Kanika’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted the golgappa stall, her craving instantly awakening. Without a second thought, she grabbed Anakveer's wrist, dragging him along.
"Chalo na, I’m drooling already!" she chirped, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Anakveer grimaced, visibly repulsed. His gaze scanned the rusty cart, the vendor's not-so-clean hands, and the crowd huddled around, oblivious to the hygiene he silently screamed for. But who could reason with Kanika when she was in one of her moods? Certainly not him.
Bhaiya golgappa lagaiye!" she shouted without missing a beat, her mouth already watering. But this was Kanika. Few plates would barely warm her up. She didn’t care about the quantity of it—not when it came to her beloved golgappas. “Bhaiya, price baad mein... jab tak man na bhar jaaye,” she declared boldly.
He stood a few steps away, arms crossed, eyes scanning the fairground. Yet as always, he lingered close enough, his silent vigilance never wavering. He wouldn’t touch the food—never. Or so he believed.
Kanika, on the other hand, attacked the golgappas like they were her last meal. The tangy water, the crisp puris, the spicy filling—every bite pulled an exaggerated "mmm" from her lips
. But what stood out was the quiet tenderness with which she occasionally turned to offer him a piece from her plate.
And shockingly, Anakveer didn’t resist.
Without protest, without any sarcastic remark, he took the offerings, chewing with a passive face, as if surrendering wasn’t new to him. It wasn’t. That was their equation—unexpected yet expected. Whatever Kanika said, he did. Eventually.
But just as she popped what had to be her seventieth golgappa into her mouth, she froze mid-bite.
"Anak, look!" she nudged him, eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Isn't that girl... Manu?"
Anakveer barely turned. His reply came dry, disinterested. "No chance for her to be here. Don’t ruin my mood by taking that girl’s name.”
Her hand dropped. Appetite gone.
*"There it is again. That venom. That name is poison to him. But why?"*
She tossed the plate into the bin with unusual force.
“Why do you hate her so much?” she demanded. Is there any specific reason?
Anakveer simply shrugged while pulling out his wallet.
“Do we even need a reason to hate someone?”
he said dryly, paying the vendor without a second glance and walking off, leaving a stunned Kanika rooted to the ground.
*"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Hate without reason? Is that even human? God, you're so damn impossible, Anak."*
The fair eventually began to lose its charm. After wandering through stalls and games in an unspoken silence, they finally headed back to the parking lot. As soon as they settled in the car, Kanika suddenly yelled in alarm.
“Anak, look right! That’s Manu—she’s in fucking trouble!”
Anakveer lazily turned his head... and then froze. His body went rigid. What he saw twisted his insides into a knot of rage.
Manu. Surrounded. Terrified. Trembling.
Manu was trapped—cornered by a group of jeering men, her dupatta slipping, her terrified eyes spilling helpless tears. She was trembling, struggling to escape the disgusting circle tightening around her.
Anakveer didn’t wait.
His chest constricted. His mind spoke.
"No… no, not her. Not like this."
"I will break every single one of you. You’ll wish you were never born.”
He jumped out of the car, grabbing the spare iron rod from the back seat. He stormed forward like a beast unchained. Without a word, he struck the first man with such force that the rod split the skull open like a melon, sending him crumpling with a bloodcurdling scream.
The others barely had time to react.
Another blow crushed a neck at a grotesque angle, dropping the next man like a sack of bones. Anakveer was fury incarnate—each swing of his weapon brutal, surgical, and deadly. His silence was more terrifying than any war cry.
Kanika, meanwhile, ran straight to Manu, gathering the girl into her arms. Manu broke down instantly, sobbing into her shoulder like a child. The image of what could have happened if they hadn’t arrived in time haunted them both.
Manu pov: Please let this be a nightmare. Not here. Not now. Why did I come alone? I was just trying to feel normal again. Why did I even think I had the right?"
But the bloodbath wasn’t over.
Anakveer, eyes glowing crimson, approached the last man—who had already wet himself, hands folded, stammering for mercy. But Anakveer was deaf to it all.
He shoved the rod through the man’s chest—front to back. Then, like lifting trash, he raised the still-breathing body high and slammed it into the ground with a gut-wrenching crash. His boot pressed down hard near the wound as he yanked the rod out. The man gasped his last with wide, horror-struck eyes.
And still—he hadn’t spoken a single word.
The fair music blared somewhere in the distance. But in this corner of the lot, only silence and blood remained.
