Mine Yes! : Forced to be yours Mr.Devil

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The Singhaniya estate was quiet, the ticking of the clock in the vast corridors marking the hour in the otherwise serene mansion. The only sounds that broke the stillness were the faint whispers of the night breeze slipping through the open window of the small study where Anaya sat.

Her workspace was a chaotic blend of office files, textbooks, and scattered notes, a physical manifestation of her ongoing battle between her responsibilities at Singhaniya Corporation and her final year college studies. Despite the overwhelming pressure, she was determined not to let either part of her life slip away.

Anaya sighed, rubbing her eyes, too tired but unwilling to stop. She glanced at the clock, noting the late hour. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, trying to finish her report, but exhaustion clung to her, making every word feel like an effort.

The sound of footsteps, soft but deliberate, reached her ears. At first, she thought it was a figment of her tired mind, but then the shadow fell across her desk, and she looked up, startled.

There he was—Rudra Singhaniya. His dark eyes were sharper than usual, but there was something else in his gaze, something she couldn't quite place. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. He held a tumbler of whiskey in one hand, its amber liquid catching the dim light. The scent of alcohol mixed with his usual cologne and wrapped around her like a fog.

"Burning the midnight oil again?" he asked, his voice lower than usual, the teasing undertone laced with a slight slur.

Anaya straightened up quickly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to steady herself. "I have exams to prepare for," she replied, her voice more curt than she intended. "Not that it's any of your concern."

Rudra's lips quirked up in a half-smirk, and he moved closer, his gaze flicking over her scattered papers. "Looks like you're trying to conquer the world here," he commented, his voice still smooth but carrying an edge. "Studying for exams... and office work. Impressive."

Anaya's heart thudded, her fingers instinctively curling into fists as she hastily tried to organize the mess of papers. "Some of us don't get things handed to us on a silver platter, Rudra," she replied, her voice trembling with frustration. "We have to work for what we want."

The words stung, and she immediately regretted the sharpness in her tone, but Rudra didn't seem to mind. He merely took a sip of his drink, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched her. The silence stretched between them before he spoke again, this time his voice quieter but carrying an unsettling weight.

"And what is it you want, Anaya?" he asked, his gaze never leaving hers. "To prove yourself? To escape this life you think you've been forced into?"

Anaya's breath caught. His words hit too close to home. She stood quickly, her voice rising despite the tension in the room. "You don't understand," she said, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. "You don't know what it's like to juggle everything and still feel like it's never enough."

Rudra's eyes darkened, a flash of something—anger, or perhaps frustration—passing through them. "You think you're the only one who struggles?" he asked, his tone harder now. "Don't presume to know my life, Anaya."

The shift in his tone made her take a step back, a knot forming in her stomach. Despite her anger, there was something in his presence that unsettled her, something that made her feel small, vulnerable. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Why are you really here?" she asked, her voice quieter now, a sense of unease creeping into her chest as she tried to steady herself.

Rudra didn't answer immediately. Instead, he set his glass down with a deliberate clink on the desk, the sound resonating in the silence. He stepped closer, too close, and Anaya's breath caught in her throat as she instinctively took another step back.

"Maybe I wanted to see what keeps you up at night," he said, his voice soft but laced with something darker. "Or maybe... I just like watching you fight battles you think you have to win alone."

Anaya's heart pounded in her chest as his words echoed in her mind. She hated how they lingered, how they seemed to twist around her thoughts, making her feel both vulnerable and seen. The air in the room grew heavier, and her instincts screamed to break free from the tension, to escape his proximity.

"I don't need your help," she said, her voice firmer than she felt. She turned back to her laptop, trying to block out the lingering heat of his presence.

Rudra chuckled, his voice low and smooth. "Maybe not," he said, picking up his tumbler. "But don't forget—sometimes strength isn't about standing alone. It's about knowing when to let someone stand with you."

Anaya swallowed hard as he walked toward the door, his footsteps sounding too loud in the small study. He paused at the doorframe and glanced back at her, his expression unreadable, yet his eyes seemed softer now, as if seeing her in a different light.

