BEYOND UNFINISHED✔️

Chapter 24. The Doorstep of Power

Song:- Maati bandhe paijani.(Rajasthan anthem)

"To start anew in a strange world... is to leave behind not just your name, but pieces of yourself you may never get back."

THIRD PERSON POV

Inside the jet cabin, Sampoorna and Vedika helped Anaya get ready. They dressed her in a traditional Rajasthani saree, layered with intricate jewelry and delicate bangles. Anaya could barely recognize herself in the mirror. She was uncomfortable, weighed down not just by fabric and gold, but by the expectations stitched into every thread.

But Sampoorna looked so happy—like a mother preparing her daughter for her new home—and Anaya couldn't bring herself to complain.

"Wow... Anaya, you look... wow," Aashi whispered in awe.

Indeed, Anaya looked ethereal—like royalty. The shimmer of the saree, the soft blush on her cheeks, the nervous flutter in her lashes—all of it made her glow in a way none of them had seen before. Sampoorna and Vedika exchanged warm, knowing smiles.

Meanwhile, Vedika, dressed comfortably in an Anarkali due to her pregnancy, caught Krish's eyes. He looked at her longer than he should have—softness in his gaze he couldn't hide. But the moment she looked his way, he turned his face, his silence screaming all the words his heart couldn't.

Soon, an attendant entered. "Please take your seats. We're landing shortly."

Anaya adjusted her earrings and stepped into the main cabin.

Arjun, busy with his laptop, barely noticed—until the soft jingle of her anklets caught his attention.

He looked up—and everything around him ceased to exist.

There she stood, radiant in red and gold, her hair cascading over her shoulder, fidgeting with her dupatta like a shy bride from a forgotten era. His fingers stilled on the keyboard. His breath caught.

Again.

For the third time since this marriage, his heart betrayed him.

He stared at her like a man starved of light... watching the sun walk toward him.

Aashi, sitting across from him, followed his gaze—and what she saw shook her.

Love.

In Arjun's eyes.

Impossible.

Arjun Rajvansh didn't do love. He did power, control, strategy.

But here he was—smiling, unguarded, staring at Anaya as if she were his entire world wrapped in red silk.

"Um... bhai?" Aashi whispered. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Gorgeous," he murmured, not even realizing he'd spoken.

Aashi gasped, blinking. "Ahaaa... You like her!"

Snapped out of his trance, Arjun's expression darkened. "What... no. Don't poke your nose into things that don't concern you." His voice was sharp, cold.

Aashi flinched but didn't argue. She knew this side of her brother too well—the bitter edge that masked the pain beneath.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It's just... she's innocent, bhai. And you... you've never been kind to innocent hearts."

His jaw clenched. "Don't tell me how to treat my wife. And don't think I've forgotten what you did last night—bringing that Mehra into my space. You disrespected me, Aashi. Not once, but twice—first, that marriage of yours, and now this. Just because I stayed silent doesn't mean I've forgiven you."