I. HATE. IT.

My brain is about to explode because I can not handle all of these emotions at once.

I want to know what happened to her while she was with Aditya. The way Samay talked about it—it was concerning. I am willingly waiting for her to tell me. Just the thought of something terrible happening to her is messing with my head.

And then there is Rohit. That stupid man is getting on my nerves.

I stormed out of the room and went downstairs. My blood pressure rises when I see Chandini and Rohit sitting on the couch. His arm was slung over her shoulder. They are playing some board games, and I notice my sister and friends are glaring at him.

I cleared my throat rather loudly to get her attention. She glanced at me and cheered, "Come play with us!"

I shook my head, "I want to talk to you!" My voice was thick deep and irritated.

"Wait for just a little," she said, smiling.

I could wait however long she wanted me to.

But that hand on her shoulder is driving me insane. I took a step closer to her.

"I said I want to talk to you!"

"And I told you to wait." She locked her gaze on me and glared.

She is becoming more confident, and God help me, she is also becoming more stubborn!

I extended my hand to her and tilted my head when she raised her brows.

She sighed and hesitantly placed her hand in mine. I drew her up against me and grabbed her waist.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" I whispered into her ear and bent down, lifting her over my shoulder.

"Wha-- put me down!" She slapped my back, and I turned to face Rohit.

"I would appreciate it if you could keep your distance from my wife."

"What? Do you not trust her?" He said as he took a step closer to me.

"I trust her more than anyone else. Who I don't trust is filthy pests, like you!" I scoffed at his furious expression and made my way upstairs.

Woah...

Oooh...

Muktha and my friends scream.

"Stop moving, or I will make you," I warned her as she continued to wiggle.

she pinched my lower back and yelled. "You moron, put me down!"

I returned the favour by pinching the back of her thigh and making her stop. As I entered the room, I carefully placed her down and closed the door.

"Why would you do that?!" she exclaimed, her face flushed from being turned upside down.

"I did ask you nicely, did not I?" I raised my eyebrows, and she huffed when she could not argue any further.

"I told you I did not want that man near you," I said as I took a step in front of her.

"And I told you, he is just a friend, and there is nothing to worry about," she said, crossing her arms and quirking her brows.

"There is everything to be concerned about in the way he looks at you," she scoffed.

Nice.

"He doesn't look at me in any way!" She spoke slowly as if she were speaking to a child.

I turned my back to her and rubbed my face. I desperately wanted to pull my hair out in frustration.

I turn around to face her. "Have you ever paid attention to the way he looks at you?" I restrained myself from raising my voice.

"I am telling you there is nothing you should be worrying about." She raised her voice and pressed her finger against my chest.

Perfect.

"Okay. Tell me what is wrong. Talk to me." She said softly, calming down and patiently waiting for me to tell her.

I exhaled an exasperated breath and I mumbled. "He...he loves you."

"No, he does not." She shook her head, denying it.

"Yes, he does. It is written all over his damn face, it is in the way he looks at you, so lovingly." I took a step closer and cupped her face in my hands. "And- and it pains me to know he wants you. When I want to be the only one who desires you."

I lower my head to her eye level and bring my face closer to hers. "Darling, it is too much for me to see him watching you with eyes full of adoration. He looks for chances to touch you, to be close to you." I took her hand in mine and placed it on my chest, just above my heart.

"It hurts here."

I could feel his heart pounding and warmth seeping through the thin fabric that separated me from his skin. My own heart is racing, and my mind is foggy.

My stomach fluttered at that moment when he said he desired me.

He wants me.

But the darkness that has been clouding my mind suppresses everything I'm feeling. The only thing that remains is the memory of the last time I allowed a man into my life.

It was highly destructive.

Still, there was a sense of urgency in my chest to reassure him, to tell him not to worry, and to take away the distraught expression on his face.

"I never thought of him as anything more than a friend," I say slowly and gently, caressing his chest, in the hope that he will relax a little.

He is so worked up about it that his heart is racing and he is breathing heavily. His fists are clenched so tightly that his knuckles have turned white.

He takes a deep breath and nods. But he does not seem convinced by my attempts at reassurance.

"I am here with you, right? Let us focus on that." I speak, and he slowly nods.

I simply wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly. He holds me close and kisses the side of my head. He relaxes, and it's like he melts into my arms.

~At night in Kapoor's mansion~

Maa and Papa were overjoyed to see us, as was Athwa, who was already planning on meeting Taara. Bhaiya and Taara were both upset because they did not want me to leave.

I walked into the room, but my steps came to a halt. I was taken aback and looked around the room to make sure I was in the right place.

And it was mine. The room has been completely transformed; the walls are now painted grey. The curtains have been changed to a lighter colour, which will allow more light into the room.

