16-Please calm down
In that long, deserted hotel corridor, the sound of Samrat’s footsteps echoed like a storm.
His face was drenched in sweat, and there was such restlessness in his eyes that anyone would have been terrified to see it.
He didn’t even understand why he was running in this direction—his heart was simply pulling him toward that locked door.
As soon as he reached the ladies’ washroom, his eyes fell on the “Maintenance – Closed” sign. The silence around him was so deep that he could hear his own heartbeat clearly. He tried the door handle, but it was locked from the outside.
“Vaidehi!” he shouted, banging hard on the door—but there was no response from inside.
His heart began to pound wildly. Samrat stepped back and kicked the door with all his strength. A cracking sound echoed through the wood, but the door didn’t open. He kicked it again… and the third time, he put all his force into it.
Bang!
The door broke and fell inward.
Samrat rushed inside… and what he saw made the ground slip beneath his feet.
“No… Vaidehi!” His voice choked in his throat.
Vaidehi lay unconscious on the cold floor. Her beautiful emerald green gown was ruined with dust and water. But the most terrifying sight was her face—blood was flowing from her nose, reaching her lips, and even from the corner of her mouth.
Samrat’s breath seemed to stop. He immediately dropped to his knees beside her and held her face with trembling hands.
“Vaidehi… open your eyes… look, I’m here… please wake up!”
He grabbed her wrist—but there was no movement. Then he checked her pulse at her neck—everything was still. Her body had gone cold.
“No… no… you can’t leave me!” Samrat screamed like a madman. Tears streamed down his eyes and fell onto her face.
The man who had never cried… was completely shattered today.
—
He realized that due to suffocation, her lungs had stopped functioning, and internal pressure had caused the bleeding. Without wasting a second, Samrat pressed his lips against her cold lips and began giving her breaths.
“Breathe, Vaidehi! For me… you have to live!”
Again and again, he gave her breaths and pressed her chest. The blood on her face had now smeared onto his as well, but he was completely unaware. Like a man possessed, he kept trying to bring her back to life.
Suddenly, Vaidehi’s body gave a slight movement. She took a long, painful breath and started coughing violently. More blood came out of her mouth, but her eyes slowly began to open.
“S… Samrat…” Her voice was barely audible.
Without thinking, Samrat immediately lifted her into his arms. He ran, carrying her out of that suffocating room into the open air. He rushed toward the hotel’s back garden, where a cool breeze was flowing.
Everyone else was still searching for her outside… no one knew that Samrat had already found his world again.
—
He made her sit on a bench, supporting her, and pulled her head against his chest. Taking out a silk handkerchief from his pocket, Samrat gently began wiping the blood off her face. His hands were still trembling slightly.
“Were you scared?” he asked in a heavy, shaken voice.
Vaidehi looked at him through hazy eyes. The fear was still clearly visible.
“I thought… you wouldn’t come… I thought I would die.”
Samrat lifted her chin. There was no softness in his eyes now—only a deep, dangerous intensity. Leaning close to her ear, he said in a low voice—
“Let you die? Do you really think I’d let you go that easily? Vaidehi… for 15 years… a full 15 years, I’ve waited for you every single day and night. I’ve done a lot to have you… even changed myself.”
But he couldn’t say all of this out loud to her.
His grip around her waist tightened, as if he never wanted to let her go.
“You belong only to me. Even death can’t take you from me without my permission. And if anyone tries to snatch you away from me… they’ll have to go through me. You are my obsession… my devotion… and my passion that will never end.”
Frightened, Vaidehi clung to his chest. She could clearly hear his heartbeat—fast… restless… intense.
Samrat kissed her forehead and dropped the blood-stained handkerchief to the ground.
“Don’t cry anymore. From today, you don’t need to be afraid… because now you’re in my world, where only I decide.”
Under the moonlight, Samrat’s face looked less like a protector and more like a predator—
as if he had lost his most precious possession…
and found it again.At the back of the hotel, where the cool breeze was slowly bringing Vaidehi back to her senses, there were only two people—one who had just returned from the brink of death…
and the other who had pulled her back from it.
Vaidehi slowly lifted her trembling fingers. Her gaze fell on Samrat’s eyes—the same eyes that always looked stern, cold, and mysterious. But today… there was moisture at their corners. They were red, and filled with a strange fear—the kind that comes after almost losing someone.
With great effort, Vaidehi raised her hand and gently wiped the tear stuck on his cheek.
“You… you were crying for me?” she asked, her voice carrying innocent surprise.
Samrat, who had just moments ago lost all control, froze at her question. His strict and possessive demeanor instantly returned. He quickly turned his face away, as if hiding his weakness.
