MYRA'S POV

“You don’t know how fucking crazy you drive me every second,” he said. Then he left for the washroom, leaving me on the kitchen counter, shaking. I had to regain my composure, to pull myself back from the lust he had just stirred in me.

Setting my foot on the floor, I washed my face in the sink. He said he was hungry, I reminded myself, then quickly took a plate, served the rice, poured the rasam into a bowl, and placed the omelette on the side.

Almost twenty minutes later, he came out. I was sitting on the sofa, waiting for him. “You took so long. Is everything okay?” I asked.

He sat beside me , “I had to stay in control when all I wanted was to fucking lose it.”

“You don’t have to stay in control,” I said, looking at him, our eyes locking. He was breathtaking—how could a man be this attractive?

“I have to, little storm, just until our marriage, the way you wanted it,” he replied, his gaze dropping to the plate.

“Can you feed me?” he asked, pleading with his eyes.

I smiled at his innocence; he could ask for my life, and I would give it to him. I mixed the rice with rasam and fed him with my hand. He took it, his mouth brushing my fingers, and I slowly pulled my hand away. Even feeding him wasn’t easy—it stirred unspoken desires within me. He kept looking at me with love and fondness in his eyes.

His eyes grew moist, yet he didn’t look away. I placed the plate on the table, my other hand brushing his cheek.

“Why are you crying?” I asked. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head on my lap as he sobbed. “What happened, Adhvay?” I asked, unable to control my own tears.

“You know how much I wanted this,” he said, burying his face deeper into my lap. “You being by my side, taking care of me, loving me… I don’t know if I’m capable of explaining this feeling.”

“Listen to me,” I said, lifting his face to look at me. “You are not going to lose me ever again. I promise. I will love you more than you ever wanted me to.” I hugged him tightly, my heart aching at the sight of him like this—the most controlled man losing his composure for my love.

“I won’t let you leave me again, not while I’m breathing,” he said, tightening his hold on me.

“Okay,” I whispered, gently pulling away. I took the plate from the table and continued to feed him.

“So I’m thinking…” I said as I settled next to him. He immediately wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close into his embrace, my head resting on his chest as I listened to his heartbeat. “I want to go shopping with you for our wedding, you have select me the saree.”

“Go where? Everything you need comes straight to the palace,” he said, kissing my face.

“Nah, we have to go out and shop—that’s my plan,” I smiled.

“But why? You don’t have to stress. Everything comes to you.”

“Ahhh, you’re not fun. That’s why I like Sreehan. He took me to Hyderabad when I said—” He moved within a microsecond. I was pinned to the sofa, and he was over me.

“Say that again,” he said, his eyes turning dark.

“Wh–what?”

“You like who?” he asked, pinning me with his gaze. I swallowed hard, my heart racing, suddenly very aware of how close he was.

“I love you,” I whispered quickly, my hands fisting in his shirt. “I was joking, Adhvay. Don’t look at me like that.”

His jaw tightened, breath brushing my lips. “Don’t ever take another man’s name in front of me,” he said lowly. “Not when you know what you do to me.”

My pulse thundered as I swallowed. “Jealous?” I teased softly, trying to ease the tension. His lips curved into a dangerous smile.

“Possessive,” he corrected,kissing my forehead . “And hopelessly in love with you.”

“Okay, now leave me and listen,” I said, pushing him lightly. “Please come with me, Adhvay. Shopping is a lot of fun,” I added, folding my hands around his bicep as I pleaded.

He sighed softly. “I said no because of security reasons and unwanted attention, but if you really want this, then it’s done,” he said with a smile, brushing his hand against my cheek. I squealed in happiness and threw myself into his arms.

“I’ll leave now,” he said, holding me close for a moment longer.

" I don't want to leave, little storm. I want to sleep in your arms."

"Its just a matter of few days and we won't be separated ever again ", I assured him as he made his way towards the door.

As soon as he left, the happiness drained out of me, leaving behind a strange heaviness in my chest. I sat back on the sofa, hugging a cushion to myself, staring at the space where he had been moments ago. Why did his absence feel this loud, this unbearable, even when I knew he would return?

I hated how dependent my emotions had become on his presence, how silence wrapped around me the second he walked away. Pressing my forehead against the cushion, I exhaled shakily, reminding myself that love wasn’t supposed to hurt like this—but with Adhvay, it always did, beautifully and painfully all at once.

