My head was spinning... my body felt unbearably heavy.
I remembered... I had gone to Kali Maa's temple for a visit. After that... there was an attack. And then—
What happened to me after that?

Slowly, I opened my eyes, trying to register my surroundings.

The air was unfamiliar. The scent... the silence... nothing felt normal.
And just like that—
Everything came rushing back.
The screams, the chaos, the masked faces...

One word slipped from my mouth like venom.
"Lootere..."
(Bandits...)

And just then, I heard a voice.

"Uth gayi aap, Rajkumari?"
(Awake now, princess?)

I turned to look behind me.
It was him.
The same man who had dragged me from the temple, unconscious.

And now, he stood right in front of me, grinning like he had won a prize—
As if I was some trophy.

I didn't answer him.
Anger began to boil inside me.

Before I could even think it through, I reached down to my waist where a small khanjar was strapped, hidden for emergencies—
And without hesitation, I lunged at him, aiming straight for his heart.

But just before the blade could pierce his chest—
He caught it.
With his bare hand.

Blood dripped from his palm...
Yet he didn't even flinch.

Instead—
His grin only grew wider.
His eyes sparkled like a child handed a new toy.

Then he said, in a voice thick with amusement—

"Hayeee... krodh mein toh aap aur bhi pyaari lagti hain."
(Oh... you look even prettier when you're angry.)

A shiver ran down my spine.

I tried to pull the dagger back, but his grip only tightened—
As if the pain meant nothing to him.
He started walking closer, still holding the dagger in place.

Instinctively, I moved back.

His smile never wavered.
His eyes never left mine.

And then, suddenly—
My legs hit the edge of the bed behind me.
I stumbled—
Fell backwards.

Before I could sit up, he was already over me.

I pushed at his chest, tried kicking him off, but his build—
It was impossible to move.
He was too strong.

Then—
He leaned down toward my neck and took a deep sniff.
My body stiffened.

He began to kiss me.
Painfully slow.
From my shoulder to my nape,
And then up, brushing my chin...

As if he was savoring every second.

Then he whispered—

"Agar aap hum par roz iss tarah se prem barsaengi... toh hum toh mar hi jaayenge."
(If you shower your love on me like this every day... I might just die from it.)

I froze.

What was he doing?
Who was he?
Why had he brought me here?
Why was he treating me like this?

My chest burned with rage.

And through clenched teeth, I snapped—

"Aap gande haath humse door rakhiye... warna hum aapko jaan se maar denge!"
(Keep your filthy hands off me... or I swear I'll kill you!)

He immediately backed away.

I gasped for air, finally able to breathe again.
His weight had crushed me like a boulder.
I sat up, rubbing my neck and shoulders, trying to erase the memory of what he'd just done.

But his expression had changed.
The silly grin was gone.

His jaw clenched.

Before I could blink, his hand was around my neck—
He pinned me down again.

His grip tightened around my neck, making it hard to breathe.
His face was so close, our lips nearly touched.
Our breaths mingled.

And in a voice dark and husky, he warned—

"Hume krodh mat dilayiye, Rajkumari... aur dobara aisa karne ka sochiyega bhi nhi. Aapki galti hum sirf iss baar maaf kar rahe hain."
(Don't make me angry, Princess... and don't even think about doing that again. I'm forgiving your mistake this one time only.)

Mistake?
What mistake?

Before I could process his words, he leaned in again.
But this time—
He bit my neck.
Hard.

Pain exploded through me.

He wasn't kissing now. He was claiming.

My breath hitched.
My eyes welled up.
I beat my fists against him again and again—
But it didn't matter.
He was just too strong.

And then—
He looked at the red mark on my neck.
Rubbed it gently with his thumb...
His eyes softened.

He looked at me and said quietly—

"Tayyar ho jaiye... aaj humara vivaah hai."
(Get ready... today is our wedding.)