Bound by Vows, Broken by Fate
Chapter 11: A Crack in the Walls
Days turned into weeks, yet the tension between them remained, a ghost that haunted every moment. Rivan had never known patience, but for her, he was willing to learn.
Every morning, he ensured her tea was made just the way she liked it. Every evening, he found subtle ways to be near her, though he never overstepped. He didn’t demand her attention, didn’t force conversations, didn’t expect miracles.
He simply tried.
And for the first time, Meher was beginning to notice.
---
One particularly cold night, a storm raged outside. The winds howled against the windows, the sky crackling with angry lightning. Meher sat curled on the couch in the living room, a book in her lap, though she wasn’t really reading.
Rivan stood by the fireplace, watching her.
She looked… small. Fragile. And he hated knowing he was the reason behind it.
He hesitated before speaking. “Do you want me to light the fireplace?”
She looked up, blinking in surprise.
It wasn’t an apology. It wasn’t a grand gesture. It was something simple. Thoughtful.
She nodded. “Okay.”
He moved quickly, gathering the wood and setting it ablaze. The warm glow filled the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
Meher hugged herself, her fingers curling into the sleeves of her sweater.
“Come closer,” he murmured, barely realizing the words had left his mouth.
Her lips parted slightly, as if debating. Then, after what felt like forever, she stood and walked over to sit near the fire.
Closer to him.
He felt his chest tighten.
---
Hours passed. The storm outside had settled, but neither of them moved.
Meher, to his surprise, spoke first. “I used to love nights like these.”
Rivan turned to her, waiting.
She kept her gaze on the fire. “Back home, my mother would make chai, and we’d sit by the window, listening to the rain. It felt… safe.”
A pang of guilt twisted inside him. Had he taken that sense of safety away from her?
He swallowed hard. “You should visit home soon.”
Meher blinked, clearly not expecting that.
“You miss them,” he added softly. “You should go.”
She searched his face, her expression unreadable. Then, for the first time in what felt like forever, she said, “Thank you.”
The words were quiet, almost hesitant, but they made something in Rivan’s chest ache.
He didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
Because for the first time in weeks, Meher had finally looked at him without resentment in her eyes.
And that… that was everything.
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Bound by Vows, Broken by Fate
RomanceThe wedding was never meant to be hers. It was her sister's dream, her sister's future. But when the bride ran away hours before the ceremony, her father shoved the heavy veil over her head, whispering, "For the family's honor, you must take her pla...