I looked for my coffee machine and sighed with relief when I found it.

The rose-filled vases are displayed on bookshelves.

I love roses; they are my favourite flowers, but this man is completely obsessed with them.

A picture frame on the wall behind the bed drew my attention. It is the same one Muktha took at my house.

Rudra is on his knees with my foot on his thighs, I am leaning back in the chair with closed eyes, and he is watching me with a smile on his face.

Someone cleared their throat, and I turned to see Muktha smirking.

"So, bhai finally changed his gloomy room. Good job, Chandini," she exclaimed, clapping dramatically. I laughed at her antics.

She unexpectedly grabbed both of my hands. "Thank you very much, Chandini. All of this is possible because of you. You completely changed my bhai. He was rude and unconcerned about how others felt."

"But I did nothing, Muktha," I admitted.

"You came into his life, and you married him—despite everything he's done to you. I am sorry; I was selfish, and never said anything about it." She squeezed my hands as a tear streamed down her cheek.

I yanked my hand away from her grasp.

"You knew everything and still did not do anything to stop it." I shook my head and moved away from her.

"Yes, we know he blackmailed you. We did not do anything because we never saw him so desperately want to be with someone." She wiped her tears away.

We? And all she knows is how I agreed to marry her brother.

"We?" I questioned because I needed to know who knew about it.

"Yes, Rahul, Sumit, and I. We know," but they do not know much about it.

"Oh well," I can not do anything about it right now.

"Um, Muktha, may I ask you a question?" I fumbled with my hands.

She nodded her head for me to continue. "Why does he get so angry so easily?" I asked in a small voice.

She took a sharp breath in.

"When I told him I was going to see Bhaiya, he became aggressive because he thought I was leaving him," I told her that maybe she could give me some answers.

"Uh- please do not tell anyone that I told you about it." She came to a halt, which made me impatient.

"Bhai...he suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder." She was watching me intently.

"What?" I am not sure what to think about it.

She nodded and said, "Yes. His triggers are rejection and the fear of being abandoned. His brain goes into rage mode, and he harms himself and those around him. He, um, attempted suicide once. It is obvious, that he loves you and is afraid you will abandon him as she did."

I almost burst out laughing. He is not in love with me.

Wait- she?

"Mom had the same issue, and it could be said that it was passed down to him. It was not always this bad, but it got out of hand after Mom died and—it is his story to tell. And ask him who she is, too, I know you are thinking that," she said as she paced around the room.

He did not tell me anything when we went to dinner.

"Muktha?"

We looked at Rudra, who was standing with his arms crossed.

"I am just leaving, bhai," she said with a smile. He smiled back and went to change his clothes.

Muktha hugged me and thanked me once more before leaving.

I sat on the bed, my mind racing, trying to make sense of everything. He has BPD. That explains why he can not control his anger and why he takes sleeping pills.

But the only thing my brain is trying to figure out is who she is.

I bury my face in my hands and close my eyes. This is too much for me; I am beginning to get a headache.

I flinched and raised my head as I noticed him looking at me with such warmth in his honey-brown eyes.

"Is the room still depressing?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, it is better than it was before. Thank you!" I said and went to change.

When I returned, I saw him on his side of the bed, staring intently at the screen of my phone.

When he heard me, he whipped his head in my direction, and I was met with his red, intense eyes, his jaw locked.

Oh my God, what happened now?

"Is everything all right?" I was perplexed because I had only been away from him for less than two minutes.

"Come here!" I was startled by his stern tone of voice. I walked over to him and sat down.

He handed over my phone to me. "What is this? And when the fuck were you going to tell me about it all?"

He knows!

My eyes well up with tears; he knows everything?

"Look at it, Chandini," he says, gritting his teeth, and I look at the screen with all my strength.

My eyes widened as I read the texts Aditya had sent me. I sighed and thanked God that it was not what I had expected. A new notification appeared, from the same unknown number. I click on it and immediately regret it.

My heart began to beat faster in my stomach. There are video recordings of me. A loud sob escapes my mouth when I see videos of me changing in the closet. In another, I'm running in the towel from the other day.

He videotaped me.

I lift my head, and my teary eyes are met with his angry ones, but they immediately turn soft and tender. He takes the device from my grasp. "Fucking hell! Do you know who it is?" he gritted, his jaw clenched.

I nodded and mumbled, "Aditya."

I flinched and stared at him, terrified, as he threw the device, which shattered into pieces.

"I am going to kill him," he says, but I stop him and hug him, resting my head on his chest.

"Plea-se, don- don't go." I hiccup. He hugs me back, resting his chin on my head.

Thank you for reading!!