"My soul will find peace when you are with me"

New York, USA...

Elvira clutched the handle of her suitcase tightly, her knuckles turning white as she processed the weight of her decision. The Wadhwa mansion, grand and imposing, loomed over her like a silent witness to the storm brewing inside her. From today onwards, nothing would be the same.

Stepping inside, she was greeted not with warmth but with the sight of her husband, Yuvan, playing absentmindedly with his food like a child. A bitter chuckle threatened to escape her lips—she had signed up for marriage, but instead, she had inherited a man who seemed far from mature.

She barely had time to gather herself when Yash and a few other family members acknowledged her presence with polite smiles, offering formal welcomes. However, her eyes caught Shreya and a few others shooting her dagger-like glares, as if she had stolen something precious from them.

And then, there was Yuvan. Engrossed in his plate, he only looked up when he sensed a new presence. But before he could even react, Shreya leaned down and whispered into his ear, her voice dripping with poison.

"Yuvan, that girl is very, very bad. She will take your Ishaani away from you."

Elvira felt a strange chill crawl down her spine. And why did it feel like she had just stepped into a battlefield instead of a home? But she masked it with her confidence and will not let any predator to make her sick.

"Come child!!! Have breakfast with us", Yash obliged to change the situation.

Elvira stood motionless, her breath hitching as cold water dripped down her face, soaking into her clothes. The loud gasp from the table echoed in her ears, but all she could focus on was the man—no, the child in a grown man's body—who had just humiliated her without a second thought.

"You are a bad girl. Go! Leave, leave! I hate you… you… bad girl!"

Yuvan’s voice rang with the innocence of a child, but his words cut deeper than she expected. His tantrum continued, his face scrunched up in frustration, his hands clenched into fists as if she had wronged him in the worst way possible.

Elvira’s fingers twitched, her mind struggling to catch up. Was this really the man she had married? A man who, despite his physical age, functioned like a child?

She could feel the weight of Shreya’s satisfied gaze on her, as if she had orchestrated this moment to make sure Elvira knew exactly where she stood in this house—an outsider, an intruder.

Wiping her face with trembling fingers, she swallowed the lump in her throat. She had already signed the deal. She had no choice but to bear the consequences.

But as she looked into Yuvan’s angry, childlike eyes, she wondered—how was she supposed to survive in a marriage like this?

Elvira’s breath caught in her throat as Yuvan violently scattered everything on his plate, his frustration bursting out like an uncontrolled storm. But before things could escalate further, Yash’s firm voice cut through the tension.

"Go to your room now, Yuvan."

The authority in his tone made Yuvan flinch, his outburst dying down almost instantly. But the defiance in his eyes remained.

"Grandpa… she is a bad girl! My Ishaani…" His voice wavered, but the hatred burning in his gaze when he looked at Elvira was unmistakable.

Elvira stood frozen, drenched, humiliated, and utterly lost. How was she supposed to respond to this? She had barely taken her first step into this house, and Yuvan had already labeled her the villain.

Her gaze flickered to Yash, then to the other family members, searching for some kind of support, an explanation—anything. But all she saw were mixed expressions. Some held sympathy, some amusement, and others, like Shreya, pure satisfaction.

Was this how her new life was destined to be? A battle she never signed up for?

Elvira watched as Yuvan stormed off, clutching his doll tightly as if it were his lifeline. His childish tantrum still echoed in her ears— "I hate you, bad girl!" His words shouldn’t have affected her, but somehow, they did.

Her gaze lingered on the doll in his hands. There was something unsettling about the way he held it, as if it were more than just a toy. What was the connection between them?

Before she could dwell on it further, Yash’s voice pulled her back.

"I apologize for his behavior," he said, his tone carrying both authority and a hint of regret. Then, turning to one of the servants, he called, "Geeta, take Elvira upstairs so she can freshen up."

Elvira nodded silently, her mind spinning. First day, first moment in this house, and she had already been branded as a villain.

As she followed Geeta up the grand staircase, she knew one thing—this wasn’t going to be just a marriage. It was a mystery she had to unravel. And it all started with Yuvan… and his doll.

****************

Geeta hesitated for a moment, her wrinkled hands gently smoothing out the folds on Elvira’s bedsheet as if stalling for time.

"Ma’am, it’s not my place to say… but Yuvan Baba is a cheerful soul. He is just like a child to me. Maybe he has transformed into a child, but he is good."

Elvira let out a bitter laugh, her patience fraying.

"Good? Seriously, Aunty? Have you seen how that kid insulted me in front of everyone?!" Her voice rose in frustration.

She was drenched, humiliated, and thrown into a household where even the servants seemed to defend the man-child she had unwillingly married.

Geeta sighed, looking at her with understanding eyes. "I know it must be hard for you, beta… but things are not as simple as they seem. Yuvan baba has suffered a lot."

