Sahas waited for a few more seconds.
No response.
His patience finally snapped.
"Arna!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway. "Open this door right now."
Silence.
He clenched his jaw and placed the dinner tray on a nearby table.
"This is your last warning. Either you open the door yourself... or I'll have the lock broken."
Inside the room, Arna rolled her eyes in frustration.
"Seriously?" she muttered under her breath.
After a few moments, she angrily unlocked the door and pulled it open.
"What is your problem?" she snapped.
Sahas picked up the tray and walked inside without waiting for permission.
"My problem is that you haven't eaten anything since morning."
"I said I don't want to eat."
"You don't get to starve yourself."
"Oh, really?" Arna let out a sarcastic laugh. "Since when did you start caring about what I do?"
Sahas placed the tray on the table.
"I've had enough of your stubbornness. Sit down and eat."
"I said NO!"
Her voice echoed through the room.
"You don't get to order me around. You're no one to me."
Sahas looked straight into her eyes.
"I'm your husband."
"My husband?" Arna laughed bitterly. "Don't make me laugh. A marriage forced on someone doesn't make you my husband."
A heavy silence settled between them.
"You know what?" she said, her voice trembling with anger and pain. "The moment I entered this mansion, my life turned into a nightmare. I don't want to stay here... I don't want to live with you... and I don't even like looking at your face."
Those words struck Sahas like a knife.
For a brief moment, he remained silent, his expression turning cold.
"If that's what you think," he said in a low voice, "it doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything!"
"No."
He took a step closer.
"You can hate me today... tomorrow... even for years if you want."
Arna glared at him without fear.
"But remember one thing," Sahas said firmly. "A day will come when you'll love me. I'll never let you go. No matter what happens, I'll never let you leave me."
Arna let out a bitter laugh.
"That day will never come."
She looked him straight in the eyes.
"My heart belongs to Karan."
She placed a hand over her chest.
"I love him. I always have... and I always will. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to change that. I'll only love Karan."
The moment Karan's name left her lips, Sahas's self-control shattered.
His fists clenched tightly.
"I said enough!" he roared.
But Arna refused to back down.
"No! You need to hear this. You're forcing someone to stay with you who hates you. You'll never get my love. Never!"
"STOP SAYING HIS NAME!" Sahas yelled, his voice shaking the entire room.
"You can scream all you want!" Arna shouted back, tears now streaming down her face. "The truth will never change. I love Karan! I loved him yesterday, I love him today, and I'll keep loving him forever!"
"ARNA!" Sahas roared.
"I HATE YOU!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
For a second...
Everything went silent.
Arna suddenly blinked.
The room started spinning around her.
Her breathing became uneven, and the color drained from her face.
Sahas noticed the sudden change immediately.
"Arna...?"
She tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
Her legs gave way.
Before she could hit the floor, Sahas rushed forward and caught her in his arms.
"Arna!"
He gently shook her.
"Arna... open your eyes."
No response.
The anger on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by fear.
"Arna... damn it... look at me."
She remained unconscious in his arms.
For the first time since she entered his life...
Sahas felt truly terrified of losing her.
"Arna! Open your eyes!"
He gently patted her cheeks, but she remained unconscious.
"Arna!"
His voice echoed through the mansion.
"Someone come here! Dadi Maa! Maids!"
Within seconds, hurried footsteps filled the hallway.
The maids and Dadi Maa rushed into the room, only to find Sahas kneeling on the floor, holding Arna tightly in his arms.
"What happened?" Dadi Maa asked, worry evident on her face.
"I don't know... she just collapsed," Sahas replied, his voice trembling.
Without wasting another second, he carefully lifted Arna into his arms and placed her gently on the bed.
Dadi Maa checked Arna's forehead before letting out a worried sigh.
"Sahas... she hasn't eaten anything since yesterday. She's weak. That's probably why she fainted."
But Sahas barely heard her.
He had already taken out his phone.
"I'm calling the doctor."
"Sahas, listen to me—"
"No."
His voice was firm.
"I don't want to take any chances."
A few minutes later, the family doctor arrived.
He carefully examined Arna, checked her pulse and blood pressure, then looked at Sahas.
"Don't worry," the doctor said calmly. "She has fainted due to weakness and exhaustion. She hasn't been eating properly, and her body simply couldn't handle it."
Sahas remained silent, his eyes never leaving Arna.
"Will she be alright?" he asked.
"Yes. She should regain consciousness in a little while."
The doctor wrote a prescription before continuing,
"Make sure she eats properly, drinks enough water, and gets plenty of rest. Once she wakes up, give her something light to eat first. If she develops a fever or faints again, call me immediately."
Sahas nodded.
"I will."
After the doctor left, the room remained heavy with silence.
Dadi Maa stepped closer.
"I'll stay with her."
Sahas slowly shook his head.
"No, Dadi Maa."
She looked at him.
"I'll stay."
"But—"
"If I need anything, I'll call you."
For a moment, Dadi Maa simply looked at him before giving a small nod.
"Alright."
