Chapter 40: Chapter Thirty-Eight.

Arjun’s sleek black car came to a halt in front of Meera's house, the quiet hum of the engine dying down.

Through the windshield, Meera could see her father pacing back and forth on the front porch, his anxiety radiating in every step. Her heart ached at the sight.

"Papa..." she whispered softly, her voice trembling as if her father could hear her through the glass.

Her eyes darted nervously to Arjun, who was already watching her intently, his dark gaze unwavering.

Meera’s breath hitched under the weight of his stare. “Thank you.” she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

Her hand instinctively reached for the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. She turned to Arjun again, the knot of fear tightening in her chest.

“C-can you... unlock the door, please?” she stammered, her words stumbling over themselves.

Arjun said nothing, his expression unreadable. Instead, he calmly unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

The slam of the door echoed through the silent street, sharp enough to pull Mr. Ahuja’s attention from his restless pacing.

His eyes immediately locked onto the car, recognizing the familiar, imposing figure that was now walking around the vehicle.

Arjun reached the passenger side and opened the door for Meera. She hesitated for a moment before stepping out, her entire body trembling.

“Thank you.” she muttered under her breath, her gaze fixed on the ground as she quickly walked toward her father.

The moment she reached him, Mr. Ahuja enveloped her in a tight embrace, his worry finally spilling over.

“Oh, beta… Are you okay?” His voice cracked as he kissed her head, his grip tightening as if he feared losing her again.

“Good evening, Mr. Ahuja.” Arjun’s voice broke through the tender moment, low and commanding.

Meera’s father stiffened immediately at the sound, his protective instincts kicking in.

He knew all too well what kind of man Arjun was. The memory of Arjun pointing a gun at him still haunted him, and the cold realization that Arjun could easily follow through with that threat lingered in his mind.

“Hm.” was all Mr. Ahuja could manage, his arms tightening around Meera as if to shield her from Arjun’s reach.

His jaw clenched, but he wisely held back the anger simmering beneath the surface.

Arjun, however, wasn’t one to be dismissed so easily. His eyes hardened as he took a step closer.

“We need to talk, Mr. Ahuja.” he said, his tone steely and unyielding.

“What do you want?” Mr. Ahuja asked, his voice strained. He stood protectively in front of Meera, subtly pushing her behind him, out of Arjun’s line of sight.

Arjun’s gaze flickered with irritation at the gesture, his temper barely in check.

“You said Meera was getting engaged soon.” Arjun stated, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His voice was calm, but the tension in the air was palpable.

Mr. Ahuja’s heart sank. He glanced down at his daughter, her wide, frightened eyes peeking out from behind him.

Then he turned back to face Arjun, his voice shaky.

“Yes... she is.” he lied, desperately clinging to the hope that he could keep Meera safe.

Arjun’s eyes darkened with fury.

“Stop lying.” he growled, his voice dripping with menace. “Meera told me it was all a lie.”

Panic gripped Mr. Ahuja as he nervously swallowed, his mind scrambling for a way out of the confrontation. “I-I… I’m not—”

“Mr. Ahuja.” Arjun interrupted, his tone dangerously low as he struggled to control his rage.

“Don’t ever lie to me again. The only reason I’m letting this go is because you’re Meera’s father. But remember this,” he warned, his eyes narrowing. “You won’t get another chance.”

Meera, peeking from behind her father, caught Arjun’s gaze, her heart pounding in her chest.

His expression softened ever so slightly as their eyes met, but the intensity of his presence remained overwhelming.

“Good night, Meera.” he said, his voice a strange mix of warmth and finality. He turned on his heel and walked back to his car, the tension in his posture betraying the storm of emotions he kept tightly locked away.

Meera watched him as he opened the car door, glancing back at her one last time before driving off into the night.

The roar of the engine slowly faded into the distance, leaving behind a silence that felt deafening in its weight.

“P-papa… I’m—” Meera began, her voice trembling with the weight of everything that had just happened, but her father gently cut her off.

“Let’s go inside, beta.” he said softly, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and fear. He opened the door to their home, ushering her inside.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, it felt like a small barrier between them and the world outside, but it wasn’t enough to keep Arjun out of their lives. Not by a long shot.

Inside the house, the walls felt stifling, the air heavy with unspoken fears.

Mr. Ahuja guided Meera to the couch. He sat beside her, pulling her into another protective embrace. For a long moment, they sat in silence, the enormity of the situation hanging over them like a dark cloud.

Meera leaned into her father’s embrace, the weight of the past hours crashing down on her all at once.

Her body shook with the force of her silent sobs, and she clung to her father, wishing—praying—that she could somehow escape the dark shadow that Arjun cast over her life.

"Meera." her father's voice cut through the silence like a blade, sharp and unexpected.

She jolted upright, her heart racing as she turned to face him. He never called her by name unless he was angry or dead serious, and this time, it was the latter.

"Y-yes, Papa?" she stammered, fear creeping into her voice.

"You will have to meet Ranveer tomorrow." he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I know, Papa." Meera whispered, her face falling as she stared down at her lap. She felt a crushing weight settle over her, the dread of what was to come pressing on her chest.

"I'm sorry, Papa... I didn't mean—" she began, her voice small and fragile, but her father cut her off.

"It's okay." he said, though the firmness in his voice remained. "Mistakes happen. Go and freshen up."

Meera nodded sadly and stood, her shoulders slumped as she dragged herself toward the stairs.

Her mind was racing with everything that had happened, the confusion and fear swirling inside her like a storm.

She wanted to cry, to scream, but all she could do was walk, each step up the staircase feeling heavier than the last.

