Bonus Chapter-2
The moment we entered the mansion, I felt something inside me finally relax.
Home.
Not the Rajput mansion.
Not the palace in London.
Not the countless properties under my name.
This.
This felt like home.
Dhruv's mom practically ran toward me the second she saw me.
"Riya!"
Before I could react, she pulled me into a tight hug.
The warmth almost made me cry.
Again.
Apparently I had become very emotional these days.
Her hands immediately cupped my face.
"My child."
Tears filled her eyes.
"Are you okay?"
I smiled softly.
"I'm okay."
That was all it took.
The tears escaped.
She hugged me again.
Meanwhile,
A certain dramatic billionaire beside me looked offended.
"Amazing."
Both of us looked at him.
Dhruv crossed his arms.
"I got shot."
His mother ignored him.
"I almost died."
Ignored.
"I was beaten."
Ignored.
"I suffered."
Still ignored.
His mother lightly smacked his arm.
"Stop acting."
I burst out laughing.
Dhruv looked betrayed.
"Mom."
"You knew everything."
Another smack.
"Everything happened according to your plan."
Dhruv pointed at me.
"She never even thanked me."
I gasped.
"I thanked you twenty times!"
"Twenty-one sounds better."
I grabbed the nearest cushion.
He immediately stepped back.
His mother shook her head.
"Drama king."
Then her expression softened again.
Looking at me.
"What happened to them?"
The happiness immediately faded.
The room became quieter.
Dhruv's expression turned serious.
"Officials took custody."
His voice remained calm.
"My lawyers are handling everything."
His mother nodded.
No further questions.
No unnecessary comments.
Just understanding.
Then she looked around.
"And Meera?"
A small sadness settled inside me.
"She moved in with her parents."
I looked down.
"I asked her to stay."
A pause.
"But she needs time."
His mother squeezed my hand.
"Some wounds heal slowly."
I nodded.
She smiled gently.
"Now both of you go upstairs."
Immediately suspicious.
Dhruv narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because lunch will take another hour."
A pause.
"And because you're both standing here looking exhausted."
She practically shooed us away.
"Go."
Dhruv grinned.
I suddenly didn't trust that grin.
Not one bit.
...
We entered our room.
I stretched.
Finally.
Peace.
No lawyers.
No board meetings.
No police.
No investigations.
I picked up my clothes.
"I'm taking a shower."
I turned.
Took exactly two steps.
And froze.
Because a hand wrapped around my wrist.
Then,
A pull.
A very strong pull.
I collided directly into a solid chest.
My breath caught.
"Dhruv."
"Hm?"
His voice sounded entirely too pleased.
I looked up.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
Because he was already smiling.
That dangerous smile.
The one that usually meant trouble.
"You were going to leave."
I blinked.
"I was going to shower."
"Same thing."
I stared.
He looked completely serious.
The liar.
His arm settled around my waist.
Pulling me closer.
Just enough that my heart forgot how to function.
"Do you know something?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
His nose brushed lightly against my cheek.
A playful gesture.
Soft.
Affectionate.
The kind that instantly made my ears warm.
"I missed you."
I laughed.
He immediately looked victorious.
Like making me laugh was some achievement.
Maybe it was.
His forehead rested against mine.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Just breathed.
Just existed.
The chaos of the last few months suddenly felt far away.
And for the first time,
I realized how exhausted we both were.
How much we'd survived.
How close we'd come to losing each other.
My smile softened.
"You scared me."
His eyes immediately changed.
The teasing disappeared.
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head.
"No."
My fingers found his.
Intertwining naturally.
"I just..."
My voice became quieter.
"I don't know what I would've done."
The room fell silent.
His hand lifted.
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Then he smiled.
The soft smile.
The one nobody else got.
"You would've been fine."
I immediately frowned.
"No."
His smile widened.
"You would've become terrifying."
I laughed.
He continued.
"The board members would've cried."
Another laugh.
"The stock market would've cried."
"Dhruv."
"The government would've cried."
I smacked his shoulder.
He laughed.
Then suddenly,
His expression became serious.
Again.
His thumb brushed my cheek.
And this time his voice held complete honesty.
"The truth?"
I nodded.
"I would've been the one who couldn't survive."
My heart instantly melted.
"Dhruv."
He shrugged.
"As if that's shocking."
A pause.
"You're my favorite person."
My cheeks warmed immediately.
"Favorite?"
"Hm."
"Not love?"
"Love too."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Too?"
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Love."
A pause.
"Favorite."
Another pause.
"Best friend."
Another.
"Occasional headache."
I gasped.
He laughed.
The sound filling the room.
The sound I realized I'd missed.
The sound I wanted to hear for the rest of my life.
