Next Morning - Pratap Mansion

The aroma of freshly made breakfast filled the dining hall as Ragini settled down. Navya placed a warm plate in front of her, but before she could take a bite, Navya gently tapped her hand.

"Pray first."

Like a well-behaved child, Ragini folded her hands, closed her eyes, and murmured a soft prayer. When she finished, she looked at Navya with innocent eyes, parting her lips slightly as if asking her to feed her.

Navya chuckled knowingly and took a seat beside her, feeding her small bites with motherly affection.

Siddharth, who was watching the scene unfold, shook his head with a faint smile and continued his breakfast.

Just then, Naveen came down the stairs, yelling on his phone, his voice sharp with irritation.

Navya tensed. Her eyes met his, silently asking if everything was alright.

Naveen exhaled, nodding subtly before ending the call and taking his seat. His expression softened when he looked at Navya and Ragini.

Ragini suddenly perked up. "Bhai, Bhabhi... you remember my college fest, right?"

Both nodded.

"Don't be late! I'll be waiting for you," she reminded them and, after hugging everyone, left for college.

College Fest - Afternoon

The entire campus was buzzing with activity. Banners, colorful decorations, and excited students filled the atmosphere with energy.

A sleek black car rolled to a stop at the college gate.

The doors opened, and a man stepped out, his presence commanding instant attention.

The bold engraving on the car-THAKUR-seemed to hold a weight of its own.

Randheer Singh Thakur's sharp eyes took in the college premises. His aura was suffocatingly intense, making the passersby unconsciously step aside. With measured strides, he walked towards the entrance.

---

Inside the hall, Ragini anxiously paced, her phone pressed against her ear.

"When will you all come? Everyone is already here!"

"Just five minutes, Princess! We're on the way!" Siddharth's voice assured her.

"Please come fast-"

She turned too quickly, colliding into someone's chest. A gasp left her lips as she felt herself falling.

But before she could hit the ground, a firm hand grasped her wrist.

Everything froze.

Ragini's breath hitched. Her lashes trembled as she squeezed her eyes shut, fear gripping her heart.

Randheer stood still, his grip on her wrist tight yet effortless.

A man accustomed to taking lives was now saving one.

His mind should have dismissed this moment as nothing. Yet, as he gazed down at her anxious face, time seemed to slow.

Her delicate form, her soft skin beneath his fingers, the way her pink lips quivered-it stirred something unfamiliar inside him.

His heartbeat quickened-a reaction he hadn't experienced before.

And then, she spoke.

"Hey Mata Rani, if I died today... who would take my award?"

Randheer's brows arched.

Reality snapped back into place.

He quickly steadied her and turned away, masking whatever strange sensation had just consumed him.

Ragini, unaware of the turmoil she had caused, folded her hands in gratitude.

"Thank you for saving me."

Yet, instead of looking at him, she looked at the sky as if crediting some divine intervention.

Randheer's jaw tightened. He didn't need thanks, but if she was giving it, at least she could acknowledge him.

As Ragini finally looked around and noticed him, she asked curiously, "Excuse me, do you need anything?"

Randheer didn't bother replying. Without a word, he walked away.

She stared after him, blinking in confusion.

"Weird."

---

Navya and Siddharth arrived shortly after. Ragini pulled them inside as the fest began.

When the host announced the Chief Guest's arrival, Ragini wasn't paying much attention-until she saw him walk onto the stage.

Randheer Singh Thakur.

Her lips curled into a proud smile, unaware of the weight his name carried.

For her, he was just a man who had saved her.

For the world, he was the storm no one dared to cross.

---

The Award Ceremony

After several performances, Ragini's name was called.

She excitedly went on stage.

But then-

Randheer was invited to present her the award.

As he walked toward her, her eyes followed him, completely captivated.

When he handed her the prize, her fingers accidentally brushed against his.

A jolt ran through her.

Thousands of butterflies erupted in her stomach, her cheeks warming.

Randheer, on the other hand, merely observed her reaction, his own face unreadable.

From afar, Navya and Siddharth exchanged uneasy glances.

Siddharth clenched his jaw. He was about to step forward when Navya stopped him.

"Not here."

His fists tightened, but he said nothing.

