No one dared.
Meera stayed hidden against him, her breath uneven against his skin, his heartbeat steady under her cheek.
Each step brought them closer to the house. Closer to a line that could not be crossed back.
They entered the inner courtyard.
He stopped. His arms tightened around her.
She turned her head.
Lakshya stood at the entrance to her quarters. Immaculate. Composed. A silver-wrapped box in his hands.
Mithai.
A gesture meant for his bride-to-be's home.
His expressions changed.
Abhinav stood bare, rain-soaked. Meera in his arms, wrapped in his shirt, her hair clinging to her face, the mark at her neck impossible to miss.
Silence stretched.
Something dark settled in Abhinav’s eyes. He didn’t move. Didn’t lower her. If anything, he held her close deliberately.
An unmistakable declaration.
Meera Chauhan was his.
Chapter 23
Lakshya rushed forward, shoes striking through rainwater pooled across the floor.
In his mind, everything had already been fixed. The matchmaker had assured him her family was willing. Talks were to begin soon. They had arrived with sweets, a gesture toward what was coming.
A girl such as Meera Chauhan did not refuse a match such as him.
His focus fixed on her, draped in another man’s shirt, held close in another man’s arms. The world shifted under his feet.
“Meera!” Her name tore out of him.
Abhinav set her down. His left hand closed around hers and pulled her in, placing her a step behind him.
Close. Within reach.
Lakshya stopped short. His eyes cut past him, caught on her face, the mark at her neck, then came back.
The box in his hand crumpled.
“What is this?” His voice shook with anger that had nowhere to go. “What have you done?”
His hand came forward.
Abhinav caught his wrist mid-air, grip firm enough to draw a sharp breath from him.
“Lower your voice.” His tone stayed low. “Remember where you are and who you are speaking to?”
Lakshya pulled free, jaw tightening, humiliation feeding his anger.