Song:- Salted Wound ( Fifty shades of Grey ). or Humnava ( Papon)

I Love making memories with you...

**************************************

Third POV.

Arjun was feeling something he had never felt before—his heart was racing.
Fuck, what is happening to me?

He was still in shock. Every nerve in his body was on high alert, trying to register what just happened. And then—
She pulled back.

All that warmth vanished. A cold emptiness rushed in. As he tried to compose himself, he saw her turning away.

No...

Anaya was filled with regret.
Oh God, I shouldn't have done that. What will he think of me now? He'll think I'm desperate.

Arjun was stunned. And before she could walk away, he instinctively grabbed her wrist.

In an instant, her back collided with his chest. Her breath hitched.

"Where do you think you're going, hmm?" he whispered, voice husky in her ear.

Anaya's breath caught. The heat of his body, his nearness—always made her lose control. She closed her eyes tightly.

Arjun smirked at his blushing wife. There was something wickedly satisfying about knowing he affected her like this.

Only he had this effect on her.
Not even that bastard Abhi.

The memory of her leaning on Abhi's shoulder ignited something dark in him.

Leaning forward, he brushed her neck with his lips, then nipped her skin gently—before biting harder.
She whimpered.
Arjun soothed the bite with a soft kiss.

"I don't like repeating myself, wife," he growled, kissing the hollow between her shoulder and neck.

Her legs buckled under his torment. His grip on her waist kept her standing.

"Whenever I see you, I crave you," he admitted, his voice low, urgent.
"I forget everything. I hate it. I love it. You're becoming a poison I'm desperate to consume. Why? Why you? It frustrates me."

Anaya couldn't think. Her world had shrunk to the feel of his lips on her skin, the weight of his words, the intensity in his voice.
One hand clutched her dress, the other gripped his hand at her waist.

"Arj...Arjun...what are you doing...let me go..." she whispered, trembling, but unable to move.

"Not after the little stunt you pulled just now," he murmured, biting her earlobe.
"You know the effect you have on me. Tell me, baby...why did you do that?"

"You...you were upset...Maa...Maa..." she stammered, then gasped when he bit her again.

He was marking her. She was his. He wanted every man to know.

Turning her toward him, he locked eyes with her—desire burning like wildfire in his gaze.
Anaya bit her lip and looked down, her cheeks aflame.

"I'm sorry... It was stupid. I shouldn't have done that. I just wanted to comfort you. I didn't mean to—" she babbled.

Arjun watched her, amused. She looked utterly adorable.

She was his seductress.

He stopped her rambling by capturing her lips with his own.
It was no soft kiss.
It was ravenous—he was starved for her.
Anaya gasped but didn't resist.

But then—
A knock at the door.

"Arjun, baby..."

Baby.

The word stabbed through the haze of passion.
Ruhani.
His girlfriend.

Anaya pushed Arjun away.
He blinked, startled, frowning—until he heard the voice again.
And then it hit him.
Shit. Fuck. Ruhani.

He reached for Anaya, but she stepped back.

"This shouldn't have happened," she whispered.
"This was wrong. Your girlfriend...she won't like it. What happened between us was a mistake."

Her voice trembled. She wouldn't look at him. Her eyes were teary.

Arjun's jaw clenched.
A mistake?

Before he could respond—

The door opened.

"Arjun baby," Ruhani purred, stepping in, clad in a lacy satin nightie.
"I knocked but you didn't answer. I was worried. I'm sorry about aunty's condition... but I need to talk to you. Something important... Let me stay with you tonight. Like old times."

She looked at Anaya as if just noticing her.

"Oh... Anaya, right? Didn't expect you here. Arjun never lets women in his chamber. Do you mind if I take him? It's personal."

Anaya turned her face away.
A lone tear slipped down her cheek.
How could I forget? He already has someone. I'm just... his namesake wife.

Nothing else.

Her heart shattered.
She had fallen in love with a man who didn't belong to her.

Ruhani smirked and turned back to Arjun.

But his eyes were blazing.

"Don't you fucking move, Miss Dhawan," he roared.
"Get out. Now."

Ruhani's smirk faltered. She knew that tone. Without another word, she left, but not before winking at him.

When the door shut, Arjun turned to Anaya—rage darkening his features.
He stormed to her like a furious lion.

Yanking her back, he stared at her with fiery eyes.

"What did you just say? A mistake?"
He was breathing hard.

"I'll tell you what's a mistake, Mrs. ANAYA ARJUN RAJVANSH."

