Author's POV:

Siddharth was in the middle of an important meeting when one of his men, whom he had assigned to follow Samruddhi, called him. His guards usually only sent him updates via text, so the call signing something wasn't right. He signed the presenter to stop and picked up the phone, his voice as cold as ever. "What is it?"

"Sir, Mam fainted during their lunch and her friends had taken mam to Hospital as she is having trouble breathing," the guard said.

Siddharth's heart tightened with fear and fury. He knew Samruddhi is having trouble in breading means she had peas as she is allergic to them but there was no way she would have eaten it by accident. She was always cautious, and everyone around her knew about her condition. But how could this happen? His thoughts were interrupted by a someone's call.

"Sid?" Aditya asked, looking at him with silent worry.

Siddharth's eyes hardened. "Cancel the meeting. We're heading to the hospital. Now."

"Is everything okay?" Aditya asked, noticing the tension in Siddharth's voice.

"No questions. Just do as I say," Siddharth snapped. His eyes were cold, but they were also filled with worry for Samruddhi. "We're going to Jaipur's main hospital"

Aditya didn't press him for answers and immediately they drove toward the hospital, Siddharth's mind was racing so he decided to call Samiksha and ask what is going there.

After a few rings, she answered, her voice cheerful but quickly faltering. "Hello, Bhai."

"Hello, Princess. What are you doing?" Siddharth's voice remained calm, though his concern was evident.

"Nothing, Bhai. We just came out for dinner," she said hastily, her tone a little too quick. "Do you need anything?"

"No, but why do you sound so nervous? Is everything okay?" Samiksha's eyes widened, a hint of panic creeping into her voice.

"Everything's fine, Bhai! You're overthinking it. I'll call you later, okay? Bye!" she hurriedly cut the call.

Aditya glanced at his friend, his concern evident. "Kuch bolega?" he asked quietly, knowing something was eating at Siddharth.

Siddharth's jaw clenched tightly, his voice colder than it had ever been. "Samruddhi fainted at dinner. She's having trouble breathing." His grip on the steering wheel tightened, the tension in his body palpable. "I don't understand how this happened... she knows better."

Aditya's eyes flickered with concern. "Did she eat peas?" His mind raced, but before he could finish his thought, he quickly realized no one would have dared to bring peas near her.

Siddharth muttered through gritted teeth, his voice barely a whisper but filled with an undeniable edge. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. And I think it's finally time."

Aditya turned to him, his expression serious. "Are you sure about this, Sid? You know she'll hate you for it."

Siddharth's gaze turned icy. "She already hates me," he replied, his voice a cold blade slicing through the air. The words stung more than he cared to admit, but the pain was buried beneath layers of anger and hurt.

Aditya knew better than to argue. He let out a resigned sigh, the weight of Siddharth's internal struggle heavy in the silence that followed. "I won't say anything more."

"Good for you," Siddharth muttered, and just like that, the car sped toward the hospital, the tension between them thick.

When they arrived, they walked into the hospital and approached the receptionist. "Where is Miss Samruddhi Sharma?" Siddharth asked, his voice firm but betraying a trace of concern.

The receptionist, clearly frightened by the intensity of Siddharth's gaze, stammered, "This way, sir," and led them toward the room where Samruddhi was resting.

As they walked down the hallway, Siddharth's gaze landed on Samiksha, Anisha, Vanya, and Isha approaching. The sight of them only made his anger flare. He shot them a cold, deathly stare, making them all freeze in place. Without a word, he continued walking directly to Samruddhi's room.

Inside, Naina was sitting beside Samruddhi, her eyes filled with worry. But as soon as she saw Siddharth enter, she quickly stood up and rushed to leave the room, closing the door behind her in a hurry.

Siddharth walked over to Samruddhi's bed, his steps slow and heavy, as though every ounce of strength had drained from his body. He paused for a moment, staring down at her pale, still face, his chest tightening with an unbearable weight. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached out, his trembling fingers brushing through her hair, soft as petals.

