The chamber smelled of spilled wine and shattered glass. Aayat froze at the threshold, her chest tightening as her eyes darted over the destruction. Curtains torn, vases smashed, the air heavy with violence. And in the center — Anirudh Singh Rathore, shirtless, his skin gleaming with sweat, his eyes a storm of fire.
"Anirudh…" her voice quivered, but she forced the word out.
His gaze snapped to her, wild and unyielding. He gave a bitter laugh, stepping toward her slowly, like a predator cornering prey.
"So, my queen dares to walk into the lion's den. Tell me, Aayat… did you come to scold me? Or to remind me again that you'll never be mine?"
Her spine stiffened, anger lighting her trembling frame. "I didn't come to remind you of anything. I came to ask—why? Why this madness? Why destroy everything around you? You think this is love? Breaking walls and threatening lives?"
His smile vanished, replaced by something darker. "This is not madness. This is the only truth. You're mine, Aayat. That's love."
"No!" she shot back, her voice rising. "Love is trust, respect, freedom! You… you don't love me. You want to own me like I'm one of your trophies."
He stopped right before her, his chest heaving, his breath brushing her face. His jaw tightened. "Say it again," he growled.
"You don't love me," she whispered, though her voice trembled. "You've chained me to you. This marriage… it wasn't fate. It was a trap."
Something snapped in him. His laugh was sharp, cold, cutting through her words like a blade. "A trap? Fine. Yes, Aayat, it was my trap. Every move, every thread, every lie — all mine."
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
He gripped her arms, his voice harsh, guttural. "That will your family believed in? That was me. I paid the lawyer. I made sure the papers named me. And Rajmata choosing you? Who whispered your name into her ear? Who painted you as the perfect bride? Me. From the beginning, Aayat… I pulled the strings."
She staggered back, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You… you destroyed my freedom, my choice, my life—"
"I gave you a destiny!" he roared, slamming his fist into the wall so close she flinched. "You were meant to be mine. And I will burn the world until you see it."
Her voice cracked, broken but defiant. "That isn't love, Anirudh. That's obsession. You're obsessed with me—and it terrifies me."
His eyes softened for a fleeting moment, then darkened with something deeper, heavier. He cupped her face with rough, trembling hands. "Then be terrified. Be terrified of me. Because I will love you in a way that no one else can. I will guard you, cage you, worship you, ruin you if I must. But you will not escape me."
Aayat gasped, pushing him back, her voice shaking. "I can't live like this—trapped, watched, claimed like I don't belong to myself."
She turned, heading toward the door, her tears blinding her. But before she reached it, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist with unyielding force.
"Going somewhere, patni (wife)?" His voice was soft, almost mocking.
"Let me go, Anirudh," she whispered, trying to pull free.
He tugged her back, spinning her into his chest, his arms caging her completely. His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "You don't get to walk away. Not from me. Not ever."
Before she could protest, he scooped her into his arms effortlessly. She struggled, hitting his chest, but his hold was iron. He carried her to the bed, laying her down beneath him with a frightening gentleness.
"Aayat…" his voice cracked as his lips descended, not to claim her mouth but to scatter kisses along her face, her temple, her cheeks, down to her neck. Each kiss was searing, desperate, leaving marks — his mark.
She whimpered, torn between fear and the confusing pull of his closeness. He pressed his face against her neck, his breath hot, his voice breaking.
"You think I'm a monster," he whispered, his tone trembling with both pain and hunger. "Maybe I am. But I am your monster. And you are mine."
He stilled, his lips pressing a final kiss to her forehead. His arms tightened around her trembling body as if he was holding himself together through her.
Then his chilling words cut through the silence, sinking into her bones like ice.
"Even if you hate me, Aayat… remember this — I will make you love me. Or I will break the world until there's nothing left but me in your heart."
The chamber fell into silence, save for her uneven breaths and his heartbeat thundering against her skin.
And that night, as he held her captive in his arms, Aayat finally understood—this wasn't just love. This was obsession sharpened into chains.