✨Chapter 11✨

Fever Night

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The kiss refused to leave Meera's mind.

Three days had passed since that stormy night in the courtyard, yet every time she closed her eyes, she found herself standing beneath the rain again.

Veer's hand on her cheek.

His forehead resting against hers.

The way he had looked at her afterward—as if she was something precious and dangerous at the same time.

It should have made things awkward between them.

Instead, it made everything worse.

Because Veer behaved exactly as he always did.

Calm.

Controlled.

Unreadable.

He still attended village meetings.

Still handled disputes.

Still carried the weight of Devgarh on his shoulders.

And somehow, he never once mentioned the kiss.

Not a single word.

Not even a hint.

Which irritated Meera far more than she cared to admit.

If he was unaffected, then why was she the one lying awake every night replaying every second of it?

Why was she the one noticing every glance?

Every touch?

Every smile he tried to hide?

The answer was becoming painfully obvious.

She was falling in love with her husband.

And she had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

The monsoon grew stronger as the days passed.

Dark clouds covered the village from morning until night.

Rain poured endlessly over the fields surrounding Devgarh.

The roads became muddy.

The rivers swelled.

The air smelled of wet earth and jasmine.

Most people loved the rain.

Meera usually did too.

But after spending nearly an hour helping Gauri organize supplies in the storage room during a particularly cold afternoon, she began feeling strange.

At first, it was only a mild headache.

Nothing serious.

Then came the exhaustion.

By evening, her body felt unusually heavy.

She ignored it.

The last thing she wanted was everyone treating her like a fragile doll.

Especially Veer.

But as night approached, the headache worsened.

Her vision blurred slightly whenever she stood up.

Even walking back to her room felt exhausting.

By dinner, she barely touched her food.

Veer noticed immediately.

Of course he did.

He always noticed.

"You haven't eaten."

His voice came from across the table.

Meera forced a smile.

"I'm not hungry."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

A sign she was beginning to recognize.

He wasn't convinced.

Unfortunately, he was right.

By the time she returned to her room, she could barely stand.

The world spun around her.

A strange chill settled deep inside her bones despite the warm weather.

Meera wrapped a shawl around herself and climbed into bed.

Maybe sleep would help.

Maybe she'd feel better in the morning.

That was the last coherent thought she had before darkness pulled her under.

Somewhere during the night, she woke up shivering.

The room felt unbearably cold.

Her head pounded.

Even opening her eyes required effort.

A soft knock echoed from the door.

Then another.

And another.

When nobody answered, the door opened slightly.

Gauri stepped inside carrying a tray.

The moment she saw Meera, panic appeared on her face.

"Bahu sa!"

The older woman rushed forward immediately.

One touch to Meera's forehead was enough.

"Oh God."

"What happened?" Meera whispered weakly.

"You have a fever."

The words sounded distant.

As if they were coming from somewhere far away.

Gauri hurried from the room.

Within minutes, the entire haveli seemed to know.

Servants rushed around.

Messages were sent.

The village doctor was called.

Everything became a blur.

The doctor arrived nearly an hour later.

An elderly man with kind eyes and decades of experience.

After examining her, he nodded thoughtfully.

"High fever."

Gauri looked worried.

"Is it serious?"

"No."

The doctor smiled reassuringly.

"Monsoon infection. She'll recover."

Relief filled the room.

But Meera barely heard any of it.

Her body felt too heavy.

Too exhausted.

All she wanted was sleep.

The doctor was gathering his things when the bedroom door opened again.

A familiar presence entered the room.

Veer.

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

Not dramatically.

Not visibly.

But Meera felt it.

Even through the fever.

Even through the exhaustion.

"What happened?"

The question came instantly.

Direct.

Concerned.

The doctor answered before anyone else could.

"Fever."

Veer's gaze moved toward the bed.

Toward her.

And something tightened in his expression.

A small change.

Barely noticeable.

