5

"Koi tumhe na mange Yeh bhi dua mangte hai hum"

Daksh pov

It's official, I'm in love with her. I didn't think it would happen, but here I am, almost a month into our marriage, and every single day Tara gives me countless reasons to fall for her even more. I never imagined love would have a place in my life, but Tara proved me wrong in ways I could have imagined.

Her innocence pulls me in like a magnet, and her soft voice lingers in my thoughts long after she's spoken. The way she calls my name, the way she waits for me every evening until I return from the office, it all feels so natural, so perfect. Sometimes I find myself just watching her breathe, amazed by how something so simple could make my heart ache with a kind of joy I never knew existed.

There are days when I rush home earlier than usual, just to spend a few extra moments with her. I don't tell her this, of course. I didn't think I had the capacity to love anyone, let alone someone like Tara, but here I am, falling deeper every single day.

And yet, I can't help but wonder, does she feel the same way? Does she see me as just the man she was forced to marry, the guy who says the wrong things and never seems to have control over his words? Or has she started to feel something for me too? The thought keeps me awake at night.

Her brother certainly doesn't think I'm good enough for her. He's made that clear enough. In his eyes, I'm someone who doesn't care about her, someone who doesn't deserve her. And maybe he's right. Maybe I don't deserve someone like Tara, but that doesn't change the truth, I love her more than anything. She's my wife, my everything.

I can't keep this to myself any longer. I have to tell her how I feel. I have to let her know that she's the one who's changed me, the one who's shown me what love really means. But what if she doesn't feel anything for me? What if my confession pushes her away?

No, I can't let fear stop me. Tara deserves to know the truth.

I thought I'd tell her today. I even practiced what I wanted to say last night, pacing back and forth in my room like a fool. But as I watched her this morning, the words refused to come out.

Tara was sitting on the couch, her hair tied up loosely, flipping through a book. She looked so relaxed, that I didn't want to ruin it. What if my feelings changed everything between us? What if she started looking at me differently, started avoiding me?

I sat across from her, pretending to read something on my phone, but all I could do was steal glances at her. The way she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, the way her lips moved as she read something silently, it all made my chest tighten with emotions I couldn't put into words.

"Do you need something?" she asked suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Her voice was soft, almost teasing, and it took me a moment to realize she'd caught me staring. "No... nothing," I stammered, looking away quickly.

She raised an eyebrow, amused, but didn't press further. She went back to her book, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.

I wanted to tell her that she was the reason I smiled more these days, the reason I felt like coming home wasn't just a routine but something I looked forward to. I wanted to tell her that her laughter had become the music I craved and that every little thing she did made me fall harder for her. But I couldn't.

Not yet.

Today I came home from work, eager to see her. It had become my routine, no matter how long or tiring the day was, the thought of seeing Tara always gave me a strange sense of relief. As I stepped in and there she was.

She looked like she had just finished cooking, standing near the dining table with dough marks smeared across her dress. Her delicate fingers were trying to clean the spots, and she seemed entirely unaware of how captivating she looked at that moment.

I paused, just watching her, my heart doing that thing it had been doing a lot lately, beating faster whenever I saw her. All I wanted to do was walk over and hug her, hold her so tightly that it felt like the world outside didn't exist. But I couldn't. How could I? We weren't there yet, not in the way I desperately wanted us to be.

That's when an idea struck me. It wasn't a master plan, but it was the only one I could think of. I walked to the house help, keeping my voice low to avoid her hearing me.

"Cut the electricity to the house," I ordered.

The house help looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "But sir, why"

"I said do it," I snapped, keeping my tone firm. I wasn't about to explain myself.

A few seconds later, the house plunged into darkness.

"Ah!" I heard her scream almost immediately. It was exactly what I had expected. I knew she was afraid of the dark. Before I could even take a step toward her, she rushed into the room, her eyes wide with fear.

I had already turned on the torch on my phone, holding it up to illuminate the space. She saw me and, without a moment's hesitation, ran into my arms, clinging to me like I was her only anchor.

My chest tightened at the feeling of her so close, her warmth seeping into me as her arms wrapped around me. This was what I wanted, but not like this not because she was scared. Still, I couldn't let go. I wouldn't let go.

"Tara, it's okay. Don't worry," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, though my heart was racing for an entirely different reason.

"It's so dark right now," she said, her voice trembling against my chest.

"I know," I replied softly, wrapping my arms around her, holding her just a little tighter. "I'm here. Don't worry, okay? I won't let anything happen to you."

