"Kill me... not her."
His voice was low, deadly calm, but his eyes-bloodshot, burning-never left mine.
Eyes that should have hated me.
Eyes that should have turned away after my betrayal.
But no... even now, he chose me.
And that was the worst punis...
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The moment the car screeched to a stop in front of Swarnakoot, I didn't wait. Without sparing Devraj a glance, I unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed the door open, stepping out hurriedly. My hands trembled, my breaths coming out uneven.
I almost ran towards the main door, my chest tight, my throat heavy and aching from the weight of his words. The cruel, heartless words that refused to leave my mind.
You are nothing to me. This marriage is nothing to me.
I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly to stop the burning in my eyes. Before I could even reach for the doorbell, the door swung open.
Dadisa stood there, her kind eyes softening the moment she saw me. "Saanvi," she said, reaching out as if to comfort me. But I quickly lowered my gaze, not wanting her to see the emotions swirling in my eyes.
Just then, Viraj bhai, Karan, and Arjun appeared behind her. Their expressions shifted the moment they saw my face-concern, guilt, and regret flashing through their features.
Viraj bhai exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Saanvi... we're so sorry."
Karan nodded, stepping forward. "We really thought Dev bhai would bring you back properly, not-" He stopped, glancing past me towards the car where Devraj was still seated, gripping the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched, his posture stiff, but he made no move to step out.
Arjun sighed. "Honestly, we should've known better."
Viraj bhai looked at me again, his voice filled with guilt. "Next time, just give us your number, Saanvi. We'll come ourselves. We won't rely on Dev bhai again."
I swallowed hard, forcing a small, tired nod. My fingers trembled as I pulled out my phone and handed it to Viraj bhai. He quickly saved my number in his own phone before passing it to Karan and Arjun.
Dadisa sighed, reaching out to gently pat my head. "Come inside, beta. You must be exhausted."
I nodded again, my voice lost somewhere between the pain in my chest and the lump in my throat.
As I stepped into Swarnakoot, I heard the car door slam shut behind me. My body tensed automatically.
He was here.
But I refused to turn back.
I didn't want to see him.
Not after tonight.
I sat in the grand living area, engaged in a conversation with Babasa, Chachasa, Viraj bhai, and Dadisa. Their warmth, their genuine concern-it was the only thing keeping me from breaking apart after everything that had happened tonight.
I focused on their words, trying to push away the lingering sting of Devraj's voice in my head. Trying to ignore the cold shadow of my so-called husband, who walked past me just then.