The fest eventually ended, and the students began leaving.

Siddharth was walking through the corridor when his shoe hit something.

A key ring.

He bent down, picking it up. A second later, he knew exactly who it belonged to.

"Excuse me!" he called out.

Shipra turned.

Siddharth approached, extending the key ring. "I think you dropped this."

Shipra hesitated before taking it. "Thank you."

She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"Shipra."

Hearing her name from him-it sent an odd warmth through her.

She closed her eyes briefly, but regaining composure, she faced him again.

"Please help Ragini whenever she needs you."

She gave a silent nod, lowering her gaze.

A thick silence stretched between them.

The unspoken words, the unresolved past-it all lingered.

Then, Siddharth's tone turned sharp.

"And one more thing... I don't want your brother anywhere near my sister."

Shipra's heart clenched at the contrast-one moment, he cared; the next, he was drawing lines.

Looking into his eyes, she silently questioned: Was that all I meant to you?

But swallowing the ache, she simply replied, "Don't worry. He won't."

And then, she walked away.

Siddharth watched her go, his heart feeling heavier than it should.

Ragini was chatting with her friends when-

"Excuse me."

She turned, her eyes lighting up as she saw him.

Randheer stood before her, holding something small in his hand.

"Is this yours?"

Her eyes widened in joy.

"Yes!" She practically snatched the bracelet from his hand. "Where did you find it? You have no idea how precious this is-it's my mother's."

Her happiness was infectious.

For a second, Randheer simply watched her, then let out a cold "Hmm."

Turning away, he was about to leave when-

"By the way, where are you this Friday?"

He stopped, slightly surprised.

As they stood face-to-face, a charged silence stretched between them. Ragini and Randheer held each other’s gaze, a husky, unreadable look passing between them—something unspoken, something that neither dared to voice.

Then, just like that, they turned away.

"I have a lot of work to do." His voice was indifferent as he walked away.

As he exited, Siddharth stood in his path.

Their gazes clashed.

Tension crackled in the air.

Neither spoke, but their unspoken warning was loud enough.

Each man walked away, carrying a storm within.

Randheer took Shipra with him, his grip on her wrist firm yet controlled, while Siddharth led Ragini toward his car.

Noticing Shipra walking beside Randheer, Ragini frowned slightly and turned to Siddharth. "What is Shipra Ma’am’s relation with him?"

Siddharth’s grip on the car door tightened for a split second before he replied in a clipped tone, "She is his sister."

Ragini blinked in surprise. His sister?

Somehow, she hadn’t expected that. The connection between them was deep, but now she could sense an underlying tension—one she couldn’t quite place.

She slipped into the car, her curiosity not yet satisfied. "Oh… How do you know?"

Siddharth’s jaw ticked. He shut her door a little harder than necessary and muttered, "None of your business."

Ragini shot him an annoyed look through the window, crossing her arms. "Rude!!" she huffed under her breath.

Siddharth ignored her reaction, slipping into the driver’s seat, and without another word, they drove off.

But the silence in the car wasn’t empty.

Ragini sat back, her mind drifting to Randheer—the way he had looked at her, the way his presence had made her feel like the air had thickened around her. He was a puzzle she couldn’t stop trying to solve.

Siddharth, on the other hand, was gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly, his mind elsewhere. In his head, all he could see were Shipra’s eyes—the hesitation, the emotions she tried to hide.

And on the other side of the city…

Shipra sat stiffly beside Randheer, but her heart wasn’t with her brother—it was still back there, lost in Siddharth’s gaze, in the unsaid words between them.

Randheer, despite his iron-willed discipline, found his thoughts unwillingly circling back to her.

Ragini.

He clenched his jaw.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Yet, despite everything, the past was clawing at the present, and the future was hanging by an uncertain thread.

The old wounds still ached. The new emotions were yet to bloom.

Would Siddharth and Shipra always remain broken, forever carrying the weight of what was lost?

And what path would Randheer and Ragini’s growing connection take?

One thing was certain—none of their hearts were untouched, and fate had no intention of letting them go easily.

Pratap Mansion - that evening.

After returning from college, Ragini quickly freshened up and slipped into a light short kurti with pants, a simple yet comfortable choice for the night.

