IT WAS MEANT TO BE HIM

20- Pain and vulnerability

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“Yes, of course, I knew he was your lover,” Kabir said, his tone cold, sharp as steel. “But since we got married, I expected at least some decency from your side. After all, the kind of embarrassment he caused was… unfathomable.”

He crushed the cigarette into the ashtray with a rough motion, the sound echoing through the tense silence.

“What do you mean?” Erica asked, confusion knitting her brows.

Kabir stepped closer, his presence heavy, his voice dropping low. “You and I both know that our marriage doesn’t have feelings involved. But it still has my name attached to it. And when you post pictures like these on social media after being my wife—” he held up his phone, the screen glowing between them “—it hampers my image.”

Erica’s eyes widened as she saw the post.

“Kabir… it’s not like that,” she said quickly. “These are old pictures. After our marriage, so much was happening that I didn’t even open Instagram. You can check my phone—look, I haven’t logged in for months. That’s why they’re still there.”

She handed him her phone, her voice softening. “I’m sorry… I didn’t realize this would cause problems for you.”

Kabir looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable—somewhere between disbelief and something darker.

“Look, Erica!” Kabir snapped, voice low and venomous as he crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. “Neither I’m interested in you, your feelings, nor in this relationship — but that doesn’t curtail my possession over you. You are my wife, and it’s going to stay that way. Got it? So behave accordingly. Live your life — I’m not going to stop you or interfere… except for whoring around.”

The words cut like ice.

“Mind your language, Kabir!” Erica shot back, fury and hurt rising in her throat. “I’m listening because I made a mistake, but that doesn’t give you the right to say whatever you like. I will not tolerate this… how can you even—” Her voice broke off. She swallowed, then said, clipped and controlled, “You know what? Think whatever you want. I’m leaving.” Frustration and anger trembled in each syllable as she turned to go.

Before she could step away, Kabir’s hand closed on hers from behind and twisted. Pain flared and she hissed, “Ouch!”

He pulled her back until her spine collided with his chest. His breath was warm at her shoulder as he bent, voice low and hard. “Don’t you ever dare to raise your voice at me,” he said. “I’m not your puppy boyfriend — I’m Kabir Randhawa. Understand?” Arrogance and a dangerous calm laced his words.

“Kabir, leave my hand,” she demanded, wriggling her wrist, trying to free herself.

He didn’t let go. “And next time,” he warned, every syllable a threat, “if I see that fucker near you again, I’ll shoot him right there.”

The room held its breath. Her hand throbbed where he’d gripped it, his warning ringing in her ears.

Erica turned her face toward him, her eyes meeting his.

“You can’t be serious!” she exclaimed, disbelief and shock threading her voice.

“Try me!” he replied, his tone devilish, almost daring.

Then, with a sudden jolt, he released her hand and strode away, leaving a silence that pressed down on her chest.

Erica’s fingers instinctively went to her wrist, tracing the spot where his grip had been. Pain radiated through her, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. The way Kabir had behaved, the venom in his words, the cold arrogance in his eyes—it all shattered her.

She sank to the floor, clutching her wrist, sobbing quietly, overwhelmed by the storm of hurt and helplessness.

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Erica's pov~
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How could Kabir slut-shame me like that? What does he even think of me? That I’m some kind of whore?

Yes, I was in a relationship with Anay, but that doesn’t give him the right to question my character. I know my limits—I’ve always known them. I never crossed any line. Anay and I were casual, and it wasn’t some desperate love story. Even if I had wanted to marry him once upon a time, I would still never be unfaithful to my marriage. I respect this bond… even if it’s only bound by a name and nothing else.

Since the day I got married, I haven’t even thought about Anay. Not once. I accepted that this marriage had no future, that Kabir and I were just two people tied together by circumstances—and I was willing to live with that.

I thought Kabir might be rude, arrogant even, but still a man with a good heart. After all, he helped my parents, Diva, and even me by agreeing to this marriage. I thought he had kindness somewhere inside him.
(Erica didn’t know Kabir had married her only to secure the MD position.)

But today, he proved me wrong. Completely wrong.
For him, I’m not a woman… I’m a possession. A name he owns. A commodity he can claim.

“I’m not going to live with a man who has zero respect for me,” she whispered to herself, wiping her tears furiously. “Yes… I’ll leave.”

Her resolve firmed as she rushed to the cupboard, pulling out her clothes with trembling hands and throwing them onto the bed. But just then, her mother’s words echoed in her ears—

“After your marriage, your father had a minor heart attack, beta.”

Erica froze mid-motion. The air left her lungs.

“No…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I can’t go back home. Dad won’t be able to handle it. I can’t be that selfish. He’s already suffered so much because of me. I can’t give him more pain.”

Her shoulders slumped as tears spilled freely down her cheeks. She slowly placed her clothes back into the cupboard, one by one, her sobs echoing in the empty room.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her body shaking with helplessness.
She couldn’t leave.
She couldn’t stay.
Trapped between her pride and her pain, she felt like a complete failure.

Her tears soaked the pillow as she lay down, crying until her body gave up. And sometime in the silence of the night, exhaustion pulled her into a restless sleep—heartbroken, defeated, and utterly alone.

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