“Crying? Me?” he said, trying to compose himself, though his voice was still heavy.
“You’re such a foolish girl, Vaidehi! Where was your brain? Do you think Samrat Pratap Singh would cry for a troublemaker like you? My foot!”
—
He moved her slightly away from himself, but his grip was still firm enough to keep her from falling.
“You made everyone worried! Did you see Mom’s condition?
The whole hotel is in chaos. And me… I had to leave my important work and come running here, roaming around that filthy washroom!
” he said angrily, though his red eyes betrayed the truth.
“Cry for you? Never! I’m just angry that you can be this irresponsible. ”
Vaidehi understood his pretended anger. She knew this man preferred hiding his emotions rather than admitting them. Ignoring her pain, she gave a faint, playful smile.
She grabbed the collar of his coat and pulled him closer. Resting her head against his chest, she said softly,
“Sorry, Samrat ji… I know I worried everyone. But… I really had to pee! What else could I do? How was I supposed to know someone would lock the door from outside…”
“P… pee?” Samrat was left speechless. Just moments ago, he had been thinking about life and death… and now this girl, in her innocence, had silenced him.
But the very next moment, his face hardened with anger. His blood began to boil.
“Someone locked the door…” the thought echoed again and again in his mind.
—
“Who locked it?” Samrat’s voice was no longer a whisper—it was a dangerous growl.
“Who dared to lock my wife inside? I’ll cut off his hands… no, I’ll bury alive the person who put that latch on the door.”
His mind began working rapidly—the hotel staff, the manager, and the person who put up the “Maintenance” sign… all were now under his suspicion. The anger within him had risen again.
Vaidehi tightened her hold on his chest, as if trying to calm him.
“Samrat ji… please calm down. Don’t punish him. Maybe he was just doing his job… he wouldn’t have known I was inside. Maybe I just went at the wrong time… it was just a coincidence.”
“Coincidence?” Samrat snapped, looking at her sharply.
“There are no coincidences with me, Vaidehi. Whatever happens, comes with a price. You’re too innocent… you don’t understand the world. You think everyone is as harmless as you? If I hadn’t reached on time then…”
His voice trailed off. He couldn’t even bring himself to imagine what might have happened.
—
Just then, voices were heard from a distance—
“Vaidehi! Samrat!”
Rukmini Devi, Raghav ji, the police inspector, and the hotel staff came running toward the garden. Sitam was leading them. The moment Rukmini Devi saw Vaidehi in Samrat’s arms, she finally breathed again.
“Vaidehi! My child!” she stumbled forward. Raghav ji supported her. They noticed the blood stains on Vaidehi’s face—and even Samrat’s face was smeared with blood.
“What is this condition? What happened to her? This blood…?” Raghav ji asked anxiously.
Samrat held Vaidehi even tighter.
“She got worse because of suffocation. The bleeding from her nose is due to that.”
Now his voice had returned to being calm—but commanding—
“Call the hotel manager. I want the entire maintenance record of this building right now. And Inspector… if within an hour the man who—”
“…locked the washroom doesn’t stand in front of me, I’ll have this entire hotel sealed.”
“Samrat, take her to a doctor first!” Rukmini Devi said tearfully.Samrat didn’t listen to anyone. He lifted Vaidehi into his arms as if she were something incredibly precious.
“I’m taking her to the hospital. Sitam, you handle everything here. Not a single person should be spared whose negligence caused this.”
Vaidehi wrapped her arms around his neck. She could still see that same intensity on his face. The fear that had turned into tears a while ago had now transformed into anger.
As he walked toward the car, Vaidehi whispered softly near his ear,
“You still look scary…”
Samrat looked down at her. In his eyes, 15 years of waiting, pain, and fear were visible all at once. In a low voice, he said—something only she could hear—
“There’s nothing more terrifying to me than losing you, Vaidehi.”
Then he added,
“Lie quietly… or I’ll scold you before we even reach the hospital for all this nonstop talking.”
Vaidehi gave a faint smile. She knew—no matter how much anger Samrat showed, his tears had already revealed the truth.
As soon as the car left the hotel, Samrat held her hand in his. His grip was so firm that it caused her slight pain, but she said nothing. She understood—this hold was his way of assuring himself that she was safe… that she was with him.
Even amidst the hospital lights and sirens, Samrat’s eyes were fixed only on Vaidehi.
—
Inside the hospital’s VIP cabin, surrounded by white walls and the strong smell of medicines, there was a strange sense of calm. Vaidehi was now out of danger. She was sitting comfortably on the bed, and the paleness of her face had slowly returned to a soft pink glow.
