The wedding hall was buzzing with laughter and chatter as guests exchanged blessings and gifts. Poornima clutched a beautifully wrapped box, her hands trembling slightly.

Veeresh’s sharp eyes caught hers from across the room. He subtly signaled her with a tilt of his head.

Poornima stepped forward, her heart racing. “Go… give the gift to the newlyweds,” he said calmly, his tone flat but commanding.

She hesitated. “You… won’t come?”

“No,” he replied, cold and indifferent. “You congratulate them and hand over the gift. After that, we leave. That’s all.”

Poornima nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “O-okay.”

She approached Pavan and Sahana, forcing a polite smile. Her voice wavered as she said,

“Congratulations to both of you. I… wish you both happiness.”

She handed over the gift, her fingers brushing Pavan’s briefly. The gesture, small as it was, carried the weight of years of hidden feelings, and she felt a pang of regret.

Veeresh stayed at the edge of the hall, watching silently, arms crossed. His expression didn’t change — calm, collected, perfectly in control.

Poornima turned back toward him, her eyes meeting his. She saw nothing but cold, unyielding control reflected in his gaze, and her heart skipped.

Without another word, they left the wedding hall. The soft murmur of the guests faded behind them as the car doors closed, leaving the celebration behind.

Inside the vehicle, Poornima’s hands rested nervously in her lap, her mind replaying Veeresh’s silence, his signal, his authority.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t offer reassurance. He didn’t even glance at her.

But in that silence, she felt the full weight of it —

Veeresh Rajawat was not a husband who would bend. He was not a man who would forgive easily.

And for the first time, she realized that living with him, surviving his cold, calculated control, and navigating this marriage would be far harder than she had ever imagined.

Her chest tightened as the car sped through the city streets, leaving the wedding — her past, her regrets, and her unspoken love — behind.

And Veeresh, calm, composed, and untouchable, sat beside her silently, a storm she couldn’t control now bound her entirely to him.