"Where is she?"

Abhyansh asked in his steely tone, sending shivers through every member of his family. He rarely spoke, but whenever he did, it was either to punish someone or to find a reason to do so.

"Sh... She is running a fever, so... so she's sleeping," his mother, Amruta Pratap Singh Ranawat, replied, fumbling over her words.

She knew her son's anger. She knew his cruelty.

Not wanting her daughter-in-law to bear the consequences, she had tried waking her up before Abhyansh arrived for breakfast. But the poor girl was burning with a high fever and couldn't even get out of bed. Amruta had planned to tend to her after her son left for work.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

The man who rarely spared his wife a glance was asking about her today.

"And who gave her permission?" he asked in the same cold tone.

Silence.

Not a single member of the family dared to answer him. Every one of them feared the man sitting at the head of the dining table.

Just as Abhyansh was about to rise from his chair, his grandmother, Rajmata Devyani Devi, stopped him.

"Finish your breakfast, Maharaj... then you can go, please," she said softly.

The plea at the end was enough to satisfy his ego.

Without another word, Abhyansh finished his breakfast before making his way towards his royal chamber, where his wife of five months lay asleep... defying his orders.

Amruta immediately followed him. She was terrified for her daughter-in-law.

Her younger son, Avyan Singh Ranawat, quickly stepped in front of her.

"Ma..." he called softly, trying to stop her. He didn't want his mother to get hurt—or worse, punished—by his elder brother.

But she paid no heed to him.

She loved her daughter-in-law.

The only woman who had cared for her and looked after her with the same affection as Avyan. With no other choice, Avyan followed them both. Abhyansh had walked there with only one intention— To punish his wife.

The one woman he hated more than anyone else in the world.

But the moment he entered the bedroom, what he saw awakened the Beast within him.

She was asleep on his bed. She had dared to defy not one... but two of his orders at the same time.

He knew his mother had followed him to protect her daughter-in-law. He also knew his younger brother had followed their mother to protect her.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

"Avyan..." he called without taking his eyes off the sleeping woman. "Close the chamber door."

Avyan's heart sank.

"And all of you..." Abhyansh said, finally turning towards the servants. "Out."

The command had barely left his lips before every servant hurried out of the royal chamber.

Within seconds, the heavy doors were shut.

Hearing his voice...

Isha woke up with a shiver.

The king's royal chamber consisted of three bedrooms, a massive study, a magnificent hall, and a fully equipped gym.

No matter how many times her mother-in-law had shaken her, Isha hadn't woken up. But one roar from her husband was enough. She was terrified of him.

Her eyes flew open, widening in horror as she found herself lying on the bed.

Every inch of her body ached. Her head throbbed from the fever, yet she desperately tried to get off the bed and lie down on the floor before her husband saw her using it.

The poor girl didn't know...

He already had.

Abhyansh strode into the bedroom like the devil himself. His mere presence was enough to send fear coursing through her veins.

She tried to move, but her body refused to cooperate. Gathering whatever little strength she had, she crawled towards the edge of the bed.

The next second... She lost her balance and crashed onto the floor.

Even Avyan, despite hating his sister-in-law, couldn't help but feel bad for her.

Amruta instinctively rushed forward to help her daughter-in-law, but one look from her elder son rooted her to the spot.

"Why?" Abhyansh asked in a cold, emotionless voice.

That single word was enough to scare the life out of her.

"I... I... I don't know how it happened. I'm... sorry, Maharaj," she whispered, trembling violently from both fear and fever.

"Your first mistake was sleeping beyond your permitted hours. Your second mistake was sleeping on a place forbidden to you."

He took another step towards her.

"You deserve the floor. Only the floor. UNDERSTOOD?"

His voice thundered through the room.

The girl flinched, tears streaming down her face as she nodded repeatedly.

"Your punishment..." he declared without the slightest trace of emotion, "...is that you will not step out of this chamber for one week. And you will have only one meal a day."

Still trembling uncontrollably, she silently nodded.

Amruta couldn't hold herself back any longer.

She rushed to her daughter-in-law.

"Abhyansh... beta... please. She's burning with a high fever. She needs proper food... please... I beg you."

Folding her hands before her own son, she pleaded desperately. Abhyansh didn't spare her a single glance. Ignoring every word she uttered, he turned around and walked out of the chamber. Avyan silently followed him.

The moment the chamber doors closed behind them, Amruta pulled her daughter-in-law into a tight embrace, tears rolling down her cheeks.

How had one mistake...

One single mistake... turned her son into a beast?

He had always possessed the beast within him. But once... he had still respected his mother's words.

Once... he hadn't hated her but now...

------------------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE : 

Trigger Warning: This story contains scenes of torture, abuse, hatred, and emotional distress, particularly in the opening chapters. If you are sensitive to such themes, please read at your own discretion.

This novel does not glorify or endorse abuse, male dominance, or toxic relationships in any form. In fact, these ideologies stand completely against my personal beliefs. Writing Abhyansh's character—the BEAST—was one of the most challenging parts of this story precisely because he is the complete opposite of what I believe in.

I only ask for one thing: patience.

This is a journey of characters, not a reflection of the author's values.

Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated. However, abusive or disrespectful comments directed towards the author will not be tolerated.

Happy Reading!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT :

Copyright Notice

This book is protected under copyright law.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored, adapted, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews or other purposes permitted by applicable copyright law.

Any unauthorized copying, reproduction, adaptation, plagiarism, or distribution of this work, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.

Claiming copied content as "inspiration" does not make it original. If substantial portions of this work are reproduced or adapted without permission, appropriate legal action will be taken.

Writing a book takes years of dedication, creativity, and hard work. Please respect the time and effort that every author invests in their work.

Thank you for supporting original stories.

— Sam Murty