As dusk approached, Rudra pulled into the driveway of a secluded farmhouse. The sprawling property was surrounded by dense trees, the silence almost deafening.

"We're stopping here for the night," he said, stepping out of the car.

Vani hesitated, her instincts screaming that this was a bad idea. "Why here? Can't we just drive through the night?"

"Relax," he said, grabbing her bag from the backseat. "You'll thank me in the morning."

The interior of the farmhouse was cozy but carried an unsettling stillness. A servant greeted them, bowing slightly before leading them to Rudra's room.

"I am not staying in the same room as you" Vani said.

"We are engaged already Jaan" he smirked

"Right. Engaged. Not Married" Vani snapped.

"Fine. I am too exhausted to argue with on this anyway" Vani was surprised when he said that. She was expecting him to throw a tantrum.

"Take her luggage to the next room" Rudra ordered the servant. The servant nodded and left but Vani was stilled as she stared at him lost.

"Are you giving second thoughts to your decision now hmm?" He teased as he took a step closer to her bringing her out of her trance.

Flustered and embarrassed she took a step back and walked after the servant.

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Soon it was dinner time. Both Rudra and Vani had freshened up. The dining table was laden with simple but delicious dishes. Rudra ate with ease, while Vani poked at her food, her frustration evident.

"You've been glaring at me for hours," Rudra said, breaking the silence. "Careful, sweetheart. Your face might get stuck like that."

"I can't stand you," she replied flatly.

He chuckled, taking another bite. "And yet, here you are, dining with me, sharing my company. Admit it—you'd be bored without me."

Vani slammed her fork down, standing abruptly. "I'm going to my room."

"Sure. By the way do you know hanuman chalisa?" Rudra asked.

Vani looked at him, confusion laced in her eyes because of such a random question.

"You don't I guess. Sweet dreams," he said, his tone dripping with amusement as he stood up and walked past her to his room smirking.

"This man, I swear to god. He and his random questions." Vani groaned and took a step towards her room when the lights turned off.

"Great" she took her phone and turned the flash light on.

The rain lashed against the windows as the storm raged outside, accompanied by a rumble of thunder that seemed to shake the very foundation of the secluded farmhouse. Vani, clutching her phone with the flashlight on, hesitated at the doorway of her dimly lit room. The shadows on the walls seemed to twist and dance, distorting reality into something unnerving.

She exhaled slowly, trying to convince herself it was nothing. "Just the wind... it's just the storm," she muttered, her voice trembling slightly. The muffled roll of thunder seemed to mock her reassurance.

As she stepped further into the room, the door creaked ominously behind her, shutting with a soft thud. Vani jumped, her pulse quickening. She spun around, pointing the flashlight toward the door. Nothing. Just the closed door and the empty space around it.

"Relax, Vani. You're just imagining things," she told herself, though the chill running down her spine said otherwise.

The sound of faint whispers reached her ears, so soft that she thought it could be the rain—except the whispers weren't rhythmic like raindrops. They were deliberate, low, and fleeting, like someone was speaking just beyond the range of understanding.

Her throat went dry. She gripped her phone tighter, slowly turning toward the window. The sheer curtains billowed gently as if moved by an invisible hand, though no wind made it through the firmly shut panes.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder startled her, and the lights in the hallway flickered briefly before plunging the room into complete darkness. Her flashlight flickered, sending her heart into overdrive. The faint light barely illuminated the corners of the room now shrouded in deep shadows.

The soft patter of footsteps reached her ears. Her breath hitched.

"Who's there?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

No answer. But the footsteps grew louder, as though someone—or something—was coming closer.

The sound of the wardrobe creaking open made her whirl around. Her flashlight beam swept across the room, landing on the slightly ajar wardrobe door. It was swinging gently, though the air was still. She took a hesitant step back, bumping into the nightstand, knocking over a glass of water. The crash of the glass echoed like a gunshot in the eerie silence.

Then the door creaked. Slowly. Deliberately. Opening just enough to reveal nothing but a dark void beyond.

Vani couldn't take it anymore. The overwhelming fear, the whispers, the shadows—it was all too much. She turned and bolted out of the room, her phone's flashlight bouncing wildly with every step.

The hallway felt endless, the storm outside adding to her panic. The pounding of her feet echoed against the wooden floors, muffled only by the occasional rumble of thunder.

She didn't stop until she reached Rudra's door. Her fear overrode her anger toward him, and she banged on the door with both hands, desperation dripping from every knock. "Rudra! Rudra, open the door!" she cried.

