that she cried herself to sleep, his arms ached to hold her and comfort her. 

But he had made a promise and he owed it to her to keep his word. He was already a monster in her eyes, he couldn't bear to become a liar as well.

As weeks passed, Sidharth saw her take tiny steps for herself. It started with befriending a few of their men, leaving the room for fresh air as his right hand man put it, exploring the mansion, one room at a time but she was still jumpy, still nervous. The mansion was still not a home for his queen. 

Rehaan, Sidharth's best friend and brother had managed to claw his way into his queen’s circle of trusted people much earlier than anticipated and was now one of the few people that Shehnaaz actually talked to in the house. Sidharth was actually jealous of him for that. 

“I can't help it, Sidharth. I have a charm and I didn't force her family or her into marrying me.” Rehaan said cheekily.

Sidharth growled, pulling the trigger on his gun, hitting the perfect bullseye for the sixth time in a row. “You know I had no other choice. It was a gamble I couldn't afford to play.” He mumbled. “She was not safe.”

“Why didn't you let her realize that by herself?” Rehaan asked.

“Because she's the warrior princess, Rehaan. She had risked her life for a stranger's kid. What do you think she would have done to protect her own family? I am not the good guy,  Rehaan. I saw an opportunity, I snatched it.” Sidharth said coldly, firing another shot and reloading his weapon in a single breath.