THE WEDDING NIGHT
The scent of jasmine and roses lingered in the air, mixing with the flickering candlelight that cast golden shadows across the silk-draped bedroom. The soft hum of distant music had faded, leaving behind an intoxicating silence that felt like a death sentence.
Mahi sat at the edge of the massive bed, her fingers clutching the delicate red fabric of her bridal lehenga, knuckles white from the pressure. Seventeen. She was only seventeen, and yet, here she was, trapped in a marriage with a man eleven years her senior—a man she barely knew, yet who now owned every piece of her.
Arjun Mehra. Billionaire, ruthless, dangerously handsome. A man feared by many, respected by all, and now, her husband. He was everything a woman should desire, but to Mahi, he was a storm—dark, relentless, and impossible to escape.
The door clicked shut. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic rhythm of dread.
She didn’t dare look up as she heard the rustling of his suit jacket being removed, followed by the faint clink of his watch hitting the marble dresser. Each sound felt like a countdown, a final warning before the inevitable.
“Mahi.” His voice was deep, smooth as silk yet carrying an edge of quiet danger.
She swallowed hard before lifting her gaze. He stood before her, shirt sleeves rolled up, collar loosened, dark eyes watching her like a predator stalking its prey.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked, stepping closer, his presence suffocating, his aura overwhelming.
Her lips parted, but no words came out. She wasn’t just afraid of him—she was terrified of what he could do to her, of what he could make her feel. He was a man who bent the world to his will, and now, she was his to break.
“I won’t touch you unless you beg for it,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against her cheek, a feather-light touch that sent shivers down her spine. “But tell me, Mahi… do you want me to?”
Her breath hitched. She had expected cruelty, indifference—perhaps even impatience. But this? This was far worse. The way he looked at her, the way his voice caressed her name like a dark promise—it made her feel things she wasn’t ready to name, things that thrilled and terrified her all at once.
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Arjun let out a slow, dark chuckle, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “That’s alright. We have a lifetime to figure it out.”
He stepped back, his restraint evident, but his control absolute. “Sleep, Mahi. Tonight, you’re safe. But one day, you’ll come to me willingly. And when you do… you won’t be able to run.”
As he turned off the lights, leaving only the moon to illuminate the room, Mahi realized something terrifying.
Arjun Mehra was a man who could ruin her.
And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be saved.