His grip on her arm tightened. She winced. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Realizing what he was doing, he immediately loosened his hold and placed his forehead against hers.

Why couldn't she see?
He was trying.
He didn't know what he wanted—but he couldn't let her go either.
He didn't know how to love.
He was ruthless. Broken.

Anaya sobbed quietly.
She was exhausted.
Sometimes he seemed to care...
Other times he was ice.

She broke free from his arms.

Why would he care? He loves Ruhani.

Arjun clenched his fists.
She thinks I love Ruhani...?

Fuck it.

He stormed to her and wrapped her in a fierce hug from behind.

So what if he was bad with words?
He would show her she was his.

Placing his forehead gently on the back of her head, he exhaled.

"You're wrong, Mrs. Rajvansh... so wrong..."

Before he could continue—

BANG. BANG. BANG.

A loud knock.
Again.
Relentless.

Fuck. If it's that bitch again...

He kissed Anaya's head.
"Stay here. We need to talk."

He walked out.

Once again, leaving her behind.
Once again, breaking her heart.

He is not mine...
She chanted it in her head like a mantra.

But within minutes, Arjun came running back—breathless.

"Anaya!" he gasped.
"Vedika. She's in pain—her water broke!"

Anaya's eyes widened in shock. She didn't hesitate—she ran.
Arjun grabbed her dupatta from the floor and followed.

This idiot...

*******************

It had been the longest ten hours of their lives.

The Rajvansh family waited in agonizing silence at the hospital. The air was thick with worry. Fear. Hope. A strange cocktail of emotions no one dared speak aloud.

Due to Sampoorna's fragile health, Rani Pavitra had stayed back at the palace with Virat. But the rest of the family—Rana Udhav, Krish, Aashi, Arjun—were all here, pacing corridors, clinging to hope like it was the last thing tethering them to life.

Arjun had ensured the VIP wing was tightly secured. No media, no outsiders. Not a whisper of gossip would make it past the hospital gates tonight.

Inside, Anaya was fighting a battle not many could dare to face.

The hospital, owned by the Rajvansh empire, gave her the access and command she needed—but this case was beyond professional. It was personal.

And deadly.

Vedika was losing too much blood.
Her body was giving up.
The baby was struggling.

The doctors had made it painfully clear:
It would be either the mother or the child. Not both.

The air had turned ice-cold in the waiting lounge.

Anaya's jaw tightened.
She wasn't ready to lose either.

Not under her watch.

Rana Udhav had snapped, fury dripping from every word.
"If anything happens to my grandson, Anaya—it will be your last day on this earth."

The words were a knife. A death sentence.

Arjun had stepped in instantly, standing between his father and Anaya with the same fierceness that once scared kingdoms.

"She's going in. And no one—no one—stops her."

That was final.

Inside the operation theatre, the seconds felt like hours.
Outside, the hours felt like a lifetime.

The family sat huddled together, hands clasped, breaths shallow.
Every passing moment clawed at their nerves. Every silence was a scream.

And then—

A small cry.

A fragile, beautiful, soul-piercing cry.

It echoed down the sterile hallways like music from heaven.

Tears streamed down every face.
Laughter erupted.
Even Arjun—the man of stone—felt his heart split wide open.

That sound...
It was peace.
It was a miracle.

And it changed something inside him forever.

Krish emerged, his face flushed with emotion, holding the fragile bundle of joy in trembling hands. His eyes were red, his lips trembling, but the joy—the pride—was undeniable.

Everyone surged toward him, desperate for a glance.

But Krish didn't stop for anyone.

He walked straight to Arjun, stopping just inches away.

"Vedika wants his Chachu to hold him first."

Arjun froze.

"No... Bhai, no—I'll crush him. He's too tiny—"

Krish smiled, the kind of smile that silenced all doubts.

And then—without another word—he carefully placed the baby into Arjun's arms.

Time stopped.

Everything faded away.

The palace. The past. The pain.

It was just Arjun... and him.

Two pairs of eyes locked—one stormy, one innocent.

And something inside Arjun shifted irrevocably.

He swore to protect this life with every breath in his body.

The baby was soon taken into the private recovery suite with Vedika.

A few minutes later, Anaya emerged, speaking softly with a senior doctor. The tension in her body was visible. She looked exhausted but composed.

When she spotted the family gathered outside, she gave a quick nod to the doctor, who left discreetly.

Then she turned to them.

A soft, tired smile curved her lips.

"Congratulations, everyone... You have a little prince now."

