ADRANKSH SINGH RAJPUT

"Adranksh?"

My heart skips a beat. What the fuck? I suppress the feeling and look up at her. Even while working, I could hear her humming. Normally, I hate that. But with her... it wasn't annoying. It was peaceful.

I never thought I'd like something like this. I was never a fan of music, and I despise people who hum absentmindedly. But somehow, she was an exception.

Who was she? What was it about her that pulled me in like this?

She's a magnet, drawing me toward her. Whether we are opposite poles or the same, it doesn't matter. The force between us is inevitable.

She's a fire I can't afford to burn in.

I look up and find her watching me.

"Hmm?"

"Can you answer the call and put it on speaker?"

I nod, carefully picking up the phone from her lap, making sure not to touch her. My eyes land on the caller ID- 'Mr. Headache.'

As I accept the call, a man's voice booms through the speaker.

"Maya, you're getting married, and you didn't tell me?!"

She smiles, completely unfazed. "Areey, I knew you'd call. I thought I'd surprise you. Where are you?"

"Shut up, liar. You don't care about me. I never should have let you leave London."

"Who are you to keep me there?"

"The love of your life."

What the fuck?

My grip on the phone tightens. Was this bastard her boyfriend? She glances at me before responding. Fucker. I would kill him right now if I wasn't sure she'd grieve over his death. But she would-so I'll wait. Patiently.

For now.

"Sid, don't joke. Tell me where you are. Will you come to my wedding?"

"Idiot, I already left. I'm in Rajasthan. I'll be at the resort for your sangeet. You were too busy to even invite your business partner."

"Sid, it's not like that. You know nah, I've been busy. That fucker took so long to finalize the deal. I only sealed it after I got to the resort. That's why it slipped my mind."

"I'll forgive you if you video call me. I heard it was your mehendi today. I want to see you, gorgeous."

'Gorgeous?'

This fucker has no manners. Calling someone else's fiancée that so casually. Gadha.

Maya smiles as if she's used to it. I can feel my control slipping.

Control, Adranksh.

"Adranksh, video call."

This woman.

I switch the call to video and prop the phone against a bottle.

"Thank you."

The fucker's face appears on the screen, smiling at her. She raises her hands to show her mehendi.

"May, you look beautiful."

I glance at Maya just in time to see the faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Before she can respond, I cut the call.

No man other than me is allowed to look at my fiancée like that.

She turns to me, furious. Standing up abruptly, she moves in front of me, giving me the perfect view of her waist.

How would it feel to hold her?

Shut up, Adranksh.

I look up, meeting her glare.

"Why did you do that?"

Before I can answer, her phone rings again-still in my hand. She crosses her arms, waiting.

I smirk. She can't answer with mehendi-covered hands.

She surprises me by bending toward me, reaching for her phone.

"Give it to me."

"No."

"Why not? It's my phone."

"So?"

"Give it!"

"What is he to you?" I ask, standing up, brushing off non-existent dust from my sherwani.

She meets my gaze without saying a word.

Fucking annoying.

"Answer me."

"No."

My jaw tightens. "You have two options. Tell me yourself, or I'll make you."

She laughs, a quiet, amused sound. "That's none of your business. But I'd like to see you try."

"That's your final answer?"

I take a step forward. She takes one back, still smirking, as if entertained by my behavior.

Her eyes flicker with amusement... and the slightest hint of doubt.

Her back meets the table. Instead of panicking, she leans against it, entirely unbothered.

Interesting.

I place my hands on the table, caging her in.

She tilts her head, raising a brow. "That's all?"

I surprise her by reaching up and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Her breath hitches, but her expression doesn't waver.

I smirk. "I haven't even done anything yet, Maya."
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MAYA KSHATRIYA:
"I haven't even done anything yet, Maya." He says with a smirk on his face.

This man.

I should be irritated, but all I feel is intrigue. I'm grateful for his help, but I know exactly what he's planning-control.

He doesn't know who he's dealing with.

Soon, he'll learn. Or I'll make him.

This is going to be a loveless marriage. That's the one thing we have in common.

And yet... there's something about him-something undesirable, yet inescapable. A pull, like a force I shouldn't acknowledge. I know I need to avoid him, ignore his presence, distance myself.

But he's like water, and I can't afford to drown.

It's strange. It's as if I already know him-know exactly where to strike if I ever wanted to break him, to bring him to his knees. He feels familiar, desirable... mine.

His looks don't captivate me-not really. It's not his sharp jawline or those dark, brooding eyes that pull me in. It's his presence. That's what's dangerous.

And Maya never gets addicted to anything. Never.

Except him.