_______________

“Myra… Myra…” a familiar voice reached my ears.

I tossed and landed on the floor with a thud.

What the hell? My bed is giant—how did I end up on the floor? Oh, right—I had slept on the couch last night, thinking of Adhvay.

“Hey, careful,” Rudra mama said, reaching me and helping me up.

The house was already bustling with workers, everyone busy in their own tasks. The delicious smell of dosa drifted to my nose.

“Rudra mama, you know today we’re going shopping for my wedding sarees,” I said, excitement coursing through every nerve of my body.

Rudra mama narrowed his eyebrows. “With whom?” he asked.

“Of course… with Adhvay.”

“Hmm… I don’t think so. His company is in chaos today; some shareholders aren’t on his side. He needs to be at the office,” Rudra mama continued, speaking the words I didn’t want to hear.

My smile dropped. “What? But he said he would come with me.”

“I think he won’t today. Anyway, call him and find out for yourself. I’m leaving for the palace,” Rudra mama said as he stepped out.

My phone rang within a minute, and the caller ID showed Adhvay.

I picked up. “Good morning, Raja varu.”

“Good morning, Rani gaaru,” he replied, making me smile.

“Sorry, I woke up late, but I won’t take much time. I’ll be ready in an hour—”

My words were cut off by him. “Myra ...baby… I’m sorry. But We can’t go today.”

“Why?”

“I have to go to the company. Please understand,” he said, his voice low.

“When will you take me shopping then?” I asked, disappointment creeping into my tone.

“I don’t know… maybe a couple of days later, little storm. Please understand,” he pleaded.

“Yesterday you gave me a lecture when I praised Sreehan, and look at you today,” I said, frowning. “Nothing wrong—Sreehan took me out immediately when I asked.”

“Shhh…” His voice sent shivers down my spine. “Keep provoking me, and you’ll regret every word,” he warned.

“You know what? I hate you,” I snapped, and disconnected the call.

He called and called again, but I ignored him. Hundreds of notifications from him saying sorry flooded my phone—I ignored them all.

After getting freshened up, I ate three masala dosas in one go . For some reason, the chefs had been making gulab jamun every single day.

“You made gulab jamun again?” I asked one of the ladies.

“Rani gaaru… it’s an order from Raja varu,” she replied. “He said to cook it fresh and clean every day.”

Taking care of what I eat is good… but what about shopping? He completely ignored what I enjoy most.

“Huh. I am still mad,” I muttered.

“No need to prepare gulab jamun every day; I’ll get bored,” I said, frowning.

“He will dismiss us the next second if we don’t follow orders,” the lady said, terrified.

“If he is your Raajavaru then I am his queen, you don’t have to fear him—especially when I said no,” I comforted her.

“Please… don’t put our jobs at risk,” all three chefs pleaded, gathering around me.

I sighed. “Okay. But You are my chefs. Do as I say, and you don’t have to fear for me, alright? I’ll deal with Adhvay.”

They nodded, still terrified. 'Did he threaten them or what?' I thought. I noticed that every guard, every staff member always spoke to me with their heads low and their eyes on the floor. It's kinda awkward .

“Akkaa… akka…” Veda burst into the hall out of nowhere.

( akka = sister)

“Veda, hi…” I said, still confused.

"He ignored me—can you believe that?" She kept pacing back and forth.

“Who?” I asked. “Sreehan?”

“Yeah. He promised me a date,” she said, looking furious.

“Tell me about it. Adhvay said he would take me shopping and canceled it like it meant nothing,” I said, sinking onto the sofa in disappointment.

“You know what?” Veda said suddenly, tapping my shoulder roughly. “Let’s go out on our own—to prove we don’t need them.”

“You sure?” I asked.

“Why not? Come on,” she said, dragging me by the shoulder. “Okay… give me a minute,” I said, arranging my handbag.

“Let’s go.” And just like that, the sister vibe activated.

Just as we were about to step out, two guards stopped us, holding their guns firmly. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there are orders not to allow you both outside,” one bulky man said.

“What? But why?” Veda snapped, nearly throwing her hands up.

“Ma’am, the order is from Raja varu. We can’t cross it,” the other giant said.

Irritation flared inside me. I took out my phone and dialed the most irritating person alive.

