The man locked eyes with hers. Slowly, his brown orbs turned blood red, making Shrishti's eyes widen....

A loud scream tore from her lips, prompting a smirk from the man. Shrishti shoved him with all her strength and ran into the living room, only to find it empty.

Tanvi? Where is she? Shrishti asked herself, her chest tightening.

"Looking for your friend, darling?" the man whispered right behind her ear.

Shrishti sprinted to her room, leaving the man behind. She locked the door and ran to her closet, slipping inside and hiding behind her clothes, one hand pressed tightly against her mouth.

"This can't be real. This can't be real," Shrishti whispered to herself, If I stay quiet, he'll go away. No... it's nothing.

Footsteps approached the closet.

"Shrishti, my darling baby. Where are you?" the voice echoed. "Wanna play with me?" A chuckle followed. "Let me hunt you down."

Then silence,

Too much silence,

Shrishti swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut. Her breathing grew uneven despite her efforts to control it.

Something shifted....

Her eyes flew open as she felt something soft beneath her. She was sitting on her bed. Her mind went blank. She didn't remember leaving the closet. Her body went rigid as she slowly lifted her head.

There he was,

The man with bloodshot eyes.

Tears slipped down her cheeks before she even realized she was crying.

"Hey, don't cry! Don't cry!" the man said gently, though his gaze twisted her stomach. "I won't harm you."

For a second, she hated herself for wanting to believe him.

"Please... leave me," Shrishti begged, her voice barely cooperating. "Please leave me alone."

"I can do anything, darling," the man said with a dark chuckle,

"but leaving you."

In a blink, he was right in front of her face.

His features were still hidden, but his eyes alone were enough to make her shiver.

Shrishti woke up with a jolt. She looked around to find herself on the couch, Tanvi's leg resting on her. Sunlight peeked through the curtains.

She got up and walked to the kitchen, gulping down some water before closing her eyes.

"I can do anything, darling," the man's voice echoed in her head,

"but leaving you."

Her eyes shot open.

"That dream felt so real," she whispered. "I guess my mind is way too stressed... dreaming about my novel character."

"Darling!"

Shrishti flinched but was pulled into a warm embrace. She turned to see Tanvi hugging her tightly.

"Happiest birthday to my bestie, my darling, my babygirl!" Tanvi sang, swinging her around.

Shrishti sighed in relief and hugged her back. "Thanks"

"Babe, you know what?" Tanvi said, breaking the hug. "We're celebrating your birthday at a club."

"You know I've never touched alcohol," Shrishti replied.

"Relax. You don't need to drink. Just wear a sexy dress chosen by me and move your hips," Tanvi said with a wink.

Shrishti was about to respond when the scene from last night's dream flashed through her mind.

The man locked eyes with hers. Slowly, his brown orbs turned blood red...

------------------------------------------

Shrishti sat on a couch in the corner of the club, trying her best to be invisible. After battling with herself, she'd agreed to celebrate her birthday, hoping to move on from the dream.

She spotted Tanvi vibing with their friends. Tanvi gestured for her to join, but Shrishti shook her head. Tanvi nodded and went back to dancing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shrishti woke up with her head spinning. Her vision was blurred. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light. Looking around, she found herself on her bed, guessing Tanvi must have brought her back. Shaking her head, she walked toward the washroom.

She stood by the sink and washed her face, the cold water helping her steady herself. Reaching for the towel, she wiped her face and lifted her head.

Something felt... wrong....

She looked into the mirror. Her breath hitched. Vermilion (sindur) stained the parting of her hair. A nuptial chain (mangalsutra) rested against her neck. Bangles circled her wrists.

She looked like a newly married bride.

She touched her hairline, her fingers coming away stained red with vermilion.

Her stomach twisted violently. She bent over the sink and threw up, her body shaking. She was doing her business. Suddenly, she felt....

a presence,

Someone gently gathered her loose hair and held it back, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles.

When Shrishti was finally done, she washed her face and stood upright.

"Feeling better?" a man's voice reached her ears.

She turned sharply. A breathtaking man stood beside her, sculpted like a piece of art crafted with care and devotion. Her mind went completely blank. It felt like dream.

He waved a hand in front of her eyes.

"Back to earth, my lady," he said softly.

Shrishti came back to reality and shoved him away, backing off.