After everything, I don't think I'll ever be happy. I don't want to be. But Adranksh... will he accept me for who I am? My trauma, my scars-buried deep beneath my ink-will he accept my past, my fate, my weaknesses?

"Maya?"

The way my name rolls off his tongue-deep, controlled, familiar, intentional?

I wonder how he'd sound if I were on top of him, riding-

Fuck.

The thought alone sends heat coursing through my veins. I shake it off.

"Adranksh, if this is supposed to scare me into telling you what you want to hear, it's not going to happen," I say, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

He watches my failed attempt, his hand reaching forward. He brushes the strand back, fingers grazing my skin as he tucks it behind my ear.

So intimate.

The moment cracks something inside me, a flood of insecurities rushing back.

Will I ever love Adranksh the way I loved him?

His lips part, as if to respond-but before he can, a voice interrupts.

"Ma'am?"

Shit.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ass.

Aditi and another artist walk in, followed by his mother and mine.

Adranksh steps back, retreating as if nothing happened. He looks completely unbothered.

So why should I care?

Amma approaches me first, her eyes softening as she inspects my hands. "It's beautiful." She kisses my forehead.

"You're right, Kamakshi " his mother adds. "It suits Maya perfectly."

I give her a polite smile.

"Aditi, how long will this take?" I ask.

"Ma'am, your hands are dry now. You can use them. We'll start with your legs if you don't mind."

"Alright." I glance at Amma. "Can you send my laptop? I still have work to do."

She groans, already facepalming. "No. It's your wedding. No working."

"But Ma, I have nothing to do. I'm bored."

His mother chuckles. "Kamakshi , just let her work today. She's just sitting here anyway. She'll get restless."

I turn to Adranksh just in time to catch the surprise flickering across his face. He quickly masks it, meeting my gaze instead.

I roll my eyes and look away.

"Fine. Only for two hours." Amma relents.

I grin, hugging her before turning to Shrestha Aunty. "Thank you."

She simply pats my head.

"Adranksh, you better stay here. If you leave-"

"Mom," he interrupts smoothly. "I'll be here."

Something shifts in his eyes. A silent promise.

What is he planning?

They leave, and I return to my seat, sinking into the cushions as the girls begin working on my legs.

Across the room, Adranksh stands, speaking to someone on the phone.

Minutes later, laughter rings out as a new voice enters the room.

"Bhai, won't you introduce us to Bhabhi?"

I glance up to find three girls surrounding Adranksh.

He walks forward, nodding toward them. "Maya, these are my sisters-Lavanya, Vaishali, and Karishma. Vaishali is Aadrik's sister, and Karishma is Avyaansh's sister."

Lavanya beams at me. "Hello, Bhabhi! I'm Lavanya."

One by one, they introduce themselves.

And then, just like that-Adranksh is gone.

The girls settle beside me. I close my laptop, drawn into their conversations without realizing it.

They're nothing like I expected. Not the spoiled, rich brats I assumed. They remind me of us-me, Vee, and Ishu.

For the first time in a long while, I laugh.

And then, as if the universe heard me, two familiar figures join us.

Vedha and Ishani.

I smile, introducing them, watching as they fall effortlessly into conversation.

Vedha and Vaishali already know each other well.

It feels natural. Easy.

And for a fleeting moment, I forget the weight of everything else.

Just then, all the brothers arrived.

"Princess, did you eat something?" Samay Anna asked.

I nodded, and he smiled lightly before settling at the round table.

"Why are we here?" Ishan Anna (Ishani's brother) asked, scanning the room.

"We were playing a game and decided to call you all," Vedha explained.

Without hesitation, all the brothers took their seats, while I remained on the sofa. Samay Anna exchanged a glance with Yuvraj Anna (Vedha's brother) and Ishan Anna. As if silently communicating, they stood, lifted two nearby sofas, and placed them next to mine.

The Rajputs looked surprised. Meanwhile, Vee and Ishu remained unbothered-this was normal behavior for our brothers.

"We're going to sit here and play," Samay Anna declared matter-of-factly as he took his seat.

Aadrik raised an eyebrow. "Why did you move all the sofas?"

"We didn't want Maya to sit away alone," Yuvraj Anna replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Vaishali smirked. "Bhai, now you guys go get sofas for us too."

I chuckled at her request.

I felt someone's eyes on me, the gaze almost burning. Turning slightly, my eyes locked with my dear fiancé's. Adranksh's expression was subtle, but there was something behind it-deep in thought, calculating.

What was he thinking?

Before I could decipher it, Lavanya nudged his shoulder, pulling him out of whatever thoughts he was lost in. His eyes flickered toward the waiters standing at a distance. With a simple nod, they moved forward, lifted two more sofas, and placed them next to us.

