Chapter Sixty Two.
Meera led Ira up the spiral staircase, Every movement the woman made was a study in effortless grace, a nervous energy vibrating through Ira's veins.
Arav trailed behind them silencely his small face already settling into the somber watchful expression of his father.
As they reached the top, Meera guided Ira to a plush lounge that overlooked part of the city through floor-to-ceiling glass.
The light of the setting sun bathed the room in a bruised purple and gold, casting long, across the marble floor.
Ira stood at the edge of the room, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She looked down through the glass floor, her eyes finding Devraj..
Even from here, she could feel the weight of his possessiveness, a invisible tether that refused to let her go.
"You can breathe here, Ira." Meera said softly, She gestured to the seat across from her. "The men are busy measuring their sins. Up here, we are just ourselves."
Ira sank into the velvet sofa, the luxury of the fabric doing little to soothe the beating of her heart.
Just then a young server brought them a tray of some sparkling water that Ira frowned at.
It looked weird..
"Thank you." Meera smiled at the waiter, who seem to smile back and walked away.
Ira watched Meera pour two glasses of sparkling water, the crystal clinking with a sound that felt too loud in the sudden quiet.
"He looks at you as if you are the only thing keeping him from burning the world down.." Meera noted, her hazel eyes meeting Ira's with a piercing uncomfortable clarity.
"Is that what you call it? It feels more like he's waiting for me to break so he can pick up the pieces and claim them as his own."
Meera didn't look shocked. Instead, a look of profound, haunting empathy washed over her features. She leaned forward, the gold of her necklace catching the light.
"I know that look. It's the look of a man who has decided that your soul belongs to him before he's even asked for your name."
"How do you do it?" Ira whispered, her voice cracking as she looked at the woman who seemed so at peace in the heart of a mafia empire. "How do you live with a man who is a storm? How do you breathe when the air around you is thick with his... his need to own you?"
Meera stayed silent for a second, her gaze flickering to Arav, who was sat in a corner, quietly flipping through his book.
"In the beginning.." Meera began, "I fought the storm.
I thought if I ran fast enough, I could find the edge of his reach.
But men like Arjun...No wait..Obsessed men to be specific.
. they don't have edges. They are the horizon.
They surround you until they are the only thing you can see. "
She reached across the table, her warm fingers brushing against Ira's hand.
"You think you are in a cage, Ira. And perhaps you are. But you need to decide if you are going to be the bird that breaks its wings against the bars, or the one who learns how to rule the sky inside it."
Ira shivered, the words settling in her chest. She looked back down at Devraj, who was now deep in conversation with Arjun.
"Devraj is just a businessman, why...relationships with, this kind..." Ira mumbled, searching Meera's face for the lie.
"A businessman handles gold, Ira. Devraj handles power. And right now... you are the most powerful thing he has ever touched."
"This is all too much for me.." she murmured..
To her surprise, a soft, knowing chuckle rippled from Meera.
"Oh, trust me... I won't lie to you, from one sister to another.." Meera said. "It will become overwhelming. In worlds like this, you don't have the luxury of time. You need to learn how to embrace the chaos fast, or it will drown you."
Ira bit her lip, "But... I don't want it. I never asked for any of this."
Meera didn't answer immediately. She simply watched Ira, her hazel eyes searching, weighing the fear against the hidden sparks of something else.
After a long moment, a small smile touched her lips.
"Want to know what I noticed?" Meera asked. Ira nodded, "I see a woman who is drowning in confusion. You are judging your feelings based on the trauma of how this started, and because of that, you refuse to see the effort he's making."
Ira gasped, her eyes snapping wide as she blinked back sudden heat. Meera simply took a slow, elegant sip of her sparkling water.
"What do you mean?" Ira managed to whisper.
"Has Devraj ever treated you badly?" Meera asked, her gaze steady.
Ira let out another sigh, her mind racing through the last few weeks.
"Not... bad. Not in the way people think.
It's just that his obsession is.
.. it's terrifying. He tried to demolish my father's workshop.
I only got him to stop because I agreed to be his.
He's jealous, and his emotions are so loud they're suffocating. I don't know what to do with it."
