Chapter 10 #2
"Fuck!" He followed her over, his hips jerking, his release flooding her, marking her internally. "Mine. All fucking mine."
They collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard. But Raghav wasn't done.
He gave her five minutes to recover. Then he was on her again, his mouth between her thighs, his tongue working her oversensitive flesh until she was writhing and begging.
He took her again. Slower this time, face to face, his eyes locked on hers as he built her pleasure carefully, deliberately, until she was sobbing with the intensity of it.
"I love you," he said as she clenched around him, as she fell apart beneath him. "More than anything in this world. You're my empire. My everything."
"I love you," she gasped back. "Forever. Always."
They came together, intense and perfect, their bodies and souls completely aligned.
Round three was in the shower, her hands braced against the tile, steam swirling around them as he took her from behind, his fingers in her hair, his voice in her ear telling her how perfect she was, how beautiful, how completely his.
By the time they finally collapsed into bed, exhausted and satisfied, dawn was breaking.
"You're insatiable," Akriti murmured, pressed against his chest, covered in love bites and thoroughly claimed.
"Only for you." His arms tightened around her. "Only ever for you."
She fell asleep like that, safe in his arms, marked as his, utterly and completely loved.
*
The family's acceptance solidified over the following weeks. Savitri found Akriti in the garden one afternoon, overseeing the reconstruction of the areas damaged during the attack.
"Beta," she said softly.
Akriti turned, smiling. "Maa. Is everything alright?"
"More than alright." Savitri's eyes were bright with tears. "I wanted to tell you—you've become the daughter I always wanted. Not just in name. But in truth. The strength you showed, the courage, the way you've stood beside my son—I couldn't be more proud if you were my own blood."
Akriti's own eyes filled. "Maa—"
Savitri pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you. For loving him. For seeing past his darkness to the man beneath. For making him whole."
"He makes me whole too," Akriti whispered.
"I know." Savitri pulled back, cupping her face. "That's what love is supposed to do. What marriage is supposed to be. You two—you've built something real. Something worth fighting for."
Vikram's acceptance came differently.
He called Akriti to his study, where ledgers and business reports covered his desk.
"Sit," he ordered.
She sat, curious.
"Raghav tells me you've been learning the business. The legitimate operations. The investments."
"Yes. He's been teaching me."
"Good." Vikram pushed a stack of files toward her. "These are the real estate holdings. Hotels, commercial properties, residential developments. I'm putting you in charge of expansion."
Akriti's eyes widened. "Papa ji—"
"You're smart. Strategic. And you care about more than just profit—you care about people. That's exactly what we need for this new direction." He leaned back. "Prove yourself here. Show me you can build something that lasts."
"I will." Her voice was firm with determination. "I promise."
"I believe you." And from Vikram Singhania, that was high praise indeed.
The younger family members—cousins, nephews, nieces—began approaching her for advice. About business. About relationships. About navigating the complex world they'd been born into.
She became their confidant. Their mentor. Their example of what strength looked like.
*
Six months after the war, Akriti stood on the balcony of the master bedroom, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of orange and gold.
She'd changed so much. From the timid girl who'd sat alone in her room, writing in journals, hoping for scraps of attention—to this. A woman who commanded respect. Who made decisions that affected thousands. Who stood beside her husband as an equal.
She was still kind. Still compassionate. Still cared deeply about helping others.
But now she was also fearless. Empowered. Unbreakable.
Arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Raghav pressed a kiss to her neck, right over the fading mark he'd left there last night.
"What are you thinking about?" he murmured.
"How much we've changed. How far we've come."
"Do you miss who you were? The quiet life you could have had?"
She turned in his arms, meeting his dark eyes. "Not for a second. That girl was lonely. Lost. Living half a life."
"And now?"
"Now I'm whole. Complete. Loved beyond measure." She kissed him softly. "Now I'm exactly who I'm meant to be."
"My queen."
"Your partner." She corrected with a soft smile. "Your equal. Your wife."
"All of those things." His hands slid down to her hips, pulling her closer. "And mine. Always mine."
"Always," she agreed.
He kissed her as the sun set, as the day gave way to night, as the world continued to turn around them.
They'd been forged in fire. Tempered by blood. Bound by vows that transcended the original contract of their arranged marriage.
This was real. Deep. Unbreakable.
This was love that survived war and betrayal and three years of neglect.
This was forever.
And as Raghav lifted her into his arms, carrying her back to their bed, as he worshiped her body with his hands and mouth and words of devotion—Akriti knew with absolute certainty.
She'd been the forgotten wife.
Now she was the unforgettable partner.
And nothing—no force on earth, no enemy, no passage of time—would ever change that.