"Good luck with your exams," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "And try not to lose yourself in the process."

The door clicked shut behind him, and Anaya sat frozen for a moment, her heart still racing. She stared blankly at the papers in front of her, but the words blurred into meaningless lines.

Rudra's presence still lingered in the room, his words echoing in her mind. What was he doing to her? Her chest tightened, and for the first time, she wasn't sure whether it was fear or something else that made her heart ache when he wasn't around.

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Anaya's mind raced, the tension from the encounter with Rudra still thick in the air. His presence lingered long after he had left the study. The way his eyes had held hers, the weight of his words—it was as if he saw right through her, beyond the walls she had so carefully constructed. 

She closed her eyes, willing the sensations to fade, but it was futile. Rudra's words echoed in her ears, and despite herself, she couldn't deny the truth in them. Was she really just fighting battles alone? Was that what she had been doing all along? She had always prided herself on being independent, on shouldering her responsibilities without relying on anyone, especially not him.

But that nagging doubt, the one that had begun to creep into her thoughts, refused to be silenced. Maybe Rudra was right. Maybe she was running herself ragged, trying to prove something to herself, to the world, to everyone but herself.

With a frustrated sigh, she stood up and paced the small study. The papers scattered across the desk, the books stacked on the shelves, none of it mattered anymore. It was all just a distraction, a way to fill the silence that was left when she had no answers.

Anaya sank back into the chair and stared at her laptop screen, the blinking cursor mocking her as if it could sense her confusion. She couldn't focus. The ticking of the clock, the soft rustling of the wind outside, even the distant hum of the estate—they all seemed to close in on her.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Before she could respond, it swung open, and Ria entered the room, a concerned look on her face.

"Anaya, are you okay?" Ria asked, her voice gentle.

Anaya forced a smile. "Yeah, just a little tired, that's all."

Ria didn't buy it, but she didn't press. Instead, she sat down across from Anaya, her eyes studying her carefully. "You've been working nonstop lately. Maybe you should take a break."

Anaya sighed, rubbing her temples. "I can't afford to. My exams are in a week, and there's so much to do. I don't have time to relax."

Ria nodded understandingly but didn't leave. "You know, you don't have to do everything on your own. You have people who care about you, who want to help. Including him." She gestured vaguely toward the door, where Rudra had just left.

Anaya stiffened, her emotions a tangled mess at the mention of Rudra's name. "I don't need his help," she said quickly, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Ria or herself.

Ria raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "Okay, but you can't shut everyone out. Especially not Rudra. I know he's… complicated, but he's not always the enemy, Anaya."

Anaya's jaw tightened, but she remained silent. The truth was, Ria was right. Rudra wasn't the enemy. He was a mystery she hadn't figured out, a force that seemed to both push and pull her in ways she couldn't understand. And that unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Ria seemed to sense her hesitation. "I'm not saying you need to be friends with him but maybe try seeing him for who he is. Not just the boss, not just the guy who pushes your buttons. There's more to him, Anaya. I can see it."

Anaya swallowed hard, her thoughts swirling. She had always seen Rudra through a lens of suspicion and frustration, but Ria's words made her wonder if she had been too quick to judge him. 

Before she could reply, Ria stood up. "Anyway, I'm here if you need me. Don't let everything pile up until it's too much to handle. You deserve a break too."

As Ria left the room, Anaya was left alone again, her thoughts consumed by the conversation. She looked at the empty space where Rudra had stood moments ago, his words still echoing in her mind.

Strength isn't about standing alone. It's about knowing when to let someone stand with you.

Anaya closed her eyes, the weight of his voice pressing on her chest. Maybe it was time to stop carrying everything by herself. Maybe it was time to admit that she didn't have all the answers. Maybe it was time to let someone in.

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Anaya sat there for a long moment, caught in the silence of the room. Ria's words hung in the air like a challenge, an invitation that she wasn't sure she was ready to accept. Letting someone in, especially someone like Rudra, felt like a risk—one that she wasn't sure she was prepared to take.

