"With your one smile you took my breathe away"

New York, USA..

Elvira’s breath hitched as her gaze unconsciously roamed over Yuvan. Despite his childlike mind, there was no denying that he had the physique of a grown man—a man with a presence that could make anyone stop and stare. The way his shirt clung to his toned chest, the way his tousled hair added to his raw appeal—it was distracting.

For a fleeting second, a thought crossed her mind, one that she immediately shook off. What the hell am I thinking?

Before she could compose herself, Yuvan let out an impatient huff, shifting on his feet. His childlike frustration brought her crashing back to reality.

"Are you even listening to me?!" he whined, stomping his foot again. "Ishaani is missing!"

Elvira blinked rapidly, trying to focus. "Okay, okay! Calm down. When was the last time you saw her?"

"Before everyone left! I put her on my bed, and now she’s gone!" His voice cracked, and for a second, she saw the glint of unshed tears in his eyes.

Elvira exhaled, rubbing her temples. A grown man throwing a tantrum over a doll. This is my life now. She needs to complete her important work and she can't delay it further.

"Yuvan, I need to complete my pending work," Elvira tried to reason, her patience already wearing thin.

But Yuvan, completely unfazed, clutched her wrist like a stubborn child. "Um… no. My Ishaani needs me." His lips wobbled, and his eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

"What if she’s crying?" he sniffled, his voice trembling.

Elvira exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers against her temples. This was ridiculous. "Yuvan, it’s just a doll," she snapped, irritation creeping into her voice.

The moment those words left her mouth, Yuvan’s entire expression changed. His grip on her wrist tightened, his breath hitching. "No!" he yelled, stepping back, shaking his head violently.

Elvira was taken aback. His reaction wasn’t just that of a spoiled man-child throwing a tantrum. It was deeper—raw, almost painful.

"She’s not just a doll! She’s my Ishaani! She—" His voice cracked, and suddenly, Yuvan turned away, fists clenched at his sides. "You don’t understand. No one does."

For the first time, Elvira saw something flicker in his eyes—something broken. And despite her frustration, she couldn’t ignore the unsettling feeling that whatever this was… it was more than just an attachment to a toy.

Elvira let out a frustrated groan, dragging a hand down her face. How was she supposed to deal with this? A husband who behaved like a child?

Yet, despite her irritation, her feet followed Yuvan to his room.

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes widened. His belongings were scattered everywhere—pillows thrown off the bed, drawers left open, sheets crumpled as if he had desperately searched every corner.

"Ishaani!!"

"Ishaani!"

"Where are you???"

His voice cracked as he frantically called out for the doll, his breathing uneven. And then, just like that, he broke down.

"Come back," he whimpered, his shoulders shaking as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Elvira stood frozen, watching as a grown man—her husband—cried over a missing doll like a lost child.

Something in her chest tightened. This was more than just an obsession.

"Yuvan…" she said softly, stepping closer, but he flinched away, gripping the bedpost like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

And for the first time, Elvira realized—she wasn’t just married to an immature man. She was married to a mystery. A painful, heartbreaking mystery.

"You are bad."

"You are bad!"

"You took my Ishaani!"

Yuvan’s voice grew louder, more unstable. His breaths came in ragged gasps as his entire body trembled. His childlike frustration had morphed into something far darker.

"Mom was right… r-right…" His voice wavered, his eyes darting wildly around the room before locking onto Elvira with pure, unfiltered pain.

Elvira’s blood ran cold. Something had triggered him—something far beyond her understanding. She wanted to take a step forward, to calm him down, but fear rooted her in place.

Then, before she could react, Yuvan’s gaze snapped to the bedside table. In one swift motion, he grabbed the knife lying there and—

Slash!

"My Ishaani!!"

The sharp blade sliced across his wrist.

Elvira gasped, her heart lurching as blood welled from the wound.

"Yuvan!!!" she screamed, rushing toward him.

His breathing hitched, his body swaying slightly as he stared at the blood dripping onto the floor, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he had just done.

Panic surged through Elvira. She had no time to process the fear clawing at her chest. She grabbed his wrist tightly, pressing her palm against the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

"What the hell have you done?! Are you insane?!" her voice cracked, but Yuvan didn’t respond.

His lips parted slightly, his eyes glazed over as he whispered brokenly—

"I just… wanted Ishaani back…"

Elvira's throat tightened. This wasn’t just a tantrum. This was something deeper. Something painful. Something she had to uncover before it was too late.

Before Elvira could even process what had happened, Yuvan's body swayed, and the next moment—thud!—he collapsed onto the floor.

"Yuvan!!" she screamed, panic gripping her throat. She fell to her knees beside him, pressing harder against his bleeding wrist.

Her shaky voice echoed through the empty mansion as she cried out for help. "Somebody help!! Please!!"

The sound of hurried footsteps rushed toward the room, and within seconds, Kamal, one of the house staff, appeared at the doorway.

The moment he saw the scene—Yuvan unconscious, blood pooling around him, and Elvira desperately trying to stop the bleeding—his face turned pale.

"Oh my God…" Kamal whispered in horror.

"Don't just stand there!" Elvira snapped, her voice laced with urgency. "Call the doctor! Now!!"

Kamal snapped out of his shock and bolted down the hall.

Elvira’s hands trembled as she cradled Yuvan’s wrist, pressing her dupatta against the wound to slow the bleeding.

"Yuvan, wake up!" she whispered, fear tightening in her chest. "You can’t do this… not like this…"

She had never cared for him before—not really. But at this moment, watching him so fragile and broken, something in her heart twisted painfully.