Then suddenly,
He wrapped both arms around me.
Holding me close.
Resting his chin on top of my head.
Neither of us spoke.
Because sometimes love wasn't grand speeches.
Sometimes it wasn't dramatic sacrifices.
Sometimes it wasn't saving each other.
Sometimes,
It was simply standing together after the storm ended.
Still here.
Still choosing each other.
Still refusing to let go.
After a long moment, I smiled into his chest.
"You know something?"
"Hm?"
I looked up.
Meeting those familiar dark eyes.
"I think this is the first peaceful day we've had."
He thought for a second.
Then nodded.
"Probably."
A pause.
Then that mischievous smile returned.
"Oh no."
I immediately recognized that look.
"What?"
His grin widened.
"We're definitely getting kidnapped again next week."
I grabbed the nearest pillow.
And chased him across the entire room while his laughter echoed through the mansion.
For the first time in forever,
It sounded like happiness.
....
An hour later,
After freshening up, Dhruv and I finally headed downstairs.
The mansion felt warm today.
Alive.
For the first time in months, there wasn't fear hanging over our heads.
No police.
No lawyers.
No investigations.
Just family.
Or at least...
whatever was left of it.
I walked beside Dhruv as we descended the grand staircase.
His arm was wrapped securely around my waist.
Possessively.
Comfortingly.
Like he wasn't planning on letting me out of his sight for the next century.
Not that I was complaining.
His fingers lazily traced circles against my waist through the fabric of my dress.
Making it impossible to focus.
"Stop."
I whispered.
Immediately suspicious.
His lips curved.
"Stop what?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"You know exactly what."
"No idea."
Liar.
Absolute liar.
Before I could argue further, he leaned down.
His lips brushing my temple.
A soft kiss.
Quick.
Natural.
Like breathing.
Like he'd been doing it forever.
My cheeks immediately warmed.
Dhruv looked incredibly pleased with himself.
"You blush too easily."
I elbowed him lightly.
"And you're annoying."
"Yet here you are."
"Unfortunately."
"Fortunately."
I rolled my eyes.
He smirked.
Then,
We reached the dining room.
And immediately the atmosphere changed.
Dhruv's mother sat at the head of the table.
His uncle beside her.
His aunt.
And,
Kiara.
Of course.
The second she spotted Dhruv,
Her eyes lit up.
Like a Christmas tree.
Before either of us could sit down,
She jumped from her chair.
"Dhruv!"
I internally sighed.
Here we go.
She practically rushed toward him.
Ignoring everyone else.
Ignoring me.
Ignoring basic dignity.
"How are you now?"
Her voice dripped with concern.
"I was so worried."
Dhruv nodded politely.
"I'm fine."
Kiara immediately reached for his arm.
"I couldn't sleep after hearing what happened."
Then her eyes shifted toward me.
And there it was.
The jab.
The taunt.
The bitterness.
"Honestly..."
She sighed dramatically.
"It's sad."
Everyone looked up.
"What?" asked Dhruv.
Kiara folded her arms.
"Dhruv almost died."
A pause.
"Because of someone else's problems."
The room fell silent.
I froze.
Dhruv froze.
His mother froze.
Even the servants looked uncomfortable.
Kiara continued.
"If Riya wasn't involved..."
She shrugged.
"None of this would've happened."
Silence.
Dead silence.
I opened my mouth.
Ready to ignore it.
Ready to let it go.
But before I could,
Dhruv spoke.
His voice calm.
Dangerously calm.
"Kiara."
She smiled.
Thinking he agreed.
Big mistake.
The biggest.
Dhruv looked directly at her.
"If someone pointed a gun at her tomorrow..."
The room went quiet.
His gaze never left Kiara.
"I'd stand in front of it again."
Kiara's smile disappeared.
Dhruv continued.
Without hesitation.
Without apology.
Without shame.
"And the day after that."
Silence.
"And the day after that."
My heart literally stopped.
Dhruv leaned back slightly.
Completely relaxed.
"As far as I'm concerned, getting hurt protecting my wife isn't a tragedy."
His gaze hardened.
"It's a privilege."
The entire room froze.
My heart forgot how to function.
AGAIN.
Kiara looked stunned.
His mother looked emotional.
Even his uncle looked surprised.
And Dhruv?
Dhruv simply walked past everyone.
Pulled out my chair.
And waited.
Like nothing had happened.
Like he hadn't just destroyed every single person in the room.
I sat down silently.
Trying very hard not to smile.
Failing miserably.
Dhruv noticed.
Of course he noticed.
His hand found mine beneath the table.
Squeezing once.
Just once.
As if saying,
I've got you.
Always.
The servants began serving food.