Aashi ran forward, wrapping her arms around Anaya tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank you. It's all because of you. No amount of gratitude will ever be enough. You're... you're an angel, Anaya."

Anaya shook her head with a modest smile and hugged Aashi back.

"No. If God chooses to give life, He doesn't take it back. I'm just... a means. That's all."

Arjun watched from afar, his arms crossed, leaning against the wall.

He couldn't take his eyes off her.

That woman. That incredible, maddening, gentle woman.

He had no right to her.
But fate—somehow—gave him the privilege to be in her orbit.

She was light.
And he... was the shadow she kept forgiving.

"She's talented, I'll give her that," a voice suddenly whispered from beside him.

Ruhani.

She moved closer to Arjun, eyes sharp, her words laced with poison.

"But the poor thing isn't that lucky when it comes to choosing a life partner, is she?"

Before Arjun could respond, she leaned in even closer, letting her fingers lightly graze his arm. She brought her lips near his ear.

"I have a surprise for you. It'll blow your mind, baby."

She smirked... and kissed his cheek.

Arjun shoved her away immediately.

But from the corridor behind them—

Anaya saw it.

She hadn't heard the words.
She didn't need to.

The closeness was enough.

That smirk. That kiss.

It crushed her.
Again.

Later, as family and guests congratulated Krish and Vedika, a moment left everyone stunned.

Rana Udhav, the man known for his cold heart toward Anaya, stepped forward.

He placed his hand gently on her head.

"You gave us our heir," he said, his voice thick with rare emotion.
"May you always be blessed."

Gasps filled the air.
Everyone knew what that meant.

For once... she was acknowledged.

A little while later, Anaya stepped out of the changing room, back in her same outfit—except her dupatta was missing.

She glanced around, sighing.
That stupid dupatta.

As she walked out, she saw Arjun standing silently by the door.

Their eyes met.
For one fleeting second—there was everything in that gaze.

Longing. Regret. Pain. Unspoken words.

She lowered her eyes and tried to walk past him.

But he grabbed her wrist, pulling her gently toward him.

Her breath hitched.

She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the confusion, the ache, the unresolved ache between them.

Why is he like this?
One moment cruel, the next tender.
One step forward, then five steps back.

She was exhausted.

His indifference. His intensity. His silence. His stares. His kisses. His punishments.

She was drowning.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Without saying a word, Arjun leaned forward and rested his forehead against the side of her head. She faced the wall, not him.

He didn't move.

"...Thank you," he whispered.

His voice trembled. Quiet. As if he was holding back a dam of emotions.

She closed her eyes again.

He was holding himself back.

This man—who could command armies—was terrified of his own heart.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered.
"Why me?"

Her voice cracked.

"I'm tired, Arjun. So, so tired. I keep asking... and you keep breaking me. Please... I'm begging you... just spare me."

A sob broke through her restraint.

Arjun froze.

Her words tore through him.

He stepped back slightly and looked at her.
Her face was pale.
Her soul... looked shattered.

He quietly pulled her dupatta over her shoulders and fixed it gently.

Anaya finally looked at him.

Their eyes met.

Hers—empty, hollow.
His—raging with guilt.

He didn't say anything.

He just kissed her forehead softly.

She closed her eyes, tears slipping down.

And then he walked away.

No explanations. No apologies.

Just silence.

And with him, her last shred of strength left too.

Anaya collapsed on her knees, tears pouring.

She clutched her chest, trembling.

Was loving someone... always this painful?
Was this what love meant—to be destroyed by the same hands that once held you gently?

And in the lonely corridor of the hospital, surrounded by joy, Anaya cried like a woman who had lost everything—
Even the man who claimed to love her.

*************************

The palace was alive with celebration.

Preparations for the grand puja and the wedding of the year were in full swing. Jaipur was buzzing—elite circles, media outlets, and high society couldn't stop talking about the grand Rajvansh wedding. Lavish, royal, spectacular.

But inside the palace... emotions brewed quietly beneath the surface.

It had been fifteen days since the arrival of the kingdom's joy—Ansh Singh Rajvansh.

The name, suggested by Anaya, was instantly accepted by all—especially Vedika and Krish. Aashi had wept when the name was finalized, hugging Anaya tightly as if trying to pour her gratitude into the hug.

The baby had become the heartbeat of the palace.

And Arjun... he was not the same man anymore—at least not around the infant.

Everyone had noticed how he softened around Ansh.