Meera nodded slowly.. "Okayyy.. But has he ever actually hurt you, Ira?"
"No..." Ira whispered, the truth feeling like a betrayal of her own anger.
Meera's smile grew, but it didn't reach her eyes, which remained fixed on some distant, dark memory.
"My father had a gun pointed at his head, just for trying to protect me once." she calmly said.
Ira's blood turned to ice. She stared at the beautiful woman in the cream Saree, her heart stopping.
"Arjun did that?"
"And more.." Meera replied, her bangles chiming as she set her glass down.
"Then how..." Ira's voice cracked. "How are you still with him? How could you even find it in yourself to... to love a man like that?"
"Because I chose him.. I chose his world.
" Meera said simply, "And I took the time to learn the man behind the monster.
To me, Arjun is the sweetest soul I know.
He hides no secrets from me, he is blunt, honest, and usually, mostly very careful with his words.
" She let out a small, fond chuckle, though Ira's expression remained stunned.
Meera's gaze drifted toward the glass floor, then back to Ira.
"Devraj is different. I can clearly see that, he is a man who likely didn't know how to handle emotions when they first started taking root.
That emotional illiteracy... it causes men like him to act with a harshness they don't quite understand.
If you look closely, Ira, you'll see a man who wants to learn.
He is just... stuck. You might be the first woman to ever make his world go haywire. " Meera chuckled..
"But he had a girlfriend before.." Ira countered quickly, her voice tinged with a strange defensive edge.
Meera's brows pulled together. "Really? Had? I assume that means it's over?"
Ira nodded. "He never says why, but he's made it clear she is nothing to him.."
Meera acknowledged this with a slow, thoughtful nod, her eyes twinkling with a secret she wasn't ready to share yet.
"I see."
"All of this is just... it's crazy." Ira whispered, her fingers nervously twisting together.
"And maybe you're right about few thing.
I am confused. I've been judging him through the lens of the trauma he caused.
He knew I was with another man and he still came for me.
I told him no, and he just kept coming. "
Ira looked up, seeing the small, patient smile on Meera's face. She felt a sudden, unexpected rush of honesty.
"But... if there is one thing I'm thankful for, it's that Devraj is always there.
No matter what. And he hasn't forced me to give in, the pressure is there sure, but he never forced me.
Thinking back now, to when I was his caregiver.
.. I see so many signs I chose to miss because I was so blinded by loyalty to my ex-suitor.
I didn't want to believe another man could actually want me like that. "
Ira's voice dropped, a faint, burning heat creeping up her neck as she remembered the moments when Alia had drugged Him.
"He has never forced me. Even when... even when he clearly couldn't hold himself back."
At the sight of Ira's flustered face and the shy dip of her head, Meera's composure finally broke into a warm laugh.
"Do one thing for me.." Meera said as she dies down the laughter.
"Open your heart, Ira, but make sure you are the only one holding the key.
Give him a chance, not for his sake, but for yours.
Let him prove his worth, but make sure he meets your satisfaction, not his own. "
Ira blinked, her gaze dropping to her lap. "Devraj will never change.." she murmured..
"Listen to me.." Meera countered, leaning in closer.
"A man like that doesn't have to change for the world.
He only needs to change for you and your family.
In fact, it's better if he remains a wolf to everyone else, as long as he's devoted only to you.
" She gave a knowing wink as she stood up.
."You might not realize it yet, but you already have Devraj on a very short leash. "
Ira looked up, surprised, but Meera's attention flickered toward the glass floor. Below, she saw Devraj heading up, but then her husband, Arjun, signaling a waiter, the same one who had brought their sparkling water.
A sigh escaped her, knowing the dark business that usually followed such signals.
"Devraj is coming up.." Meera announced.
Ira stood up so abruptly, her heart beating against her ribs. Meera blinked, momentarily stunned by the speed of Ira's reaction, before a soft, amused chuckle escaped her.
"Remember what I said, okay?" Meera added quickly as the sound of footsteps grew louder.
"I know I said give him a chance, and you should.
But... make him hungry for a bit.
Tease him until he's on the verge of frustration.
It's his punishment for the stress he's caused you.
Be the master in this room, Ira. Not him."
