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“I thought you were going to drop it.”
“I can’t,” she replied. “I was just trying to take a nap, but her face haunts me in my sleep. It’s as if I’m equally complicit in her death. I don’t think I can ever sleep in peace again if I don’t do my best to get justice for her.”
“If you pursue this further, you will only cement your enmity with the Goels. Are you ready for war, because that’s what it will come to?”
“I am, but are you ready for it?” she challenged. “Because they will come after you too.”
“Baby, I was born ready for war,” I replied with a grin. “And the Goels and I already have a long history of mutual hostilities.”
“But it’s not just you, is it? And that’s what I’m worried about, Dheer. I don’t want your family to suffer for my decisions.”
“When we get married, you will become a part of my family, Diya. And this family stays together no matter what. We live together, we suffer together, and together, we make our enemies sorry for being born. Besides, I know how to protect my family. This will never touch them. It will only be us against the Goels. Not my mother, Isha or Dadi Sa.”
“In that case, I need to know who that woman was. And I need to nail Ayush for her death,” she said fiercely.
“Alright. I’ll find out what I can,” I promised.
“Thank you. I’ll… I’ll leave you to your work,” she said and turned to leave.
Then she hesitated and turned around again.
“Why?” she asked in an agonised whisper.
“Excuse me?”
“Why did you do it? Nine years ago… why did you bring another woman to my house and introduce her as your fiancée when you were supposed to love me? Why, Dheer?”
I clenched my jaw tightly and swallowed hard. I wanted to drag her into my arms and promise her that I had never loved anyone else. Only one woman had ever haunted my dreams and it was her. But I couldn’t say any of that. So I shrugged.
“It was a mistake. I lost my head when I met Raksha. It happened, and I take full responsibility for it. But can we please move on?”
She shook her head bleakly.
“Here’s the thing, Dheer. Once a cheater, always a cheater. What’s to stop you from losing your head over another woman after we’re married? That’s why our marriage comes with an expiry date.”
“I’m making this very clear once and for all, Diya. I will never allow you to leave me.”
“You can’t stop me if I want to leave,” she said coldly, walking towards the door.
I caught up with her before she opened the door and trapped her against it, caging her in place with my hands against the wooden frame.
“I’ll tie you to my bed if I have to,” I warned angrily.
“I will never be in your bed. This is a marriage of convenience. In name only,” she said defiantly, glaring up at me.
I pushed her curls away from her face with one hand and raised her chin.
“Oh no, sweetheart. Like I told you before, you will marry me in mind, body and soul,” I whispered before I bent to kiss her.
CHAPTER 15
DIYA
Dheer took my lips in an achingly sweet kiss that was at odds with his words. I should have been outraged at the way he took it for granted that I would just fall into his arms. And I was, but there was no way I could resist his kiss.
I forgot the callous way he had admitted that he fell for another woman nine years ago. I forgot that I hated him with all my heart. I forgot everything but the feel of his lips on mine. I kissed him back hungrily, digging one hand through his thick, curly hair, and running the other up and down his broad back.
The doorknob dug into my lower back when I arched my back, but I ignored it. I ignored everything but the feel of him in my arms. This felt right. For some stupid, fucking reason, this felt so right.