"You're strong Baby," he whispered, his voice cracking as he leaned closer, his forehead almost touching hers. "I will not let anything happen to you even if it means to do anything for it" He let out a shaky breath, one hand gripping hers tightly

He swallowed hard, his lips trembling as he pressed a soft kiss to her hand as the Memories of their childhood flashed in his mind. The innocent, carefree days when he'd felt he could protect her from anything. But now, it felt like everything had gone wrong, and the distance between them felt impossible to bridge. Siddharth couldn't help but wish he could turn back time, undo the mistakes, fix everything.

As he sat there, lost in his memories, he suddenly felt her stir. His eyes snapped to her, his heart starting to beat loudly against his chest. Samruddhi slowly opened her eyes but quickly shut them again, clearly bothered by the bright light in the room. She sat up, her movements slow and disoriented, but she didn't immediately notice him sitting by her side.

"Mmm... water," she murmured, her voice weak.

Siddharth's heart thudded as he listened to her voice. It felt as if he was finally revived by the sound of her waking up. He stood and grabbed the water from the bedside table. His hands shook slightly, the worry tightening in his chest. He filled a glass and handed it to her, his voice soft but firm. "Here."

Samruddhi, still dazed, took the glass without looking at him, her attention focused on the water. She drank it slowly, and when she finished, she looked up, her eyes wide with shock when she saw him sitting there.

Her gaze locked with his, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Samruddhi's breath caught in her throat. "Am I dreaming?" she thought, staring at him with disbelief, unsure if he was real or she was imagining things.

Siddharth watched her, his cold heart slowly melting as he saw in her innocent  eyes. A faint chuckle escaped him. "No, love," he said softly, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Samruddhi's eyes widened even more as she realized she had said that out loud. Her mind raced. She hadn't expected him to be there, and now his presence was making a storm of emotions inside her that she couldn't control. Why does he still affect me like this?

Siddharth didn't move, just kept watching her with a small smile, a mixture of longing and sorrow. His hand, resting on her hair, trembled slightly as he fought the overwhelming emotions threatening to spill over. He hadn't expected this moment to feel so raw, so vulnerable. He had tried so hard to bury these feelings, but they were surfacing now, stronger than ever.

Samruddhi widened her eyes as she noticed his smile. She used to love looking at him when he smiled; it used to give her peace. It still did, but now she hates it., She hates that a part of her old self still felt like he meant everything to her.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Siddharth asked, "How are you feeling?"

"What are you doing here, Sid?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"You ate peas and fainted, so I just came to see you," he said, clearing his throat.

"Why?" Samruddhi closed her eyes, trying not to let the softness in his voice affect her. She didn't want to feel anything for him, not after everything.

Her chain of thoughts broke when Siddharth said in his cold voice, "I'm staying with you tonight."

"You don't need to," Samruddhi retorted quickly. "Bhai or anyone else can stay with me if I have to stay here."

"Your family still doesn't know about this, and I don't think you want to make them worry. And even if they do find out, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with you tonight." His frustration seeped through, his tone cold as ever.

"Fine, do what you want to do," she said, a sigh of exasperation escaping her. "But call Bhai and ask him to come here. Just don't inform anyone else, and please, don't say anything to the others. It's not their fault."

"Okay, Sugar," he replied, his voice softening as he kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

Samruddhi sat in stunned silence, her hand instinctively going to her forehead where he had kissed her. She touched the spot, murmuring quietly to herself, "Why..."

Just then Samruddhi saw everyone walking into the room.

They all approached her bed, and before she could react, they enveloped her in a group hug. Sam found it hard to breathe, her body feeling trapped by theirs. Finally, she managed to speak through the tight embrace. "Are you guys planning to kill me or what?"

At her words, they all released her, stepping back with sheepish smiles.

Isha, her voice laced with concern, asked, "Are you feeling better now, Di? Do you need anything?"