"Who the hell are you?" she shouted. "How did you get into my house?"

"What are you talking about, Shri?" he asked gently.

The nickname sounded pure and loving. For a split second, her guard faltered. She straightened immediately.

"I asked you who the hell you are," Shrishti snapped. "How dare you break into my apartment? Answer me before I send you behind bars."

He looked at her calmly.

"You really don't remember me Shri?", he asked.

Shrishti shook her head, locking her eyes with him.

"I don't!", she said.

He smiled calmly before replying.

"I'M YOUR HUSBAND, BABY!"

Shrishti's knees weakened. She lost her balance, only to be caught in the arms of the man who had just claimed to be her husband. She shoved him away at once.

"No... it's a dream. Yes, it's a dream! This is a dream!" Shrishti tried to convince herself.

"Hey, darling, it's okay. It's okay," the man said softly, holding her face in his large, veiny hands.

"Take it easy. You're not dreaming. You're married, and I'm your husband. Siddharth Rai."

Shrishti's breathing turned uneven. Tears welled up in her eyes. Siddharth tried to calm her, but she pushed him harshly.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she shouted and rushed into her room, frantically searching for her phone. Siddharth remained where he was, arms crossed.

She found her phone in her bag and quickly dialed Tanvi's number. The call connected.

OTP (On the phone)

"Finally, your highness is awake," Tanvi teased.

"Tanvi, what happened last night?" Shrishti asked desperately.

"How would I know what happened last night?" Tanvi replied.

"What do you mean? You were with me last night, right?" Shrishti asked.

"Why would I be with you last night?" Tanvi said. "It was your marriage anniversary, remember?"

"Marriage anniversary?" Shrishti's heart dropped.

"I guess my brother-in-law went a little too hard on you," Tanvi added playfully. "You don't even remember you're married, and yesterday was your first anniversary. Take care of yourself and get some rest."

The call ended.

Shrishti slowly turned toward Siddharth, who was watching her calmly.

"Babe, are you okay?" Siddharth asked.

If we're married... then why don't I remember anything? Shrishti thought.

Siddharth stepped closer and cupped her face.

"Look at me, babe."

She met his eyes. Something flickered in her mind the moment their gazes locked.

"You are mine, darling. Keep that in your mind", he said pecking her forehead.

She pushed him away and stared at him in horror.

"You... you're not human, are you?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

The gentle smile on Siddharth's face twisted into a smirk. His eyes burned red as his face began to fade, leaving only those eyes visible.

"Oh, my pretty lady, you're way too smart," he said.

He pulled her closer, playing with strands of her hair. His blood red eyes locked onto hers as he touched the vermilion in her hairline, staining his finger red.

"This belongs to me," he murmured. "You belong to me. Only me." His voice darkened. "Dare to think about choosing someone else, and you'll see the consequences, darling."

Shrishti stood frozen, too stunned to react.

"Aha... don't worry, darling. I won't hurt you," he said calmly. "But the man you choose over me?"

He smiled......

Shrishti opened her eyes to find herself on her bed. She glanced beside her and found no one. Her heartbeat spiked as the door opened, but she relaxed when she saw Tanvi.

"Morning, your highness," Tanvi said. "I'm completely shocked to see you completely fine after finishing almost every kind of drink at the club."

"What do you mean?" Shrishti asked, confused.

"Come on, don't you remember?" Tanvi said. "Oh wait, how would you? You were totally drunk. I had to bring you back early because of your tantrums. And yeah, Mumma called you. Since you were deep in dreamland, I answered."

Shrishti sat up straighter. "Why did Mumma call?"

"She said you liked a guy," Tanvi continued, "and that today they're coming to meet you."

"Wait- who?" Shrishti asked. "I didn't say yes to any guy."

"Umm... I think you did," Tanvi said with an awkward smile.

"When? How?" Shrishti asked.

"You were kissing a guy's picture on your phone," Tanvi said. "You said yes, confidently."

Shrishti froze,

"Shit," she muttered. "I agreed to marry an unknown guy?"

"You were also mumbling his name.", Tanvi said.

"Tell me the name girl!", Shrishti asked almost jumping on Tanvi.

Tanvi tried to recall.

"It's Siddu or kind of. Oh wait! His name was SIDDHARTH RAI"

TO BE CONTINUED

So, ayo guys......😄

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