Chapter -9
The man "we can't leave him"
Yug screamed, “Besharm! Kutte! Chhod do usse!” He thrashed violently, but was shoved down again.
Veeransh finally moved.
His boots crunched against gravel as he stepped forward, slowly, deliberately.
The man who had spoken faltered, his confidence slipping as Veeransh’s aura crashed over him like a tidal wave.
“You thought,” Veeransh’s voice was low, guttural, lethal, “you could touch him?”
Something primal snapped inside him.
Without another word, he grabbed the nearest priest by the throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
The man gagged, kicking, his nails scratching against Veeransh’s iron grip.
“You thought,” Veeransh growled again, voice low and guttural, “you could touch him huh?” His eyes flicked briefly to Aariv, whose torn clothes clung desperately to his trembling form.
The sight only made his rage darker. “Zinda jala dunga tum sabko.”
“Veeransh!” Harinarayan barked, trying to ground him. “Bas! Yeh rasta nahi hai...”
But it was too late. The other priests tried to rush forward, only to freeze when Veeransh drew his gun in a swift motion, pressing it to the man’s temple.
“Veeransh!” Harinarayan barked, alarm flashing in his eyes.
“Abhi ek shrap kafi nahi tha jo dusra lene ja rahe ho?”
But Veeransh’s fury was beyond reason.
His eyes, blazing, flicked to Aariv still crying, still trembling, his kurta half torn, his innocence under siege.
“I can’t leave him like this,” Veeransh growled.
“How dare they even think of touching him.”
Harinarayan’s expression softened faintly, even amidst the chaos.
He had never seen this side of Veeransh before.
“Let me help you,” he murmured.
Stepping forward, he addressed the men.
“Kyun pakda hua hai ise? Aisa kya khaas hai is ladke mein?”
The priest is still dangling in Veeransh’s grip rasped, “Jise humne pakda tha use yeh bhaga laya.
Ab yeh nahi bachega. Yeh pavitra hai… iske bina humari kriya adhuri hai.Ise kisi ne kabhi chhua nahi hai.
Shaadi bhi nahi hui. Pavitra hai... bilkul uchit humare karm ke liye.
Pehle hum isse ek ek karke chhuege... aur phir ye zindagi bhar humari seva karega"
The words were filth.
Veeransh’s jaw clenched harder.
His eyes softened only for a second when they landed on Aariv.
The boy’s lips quivered. His lashes clumped with tears.
His fragile form seemed moments away from breaking.
Something primal snapped.
He released the priest, who collapsed coughing to the ground, and strode straight into the circle.
Aariv flinched as he approached, confusion flashing in his tearful eyes.
Veer’s breathing grew harsher with every word, his body trembling as fury coiled tighter and tighter inside him.
And then… it snapped. His hand gripped Aariv’s trembling wrist, firm and unyielding, pulling him up from the ground in one swift motion.
Aariv stumbled, eyes widening as he looked up at the tall man now standing protectively in front of him.
Their gazes locked Aariv’s doe eyes brimming with tears and Veer’s burning with fury and something deeper, darker, more dangerous.
In that moment, destiny sealed.
Without breaking eye contact, Veer bent down, grabbed the small silver box of vermillion lying before the men, and in one fluid motion He filled Aariv’s hairline with sindoor.
The red powder streaked his pale skin, a few grains falling to his nose.
Aariv’s eyes fluttered shut instinctively, tears spilling as the heat of the moment overwhelmed him.
Silence.
The world stopped.
Every man standing there froze, their arrogance crumbling into stunned disbelief.
Yug’s mouth fell open, his eyes widening in absolute shock.
Even the torches seemed to flicker uncertainly, as if shaken by the act.
But Harinarayan… Harinarayan tilted his face upward toward the sky, a smile tugging at his lips as though he’d been waiting for this moment.
Veeransh’s chest heaved. His eyes scanned every man present, sharp and blazing, before his voice thundered across the night.
“Nahi hui thi shaadi iski? Ab ho gayi. Ab yeh sirf mera hai.” His tone was lethal, every word dripping with finality. “Aur jahan tak baat rahi ki ise kabhi kisi ne chhua nahi…”
Before Aariv could even register, before his lashes could lift from the sindoor still fresh on his forehead Veer’s hand gripped his jaw, tilting his face upward.
"To lo ab chhu liya..."
And his lips crashed onto Aariv’s.
The kiss was raw, brutal, claiming.
Veer’s lips pressed hard, devouring, pouring all his rage and desperation into the act.
It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle. It was a declaration, a warning, a claim.
His hand tightened around Aariv’s jaw, keeping him in place as though afraid he’d vanish if he let go.
Aariv froze, his breath caught, his mind blank.
His chest hammered, his eyes wide open against the force of the kiss.
He didn’t understand what was happening, why this dangerous man was kissing him in front of everyone.
His knees weakened under the weight of the moment, the heat, the shock.
Veer kissed him harder, his teeth grazing his lip, until the world itself blurred.
The boy’s soft whimper was swallowed, his innocence consumed by the storm raging in Veer.
And then....
Harinarayan cleared his throat loudly, turning his gaze deliberately away, giving them a moment yet reminding Veer of the world watching.