And immediately,
My eyes widened.
Every single dish.
Every single one.
My favorites.
The dishes I'd loved when I didn't even remember who I was.
The dishes I still loved now.
I looked toward his mother.
She smiled warmly.
"I made sure everything was prepared."
My chest tightened.
"Aunty..."
She waved me off.
"Eat."
I smiled.
For the first time in years,
Someone was caring for me simply because they loved me.
Not because they wanted something.
Not because they needed something.
Just love.
Pure love.
Unfortunately,
The peace lasted approximately six minutes.
Because Dhruv's aunt opened her mouth.
Again.
She laughed.
A strange laugh.
The kind that immediately makes everyone uncomfortable.
"Life is funny."
Nobody responded.
Bad sign.
She continued anyway.
"Before her memory came back, she was an orphan."
My smile vanished.
The room went still.
"And now..."
Another laugh.
"Even after getting everything back..."
She shrugged.
"She's still basically an orphan."
Silence.
The fork slipped from my fingers.
Clink.
The sound echoed.
And suddenly,
A chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Everyone jumped.
Dhruv stood.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Too slowly.
Which somehow felt more terrifying.
His face had gone expressionless.
Completely expressionless.
The expression he wore before destroying people.
"Aunt."
His voice was cold.
Ice cold.
"Get out."
The entire table froze.
His aunt blinked.
"What?"
"I said get out."
His uncle immediately slammed his hand on the table.
"Dhruv!"
The room shook.
"You will not speak to your aunt like that."
Dhruv turned.
Looking directly at him.
"Then she shouldn't speak to my wife like that."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
His aunt looked offended.
"I was joking."
Dhruv laughed.
One short laugh.
No humor.
No amusement.
Nothing.
"Wonderful."
His gaze sharpened.
"Go organize a comedy show then."
The room froze.
"Maybe you'll earn something."
A pause.
"Instead of sitting here insulting people while eating food paid for by others."
His aunt's face turned red.
Humiliation.
Anger.
Shock.
Everything together.
She immediately turned toward his mother.
"Are you hearing this?"
His mother calmly sipped water.
Then placed the glass down.
"Yes."
His aunt looked relieved.
For approximately two seconds.
Then his mother continued.
"And I agree with him."
Silence.
"If a husband is taking a stand for his wife..."
She smiled.
"Good."
His aunt looked stunned.
His mother shook her head.
"You should've thought before speaking."
Dhruv had heard enough.
He walked around the table.
Straight toward his aunt.
"Aunt, let's go."
She recoiled.
"What are you doing?"
"My patience ended months ago."
He grabbed her wrist.
Not roughly.
But firmly.
"No."
She tried pulling back.
"Dhruv!"
"No."
His voice remained cold.
"For one year I've watched this."
A pause.
"For one year you've insulted my wife."
Another.
"Today we're done."
He started walking.
Actually dragging her toward the door.
The entire family stood up.
Chaos immediately erupted.
"Dhruv!"
"Leave me!"
"Stop!"
And finally,
I ran after him.
"Dhruv!"
He stopped.
I grabbed his arm.
Hard.
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"Riya."
"No."
His eyes flashed.
"She insulted you."
"I know."
"Then why are you stopping me?"
I took both his hands.
Holding them tightly.
Looking directly into his eyes.
The anger.
The protectiveness.
The love.
Everything was there.
And suddenly,
My own eyes filled.
"I lost everyone."
His expression immediately softened.
I shook my head.
"I lost my brother."
A tear slipped.
"My family."
Another.
"My home."
His grip tightened around mine.
And my voice broke.
"I don't want you losing yours too."
Silence.
Painful silence.
I stepped closer.
"Maybe she dislikes me."
A sad smile.
"Maybe she always will."
Another tear.
"But she loves you."
His eyes closed briefly.
"And I know what it feels like to lose family."
The anger slowly disappeared.
Piece by piece.
Until only Dhruv remained.
My Dhruv.
I rested my forehead against his chest.
"Please."
A whisper.
"Don't throw away people who love you because of me."
For a long moment,
Neither of us spoke.
Then finally,
His arms wrapped around me.
Pulling me close.
Holding me tightly.
And against my hair,
I heard him sigh.
The fight leaving him.
The anger leaving him.
Everything leaving him.
Except love.
Always love.
"You're impossible."
I smiled.
His chin rested on top of my head.
And quietly,
So quietly only I could hear,
He murmured,
"You spent your whole life losing people."
His arms tightened.
"I'm just trying to make sure nobody ever makes you feel unwanted again."
And honestly?
That hurt more than anything else.
Because for the first time in my life,
Someone loved me enough to go to war for me.
Even against his own family.