VANI

CHAPTER 8

"Isn't Rudra bhai so romantic?" Riti's voice broke through the hum of chatter in the mall as she held up a shimmering gown against Vani's frame.

Vani forced a smile, concealing the bitterness that churned within her. "Yeah, di... he's thoughtful."

Riti sighed happily. "I mean, think about it—a man of his stature, the Chief Minister of the state himself, sneaking out in disguise just to keep you safe. If this isn't love, what is?"

"Love," Vani echoed softly, the word a bitter pill on her tongue. If only Riti knew the truth—this wasn't love, but a suffocating obsession.

Riti, oblivious to Vani's turmoil, held up another gown. "Try this one. Rudra bhai would love it!"

Vani barely heard her. Her mind was elsewhere, her thoughts a tangle of despair and defiance.

Riti leaned closer, a bright smile on her face. "You know, Vani, I didn't believe you when you said you and Rudra had fallen for each other. I mean, it's Rudra—the Rudra Singh Rathore! Everyone knows how ruthless he is, how untouchable. It's hard to imagine a man like that falling so madly in love with someone."

Vani swallowed hard, her hands tightening around the edge of the shopping bag she held.

"But then," Riti continued, her voice brimming with genuine happiness, "when his family, I mean my in-laws came with the proposal and I saw how eager Rudra bhai and the whole family was to take you as Rudra's bhai bride, I knew it had to be real. He didn't even wait, Vani. That's how much he loves you. Now we will be Sister in laws as well."

Vani forced another smile, though her heart screamed the truth she couldn't say out loud. What Rudra felt for her wasn't love. It was an obsession, a toxic hunger born of an ego she had unknowingly bruised.

Her mind flashed back to the night she had rejected him. The look in his eyes wasn't one of heartbreak but of quiet fury—a man unaccustomed to being told no. From that moment, she had ceased to be a person to him and had become a conquest instead.

Riti's voice brought her back to the present. "You're so lucky, Vani. Men like Rudra bhai don't come around every day. He is so wattpad coded Main Character." Riti chuckled.

Lucky and Wattpad-Coded. If only Riti could see the chains beneath the roses Rudra had thrown at her feet.

"Yeah, di," Vani said softly, her voice barely audible. "Lucky."

But in her heart, she vowed she wouldn't let herself become just another ornament in Rudra Rathore's world. If there was one thing she knew, it was that roses had thorns, and she would make sure Rudra felt every one of hers.

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Not far from the store, Rudra leaned against a marble pillar, his phone pressed to his ear.

"I don't care about your excuses. Handle it, or I'll handle you." His voice was sharp, cutting through the noise of the mall as his eyes remained locked on the shop where Vani was browsing with Riti.

He had wanted to be there with her, to stand beside her and watch her try on dresses. His plan had been simple—finish the call and join them for the engagement ring shopping. But the endless updates and trivial issues had kept him occupied, stealing time he had wanted to spend with her.

Rudra's gaze softened momentarily as he took in Vani's silhouette from afar. She looked radiant, her pink suit hugging her frame perfectly. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, and even from the distance, he could see the faint smile on her lips as she spoke to Riti.

His chest tightened with an overwhelming desire. He wanted to be close to her, to tell her how beautiful she looked, to kiss her until she stopped resisting him and gave in. She was his—a fact that consumed him entirely.

He was about to hang up when his movements stilled. His eyes narrowed, his posture stiffening.

A man—a stranger—had approached Vani.

The man said something, his smile warm and friendly as he handed her a single flower. Rudra's teeth clenched as Vani hesitated before refusing it with a polite nod.

The phone slipped from his ear as a cold fury settled over him.

His Vani.

No one else had the right to even look at her, let alone approach her with such audacity. A burning wave of jealousy surged through him, drowning out every rational thought.

He didn't care who this man was—what he had just done was unforgivable. Rudra turned his head slightly, his voice low and commanding as he called his aide.

"Kumar. East wing. Now. Bring the men."

His eyes never left Vani, his chest heaving as he watched the flower in his hand. It felt like a challenge—a mockery of his claim over her.

Adjusting his hood to shield his face, Rudra began moving toward her, his heart pounding with a mix of anger and possessiveness.

If there was one thing he knew, it was that Vani belonged to him. And he would make sure the world—and Vani—understood that no one else could dare come near her.