You Belong Here Now
1863 Words
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(Some dialogues may have small mix-ups. I’ll fix them later.)
Phase – I
★★★
AARA
Delhi Late Night
The smoke hadn’t even cleared from the explosion when everything changed.
One second, I was standing in a wedding hall that no longer felt like a wedding. The next, I was being moved fast, controlled, surrounded by armed men like I had suddenly become the most important person in the room.
Or the most dangerous.
“Move.”
Arjun’s voice was low, sharp, leaving no space for argument. His hand was still wrapped around my wrist, firm enough to guide, strong enough to control. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like any of this.
“I can walk on my own,” I snapped, trying to pull away.
“You can try,” he replied without even looking at me, “but if something hits you, don’t expect me to explain your death to anyone.”
I went quiet.
Not because I agreed.
But because something in his tone told me he wasn’t exaggerating.
Gunshots echoed again outside. Closer this time. The guards moved faster, forming a shield around us as we were pushed through the back exit of the hall. Cold night air hit my face, sharp and sudden.
Black SUVs were already waiting.
Engines running.
Doors open.
Prepared.
Like this had been expected.
Like this wasn’t chaos to them… but routine.
Arjun opened the back door and pushed me inside. I barely had time to react before he followed, pulling the door shut behind him.
“Drive.”
The command was immediate.
The car sped off without hesitation.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
The city lights blurred past the window, fast and distant. My heart was still racing, but now it wasn’t just fear.
It was confusion.
Anger.
And something else I couldn’t name.
I turned to him.
“Start talking.”
Arjun didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back slightly, one hand resting on his knee, the other still holding his phone like he was waiting for something.
“I don’t like repeating myself,” I added.
“That’s unfortunate,” he said calmly, “because I don’t like explaining things.”
My jaw tightened.
“Then this is going to be a very short marriage.”
That got his attention.
His eyes shifted to me slowly, studying my face in a way that made my chest tighten for no reason.
“This isn’t a marriage you get to walk out of,” he said.
“Watch me.”
His lips almost curved.
Almost.
“You think this is a choice?”
I held his gaze.
“I know it is.”
A pause.
Then he leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping just enough to change the atmosphere inside the car.
“No,” he said quietly, “it stopped being a choice the moment you slapped me in front of my men.”
My breath caught.
“That’s your problem, not mine.”
“It became yours the moment I decided it did.”
Something about that answer sent a strange chill through me.
Not fear exactly.
Something heavier.
More complicated.
I forced myself to look away first.
“Let’s get one thing clear,” I said, folding my arms. “I didn’t kill your brother.”
“I’m aware.”
The answer came too fast.
I turned back to him.
“What?”
“I said I’m aware.”
That stopped me completely.
“Then why the hell did you force me into marriage?”
“Because I thought you did.”
“That makes no sense!”
“It makes perfect sense.”
My patience snapped.
“You dragged me into a marriage based on something you weren’t even sure about?”
His gaze didn’t waver.
“I was sure.”
“And now?”
A small pause.
“Now I’m… reconsidering.”
I let out a dry laugh.
“Wow. How generous of you.”
The car slowed slightly before turning into a long driveway. I glanced outside and froze for a second.
The mansion in front of us didn’t look real.
It looked like something out of a movie.
Massive. Cold. Controlled.
And heavily guarded.
The gates opened automatically.
We drove in.
“You live here?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“Yes.”
“That’s… subtle.”
“I don’t like subtle.”
That much was obvious.
The car stopped near the entrance. Before I could reach for the door, Arjun was already out, walking around to my side. He opened it and extended his hand.
I looked at it.
Then at him.
“I’m not a guest,” I said.
“No,” he replied calmly. “You’re not.”
I stepped out on my own.
His hand stayed there for a second longer before he dropped it.
The doors of the mansion opened as we walked in. Staff lined up on both sides, silent, watching. Their eyes shifted between us quickly.
Curious.
Confused.
Some of them looked… worried.
“Welcome home, sir,” one of them said.
Arjun didn’t respond.
His focus remained forward.
“Prepare the east wing,” he added. “She stays there.”
“She?” one of the women repeated quietly.
Arjun stopped walking.
The entire room went still.
He turned slightly, just enough for his voice to carry clearly.
“My wife.”
The word hit differently this time.
He didn’t look at me when he said it.
But everyone else did.
And suddenly, the air felt heavier.
Judging eyes.
Questioning expressions.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Great.
