Timeline: A few weeks before Aradhya's Baby shower.

Keshav's POV

I was glancing at my watch constantly, knowing she'd come. She always had. It had become our secret meeting place now. But considering my brother was back home, I couldn't imagine the consequences that I'd have to face if he ever found out.

The rhythmic knock came on the door, and I opened it in a hurry before pulling her inside by the arm. Payal was grinning in excitement. Whenever I was with her, I felt like a child who was playing hide and seek from the world.

"Bhagwaan ne aapko chamatkar dikha diya! Aapke Bhai wapas aa gaye!" She was so excited, completely naive about the fact that I had her pressed against the wall.

(God has blessed you with a miracle! He brought your brother back!)

Did she realise that my brother was responsible for banishing her ex-lover from our village?

Just because I had offered her a little kindness, just the bare minimum, she easily trusted me so much.

I gritted my teeth. Whenever she smiled at me like a kid, I felt so angry at the men in her life. Starting from her father, who barely paid any attention to her, and then her brother, who didn't care about anything except money and his reputation. Her ex-lover was maybe better than them, because even though he was trying to use her for extorting money... He was at least kind to her. And finally, Jagdish. The biggest asshole in her life, who raped her, abused her, and broke her heart over and over again.

That's why she had gotten so attached to me. All she wanted was to be cared for, to be loved a little.

The world was far too cruel.

"Isi karan... Aaj se tum yaha nahi aa sakte, Payal..." I mumbled, "Agar Bhaiya ko pata chala toh bahut bura hoga."

(Because of that... You can't come here anymore, Payal... If Bhaiya finds out, then we'll be in a lot of trouble.)

Her face wilted in an instant, and she clutched my shirt. The girl didn't have any inhibitions when it came to things like this.

"Kyu nahi? Aap apne Bhaiya se itna kyu darte ho? Mai toh sirf yaha kitabe padhne ke liye aati hu... Isme kya buri baat hai?"

(Why not? Why are you so scared of your Bhaiya? I just come here to read books... Why is it so bad?)

I gulped and softly touched her hand. Payal's cheeks flushed a little in that moment, and she stared down. She could deny it as much as she liked, but I knew this was more than just nighttime reading sessions.

We had gotten considerably closer to each other in the past month. There were a lot of things about her that I found alluring. The way she twisted the ends of her hair while reading was the most distracting among them all. Ever since Payal began accompanying me on almost all nights, I couldn't even finish one book.

Her scent especially drove me crazy. No woman had smelled this good before. It was a mix of cardamom and roses... The most wonderful thing I had ever smelled.

"Yeh sab bahut galat hai... Pata hai?" I muttered, glaring straight into her eyes.

(All of this is really wrong... You know?)

Payal was quiet for a while until she gave me a pained smile, "Abhi tak kuch galat kiya hi nahi hai..."

(We haven't done anything wrong yet...)

She ran her hands up my chest, sending goosebumps down my body. Fuck, what was this woman doing to me?

"Payal-"

"Shayad ek saal mei aapki shaadi ho jaegi..." She mumbled, staring straight at my chest, "Aur aap bhi aapke Bhaiyo ki tarah aapki patni ka khub khayal rakhenge. Mai jaanti hu..."

(Maybe you'll get married in another year... And you'll take care of your wife really well, just like your brothers. I know you will...)

"Kya kehna chahti ho?" I gritted my teeth. Even though I had never been with a woman before, even though I was saving myself for marriage, it took everything in me not to ravish her right now.

(What are you trying to say?)

"Aapke shaadi ke baad aap mujhse kabhi milne nahi aayenge... Isliye, us samay thak, mai aapke saath samay bitana chahti hu. Mujhse jaane mat kahiye... Har subah yeh sochkar utthi hu ki raat ko aapke saath baithkar kahaniya padhungi."

(You won't come to meet me after getting married... So, at least until then, I want to spend time with you. Please don't ask me to leave... Every day I wake up thinking tonight I'll sit beside you and read stories.)

Her words broke something in me.

"Payal..." I hugged her tightly, burying my face in the crook of her neck. She stood paralysed initially, until her weak hands clutched the back of my shirt.

"Agar meri shaadi ho bhi jaaye... Phir bhi tumhe aise akela nahi chodunga. Wada hai," I whispered.

(Even if I get married... I'll never leave you alone. I promise.)

A soft, broken sob escaped her as she buried herself in my chest.

Only if I could help her in some way...

"Pagal ho raha hu," I squeezed her tighter, "Tumhe aise bhi kaise chod sakta hu? Ek kaam karte hai... Kisi aur se shaadi karni ki kya zaroorat hai? Tumse hi shaadi kar leta hu."

(I'm going crazy. How can I ever abandon you like that? Let's do one thing... Instead of marrying a stranger, I'll marry you.)

Payal pulled back, staring at me with wide eyes. She gave a humorless chuckle while trying to push me away, "Mazaak achi hai..."

(That's a nice joke...)

"Mai mazaak nahi kar raha!" I snapped, squeezing her shoulders.

(I'm not joking!)

"Tum mere saath hasti ho, mere saath bacho ki tarah khelti ho... Hamesha muskurati rehti ho. Jagdish ke saath aisa kabhi karti ho?"

