CHAPTER 17
ANIKA
“Mumma, please stop worrying!” I exclaim, my voice louder than I intended.
She looks at me, a little taken aback by my outburst. Guilt gnaws at me, but I can’t help it.
I’m going crazy here. She was discharged this morning—finally—after a whole week of hospital hell.
I practically begged Aarav and Maa to let me stay with her until we find a proper nurse, someone I approve of.
I'm not about to leave my mother in just anyone’s hands.
No way. I’ll scrutinize every detail if I have to.
“You shouldn’t have stayed here. The hospital was arranging a nurse for me, thanks to Aarav—” she starts, but I cut her off, pressing my finger gently against her lips.
“Maa, the nurse was only going to be here during the day. What about the nights? What would you have done then?” I whisper.
She bats my hand away, narrowing her eyes. “What possible need could I have at night? I have perfectly good legs, and I’m just going to sleep, Anika. I don’t need a 24/7 babysitter.”
I giggle despite myself. She's so cute when she's trying to act tough. Although... In childhood, I used to be terrified when she got angry. Funny how things change.
“I took Maa’s permission, Mumma. In fact, she insisted that I stay with you for a few days.” I explain, and slowly her features soften. She smiles, a fragile little thing that tugs at my heart.
“They’re good people, aren’t they?” she says, her voice trembling slightly. “I’m so glad you married into that family. They'll always take care of you, sweetheart.”
Tears prick the back of my eyes, but I blink them away. “No, you’ll always take care of me. And I’ll always take care of you,” I say firmly.
I mean it. I’m grateful for everyone at that house, truly.
They accepted me so warmly, without any judgment.
But still... I know the truth. I’m not staying married to Aarav forever.
Six months. That’s it. That was always the plan.
And after that, I need to find a way to return everything he’s done for me.
It’s not just the money either. It’s the dignity.
The pride. I know I’m being ridiculous by adding imaginary "interest" to the amount, but I can’t help it. It’s just..
. twenty lakhs. Twenty freaking lakhs. I can’t even wrap my head around that kind of money.
My father was rich, sure, but he was also unbelievably stingy.
We weren’t allowed to spend a dime unless he approved it.
Apparently, though, he wasn’t so careful with the rest of his life—because after he died, we found ourselves buried under a mountain of debts he left behind.
It took us two bloody years to climb out of that hole.
And my two so-called brothers? Gone. Disappeared into college life, never looking back, never caring.
Their maternal grandparents were very wealthy.
They were never useful anyway. I hated them, hated their taunts, and hated their constant efforts to belittle me.
But I bore it all... because Dad seemed to favor them for reasons I’ll never understand.
He had adopted them, sure, but... love? I don’t know if that ever existed.
Anyway, why ruin my mood thinking about them now?
“Come on, Mumma. Lie down. You need to rest,” I say, gently nudging her toward the bed.
Thankfully, she doesn’t argue this time.
She must be tired. I sit beside her, stroking her hair softly, watching the rise and fall of her chest. She looks so peaceful while asleep.
I can't even put into words how scared I was this past week, the thought of losing her haunting me like a nightmare.
I would do anything—anything—to keep her safe.
The doorbell rings, cutting through the silence. I flinch, glancing at the clock. It's almost midnight. Who the hell could it be at this hour?
I quickly tiptoe out of Mumma’s room, carefully closing the door behind me so she won’t wake up, and rush toward the front door. I pull it open... and freeze.
Standing there, looking unfairly handsome under the dim corridor light, is Aarav.
His gaze locks onto mine, intense and unreadable. For a moment, neither of us says anything. The silence between us crackles like fire. My heartbeat stumbles.
What is he even doing here at this time? “May I come in?” he asks, his voice low and deep, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.
I cross my arms, instantly defensive. “No, you may not. What do you want?” I snap, narrowing my eyes at him.
His gaze doesn’t waver. In fact, it softens—dangerously so. His expression does things to my heart that I don’t want to think about.
“I can talk from here then,” he says casually, like it’s no big deal.
I study him for a second. He looks... exhausted. His usual sharpness dulled by sleepless nights. He stayed at the hospital almost every night, even when I told him not to. Then he went straight to work after. God, he must be dead on his feet.
“What are you here for, Aarav?” I ask again, my voice a little gentler this time.
