HER POV
The cold evening air hit my face as we walked down the empty road, his hand still firmly wrapped around my wrist.
The silence between us was suffocating, but I didn't dare break it. His grip wasn't harsh, but it wasn't gentle either — it was resolute, as if he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.
Streetlights cast long shadows, and the sound of our footsteps echoed faintly in the stillness. I couldn't take it anymore.
"Why?" I finally asked, my voice trembling. "Why did you do that?"
He stopped abruptly, turning to face me. His expression was unreadable, his jaw tight, and for a moment, I thought he might not answer. Then, in a voice as sharp as the winter air, he said, "Because you needed saving, and no one else had the guts to do it."
My chest tightened, anger flickering to life. "You think this is saving me? Forcing your way into my life like this?"
His eyes darkened, and he took a step closer, closing the space between us. "You think I had a choice? Those people in there would've torn you apart, ruined you, and walked away laughing. If I hadn't done it, what would you have preferred? Letting them destroy you?"
I looked away, biting my lip to keep the tears at bay. He was right, but the weight of his actions was suffocating. "You didn't have to make me your wife," I whispered.
His voice softened, but there was still an edge to it. "It was the only way they'd back off. The only way they'd understand you're not theirs to touch, to insult, to destroy."
His words hung heavy in the air, and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes that made my heart stutter—something raw, something unspoken. Was it protection? Possession? Or something even deeper?
"I didn't do this to hurt you," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "I did it to protect you. Whether you like it or not, you're mine now."
I froze, his words sinking in like stones in the depths of my mind. You're mine now.
The weight of his declaration pressed down on me, confusing and enraging me all at once.
"Yours?" I echoed, my voice trembling as I yanked my wrist free from his grasp. "You don't get to decide that for me! Do you even understand what you've done?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Under the dim streetlights, his features looked more chiseled, more unforgiving. "I understand more than you think. You don't have to trust me right now, but you'll see I had no choice."
"No choice?" I scoffed, taking a step back from him. "You've just claimed me in front of everyone. You've made me your wife without asking if I even wanted to be!"
He didn't flinch, his stance firm. "And what would you have done if I hadn't? Go back to the people who treated you like garbage? Let them ruin you just to satisfy their pride?"
I faltered, the truth of his words cutting deeper than I wanted to admit. My silence seemed to confirm his point, and he took a step closer.
"You may hate me for this," he continued, his voice low and intense, "but at least you're alive, safe. And that's all that matters to me right now."
"Safe," I whispered bitterly, shaking my head. "I'm not safe, not from you, not from what you've done. You've tied me to you without my consent. That's not safety, that's…" I trailed off, unable to find the words for the turmoil inside me.
He stepped even closer, his presence overwhelming. "You're angry. Fine make me your villain," he said, his voice softer now, almost tender. "But know this—I didn't do this to control you. I did this to protect you. And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure no one ever hurts you again."
His words hung between us, heavy with an emotion I couldn't quite name. I wanted to yell at him, to push him away, but part of me—the part that had been so close to breaking back there—wanted to believe him.
We stood there in silence, the distance between us shrinking even as I tried to hold onto my anger. The night was cold, but his presence was a strange, infuriating warmth that I couldn't ignore.
"I didn't ask for this," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
"No," he agreed, his gaze locking with mine. "But now that it's done, I'll make sure you never regret it."
Something in his tone made my chest tighten. I hated the way his words sounded almost like a vow, like a promise I wasn't ready to hear. Yet, as much as I wanted to run, my feet wouldn't move.
And in that moment, standing on an empty road under the harsh glare of the streetlights, I realized my life would never be the same again.
───── 𓍼ོ ─────
"Why are we here?" I stare at the shopping mall before me. "Come with me" he said ignoring my question and taking me out of the car. Without pressing further I walked in behind him, clenching the hem of his jacket that was wrapped around my body.
People and staff stared at me with a judging look making me bite my lower lip and stare at the floor. "Empty the mall" I heard his voice, my head snapping back at him as he ordered the manager to empty the shopping mall while forwarding a black card towards him.
