Ananya sat at her desk in the Rajput office, her eyes scanning the documents before her, but her mind was elsewhere. It had been weeks since her marriage to Arjun, yet the uncertainty still clung to her like a shadow she couldn't shake. The faint hum of the office around her felt distant as her thoughts spiraled back to that night-their wedding night.
The memory was still fresh, almost painful. The ceremony had been beautiful-the kind of event that looked perfect from the outside. The Rathore family had embraced her warmly, welcoming her into their fold with open arms. But as the day ended and night fell, the reality of her situation began to settle in. Just hours after they had exchanged vows, Arjun had left.
Dubai, a business trip, he had said. No explanation, no promise of a return date, just a few cold words that cut deeper than any goodbye could. She had stood there, watching him walk out of the room, wondering what had gone wrong. Was this marriage just a business transaction for him? Did he even want her in his life?
Her heart ached as she recalled the emptiness she had felt when he left. The man she had married, the one she was supposed to share her life with, had chosen to be a thousand miles away instead of by her side. She had felt unwanted and discarded before their life together had even begun. Every time she thought of that night, she questioned whether Arjun had ever truly wanted her as his wife.
Though the Rathores had been nothing but kind to her, offering her a place in their home and their family, the warmth of their acceptance only made Arjun's distance more painful. Rajvee Rathore, Arjun's grandfather, treated her like his own granddaughter, always asking after her well-being and making sure she felt included. Maya, her sister-in-law, had become a confidante of sorts, their shared moments of laughter easing the tension, if only for a little while. And Rohan, always so thoughtful, had gone out of his way to ensure she felt comfortable in her new home.
But despite all this, it was Arjun's absence that consumed her. She felt uncertain, like she was standing on unstable ground, unsure of where she truly belonged. His silence, his emotional distance, left her adrift, questioning if this marriage meant anything at all to him. Did he care, even a little? Or was she nothing more than a pawn in his grand chessboard of family and business?
Her thoughts swirled as she stared blankly at the papers before her. But then her mind drifted to another face-one she hadn't expected to see again.
Adiraj Rajput.
Seeing him again at the boardroom meeting had rattled her. He was every bit as intimidating as she remembered, with that sharp, calculating gaze that seemed to pierce through her. But there had been something more. A familiarity, a shared past that neither of them could ignore.
Back in college, he had been the one person who made her feel seen. They had never been a couple, but there was something between them-an unspoken connection. He had always been attentive, in subtle ways. He noticed the small things, like when she was stressed or upset, and he always seemed to know how to make her smile, even when she didn't want to. She hadn't forgotten those moments, nor had she forgotten the way he looked at her back then.
Even now, sitting at her desk, Ananya could feel Adiraj's presence looming over her, as if he was always watching her, waiting. It unnerved her, made her feel exposed. There was no doubt in her mind that Adiraj had a crush on her, maybe more than just a crush. Sometimes, she even caught herself smiling at the memories of their college days together, moments when things had been simpler, when she had allowed herself to feel something for him.
But that was a lifetime ago.
The man Adiraj had become terrified her now. He wasn't the charming senior from her college days anymore. No, this Adiraj was cold, ruthless, the kind of man who could end someone's life without hesitation. She had heard the stories and seen the brutality with her own eyes. And that was why she had left him all those years ago-because she couldn't stand the thought of being with someone who could kill so easily. The violence, the lack of regard for human life-it went against everything she believed in.
It still haunted her, the day she walked away from him. She remembered the look in his eyes when she told him she couldn't be with someone like him, someone capable of such cruelty. He hadn't tried to stop her, hadn't asked her to stay, but there had been a flash of something in his gaze-pain, maybe regret. But she had walked away, determined to build a life far removed from the darkness that surrounded him.
And yet, here she was, tangled in another web of uncertainty, married to a man who was just as distant as Adiraj had once been, though in a different way. Arjun's coldness wasn't violent, but it cut just as deep. She felt torn between the ghosts of her past and the shadow of her present.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft ping of an incoming message on her computer. Ananya blinked, pulling herself back to the present, trying to focus on her work. But the lingering questions remained, gnawing at her as the day wore on.
Would she ever truly understand Arjun's reasons for marrying her, or would she always feel like an outsider in his life? And what of Adiraj? Could she ever reconcile the man she had known with the monster he had become?
As the hours passed, Ananya couldn't shake the feeling that her past and present were colliding in ways she hadn't anticipated. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep pretending everything was fine.
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Shiddat
RomansaAnanya Sharma, a fiercely independent woman from a modest background, becomes entangled in the lives of two powerful heirs-Arjun Rathore and Adiraj Rajput. Arjun, the silent and enigmatic heir, feels a deep connection to Ananya, drawn to her purity...