He answered within a second. “Hello… Myra, listen to me—”

“Why am I not allowed to go outside?” I cut straight to the point.

“Due to security reasons. There are elections in a few months, please understand , you cant go  with out proper _,” he said, worried.

“What do elections have to do with me going out? Huh?” I shouted. “I’m not your toy, understand?.”

“Wrong,” he said calmly. “You’re my cute Barbie.”

I am burning with anger, and he is flirting—seriously?

“In that case, I’m Annabelle,” I snapped.

“Barbie or Annabelle,” he replied smoothly, “still mine, sweetheart.”



MYRA'S POV

We lay on my bed, eating chips and doing absolutely nothing. I hung up on him—again. He wasn’t taking my words seriously, and the guards outside were a constant headache.

Veda rolled on the bed, wrapping herself in the blanket and looking like a burrito. “What the hell is wrong with them?” she snapped for the eighth time in two hours.

I sighed and changed the TV channel, munching on chips.

“Call him again, akka. This time talk sweetly,” Veda advised. “Once we get out of this house, we can escape the security easily.”

“No, that’s not possible,” I sighed again.

“They follow us everywhere, no matter where we go.”

Veda fell silent for a moment, then suddenly shouted, “Idea!”

“What is it now?” I asked, uninterested.

“First, you talk to bava gaaru ( brother in law) sweetly and somehow convince him. Then we go to the mall. There we act like we’re buying things, roaming here and there,” she said, excitement bubbling. “Then we make an excuse to use the washroom. The male guards won’t follow us there. I’ll ask my friends to distract them for a while, we escape the mall, the car will be ready, and we drive straight to Guntur  and do our shopping. How is it?”

( Guntur is a city)

My mouth fell open. “This is not possible. And first of all, Adhvay won’t agree to us leaving this house today.”

“You have to try—at least for the last time,” she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “Do you want to accept defeat, akka?”

I straightened up. “I will never accept defeat,” I said, dialing his number.

“That’s my girl,” Veda mumbled under her breath.

I dialed Adhvay’s number, biting my nails, suddenly nervous. Within the second ring, he picked up. “Hello,” he said, a little serious.

"Uh…", I cleared my throat. “Hello… baby…”

I closed my eyes immediately, cringing at myself. I had never called him that before. Hearing him call me baby was beautiful, but this? This felt completely opposite. I mean, who even calls a giant,  grown ass man ' baby'?

I hung up immediately, without even listening to how he responded.

“What? Why did you hang up, akka?” Veda hit my shoulder.

“Veda… it felt cringe. I’ve never called him like that,” I said, hiding my face in my palms. My phone rang again instantly—it was Adhvay.

“I’m not going to answer it,” I screamed into the pillow.

“No, no, listen—you’re doing great. I call Sreehan 'baby' all the time; it’s not cringe, akka,” Veda said, trying to pry my face away from the pillow and failing.

My mobile rang continuously for the third time.

“I’m answering it,” Veda declared, snatching my phone, answering the call, and shoving it back into my hand.

“He—hello,” I said helplessly.

“Did you just call me baby?” he asked from the other side.

I could hear chaos behind him—voices arguing, overlapping—it sounded like a meeting. Then why did he even pick my call?

Veda shot me a threatening look, reminding me of the sweet conversation I had promised. “Ye—yes, I called you baby,” I said, gathering every ounce of courage. “Don’t you like it?”

There was a pause. “Who are you, and what  have you done to my Myra?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“I’m marrying you, am I not? What’s wrong with calling you baby?” I said, trying to sound sweet.

He exhaled sharply. “Little storm, can you please stop tempting me? I’m in a goddamn meeting.”

“Oh… so now the meeting is more important than me?” I asked softly, the words slipping out a little seductive.

“Nothing is more important than you,” he said firmly, his voice softening despite the chaos around him. “But trust me… this is important.”

“Okay… I understand, baby…” I said, squeezing my eyes shut, still trying to adjust to the word. “But please,” I added, dragging the words dramatically, making them sound as cute as possible, “will you talk to the guards so we can go outside?”

"Fuck", He cursed softly. “Why can’t I ever say no to you?”

My eyes flew open. I turned to Veda and mouthed excitedly, 'it’s working', without making a sound. She jumped, threw pillows into the air, and high-fived me.

“Where are you going?” his deep voice pulled me back from the excitement.