Ira's eyes widened in shock at the bold advice, her breath hitching just as Devraj crested the stairs. He didn't even acknowledge Meerat. He walked straight to Ira, his gaze sweeping over her.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for even a flicker of distress.
Ira looked past his shoulder to see Meera watching them with a silent, supportive smile. Taking a shallow breath, Ira looked back at Devraj.
"I'm fine. Are you done talking?" she asked. When Devraj nodded, she allowed a tiny, almost imperceptible smile to touch her lips.
"Let's go.." he said. He didn't wait for an answer, his hand settling gently but firmly against her back as he guided her.
As they descended the stairs, Ira risked one last look back. Meera was right behind them with Arav.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs and moved toward the exit, the doors swung open.
A couple stepped inside, and Ira let out a gasp so sharp she nearly stumbled right into the young woman leading the way.
It wasn't just the near-collision, it was the aura they brought with them.
The woman was a vision of bold, effortless beauty. Her deep, radiant skin glowed against the soft lilac of her Saree.
She wasn't smiling, but her face held a quiet strength that commanded respect. And then there was the man behind her.
He was breathtakingly handsome, yet he carried an aura so terrifyingly cold that Ira felt the air in her lungs turn to ice.
"Are you okay?" the young woman asked, her voice filled with genuine concern as she noticed Ira's wide eyed stare.
Ira snapped out of her trance, "I'm fine... thank you." she managed to nod.
"Maasi Veda!"
Arav's high-pitched shout echoed. The young woman's face instantly transformed, lighting up with a smile.
"That's my swee-I mean, my little nephew!" Veda cried out, her eyes sparkling. She made a move to rush toward Arav, but the man behind her moved with a speed that defied logic. In a blink, his arm was around her waist, anchoring her to his side with a grip of pure iron.
"He is just Six years old, Varun!" Veda hissed, looking up at him in exasperation.
"He is still a boy." the man..Varun..replied, his
Voice was deep and almost baritone.. He didn't loosen his hold for even a second.
"Are you serious right now!" Veda yelled, her frustration boiling over as she tried to squirm against his unyielding grip.
"Veda? You actually came today?"
Meera's voice drifted down from the last few steps, her tone light and teasing.
"I was beginning to think Varun wasn't going to let you out of the house today..."
Ira's gaze shifted back to Veda, But then, she felt a gaze, Ira's eyes collided with Varun's. His eyes were a startling, lifeless blue...cold and empty. He didn't just look at her; he scowled, a silent threat that made Ira's blood run cold.
Devraj felt the shift in her instantly. His posture turned lethal as he stepped between them, leveling a chilling glare at Varun. For a tense second, the two men locked eyes.
Then, Varun let out a dark, mocking smirk and looked away, bored of the challenge.
Without a word, Devraj steered Ira toward the exit, his hand firm on her back as they stepped into the late afternoon air. The sun was setting.
"Who was that?" Ira whispered, her voice trembling as they walked toward the car.
"That's Veda." Devraj replied, his voice regaining its usual calm. "Meera's sister."
"No.." Ira shook her head, her eyes still wide. "I mean that man."
"That.." Devraj said, his tone disturbingly casual, "is a living, breathing, psychopathic warlord. He controls every weapon shipped into this country and half the neighboring states. If it shoots or explodes, it belongs to Varun."
Ira felt the air leave her lungs. "His aura... it's terrifying. How are those sisters even alive? They look so sweet, so gentle."
As they reached the car, Devraj let out a dry chuckle that sent a different kind of shiver down Ira's spine.
"Meera looks sweet, yes.." he said, his eyes glinting as the sun set. "But don't let the sweet deceive you. That woman can handle a sniper rifle or a bow with more precision than most soldiers. She isn't just surviving Arjun's world, she's a part of it."
Ira froze, her hand on the car door. "What?"
"And her sister? Veda is a walking black-hat hacker. Give her a keyboard, and she can dismantle an empire by morning. It doesn't matter how dangerous the men are, Ira. Those women fit into that world because they became just as formidable as the men they love."
Ira stood there, stunned beyond words, Devraj opened the passenger door for her, waiting until she slid inside before closing it.
He climbed into the driver's seat, and they pulled out of the lot.
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