Third person's pov!

Dhruv laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dimly lit, the shadows playing tricks on the walls, much like the thoughts in his mind. He was a man accustomed to making quick, decisive decisions. In his world, there was no room for hesitation or doubt.

Yet, here he was, caught in a web of confusion that he couldn't easily unravel.

Shraddha.

Her name echoed in his mind, bringing with it a storm of emotions he couldn't quite control. She was an enigma, a puzzle he was determined to solve, yet the more he tried to piece things together, the more tangled everything became.

Why was she so confusing? One moment, she seemed so innocent, so pure, like someone who had never known anything but kindness and sincerity. Her wide, expressive eyes spoke of vulnerability, of a life spent in quiet survival, moving from one place to another without a true home. She was an orphan, after all, a girl who had learned to navigate the world on her own, without the safety net of family.

And yet, the next moment, he would see her with Sid — talking in hushed tones, sharing those secretive glances — and his mind would spin with suspicion.

What was really going on between them? Was there something deeper between her and Sid, something she was hiding behind that innocent facade? Dhruv had always trusted his instincts, and right now, those instincts were screaming at him that something wasn't right. Something beyond his comprehension is going on.

But then again, his instincts were also muddied by something else, something much more dangerous — his own feelings for her.

Dhruv clenched his jaw, frustration boiling inside him. How had he allowed himself to get so tangled up in this? He had started out with a plan, a clear objective: protect Diya at all costs.

When he first suspected something between Shraddha and Sid, his course of action seemed obvious — remove Shraddha from the equation. But somewhere along the way, things had gotten messy.

He had told himself he would pretend to be interested in her, to lure her away from Sid, but the reality was far different. He was genuinely interested in her, far more than he wanted to admit. There was an undeniable attraction, yes, but it was more than that. She stirred something in him, something deeper, something he hadn't felt in a long time, if ever.

But why? Why was she getting under his skin like this?

She was an orphan, a girl with no connections, no power. She wasn't the kind of woman in his circle. And yet, he found himself thinking about her constantly, wondering what she was doing, what she was thinking. Was she thinking about him too? Did she feel the same pull between them, or was she just playing him like a fool?

Dhruv ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. Maybe it was because she was an orphan, because she had always looked after herself. Maybe that was why she had gotten so attached to Sid and the kids. They represented something she had never had— a family. Was that it? Was she just craving a sense of belonging, a place where she could finally feel like she was part of something?

If that was the case, then he could provide that for her, couldn't he? He could give her a family, a place to belong. And in doing so, he could achieve his original goal — getting her out of Diya's life.

It would be a clean solution, neat and simple. He would take care of her, make her his, and in return, Diya would be safe from whatever was brewing between Sid and Shraddha. It made sense. It was the logical thing to do.

But even as he thought it, Dhruv felt a pang of discomfort. Was that really all there was to it? Was he really just trying to protect Diya, or was there something more at play here? Something he wasn't ready to confront?

He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside. He needed to stay focused, to keep his eye on the goal.

But every time he tried to think clearly, his mind drifted back to Shraddha— to the way she looked at him, smiled at him, the way she seemed so startled by his touch, the way she made his heart race in a way he hadn't expected.

Damn it, Dhruv thought, clenching his fists. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was losing control, and that was something he couldn't afford to do. He needed to take charge, to make a decision, and stick to it.

Shraddha needed to be out of Diya's life, but he wasn't going to let her slip out of his. He was determined to have her, and if that meant giving her the family she craved, then so be it. He would make her his, in every way that mattered. Because he wanted to..

*****

Shraddha sat by the window, gazing out at the quiet night. The moon cast a soft glow over everything, but her thoughts were anything but peaceful. She had been restless since Dhruv's words to her earlier, unable to shake off the confusion and the pull she felt towards him. It was all so overwhelming, so unlike anything she had ever felt before.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to make sense of it all. Dhruv had offered her something she had always longed for — a family, a place where she truly belonged. For as long as she could remember, that had been her deepest desire. Growing up in an orphanage, she had always been on the outside, looking in at other children who had parents, siblings, and a place to call home. She had never known what it felt like to have that kind of security, that warmth that came from knowing you had people who cared about you, who would be there for you no matter what.

The idea of having a family had always been just a dream, something she never really believed could happen for her. But now, Dhruv was offering her that very thing — a chance to belong, to have people she could call her own. It was so tempting, so achingly close to everything she had ever wanted.

But there was a catch. Dhruv wasn't just any man. He was powerful, intense, and he stirred feelings in her that she didn't fully understand. There was something about him that drew her in, something magnetic and dangerous. He was a man who could easily dominate her life, and she wasn't sure if that was something she was ready for.

And then there was the way he had spoken to her, the way he had looked at her. She could still feel the warmth of his touch, the way his fingers had brushed against her skin. It had made her heart race, made her feel things she had never felt before. It was terrifying and thrilling all at once.

But was that enough? Was this attraction, this pull she felt towards him, enough to build a life on? Dhruv was offering her a place in his world, a world that was so different from her own. It was tempting, so incredibly tempting, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was stepping into something far more complicated than she could handle.

Yet, the thought of having a family, a real family, was so powerful. It was something she had craved her entire life, something she had dreamed of in the quiet moments when she felt most alone. She wanted that sense of belonging, that feeling of being part of something bigger than herself. She wanted people who would care about her, who would be there for her, and who would make her feel like she truly mattered.

Could Dhruv really give her that? Could he be the one to make her dream come true? It was hard to say. She barely knew him, and yet, there was something in his eyes that made her believe he was serious, that he could be the one to offer her the life she had always wanted.

A/N

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