“We’re just going to the mall. We’ll be back home in less than… uh—uh…” I hesitated. Veda flashed two fingers at me when I struggled to answer. “In two hours,” I finally said.

He exhaled sharply. The voices on the other side grew louder—he was definitely in a hurry. Yet he was still on the call, talking to me gently, without anger, while I was secretly planning to ditch him. Guilt crept into my chest.

“Okay then,” he said, still unwilling. “Be home as soon as possible.”

__________

We visited every shop, roaming around and buying nothing. The guards followed us, less than five feet away—eight of them in total.

An hour passed, and by now we were clearly irritating them. Still, their faces remained hard and unreadable, broken only by heavy sighs each time we walked out of a shop without buying a single thing.

Veda checked her phone, then grabbed my hand and pressed it hard, signaling it was time to start our plan. “Uh, akka, I need to use the washroom. Will you come with me?” she asked innocently.

“Yeah,” I smiled back, catching her cue, then turned to the guards.

“Stay here. The ladies will feel uncomfortable if you stand in front of the women’s washroom,” I ordered, trying to sound calm and authoritative.

“But, Rani gaaru—” one of the guards tried to speak.

“Stay. Here,” I said sharply, raising my voice just enough to leave no room for argument.

The guards straightened their backs and obeyed without another word, and we walked toward the washroom.

“Oh my god, my legs are hurting, akka,” Veda whined.

“I told you not to wear those heels,” I said, looking at my reflection in the mirror and fixing my hair.

“Listen, akka,” Veda said softly, lowering her voice. “My friends can distract the guards only for a very short time. We have to escape.” Before I could respond, a girl rushed in and hugged Veda tightly. They squealed together, while I watched, feeling a little awkward.

“Akka, this is Shruthi, my best friend,” Veda introduced her. Shruthi waved at me with a warm smile. “Did you bring what I asked?” Veda asked.

“Yeah,” Shruthi said, opening her bag and pulling out two Burkhas.

“Shruthi, go out first and give a missed call when our friends start talking to the guards,” Veda said. Shruthi nodded and left immediately.

My heart began to race—I had never sneaked out like this before. Back then, I never had to explain where I was going or when I’d be back; there was no one to care enough to ask. This felt strange—adventurous, thrilling, and somehow deliciously mischievous all at once.

After five minutes, Veda’s phone rang just once and disconnected. We exchanged a quick nod and began to walk forward with confidence.

MYRA'S POV

The moment the mall doors slid open, Veda grabbed my hand and practically skipped toward the parking lot.

“We did it,” she whispered, laughing under her breath. I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. The burqa brushed my ankles as we walked, the thrill of disobedience buzzing through my veins. For once, there were no guards shadow looming over us. Just freedom.

The car doors shut, and Veda let out a triumphant whoop, immediately turning on the music.

“Guntur, here we come!” she sang, pulling out of the lot. I leaned back, laughing, stealing a chip from her packet, my phone buzzing uselessly in my bag. I ignored it.

Today was ours.

The road opened up, sunlight flooding the windshield. Veda talked nonstop—about shopping, food, everything she wanted to buy—and I hummed along, teasing her, the earlier frustration melting away. It felt light. Normal.

Then I saw it.

My smile didn’t vanish—but it stilled. In the rearview mirror, a dark car slipped into our lane.

Same speed. Same distance. I watched it for a few seconds, still half amused. Coincidences happened.

A minute passed. The car stayed.

Another minute. Still there.

Our laughter faded quietly, like a switch being turned off.

I straightened, my fingers tightening around the door handle. “Veda,” I said casually, “don’t change speed.”

She glanced at me. “Why akka?”

“We’ve got company.”

She checked the mirror, her excitement faltering.

“We are being followed.” My voice was calm, flat. Playtime was over. My gaze sharpened, tracking reflections, distance, movement. The road ahead thinned. Too open. Too exposed. “He’s matching us,” I said. “Not overtaking. Not falling back.”

The car edged closer. Testing.

Veda swallowed. “What do we do?”

“don’t panic,” I replied evenly. “And we don’t race.” I adjusted my seatbelt, every old instinct sliding back into place. My body remembered this, the calculating, the readiness.

“If he tries to box us in, slow down.”

The car surged suddenly, aggressive now. My jaw tightened—not fear, but irritation. “Amateur,” I muttered, reaching for my phone.