She didn't say anything, but her grip on me tightened, and I could feel her calming down little by little. I wanted to stay like this forever, to tell her how much she meant to me.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to"

"It's okay," I interrupted, not wanting her to overthink it. "You can always come to me if you're scared. Always."

She nodded, and for a moment, I thought I saw something in her eyes something that made me wonder if maybe, just maybe, she was starting to feel the same way I did.

But she quickly stepped back, putting some distance between us, and the moment was gone. Still, I couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto my face. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

For now.

As the lights stayed off, tara still stood close, her unease evident in the way her fingers clutched the edge of my shirt.

"Do you think the electricity will come back soon?" she asked.

I glanced at her, the faint glow of my phone's torch casting light over her face. She looked tired, her eyes heavy with the kind of exhaustion that only came when fear lingered too long. I couldn't let her stay like this.

"I'm not sure," I said honestly. "But you don't need to worry about it. Come on, let's get you to bed."

She hesitated, her grip on my shirt tightening slightly. "I don't think I can sleep in this darkness."

I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You won't be alone. I'll stay until you fall asleep."

Her eyes searched mine for a moment, as if trying to decide whether she could trust my words. Then, slowly, she nodded. I led her to the bedroom, my phone's light guiding the way, and helped her settle into bed.

As she lay down, she pulled the blanket over herself but didn't let go of my hand. "You'll stay, right?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I will," I promised, pulling a chair closer to her bed and sitting down. I placed my phone on the bedside table, the torchlight pointing at the ceiling to give the room a faint glow.

For a while, we sat in silence. Her breathing was still uneven, and I could tell she was fighting her fear of the dark.

"Tara," I said softly, leaning forward. "Close your eyes. I'm right here. Nothing will happen to you."

She looked at me again, and for a moment, I thought she was going to say something. But instead, she nodded and closed her eyes, her grip on my hand never loosening.

I stayed there, watching her. Her features softened as sleep began to take over, her breathing evening out. She looked so peaceful, so vulnerable, that it made my chest ache.

When I was sure she was asleep, I gently tried to pull my hand away, but she stirred, her fingers tightening around mine.

"Stay," she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep.

I sighed, a small smile tugging at my lips. "I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.

I leaned back in the chair, letting my own eyes close for a moment. The room was still dark, but it didn't feel oppressive anymore. As long as she was here, as long as she trusted me enough to let me be by her side, I didn't care about the darkness.

Tonight, that was enough.

Even in sleep, Tara had a way of capturing all my attention without even trying. The soft rise and fall of her chest, the way her fingers still clung to the fabric of my shirt as though she was afraid I'd disappear it all made my heart ache in the best possible way.

She looked peaceful now, her earlier fear replaced by an expression so serene it made me smile. Her hair was splayed across the pillow, a few strands falling across her face, and I had to resist the urge to reach out and tuck them behind her ear.

God, she was gorgeous. It was everything about her the way she carried herself, the way her voice softened when she spoke to me, the way she laughed, even the way she scolded me sometimes.

I let out a quiet chuckle, careful not to wake her. What kind of man falls for his wife like this? I was supposed to be her protector, her partner, and yet here I was, feeling like a nervous teenager with a crush. A crush on my own wife.

How was that even possible?

She shifted slightly in her sleep, her fingers tugging at my shirt, and I couldn't help but smile. For now, this was enough. Just being here with her, watching her breathe, feeling her trust me enough to fall asleep by my side it was more than I could have ever asked for.

God help me, I was falling deeper every day.

My gaze lingered on her lips, soft and slightly parted as she slept peacefully. They were enough to drive me insane, enough to make me forget my own name if I let myself think about them for too long.

Oh God, what was I doing?

I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it, but the thought wouldn't go away. The idea of kissing her, of finally feeling those lips against mine, was enough to make my heart race. I didn't know when I had become this person, someone so utterly obsessed with his own wife.

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself to stop. "No, no, no," I muttered under my breath, so quietly it was barely a whisper. "What am I even thinking about?"

This wasn't me. I wasn't the kind of man to lose control like this not over my words, not over my actions, and certainly not over my thoughts. But around her? Everything was different. She made me feel things I'd never felt before, made me want things I didn't even know I could want.

And now, even my thoughts weren't safe from her.

I couldn't do this. Not now, not when I wasn't sure how she felt about me. But one day... one day, I'd tell her everything. And if I was lucky, maybe that day would come sooner than I thought.

For now, I just had to survive the madness she made me feel.

