The days after Vikram’s secret claiming weighed heavily on Nandini. She moved through the haveli with a quiet grace, her hand often resting protectively on her growing belly, but inside, a storm raged.

Every time she looked at Shivay — her loving, dominant husband — guilt twisted in her chest like a knife. He was gentle with her pregnancy, holding her at night, kissing her belly, whispering how proud he was of her. Yet she had betrayed him. Vikram’s touch, his commanding presence, and the thrill of the forbidden had left a mark. She found herself replaying the encounter in her mind during quiet moments — the way he had taken control, the intensity, the risk. The shame only made the memories hotter, and that terrified her.