Shravani's POV.

"Shravani, what's wrong with you? Why are you not able to concentrate?" Mum's irritated, filled voice reached my ears, and I snapped out of my thoughts, my conversation with Veer from last week running in my mind like a broken record.

I am pathetic because I am ready for it. I am ready to do anything for him. I don't know why he has such a hold on me that I can't say no to him. It's toxic, but it is what it is.

I've done so many things to get to this point where he is ready to marry me. I can't let my career be the obstacle. Fuck, I don't want my career; I want him to be with me.

I looked at Mom; she looked irritated, and I felt a tug in my heart. I didn't want to disappoint her, but----I am sorry, Mom. I don't understand why I am like this.

"Mom, I am not feeling well. Can we do this shoot later?" Her expression suddenly softened as her motherly affection kicked in, and she rushed to me.

"Shravu, are you all right, baby? What happened? How are you feeling? Any discomfort?" Her palms cupped my cheek, and I sighed.

"I don't know," I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her tight.

"I guess we should cancel the further shoot; let's go home." I broke the hug instantly, shaking my head in no.

"No, Mom, please don't. You can still shoot with the rest of the models today; I need a little rest." I assured her.

"Sorry, baby, I know you have been working since last night, and you still haven't gotten enough sleep--"

"Mom, it's alright; I am fine." I interrupted her in between.

"Okay, you go home and take a rest; I'll see you at night."

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I told the driver to take me to XYZ college instead of home, and he gladly obeyed.

Dialling Samar's number, I waited for him to pick up the call. "Hello Samar, yes... Can you come outside?… Alright."

"OMG, Shravani Datta!" I flinched at the sudden shout.

"Damn, I am a big fan of yours. I've seen all your fashion shows and runways. I love that confidence of yours, how your heel broke, but still, you complete the show with confidence." I smiled at her, and others also gathered, wanting to click a picture.

I am so done; I should have thought about it. I don't even have guards with me.

"Can I get a selfie, please?"

"Sure," I smiled as they started to click pictures with me.

God, please send a saviour for me; I promise to visit church.

"Hey, hey, hey, guys, please give me some space; she is here to meet me for something important." Samarth finally came out of the college as my saviour guarding me, followed by Viraansh; at least they are here.

And they did help me to get away from the crowd as we finally settled inside the café after ordering our beverages.

"Huff" sitting down, I took a sip of water.

"So why are you here, Shravani? Did you change your plan of marrying my elder brother and now want to marry me instead?" Samarth let out happily only to receive a smack from Viraansh while I laughed out loud.

"Don't mind him, Shravani; he is a crackhead." Viraansh sometimes looks like the lite version of Jaiveer; he is calm and composed. The plus point is he is more approachable than Veer.

"Crackhead what? She knows she is my crush; still, she is crushing my heart for my cold brother." Samarth ranted.

"Yeah right, Sam, that's why you were just proposing to the other girl on Tinder." Viraansh further said.

"Anyways, Shravani, tell me why you are here." Viraansh directed his eyes to me.

Taking a deep breath, I clasped my hands together on the table and let out, "I need a little help."

"Just wait a minute; I'll get our order; it's ready." Samarth ran to get our beverages while Viraansh nodded at me as if telling me to go further.

"I need the passcode of Ve—I am Jaiveer's penthouse."

Only Viraansh and Samarth have access to the Satan's den; they are privileged enough that the monster himself shared his passcode with them. Even though his brothers are quite respectable as well as approachable to me, they are still fucked up in their own way.

No one is a saint here. And sometimes I do feel these three brothers, even his partner, Abhimaan Raichand, Vikram Singhania, and Ryan Kapoor, all of them do satanic rituals in his penthouse.

Damn....

"Shravani, you've already crushed my heart; now do you want me to die a virgin as well?" The horrific expression was etched on Samarth's face as he passed me the tumbler.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Viraansh said, looking almost serious.

"Look, Viraansh and Sam, I am not a thief, right? I need this; it's important, and only you two are capable of helping me." I shared softly.

They looked at each other before turning to me and sighed.

"Shravani, we all have known Bhai for years, right? Then why are you even trying to provoke him?" Provoking? I want to give up everything for him, Viraansh; you don't even understand how fucked up I've become just because of him.

I am accepting that I am dumb, but I can't help it.

"I just need the passcode, guys." I am frustrated.

"Fine." They agreed to share the passcode with me, and I sighed.

Step one of the way to the monster's den is successful.

________________

The shivering of my fingers and the trembling of my lips don't stop; instead, it changed into whole-body tremors, and now there is only one way. It was a struggle to drag myself to the room and to search for the thing, which was nowhere to be seen.

Come on, Shravani, you can do it.

Where are my pills?

I need this.

God, what's happening?

It took me time to open the next drawer, and I sighed when I found it.

