She was just trying to survive a riot. She never expected to end up in his home instead. Nine days. A stranger named Sharv, a family that welcomed her like she already belonged there, and a house full of quiet glances that never quite added up. Something was being hidden, she could feel it in every unfinished sentence, every look his mother gave her when she thought Yati wasn't watching. Two years pass. Different city, different life, same unfinished feeling she never could shake off. Then fate drags her right back into his world, and this time, the truth doesn't stay quiet anymore. Some secrets aren't meant to survive two years. This one was never supposed to survive nine days. "I read you right from the start. I made the mistake of thinking you were decent for even a second. How could you possibly be good? You must've felt so bad today, watching my dignity turn into some public spectacle right in front of you, and you just stood there. Everything's falling apart because of you. Since the day I met you, my life's been one disaster after another." "Why would you think that? Why would I ever want your dignity turned into a spectacle? I don't want that. You can think whatever you want of me, but I genuinely respect you. And it's literally just two more days. You've already stayed this long, what's two more?" Sharv said, looking straight into her eyes. "No, I don't want to stay here," she screamed, yanking his collar even closer, and Sharv immediately clamped his hand over her mouth, visibly panicking. "P... please, lower your voice, I'm listening, okay? Nobody knows I'm in your room right now. If someone hears this... please, yell quietly, scold me quietly." The second he said that, he pulled his hand back from her mouth, and Yati just stared at him in shock, genuinely confused about what she'd just said versus what he'd just said.

"Marry me, Meera..." Shivansh's voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be. It was calm. Deadly calm. "𝐎𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥." Meera blinked. His eyes were hollow. His breath steady. Too steady.That kind of stillness that only comes when someone has already made peace with their end. "I'm not threatening you," he added. "I'm just... done." Her lips parted in shock, but no sound came out. "You think I'm insane?" he said with a crooked smile. "I am. But only because of you." 𝐅r𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞. Tropes: ~Best friends to lovers (with a dark twist) ~Arrange marriage (arranged by him ) ~Forced proximity ~Touch her and you die energy ~Broken friendship ~Slow Burn with High Tension ~Manipulation → Real Love Arc ~Past-present dual timeline

"Are you okay?" he asked, stepping toward her. But she recoiled, her body trembling. "Stay away from me!" she shouted, her voice laced with fear. He froze, his brows furrowing. "Si..... it's me." "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I don't know who you are anymore." "You're hurt" he said, "Don't touch me!" she cried. "You've taken advantage of me. You lied to me! You kept me here like... like a prisoner! How could you? And Avi-where is he? What have you done to him?" Stay away... I can't stay away!" I can't ____he shouted, his voice echoing in the room.