Samruddhi gave a tired smile and nodded. "I'm feeling a bit better, thank you. Just a little tired, I guess."

Vanya reached over to adjust Samruddhi's pillow, her eyes filled with genuine care. "You should rest, Sam. We'll be here if you need anything."

Samruddhi gave a grateful nod, though her tone was firm. "No, it's not necessary. Go home, and Isha, Naina inform everyone at home that I'm at Anisha's house. Go now"

Anisha's voice was laced with concern. "We can't leave you here alone, Samu."

Samruddhi sighed, her voice soft but insistent. "Siddharth is calling Bhai here, he'll stay with me. Now don't argue, just go home quietly."

They all hesitated, exchanging uncertain looks, but eventually, they nodded.

With that, they all left the room, giving her the space. Samruddhi closed her eyes, the effects of the medicine quickly taking over. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind wandered back to him.

Outside Samruddhi's room, the tension was thick. Siddharth stood by the door, his fingers gripping his phone tightly as he dialled Anirudh's number. The seconds felt like hours as he waited for the call to connect.

"Hello?" Anirudh's voice came through, sharp and cautious.

"Get to the hospital. Now," Siddharth said urgently. His voice was firm and left no room for argument. "Don't tell anyone at home. I'll explain when you get here."

Anirudh's silence stretched for a moment. "What happened?"

"No questions. Just come," Siddharth replied, his tone not allowing for further discussion.

Anirudh hesitated for a second, then sighed. "Fine. I'm coming."

The call ended. Siddharth turned to Aditya, who was standing nearby, waiting. "Take everyone home. Don't tell anyone about Samruddhi yet. I'll handle things here."

Aditya nodded, though there was a quiet worry in his eyes. He knew he was planning something, but didn't question him so He left to take the others home.

Siddharth's mind was racing. Every moment felt like eternity, but finally, Anirudh arrived at the hospital. He walked in, his eyes immediately locking onto Siddharth with suspicion.

"Now tell me what happened? And why you called me here in hospital ?" Anirudh's voice was cold and sharp.

Siddharth didn't flinch. He met Anirudh's gaze, and tell everything to him making him shocked and worried and he asked "where is she now, I need to see my princess"

"she is sleeping now" Sid said with a sign.

Suddenly Anirudh's worried gazer turn cold and dangerous and he said in his cold voice while holding Sid's collar "It's all because of you, I fucking warned you to stay the fuck away from my sister.."

Sid's expression herded and he said while removing Anirudh's hands from his collar " I'm here to protect her damm it."

Anirudh's fists clenched at his sides. "Protect her? You've already hurt her once and now she is getting hurt because you are around her. She doesn't need you, Siddharth. She needs someone who won't destroy her."

Siddharth took a step closer, his voice low and intense. "I didn't mean to hurt her. But I won't let anyone else hurt her. Not again. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

Anirudh shook his head, his anger building. "You don't get it, do you? She's my sister and I don't trust you with her after everything that's happened."

Siddharth's voice grew more heated. "She's mine to protect. You don't get to decide that. She's my everything. My love. My Sugar and I am not letting her go again."

Anirudh's face twisted with frustration. "You think you're the only one who cares about her? You don't own her, Siddharth. She's already been through enough with you. I won't let you drag her into your mess again."

Siddharth stepped even closer, his gaze fierce. "I won't hurt her. I'll do anything to make sure she's safe. But I am not walking away from her."

The room was charged with anger and tension, both men staring each other down. Finally, Anirudh spoke, his voice full of warning. "You'll regret this, Siddharth. If you hurt her again, I won't hesitate to destroy you."

Siddharth's eyes didn't waver. "I won't regret anything until it's about her. You better understand that."

Anirudh stormed off into samruddhi's room, but Siddharth didn't move. His fists were clenched, his mind burning with determination. Samruddhi was his, and no one, not even her own brother would stop him from having her.

"No matter what Love, You will be mine.."