As she disappeared into her room, Meera’s mother walked over to her husband. She had been watching the exchange quietly, concern etched into every line of her face.

"I know it’s getting more and more difficult." she said softly. "Don’t be so hard on her. She’s scared."

Her father sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if trying to ease the weight of his own burden.

"I know." he admitted, "but we have to act fast. I don’t want Meera’s life ruined by getting tangled up in a mafia family."

He stood up, his movements stiff and deliberate, then walked away, leaving his wife standing there, her heart heavy with worry.

She watched him go, shaking her head sadly before returning to the kitchen.

Upstairs, Meera stepped into her room and closed the door behind her, the familiar space offering little comfort.

She felt the tears welling up, her body trembling as she fought to hold them back. But just as she was about to break down, she noticed something unusual—Veda, her sister, was sitting on her bed, looking utterly disturbed, almost terrified.

"Veda?" Meera rushed over to her, her concern for her sister momentarily pushing aside her own turmoil.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

Veda seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in and looked up at Meera with wide, haunted eyes.

"M-Meera... you're back?" she asked, her voice shaky as she tried to force a smile.

Meera frowned, not buying the weak attempt at reassurance.

"Veda, what's wrong? You’re not acting like yourself. This isn’t the feisty Veda I know." she said, sitting down beside her. "Your eyes... they’re full of fear. You look so lost. What happened?"

For a long moment, Veda just stared at her, as if deciding whether or not to speak. Then, without warning, tears broke free, and she collapsed into Meera’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Meera, I’m scared." Veda choked out, her voice barely audible.

Meera’s eyes widened in shock. She had never seen her strong, confident sister like this.

Carefully, she lifted Veda’s tear-streaked face to look at her.

"Veda? Who hurt you? What’s going on?" she asked, her voice tight with panic.

Veda sobbed for a few moments longer before she wiped her tears away, though they continued to fall.

"I... I want to leave here." she suddenly said, her voice trembling.

Meera blinked, stunned by the abruptness of the statement. "Leave? Why? What happened? Please, Veda, talk to me."

"He won’t stop. He’s... crazy." Veda mumbled, her words sending a chill down Meera’s spine.

"Who? Who are you talking about?" Meera asked, her mind racing as she tried to piece everything together. And then, like a punch to the gut, it clicked. "Wait... are you talking about Varun?"

Veda’s tears flowed harder, and she nodded miserably.

"Why didn’t you tell Papa?" Meera asked, her voice rising in disbelief.

"How could I?" Veda sobbed. "Papa’s already dealing with enough... with Arjun. And Varun... he’s not just some guy, Meera. He’s a warlord! He controls the underworld with more power than you can imagine. I couldn’t... I couldn’t burden Papa with that."

Meera’s blood ran cold. As bad as Arjun was, Varun sounded like an entirely different kind of monster. "Veda..." she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Veda’s voice broke as she continued, her words coming out in gasps. "He killed someone today, Meera. A guy... a guy who was flirting with me. I was just going to brush it off, but then... there was a gunshot. Everyone in the theater started running, but I saw... I saw Varun holding the gun."

Meera’s heart stopped. She stared at her sister, horrified, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. She thought she had problems with Arjun, but this? This was on a whole different level.

"We have to tell Papa." Meera said, her voice firm despite the fear bubbling inside her. "You can’t handle this alone, Veda. This is too extreme."

Veda shook her head vigorously. "You have no idea how dangerous Varun is. He’s not just obsessed... he’s a psychopath, A silent one at that. If we tell Papa, things will only get worse. He’ll... he’ll come after all of us. God, of all the people in this world, why are criminals drawn to our family?" Veda sobbed again, and Meera held her tightly, her own heart breaking at the sight of her sister’s fear.

"I need to leave, Meera." Veda whispered desperately. "It’s the only way. I have to get away from him."

"Leave? Where would you go?" Meera asked, her mind spinning. "Even if you want to, we still need to tell Papa."

Veda pulled away from the embrace and walked over to her desk, retrieving an envelope. She handed it to Meera, her hands trembling.

“What’s this?” Meera asked, taking it cautiously.

“Open it.” Veda whispered, her voice barely audible.

Meera opened the envelope, her fingers shaking, and pulled out a letter. Her eyes scanned the contents, and her mouth dropped open in shock. "You got accepted?"

Veda nodded, her expression a mix of relief and fear. "Yes. Months of hard work...Yes. I’ve been working on it for months. It’s my ticket out.. I finally got accepted into a program abroad. I have to leave, Meera. I may be strong, but I’m not strong enough to deal with someone like Varun. He’s obsessed… he’s dangerous.”

I just... I can’t."

Meera stood up and wrapped her arms around her sister. “It’s okay, Veda. I’ll support you. Just… please be careful.”

Veda held on to her tightly, her voice barely a whisper as she sobbed. “I will. I just need to get away from him before it’s too late.”

Meera nodded, though her heart was heavy with worry.

Between her own troubles with Arjun and now Veda’s terrifying situation with Varun, their family was being pulled deeper into a dangerous web of crime and power.

All she could do was hold on to her sister, hoping that somehow, some way, they would both make it out of this nightmare in one piece.

♤♤♤

Hiiii!!!!!!

So i will post a glimpse from Veda and Varun Story!

And yes, Their story will be Dark Romance or scary or perhaps worse🥱

Anyways it will have a happy ending 🤗 I love to see Male leads suffer a little 😒 girl's can't just easily surrender to them.

A sprinkle of torture and then; Female lead will love them in the end—always!🥱😮‍💨😮‍💨

Vote please 🥺💋

Next update? NOW!!! 🥱🤭