Only then did Veer tear his lips away, panting, his eyes still locked on Aariv.
The boy’s lashes trembled, tears spilling freely, his lips red and swollen, his body trembling violently.
And before Aariv could process the trauma, the heat, the confusion
darkness pulled him under.
He passed out cold into Veer’s arms.
Veer’s roar echoed across the night, shaking the men to their bones.
“Ab mere biwi ki taraf kisi ne aankh uthake dekhne ki koshish bhi ki… toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga.”
The silence was absolute.
No one dared move.
Yug, still pinned down, stared in utter shock, his mind blank, his body frozen.
It took him several moments to realize Aariv, was being held like glass in the arms of Veeransh Rathore, a man whose presence was nothing short of terrifying.
Veer adjusted his grip on Aariv’s unconscious form, lifting him bridal style with effortless strength.
His face was unreadable now, his fury leashed but simmering beneath the surface.
Harinarayan helped Yug up, brushing the dirt from his torn shirt. “Chalo.”
His voice was calm, almost casual, as if nothing extraordinary had just unfolded.
Still stunned, Yug stumbled toward the SUV.
The SUV loomed like a beast waiting at the edge of the forest, headlights dimming into the darkness.
Veeransh didn’t look at anyone not at Yug limping forward with Harinarayan’s help, not at the circle of stunned men behind him.
His world had shrunk to the fragile weight against his chest.
He opened the door with one hand, lowered himself into the backseat, and cradled Aariv carefully across his lap.
For a man whose aura radiates nothing but fire and steel, the way he adjusted the boy ensuring his head rested against his shoulder, ensuring his torn kurta was pulled up to cover his chest was almost startling.
Harinarayan helped Yug into the other side of the backseat, then slid into the passenger seat.
Veeransh settled in behind the wheel.
The doors shut.
The silence was suffocating.
The engine roared to life, the headlights slicing into the road as Veeransh pressed the accelerator.
Gravel crunched, the forest rushed past, and the ritual ground disappeared into the shadows.
For a long time, no one spoke.
Yug sat stiff, one hand pressed against the cut on his temple, his eyes flicking between Aariv and Veeransh.
His chest still heaved, trying to calm after the nightmare they had just lived.
But his gaze kept returning to the boy in Veeransh’s arms his best friend, his brother in all but blood.
And to the man who held him like a vow.
Veeransh’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
His eyes, sharp and burning, remained fixed on the dark road ahead.
His lips were pressed into a thin line, but his entire body screamed of violence violence held back by a single thread.
Harinarayan broke the silence first. His voice was calm, but it carried weight.
“Tumne kya kiya, Veer.”
Veeransh didn’t reply but his jaw ticked.
“Tum jaante ho iska kya matlab hai,” Harinarayan continued softly. “Sindoor, woh … sabke saamne Tumne usse apna bana liya.”
The air thickened. Yug stiffened, eyes darting sharply to Veeransh. His pulse quickened. Apna bana liya? The words rang in his head like a bell.
Veeransh finally spoke, his tone low, gritted.
“Mujhe koi parvaah nahi. Maine wahi Kiya jo mujhe shi laga"
His grip tightened on the wheel until the leather creaked.
His other arm instinctively shifted, pulling Aariv closer into his chest. The unconscious boy stirred faintly, his brows twitching, but he didn’t wake.
Yug swallowed, his throat dry. “Aap… Aap jaante bhi ho woh kaun hai?” His voice was cautious, edged with disbelief.
“Aariv… usne toh aapka naam bhi bas ek baar suna hai abhi tak. Aur Aapne...” his voice broke, anger and confusion bleeding in, “...sabke saamne usse…”
His words faltered.
He couldn’t say it. Couldn’t bring himself to describe what Veeransh had done.
That kiss. That claim.
Veeransh’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, catching Yug’s reflection.
The sharpness there was enough to silence him.
“I did what I had to,” Veeransh muttered.
His tone was final, dangerous. “Aaj ke baad koi uski taraf aankh utha kar bhi nahi dekhega.”
Yug’s fists clenched on his knees. He wanted to argue, wanting to scream that Aariv wasn’t some possession to be claimed but the image of that circle, of those men leering, of Aariv crying and begging ,flashed in his mind.
And he fell silent.
Because deep down, he knew.
If Veeransh hadn’t come when he did, Aariv wouldn’t have survived tonight.
Harinarayan watched the exchange quietly, his fingers resting calmly in his lap.
His eyes, however, lingered on Aariv. The boy’s innocence radiated even in unconsciousness, his face fragile as glass.
There was something almost… celestial about him.
The pandit’s lips curved faintly. “Yeh sab hone hi tha,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
Minutes bled into silence. The SUV ate up the distance, headlights chasing away the night.
Aariv stirred faintly now and then, his lips parting, a soft sound escaping, but he didn’t wake.
Every time he moved, Veeransh’s arm tightened around him instinctively, grounding him back into stillness.
Finally, Yug whispered, almost to himself.
“Aaru… tumhe pata bhi nahi tum kiske haathon gir gaye ho.
Hume yha aana hi nhi chahiye tha, sab bekar ho gya ab mai tujhe sab kaise samjhaunga”
And the SUV drove on, carrying them all toward a future none of them were ready for.
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