"Veer ji..."
He turned, his gaze still guarded.
"I am not talking about this... I am talking about the mistake I did."
Veer's eyes sharpened, a flicker of pain crossing his features.
"Not even in my life."
Sanjana's heart sank, but she knew she...
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AUTHOR POV
Sanjana sat frozen, the key still clutched in her hand. Her mind raced with questions, but her lips stayed silent, waiting-needing-Veer to explain.
Veer took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers now. There was no more hiding.
"I didn't lie to you, Sanjana," he began, his voice steady but low. "Everything you know about me... it's true. But it's not the whole truth."
He moved to the sofa, sitting down slowly, as if the weight of what he was about to reveal was too much to bear standing.
"My grandfather built the business from nothing. He worked hard, made powerful allies, and created an empire." He paused. "But with power, comes danger. Threats. Enemies. And to protect this, I will go to any extent."
Sanjana's grip on the key loosened slightly.
Veer leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "That room you found... the weapons... they aren't for crime. They're for protection. For defense." He looked at her with a seriousness she had never seen in him before. "There are forces in this world that play a dirtier game than you can imagine. And if you're not ready to fight back... you lose everything."
Sanjana swallowed hard. "You're telling me you keep an entire arsenal... for defense?"
Veer gave a dry, humorless smile. "In my world, defense and offense aren't so different. Sometimes, the only way to stay alive is to be ready before they strike."
Sanjana shook her head slowly, still trying to piece it all together. "But what is Operation?" she asked, remembering the word she had seen in the notebook.
Veer's eyes darkened even more at the mention of it.
"Operation Aegis," he said after a long pause. "It's not just about protecting me. It's about protecting everything that grandfather built, my dad built , and I built-including you."
He stood and walked toward her, kneeling down so he was right in front of her.
"I didn't want you to be part of this world, Sanjana," he said, his voice softer now. "I wanted to keep you away from all of it. Safe. Untouched. That's why I kept it hidden."
Sanjana searched his face, trying to understand the man she had married-the man who now seemed like a stranger, and yet somehow, still the man she trusted, believed, and... Loved.
"And now?" she whispered.
Veer reached out and gently took the key from her hand, his fingers brushing against hers.
