8 hours ago
Chapter 154 : The Hidden Bargain
Tharun’s face went pale the moment Mithra stepped forward with the garland and silk saree.
Before anyone could react, he grabbed Nikitha’s wrist in a tight grip.
“Come with me. Now,” he growled.
He pulled her away from the mandap, through the temple corridors, and into a secluded courtyard garden hidden behind ancient stone pillars and thick flowering vines. No one could see or hear them here. The second they were alone, he let go and spun around, breathing hard, his eyes burning with pain and fury.
“What the hell is this, Nikki?” His voice was low and shaking.
“You bring Mithra here dressed like a bride? You tell me to marry her in front of everyone? Have you completely lost your mind?”
Nikitha stood her ground, though her hands were trembling.
“Tharun… I want you to marry her.
She loves you more than I ever could. Her sacrifices are real.
She deserves this life with you.”
“I love you!” he snapped, stepping so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. “Only you. I was ready to accept anything — an open relationship, sharing you, whatever scraps you gave me — just to keep you in my life. Why are you destroying us like this?”
“Because your love for me is poisoning you,” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“And I know how deep it runs.
Remember when I vanished for those two days? No calls, no trace?”
How do you feel?
Tharun’s jaw tightened. “I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t eat or sleep. I searched everywhere like a madman. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
Nikitha nodded slowly. “Exactly. If you don’t marry Mithra today, Tharun, I will disappear for good. Not for two days — forever. You’ll never find me. You’ll never hear from me again. I’ll stay alive, but gone from your life completely. That’s not a threat. That’s a promise.”
You pushed me to this Tharun, i tried to speak with you but you are adamant, your ears are closed, you act strange exactly like me, but the price we would pay for not listening to our own heart will hurt us forever.
Panic flashed across his face. He could not understand anything she said.
He gripped her shoulders, fingers digging in. “Why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this?”
The garden fell silent except for their ragged breathing.
“I’m not doing this,” he said finally, his voice dark and possessive.
“I’m not marrying her.”
Nikitha’s eyes filled with fresh tears.
She took his hands, pleading. “Tharun, please. She loves you with her whole heart.
If you don’t marry her, I will disappear forever.”
“Stop threatening me, Nikitha.
This is insane. Forcing things like this won’t work.
You might think you’re fixing everything right now, but you’re destroying me.”
“I’m setting things right,” she said softly. “You’ll thank me one day. I know, You still love her — you’re just angry and disappointed right now. Just like I still miss Jay after everything that happened.”
Hearing Jay’s name made Tharun’s expression twist with anger. A heavy silence stretched between them.
“So you’re punishing me just so you can be with Jay?” he asked, his tone turning low and dangerous.
“No… that’s not it,” she whispered. “I don’t want you to suffer the way I have. What we have isn’t healthy love. We’re just choosing each other to run away from our disappointments. I can’t fix my own life, but at least I can do this for you. And if you think what I’m doing is forceful… then what you tried to do — pushing for marriage right after the UK trip — that was forceful too.”
I will stop everything tharun if you could do one thing... Nikitha said firmly. “Look her in the eyes and tell her you only love me. Can you do that without hesitation?”
Tharun’s gaze faltered. “I… I could. But I don’t want to hurt her. Are you really okay with hurting someone who has given everything for me?”
Tharun stared at her, breathing heavily. “Fine. I’ll marry her. But I have one condition.
Sex, intimacy, children — everything physical stays with you, Nikki.
Only you. I won’t touch her like that.”
Nikitha jerked back, horrified. “No. Absolutely not. it nullify the purpose of marriage, That would destroy her. She doesn’t deserve to be trapped in a loveless, one-sided marriage.”
“Then what do you expect?” he shot back, eyes desperate. “You’re forcing me into this!”
Im just adding a clause to your threat. He said, voice shaking. “At the end of the day, I need you… Just like you’re trying to fix things your way, I’m fixing them mine. You are pushing me into a relationship I didn’t want either. Its your fault, your call”
Nikitha looked away, breathing shakily. The auspicious hour was slipping away. She closed her eyes for a long moment, guilt and sorrow washing over her face.
“You’re right… this is my fault for pushing you so hard,” she whispered. “Fine. I’ll be available to you… but not whenever you want. Once a month. Until the day you truly see Mithra’s love and accept her as your wife. That’s the deal. Take it, or I disappear forever. Right now.”
Tharun stared at her, chest heaving. The silence felt endless. He asked promise me..
Nikkitha said its a promise, but remember, the day you start seeing her love, you should leave me and live only for her. whatever arrangement im in, is just to accommodate you giving you time to accommodate her. not other way.
“I trust Mithra,” Nikitha added quietly, squeezing his hand. “She’ll change things for you soon. You may not even need me in the long run.”
She grabbed his hand tightly, reluctant acceptance written across her face, and gently pulled him back toward the main hall. Tharun followed with heavy, defeated steps, his expression dark with resignation.
When they finally emerged, the family and priest looked relieved but visibly confused. Without a word of explanation, Tharun went through the motions. He married Mithra in a quiet, emotionally charged ceremony.
Mithra stood beside him as his bride — graceful and silent. Nikitha watched from the side, her heart heavy with complicated sorrow, knowing the dangerous bargain she had just sealed.
