As Kairav stepped into the hall, he instinctively looked up toward the corridor balcony above. And the sight froze him.
Krishav had Veeransh pinned against the railing, their mouths locked together. This sight made his vision go blind in anger. It was like poison burning him.
His Veeransh was being held and kissed by his own younger brother.
Without another second, Kairav stormed out of the villa and got into his car, slamming the door shut before revving the engine harshly. His destination was surely the Nikunj Villa.
Upstairs, from the balcony of her room, Jhanvi watched everything with a slow and satisfied smirk. Then she picked up her phone and made a call. "Baba," she said, "he's coming to you now. Handle him with care."
* * *
*10 minutes ago*
Veeransh entered the villa. Everything had happened so fast after the wedding that Rehaan never got the chance to give them properly before. And meeting Rehaan had helped clear his mind a little.
But the moment he entered the corridor leading toward his room, he stopped. There Krishav was leaning against the wall with his arms folded on his chest and his legs crossed. "You took long enough."
"I didn't know I had a curfew." Veeransh replied immediately.
Krishav stepped towards him. "So what's with all these gifts, huh?"
"None of your business."
Without warning, Krishav snatched the bag from Veeransh's hand and tossed it into the room. It landed harshly on the couch inside.
Veeransh looked stunned. "Hey! There were some fragile thin—"
And before Veeransh could finish his sentence, Krishav pinned him tightly against the balcony railing, trapping him there. "You spent so much time with him. What kind of fun did you do with that Rehaan?" Krishav asked, tightening his jaw.
Veeransh tried to push Krishav, but he stood there like a firm wall. "Hey! That's really none of your business!"
Krishav was about to say something, but he stopped. Because he could smell something different. A different fragrance came from Veeransh than the morning. And this irritated him.
"Did he touch you?"
Veeransh blinked once as he looked up. "…What?"
Krishav's expression remained unreadable, but there was something darker hidden. "Rehaan," he clarified lazily. "Did he touch you?"
Veeransh stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "You're insane."
"That's not an answer."
"And it's none of your business."
Krishav stepped closer again. "Everything about you is my business now."
Veeransh laughed coldly. "You really love saying that, don't you?"
Krishav tilted his head slightly. "You really love testing my patience."
"What exactly is your problem?"
"My problem," Krishav repeated, "is that my husband disappears with another man. And comes back smelling different."
Veeransh's eyes narrowed instantly. "There it is."
Krishav frowned slightly.
"The jealousy. You sure Jhanvi is not your concern right now?"
Krishav scoffed immediately. "Don't flatter yourself and don't bring her in our talk."
"Then stop acting like a possessive psycho husband."
Krishav put his hands on Veeransh's ass. "You think I'm jealous of Rehaan?"
"Hey! Move your han—"
Krishav leaned in shutting up Veeransh and started biting and sucking on the other side of the neck that was left unmarked. Veeransh had to control his voice. This was the house and small sounds make loud noises around here. He had to control his moans. But that was difficult.
Krishav put his hands under Veeransh's shirt and touched his cold skin with his warm hands. He finally pulled back, but his hands under the shirt. "Looks good on you. My marks."
"Were you a dog in your past life, you monster! You have been biting, sucking and nibbling me since the morning. Is something wrong wit—"
Krishav pressed his lips onto Veeransh. The kiss was hungrier this time. He wasted no time, his lips and tongue moving against Veeransh's in a possessive, claiming way. It was all teeth and heat, his grip on Veeransh's ass tightening. He pressed his body against yours, his chest hot against Veeransh. He broke the kiss, nipping at Veeransh's bottom lip, his breathing ragged.
"God, I hate—ngh—I hate how much I—" His words died off.
All this while Veeransh was on his last nerve of giving up. The kiss was much better than what he experienced before. He did not want it but his body was leaning in now.
"You motherfuck—" he stopped at his words and gripped Krishav's collar and pulled him down a bit and crashed his lips onto Krishav.
"Mmph mmm....mhmm..." The deep and passionate kissing made both of them moan a bit. Krishav was equally forcing his lips as Veeransh's.
Unbeknownst to them, Kairav saw them kissing like that from the hall and had already stormed off to his car.
Krishav's teeth bit against Veeransh's lower lip as his hands wandered across the cool skin beneath the fabric of his shirt. He pressed closer without realizing it, his thoughts became harder to control. He loved Jhanvi. He knew he did. So why did kissing Veeransh feel so... so
... natural? Why did it feel like something he had been searching for without ever knowing it?
Veeransh was still kissing Krishav when his eyes flicked open for a slight second making him catch someone standing behind them in the corridor watching them. He immediately pushed Krishav away. And footsteps were audible now, so slightly startled from the push, Krishav turned around.
Jhanvi slowly began clapping. "Well," she said with a smile, "this is definitely not the scene I expected to walk into tonight."
Krishav's entire body stiffened and Veeransh immediately stepped back from him. His breath was uneven and his lips were swollen from the kissing. Krishav stared at Jhanvi in silence. For the first time in a long while, something close to guilt built up in his heart.
