Tainted wife 2

4

Aryan stood silently near the corner of the dining area, his hands clasped behind his back, trying to keep his face expressionless. But inside, his thoughts were running wild. He didn’t understand what exactly Neha was planning for him. He should have been worried about his life, about being sent into the Singh mansion known among their clan as nothing less than the house of hell.

But instead of thinking about danger or strategy… his mind kept circling back to Panchi.

Panchi, with her soft eyes and stubborn heart.

Panchi, who reacted with emotions first and logic later.

Panchi, who didn’t know the meaning of losing quietly.

Aryan knew exactly how she would take this decision.

He knew how she would react.

And that scared him more than the hell he was being sent into.

Because one rebellious moment from her, one outburst in front of Kabir, and everything would get worse. Their age difference was already a problem. Kabir’s growing rage toward him was another. The last thing he wanted was for Panchi to do something that would make Kabir’s distrust explode.

He was lost deep in thought when Neha’s voice suddenly broke through the noise in his mind.

“Aryan.”

Her tone was enough to pull him back instantly. He lifted his eyes to her, standing straight with the respect he always carried for her. She didn’t speak for a few seconds, simply watching him with an unreadable expression. The silence stretched, and Aryan waited patiently, not daring to interrupt.

Finally, she asked in a calm voice, “Concerned?”

It wasn’t a complete question, but Aryan understood what she meant. Neha never wasted words. She didn’t need to. He knew her language, her tone, her pauses. He had served her long enough to know that when Neha asked about concern, she wasn’t talking about fear—she was asking about the weight pressing on him.

And Aryan trusted Neha, not blindly, but with a loyalty earned over years. He knew she never made decisions out of emotion. If she planned something, she had already seen all the pros and cons, already prepared for every possible outcome. She didn’t gamble with her people; she protected them.

So without hesitation, he answered, “I trust you with my life, Ma’am.”

Neha looked at him for a long moment, her eyes softening just slightly. “I’m not talking about your life, Aryan.”

He blinked, confused. “Then… what do you mean?”

Neha was sitting like a queen, her voice low but steady. “I know you trust me. I know that’s why you didn’t argue when I told you you’re going to the Singh mansion.”

Aryan frowned slightly. He had expected this conversation to be about danger, risks, or strategy—something related to the mission. But Neha wasn’t speaking like a chief right now; she was speaking like a woman who had seen too much pain and wasn’t willing to let one more disaster happen under her command.

She continued, “If I asked whether you were concerned, Aryan… it isn’t about your life. You fear something else.”

Her gaze met his firmly.

“You’re concerned about Panchi.”

The truth hit him so hard he couldn’t hide it. His jaw tightened, his eyes lowered for a second, confirming everything she said without a single word.

Neha sighed softly. “That’s what I meant.”

And Aryan finally understood what she was really asking—not about danger, not about fear, but about the fight he was leaving behind in the heart of a girl who wasn’t strong enough yet to lose him.

Neha shut her eyes for a moment, drawing in a slow breath as if gathering every bit of strength she had left. When she opened them, her gaze locked onto Aryan’s. There was no hesitation there, no fear. Only clarity. Only determination.

“Aryan,” she began, her voice firm yet gentle, “if everything in life had gone the way it should… I would never let anyone separate you and Panchi. I would never become the villain in your love story.”

Her words were soft, but they hit Aryan like a storm. His brows pulled together, confusion mixing with the pain forming in his chest. Neha continued before he could speak.

“I’m saying this to you because Panchi is too young to understand these things. She listens only to her heart, and her heart follows you. But you…” she paused for a second, looking at him with the eyes of a leader, a sister, a protector, “you will understand me. Or at least, you will try.”

Aryan remained silent. Too silent. His jaw tightened, and his shoulders stiffened. He felt like someone was taking the ground away from beneath his feet.

Across the room, Kabir was burning. Everyone could feel it. His fists were clenched, his jaw was set, and his eyes were fixed on his wife with a rage that scared even the bravest. Neha felt his anger like fire against her skin, but she didn’t look at him. Not even once.

Her focus stayed on Aryan.

“I know,” Neha said quietly, “that your heart will never agree with my words. Even your mind won’t. But Aryan… your and Panchi’s love story cannot grow any further. Not now. Not in this world. Not in this situation.”

Aryan’s throat felt dry. He finally inhaled shakily, but still no words came out. That’s when Neha stepped closer and continued, her eyes softening.

“Until you love Panchi silently, purely, without crossing any lines… it is fine. But if your love becomes your obsession… if it becomes madness… if you start taking what is happening around us as some challenge to your ego… then nothing will go right. Not for you. Not for her.”

Aryan’s breath trembled, and he lowered his eyes, guilt hitting him harder when she added,

“And yes… you betrayed me by falling in love with Panchi. You broke the rule. You crossed a line. But I still understand. Because love was never in your control. It never is.”

Her words hung in the air—heavy, painful, and final.

And Aryan finally felt the weight of what she was preparing him for.