The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that didn't feel peaceful… but heavy.
Sasmita stood near the window, her fingers lightly touching the cold glass. The night outside was still, but her thoughts were not.
Marriage.
The word felt unfamiliar.
Unwanted.
And yet… real.
Behind her, she could feel his presence without even turning around. It was strange—how someone she barely knew could already disturb her sense of control.
"You should sleep," she said finally, her voice calm but distant. "There's no need to pretend here."
A brief pause followed.
Then—
"Pretend?"
His voice was low, almost amused.
Sasmita turned slightly, her brows knitting together as her eyes landed on him. Aarav stood a few steps away, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable as always.
"This marriage," she clarified. "It's a contract. Outside, we act. Inside, we stay out of each other's lives."
She held his gaze, making her boundaries clear.
"No interference. No emotions."
Aarav listened quietly.
Too quietly.
Then he took a step forward.
Not enough to threaten—
But enough to close the distance.
"And if I don't follow your rules?" he asked softly.
Sasmita didn't move.
"Then you shouldn't have signed the contract."
Her answer was immediate. Sharp.
Certain.
For a moment, neither of them looked away.
The air between them shifted—tight, charged with something neither of them named.
Then Aarav let out a faint breath, almost like a silent laugh.
"You really believe everything can be controlled," he said.
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
Sasmita's expression hardened slightly. "Everything that matters—yes."
Something flickered in his eyes.
Gone just as quickly.
He stepped back.
The distance returned.
But the tension didn't.
"I'll take the couch," he said casually, loosening his cuffs.
Sasmita didn't argue.
She simply turned away again, as if the conversation had ended.
But her mind hadn't.
Not completely.
Minutes passed.
The lights dimmed.
The room settled into darkness.
Sasmita lay on the bed, her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Sleep didn't come easily—not tonight.
Something about him…
His voice.
His confidence.
The way he looked at her—not with respect, not with fear…
But as if he already knew something she didn't.
It unsettled her.
Across the room, Aarav sat on the couch, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
Calm on the outside.
But his thoughts were far from still.
After a while, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
The screen lit up briefly.
A single message.
👉 "You're inside."
No name.
No number saved.
His expression didn't change.
But his eyes darkened slightly.
He typed a reply.
"Exactly where I need to be."
Then he locked the phone and set it aside.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the bed.
Toward her.
Sasmita Roy.
Powerful. Controlled. Untouchable.
At least… that's what she believed.
A faint smile touched his lips.
Not warm.
Not soft.
Something deeper.
"Let's see," he murmured under his breath, barely audible.
Outside, the night remained still.
But inside that room—
Something had already begun.
Something neither of them could stop.
Morning came quietly.
Soft light slipped through the curtains.
Sasmita woke first.
For a moment, she forgot.
Then reality returned.
Her gaze shifted—
To the couch.
Empty.
Her brows frowned slightly.
She sat up.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
Then she heard it—
Footsteps.
From outside the room.
She got up and walked toward the door.
Opening it—
She stepped into the hallway.
Downstairs—
Aarav stood in the living area, speaking calmly with one of the house staff.
Composed. Natural.
As if he had always belonged there.
For a brief second—
Sasmita just watched.
Something about the scene felt… strange.
Unfamiliar.
Then he turned.
Their eyes met again.
And just like that—
The tension returned.
Stronger than before.