Yet somehow it made her heart ache.

The doctor explained the medication before finally leaving.

One by one, everyone followed.

Gauri.

The servants.

The worried relatives.

Until only two people remained.

Meera.

And Veer.

The room grew quiet.

Rain tapped softly against the windows.

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance.

Neither spoke.

Finally, Meera opened her eyes slightly.

"You should go."

Veer sat in the chair beside her bed.

"No."

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

She blinked.

"Why?"

His expression remained calm.

"Because you're sick."

As if that explained everything.

As if there could be no other answer.

A strange warmth spread through her chest despite the fever.

She turned her face away before he could notice.

Hours passed.

The rain continued outside.

The fever refused to break.

Every time Meera drifted into sleep, she woke up again minutes later.

Sometimes because of the headache.

Sometimes because of the chills.

Sometimes for no reason at all.

And every single time—

Veer was still there.

He handled phone calls quietly.

Reviewed village documents.

Signed paperwork.

Read reports.

Yet somehow never left the room.

Not once.

Around midnight, the fever worsened.

Everything felt too hot.

Too bright.

Too loud.

Meera shifted restlessly beneath the blanket.

Trying desperately to get comfortable.

Nothing worked.

Then suddenly—

A cool hand touched her forehead.

Instant relief.

She opened her eyes slowly.

Veer sat beside her.

Close enough to reach her.

Close enough to notice every sign of discomfort.

His brows were slightly furrowed.

A rare expression.

One that only appeared when he was worried.

"You're awake."

His voice sounded softer than usual.

Meera nodded weakly.

"Unfortunately."

For the first time all day, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Tiny.

Brief.

Beautiful.

"You should sleep."

She stared at him.

The irony was almost funny.

"You should too."

His smile disappeared.

"Later."

A lie.

Both of them knew it.

The fever made her brave.

Or reckless.

Maybe both.

Because before she could stop herself, she asked—

"Why are you still here?"

For several seconds, Veer remained silent.

The rain filled the space between them.

Then finally—

"Because I want to be."

The answer stole her breath.

Not because of what he said.

Because of how easily he said it.

As though staying beside her wasn't a sacrifice.

Wasn't an obligation.

Just something he wanted.

The realization followed her into sleep.

When Meera woke again, the room was dark.

The clock on the wall showed nearly three in the morning.

The fever had begun to fade slightly.

The headache remained.

But the worst seemed over.

She turned her head slowly.

And found him.

Still there.

Veer sat beside the bed exactly where she'd last seen him.

One hand resting against the armrest.

A file open on his lap.

His eyes focused on the page.

Yet somehow he sensed her movement immediately.

He looked up.

"How do you do that?" she murmured.

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

"Do what?"

"Know when I'm awake."

For the first time in hours, genuine amusement flickered across his face.

"You make a different sound."

"What?"

"Every time you wake up."

Meera stared at him.

"You've been paying attention?"

The moment the question left her lips, she realized how ridiculous it sounded.

Of course he had.

He'd been sitting beside her all night.

Something warm settled between them.

Comfortable.

Quiet.

Dangerous.

Half asleep, Meera moved her hand across the blanket.

Without thinking.

Without planning.

Simply searching for reassurance.

For comfort.

For him.

Her fingers brushed his.

Veer froze instantly.

The room fell silent.

Neither moved.

Neither spoke.

Then slowly—

very slowly—

his hand turned beneath hers.

Their fingers intertwined.

The gesture was simple.

Gentle.

Yet somehow more intimate than the kiss.

Because there were no storms tonight.

No heightened emotions.

No dramatic confessions.

Just two people sitting together in the darkness.

Finding comfort in each other.

Meera's eyes grew heavy again.

Sleep pulling her under once more.

Just before she drifted away, she heard

Veer's voice.

Quiet.

Almost a whisper.

"You're not alone anymore, Meera."

And for the first time in years—

she believed it.

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