Her long, dark black hair cascaded down her back, loose and untamed, strands occasionally brushing against her soft cheeks as the cold night breeze whispered through the sheer white silk curtains of her room. The glow of the moon outside cast a silver hue, adding to the serene ambiance, but despite the tranquility surrounding her, her mind was restless.

It was still trapped in the presence of him.

Randheer Singh Thakur.

The man who held an unreadable face, whose presence commanded attention without uttering a word, whose very existence carried an air of authority she had never witnessed before. He wasn't just different-he was power itself, wrapped in mystery, laced with danger.

Yet, he had changed in front of her.

The same man who probably had people bowing in front of him had caught her before she could fall, had returned her bracelet, had been standing just inches away from her, breathing the same air as her.

The thought sent an unfamiliar shiver down her spine, but instead of fear, it was something else-something warm, something thrilling.

A soft smile curved her lips.

Feeling a sudden curiosity, she reached for her laptop and quickly typed his name.

Randheer Singh Thakur.

The screen instantly filled with images. The moment she saw him, she felt her cheeks burn.

His sharp jawline, his piercing gaze, the way his posture spoke of an unchallenged dominance-it all made her stomach flutter in ways she couldn't understand. She clicked on one of the images, unable to stop herself from admiring his features.

"Why does he have this effect on me?"

She bit her lip and scrolled down to read more about him, but before she could absorb anything, a sharp voice startled her.

"Ragini!!"

Her fingers froze over the keyboard.

Heart pounding, she hurriedly shut the laptop and turned toward the door.

Her elder brother, Naveen, stood there. Dressed in a plain white shirt, his expression was calm, but his sharp eyes didn't miss a thing.

He walked in, his presence warm yet protective, and gently patted her head. "What are you doing, princess? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Ragini forced a smile, trying to calm her racing heart. "I was just about to sleep, Bhai. I was looking something up before that."

Naveen's brows furrowed slightly. "What were you searching for? Is something bothering you?"

"No, Bhai... nothing."

She tried to sound casual, but her voice betrayed a slight nervousness.

Naveen seemed convinced, but just as he was about to say something else, his gaze fell on her wrist.

Her bracelet.

His sharp memory kicked in immediately-hadn't Ragini been upset about losing it just yesterday?

His eyes darkened with suspicion. "Did Siddharth find this for you?"

Ragini hesitated. She knew if she lied, he would catch her instantly.

"No, Bhai... actually... it wasn't lost. Someone else had it."

Naveen's expression turned serious. "What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath, debating how much she should say. But there was something about Randheer that she wanted to voice out loud, something she needed to share.

"Bhai, a few days ago... I met someone."

His body tensed at her words. "Who?"

Ragini looked down at her bracelet, tracing its design before speaking again. "A man... different from anyone I've ever met. Not like the people we see around, but someone like the rulers we used to meet back in Pratapgarh-the ones with power in their veins, the ones people respect and fear at the same time."

Naveen's face lost its warmth. His fingers curled into a fist, his voice dangerously low. "Ragini. Who is he?"

She hesitated but then finally whispered the name that had been echoing in her mind all day.

"Randheer Singh Thakur."

The air in the room shifted in an instant.

A heavy silence stretched between them, suffocating, thick with something Ragini couldn't understand but could feel in her bones.

Naveen's jaw clenched. His once-gentle expression hardened into something unreadable.

"Randheer Singh Thakur?" he repeated, voice laced with something close to disbelief... and something else.

Something dangerously close to hatred.

Ragini didn't miss the way his entire posture stiffened, the way his fingers curled as if holding back an emotion too strong to contain.

Her heart pounded.

"Bhai... do you know him?"

Naveen let out a sharp breath and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I know enough to tell you to stay away from that man."

A shiver ran down her spine.

For the first time, a strange sense of fear mixed with the intoxicating curiosity she had about Randheer.

Who was he?
And why did her brother's eyes hold so much darkness when speaking his name?
Was this just concern?
Or was there a storm hidden in their past?
Her curiosity grew..

And next was to watch,what way her blooming feelings and these curiosity will take..

To know, go with the story,

HER DEVOTION HIS OBSESSION!!

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