"How lazy are you guys?" Ishan Anna teased.

"Kisko lazy bula rahe ho?" Karishma shot back instantly.

Ishan Anna simply smiled at her and-shockingly-said nothing in return. Wow. I'd never seen him not answer back.

Soon, everyone was settled, and a small round table was placed in the center with a glass bottle.

"The rules are simple-just do what is asked. No switching from truth to dare and vice versa," Vedha explained.

"Who wants to start?" Ishani asked, looking around.

"I'll go first," Lavanya volunteered, spinning the bottle.

It landed on Samay Anna.

"Truth or dare?" she asked.

"Dare."

A mischievous grin spread across Lavanya's face. "Finish a whole bottle of wine."

Samay Anna raised an eyebrow before leaning toward a nearby waiter, whispering something. The waiter nodded and left, returning moments later with a bottle of wine.

Without hesitation, Samay poured himself a glass and downed it within minutes. Lavanya gaped at him in disbelief. "I thought you hated wine."

He merely smirked and spun the bottle again.

This time, it landed on Avyaansh and Ishani. The neck was pointed toward Avyaansh, meaning it was Ishani's turn to ask.

She straightened. "Truth."

Ishani didn't hesitate. "What's the one thing you never told your family?"

A tense silence filled the air. Avyaansh leaned back, his jaw tightening slightly before he finally spoke.

"I fell in love with a girl while I was abroad. She hurt me and broke it off."

Everyone fell silent, caught off guard by his confession.

Ishani sucked in a quiet breath, her face unreadable. But the way her fingers curled into her lap didn't go unnoticed. Avyaansh met her gaze briefly before looking away, as if something about her presence irritated him.

Pain flickered through Ishani's eyes for a split second before she masked it, shifting her focus back to the game.

Avyaansh spun the bottle.

It landed on Vaishali and Yuvraj.

Yuvraj smirked. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Vaishali answered without hesitation.

Yuvraj leaned forward. "Who are you in love with, bee?"

Everyone turned toward him in surprise.

"Bee?" Karishma raised an eyebrow. "Why are you calling her that?"

Yuvraj smirked. "Because she stings."

Vaishali rolled her eyes but then, without missing a beat, she answered, "You."

Another wave of silence.

"I'll explain later." she added, her gaze meeting his.

Aadrik shifted, about to rise, but Adranksh placed a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Aadrik exhaled sharply, glaring at Yuvraj, but stayed put.

Vaishali spun the bottle next.

It landed on Ishan and Karishma.

"Truth or dare?" Karishma asked.

"Dare" Ishan replied.

Karishma crossed her arms. "Fall on your knees and apologize."

Ishan smirked and walked over to her. Without hesitation, he got on one knee, took her hand in his, and said smoothly, "Ishma, I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Karishma scoffed. "Whatever. Go back."

Ishan sighed dramatically but placed a soft kiss on her forehead before returning to his seat.

"Wah, yaha toh sab ka chakr chal raha hai" Aadrik teased.

"Not mine" Vedha immediately defended herself.

"Chalo, then we'll also do it" he teased again, making her roll her eyes, though a faint blush crept up her face.

Avyaansh groaned, running a hand down his face. "You guys are impossible."

Ishan spun the bottle, and it landed on Aadrik and Maya.

The tension shifted instantly.

All eyes turned to me.

As if on cue, my mom and Shrestha Aunty arrived, saving me from the dare.

"Samay, Maya can't walk. Lift her and take her to the room." Amma instructed her Anna.

Samay Anna was about to step forward when his phone rang. The moment he answered, his expression hardened. "Sorry, Princess, it's really important." he said hurriedly before dashing off. Yuvraj and Ishan Anna following him.

Amma sighed, looking around for another option.

Shrestha Aunty stepped forward. "Don't worry, Kamakshi , my son will take her."

Then, turning slightly, she called out, "Adranksh."

He was nearby, watching the scene unfold with quiet intensity. When he stepped forward, his expression was unreadable.

"Take her to her room."

He tensed. "But Mom-"

"No buts. Please, beta." Her voice softened, yet there was no room for argument.

With a resigned sigh, Adranksh stepped closer to me.

Without hesitation, he bent down and effortlessly lifted me into his arms. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my hands instinctively wrapped around his neck for support.

For a moment, I was too stunned to react.

My heart pounded in my chest as I found myself staring at his face. The sharp angles of his jaw, the way his lips pressed together in focus.

And then my eyes met his.

Something flickered within me-a sense of déjà vu, a strange familiarity that I couldn't place.

'Why do his eyes feel so familiar?'

The thought gripped me, refusing to let go as he carried me effortlessly toward my room.
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