The clock on the wall ticked louder now, the passing minutes reminding her that time was always running out. Her eyes drifted to the worn notebook beside her laptop. The scribbled equations and highlighted passages seemed to mock her, as if reminding her that no matter how much she tried to escape, her responsibilities would always be there, waiting to be tackled.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, cutting through her thoughts. It was a message from her father, asking how her studies were going and reminding her to take care of herself. She smiled softly, grateful for the care he always showed, even if it only made her feel more guilty for not being able to balance everything perfectly.

She glanced at the door, still ajar from when Ria had left, and the faintest memory of Rudra's voice echoed in her mind: "Sometimes strength isn't about standing alone. It's about knowing when to let someone stand with you." The words had been spoken with such sincerity, with such quiet authority, that she felt a small crack in the walls she had built around herself.

But could she really let him in? Could she allow herself to be vulnerable with him? He wasn't just a colleague or a boss—he was something far more complicated, a storm that neither she nor her heart could fully understand. And yet, every time he looked at her, every time he spoke to her, it was as if he peeled back another layer, leaving her raw and exposed.

Anaya sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face that storm. But she also knew that avoiding it wouldn't make it go away.

She pushed the thoughts aside for the moment, her resolve hardening once again. She had a report to finish, exams to prepare for, and no time for distractions. Rudra was a complication she didn't need right now.

But the universe had a funny way of throwing things together when you least expected it.

Later that evening, as Anaya was heading to the kitchen for a much-needed break from her studies, she heard a faint noise outside the study—soft footsteps. She froze, her heart leaping in her chest. She hadn't expected anyone else to be awake at this hour.

Before she could retreat back into her sanctuary, the door to the study opened, and in stepped Rudra. This time, he wasn't holding a drink, nor did he seem in a playful mood. His expression was serious, almost intense, and his dark eyes seemed to pierce through her.

"I thought you might be here," he said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of something unspoken.

Anaya's breath caught in her throat. "What are you doing here, Rudra?" she asked, trying to sound more composed than she felt.

He didn't respond immediately, his gaze scanning the cluttered desk before settling back on her. "I came to talk. About earlier."

She crossed her arms, instinctively putting up her guard. "What's there to talk about? I told you I don't need your help."

Rudra took a step closer, his presence filling the room. There was an unfamiliar softness to him now, something that felt almost vulnerable. "I know you don't want help, Anaya. But sometimes help isn't about what you want. It's about what you need. WHAT.. I WANT....!!!"

Anaya's chest tightened. His words felt too personal, too direct. She couldn't deny that there was a flicker of something deep inside her that wanted to let him in, to listen, but the walls she had spent so long building around herself refused to crumble so easily.

"I'm fine, Rudra. I can handle it," she said firmly, even though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

Rudra stood there for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small envelope, which he placed on the desk in front of her.

Anaya glanced at it, then back at him. "What's this?"

"It's from the board of directors. You've been selected for a special project." Rudra's voice was low but steady. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to take it, but I thought you should know. It's a big opportunity."

Anaya stared at the envelope, her mind racing. "A special project? I… I don't know what to say."

Rudra's gaze softened, though his usual aloofness still clung to him like a second skin. "You don't have to say anything yet. But I think you'll do well in it, Anaya. Just… think about it."

The room felt colder than before, and for a moment, Anaya didn't know what to say. Was he offering this as a way to help her, or was it just another attempt to assert control over her life?

"I'll think about it," she said finally, though her voice held a trace of uncertainty.

Rudra gave a small nod, his eyes lingering on her for just a moment longer than necessary before he turned to leave.

As he stepped out of the room, Anaya's heart hammered in her chest. She picked up the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly. What was he doing? Why had he chosen now to offer her something like this?

The weight of his words, his presence, and the unexpected gesture settled heavily on her shoulders. She didn't know what the future held, or if she was ready to let anyone in—least of all Rudra. But one thing was certain: things were changing, and whether she liked it or not, she was no longer alone in the battle.

For better or worse, her path was now intertwined with his.