“Of course, to check on Aunty. How is she?” My heart melts just a little. But I shove the feeling down quickly. I’m not about to let his concern cloud my judgment.
“She’s fine. She’s asleep. You can go now,” I inform, coolly, and cross my arms.
He doesn’t move. Instead, he steps closer, and his fingers graze my cheekbone, making me jump. His touch is ice-cold against my skin. I suck in a breath, eyes wide.
“My wife,” he murmurs, looking at me as if he can’t believe I exist.
I snap out of my stupor, shoving him away. “What’s wrong with you? Stay away from me!” I hiss, mortified at how much I liked that simple touch.
He chuckles, low and warm. “Just having a little fun with my wife. Nothing wrong with that.” He smirks.
I glare at him, cheeks burning. “Well, for your information, dear husband, this marriage is only for six months. And if you think for a second that I’ll let you touch me again, you’re delusional. So. Stay away.”
His smirk falters. His eyes darken, just a little, and for a second I wonder if I went too far. He steps closer, and now there’s barely an inch between us, but I stand my ground. I’m not backing down.
“And don’t worry,” I add, poking his chest for emphasis. “I will pay back everything. Every single rupee.”
He raises an eyebrow, amused. “Oh yeah? With interest, right?” He questions, leaning in so close I can feel his breath against my ear.
I shudder when his fingers trail lightly across the back of my neck. I hate how my skin tingles in response.
“You think you can pay me back twenty lakhs... with interest?” he murmurs, straightening up with a lazy grin. Of course, arrogance is a part of his personality charm.
“You and your shop of ego.” He murmurs with a small smirk.
My neck heats up where he touched me. What is wrong with me?
“Oh please,” I scoff, crossing my arms. “Like you need more money. You’re practically drowning in it!
Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back even if I have to sell my kidney on the black market.
” I shoot him a look. “And calling me ‘shop of ego’? Look in the mirror sometimes. Your ego is the size of the Himalayas.”
He laughs—actually laughs—and I have to resist the urge to throw something at him. What the hell is so funny? I just insulted him!
But then, his face sobers, and he says quietly, “You’ll never harm yourself over stupid twenty lakhs, Anika. I swear. I can wipe the debt clean right now—you just have to say the word. It’s nothing to me.”
My heart clenches, but I square my shoulders stubbornly. “I don’t need your kindness,” I snap.
God, I’m stupid. But I can’t help it. My pride’s louder than my common sense sometimes. He watches me, something unreadable in his eyes.
“Very well,” he says finally. “I have a proposal for you.”
I narrow my eyes. “A proposal? What kind of proposal?”
He smirks again—that infuriating, dangerous smirk—and I swear, my fists itch to wipe it off his face. “How about this?” he proposes casually. “You do as I say for one week. And in return... I’ll forget about the debt.”
I blink at him, stunned. Did he seriously just say that?
“What the hell, Aarav? You want me to be your slave now?” I gasp with bewilderment. Something is seriously wrong with him.
He shakes his head, laughing softly. “No, never. You’re my wife.”
“On paper!” I hiss.
Still, he doesn’t seem bothered. He steps even closer, lowering his voice. “But a wife, nonetheless. And you should probably keep your voice down. Your mother’s asleep.”
His finger brushes my lips to silence me, and I freeze, heart hammering against my ribs. His breath is warm on my face, his gaze burning into mine.
I swat his hand away and take a shaky step back. God, what is happening to me?
“I promise,” he says seriously. “I won’t make you do anything humiliating or anything you don’t want. Just... small things.”
I stare at him, weighing his words. This is insane. Absolutely insane. But at the same time... twenty-two lakhs. Freedom.
“And how do I know you’re not lying?” I mutter.
He shrugs. “You’ll just have to trust me, ego queen.”
I laugh bitterly. “Yeah, right. Trust you. Great idea. It's not like I've learned the hard way before.”
For a second, something flashes across his face—hurt?—but it’s gone too fast to be sure.
“It’s your choice, Anika,” he says, voice suddenly blank.
I bite my lip. My mind races, heart thudding. God, this is crazy. Stupid. Dangerous. But also... practical. “Fine,” I say finally, crossing my arms even tighter. “One week. That’s it.”
He smiles, slow and smug—and somehow, I know I’m going to regret this. Big time.