Prologue

The rain lashed against the wide glass windows of Arjun Malik’s penthouse, the city lights blurred in the storm. The room smelled faintly of smoke and expensive whiskey, but all Tara could feel was the suffocating weight of her own heartbreak.

She sat at the edge of the massive bed, her face streaked with tears, fingers trembling as she clutched the dupatta against her chest.

“Why… why didn’t I see it before?” Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “You’re not the man the world worships. You’re not the man I thought you were. You’re a monster, Arjun.”

Arjun stood near the window, a cigarette balanced between his fingers, his tall frame cast in shadow. His face gave away nothing—no guilt, no remorse. Just a chilling stillness as he exhaled smoke into the dimly lit room.

Tara’s tears burned hotter. “I don’t want this. I don’t want to marry you. I want my life back. Leave me alone, Arjun… please.”

She stood abruptly, her legs shaking as she moved toward the door. Her hand had barely brushed the handle when suddenly—

Arjun’s arm shot out, pulling her back in a harsh, unrelenting grip. She stumbled against his chest, her small frame trapped in his iron hold.

His voice was low, lethal, every word dripping with possession.

“You are mine, Tara. Whether you like it or not.”

She gasped, trying to push him away, but his grip only tightened. His next words froze the blood in her veins.

“Think carefully about your family… about what I can do with them if you ever walk away from me. Your father, your mother, your little sister—do you want their lives in my hands, Tara?”

Her heart hammered painfully, her body trembling against him. She hated him. She feared him. And yet, in his arms, she felt like a prisoner in chains she could never escape.

The storm outside roared louder, but inside the room, only the silence of her broken sobs and his dangerous claim remained.

~~~~~~~~```

✨  The city never slept. Its streets were alive with noise, neon lights, and shadows that whispered secrets no one dared to say aloud. For most, it was a place of dreams—where young hearts chased ambition, where college corridors echoed with laughter, and where love bloomed quietly behind crowded chai stalls.

But beneath the glitter, another world breathed. A world of blood, power, and silence. A world ruled by men who had nothing to lose, and everything to protect. At the heart of it stood Arjun Malik—a name that made even the most ruthless men think twice before raising their voice. He was dangerous, cruel when he had to be, and untouchable in a city that belonged more to him than to its law. To outsiders, he was nothing more than a shadow. To his enemies, he was death walking on two feet.

And yet, fate is strange. It doesn’t knock—it crashes.

On the other side of the same city lived Tara Mehra, a girl who believed life was about small joys: stolen moments with friends, scribbling poetry at the back of her notebooks, dreaming of a future where kindness wasn’t weakness. Her world was untouched by violence, her only wars were the ones with exams and deadlines.

But one night, paths crossed. Her innocence collided with his darkness.

And from that moment, neither of their lives would ever belong only to them again.

This is not just a story of love.

It is a story of scars, choices, and the price of walking into a fire

when you know you might never come back out.