That night, sleep was a stranger to Arshi. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt those cold, slender fingers tucking hair behind her ear. Every creak of the floorboards outside her room made her heart leap into her throat, fearing it was him coming to claim his 'toy' in the dead of night.
When the first light of dawn filtered through her curtains, Arshi sat up, her eyes burning from exhaustion. She turned toward her vanity mirror, and her breath hitched.
There, lying perfectly spread out on her chair, was a dress.
It was a deep, mesmerizing shade of crimson—the color of fresh blood. Beside it lay a small velvet box and a handwritten note. With trembling hands, she picked up the card.
"8:00 AM, Babygirl. Don't make me come upstairs to dress you myself. — J"
The sheer audacity of his threat made her blood run cold. He had entered her room while she was asleep. He had been right there, watching her breathe, and she hadn't even known.
"I won't wear it," she whispered to her reflection, her eyes filling with defiant tears. "I am not his slave."
She grabbed a simple, pale blue lawn suit from her closet—the most modest and 'un-Joy-like' outfit she owned. She dressed quickly, tied her hair in a tight bun, and headed downstairs at 7:55 AM, determined to show him she wasn't afraid.
As she entered the dining area, the smell of fresh coffee and omelets filled the air. Her father was reading the newspaper, and Joy... Joy was sitting in the same spot as yesterday, checking something on his laptop. He looked devastatingly handsome in a black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms.
The moment she stepped into the room, the clicking of his keyboard stopped.
The silence that followed was deafening. Her father looked up and smiled. "Good morning, Maa! You're up early."
Arshi couldn't answer. Her gaze was locked on Joy. His expression didn't change, but his eyes... they darkened until they looked like two bottomless pits of coal. He slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze raking over her blue outfit with blatant disapproval.
"Good morning, Arshi," Joy said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "You look... rebellious today."
"I like this color, Joy Bhaiya," Arshi said, her voice shaking despite her best efforts. "It's my choice what I wear."
Her father laughed, unaware of the war happening across the table. "Of course, it is! Blue suits you, Maa."
Joy didn't laugh. He picked up his coffee cup and took a slow sip, never breaking eye contact with Arshi.
"Uncle," Joy said smoothly, "I realized I forgot to give Arshi the gift I brought from Australia. It's in her room. Actually, I think I spilled a bit of tea on the stairs earlier—Arshi, why don't you go grab your gift and bring a cloth to clean that up? I'd hate for someone to slip."
It was a command masked as a request. Arshi knew there was no tea on the stairs. He wanted her alone.
"Go on, Maa," her father encouraged.
Arshi turned and ran up the stairs, her heart thumping. As she reached the landing, she heard heavy, rhythmic footsteps behind her. She didn't even make it to her door before a strong hand grabbed her arm and swung her around, pinning her against the wall.
Joy's body was a wall of heat and hard muscle, trapping her completely.
"I gave you an order, Arshi," he growled, his face inches from hers. The mask of the 'polite guest' was gone, replaced by the raw, primal predator.
"I... I told you, I won't—"
He gripped her chin, his thumb pressing hard against her lower lip. "You have five minutes to put on that red dress. If you don't, I will go down there, tell your father I want to marry you today, and believe me... he won't say no to his favorite 'son'. Do you want to be my bride by noon, or do you want to play nice?"
Arshi's eyes widened in horror. "You... you wouldn't."
"Try me," he whispered, his eyes flickering down to her lips. "Five minutes, Babygirl. Or I start making wedding arrangements."
Author's Note:
Joy is not playing around! He's using Arshi's love for her father against her. 😱
Will Arshi give in and wear the red dress to breakfast?
What do you think Joy's 'gift' in the velvet box is? Jewellery? Or something more sinister?
Comment your thoughts below and don't forget to 'Add to Library'! 👇🔥