Saisha's POV

The journey to his house was long and unfamiliar. I had never traveled outside my village before. The roads stretched endlessly, the world beyond my small existence unfolding before my eyes. But I couldn't admire it. My hands clutched the edge of my saree, my heart pounding with uncertainty.

Pranay ji sat beside me in silence. He hadn't spoken much since the wedding. He didn't seem cruel, but neither did he seem warm. I had no idea what kind of man he truly was.

When the car finally stopped, I looked up at the house before me. It was nothing like the mud-walled homes of my village. It was bigger, modern, and... distant. The air here felt different, less suffocating, yet heavy in its own way.

He opened the car door for me, stepping aside as I hesitated.

"This is our home," he said simply.

Home?

I stepped inside, and the unfamiliarity hit me like a wave. The walls were painted in soft shades, the lights warm but not blinding. A few framed photographs adorned the hallway—none of them were of him. There was no sign of a family, no elders waiting to welcome a newlywed bride.

I realized then—this house didn't belong to a family.

It belonged to him.

And now, it belonged to me too.

Pranay's POV

I watched her step into my house - our house- with hesitant steps, her eyes scanning everything like an outsider. She was an outsider here.

I had lived alone for years. No rules, no expectations, no responsibilities beyond my work. Now, suddenly, there was someone else in this space. Someone who had never seen life beyond the four walls of her home, someone who had no idea what to expect from me.

She didn't speak as I led her to her room. Yes, her room. I wasn't going to force her into sharing mine—not when she had no choice in this marriage.

"This is your room," I told her, pushing the door open.

Her eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn't expected that. Maybe she thought I'd make her sleep beside me, like some forced tradition.

"I'll be in the other room if you need anything," I added.

She nodded, stepping inside, her fingers brushing against the edge of the bed as if testing if it was real.

I turned to leave, but her voice stopped me.

"You... won't stay?" she asked softly.

I looked back at her. There was no fear in her voice—just curiosity.

I leaned against the doorframe, choosing my words carefully.

"I won't force you into anything, Saisha," I said. "You have had enough cages around you. I don't want to be another one."

She blinked, as if processing my words, then slowly sat on the bed, her hands resting in her lap.

"Get some rest," I said. "We have all the time in the world to figure this out."

I walked out, leaving her alone in the room.

Tonight wasn't about being a husband.

Tonight was about giving her space to breathe, maybe for the first time in her life.

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