My eyes grew in shock hearing his command, the staff started moving and in less than 5 minutes the mall was empty leaving only us inside. "Why did you do that?" My words came out in a gasp.
"Weren't you getting uncomfortable?" He said casually as if he didn't just pull off a stunt and sat at the sofa ordering one of the female staff.
I walk towards him as he pulls his phone out,
"Get changed and washed up, we have a flight at midnight."
"But— how? I mean we are in the mountains, we can't possibly catch a flight from here." I state, looking at him.
"We'll take a drive to Bhopal and catch the flight from there, the ride will take almost 4 hours so please hurry up." He explains gaining a nod from me before I walk away and select a dress for myself.
Upon seeing a simple lavender suit, I grabbed it and moved towards the bathroom which one of the staff told me about.
How come there is a bathroom in a shopping mall? But that wasn't my concern right now, right now all that mattered was my changing life. He said we are going to catch a flight, which means he's taking me with himself, obviously he has to after whatever he has done.
I know I shouldn't despise him, not that I actually do, he saved me. But his reckless actions have left me confused. Why did he go to such an extent to save me? Why marry me? But yet again, that was what he felt right.
I'm not afraid of him, not scared that he might hurt me.
He never did, in all this time he didn't even touch me.
But I wasn't ready for a new life with him, I never ever imagined even in my wildest dream of becoming the wife of my saviour. But here I was staring into the mirror at the girl who once ran away from her supposed husband, now as the wife of the man who not only saved her but gave her a new life to begin with.
Oh, how am I going to repay you My Dear Saviour.
As I wiped my wet hairs, staring into the mirror the realization hit me like a rock. I don't even know his name yet, what does he do? Where does he live and what about his family? Will they accept me? What will be their reaction seeing their son, brother bringing a girl who's now his wife.
What if they already planned his wedding with someone else? What about her then?
I was drowning in my thoughts, my mind leading me to the deep state of life when I heard a knock which pulled me out of my chain of overthinking and moved to open the door.
Upon opening the door, I saw him standing before me fully dressed in fresh and clean clothes. And I finally noticed his features, his straight black hair all set and his broad shoulders and tall silhouette towering over me. He stares at me with his honey brown eyes, his long eyelashes. Pointed nose and soft…lips.
"Here" he says, passing me a paper bag, taking it without passing any reply before I move towards the car.
He soon joins me after paying the bill, settling himself on the driver seat. I open the paper bag and see sandwiches and coffee inside. Turning my head towards him I find him driving with his eyes focused on the road before he opens his mouth, "You haven't eaten for the whole day"
"Thankyou" that's all I could whisper before taking the sandwich out and unwrapping the wrap around it and taking a bite. With my other hand I take the coffee cup out and sip on it, my body finally starts feeling better with food and caffeine.
I finished my first sandwich in silence while he drove, my eyes wandering to his bicep catching the redness on his bandage wrap. "Can you please stop the car?" I ask him, he glances over at me and stops at the side.
As the car comes to a halt I take the paper bag and my half left coffee and place it into his lap before getting down from the car. I walk over the bonnet and open the driver side door. "Get down and go sit at the passenger seat" My words clear as I stare into his confused eyes.
"Doctor said to not stress your arm, the drive is long and it's best for you to rest right now." I clear, my voice turning gentle as I spoke. He looks at me silent and still, his face calm and his eyes boring into mine.
"Get down" I say again this time with urgency visible in my voice and he sighs before getting down and walking over to sit in the passenger seat, my lips curl up in a satisfying smile before hopping onto the seat and starting the car.
I adjust the seat belt sticking to my breast to my neck and speed up. "Eat and go to sleep, I will wake you up when we reach" I say, pulling his attention towards me. "Are you sure you can drive that long?" He asks, his eyebrow twitching in doubt, unaware of my everyday struggle.
I open my mouth to tell him, but shut it the next second. What's the use of mentioning old things when they don't matter anymore?
From my peripheral vision I find him munching on the sandwich and taking gulps of the coffee, a relief wash over me unknowingly and I smile.