My head snaps up, and in a few quick strides, Samarth closes the distance and stops right in front of me. His eyes sweep over me… my swollen eyelids, my trembling hands, the redness on my cheek, before they lock onto Dev standing far too close beside me.
“Meera, are you okay?” he breathes, cupping my cheeks. “Did this asshole hurt you?”
The panic in his voice makes my throat tighten.
Before I can speak, Dev clamps a hand around Samarth’s wrist and yanks it away from my face.
“Don’t you dare touch my wife.”
Shock flashes across Samarth’s face.
“Wife?” His gaze snaps to Dev, fury shattering through disbelief. “You… you fucking lying asshole.” Then his eyes dart to me, desperate, pleading. “Meera… tell me he’s lying.”
“I… I… I’m married,” I manage to whisper, the words trembling out of me as if they’re burning my tongue.
Samarth goes still. For a second, he doesn’t even blink. Then his fingers dig into my shoulder. “You… you wouldn’t marry him,” he says, his voice cracking with disbelief. “Meera, tell me the truth. Please… what’s happening?”
“It’s—” I begin, but Dev’s hand is quicker. He snatches Samarth’s wrist and shoves it aside. Samarth stumbles back, and Dev moves in, positioning himself between us.
“I told you not to touch my wife,” Dev hisses. “You’d better pay heed if you don’t want me to break your hand. And as for the reason…” Dev crosses his arms over his chest. “My wife doesn’t owe you any explanation.”
Samarth’s fists tighten. “I’m talking to my friend.”
“You are talking to my wife.”
Samarth looks back at me. “Meera?”
Tears spill from my eyes. “Samarth, this marriage—”
“Is her decision,” Dev finishes. “And a permanent one. Now, if you’ll excuse us, it’s our wedding night.”
Samarth looks as if someone has ripped his heart out. My own heart aches at the sight of his glassy eyes. But before I can reach out to him, he walks away without looking back, his figure blurring through my tears.
“One less idiot in your life,” Dev mutters as he turns to me.
I glare at him, tears and fury burning together in my chest.
“You don’t need him,” he adds.
“I’ll always need him more than I’ll ever need you,” I let the truth slip out in a hiss.
His jaw tightens. “That’s bad… because now I’m all you have, Mrs. Rathore. Now, let’s go home.”
Home.
The word tastes like poison.
Because the home he means isn’t a safe place. It’s a prison I never chose, but am now forced to live in… for I don’t even know how long.
Chapter 12
Dev
I hit the brakes just as Meera yanks the door open and storms out, slamming it shut behind her. Of course she’s furious, and of course I’m the last person she wants anywhere near her, especially after the scene at her parents’ place.
I sit there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly. I knew taking her to her parents’ house would be ugly. I knew they wouldn’t accept the marriage. But it wasn’t something I could avoid. It had to be done.
What I didn’t expect was how much it would torment me. The moment her dad raised his hand at her, an uncontrolled possessive rage tore through me, so violent it made me want to burn the entire place down.
