Author's Pov

The lavish wedding was over, and Jaipur's cool night breeze swept through the quiet streets. But for Virendra Raghuvanshi, peace was a foreign concept. Standing on the balcony of his penthouse, he held a glass of whiskey, staring at the city lights, but his mind was elsewhere-fixated on her.

"Ishita Chauhan," he murmured under his breath, her name rolling off his tongue like a sacred prayer. He couldn't forget her-the girl who seemed to radiate joy, her innocence like a spark in his otherwise dark world.

Virendra clenched his glass tightly, his mind racing with thoughts. She didn't belong in this chaotic, ruthless life of his, but at the same time, he couldn't imagine her belonging to anyone else. The mere idea of her laughter or her smile being someone else's to claim made his blood boil.

He picked up his phone and dialed Reyansh.

Reyansh: "Kya hua? Aadhi raat ko mujhe kyun disturb kar rahe ho?"

Virendra: "Uska poora background nikalwao. Ishita Chauhan. Mujhe har ek detail chahiye, abhi."

Reyansh: (half-asleep) "Kya? Virendra, kya chal raha hai tere dimaag mein?"

Virendra: "Woh ladki meri banegi. Mujhe uska sab kuch pata lagana hai."

Reyansh sighed but knew better than to question Virendra's determination. If he had set his mind on something, it was as good as done.

---

The next day, Virendra sat in his office, scanning through the information Reyansh had gathered. Ishita's pictures from social media, her college details, her family background-everything was laid out before him. His sharp eyes scanned each detail meticulously.

"She's only 20," he muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. "Too young for this world. Too innocent for its darkness."

Yet, that very innocence was what drew him in. He wanted to protect her, shield her from everything-even if it meant keeping her by his side forever.

"Yeh duniya uske liye nahi hai. Lekin main uske liye hoon," he whispered, his resolve hardening.

---

Meanwhile, Ishita was completely unaware of the storm brewing in her life. At home, she was busy irritating her brother, Yashvir, by refusing to study.

Yashvir: "Kitni badmaash ho gayi ho! Padhai karne ka naam hi nahi leti."

Ishita: (grinning) "Bhai, mujhe padhai se break chahiye. Zindagi mein thoda maza bhi hona chahiye."

Her carefree laughter echoed through the house, but somewhere, fate had other plans for her.

---

Later that week, Virendra orchestrated a meeting with Ishita's father, Harshvardhan Chauhan, under the pretense of a business collaboration. Sitting in the Chauhan family's living room, Virendra exuded his usual cold, commanding aura.

As Ishita entered with a tray of tea, her bubbly nature momentarily faltered when she met his intense gaze. For a moment, she felt as though he could see through her, and it unnerved her.

Ishita: (whispering to her mother) "Yeh aadmi itna serious kyun lagta hai? Jaise smile karna mana ho."

Her mother: "Shh, bade aadmi hain. Aise hi hote hain."

Virendra's eyes followed her every movement, discreetly memorizing every detail-the way her dupatta fell on her shoulder, the sparkle in her eyes, the faint curve of her smile. To him, she wasn't just a girl anymore; she was his obsession.

---

That night, back in his penthouse, Virendra stood before a map of Jaipur, marking locations and planning his next move. Ishita's laughter still echoed in his ears, and he knew one thing for certain-he would do whatever it took to make her his.

"She's mine," he muttered to himself, his voice cold yet filled with an unsettling determination. "Aur main kisi bhi haad tak jaunga usey apna banane ke liye."

To Be Continued...

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