The door finally opened, and there he stood, his just in his sweat pants, revealing his amused expression. His eyebrows arched, and the corner of his lips tilted upward as he observed her trembling figure, drenched from the rain blowing into the hallway.

"What happened Jaan, you here? Couldn't sleep wit-" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.

Before he could utter another word, she flung herself into his arms, clutching him like a lifeline. Her body shook against his, and he froze for a moment, caught off guard by her reaction. Slowly, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer as her panic seeped into him.

"It was... it was in there," she stammered, her voice muffled against his chest. "Whispers... footsteps... I saw something."

He smirked but didn't let her go. "Sweetheart, there's no one here but us. But if you're this scared, you're welcome to stay with me for the night."

She pulled back, glaring at him through tear-filled eyes. "This isn't funny, Rudra. I'm not making it up."

He pressed a finger under her chin, tilting her face up toward his. "Relax, Jaan. You're safe with me. Nothing can harm you here."

The words weren't comforting—they felt more like a challenge to whatever was haunting her.

"What now?" he drawled, leaning against the doorframe.

"There's... there's something in my room!" she stammered, her face pale.

His smirk widened. "A ghost, perhaps?"

"Yes!" she blurted out.

He sighed dramatically and stepped aside.

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As Vani stood in the middle of the room, the damp fabric of her strappy nightdress clung uncomfortably to her skin. It was only when she caught Rudra's gaze lingering for a second too long that she realized her state. Her face flushed crimson, and she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling utterly exposed.

Rudra smirked knowingly and walked over to his bag. "Here," he said, pulling out a black sweatshirt and holding it out to her. "Wear this. Unless, of course, you want to parade around like this all night?"

Vani snatched the sweatshirt from his hands, her cheeks burning. "Shut up!" she snapped, spinning on her heels and marching toward what she assumed was the bathroom.

Halfway there, she froze, her brows furrowing as she noticed two doors. She turned back hesitantly, clutching the sweatshirt.

Rudra, leaning casually against the bedpost, let out a low chuckle. "Lost, are we?" He strode over, his smirk deepening as he reached out to open one of the doors. "Here you go, my lady. Your royal washroom awaits."

She scowled at him, refusing to acknowledge the teasing glint in his eyes, and darted inside, slamming the door behind her.

Inside, she took a deep breath, calming her racing heart. She quickly changed into the oversized sweatshirt, the soft fabric falling well past her thighs. It smelled faintly of him—a mix of musk and something indescribably warm. She shook her head, refusing to think too much about it, and walked out.

When she emerged, she froze. Rudra was already sprawled on the bed, one arm behind his head, looking entirely too comfortable.

Her jaw dropped. "What are you doing?"

He didn't even look up, his lips curling into a lazy grin. "Sleeping. What does it look like?"

"You can't seriously expect me to share the bed with you," she said, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. "Why not? It's big enough for the both of us. Unless you're worried about something...?"

She huffed, walking over to inspect the floor. "Fine, then I'll take the floor."

Before she could make her decision final, Rudra stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "No chance, darling. You're not sleeping on the floor."

"Then you sleep on the floor!" she shot back, frustration boiling in her tone.

His smirk turned into a full-blown grin, one that set her teeth on edge. "Ah, but someone told me earlier today to keep my chivalry to myself."

Vani blinked, caught off guard for a moment before realizing he was quoting her own words. "You—"

"Oh no, don't stop now. I believe your exact words were, 'I don't need your chivalry,'" he said, leaning closer with an infuriatingly teasing tone.

Her cheeks burned, and she clenched her fists, glaring at him. "That was completely different! This is about basic decency, Rudra!"

He stepped back with a shrug, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Decency, chivalry—it's all semantics, Vani. You're the one who set the rules, and I'm just playing by them."

She groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "You're impossible! Fine. We'll share the bed, but I swear if you so much as breathe on me, you'll regret it!"

His grin only widened as he stretched out on the bed, casually claiming one side. "Relax, my Rani Sahiba. I'll stay on my side. Unless, of course, you get scared again and come running into my arms."

She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, but he caught it effortlessly, laughing. "You're the worst!" she spat, grabbing another pillow to mark an invisible line between them on the bed.

"That's your opinion," he replied smoothly, adjusting himself comfortably against the headboard. "But we both know you'll sleep better with me here."

Vani flopped onto the bed with an exaggerated sigh, turning her back to him. "I should've just taken my chances with the ghost," she muttered, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

From behind her, Rudra's soft chuckle filled the room. "Goodnight, my dearest, fiance. Sweet dreams."

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