Elvira folded her arms, skeptical. "Suffered? Everyone keeps talking about him like he's some delicate flower, but what about me? I'm the one who has to deal with this mess now."

She exhaled sharply, then shook her head. "Fine. If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself. But answer this—what’s with that doll? Why does he cling to it like his life depends on it?"

Geeta’s expression flickered—hesitation, sadness, and something else Elvira couldn’t quite place. But instead of answering, the older woman simply bowed her head and whispered, "Some stories are not meant to be told, ma’am. They reveal themselves when the time is right."

Elvira clenched her jaw. If no one was going to give her answers, she would find them herself and only time will tell. Now she just decided to focus upon herself.

************

In the past month, Elvira had buried herself in work, using it as both an escape and a shield. From morning to night, she remained occupied, barely interacting with the unknown faces in the Wadhwa family. The only person she acknowledged was Yash, and even that was limited to cold, distant greetings before she rushed off.

She had neither the time nor the patience to deal with the household drama.

Her stepmother-in-law was nothing more than a socialite, always hosting lavish parties or attending them, never once showing any genuine concern for the family beyond appearances. Her daughter was a shopaholic, treating the mansion like a storage unit for her endless shopping bags. Meanwhile, her son was a walking storm, constantly picking fights over the most trivial things.

Elvira had no interest in them. She had entered this house as part of a deal, and she would survive it the only way she knew how—by focusing on her work and avoiding unnecessary emotional entanglements.

But no matter how much she distanced herself, there was one presence she couldn’t ignore.

Yuvan.

His childish tantrums still echoed in the house, his obsession with his doll still unexplained. And though she refused to admit it, a part of her was still curious.

What had happened to him? What was the secret this house refused to share?

**************

Leofort Cafe, New York...

Eshaan’s jaw clenched as he looked at his sister, frustration and helplessness swirling inside him. The woman sitting across from him was not the same Elvira he had grown up with. She was quieter, guarded, and exhausted in ways he couldn’t even begin to understand.

"Di, please… leave that mentally unstable kid," he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion.

Elvira’s grip on her coffee cup tightened. She knew her brother’s concern came from a place of love, but he didn’t understand—he couldn’t.

"Eshaan!! You know I can’t," she snapped, her voice carrying both resignation and finality.

Eshaan exhaled sharply, running a frustrated hand through his hair. His gaze flickered to the nuptial chain around her neck, the vermillion on her forehead—symbols of a marriage that should have meant love, respect, and partnership. Instead, they were nothing more than shackles binding her to a life she never wanted.

"Why, Di? Why are you punishing yourself?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elvira let out a bitter chuckle, looking away. "Punishment? No, Eshaan… this is just survival."

She took a slow sip of her coffee, as if that could wash away the heaviness in her chest.

"I made a deal, and I have to see it through."

Eshaan shook his head, his rage barely contained. "To hell with that deal! You're wasting your life on a boy who doesn’t even understand what marriage means!"

Elvira sighed. She had no words to comfort him, no justifications that would make sense. Because deep down, she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing either.

************

After she meet her brother Elvira decided to head Wadhwa mansion. It's just a mansion not a home for her. After parking her car and picking up her essentials from car she headed straight at main door.

The house staff Kamal greeted Elvira and informed about the family members at a relatives function and will return in the morning. She just nodded at information and decided to call it a night. Darkness and silence just creept away and she find peace after so long.

Exhaustion took over her, so Elvira thought to have a bath and continue the left over pending work. She just entered her room and put her essentials on bed. It just room with interiors of black only and she loved it.

Her room is on the 1st floor followed by Yuvan's bedroom just at the corner . She took out her shorts and t shirt when heard a knock at the door.

Upon opening, there stood Yuvan Wadhwa, barefoot, dressed in his nightclothes, his hair slightly disheveled as if he had just woken up—or perhaps had never gone to sleep at all. But it wasn’t his presence that stole Elvira’s breath away.

It was the look in his eyes.

For the first time since she had stepped into this house, he wasn’t throwing a tantrum or calling her a bad girl. There was no childish defiance, no playful innocence. Instead, his gaze held something unfamiliar—something raw.

Elvira swallowed, gripping the door handle tightly. "Yuvan?" she asked cautiously.

He didn’t respond right away. His arms hung loosely by his sides, and then, almost hesitantly, his fingers clutched the hem of his shirt—like a lost child unsure of what to say.

"I… I couldn't find her," he finally whispered, his voice barely above a breath.

Elvira frowned. "Find who?"

Yuvan’s eyes flickered, and then—just like that—the moment shattered. His face crumpled, his hands clenched into fists, and suddenly, he stomped his foot like a frustrated child.

"My Ishaani!" he yelled, his voice breaking. "She’s gone! She’s not in my room!"

Elvira’s heart skipped a beat. The doll. He was talking about that doll.

She didn’t know why, but something about the desperation in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Tillthengoodbye
moonwithflames_