■

The next morning, she stirred in her sleep, her lashes fluttering delicately as the early sunlight kissed her face. I hadn't slept all night. How could I? My eyes were fixed on her, lost in the way her serene expression brought an odd sense of calm to the storm inside me. She slowly opened her eyes and, for a fleeting moment, our gazes locked. Realization dawned on her face as she noticed how close we were. She quickly got up, adjusting her hair as an awkward silence settled between us.

I couldn't help but smile. Her flustered state made my heart race, and I could feel my own cheeks heat up. She turned to leave, clearly eager to escape the moment, but I reached out and gently caught her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Tara, wait," I said softly, my voice laced with hesitation.

She turned back to face me, her brows knitting slightly. "Ji?" she asked, her tone cautious.

I took a deep breath, summoning the courage I had spent the entire night mustering. "What do you think about us? What name would you give to our relationship?"

Her eyes widened momentarily before she looked away, clearly caught off guard by my question. After a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke, "Umm... best friends, maybe?"

Her words felt like a slap to my chest. Best friends? How could she say that after everything? My heart sank, but I forced a playful smirk to mask the disappointment. "Best friends?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Tara, my friends don't accidentally walk in on me when I'm wearing nothing but a towel. You've already ruined our friendship."

Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink as she looked away, tugging her hand gently. "Daksh ji, please leave my hand. I have work to do," she mumbled, clearly avoiding my gaze.

With that, she pulled her hand free and hurried off, leaving me standing there, speechless and conflicted. I let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through my hair before deciding it was time to get ready for the day.

I couldn't help but replay the moment in my mind as I dressed for the office. Her words "best friends" echoed in my head like a cruel joke. Couldn't she see what I felt for her? Or was she purposely ignoring it? Either way, one thing was clear I wasn't about to give up that easily.

■

Tara pov

I got ready and decided to meet Daksh ji's mom before starting the day.

"Good morning," I greeted her with a small smile as I entered the living room.

"Good morning, beta," she replied warmly. "Did Daksh leave for the office already?"

"Ji," I nodded, settling into the seat across from her.

We began chatting and it felt comforting to talk to her. She treated me like her own daughter, and I appreciated every bit of it.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. I got up quickly. "I'll check," I offered, making my way to answer it.

The moment I opened the door, I froze, my heart racing as I stared at the familiar face before me. "Dev Bhaiya!" I exclaimed, tears welling up in my eyes. I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. It had been so long since I last saw my brother, and emotions overwhelmed me.

Pulling back, I turned to Daksh ji's mom and introduced him. "This is my brother, Dev Bhaiya," I said, smiling. She greeted him kindly, and we all sat down to talk for a while.

After catching up, I finally asked the question on my mind. "Didn't Mamma and Pappa come with you?"

"No," he replied simply. But what he said next completely shook me.

"I'm here to take you home, Tara."

I blinked, unsure if I heard him right. "What? But why, Bhaiya?"

He leaned forward, his voice firm yet concerned. "I know you don't want this marriage, and I know these people won't care for you the way you deserve. Come back home, Tara. End this relationship and divorce Daksh."

My chest tightened, his words hitting me like a storm. Divorce? Leave Daksh? No. How could he even suggest that?

"No, Bhaiya, what are you saying?" I protested, my voice trembling with emotion. "Daksh ji's family treats me like their own daughter, and... I won't divorce him because I like"

Before I could finish, Dev Bhaiya's expression darkened, and he stood abruptly. Grabbing my wrist, he started pulling me toward the door.

"Bhaiya, stop! What are you doing?" I pleaded, trying to free myself, but his grip was unrelenting.

I glanced back at Daksh ji's mom, hoping for her help. Her eyes were wide with worry as she quickly reached for her phone. "I'll call Daksh," she said urgently, but it was too late. Dev Bhaiya had already dragged me out of the house and toward his car.

Tears streamed down my face as I was forced into the car. My heart pounded with panic. What would Daksh ji think? How would he feel when he came home and found me gone? I couldn't leave like this not without explaining, not without fighting for what I felt.

As the car sped away, I stared out the window, a sinking feeling in my chest. I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't leave him like this. Not now. Not ever.

To be continued

Guys the engage you are giving on my instagram reels 📈 and the engage you are giving me on wattpad 📉.

I know last chapter target didn't complete yet but I still gave update and the views and likes are getting are totally unmatchable.

Thinking about double update today, what say?

Spoiler for next chapter: blood, fight and I was on the verge of death to see her like this.