Dethroned

♛ ♛ ♛

He stepped into her space.

Close.
Too close.

Her breath hitched - a millisecond of reaction she hated herself for.

His eyes darkened.

"Yehi reaction main chahta tha," he murmured.

Her spine stiffened.

"Move."

He didn't.

Instead, he leaned in, voice brushing her ear like a slow blade-

"Tum mujhe itna nafrat karti ho... lekin tumhari saansen phir bhi phans hi jaati hain mere itne paas."

Her blood heated.
Her pride flared.

She lifted her chin and stepped back-

Then, with brutal precision, lifted her foot-

and pressed her stiletto heel right against his chest.

Hard.

Right where his heartbeat thudded.

Zaviyar froze.

Completely.

Meerab tilted her head, her voice a soft, lethal whisper:

"Ab saans tumhari phansi hui lag rahi hai, Mr. Malik."

He exhaled sharply, a breath that sounded like a curse.

"Meerab..."
Her name left him like a warning.
Like a plea.

Her heel pressed further into him.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" she asked, eyes cutting into his.

His gaze flicked down to her heel.
Then back up.

He didn't touch her.
Didn't push her away.

Just stood there - chest rising under the sharp leather point as if offering himself willingly.

"I think," he said slowly, "you should be terrified of me."

♛ ♛ ♛

-𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄-