Sanchi's fingers wrapped around the car door handle.
"Fine," she snapped, her eyes burning with anger. "If you won't stop the car, I'll jump out myself."
The moment she tried to open the door, a strong arm wrapped around her waist.
Before she could react, she was pulled backward.
Straight into Kabir's lap.
"What are you doing?!" Sanchi struggled violently.
Kabir didn't answer.
His arms locked around her like steel chains, leaving no room for escape.
"Let me go!"
She pushed against his chest.
Hit his shoulders.
Tried to free herself again and again.
But Kabir remained completely calm.
As if her resistance meant nothing.
Hours of crying, fear, and emotional exhaustion had already drained every bit of strength from her body.
Slowly...
Her movements weakened.
Her eyelids became heavy.
And before she realized it, she fell asleep.
Right there in Kabir's arms.
For a few moments, silence filled the car.
Kabir looked down at the sleeping girl.
Tears still stained her cheeks.
The bright red sindoor spread across her face like a wound that refused to heal.
Something tightened painfully inside his chest.
Without a word, he took out a handkerchief.
Carefully.
Gently.
He wiped away the sindoor from her cheeks.
His fingers paused when his eyes reached the vermilion resting in the parting of her hair.
The symbol that now tied their lives together.
For a long moment, he simply stared.
No anger.
No hatred.
No coldness.
Only silence.
A silence even he couldn't understand.
The driver noticed everything through the rear-view mirror.
Shock flashed across his face.
He had worked for Kabir for years.
He had seen him destroy businesses.
Break people.
Crush enemies without mercy.
But this?
This was the first time he had ever seen Kabir looking at someone like that.
As if she mattered.
As if her pain hurt him too.
The driver immediately looked away.
Some things were better left unseen.
Meanwhile, Kabir continued staring at the sleeping girl beside him.
His jaw tightened.
A strange battle raged inside him.
Every time he looked into Sanchi's green eyes, memories he wanted buried forever came rushing back.
Memories filled with betrayal.
Pain.
Hatred.
Yet no matter how hard he tried...
He couldn't stay away from her.
And that was what terrified him the most.
Because Kabir Kumar feared nothing in this world.
Except the possibility that his hatred might one day turn into something else.
Something far more dangerous.
Something called love.
Outside, dark clouds continued gathering over the sky.
And neither of them knew...
Their real battle had only just begun.
Stay tuned..