The breakfast had been a disaster of cold stares and fake smiles. As the day progressed, the Thorne mansion transformed for the grand Satyanarayan Puja. But for Sia, the vibrant decorations felt like a shroud. She stayed in the room, avoiding everyone, especially the man who had crashed into her life and her bathroom just hours ago.
Sia was standing near the mirror, holding a velvet box that Savitri Dadi had given her earlier. Inside was a heavy diamond necklace—a Thorne family heirloom. She looked at the glittering diamonds and felt like they were cold, hard shackles.
Just then, Reyansh entered the room to change into his traditional attire. He saw her just standing there, the necklace still in the box.
"Dadi gave you that for a reason," Reyansh said, his voice cold, though his eyes instinctively drifted to her neck, remembering the morning's incident. "Wear it. We need to be downstairs."
Sia turned around, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I am not wearing this, Reyansh. Especially not something that belongs to your family. And I certainly don't want you touching me to help put it on. Keep your diamonds; I'll keep my self-respect."
"It's not about your pride, Sia. It's about the ritual—"
"Reyansh! Haven't you put it on her yet?"
Both of them jumped as Dadi appeared at the doorway. She walked inside the room with a stern but expectant look. "The Pandit ji is calling for the couple. Sia, why are you still holding the box? Reyansh, I told you to adorn your wife with your own hands. Go on, do it now. I want to see my daughter-in-law looking like a queen."
Sia's face went pale. She looked at Dadi and then at Reyansh. With Dadi standing right there, watching them like a hawk, she had no choice. She turned her back to Reyansh, her heart thumping against her ribs in pure protest.
Reyansh stepped closer. The air in the room seemed to vanish. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the sensitive skin of her neck to move her hair aside. Sia shivered, a small gasp escaping her lips.
"Don't move," Reyansh murmured near her ear, his breath hitching for a second. His hands were unusually steady, but his mind was a storm. As he fastened the clasp, his knuckles grazed her collarbone. He felt her pulse racing—wild and erratic. For a moment, he forgot the revenge. He just felt the warmth of her body and the soft scent that had haunted him all morning. He was intensely attracted to her, and the realization terrified him.
"There," Reyansh said, pulling back as soon as the lock clicked.
Dadi smiled, looking satisfied. "Beautiful. Now, both of you come down immediately." She turned and finally headed downstairs.
The moment she was gone, Sia stepped away from him, her eyes filled with nothing but raw hatred. "Are you happy now? Using your family to force your touch on me?"
Reyansh didn't answer. He couldn't. He was too busy trying to understand why his heart was still racing.
During the puja, a young businessman, an associate of the Thornes, approached Sia to discuss some charity work. Sia spoke to him professionally, her tone polite.
Reyansh, sitting across the room, felt a sudden, sharp sting of jealousy. It wasn't Vikram—Vikram was family. But seeing Sia give even a shred of attention to another man made his blood boil. She won't even look at me, but she's talking to him? He didn't understand why he felt so possessive over her.
"Reyansh, the sindoor," Gayatri's cold voice snapped him back.
Reyansh took the small silver box and approached Sia. She looked up at him, her eyes cold. Reyansh took a pinch of the crimson powder. As he filled her parting with sindoor, their eyes locked. In that gaze, there was no love—only a war. But as the red powder settled, Reyansh felt a strange weight in his heart.
He had marked her as his. Sia turned her face away the moment he finished, but the crimson bond was already set.