And for the first time, she realized—this marriage wasn’t just about surviving.

It was about saving Yuvan before he lost himself completely.

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

Lifeline Hospital, New York..

The atmosphere in the hospital was thick with tension. The beeping of machines, hurried footsteps of nurses, and the anxious murmurs of family members filled the corridor.

Elvira stood near the doctor's cabin, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of the table. The bloodstains on her clothes had dried, but the sight of them made her stomach churn.

"Doctor, please... will he be okay?" Her voice was hoarse from all the crying and shouting.

The doctor sighed, glancing at the reports in his hand. "Mrs. Wadhwa, his condition is critical. The cut was deep, and he lost a lot of blood. Right now, he is unconscious, and we have to monitor him closely."

Elvira felt her knees go weak, but she held herself together. "But he'll recover, right?"

"We are trying our best. But... I must ask—has he shown signs of extreme emotional distress before? This isn't just an impulsive act. Your husband has deep psychological trauma and it tiggered to act him this repulsive."

Elvira couldn't answer. She didn't know. She had been so focused on keeping her distance from him that she had never truly tried to understand him.

Behind her, Yash Wadhwa stood silently, his face pale with worry. His usually authoritative demeanor was replaced with pure helplessness as he stared at his unconscious grandson through the small glass window of the ICU.

When his gaze shifted to Elvira, there was something unreadable in his eyes.

"Why?" His voice was deep, strained. "Why did this happen?"

Elvira opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Because the truth was—she didn’t know why.

But she was starting to realize that she had to find out.

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

Elvira's breath hitched as the words rang in her ears.

"Under arrest?" she repeated, disbelief lacing her voice as she turned to see two police officers standing before her.

The senior officer stepped forward, his face stern. "Yes, Mrs. Wadhwa. You are being arrested for attempting to harm your husband, Mr. Yuvan Wadhwa."

Gasps echoed through the hospital corridor.

"What?! No!" Elvira shook her head, taking a step back. "This is ridiculous! I didn’t do anything! I was the one who saved him!"

"We have a complaint against you," the officer continued, pulling out a warrant. "Someone from the Wadhwa family reported that you were responsible for Mr. Yuvan’s condition."

Elvira’s eyes widened. Someone from the family?

Her gaze flickered to the Wadhwa members gathered around—her stepmother-in-law, Shreya, standing smugly at the side, her daughter, Shivani, pretending to look shocked, and Yug, her stepbrother-in-law, who had never hidden his dislike for her.

Her heart pounded.

"This is a setup," she whispered to herself.

"Officer, wait!" Yash Wadhwa's voice boomed through the corridor, making everyone pause. His authoritative presence commanded silence.

He turned to the officer, his sharp eyes glinting with rage. "Who filed this complaint?"

The officer hesitated before answering, "Mrs. Shreya Wadhwa."

Elvira’s blood boiled.

Shreya took a step forward, her crocodile tears in place. "I had to, Papa Ji!" she sniffled, playing the victim. "Look at what she’s done to my son! She married him and now wants to get rid of him!"

"That’s a lie!" Elvira snapped, her hands curling into fists. "I did everything to save him!"

The officer sighed. "Look, ma’am, you can defend yourself in court. But for now, you need to come with us."

Before Elvira could protest, cold metal cuffs clicked around her wrists.

And just like that, her nightmare had only begun.

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

"Shreya!! JUST SHUT UP!" Yash Wadhwa's voice thundered through the hospital corridor, making everyone freeze.

Shreya winced, her usual smugness replaced with nervousness. "But Papa Ji—"

"Enough!" Yash's glare was sharp, his fury palpable. "She is our daughter-in-law! Do you have no shame dragging this matter into the police station when our family is already in distress?"

Shreya stepped forward, trying to maintain her innocent act. "Papa Ji, we were just worried for Yuvan. We—"

"Worried?" Yash scoffed, his voice dripping with disbelief. "If you were so worried, you’d be praying for his recovery, not scheming against his wife!"

The officers hesitated, sensing the growing tension.

Yash turned to them, his expression unyielding. "Take back the complaint. Now." His voice left no room for argument.

Shreya's face twisted in frustration, but under Yash's piercing gaze, she had no choice. Grinding her teeth, she forced out, "Fine. We will withdraw the complaint."

Elvira, still in cuffs, exhaled sharply, feeling a mix of relief and anger. She turned to Yash, meeting his gaze.

For the first time, she saw something other than indifference in his eyes.

Respect. Perhaps even a hint of trust but this is all just an acting to show how much great he is.

And as the officer uncuffed her, Elvira realized—whether she liked it or not, Yash Wadhwa had just taken her side.

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

Elvira sat in the hospital waiting area, her hands clenched into fists. The humiliation, the false accusations, the way she had been treated—it was too much.

She couldn’t do this anymore.

She wouldn’t do this anymore.

Her mind was made up. She had to leave the Wadhwa mansion at any cost.

She had entered that house with no expectations, and yet, every single day had proven worse than the last. A husband who acted like a child, a family that wanted her gone, and now, this—being arrested for something she didn’t even do.

"No more," she whispered to herself.

She felt Yash Wadhwa’s gaze on her, but she didn’t care. She didn’t want his sudden support. He had let them humiliate her until now.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone and dialed the only person she could trust.

"Eshaan," she murmured when he picked up.

"Di! Are you okay?! What the hell is happened?? You called at this hour—"

"Come get me," she cut him off, her voice firm. "I’m leaving the Wadhwa mansion."

Tillthengoodbye
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