She signaled the maids to leave.
Within moments, the room fell completely silent.
Only Sahas and the unconscious Arna remained.
He pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down.
For a long time...
He simply stared at her pale face.
The anger from earlier had completely disappeared.
Carefully, he reached for her hand and held it gently in his own.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered so softly that no one else could have heard.
"You can hate me as much as you want... just don't scare me like this again."
Hours passed.
The mansion had fallen asleep.
But Sahas never left her side.
His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, yet he refused to close them.
Then suddenly...
Arna's fingers tightened around his hand.
Sahas looked up immediately.
"Arna...?"
She didn't wake up.
Still unconscious, she frowned slightly.
"Karan..." she whispered weakly.
Sahas's expression froze.
"Please..."
A tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
"Don't leave me, Karan..."
For a brief moment, pain flashed across Sahas's face.
Even in her unconscious state...
She was calling someone else.
He lowered his gaze, hiding the hurt in his eyes.
Then, despite the ache in his heart, he gently tightened his hold on her hand.
"I'm here," he whispered softly.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Still holding her hand, he rested his head beside the bed.
Exhaustion finally overcame him.
Within minutes, sleep claimed him too.
---
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains.
Arna slowly opened her eyes.
Her head felt unbearably heavy.
She frowned and tried to sit up, but the sudden movement made her dizzy.
Just then, Sahas stirred awake.
The moment he realized she was conscious, he immediately straightened up.
"Arna... you're awake."
He quickly stood beside the bed.
"How are you feeling? Are you alright?"
Arna held her head, trying to ease the throbbing pain.
"What... what happened to me?" she asked weakly.
Sahas let out a quiet sigh of relief before answering.
"You fainted last night."
Arna looked at him in confusion.
"You hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. We got into an argument... and suddenly you collapsed."
He paused for a moment.
"I called the doctor. He said it happened because of weakness. He also said you need to eat properly and take care of yourself."
Arna lowered her gaze.
Sahas continued, this time in a much softer voice.
"I'm not asking you to do it for me... but at least take care of yourself. Don't punish your own body because you're angry with me."
He looked at her sincerely.
"Please... don't skip your meals again."
For a few seconds, Arna remained silent.
Finally, she gave a small nod.
"...Okay."
A faint smile appeared on Sahas's face.
"Thank you."
...
After freshening up, both of them walked downstairs for breakfast.
Dadi Maa was already sitting at the dining table.
A warm smile spread across her face when she saw Arna.
"Good morning, beta."
"Good morning, Dadi Maa," Arna replied politely.
Sahas pulled out a chair and sat down directly across from Arna.
The moment she noticed him sitting in front of her, her expression changed.
She looked at him coldly.
"At least let me eat in peace."
Sahas frowned.
"I don't want to look at your face while I'm eating. Sit somewhere else... otherwise I won't eat."
Dadi Maa immediately frowned.
"Arna, that's eno—"
"It's okay, Dadi Maa," Sahas interrupted calmly.
He forced a small smile.
"I'm not that hungry anyway. I'll eat later."
Without another word, he quietly got up from the table and walked back upstairs.
Dadi Maa watched him leave with a heavy heart.
Arna remained silent.
A few moments later, she quietly began eating her breakfast.
After some time, Dadi Maa looked at her gently.
"Arna... may I talk to you about something?"
Arna looked up.
"Of course, Dadi Maa."
Dadi Maa sighed softly.
"Do you know why Sahas left so easily?"
Arna shook her head.
"He hasn't eaten since yesterday either."
Arna froze.
Dadi Maa continued,
"He didn't have breakfast... he skipped lunch... and he didn't even touch dinner."
Arna looked shocked.
"He refused to eat because you hadn't eaten anything. He stayed by your side the entire night."
She smiled sadly.
"You didn't have to speak to him like that today."
Arna lowered her eyes.
A strange feeling settled in her heart.
For the first time...
She felt guilty.
She quietly finished her breakfast before getting up.
Without saying a word, she picked up another breakfast tray herself.
Dadi Maa watched silently as Arna carried it upstairs.
...
Arna stopped outside Sahas's room.
She knocked gently.
There was no answer.
She slowly opened the door.
Sahas was sitting near the window, lost in thought.
He looked up in surprise when he saw her standing there.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Then Arna slowly walked inside and placed the breakfast tray on the table.
Sahas looked at the tray before looking back at her.
"What is this?"
"You haven't eaten anything either."
She avoided looking into his eyes.
"So... eat."
Sahas remained silent.
After a brief pause, Arna spoke again, this time much more softly.
"...I'm sorry."
Sahas looked at her in surprise.
"I'm sorry for the way I behaved at the dining table."
She took a slow breath.
"I shouldn't have said those things."
For a moment, Sahas simply stared at her.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'll forgive you..."
He looked at the breakfast tray.
"...if you promise me you'll never skip your meals again."
Arna nodded slightly.
"I promise."
Only then did Sahas pull the tray toward himself, and for the first time since the previous day, he finally began to eat.
***********************************
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