Anakveer finally turned, towering over the shaken forms of Kanika and Manu, bloodied rod still in hand. In a low, dark voice that cracked no emotion, he said, “Get in the car.”
Hearing his voice, Manu stumbled forward and threw herself into his arms.
“Bhaiya… I was so scared. I thought—” she sobbed into his blood-soaked shirt
.
But Anakveer didn’t return the gesture. His arms didn’t move. His eyes didn’t soften.
He gently pushed her off and said, “I’m not anyone’s bhaiya.”I’m not anyone’s bhaiya," he said flatly. Then turned to Kanika. "Car. Now."
Kanika was still frozen, unsure which part was more horrifying—the violence or his voice.
But she obeyed. They climbed into the car. Manu curled beside her, shaking, whimpering, barely holding onto her sanity.
The ride was silent. The engine purred. The night screamed.
Anakveer drove in silence, not once glancing back.
The moment they reached Rajput Mansion, Kanika escorted Manu to her room. But just as she was about to close the door, Anakveer barged in, eyes still burning with restrained fury.
“What the hell were you doing all alone? Where the fuck are your bodyguards?
Didn’t your father provide you any?” he growled.
Manu kept her head low, tears still trailing down her cheeks.
“Speak, goddamn it! Did your tongue get paralyzed?!”
Her shivering grew worse. That was when Kanika snapped.
“Anak, stop it! I know as a brother you’re worried for her, but this—this isn’t the way. Not right now!”
But her words ignited the fire again.
“Shut up with your bhai-behen crap!” he shouted, voice thundering.
“How many times do I have to say it? She’s not my sister! I saved her not because I give a damn—but because if anyone, any girl, had been in her place, I’d have done the same.
And more importantly, if anything had happened, our family name would’ve been dragged in the mud. That’s all I care about!”
Shame and guilt choked Manu. And for the first time, Kanika’s eyes burned—not with anger, but with tears she refused to let fall.
She clenched her fists so tight her nails dug into her palms.
Anakveer stormed out before his fury took over completely.
Kanika swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to Manu, gently easing her onto the bed, handing her water.
Manu drank between hiccups, then broke down again—this time deeper.
"I know I was wrong, Kanika di. I should’ve informed someone. I understand what bhaiya said—if something had happened, he could’ve killed those men but the pain… the trauma… it would’ve been mine alone. I know girls are our families' pride, always guarded, always watched.
But what I don’t understand is why he hates me. Why… even after everything… why does he hate me this much? I don’t even mind if he slapped me for my today's mistake. But for once… I just wish he said he cared. That I mattered. That I was family.”
Kanika stroked her hair gently. “He’s like that, Manu. He doesn’t know how to show emotions. He’s bad with words… but maybe not heartless.” She is saying more to herself than manu . As this anakveer is beyond recognition.
Manu sniffled, eyes glassy but calmer.
A little later, just as calm began to return, Anakveer reappeared at the door. Now clean, hair damp, expression blank.
“Kanika. Come. I’ll drop you home.”
His voice held no warmth.
Kanika, still hurt, replied coldly, “I’ll go by myself.”
Kanika pov :You think you can order me around after that? After tonight? After everything you said ?”
Anakveer exhaled long and deep. “Kanika, I don’t like repeating myself. It’s late. You’re not going alone.”
Manu gave her an assuring squeeze, a soft nod, silently urging her to go. But Kanika didn’t move. She wasn’t used to this version of Anakveer—the commanding, cold one. Anakveer’s rudeness gnawed at her pride. She didn’t move.
And that was it.
He marched over, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her out toward the garage.
“Anak, what the fuck—let go of my hand!” she shouted, struggling.
But he only released her when he shoved her into the passenger seat and locked the door.
As she tried to open it again, he leaned dangerously close, locking it fully this time.
"Don’t make me do something I’ll regret," he growled, voice low, threatening, almost… forbidden.
he added darkly. “Just sit. Silently.”
She stopped. Her fingers left the door.
The ride was suffocating in silence.
His voice, thick with something dark and forbidden, made her freeze.
The drive was dead silent.
When they reached her home, Kanika flung the door open and ran inside without a word, holding back the tears burning in her chest. Thinking….
“You’re not the only one who can leave people in silence, Anak."
He stayed there in the car, alone. The empty passenger seat staring back.
Then, with a clenched jaw and fist against the steering wheel, he let out a tortured growl.
“Fuck!”
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