Reha leaned against the kitchen counter, watching him tie his watch. Her voice was soft but hesitant.
"Aren't you going to work today?"
Ved glanced at her through the mirror, the hesitation in her tone not escaping him.
"Actually…" he exhaled, tossing his phone onto the table, "You know what? Maybe I should go. I think Khanna's starting to suspect I've been skipping work because of you."
That one sentence hit her like a slap.
One month.
The words echoed in her head like a cruel ticking clock. That was all they had. That was the deal.
Before she could stop herself, Reha reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Will you… Give me back to Khanna after this month ends?" Her voice trembled, not with weakness, but with the fear of losing something she was never meant to have in the first place.
Ved turned slowly, cupping her face in both his hands. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with a promise only a man in love could make.
"You're mine now, Reha. No one—he leaned closer, pressing his forehead to hers —"No one can take you away from me. And I mean it. No one."
She blinked away the sting in her eyes, trying to smile through the storm inside her.
"If you want," he added, gently brushing her cheek with his thumb, "I can stay home today. We can just… be here. Together. No Khanna. No deals. Just us."
But Reha shook her head, as much as she hated herself for it."No... You should go. Really."
He tilted his head, skeptical."You sure?"
She bit her lip and nodded."Yes, absolutely. Otherwise, Shikha might start camping outside our house again."
Ved groaned, then dramatically widened his eyes."Oh, then I must leave. I feel molested already."
Reha burst into laughter, and so did he.
For a moment, the weight lifted, the fear, the clock, the past, all paused. Just two people in love, teasing between moments of truth.
After a few more stolen seconds, Ved leaned in, kissed her softly, then finally stepped out.
But her fingers stayed cold long after the door clicked shut.
Reha was tidying up the room, folding Ved's shirt that still smelled faintly of his cologne. Her hands moved slowly, distracted. As she walked toward the kitchen, tying her hair into a messy bun, her eyes fell on a familiar tiffin box.
Deepika's tiffin.
The same one Shikha had delivered that night. Reha frowned. "You never return an empty box," she murmured, an old ritual, one of those customs that stuck to her bones no matter how far she was from home.
She prepared a warm sabzi and a couple of soft chapatis, packed them carefully into the tiffin, and decided to take it over herself. A simple courtesy.
But as she reached the corridor outside Deepika's flat, her footsteps slowed.
She heard Shikha's voice, loud, carefree, and laced with something venomous.
Shikha:
"bro, that Ved… omg, his body? I swear I just crave him right now."
Reha froze.
Riya:
"Girl, isn't he married? Calm down."
Shikha (laughing):
"Please, they don't even look good together. Did you see their height difference? Ugh. He looks way better next to me."
Riya:
"Still, what's the point? He's taken."
Shikha:
"You don't get it. Every time I visit their place, he's shirtless. It's like he's doing it for me. And today, when I invited him to my party, the way he said yes— so sweetly... girl, today I'm gonna kiss him. That'll be my birthday gift."
Riya:
"Just be careful. His wife might find out. Still... hot, though."
Shikha (smirking):
"Shut up. He's mine."
Reha's hands clenched into fists around the tiffin. Her blood boiled, not out of insecurity, but rage. That someone could speak about Ved like that, so shamelessly, so openly... as if he were a trophy to claim.
But she didn't storm in. She waited for a beat, then knocked calmly on the door.
Shikha opened it, still glowing with self-obsession."Oh, hey, Reha. Thanks!" she smiled, taking the tiffin.
Reha stared straight into her eyes, her voice firm, every word sharp like a knife wrapped in silk.
"You're welcome. Oh, and Ved went to work already."
Shikha blinked.
Reha tilted her head slightly, still smiling.
"Ved brother, call him that, ' He's much older than you, Shikha." Then with a pause, she added, "And maybe… try focusing on what's yours, not on what's mine."
She turned on her heel and walked away — proud, fierce, and full of fire.
Reha stood in front of the mirror, a strange unease pooling in her chest. The thought of going to that party—Shikha's party—made her gut twist. She couldn't forget what she'd overheard earlier. What if Shikha tried something? What if Ved didn't see it coming?
Before her mind could spiral further, she heard the front door open. Ved was back.
He stepped in, and the moment his eyes met hers, a softness overtook his features. He walked straight to her, pulled her into a kiss that made her toes curl, and whispered against her lips:
"You're not ready yet? Don't wanna go?"
Reha rested her head against his chest, her cheek brushing the fabric of his black shirt."Hmm... I don't know what to wear."
Ved smiled, playing with a lock of her hair."Wear that yellow saree. You look... cute in it."
She smiled softly, her face just barely reaching his neck. She tilted her head up, eyes locking with his, and her lips curled into a warm, dimpled grin.
"Okay..." she whispered and disappeared into the room.
But as she stood before the wardrobe, her fingers hovering over the delicate yellow saree, doubt crept in. Shikha will definitely try to look hot. And I'll just stand there, cute and sweet... like always.
No.
Not tonight.
