The night had dragged on, a haze of rituals, smiles, and forced politeness. By the time we reached the bedroom, exhaustion tugged at my bones, but my mind was still racing. Riya had shown me the room with a bright smile, and I had done my best to match her energy. But the moment she left, the facade cracked. My new life had officially begun, and the reality of it settled on me like a lead weight.
I sat on the edge of the bed, taking in the roomâour room. The bed was massive, draped in opulent fabrics, and the walls were adorned with intricate patterns. Everything about the space screamed wealth, luxury, and power, yet I felt out of place. My anxiety spiked as I reminded myself that I would have to share this space with Abhimaan, the man I had married out of desperation, not love.
The sound of the door locking behind me jolted me from my thoughts. Abhimaan entered, his expression unreadable. He didnât waste time with pleasantries. âWe need to talk,â he said, his tone firm but devoid of warmth.
I watched him as he crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of me. His presence was overwhelming, and for a moment, I felt trapped. He was tall, with an aura of authority that I had tried to ignore throughout the day. Now, in the privacy of our room, it was impossible to disregard.
âYouâre not foolish enough to think this is a love match, are you?â he began, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. âThis is a business deal, plain and simple. A strategic alliance between our families. Weâll pretend to be the perfect couple in front of the world, but in here, weâre nothing but strangers.â
His words were harsh, cutting through the air like a blade. But what hurt the most wasnât the reminder that this marriage was a shamâit was the look in his eyes, the underlying assumption that I was just another player in this game, just like my father. He saw me as a gold digger, someone who was here to take advantage of his wealth and status. The thought made my stomach churn.
I stayed silent, my mind reeling from the confrontation. I had known this marriage wasnât based on love or affection, but to hear him lay it out so coldly, to accuse me of being like my father, was a punch to the gut. I had never been close to my father, never shared his ruthless ambition or his greed. But here I was, being lumped together with him by the man I was now bound to.
Abhimaan gave a small, bitter smile, as if he had said something terribly clever, then turned and walked towards the washroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My heart pounded in my chest, anger and hurt bubbling up inside me. How could he see me as nothing more than a pawn in this game? How could he be so blind?
When he finally emerged, I was already on my feet, adrenaline coursing through me. I couldnât stay here, not after what he had said. Not after realizing that this was how he truly saw meâas nothing more than a pawn, an extension of my fatherâs greed.
Without thinking, I grabbed the keys to one of the cars parked outside, my mind made up. I needed to get away, to clear my head, to put as much distance between myself and this nightmare of a marriage as possible. The mansion was quiet as I slipped out, the staff already retired for the night. I made my way to the garage, every step fueled by a mix of anger and desperation.
Once in the car, I didnât hesitate. The engine roared to life, and I sped out of the driveway, the tires screeching as I took off into the night. The cityâs lights blurred past me as I pushed the car to its limits, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. I needed space, needed to think, needed to escape the suffocating weight of Abhimaanâs accusations.
When I walked out of the washroom, the room was empty. I frowned, scanning the space. It didnât make senseâwhere could she have gone? But as I noticed the missing car keys, realization dawned. She had left. She had actually left.
A rush of anger surged through me. How dare she? After everything, after the deal was laid bare, she just walked out? It wasnât supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to stay, to accept the terms of our arrangement, not run away in the dead of night.
Without wasting another second, I stormed out of the room, my pulse racing. I had to catch her, bring her back before she did something reckless. The sound of an engine revving up confirmed my suspicionsâshe had taken one of the cars. My car.
I grabbed the keys to another car, my mind already focused on the chase. There was no way I was letting her get away. The sleek black Jesko roared to life as I peeled out of the driveway, my eyes locking onto the distant taillights of the car she was driving.
As I sped through the city, weaving through traffic with practiced ease, I couldnât help but be impressed. Despite everything, she was handling the car like a pro, dodging other vehicles with a skill I wouldnât have expected. But that didnât change anything. I had to catch her, to show her that she couldnât just walk out on this marriage.
We tore through the streets, the cityscape a blur around us. She was taking every sharp turn, every tight corner with a precision that surprised me. But I wasnât about to let her outmaneuver me. I pushed the car harder, my eyes narrowing as I gained on her.
As we hit the highway, she swerved into the fast lane, cutting off a truck in the process. I followed suit, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and something elseâadmiration? I shoved the thought aside, focusing instead on the task at hand. This wasnât the time to be impressed. I needed to bring her back, to put an end to this madness.
The chase intensified as we raced down the highway, our cars neck and neck. I could see her now, her figure illuminated by the dim light of the dashboard. She was focused, her hands gripping the wheel tightly, her gaze locked on the road ahead. There was no fear in her eyes, just determination.
Finally, I managed to pull up alongside her, our cars speeding down the road in unison. I reached over and flung open her door, the wind whipping through the car as I did so. But when I looked at her, ready to unleash my fury, I hesitated. Her expression wasnât what I expected. It wasnât fear or panicâit was something else, something unreadable. Her eyes were distant, her face devoid of emotion, as if she was somewhere far away.
For a moment, I didnât know what to say. I had expected tears, anger, a fight. But thisâthis calm, this detachmentâthrew me off balance. I had no idea what she was thinking, what she was feeling. It was like she had built a wall around herself, and I couldnât break through it.
I realized then that I had underestimated her. She wasnât just a pawn in this game, not just a scared, desperate woman running away from a loveless marriage. She was something more, something I hadnât anticipated. And for the first time since our marriage, I found myself at a loss.
But I couldnât let her go. Not like this. âGet out of the car, Mayura,â I said, my voice firmer than I felt. âWeâre going back.â
She looked at me then, her gaze finally meeting mine. There was no fear, no angerâjust a quiet resolve that sent a shiver down my spine. For a moment, I thought she might defy me, might keep driving, leaving me standing there on the side of the highway. But then, she nodded, her expression unchanged, and turned off the engine.
As she stepped out of the car, I felt a strange mix of emotionsârelief, frustration, and something I couldnât quite place. This wasnât over. Not by a long shot. But as we drove back to the mansion in silence, I couldnât shake the feeling that I had underestimated the woman sitting beside me. And that, perhaps, was the biggest mistake of all.