Third person's pov!

Shraddha barely had time to register the persistent knock before she cracked the door open slightly, expecting Drishti's face.

Instead, a strong hand pushed it wider, and before she could react, Dhruv slipped into the trial room, his presence overwhelming the small space as her breath hitched in utter shock.

"Dhruv?"

Shraddha took a step back, her heart pounding as Dhruv's intense gaze locked with hers. The fitting room suddenly felt stiflingly small, his presence consuming the space around her.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, her voice sharper than she intended. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage crazily. Seeing him so close after so many days, it felt like an eternity.

"Fixing the mess I made," Dhruv said evenly, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned casually against the wall, his broad shoulders brushing the edges of the narrow mirror.

"There is nothing to fix, Dhruv. You and I—we are nothing. We never were," Shraddha snapped, clutching the midnight blue gown against her chest like a shield.

"You don't mean that, Shraddha. Stop lying to yourself." His jaw tightened, the calm exterior cracking slightly.

"Yeah, right! You have lied enough for the both of us!" She retorted, her voice rising. "You think showing up here, invading my space, will make everything better? Just leave."

Dhruv took a deliberate step toward her, and she backed up until her spine pressed against the wall. He leaned closer, his voice low and firm.

"I am not going anywhere. Not until you listen to me." Dhruv said. Her chest heaved as she struggled to maintain her composure.

"What is there to listen to, Dhruv? That you are a liar? That you have made a game out of my feelings while juggling other women?"

His expression darkened, and he took another step, closing the remaining distance between them. His hand came up to rest against the wall beside her head, caging her in.

"Your brother has a very loose tongue, Shraddha. And a brain not sharp enough to verify whether what he hears is true or not.." Dhruv said and Shraddha glared at her.

"So? Now it is Sid's fault? You have very proudly flaunted your flings for the public to see and my brother pointed it out and it all became his fault? Not your questionable character?" Shraddha asked sarcastically.

"Is that what you really think of me?" He asked, his voice a husky whisper that sent shivers down her spine.

"I don't think so. I know," Shraddha spat back, though her voice wavered slightly. Her heart kept screaming at her that the Dhruv she fell in love with was not a man like that. But then the Dhruv she fell in love with doesn't exist, does he? He was a figment of imagination. A smokescreen he created to disguise his true motives.

"If you knew me at all, you would know that I don't play games when it comes to what I want. And I want you, Shraddha." Dhruv's lips curved into a dangerous smile.

Her breath hitched as his other hand lightly brushed her cheek, his touch electric.

"Stop it," she whispered, her resolve crumbling under the intensity of his gaze.

"Stop what?" He murmured, his face mere inches from hers. "Telling you the truth? Or making you feel what you are so desperately trying to forget?"

Shraddha's heartbeat thundered in her ears as Dhruv's fingers trailed down to her wrist, capturing her trembling hand. His warmth seeped into her skin, the firm grip both comforting and maddening.

"I am not the man you think I am, Shraddha," he said, his voice velvet soft.

"Save it, Dhruv. I am done with your lies," she retorted, though the venom in her tone faltered as he pulled her hand to rest against his chest.

"Feel that?" He asked, his heartbeat steady and strong beneath her palm. "That's real. My feelings for you are real."

"You don't have feelings. You have conquests. Cold blooded games." She swallowed hard, refusing to meet his eyes.

"The only conquest I care about is earning back your trust." His fingers tilted her chin upward, forcing her to look at him.

"Why?" She whispered, her voice cracking.

"Because I am in love with you," he said simply, his honesty disarming her.

"No. You don't mean that." Her breath caught, and she shook her head, her walls going up again.

Before she could protest further, Dhruv's lips descended on hers—soft, tentative, yet utterly consuming. Shraddha froze, her mind screaming at her to push him away, but her traitorous body leaned into him.

The kiss deepened, his hand sliding to her waist, pulling her flush against him. Her gown slipped from her grasp, pooling onto the floor as her fingers curled into his shirt.

As if realising her reaction, she suddenly pushed him away, her cheeks flushed.

"This doesn't change anything," she said, her voice trembling.

"Maybe not," Dhruv said, his lips quivering into a smirk. "But it's a start."

"Just leave me alone, Dhruv." Shraddha's voice cracked as she glared at him. "You can have anyone. Why me? You achieved what you set out to do. I will never come into your sister's life anymore. Just leave me.."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I can't, Shraddha. Ask me anything. Anything at all. But I cannot lose you.." Dhruv said.

"Why? Why can't you just leave me. There must be a million women out there who would love to be with you.." Shraddha spat, the images of Dhruv with a different woman on his arms in each photograph flashed in front of her eyes.

"I don't want any of them,Shraddha. Never did. It is you I want. It has only been you. Never anyone else. You are the only one who saw me for who I was. Not the name, not the money. Just me. " Dhruv said, almost desperately. Shraddha laughed bitterly.

"The irony is that I thought I knew you, but I was wrong. You are nothing but a manipulative—"

Before she could finish, Dhruv grasped her hands firmly.

"I am done being misunderstood. If you want to hate me, fine. But don't make me a villain in your story just because it's easier than admitting you still care. You have never fully trusted me, Shraddha, have you? Maybe a part of you was always scared that I would hurt you. And the first setback came, you pulled up those walls around you. You love me, Shraddha. I can say that confidently, because I have felt it. Why couldn't you feel that? Why couldn't you feel my love? Didn't I love you enough?" Dhruv asked, his voice a broken whisper.

"I don't love you..!" She said, her voice laced with emotion.

"Liar," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.

Her knees threatened to buckle as his hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer. His lips ghosted along her jawline, his breath warm against her skin.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her silence was all the encouragement he needed as he tilted her head back, his lips claiming hers once more.

Torn between fury and longing, Shraddha pushed at his chest weakly, but he didn't let go. And for a fleeting moment, she didn't want him to. She missed him so much...

"Shrey, what is taking you so long?" The words, accompanied by the incessant knocks on the door, startled them..

A/n

Hey guys, the book is now completed with 91 chapters + an epilogue in stck. Those who wish to binge read, please go to my stck page : SFwrites..

Please do vote and comment...

Love,

SF❤️