Now I was part of whatever this was.
We moved again. The hallway stretched endlessly, marble floors, high ceilings, paintings that probably cost more than houses.
But I wasn’t paying attention to any of that.
I was thinking about what Raghav said.
About the accident.
About the brakes.
About the fact that someone… wanted me dead.
“Stop overthinking.”
Arjun’s voice pulled me back.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
I frowned.
“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”
“I don’t need to.”
That irritated me more than it should have.
We stopped in front of a large door. He pushed it open and stepped aside, letting me enter first.
The room was… too much.
Spacious. Elegant. Cold.
Like the rest of the house.
“Your room,” he said.
I turned slowly.
“Temporary.”
His expression didn’t change.
“No.”
I crossed my arms.
“I’m not staying here.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“There’s that word again.”
Silence stretched between us.
Then I said something I probably shouldn’t have.
“Or what? You’ll lock me in?”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Do you want me to?”
That shut me up for half a second.
Only half.
“You’re insane.”
“Maybe.”
I exhaled sharply and walked further into the room.
“I want answers.”
“You’ll get them.”
“When?”
“When I have them.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“It has to be.”
I turned back to him.
“You think you can just drag me into this mess and expect me to cooperate?”
“I don’t expect cooperation.”
“Then what do you expect?”
A pause.
Then he said quietly
“Survival.”
The word lingered.
Heavy.
Real.
Before I could respond, his phone rang again. He picked it up, his expression shifting instantly.
“What.”
A pause.
Then his eyes darkened.
“Are you sure?”
Another pause.
“Lock everything down.”
My stomach tightened.
“What now?” I asked.
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at me.
Carefully.
Like he was deciding something.
Then he said
“Raghav wasn’t bluffing.”
My chest tightened.
“What do you mean?”
“He knew where you would be tonight.”
“That’s obvious, I was at the weddingg
“No,” he cut in. “Before that.”
Silence.
My mind started connecting things.
“You mean…”
“There’s someone feeding him information.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“Inside your house?” I asked.
“Inside my circle.”
That was worse.
Much worse.
Before I could say anything else, a knock echoed on the door.
Sharp.
Urgent.
Arjun’s expression hardened instantly.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
One of the guards stepped in, slightly out of breath.
“Sir… we have a situation.”
“What now?”
The guard hesitated.
Then said
“We found a device.”
Arjun’s eyes narrowed.
“What kind of device?”
“A camera.”
My heart skipped.
“Where?” I asked.
The guard looked at me.
Then back at Arjun.
“In this room.”
Silence.
Thick.
Heavy.
My pulse started racing again.
Arjun didn’t move for a second.
Then slowly…
He turned his head.
And looked at me.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Something worse.
Realization.
“Looks like,” he said quietly, “someone expected you to be here.”
My breath caught.
That didn’t make sense.
I had just arrived.
No one knew I would be here.
Unless
The thought hit me hard.
Unless someone planned this.
From the beginning.
From the wedding.
From the moment he chose me.
“Arjun…” I said slowly.
But he was already moving.
Fast.
Dangerous.
“Where is it?” he asked the guard.
“Behind the mirror.”
He walked past me without another word and went straight to the wall. One sharp movement and the mirror shifted slightly.
And there it was.
A small black device.
Blinking.
Recording.
Watching.
My stomach dropped.
We weren’t alone.
We had never been alone.
Arjun reached out and crushed the device in his hand.
The small crack echoed louder than it should have.
Then his phone buzzed again.
A message.
He checked it.
And for the first time since I met him…
I saw something close to anger break through his control.
“What?” I demanded.
He didn’t answer.
Instead…
He turned the phone toward me.
A video was playing.
Live.
Grainy.
Dark.
But clear enough.
My breath stopped.
It was me.
From a few minutes ago.
Standing in this room.
Walking.
Talking.
Every movement.
Every word.
Being watched.
Then the camera angle shifted.
And a message appeared across the screen.
Four words.
Simple.
Cold.
Terrifying.
“Now she’s mine.”
My blood ran cold.
“Arjun…” I whispered.
But he wasn’t looking at the screen anymore.
He was looking at the door.
At the shadows just outside it.
And his voice dropped into something dangerous.
“Stay behind me.”
My heart started pounding again.
“Why?”
But before he could answer
The lights in the room went out.
Complete darkness swallowed everything.
And somewhere… very close to me…
A voice whispered softly
“Found you.”
- Writer