Tonight, she wasn't going to play sweet. She was going to own the room.
She put the yellow saree back in the closet and reached for something else — a black georgette saree, barely-there fabric, paired with a backless blouse. Her long hair flowed freely down her spine, lips painted in a seductive berry hue, kohl smudged just enough to draw attention. Every step she took echoed confidence.
When she finally stepped into the living room, Ved froze.
He turned slowly, his eyes roaming over her with stunned admiration. His hand automatically went to his chest like he was holding his heart together.
"Ooo damn," he said, breathlessly."Look who just set my whole world on fire. My babygirl."
He walked up to her, not breaking eye contact for even a second.
"You were going to wear yellow."
Reha shrugged playfully."It wasn't pressed. So... I wore this instead. Am I looking hot?"
Ved leaned in, his lips brushing her earlobe."Hot? Hot as fire, sweetheart."He winked, pulled her closer, kissed her jaw, and whispered, "Let's go make them burn."
Reha smiled, slipped her hand into his, and the two walked out — her heels clicking like a warning shot, his arm protective around her waist.
Tonight, it wasn't just Shikha's birthday.
Tonight, Reha was claiming her place.
The party lights shimmered like a lie—beautiful on the surface, toxic underneath.
Ved and Reha entered together, his hand resting protectively at the small of her back. She looked like fire wrapped in elegance, the black saree hugging her frame, her confidence glowing. But Reha's smile faltered the moment she noticed Shikha's eyes—hooked on Ved like a hawk marking its prey.
Her gaze never left him.
Not once.
Ved, oblivious to it all, was casually sipping from a glass of juice that someone had handed him. Reha, meanwhile, was swept into a group of women chatting about sarees, makeup, and god knows what. She tried to keep focus, but her eyes kept darting to Ved.
And then…
Everything went sideways.
The juice Shikha handed Ved wasn't just juice—it was drugged. Potent. Fast-acting.
Within seconds, his world spun.
People blurred.
Voices faded.
And then, in every face he saw... he saw her.
Reha.
His Reha.
Even in Shikha.
That was enough for Shikha to act.
Taking advantage of his haze, she slipped her hand into his, guiding him out of the crowd and into silence—a room far from the noise. But what Reha didn't know... was that it wasn't just a room.
It was another apartment. Riya's flat. Same building. Same floor. Different hell.
Shikha locked the door from inside.
She made him sit on the bed, and without hesitation, slid onto his lap, her arms curling around his neck like snakes.
"Tonight, you're mine, Ved. I'm claiming you."
Ved swayed, dazed."Reha… I love you... reha... baby… love you..." he murmured, his words slurring like a drunk man in a storm.
But he wasn't drunk.
He was drugged.
And vulnerable.
Shikha's hands began unbuttoning his shirt, her nails trailing down his chest, over his abs, and then to unzip his pants, eyes gleaming with hunger. She wasn't stopping.
She didn't want to stop.
Meanwhile, Reha was pacing.
Her smile was gone. Panic clutched her chest like a vice.
Ved was gone.
And so was Shikha.
She looked everywhere—every room, every corridor. Her lips trembled."Ved? Ved?!" she called, her voice growing louder, more desperate.
Tears shimmered on her waterline. The music was too loud. No one could hear her.
No one cared.
But she wasn't giving up.
She ran down the staircases, scanning balconies, knocking on doors. Something in her gut screamed: something is wrong.
And then… fate guided her to Riya's door.
She paused. Her heart pounded.
"Ved? VED!" she screamed from outside, knocking, then banging.
Inside, Ved heard her.
Her voice, raw and desperate, cut through the drug's fog like a knife.
And suddenly, everything snapped.
This wasn't Reha.
He shoved Shikha off him.
She stumbled, screamed.
"FUCK YOU, REHA!" she shrieked like a woman possessed.
Ved didn't care. He ran to the door.
But Shikha wasn't done.
She grabbed his arm, pulled him back, and hugged him from behind.
"Please stay... please be with me, Ved. Please." Her voice cracked, desperate and pathetic.
He didn't even glance back.
"Reha…" he called, louder, heart thundering.
The lock clicked.
Reha had managed to open it. Riya had only bolted it from the outside.
The door flew open.
And there she was—standing tall, fierce, eyes burning with betrayal and pain.
She saw everything.
Ved shirtless.
Shikha was barely clothed.
Her stomach twisted, but she didn't waver.
Ved rushed forward and pulled her into the tightest embrace. His voice broke:
"You're my love... you're my Reha... my real Reha. Only you."
Reha looked over his shoulder at the woman still trying to pull her saree up.
She pulled back from Ved and walked toward Shikha.
And then—
SLAP.
The sound echoed like judgment.
"Don't you understand? NO MEANS NO. Whether it's a girl... or a boy. Consent isn't optional."
Shikha's face burned red. With shame. With rage.
But Reha didn't stay to watch.
She turned, grabbed Ved's hand, and walked out without another word—shoulders straight, chin up, and eyes full of fire.
He was hers.
And tonight, she protected him.