But Jhanvi noticed everything. The swollen lips. The messed-up collars. The way Krishav was still standing too close to Veeransh.
Her smile widened slightly, "Interesting, you kiss him like you're angry at him... but hold him like you're terrified someone will take him away."
"Jhanvi—" Krishav started.
"No," she interrupted. "Don't explain. I think I finally understand why fate rushed this marriage... so beautifully."
Krishav frowned and took a step forward. "What are you talking about?"
Jhanvi tilted her head, her eyes drifting towards Veeransh for a second before returning to Krishav. "You know," she said casually, "people say hatred and obsession are twins. Sometimes you can't tell which one you're feeding until it's too late."
The words landed heavily on Krishav. Veeransh stayed silent near the railing. He didn't miss the strange look in Jhanvi's eyes either. It wasn't heartbreak. It was manipulation and he cracked her trick, but stayed calm.
Jhanvi gave a faint laugh. "Relax. I'm not angry." Then her voice changed a bit. "Actually… I'm curious to see how far this goes before it destroys all of you."
"Jhanvi, enough, it's not like that."
But Jhanvi had already started walking away toward her room. Krishav followed after her almost immediately. "Jhanvi, stop."
She reached her door before turning around lazily. "Why?" she asked. "Scared I'll tell someone what I saw?"
"You're misunderstanding this."
"Am I?" Her eyes flickered toward the corridor behind him where Veeransh still stood. "Because it didn't look forced to me."
Krishav ran a hand through his hair. "You know me better than that."
Jhanvi smiled coldly. "That's exactly why this is so terrifying."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Jhanvi stepped closer. "Be careful, Krishav. Some people enter your life quietly… and end up becoming the one thing you can no longer live without."
Meanwhile, Veeransh quietly walked into the room without another word as he saw Krishav with Jhanvi. He picked up the bag of gifts from the couch. One by one, he began placing everything in their proper places, trying to ignore the thoughts. But that kiss... it was making his emotions conflicted.
Krishav stood outside Jhanvi's room and stared at her. "Jhanvi," he said again, quieter this time, "you're making this into something it's not."
Jhanvi leaned against the doorway with folded arms. "Am I really?" she asked. "Because from where I was standing, it looked very real."
"It was just—" Krishav stopped himself.
"Just what?" she pushed. "An argument? An accident? Because people don't kiss like that by accident, Krishav."
His expression hardened immediately. "I love you." The words came fast making Jhanvi's brows lifted slightly.
Krishav stepped closer. "I love you, Jhanvi. Whatever you think you saw there—it changes nothing."
"But it changed something in you," she replied calmly.
"It didn't."
"It did." Her voice was calm, "You've never looked at anyone like that before, not even me."
Krishav looked away for a brief second before forcing himself to meet her gaze again. "Veeransh is my responsibility right now. That marriage happened because of circumstances. I was only trying to figure him out."
Jhanvi gave a quiet laugh. "By kissing him against a railing?"
His jaw clenched. "It was an inspection. Nothing more."
Jhanvi stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head slowly. "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than me."
"I'm straight," Krishav snapped immediately. "And I love only you."
The corridor fell silent after that. Because despite how firmly he said it… something inside him hesitated. A small part of him kept replaying the way Veeransh had kissed him back. The way his body had instinctively leaned closer instead of away. The way everything had felt unnaturally natural. Krishav hated that feeling.
Jhanvi noticed the flicker in his eyes instantly. And that was exactly what interested her. She stepped closer until only a small distance remained between them. "Krishav," she said softly, "do you know what scares me the most?"
He frowned slightly but stayed silent.
"That you didn't stop." Her words hit harder than he expected. "You could've pushed him away," she continued. "You could've walked back. But you didn't. You looked like a man starving for hi—."
"That's enough."
"No," Jhanvi replied. "Because you're terrified right now. Not because I saw you… but because for one second, you forgot about me completely."
Krishav grabbed her wrist suddenly, not rough but desperate. "I said I love you."
Jhanvi looked at his hand before looking back at him. Then she slowly softened her expression. "I know you do." Jhanvi gently pulled herself closer and wrapped her arms around him. After a moment of hesitation, Krishav hugged her back tightly, almost as if he was trying to ground himself.
And yet, even now, his thoughts refused to settle completely.
Jhanvi rested her chin lightly against his shoulder, her eyes shifting past him. Toward the corridor behind.
Veeransh had stepped out quietly holding an empty water jug in his hand, probably heading downstairs to refill it. But the moment he saw them hugging, his footsteps slowed slightly.
Their eyes met for the briefest second. Jhanvi noticed him and a slow smile appeared on her lips. Then deliberately, she tightened her arms around Krishav and rested her head more comfortably against his chest.
"See?" she said softly enough for Veeransh to hear. "No matter how confusing things get… Krishav is still mine." Krishav didn't understand why she said that but kept hugging her.
Veeransh's grip tightened around the jug for a second. But his face remained unreadable. Without saying a word, he simply looked away and continued walking down the corridor, leaving the two of them behind while the silence in the villa somehow felt heavier than before.