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In an instant, he’s off the bed, pulling me to the far corner of the room, away from Veer’s crib.

“Where wasmyconsent when you decided to hide Veer from me?”

“Marriage is not a joke, Vishnu!”

“You turned your entire pregnancy and motherhood into a joke by hiding it from the man who had every right to know about his son,” he shoots back, his eyes blazing with fury in the dim light. “Now, when I decide to correct the wrong that you have done, you’re questioning me?”

I want to scream, to rage, to tell him that he has no right to interfere in my life. But standing here, with Veer sleeping peacefully just a few feet away, I’m struck by the impossible situation we’re in. Two broken people, trying to do right by our son, yet hurting each other with every word, every look.

This is what my choices have led me to—this beautiful, terrible mess, where the man I once liked and was insanely attracted to, now looks at me like a stranger, where decisions about my life are being made without my input, where the only thing keeping us together is the precious little boy sleeping in his crib, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing between his parents.

“I can’t marry you, Vishnu. Not like this...”

The words barely leave my lips before his hands grip my arms, pulling me closer. The sudden movement makes my breath catch. I stare into his eyes that burn with an intensity that frightens me to the core.

“Is there someone else?” His question cuts through the air between us, sharp, accusing, and dangerous. “Another man in your life?”

“No!” I protest immediately, the very suggestion feeling absurd.

“Then why can’t you marry me?” His grip doesn’t loosen, but something in his voice shifts, revealing a desperation I wasn’t expecting. “We have a son, Simran, and we’ve agreed to raise him together. I don’t know what that means in your world, but in the world I come from, I only see one way to do this—getting legally married. I want my son to carry my name...” His voice catches slightly. “And you very well know how much that means to me.”

The weight of his words crashes over me like a wave. Suddenly, I see it all so clearly—the little boy who grew up without his father’s name, standing too close yet forever apart from the man who gave him life. Vishnu Pratap Walia, the illegitimate son of a powerful politician, forever relegated to the shadows of his father’s political career. The pain of that rejection still burns in him, raw and unhealed, even though his father has now openly acknowledged and accepted him as his son before the world.

I can feel his past wounds in every word he speaks, every ounce of pain he’s buried deep inside resurfacing to the fore. He wants Veer to have what he was denied—the dignity of his father’s name, and the security of legitimacy. Vishnu never had that growing up, not openly at least, and he will do anything to make sure Veer doesn’t face the same fate.

“Vishnu, I understand, but—” I try, but he doesn’t let me finish.

“Do you?” His tone sharpens, his grip on my arm tightening. “Do you understand the kind of backlash Veer would face if he didn’t carry my name? If anyone blamesVeerfor our mistakes—I won’t tolerate it, Simran,” he continues, his voice growing harder with each word. “That’s why I’m fixing it now, before people can target my son and say that history has repeated itself. I don’t want that tag of illegitimacy to be attached to him, ever... and for that, if I have to fight a war with you, I will. This marriage is inevitable, and I’m not letting you back off.”

Fury and frustration surge through me. Part of me understands his desperate need to protect our son from the pain he’s endured, but another part rebels against this forced hand. We spent one night together eighteen months ago, giving in to an attraction we never dared to name. We never spoke about our feelings, never acknowledged the possibility of something more. And now, here he is, not only proposing marriage, but demanding it, giving me a two-week deadline as if my life, my choices, my feelings don’t matter at all.

I wrench myself free from his grip and take a step back to clear my head.

“You can’t just dictate my life and make decisions for both of us without even asking if I want this.”

“You’re right,” he says, but his expression remains unyielding. “I’m not asking. I’m telling you—this is what is going to happen—for our son’s sake.”

The thought fills me with dread. I can’t just agree to marry him out of nowhere. Vishnu might be doing this for Veer, but the fact remains that he’s imposing this on me, against my will. Anger rises within me.

“So that’s it? I have no choice in the matter? I’m just supposed to fall in line, become Mrs. Simran Vishnu Walia in two weeks, and accept it?”

“Yes,” he says bluntly. “Because if it means securing Veer’s future and silencing anyone who would dare question my son’s place in this world, then yes. I’d do anything—even fight you if I have to.”

His words knock the breath out of me, and I take another step back, the rage bubbling to the surface amidst the tension in the air.

“Fight me? You think that’s fair? This isn’t just about Veer, Vishnu. This is about you trying to fix a part of your past through him.”

His jaw tightens, and for a moment, I see the flicker of something raw, almost vulnerable, flash across his face.

“Maybe I am,” he admits, his voice softer, but only for an instant. “But that doesn’t change what has to be done. I’m doing what you couldn’t, Simran—what you refused to do. For Veer.”

“You don’t understand! I didn’t want you to step into Veer’s life out of obligation or because you felt guilty. I didn’t want you coming here to ‘fix’ what you think I broke. I wanted... I wanted you to choose us on your own, because you wanted us, not because you felt you had to.”

“And I am choosing,” he snaps. “I’m choosing to give Veer what he deserves. And whether you like it or not, I’m not backing down on this.”

My hands shake as I try to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

“I’m not going to fall into this marriage trap,” I tell him, my voice trembling with emotion. “And I’m not going to share my bed with you only because of Veer. If you want to stay close to Veer and sleep near him, fair enough. You can sleep here and be with him. But I’m out of this room.”