The room smelled of fear and broken silence.

Mira sat on the edge of the bed, her body wrapped in a shawl that wasn’t enough to stop the trembling. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric, knuckles pale. Every sound made her flinch.

Arav stood in front of her.

Still.

Too still.

His shirt was stained. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles trembled beneath his skin. His eyes—dark, burning, hollow—never left her face.

“Mira,” he said finally.

His voice wasn’t loud.

It didn’t need to be.

“Look at me.”

She lifted her eyes slowly.

The moment their gazes met, something inside him cracked.

“Did they…” His breath hitched. “Did they touch you?”

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

Arav took a step closer.

“Tell me,” he said, control slipping into desperation. “Please.”

Mira swallowed hard.

“They… they pulled my hair,” she whispered.

Her voice shook.

“And they held my hands so I couldn’t move.”

The world stopped.

Arav froze.

Not in relief.

Not in calm.

In devastation.

His fists clenched at his sides.

Hair.

Hands.

Someone had dared to do that.

Someone had dared to put their hands on what he loved more than his own life.

His breathing turned uneven.

“They didn’t touch you anywhere else?” he asked again, his voice barely holding together.

Mira shook her head quickly.

“No,” she said. “Nothing else. I swear.”

Arav closed his eyes.

For a second, she thought he might collapse.

But instead—

he snapped.

He stepped forward and cupped her face suddenly, his grip trembling, his eyes wild with fear and fury.

“Mira,” he said hoarsely, “please… say it again.”

She nodded, tears spilling.

“They didn’t touch me,” she said firmly. “I’m safe.”

Still—

it didn’t matter.

Arav pressed his forehead to hers, his breath harsh, uneven.

“Pulling your hair…” he whispered.

“Gripping your hands…”

His voice darkened.

“That is no small crime.”

He kissed her.

Not slow.

Not gentle.

But not explicit.

It was desperate—like a man clinging to proof that she was still here. Still alive. Still his.

“Mira,” he whispered against her skin, shaking, “if they had done anything more—anything—I would have burned the world down.”

She held onto him, burying her face in his chest.

“I know,” she cried softly. “I know.”

He kissed her again—briefly, fiercely—and then pulled back abruptly.

His eyes had changed.

The love was still there.

But now it was wrapped in something terrifying.

Decision.

He turned sharply toward the door and called out, his voice commanding and cold.

“Send the maids. Now.”

Two women entered quickly, their faces pale when they saw Mira.

“Take care of her,” Arav said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

“Stay with her. Don’t leave her alone.”

Mira grabbed his wrist.

“Arav—”

He turned back instantly.

“Yes?”

Her voice trembled.

“Please… don’t do something you can’t come back from.”

His expression softened—for her.

But only for her.

“I already crossed that line,” he said quietly.

“And I would do it again.”

He leaned down, brushing his thumb gently over her cheek.

“This is not for revenge,” he said. “This is for justice.”

Then he straightened.

And walked out.

---

The mansion felt darker now.

He strode down the steps, bodyguards falling into place behind him without a word. They didn’t ask questions.

They had seen his face.

They knew better.

“Take care of the situation downstairs,” Arav instructed calmly.

“No one speaks about it. No one enters that area.”

“Yes, sir.”

Arav said,"Keep Rudra’s body downstairs".

“And the other man?” one of them asked carefully.

Arav’s eyes hardened.

“Find him,” he said.

“He doesn’t get to walk away.”

The engines started.

As the cars pulled out into the night, Arav leaned back in his seat, staring into nothing.

Mira’s shaking hands replayed in his mind.

Her broken voice.

Her fear.

Someone had dared to make her feel unsafe.

And that—

That was unforgivable.

---

Back inside the mansion, Mira sat quietly as the maids helped her change and cleaned the scratches on her hands.

One of them whispered softly, “You’re safe now, bahu sa.”

Mira nodded, but her heart felt heavy.

Because safety came at a cost.

And she knew Arav was paying it.

The women helped Mira to change ahd take rest but she was still trembling. The trauma of Rudra and his friend. Maybe they couldn't harm her and Arav came on time but the way they were talking and pulling her hair scared her. The way she saw Arav killing Rudra scared her. She was feeling miserable. In one hand she felt relieved that the bastard died but seeing Arav getting violent shocked her.

---

Elsewhere, in the moving darkness of the city, Arav’s phone buzzed.

A message.

We found him.

Arav closed his eyes slowly.

“Good,” he said.

There was no anger in his voice now.

Only certainty.

---

Back in the room, Mira hugged her knees to her chest, staring at the door.

She whispered a prayer—not just for herself.

But for the man who loved her so fiercely that he was willing to destroy himself to keep her safe.

---

To be continued…

.........

Thankyou for showering your love on the last chapter.

What do you think where will Arav’s possessiveness lead to?

Will he destroy everything to save his muse?

Stay tuned!!!