A bullet struck the back glass of our car, cracking it slightly—but luck was on our side, our vehicle was bulletproof.

Before the pursuing car could make another move, three black royal vehicles cut in—black, controlled, precise. It slid between us and the threat with practiced ease.

The chasing car hesitated, then immediately peeled away, disappearing down a side road.

Veda exhaled shakily. “Who was that?"

Our car slowed to a stop, both of us shaking. A Royal car pulled up beside us. The door opened, and a man stepped out—tall, calm, composed, eyes sharp but reassuring.

“Rani gaaru,” he said gently. “I’m Aarav Naidu.”

Relief crashed over me so hard as I realised he is one of Adhvay’s men.

He glanced down the road once, then back at us. “You’re safe now. Let’s get you somewhere secure.”

My phone rang, and my hand trembled when I saw his name.

Adhvay.

I answered, my voice shaking, "He_".

“Get into Aarav’s car and come straight to the palace,” Adhvay growled.

I could almost see it—the room he was in must have gone silent, everyone around him stepping back, shaken by the fury rolling off him.

As we followed to Aarav's car, my hands shaked on my lap, guilt settling deep in my chest. Freedom had tasted sweet—but fear had followed close behind, and somewhere far away.

The fun was over. The consequences were just beginning. And Adhvay… would not take this lightly.

_______



AUTHOR'S POV

The car ride was dead silent, Veda’s hands still trembling with fear.

Adhvay had warned Myra about the threats surrounding them because of the elections, but she had never imagined it was this serious.

They had played it off like children, and she—despite being a trained guard—had failed today. Overconfidence had crept in, blinding her, making her underestimate the very real dangers closing in around them.

Breaking the silence, Veda’s trembling voice came out low. “Who are they?”

Aarav Naidu replied without taking his eyes off the road. “Ma’am, they are not after you. They’re after Rani gaaru.”

“Only me?” Myra asked, a flicker of uneasy curiosity rising within her, trying to understand why the threat was directed solely at her. "Why?"

“Yes, Raani gaaru. There are some powerful people trying to get to you. They won’t threaten with murder—but they want to prove that they can reach you, that they can reach Raja vaaru through you,” Aarav said, his voice cracking despite his composed posture.

Myra frowned. “But until a few days ago, there was nothing. What changed so suddenly?”

Aarav exhaled slowly. “They’re trying to control Raja vaaru by using you, especially now—considering he’s transferring all of his companies into your name. Few shareholders are strongly against it.”

Shock crawled over Myra’s skin. “What?” she screamed.

Realisation slammed into her, choking her thoughts—this was why Adhvay had been so busy lately, especially after arranging their marriage.

" Why was he doing this?", Myra squealed, unable to digest the truth.

“Ma_ mam? You didn’t know about this proposal?” Aarav Naidu asked sharply, swerving the car to the side of the road and slamming the brakes.

The two escort cars skidded to a halt behind them, brakes screeching in unison, as Veda and Myra were thrown forward, their heads hitting the front seats.

“Please… please don’t tell Raja vaaru that I told you about this,” Aarav pleaded, joining his hands, his composure finally breaking.

Armed guards poured out of the rear cars, surrounding Aarav’s vehicle in a tight shield.

“No, don’t worry. I won’t tell him that you told me,” Myra said uneasily, trying to calm him as sweat beaded along Aarav’s temple and his body remained rigid with tension.

“Wait… are you Aarav Naidu? The local faction leader?” Veda asked, her voice tightly controlled, as if she had been holding that question back for far too long.

Aarav Naidu is the local political leader, a man whose word decided peace or chaos in the region. Feared and respected in equal measure, he still knew exactly where his power ended—at Adhvay’s shadow.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, his tone deep and serious.

“As far as I know about you, You’re a very powerful man here,  —but right now, you seem terrified. why are you afraid of Bavagaru—I mean, Raja vaaru?” Veda pressed on, her doubts spilling out despite herself.

Aarav let out a sharp exhale, “Yes, ma’am, I am powerful here, in this particular region. But we’re talking about Adhvay Pratap Varman—the supreme power who runs all of us,” he said, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

“Raja vaaru is terrifying even on a normal day. And now…” his voice shook as he continued driving, the city of Amaravathi unfolding ahead of them, “now he’s angry too.”

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