In one swift, violent motion, he grabbed my arms and pinned them high above my head against the cold marble pillar. 

Before I could even scream, he crashed his lips onto mine.

It wasn't a kiss; it was an assault.

I thrashed against him, kicking at his shins and trying to twist my head away, but he was a wall of solid muscle. 

He pressed his entire body weight against me, crushing the air out of my lungs until I couldn't move. I punched at his chest with my trapped hands, but he didn't even flinch.

 A broken sob escaped my throat as he forced himself on me, his tongue tasting of smoke and bitterness. It felt disgusting—it felt like my soul was being stained.

He bit my lip hard, and I hissed in pain, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to disappear. 

The sheer helplessness was a living nightmare. When he finally pulled his lips away, he didn't stop. He dragged his mouth down to my neck.

"Please... please stop! Chhodo mujhe!" I begged, my voice a frantic whisper.

He ignored my pleas, sucking at the sensitive skin of my neck and biting down so hard I knew it would leave a dark, possessive mark. I felt like I was drowning in my own skin.

 Finally, he pulled back just an inch, his eyes dark with a terrifying, primal hunger. He looked at my tear-streaked face, his breathing heavy and erratic.

"Ek baar main aage badha na... toh kabhi khud ko rok nahi paunga, Gulaab," he whispered, his voice a jagged warning that chilled my blood. 

"Don't test my patience. Yeh nishaan sirf yaad dilaane ke liye hai... ki tumhara jism, tumhari saansein, aur tumhari har ek cheekh sirf meri amanat hai. Agli baar agar tumne mere ishq ki tauheen ki, toh main bhool jaunga ki tum meri hone vali biwi ho..."

He let go of my wrists abruptly and straightened his blazer, his face instantly returning to a mask of cold, terrifying calm. 

Without another word, he turned and walked out, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind him.

I collapsed.

My knees hit the floor with a thud, and I crouched down, burying my face in my hands. The room felt like it was closing in on me.

 I started crying—not just a quiet cry, but a heavy, devastating sob that echoed off the walls covered in my own faces. I felt violated, dirty, and utterly alone. 

I rubbed my mouth until it was raw, trying to wash away the feeling of his lips, but the phantom sensation remained.

"Aryan..." I choked out through my sobs, my body shaking with the force of my breakdown.

"AHHHHH...kyu KYU"

I sat there on the cold floor, a broken girl in a golden cage, while the marks on my neck burned like a brand of ownership.

While Jhanvi was drowning in terror within the walls of the Singhania mansion, a storm of a different kind was brewing at the Bisht household.

Reeva stared at her phone, her thumb hovering over Jhanvi's contact for the twentieth time. 

"Not answering. Still not answering," she muttered, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and dread. 

She looked at Jay, who stood by the coffee machine, his face etched with the gravity of everything Reeva had just confessed to him.

"Ek baar uske ghar jaake dekhte hain," Reeva said decisively.

 Jay didn't waste a second. He grabbed his keys, and they hurried out, leaving the cafe in the hands of another staff member.

As they reached the driveway, Jay pulled out his bike and placed his helmet over Reeva's head.

 She paused for a heartbeat, looking into his eyes, but she shook the thought away—Jhanvi was the priority. 

They sped through the streets of Rishikesh, the wind whipping past them until they screeched to a halt in front of the Bisht house.

Reeva hopped off, shoved the helmet back at Jay, and stormed inside without knocking. She found Mr. and Mrs. Bisht in the living room.

"Jhanvi kahan hai?" Reeva screamed, her voice echoing off the walls.

The couple was startled. Mrs. Bisht stood up slowly, followed by a stiff-faced Mr. Bisht. 

"Pehli baat, apni awaaz neeche rakho, Reeva," Mrs. Bisht snapped, her eyes cold. 

"Aur doosri baat, meri beti apne hone waale pati ke saath hai. Tumhein isse kya?"

Reeva scoffed, a dark, bitter laugh escaping her lips. 

"Beti? Sharam nahi aati aapko? Jo ladki aapki hai hi nahi, uski zindagi ke saare faisle le rahi hai aap"

Mrs. Bisht's jaw clenched. 

"Tumhari himmat kaise hui? Maine use chaar saal pala hai! Jab woh khoon mein lath-path mili thi, tab; humne use naya naam diya, nayi zindagi di!"

"Aur us nayi zindagi ka gala ghotne ka haq bhi mil gaya aapko?" Reeva stepped forward, matching Mrs. Bisht's intensity.

"Bahut zyaada thank you aapka ki aapne use chaar saal pala.

 Lekin jab Aahan khud yahan aaya tha, usne cheekh-cheekh kar bataya tha ki Jhanvi nahi hai woh Anjali hai!

 Woh uski bhabhi hai, Aryan ki biwi hai! Phir kyun nahi bataya use sach? Kyun use us Dev ke hawale kar rahi hain aap?"

"Kyunki Dev use khush rakhega!" Mrs. Bisht yelled back. 

"Maine nhi janti ki aryan kaisa tha..lekin dev jhanvi se bahut pyaar karta hai"

"Ye decision lene vali aap kaun hoti hai" Reeva crashed out, her eyes blazing.

"Aapne apni zidd ke liye ek maasoom ka ateet chhupaya aur ab uski zindagi barbad kar rahi hai. Sach toh yeh hai ki aapko Jhanvi ki khushi se koi fark nhi padta, aapko toh bas apni zid pyari hai...

voh zid jiske liye aap ek pati-patni ko ek parivar aur ek beti ko uski maa se alag karne pe tuli hui hai.Aur aap khud ko uski maa kheti hai..

are maa aisi nhi hoti aap jaisi aurate bin aulad hi theek hoti hai"

STING.

The sound of the slap was sharp, echoing through the room. 

Reeva's head snapped to the side, her cheek burning bright red. Mrs. Bisht stood there, breathing heavily.

"Tumhari himmat kaise hui meri mamta par ungli uthane ki?"

Reeva slowly turned her face back. Her eyes weren't filled with tears; they were filled with fire.

 Before anyone could react, Reeva's hand moved like lightning.

SLAP.

She slapped Mrs. Bisht back with twice the force. 

Jay gasped, and Mr. Bisht stood frozen in shock.

"Main aapki beti nahi hoon jo mujhpe haath uthayengi aap," Reeva said, her voice dangerously low and steady.

"Badi hain aap, isliye ab tak tameez se baat kar rahi thi. Par main bhool gayi thi ki jo aurat apni zidd ke liye kisi aur ki beti ki zindagi barbaad kar sakti hai, woh aurat kisi izzat ke layak nahi hai."

She leaned in, her voice a sharp blade.

"Voh waqt door nhi jab..apki zid apki ankhon ke samne jal ke khak ho jayegi..krishna ji ne sahi hi kaha hai..sach unhe kadwa lagta hai jo astya se prem karte hai..Aur aap toh Jhoot ki muhrat hai"

Reeva turned on her heel and walked out, her heart thudding. Jay followed her, looking back at the shattered look on Mr. Bisht's face and the trembling rage of Mrs. Bisht.