There might be an inkling of truth in the rumours which claimed Vikram Singhal as a beast past its prime. Anand Mahal, the man's residence, bore no signs of the hustle and bustle reminiscent of the height of his Draconian regime. The man lost his touch, a few haughty observers claimed, and the beast fell in love, proclaimed those versed with the inexplicable workings of the heart.

The truth? The truth remained muddled in the painful memories of a love forsaken.

"I want to meet Vikram Singhal."

The old caretaker appeared puzzled by the request of the stranger. Anand Mahal remained forbidden ground for visitors, and it was rare one wanted an audience with the daunting man.

"Singhal Sahab doesn't meet anyone without an appointment. If you have an appointment, he would have asked me to prepare the study for the meeting," she said, scanning the stranger with a scrutinizing gaze.

The stranger let out a wry chuckle, shaking their head. The caretaker stared at them with her eyes wide open and raised eyebrows. Nothing about the stranger made sense to the old woman.

"Tell him Shikha wants to meet him. I believe that's an appointment he had been waiting for, for a long time now," she said, running her pensive gaze over the desolate mansion.

Shikha did not know whether it was her bias or the truth; Anand Mahal looked nothing like she had remembered. Of course, the last time she stepped across the threshold, it was her Mehndi, and now as she stood on the other side of the threshold, it appeared as though it was someone's funeral.

"Shikha? You are Singhal Sahab's Shikha?" asked the older woman, taken aback by the news. Her eyes twinkled with hope, the one that had dwindled into nothingness after Shikha's departure.

A sardonic smile stretched itself upon her bruised lips. "I believe I am."

The older woman ushered her into the extravagant living room with a large chandelier hanging right in between the room. "I'll fetch him. Please take a seat."

Shikha's heart refused to catch a breath. She had reached her chosen destination. The path ahead appeared obscure. The uneasiness at the back of her sternum made her clasp the free edges of her top.

The shuffling of feet and the sound of approaching of footsteps forced her onto her feet. Her torse twisted towards the footsteps and her eyes locked with the shadow of the man she had left behind five years ago.

His legs, taking two steps at a time, remained rooted at the end of the staircase when his his dreary eyes met her desperate ones. His breath hitched at his throat as he refused to blink, lest it woke him from the most beautiful dream he had seen over the years.

"Shikha."

Shikha gulped the lump formed at her throat. The dreaded moment had come, and her mind had turned into a muddled mess of myriads of emotions.

"You are here," he said, unable to believe the destiny which guided her into his home yet again.

Shikha took a deep breath and averted her eyes from his stormy ones. "Yes. I'm here."

Vikram took baby steps towards, disbelief swirling in his eyes. He had turned into a lean man from the bulky one he was, and the gold-rimmed spectacles resting on the root of his nose were the other surprise to unsuspecting Shikha. He had abandoned his preference for the three-piece suit, and donned a simple and sombre sky blue shirt with navy pant.

He stopped right in front of her, towering over her petite frame. She looked exquisite, with an inexplicable, resplendent glow on her soft features.

"I don't understand. Why? Why, after five years?" he asked.

Her eyes found their way back to his. He had not missed the way she clenched and unclenched her fist or the way the muscle at the angle of her jaw twitched.

"You wanted to marry me five years ago. You proved your passion and love for me. Now I want to marry you. Do-do you still w-want to marry me?" she asked. She hated how she stuttered and made her discomfort apparent to him.

His eyes narrowed, and he took a step back, trying to understand what links he had missed.

"There's more to it, I'm sure. I don't think you woke up one fine day, five years later, and rushed her to marry me. What is it, Shikha?" he asked, crossing his arms against his chest.

"You owe me this. You made me live in terror for weeks whilst I was here and for years while I wasn't. You owe me this," she said.

Vikram let out an exasperated and defeated sigh. The lacerations on his conscience had not yet healed, and she had sprinkled some salt upon those wounds. How insolent and delusional of his heart to assume the reason for the return of its dear was love!

"I'm not denying you. I'm asking for a reason, and I think you owe me that, Shikha. So, why are you doing this?" he asked.

Shikha shut her eyes for a moment to collect herself and answer his question. "Do you really not know? I thought you'd have kept tabs on me, despite my wishes otherwise."

"You asked me to prove my love by refraining from keeping tabs on you, so I did what you asked. Did you expect me to keep tabs on you?" he asked.

Shikha let out a wry chuckle and sniffled ever so slightly as she prepared to answer his question and remove the haze. "It's just unfathomable for me to think actually let go completely. Anyway, my husband, of two years, passed away. My step-mother-in-law and her sons killed him. And now, they want to kill me."

Vikram stared at her with his jaw dropped. He stumbled back a few steps before he caught his ground and straightened himself.

Husband? Two years? Killed?

His Shikha. His dear Shikha, a widow?

"K-Kill you? W-Why?" he asked, his lips quivering and eyes flickering in disbelief.

A whimper left her lips before she bit down on her lower lip. "Because I'm pregnant."

"What?!"

"They want to kill me and my child, so that they can keep the entire inheritance for themselves. You may think I am selfish, but I am a mother, and what is a mother, if not selfish for her child. So, I need you to marry me. I know you still possess the same power and influence as you did five years ago. Please!"

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