“Abhinandan, what is all this?” I demanded, pointing toward the tent.

He smirked and rose from the bench slowly, eyes gleaming.

“This?” he said, gesturing to the tent behind him.“This is what Icall having…fun. Want to meet the girl? Or maybe…” He trailed off, the suggestion in his tone enough to make my blood boil.

I turned to the tent, and the girl stepped out just then.

Shock seized me. My rage surged. I balled my fists and nearly slammed one into his smug face.

“Bastard,” I hissed.

But I stopped mid-swing. I remembered my promise to Nandani: to protect him… not to hurt him. So I held back.

He only laughed, a cruel, hollow sound, and stepped in close, his gaze locked on mine.

“This is the beginning of your end,” he whispered, his eyes glistening with pure fury.

I drew in a slow breath.“What are you doing, Abhi?”

He suddenly grabbed my jaw and squeezed it tight, his face inches from mine, eyes blazing.

“I’m not your Abhi nor anyone’s. Understand?”

I could see the fire burning in his eyes, rage bursting from every corner of his face. His nostrils flared, and the long locks of his curly hair flew wildly in the wind. But I didn’t look away, I met his gaze, holding it steady.

In a slow, firm voice, I asked,“What do you think Nandani will say when she finds out about this?”

He chuckled, low and dismissive, then let go of my jaw. Taking a few steps back, he looked around as if amused by the chaos, and said casually,“Kaun Nandani?”(Nandani, who?)

Something just snapped inside me.

I took a step forward.“Who is Nandani? She’s your sister.”

He laughed again and walked back toward me, eyes cold.“She’s not my sister anymore. The day she stooped so low—to run after you—she died for me,”

My jaw clenched, and my hand shot up to grab his neck.“How dare—”

But his fist connected with my face, hard and brutal, before I could finish, and I staggered back, stunned.

My lips throbbed as blood trickled down. He’d punched me without hesitation.

The fury inside me boiled over.

I touched the blood at the corner of my mouth, and my breath grew heavier.

First, I’d seen him with Trisha. And now this. His hatred for bothof us was louder than words.

But I had come here to make peace.

“Abhinandan, listen to me, please. I love her,” I tried to explain, but he stepped forward, bashing my face with a series of heavy punches.

“YOU LOVE HER?!” Punch.“You love her, huh?” Punch.

“Bastard,” he kept delivering punches to me, until I felt my nose begin bleeding.

I tried to push him off, but he threw me to the ground, climbed over, and grabbed my throat with one hand. On the other hand, punches rained down on my face, hard.

“You used her! You played with her! You’re a bastard, just like your father! A son of a whore!”