Tharun’s face went pale the moment Mithra stepped forward with the garland and silk saree.
Before anyone could react, he grabbed Nikitha’s wrist in a tight grip.
“Come with me. Now,” he growled.
He pulled her away from the mandap, through the temple corridors, and into a secluded courtyard garden hidden behind ancient stone pillars and thick flowering vines. No one could see or hear them here. The second they were alone, he let go and spun around, breathing hard, his eyes burning with pain and fury.
“What the hell is this, Nikki?” His voice was low and shaking.
“You bring Mithra here dressed like a bride? You tell me to marry her in front of everyone? Have you completely lost your mind?”
Nikitha stood her ground, though her hands were trembling.
“Tharun… I want you to marry her.
She loves you more than I ever could. Her sacrifices are real.
She deserves this life with you.”
“I love you!” he snapped, stepping so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. “Only you. I was ready to accept anything — an open relationship, sharing you, whatever scraps you gave me — just to keep you in my life. Why are you destroying us like this?”
“Because your love for me is poisoning you,” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“And I know how deep it runs.
Remember when I vanished for those two days? No calls, no trace?”
How do you feel?
Tharun’s jaw tightened. “I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t eat or sleep. I searched everywhere like a madman. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
Nikitha nodded slowly. “Exactly. If you don’t marry Mithra today, Tharun, I will disappear for good. Not for two days — forever. You’ll never find me. You’ll never hear from me again. I’ll stay alive, but gone from your life completely. That’s not a threat. That’s a promise.”
You pushed me to this Tharun, i tried to speak with you but you are adamant, your ears are closed, you act strange exactly like me, but the price we would pay for not listening to our own heart will hurt us forever.
Panic flashed across his face. He could not understand anything she said.
He gripped her shoulders, fingers digging in. “Why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this?”
The garden fell silent except for their ragged breathing.
“I’m not doing this,” he said finally, his voice dark and possessive.
“I’m not marrying her.”
Nikitha’s eyes filled with fresh tears.
She took his hands, pleading. “Tharun, please. She loves you with her whole heart.
If you don’t marry her, I will disappear forever.”
“Stop threatening me, Nikitha.
This is insane. Forcing things like this won’t work.
You might think you’re fixing everything right now, but you’re destroying me.”
“I’m setting things right,” she said softly. “You’ll thank me one day. I know, You still love her — you’re just angry and disappointed right now. Just like I still miss Jay after everything that happened.”
Hearing Jay’s name made Tharun’s expression twist with anger. A heavy silence stretched between them.
“So you’re punishing me just so you can be with Jay?” he asked, his tone turning low and dangerous.
“No… that’s not it,” she whispered. “I don’t want you to suffer the way I have. What we have isn’t healthy love. We’re just choosing each other to run away from our disappointments. I can’t fix my own life, but at least I can do this for you. And if you think what I’m doing is forceful… then what you tried to do — pushing for marriage right after the UK trip — that was forceful too.”
I will stop everything tharun if you could do one thing... Nikitha said firmly. “Look her in the eyes and tell her you only love me. Can you do that without hesitation?”
Tharun’s gaze faltered. “I… I could. But I don’t want to hurt her. Are you really okay with hurting someone who has given everything for me?”
Tharun stared at her, breathing heavily. “Fine. I’ll marry her. But I have one condition.
Sex, intimacy, children — everything physical stays with you, Nikki.
Only you. I won’t touch her like that.”
Nikitha jerked back, horrified. “No. Absolutely not. it nullify the purpose of marriage, That would destroy her. She doesn’t deserve to be trapped in a loveless, one-sided marriage.”
“Then what do you expect?” he shot back, eyes desperate. “You’re forcing me into this!”
Im just adding a clause to your threat. He said, voice shaking. “At the end of the day, I need you… Just like you’re trying to fix things your way, I’m fixing them mine. You are pushing me into a relationship I didn’t want either. Its your fault, your call”
Nikitha looked away, breathing shakily. The auspicious hour was slipping away. She closed her eyes for a long moment, guilt and sorrow washing over her face.
“You’re right… this is my fault for pushing you so hard,” she whispered. “Fine. I’ll be available to you… but not whenever you want. Once a month. Until the day you truly see Mithra’s love and accept her as your wife. That’s the deal. Take it, or I disappear forever. Right now.”
Tharun stared at her, chest heaving. The silence felt endless. He asked promise me..
Nikkitha said its a promise, but remember, the day you start seeing her love, you should leave me and live only for her. whatever arrangement im in, is just to accommodate you giving you time to accommodate her. not other way.
“I trust Mithra,” Nikitha added quietly, squeezing his hand. “She’ll change things for you soon. You may not even need me in the long run.”
She grabbed his hand tightly, reluctant acceptance written across her face, and gently pulled him back toward the main hall. Tharun followed with heavy, defeated steps, his expression dark with resignation.
When they finally emerged, the family and priest looked relieved but visibly confused. Without a word of explanation, Tharun went through the motions. He married Mithra in a quiet, emotionally charged ceremony.
Mithra stood beside him as his bride — graceful and silent. Nikitha watched from the side, her heart heavy with complicated sorrow, knowing the dangerous bargain she had just sealed.
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