He, who never let anyone breach his walls, had willingly let his guard fall for the tiny bundle of life. The way he held Ansh, talked to him in whispers, wrapped him against his chest... it was almost otherworldly.

He was protective, gentle, fierce, and quietly obsessed with his nephew.

But only in front of Ansh.

Outside of those moments... he was changing.

Arjun left for the office before sunrise. Returned long after night had swallowed the palace.

He barely spoke.

He didn't glance Anaya's way during the day.

His anger was quicker now, his silences heavier. His presence—colder.

But then came the paradox...

Every night, when the world slept and only the faint lantern light shimmered through their chamber window, he would sit beside the couch where Anaya slept.

Quietly.

On the floor.

His eyes fixed on her sleeping face as though memorizing every inch.

And before he left each morning—he kissed her forehead.

Soft. Silent. As if asking for forgiveness in a language only her dreams could understand.

Anaya had changed too.

She spoke less.
Often, not at all.

She no longer waited for him.

She had mastered the art of moving around the palace like a shadow—quiet, calm, and untouched.

Her entire being had submerged itself into Aashi's wedding preparations, taking over every detail with meticulous care.

And yet... she was slowly fading.

When Abhi tried to talk to her, she would leave the room. Or she'd lock herself in Arjun's chamber, away from everyone.

She was hurt.

But it wasn't just the betrayal.

It was the neglect. The silence. The way Arjun looked at her sometimes like she was a stranger... and other times like she was everything he ever needed.

And that was what broke her the most.

Because despite everything... he still had her heart.

Abhi didn't give up.

Time and again he tried.

A conversation. A walk. Even just a moment to check if she was okay.

But she brushed him off, her eyes hollow, her lips tight. She had nothing left to give.

Aashi had started noticing too.

Her brother was... off.

Arjun had become a man of stone again—just colder now, more distant, more unpredictable.

And Anaya... she looked more fragile by the day.

Then there was Ruhani.

That woman.

She never missed an opportunity to slither close to Arjun—whether in public, at dinner, or behind the scenes.

And what shocked Aashi the most—

Arjun wasn't pushing her away.

Sampoorna noticed it all.

The change in the palace.
The tension no one dared speak of.
The shifting glances. The whispered judgments.

Chitra and Shruti had subtly begun making things difficult for Anaya—always disguised under "well-meaning" words or passive insults.

And Ruhani...

That woman had found her place. She was skilled in politics, smart with public manipulation, and was gaining Rana Udhav's admiration quickly. Helping him in his campaign, offering advice, presenting solutions—slowly, she was integrating herself into the Rajvansh household.

But what unsettled Sampoorna the most was that she was also finding a place in Arjun's life.

Anaya had seen it too.

She had seen Arjun and Ruhani alone—more than once.

One night, she was returning from Krish's chamber, after checking on Vedika and the baby, when she saw Arjun walk silently into Ruhani's room.

He didn't even look around to see if anyone noticed.

Another night... Anaya saw them leave together in Arjun's car.

No explanation. No lies.
Nothing.

And still—she said nothing.

No accusations. No confrontation.
Only silence.

Because what would be the point?

He was never hers to begin with.

Two days left for Aashi's wedding.

And Anaya couldn't breathe.

That night, something inside her refused to rest. Her chest felt tight, like a storm was forming inside her body, suffocating her lungs.

It was an ache she couldn't explain—a kind of dread that seeped into her bones.

She stood on the balcony of their chamber, her eyes watching the moon hang over the Jaipur skyline.

The wind played with the edges of her dupatta, but she stood still, like a statue—torn between reality and longing.

Another night.

Another date.

And once again—Arjun had taken Ruhani out.

The silence around her was too loud.

And then—the door banged open.

Sid stormed in, breathless, his chest heaving with tension and urgency.

"Gem..." he panted, panic and fear dancing in his eyes.

Anaya turned, alarmed, heart racing.

"Sid... what happened?" her voice was barely a whisper.

And then—he said it.

And her world tilted.

Her knees gave way.
Her vision blurred.
Her soul stopped breathing.

And all she heard was—

"Arjun bhai..."

***************************************

Hey Guys,

Chapter updated...

No hint will be given but only a few chapters left to complete this book.

Do you guys think Arjun is getting close to Ruhani....is he cheating on Anaya...

Why Anaya is not taking a stand for herself. What did Sid say.....Let's just wait till the next update.

Thank you,

Please leave your comments...

Do VOTE.

And don't miss the update of HIS FLAWS next.