(You laugh with me, you play around like a child with me... You always keep smiling. Can you ever do this with Jagdish?)

She refused to answer while looking away, "Woh mera pati hai... Unhe ab kaise badal sakti hu? Aur mere chakkar mei aapki badnaami ho jaegi. Aap bhi Thakur jo hai-"

(He's my husband... How can I ever change him? And because of me, even you'll face accusations. You're a Thakur as well-)

"Haan... Isliye bol raha hu," I stepped closer, staring into her beautiful eyes, "Thakuron ko kabhi mana nahi karte."

(Yes... That's exactly why I'm telling you... Nobody ever rejects a Thakur.)

Payal gulped, "N-nahi nahi... Aisa nahi ho sakta... Gaonwale aur aapke Bhai hume jeene nahi denge... Mujhe nahi pata tha ki aapka irada yeh hai, warna Mai-"

(N-no... N-no it can't be... The villagers and your brothers won't let us live... I never imagined that this was your intention, otherwise I-)

"Warna kya?" I squeezed her hands, "Tum soch rahi thi ki mai tumhe istamal karke kisi aur se jaakar shaadi karunga?"

(Otherwise, what? I'd just use you and go marry someone else?)

"Sabhi aise karte hai..." She whispered, with pain in her eyes.

(That's what everyone does...)

"Tumhe lagta hai ki mai bakiyo ki tarah hu?"

(You think I'm like the others?)

There was panic in her eyes as she held my shirt again, "N-nahi... Aisa nahi hai... Mujhe aap par bharosa hai par..."

(N-no... I don't... I just... I trust you...)

"Payal..." I sighed, leaning into the crook of her neck, "Tumhari madad karna chahta hu. Tumhe Jagdish se bachana chahta hu... Agar tum maan jaogi toh mai tumhe yaha se dur lekar jaunga."

(Payal... I want to help you. I want to save you from Jagdish... If you agree then I can take you away from here.)

She gulped, "Aap kya keh rahe hai? Aap kaise aapke parivar, yeh gaon, sab chod kaise sakte ho."

(What are you saying? How can you leave your family, this village, and everything else.)

"Chod sakta hu, Payal. Tumhare liye sab kuch chod sakta hu. Bas mujh par bharosa rakho. Kaafi padha likha hu... Mujhe kisi dusre sheher mein naukri milne mein dikkat nahi hogi. Chalogi meri saath?"

(I can leave it all behind, Payal. I can leave everything behind for you. Just trust me. I'm well educated... I can easily get a job in some other city. Will you come with me?)

Her cheeks turned crimson, and I really wanted to kiss them. Payal fidgeted with her fingers nervously.

"Mujhe nahi chalna."

(I don't want to.)

I knew she was lying. Right now, she was just too scared. It would take time to convince her.

"Achha... Lekin tumhe itne din padhane keliye badle mei mujhe kuch chahiye."

(Alright... But I'll need my payment for teaching you to read all these days.)

She frowned at me, "Kya chahiye aapko?"

(What do you want?)

Well, there were a lot of things I could ask from a woman. But right now, there was only one thing I wanted.

"Ek chumma de do..."

(Give me a kiss...)

Payal's eyes widened as she stared at me. She smacked my chest while shouting, "Badtameez!"

(You pervert!)

I smiled, "Jitna chahe maar lo... Par ek chumma bhi de do."

(You can hit me as much as you like... But kiss me as well.)

"Mai nahi dungi!" She snapped and crossed her arms. I whispered in her ear, "Phir mai de sakta hu?"

(I won't kiss you!)

(Then can I do it instead?)

Her face reddened even more. Payal didn't push me away. She didn't seem happy about it. She just stood there quietly without meeting my eyes.

When I leaned towards her face, she closed her eyes. My heart was racing as I pecked her cheek.

Payal was quiet when I pulled back. She stared at me for a while, but I didn't expect her to slap me.

"Ruko!" I grabbed her arm when she was about to storm outside.

(Stop!)

"Haath chodiye..."

(Let go of my hand...)

"Mera irada abhi bhi badla nahi hai. Agar tum haan kehdo... Toh mai tumhe zindagi bhar khush rakhunga. Wada hai, Payal."

(My intentions haven't changed even now. If you say yes... I'll keep you happy for the rest of your life. I promise you, Payal.)

She was quiet for a while, until she opened her mouth to speak again, "Mujhe lagta hai hume ab ek dusre se kabhi milna nahi chahiye..."

(I think we should never meet each other again...)

I gritted my teeth. God, why was she trying so hard to push me away?

"Kuch hafte baad Bhabhi ki godbharai hai... Mujhe pata hai ki tum aaogi. Agar tumhe haan kehna hai, toh mere liye neeli sari pehen lo. Main tumhe uske baad kabhi tang nahi karunga."

(After a few weeks, Bhabhi is having her baby shower... I know that you'll be there. If you want to say yes, then wear a blue sari for me. I won't ever disturb you again after that.)

Payal glanced at me once over her shoulder. I let go of her arm, and she slipped outside the office doors quietly and lowered her veil. It was heartbreaking to watch her disappear into the night like that.