The unexpected meet

MARRIAGE?

Aahana's pov :-

The lights were warm. The room smelled like roses, sandalwood, and something heavier—expectation. The dupatta on my head felt heavier than my own thoughts, and my bangles clinked mockingly with every twitch of my hand.

I was supposed to look beautiful. Ethereal. Like every bride looks on the day of her wedding.

But I just looked... hollow.

Kiara had just left after fixing the pleats of my lehenga. Her eyes said it all—she didn't agree with any of this, but she didn't stop me either. She simply said, "Follow your heart, Aahana. No matter where it takes you."

But how the fuck was I supposed to follow something that shattered the day Reyaansh disappeared?

A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

One knock.

Two.

Then the door burst open.

And there he stood.

Abhimaan.

He didn't ask for permission. Didn't wait for me to speak. The door slammed behind him, echoing through the room like a gunshot. The sound made me jump—but not as much as the look in his eyes.

God. His eyes.

They were pure fury. Burning coal. Wild. Unhinged. He didn't look like a man anymore—he looked like wrath personified.

I took a step back, suddenly aware of how ridiculous I looked—drenched in gold and red, standing in front of him like some porcelain doll about to be handed over to the wrong man.

"W-what... what are you doing here?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't answer.

He just looked at me.

No, through me.

Then, quietly, he spoke.

"Take it off."

My brows pulled in. "What...?"

He took a step forward, voice sharp like glass.

"That fucking lehenga. Take it the fuck off, Aahana."

"Have you lost your mind?" I hissed, panic blooming inside me. "I'm getting married—"

"The fuck you are" he snapped, taking another step. I backed into the wall, and he caged me in without even touching me.

His hands slammed on either side of me, boxing me in, his chest rising and falling with rage.

"You think I'm going to stand out there and watch you become someone else's fucking bride?"

My breath hitched.

I tried to speak, but the lump in my throat choked me.

"You really thought I'd fucking let Dhruv—Dhruv—put sindoor in your hair? Tie a mangalsutra around your neck like he owns you?"

His voice cracked.

"You really thought I'd let that shit happen and stay silent?"

My hands trembled. "You don't get to do this. Not now."

"The fuck I don't!" he roared, and I flinched.

Silence.

Only the sound of my thudding heart filled the space.