The cold, impersonal marriage had never meant anything to Raghav. From the moment he had slipped the ring onto your finger, his only thought had been of his sister. She was the reason he had endured this marriage of convenience, the reason he had tolerated a woman he once despised. If this was the price to ensure his sister’s happiness, he had been willing to pay it.

But time had played a cruel trick on him. Somewhere between the distant glares and reluctant conversations, between the tense silences and accidental smiles, Raghav had softened. The woman he once detested had carved a space for herself in his life. You had fought his hatred with quiet resilience, his anger with steady patience, until, without realizing it, he had stopped seeing you as the enemy.

Then, the truth came crashing down.

His sister had fooled them all. It had been a game, a lie, a carefully woven deception. His brother-in-law, the man who had once stood by her, now stood before Raghav with nothing but fury in his eyes.

"I should have never trusted any of you," his brother-in-law spat. "I will not stay bound to this family any longer. Nor will my sister stay in this marriage anymore."

And for some reason, that made it worse.

He should have been relieved. This was what he had wanted all along, wasn't it? Freedom from a marriage he had never asked for.

Then why did his chest feel so tight?

Why did the sight of you being taken away feel like something was being ripped out of him?

Before he could even process the thought, his body moved on its own. His hand shot out, gripping your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.

You gasped, turning to face him, wide-eyed. His gaze was locked onto you, his grip tightening with a silent finality.

"Don't go," he whispered.