In front of her was a large basket of fruits, and Samrat—who, to the outside world, was a dangerous businessman and a strict professor—was now carefully peeling an apple with full attentionSamrat’s fingers were as precise with the knife as they were in his business deals.
He glanced at Vaidehi—the same girl who had been on the brink of death just a few hours ago was now sitting comfortably, eating grapes as if nothing had happened.
There was neither fear nor regret on her face.
He thought to himself,
“This girl… will drive everyone crazy. She turned the whole city upside down, raised Mom and Dad’s blood pressure, even troubled the police… and here she is, sitting like a queen and enjoying grapes.”
Still, he said nothing. Quietly, he sliced the apple and arranged it on a plate before placing it in front of her.
Just then, the cabin door opened and guests began to arrive. News of what had happened to the daughter-in-law of the Pratap Singh family had spread like wildfire. Influential people from the city who had attended the party were now coming to check on her and make their presence known.
One by one, people entered—some bringing expensive bouquets, others carrying imported chocolates and luxurious gifts.
“Vaidehi beta, are you alright? We were truly frightened!” said the wife of a business tycoon, holding her hand.
“Samrat, you really scared everyone. But it’s good that your wife is safe,” another man added.
Vaidehi felt like she was on cloud nine. For the first time in her life, she felt so special. People were coming, giving her gifts, and praising her bravery—or rather, her foolishness. She simply smiled and thanked everyone.
She glanced once at Samrat, who stood in a corner with his arms crossed.
His eyes still held that same coldness, but Vaidehi didn’t care.
She sat on the bed like a queen, busy counting her gift packets.
To her, this incident almost felt lucky—everyone’s attention, so many gifts, and on top of that, Samrat feeding her fruits with his own hands.
Rukmini Devi and Raghav ji were also there, attending to the guests. The entire hospital felt like a royal court, and Vaidehi sat there like a queen.
Gradually, the night deepened and the guests began to leave. Rukmini Devi kissed Vaidehi’s forehead lovingly and said,
“Beta, now you should rest. The doctor said you’ll be discharged tomorrow morning.”
Raghav ji looked at Samrat and asked,
“Samrat, you’ll stay here, right?”
Samrat simply nodded.
As soon as the cabin door closed for the last time and silence settled outside, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Vaidehi, who had been cheerful till now, became slightly cautious as she looked at Samrat.
Samrat stepped out of the corner and slowly walked toward the bed. The sound of his footsteps echoed clearly in the silence. He came close and leaned toward her. His shadow fell across her face.
Vaidehi swallowed nervously.
“W… what happened? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Samrat said nothing. Slowly, he raised his hand… and held up his middle finger right in front of her eyes.
Vaidehi’s eyes widened in shock.
“Remember?” Samrat’s voice was low, heavy, and dangerous.
“While leaving the house… just before getting into the car… you showed me this.”
The scene flashed instantly in Vaidehi’s mind—how she had rolled down the car window, teased him, showed him the middle finger, and even stuck her tongue out, thinking he would forget it… or at least ignore it after everything that had happened.
But Samrat Pratap Singh forgot nothing.
“Samrat ji… I… I was just joking,” Vaidehi stammered, trying to move slightly backward..Samrat moved even closer—so close that his nose brushed against Vaidehi’s.
“Joke? You think every insult directed at me is a joke?” he said, his voice low and intense. “You putting your life at risk is one thing. But you showed me that… and now you’re sitting here like a victim, like a queen, accepting gifts?”
His middle finger was still held up near her face.
“I told you… every action has consequences. Did you really think everything ended the moment that hotel door broke open?”
Vaidehi’s heart began racing. Just moments ago she had felt like a queen—now she was once again that frightened girl.
“S-sorry…” she whispered softly.
Samrat lowered his hand and cupped her face in both his palms. There was anger in his grip, passion… and something else even he couldn’t fully understand.
“That one gesture of yours hurt me more than that locked door ever could. You made a mockery of me… of the man who is your husband.”
Vaidehi looked into his eyes. There was anger there, yes—but beneath it, there was also a deep love that Samrat couldn’t put into words.
“Now tell me…” he said quietly,
“what punishment should I give you for this mistake? Should I lock you back in that washroom again? Or…”
His thumb brushed lightly over her lips. Vaidehi’s breath hitched.
“Or should I pull you so close… that you never even think of doing something like that again?”
The silence in the cabin deepened.
Vaidehi understood—no matter how much care she received, escaping Samrat wasn’t easy. His obsession had awakened again, and this time he wasn’t going to let her hide behind anyone.
Samrat placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her slightly closer.
“The account will be settled, Vaidehi… if not today, then tomorrow. And when it is… you’ll never forget it.”
Vaidehi simply closed her eyes…