Taking out the Xanax, I pressed it on my tongue and grabbed the glass of water, taking a big gulp messily as the water soaked my outfit, and I slumped down against the wall, breathing out.

Everything's fine; breathe.

It took a few minutes for the pills to start to work, my shoulders easing and all the thoughts leaving my mind.

It's fine; I am fine and happy.

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Jesus, I breathed out, awestruck by the beauty of his penthouse; I am in a monster's den. I actually had a thought that Viraansh and Samarth might have given me the wrong passcode, but no, it was the correct one, and now I am inside his duplex penthouse, which looks so luxurious and mysterious and hauntingly beautiful.

The interior was in black and grey as if he is allergic to the colours, but the beauty of it is irresistible.

I made my way to the kitchen to keep the food I've brought with me, and damn, I was shocked to see the plates and utensils; they were black as well.

What's with this man and his obsession with the colour black? I am surely changing it once I shift here after the marriage.

The curiosity got the best out of me, and I started to search for the skull or anything related to the black magic he does with his group; he for sure belongs to the secret society or those who do satanic rituals, but I found none. The beep of the elevator echoed in the eerie silence of the penthouse, and I stilled at my place; the monster's here.

3...2...1

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Expected.

"Uh, hi, sexy," I smiled awkwardly and walked towards him, fixing my dupatta.

Yes, a freaking dupatta.

I've made an effort for him, got ready in an Indian outfit even though I am not really comfortable in an outfit like this; still, I did this for this man who is now glaring at me.

"Who the fuck gave you the passcode?"

"Sam and Ansh." He narrowed his eyes at me when I stood an arm's length away from him.

Can this man stop being so hot? Even after the whole day of exhaustion at the office, he looks like he is straight out of a magazine; he should have been a model instead of a businessman.

"Are you done staring at me?" Smirking, I stepped closer to him. "Not really. I want to watch you all night. Will you let me?" He surely looked pissed at me, but who the fuck cares?

"OMG, I am sorry, you just came back from the office, and I didn't ask you for water." I ran to the kitchen, and it took me time to search for a glass.

"What's wrong with you? You don't need to do all these," Jaiveer followed me behind, rolling his sleeves to the elbow, the tattoos on his arms peeking out, and I gulped.

"Oh, but you do want a wife like this, right? A housewife? I am practicing." Pressing a tight-lipped smile on my face, I passed him a glass of water.

"Cut the crap and stop acting; we aren't getting married." He slammed the glass down and pinned me against the counter, my breath hitching at his move, the whole zoo forming in the pit of my belly.

"I am not acting, Mr. Rathore," I retorted, wrapping my arms around his neck, his signature leather and cedar wood scent surrounding us.

"So are you ready to give up on your career, Shravani?" I would have fallen down, gotten another panic attack, or cried hysterically if the pill had not been in my system.

But all I did was smile sweetly at him and stand on my tippy-toes to match his height; why does he have to be so tall? "You want me to give up on my career, right? Fine, I will do it." The look of shock washed over his face just for a mere second before he composed himself to a cold, emotionless person he is.

"Seriously? Are you stooping so low to get married to me? Where is your

self-respect, Shravani?" My palms curled into the sides of my kurti tight in a fist.

"Are you even serious with your career? Oh, how can I forget you were never serious in your life?" he further added, taunting at my face.

"Complete your rants; I am waiting." I shrugged and blinked my eyes at him.

I know I am annoying him, and this is my only defence mechanism left for now.

"Fucking impossible," leaving me with a jerk, he turned, cupping the back of his nape and tugging at his hair.

"Veer, why are you like this? You need to accept the fact that I love you, and I want to get married to you."

I started again after taking a few deep breaths.

"It's you who is not understanding; this is not a bed of roses, and there won't be any happily ever after, Shravani--" Stopping, he turned towards me again. "Why can't you understand?"

For a second, something flickered in his eyes, which I actually thought was a concern for me. Wait, it must be because of my crazy, fucked-up feelings for him; he is emotionless and cold with all his feelings dead inside.

"What is the fucking problem with me, Jaiveer, huh?" This time my voice raised, catching him off guard.

"You were ready to marry Bhavika then; why not me, huh?" I yelled, not able to control myself.

And the next moment, I was pinned against the kitchen island, his palm curled around my neck; it was firm enough to keep me in place and not hurt me, but maybe his one press would be enough to block the air.

"How fucking dare you?" I flinched when he screamed in my face. "You don't have any fucking right to talk about my personal life; you are fucking nobody to me."

His side creeped the living shit out of me, but not tonight. "Move the fuck back," I fought, curling my fingers around his wrist.

"Don't fucking touch me when I am a nobody to you," his hold instantly loosened as he moved back.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Grabbing the vase, which was on the cosy kitchen table, he slammed it on the floor, breaking it into pieces.

"Jaiveer---"

"FUCKING OUT!"

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