𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑.63

A a r u s h

The room feels suffocating as the two men fix their unwavering gazes upon me. It's as if they have the power to penetrate my mind, delve into the depths of my thoughts and unravel the secrets hidden within. Their eyes bore into mine, drilling a hole inside my brain, attempting to extract every ounce of information they could gather. I try to maintain my composure, but their intense scrutiny is making me increasingly uncomfortable.

In this nerve-wracking silence, my mind desperately seeks solace in the presence of Riti. I long for her comforting presence, her unwavering support. The absence of her reassuring presence only adds to my unease.

And then, finally, the silence is broken. Mr Bhuvan Mehra, Riti's godfather, speaks up, his voice resonating with authority. His question hangs in the air, weighted with expectation. "So you love my daughter?" he demands, his tone anything but gentle.

"Yes sir," I answered.

"Are you serious about this?" He asked his voice anything but a soft one.

"Very serious maybe more than my life," I said. I mean, who wouldn't be serious about loving your daughter? She's amazing.

But of course, there's always that one person who has to throw a wrench in the works. Enter Vikram, the overprotective brother who thinks he's Sherlock Holmes.

"How can we believe you when you already hurt my sister? Who knows you're playing around her?" Vikram asked. Seriously, Vikram? Can't you see the sincerity in my eyes? I'm not here to play games. I'm here to love and support your sister.

"I will play with my own life, but I would never gamble with Riti's. She means more to me than anything," I expressed, looking directly into their eyes, conveying the sincerity of my words.

"Don't think you can sway us with mere words. We won't be easily convinced," Vikram retorted.

"What can I do to earn your belief in my love for her?" I implored.

"Nothing you do will change my mind. I will never believe you, not in this lifetime," Vikram scoffed. That guy! He's definitely going to be a thorn in our relationship, mark my words.

"Vikram Bhai, your sister has complete faith in him, so why can't you just listen to him and try to trust him? We know Lily well, don't we? She doesn't trust people easily, yet she trusts Aarush so deeply that she wants him to be her life partner. So why can't you accept their love?" Ishaan interjected. For once, Ishaan didn't act like an ass. Thank you, man! Your support means a lot to me at this moment.

"I can't help but wonder what my sister sees in him," Vikram pondered aloud. "I'm convinced he must have manipulated her somehow, otherwise she wouldn't trust a man who has already caused her pain." Is he really that serious about this? What is lacking in me? I'm good-looking, capable of killing anyone who dares to harm her, financially successful - a billionaire, for God's sake! I could make the entire world bow down to my girl. And why does he keep bringing up the fact that I hurt her? Yes, I admit I did, but that was due to my own foolish actions.

"Ishaan, we can't simply allow anyone to date our precious daughter," Mr Bhuvan Mehra's voice echoed in my ears. "We need to approach this matter carefully. She has already endured so much, and I don't want her to suffer further because of our impulsive decisions."

"Sir, please trust me when I say that I would never cause your daughter any pain. I simply couldn't do that to her. If I ever did, I would be willing to sacrifice my own life for hurting my Dhriti," I assured him. Every word I spoke carried genuine sincerity - I would rather die than harm my Babydoll.