Chapter 24

Sanaya's POV

I didn't remember how I made it back to my desk after that storm in the conference room.

Tanya hugged me tight, murmuring a soft "finally" under her breath, and I just nodded… blankly. My mind kept replaying it all—Freya's words, Abhiraj's voice slicing through the room, and then… Abhimaan. The way he said it.

"My wife. Legally. Officially. Proudly."

No hesitation.

No shame.

Just… me. As his.

The weight of those words clung to my chest like something warm and heavy. Not burdensome. Just overwhelming.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. No one dared to meet my eye. Freya didn't return to the floor. Rumors swirled, but silence ruled louder. When it was time to go home, I felt numb—but safe.

Scene: Rathore Mansion – Evening

I barely stepped inside when Pihu tackled me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. "Abhiraj bhaiya told us everything."

I nodded against her shoulder. "I'm fine."

Viraj stood behind her with crossed arms, fuming. "She should be glad I wasn't there. I would've dyed her hair with printer ink."

I cracked a weak smile. "You're not very scary, Viraj."

"Rude," he mumbled, but I caught the worry in his eyes.

Dinner was unusually quiet. Ruhanika Maa's hand kept stroking my head every few minutes. Aksh Papa gave me an extra sweet on my plate without saying a word. And Abhiraj?

He sat across from me, sipping silently, protective as ever.

But it was Abhimaan's silence that tugged hardest.

He didn't say much. Not at the table. Not when we entered our room.

And still, he didn't stop watching me.

Scene: Bedroom – Later that Night

I stood near the mirror, brushing my hair out with tired hands. My eyes met his through the reflection.

"You didn't say much today," I said softly.

"I said everything where it mattered."

I turned to him. "I know. I heard you. But…"

"But?"

"I wasn't expecting it." My voice cracked. "You didn't have to protect me like that, not in front of everyone. I didn't ask you to—"

"But I wanted to," he interrupted, walking closer.

He stopped right in front of me. "Sanaya, the fact that you never asked… is why you deserved it even more. You've never used my name to make things easy for you. But I'm your husband. If I can't stand up for you when someone insults you in front of my eyes, then what's the point of this marriage?"

I looked away, heart pounding. "But… you never introduced me as your wife in office before."

He sighed. "Because I was protecting you. I didn't want whispers or politics. But I realize now... silence sometimes hurts more than noise."

His fingers brushed my cheek gently. "I'm sorry."

That one word melted something inside me.

"I cried in the washroom that day, you know?" I whispered. "When she told me I was nothing. That I looked cheap. That I was just a pass-around toy."

Abhimaan's hands clenched. "If I had known..."

"You know now," I said, placing my hand over his.

He leaned closer, forehead resting against mine.

"She called you a bitch. She humiliated you," he murmured. "And I let you fight alone for too long. Never again."

I closed my eyes. "Promise?"

He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. "Promise."

Scene Ends

Abhiraj's POV (Short Ending)

I stood by the balcony that night, watching lights blink across the city.

Pihu came out with her sketchbook. "Freya's going to face consequences, right?"

"Of course," I said coldly. "But I care more about Sanaya healing."

She paused. "I like her."

"I know," I murmured.

She tilted her head. "Do you?"

I didn't answer.

Because I wasn't sure what I was feeling—but it wasn't just "bhabhi-protectiveness" anymore.

And that scared me a little.