Let me clarify - Meera's age is 20. I think somewhere I might have written 18 by mistake.

Meera hesitated before speaking, feeling the weight of Shaurya's looming presence beside her. The afternoon sun filtered through the car windows, warming her skin, but the chill of his previous words lingered in her bones.

"Ji, suniye," she said, her voice softer than usual, unsure if he was still in a relatively good mood.

Shaurya's gaze flicked up to her, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Ji, sunaiye," he replied, his voice light and teasing.

It was the first time Meera had heard that playful tone from him, and for a fleeting moment, it eased some of the tension that always lingered between them.

He is really in a good mood today. Just meeting Ishani dii brightens him up so much,

Meera thought, her expression betraying her surprise.

Shaurya, noticing the look on her face, raised an eyebrow. "Don't overthink it," he said, smirking. "I'm being nice because you've been a good girl today."

The words sent a chill down her spine. There was something about the way he said it—calm, casual, yet unmistakably controlling. Meera's mind raced, a flicker of panic blooming in her chest. He doesn't know about the hospital. About Vikrant. If he finds out... She didn't even want to think about it.

"Meera," Shaurya called her name sharply, pulling her back to the present.

"Ji?" she replied hastily, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You've been a good girl, right?" he asked, his tone deceptively light, though his gaze bore into her.

Meera froze. It was a simple question, but the weight of it pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe. She forced herself to nod, her voice trembling as she answered, "J-ji."

Shaurya nodded, his smirk returning. "Good. I like it when you behave. Makes things... smoother between us."

Meera clutched the edge of her dupatta tightly, her palms damp with sweat. The tension in the car was suffocating, and she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, even as Shaurya turned his attention back to the road.

"Tell me something," Shaurya said after a moment, his tone casual but laced with an edge that made her heart skip a beat. "You're not hiding anything from me, are you?"

The question hit her like a thunderbolt, and she felt her breath hitch. She tightly clutched her fist suddenly remembering the small piece of paper that Vikrant gave to her.

"N-no," she stammered, shaking her head quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

Shaurya glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his smirk fading into something more serious. "No secrets, Meera. You wouldn't like what happens if I find out otherwise."

She swallowed hard, nodding silently.

"Good girl," he said again, his tone softer, almost gentle, but the underlying menace remained.

"Why do you look pale," Shaurya said suddenly, his voice breaking through her thoughts. There was a faint crease of concern on his brow, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Meera shook her head, forcing a small smile. "No, I'm fine," she whispered, though the words felt like a lie.

"Good," he said simply, his tone cold. "Stay that way."

The words sounded caring on the surface, but Meera knew better. They weren't a reassurance—they were a command.

"Remember, Meera, I'm not a monster—unless you force me to be one. Be a good wife. Focus on me, on us. I'll give you everything you've ever wanted."

Meera nodded silently as she clutched the seatbelt tightly, her knuckles white.

A good wife. That was all he wanted from her, wasn't it? Not love, not companionship, just obedience.

But What about what I want?

she thought bitterly.

What about my dreams? My life?

She felt like a bird trapped in a gilded cage, beautiful on the outside but suffocating within.

"Now tell me what did you want to say?" His tone was now again back to normal.

Her heart skipped a beat. She was walking on a tightrope, knowing one wrong word could send her plummeting. "Woh... I need to buy something," she began hesitantly, twisting the end of her dupatta in her hands.

Shaurya raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting her to ask for anything. "What is it? Tell me. I'll pick it up on my way back from the office."

Meera fidgeted in her seat, her voice faltering. "It's... ladies' stuff," she mumbled, barely audible, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

For a moment, there was silence in the car. Shaurya blinked, processing her words, and then cleared his throat. His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but his voice remained calm. "Oh. Right," he said awkwardly, shifting in his seat. "Okay, I'll take you there myself. You can get whatever you need."

Meera's eyes widened. "N-no, it's fine. You're busy. You can send the driver with me. I can—"

The car screeched to a halt. Meera's body jerked forward, and her heart hammered in her chest. Shaurya's expression had shifted, the playful smirk replaced by a cold, unreadable mask.

He leaned toward her, his face inches from hers. His voice dropped, low and dangerous, like a predator's growl.

"Meera," he said slowly, "Pehli or Aakhri baar bol rha hun. Mere Bina agar tumne apne Kadam humare ghar se bahar nikale toh tumhare yeh dono pair tod kar mere kutton ko daal dunga. Samajh mein aayi?"

(This is the first and last time I'm telling you. If you ever step out of our house without me, I will break both your legs and would feed them to my dogs. Do you understand?)

Her blood froze and heart dropped as fear crawled within her all over again. The air felt suffocating, heavy with his threats. This was the man that terrified her to the core.

She nodded weakly. "J-ji," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good." he said, though his tone was still laced with that usual sharpness. "You have got a long way before you earn my trust. Meera" Shaurya leaned back, his posture relaxing as if the moment had never happened. As if he hadn't just threatened to cut off her legs. Her stomach churned painfully and she just wanted to throw up.

Meera wasn't sure what to say. Shaurya terrified her. He was a ticking bomb, unpredictable and volatile, leaving her constantly on edge. Yet, despite the suffocating fear he instilled in her, there was a flicker of something—something she couldn't quite place—that made him different.

He reminded her of the men in her house, the ones who believed that control was synonymous with love, who measured a woman's worth by her obedience. Shaurya wasn't much different. His sharp words and possessiveness mirrored the cruelty of her father. Yet, there were moments, rare and fleeting, when he reminded her of her bhaiya, Advik—gentle, understanding, and protective in a way that didn't smother but nurtured.

It was confusing, maddening even. How could someone be both? How could Shaurya be the storm and the calm all at once?

Her eyes welled up as she thought of Advik. An ache settled deep in her chest, the kind that only memories could evoke.

Advik had been her anchor, her protector in a house where love was often disguised as authority. Unlike the other men, he treated his wife with a reverence that Meera had always admired. He encouraged her dreams, celebrated her victories, and stood by her side as an equal. Advik's love was the kind Meera had always dreamt for—a love that didn't demand, but gave.

Her heart twisted painfully as she wondered, Had he really left her behind?

The thought was unbearable. Advik had always promised to protect her, to be there for her no matter what. But now, he was gone, and she couldn't help but feel abandoned.

Was he mad at me too? Did he also not trust me?

The tears spilled over, and she quickly wiped them away before Shaurya could notice. The last thing she needed was to give him more reason to question her.

As they drove on, she found herself praying—praying that the gentleness she glimpsed in Shaurya wasn't just an illusion. That maybe, just maybe, he could learn to be more like her brother, Advik. But hope was a dangerous thing, and Meera wasn't sure if she could afford to hold on to it.

"Now, let's go." Shaurya said parking the car.

Feel free to drop your most colourful vocabulary here especially for Shaurya 🤗

What would you do in Meera's place to reclaim your freedom and dreams?

Do you think Shaurya has the potential to change, or is Meera's hope misplaced?