I sit by the large mirror in the corner of the room, watching as the mehendi artist delicately draws intricate designs on my hands. My skin feels cool under the paste, the green color slowly darkening as the artist swirls her brush over my palms. 

The scent of roses and jasmine fills the air, blending with the sweet, earthy smell of henna. The music from downstairs hums faintly in the background, and the soft chatter of the women around me feels like a distant hum. 

But my mind isn't here.

It's stuck on last night. Avyaan's words keep replaying in my head like a broken record, each syllable cutting deeper, more unsettling than the last.

Tell me, just say the name and I'll kill anyone for you... Even if it's your own brother? 

For you? A thousand times.

Those words... how could he have said them so easily, so casually? As if they meant nothing. Or maybe they meant everything to him. The intensity in his eyes, the unwavering conviction in his voice—it's haunted me since that moment. 

And the way he spoke about love—no, not love, obsession—made my heart tremble. How long had he felt this way? From when? How had I been so blind to it?

I glance at my reflection in the mirror, but I barely recognize the girl staring back at me. Her eyes are wide with confusion, her lips pressed into a thin line, trying to hold back the wave of uncertainty crashing inside her. My head spins with the weight of it all. The Avyaan I thought I knew was protective, caring—but this? This was different.

Myra's voice snaps me out of my thoughts as the door creaks open. I whip my head around, still caught in the whirlwind of last night's conversation, only to see her standing there, her eyes wide with excitement. And behind her, Rohan, grinning like always.

"Surprise" Myra shouts, practically bouncing as she runs toward me with open arms.

For a moment, I forget everything. Myra and Rohan—two of my closest friends, the ones I'd lost touch with when everything spiraled out of control—are standing here, in front of me. My heart lifts as she wraps her arms around me in a tight hug, her warmth momentarily pushing away the coldness of last night's revelation.

 "Anya, you look so beautiful my girl" Myra pulls back, her eyes sparkling as she takes in my bridal attire and the delicate mehendi designs on my hands. "And this wedding... ph my god, I had no idea it was Avyaan all along! You never told me!" 

I try to smile, but it feels forced. Myra doesn't know the truth—none of it. She doesn't know that this wedding wasn't supposed to happen with Avyaan, but with his brother. 

She doesn't know that I almost married Vihaan, that he was the one who betrayed me. She doesn't know that Avyaan had stepped in to save me, that he confessed he was willing to kill for me. Or that he had already dealt with Vihaan without me even knowing.

"I... its a long story" I manage, my voice quieter than I intend it to be.

Rohan steps forward, his usual calm smile on his face."We were so shocked when we heard about the accident. But Avyaan told us you were okay, and now you're getting married. i guess we never saw this coming." 

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. They think this is a fairy tale, a love story that took its time to unfold. They have no idea about the darkness lurking beneath the surface—the obsession, the madness, the secrets.

Myra narrows her eyes playfully."You little sneak! You never told me who you were in love with! I had my suspicions, though. You were always glowing when you talked about someone." She giggles, her excitement innocent, but her words make my heart sink further.

Glowing? No. There was no glow. Only fear. Fear of what Avyaan's confession meant. Fear of the intensity he was hiding behind his eyes. How long had he felt this way? How could I not have seen it? It's not love, not in the way people think it is. What he feels for me—it's something darker, more dangerous.

I'm jolted out of my spiraling thoughts when the door opens again. Avyaan walks in, and the air in the room changes instantly. He carries himself with that same calm, confident aura, but there's something different now. Something sharper. He meets my eyes for a second, and I swear I feel that intensity again, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

"Surprised" Avyaan asks, his voice smooth but tinged with something more—like he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

Rohan claps him on the shoulder. "Man, you really know how to keep secrets. You and Tanya, huh? We didn't see that coming!" 

Avyaan chuckles, but his eyes are locked on mine."Somethings are worth keeping close," he says, the weight of his words heavy with meaning only I can understand.

I shift uncomfortably, my heart racing. What does he mean by that? Does he know that I'm still reeling from last night? From his confession? My thoughts spin in circles, and I feel like I'm suffocating under the weight of everything that's been left unsaid.

As Myra and Rohan sit down, chatting excitedly about the wedding, my mind drifts back to the previous night.

For you? A thousand times.

Those words have been branded into my mind, a constant reminder that the man sitting beside me is no longer the Avyaan I thought I knew. He's something else entirely. 

The way he looks at me now—there's a hunger in his eyes, a possessiveness that I've never seen before. It scares me, but at the same time, I can't help but feel drawn to him. How can I be afraid of someone who's willing to destroy anything in his path for me?

How could I not have known?

The memory of his hand brushing against my lips flashes before my eyes, the way he whispered that he'd kill for me. That I was his obsession. Not his love, not his desire—but his obsession.

I glance at him now, his face calm, collected as he talks with Rohan, but I know better. I know that beneath that cool exterior lies a man who's capable of anything. And that terrifies me.

"Are you tired?" He asks coming closer to me, I shake my head and he nods. 

But what terrifies me more is that part of me is okay with it. Part of me wants to believe that his obsession will protect me, that he'll always be there to shield me from harm, no matter how twisted it is. 

That no one, not even Vihaan, can touch me as long as Avyaan is around.

And maybe that's the scariest part of all. Because in some twisted way, I think I need him as much as he needs me.