Anaya-His heartbeat

CHAPTER 12 -THE CONFRONTATION

The elders had barely finished speaking when I stood up, eager to get this over with. I wasn't interested in polite conversation or pleasantries. If this whole situation was some kind of cruel joke, I needed to end it—fast. My mind buzzed with questions, my thoughts a mess. What kind of person just agrees to something like this? A marriage, for the sake of business? I was determined to find out. So, the moment we stepped into the room, I couldn't hold back anymore. The words came out harsher than I intended, but I didn't care.

"Why did you agree to this marriage?" I shot at her, my voice hard, almost biting. "Are you that desperate for money? Is this just some business deal for you? A chance to secure your future?"Her face changed immediately, but I barely registered it. I was too angry, too wrapped up in my own frustration. I'd never felt so trapped in my life—like I had no control over anything anymore, not even my own choices. And now I was supposed to just go along with this? Marry someone I barely knew because our parents decided it was best for business?

"You're just a gold digger, aren't you?" I added, my temper getting the better of me. "Willing to marry for a deal. For status."

For a moment, silence filled the room. But then, unexpectedly, she didn't cry, she didn't shrink back. Instead, Anaya squared her shoulders, her eyes blazing with a fire that caught me off guard. She didn't look like the fragile girl I thought she was. No, she looked like she was about to challenge me, and I wasn't prepared for it.

"Who do you think you are?" she snapped, her voice low but full of authority. "You don't know me. Don't assume you can just throw accusations at me without knowing the whole story."Her words cut through the air, and suddenly, I was at a loss for what to say. I had expected some weak response, something that would confirm my suspicions. But what I got was an entirely different version of her—a woman who wasn't afraid to stand her ground, someone who wouldn't take my accusations lying down.

"You think I *wanted* this?" she continued, her voice gaining strength with every word. "Do you really believe I agreed to marry you because I care about your money or your family name?"She took a step forward, her eyes never leaving mine, and I could feel the tension in the room shift. "My father—*my own father*—told me I had no choice. He made me feel like I'm worthless without this business, without this marriage. I didn't agree to this because I wanted to. I agreed because I had to."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of my anger. I hadn't expected this. I hadn't thought that she might be trapped too, just like me. That she might be as much a victim of this arrangement as I was.She wasn't done. "Don't you dare call me a gold digger again. You don't know what I've been through, or what kind of pressure I'm under."'AND IF YOU THINK I AM THAT FRAGILE WHO CANT OPPOSE THIS  I AM DOING THIS JUST FOR MY FATHER VARNA MAI BARBAAD HONE SE LEKAR BARBAAD KRNE TAK KA HUNAR RAKHTI HU '

Her voice trembled slightly at the end, not from fear, but from holding back the emotions she was clearly fighting to keep under control. She was proud, but she was hurting. And suddenly, I felt small. Smaller than I had ever felt in my life.I had judged her without even giving her a chance. I had accused her of things she wasn't, just because I needed someone to blame for this mess. But now, standing here, watching the pain flash in her eyes, I realized I had been wrong. So wrong.

"I... I didn't know," I muttered, my voice quieter, losing all its earlier edge. "I'm sorry."The apology felt weak, but it was all I had. The silence between us was thick, uncomfortable, and for the first time since we walked into that room, I didn't know what to say. Anaya stood there, staring at me, her expression still sharp but softening, just a little. I could tell she wasn't convinced by my apology, and why should she be? I had insulted her, questioned her integrity, when she was just as trapped as I was

.

"I don't want this either," I said, finally finding my voice again, though it sounded hollow. "I don't want to marry someone I don't know... or someone who's being forced into it."Her eyes lingered on me for a moment, as if she was trying to decide whether to believe me. Eventually, she spoke, her tone quieter now but still resolute."Then we're stuck in this together," she said simply. "But we have to accept it. There's no way out."Her words were a sobering truth. I felt a strange sense of helplessness wash over me. We were both pawns in a game neither of us had chosen to play. Neither of us had a choice, and it stung. There was no winning here. We were bound by our parents' decisions, their need to fix their business woes through us.

For a moment, we just stood there in silence. The fire between us had cooled, but the reality of the situation settled in its place, heavy and undeniable. This was happening. We were going to be tied together, whether we liked it or not.And the worst part? There was no escaping it.The realization weighed on me, but I couldn't show it. I couldn't let her—or anyone—see how powerless I felt. I took a deep breath, swallowing down the knot in my throat.

Later, when I replayed this moment in my head, I realized something else. Something that almost made me smile, despite everything.

No one—*no one*—had ever spoken to me like that before. No one had ever dared to challenge me, to raise their voice at me, let alone intimidate me. And here she was, this so-called 'drama queen,' standing up to me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience.She wouldn't back down, wouldn't fold. It was almost... refreshing.But at the same time, it unsettled me. Because I knew, in that moment, that I would never have the upper hand in this marriage. Anaya Sharma was not someone who could be silenced.

*****HEY GUYS HOPE YOU LIKED IDK BUT IAM FEELING HAPPY AFTER WRITING THIS CHAPTER FINALLY WEDDING GONNAAAAAA START YEAHH STAY TUNED

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