RANJISH
“You knew exactly what you were doing, didn't you?”
Pihu froze.
The wedding room suddenly felt too small.
The flowers, the soft lights, the heavy silence—everything that had felt beautiful a few hours ago now felt like a cruel joke.
She looked at the man standing in front of her.
Her husband.
Veer Khanna.
The man she had believed had chosen her.
The man she had thought had agreed to this marriage because, somewhere in that cold heart of his, he wanted her.
She swallowed hard.
“What are you talking about?”
Veer gave a bitter laugh.
“You really want me to say it?”
His eyes were nothing like they had been during the wedding ceremonies. There was no warmth in them.
Only anger.
And hatred.
“I thought…” Pihu's voice trembled. “I thought you wanted this marriage.”
“You thought wrong.”
Those three words shattered something inside her.
“But you agreed.”
“I agreed because I had no choice.”
Pihu stared at him.
No choice?
Then why had he looked at her like that?
Why had he let her believe there was something between them?
Her eyes slowly filled with tears.
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Veer stepped closer, his voice turning colder.
“Because I didn't know you were this desperate.”
Pihu's face went pale.
“Desperate?”
“Yes.”
He looked at her wedding jewellery, her expensive bridal clothes, and then back at her.
“You came from nowhere, entered my family's life, and somehow ended up becoming my wife.”
Pihu shook her head.
“No. That's not true.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
“I thought you—”
She stopped.
She couldn't say it.
She couldn't tell him that she had mistaken his family's proposal for his own feelings.
That she had spent days secretly believing that maybe, just maybe, Veer Khanna actually liked her.
That she had walked into this marriage with hope.
Veer's silence was answer enough.
His expression hardened.
“Don't worry, Pihu. You got what you wanted.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
She quickly wiped it away.
“I didn't marry you for your money.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
She looked at him, heart breaking with every word.
“Because I thought you wanted me.”
For the first time, Veer went silent.
But whatever he felt disappeared just as quickly.
“Don't make the mistake of expecting anything from me.”
Pihu stared at him.
“I never expected your money.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“I only expected a little respect.”
Veer looked away.
“You won't get that from me.”
Her heart sank.
He walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped.
Without turning around, he said,
“And one more thing…”
Pihu looked up.
“Don't ever mistake this marriage for love.”
The door closed.
And just like that, Pihu was left alone in a room meant for two.
She sat there in her wedding dress, staring at the door through blurred eyes.
A few hours ago, she had entered this house as Veer Khanna's bride.
Tonight, she learned that she was nothing more than a woman he regretted marrying.
And Veer?
He walked away believing his biggest mistake had just become his wife.
Neither of them knew that the truth behind their marriage would change everything.
But by then…
the hatred would already have taken root.
This was not the beginning of their love story.
This was the beginning of their war.
