One day, Abhyansh ordered Isha to bring him a glass of cold water from the refrigerator within three minutes. Under normal circumstances, she would've made it in time. But her feet were badly swollen after he had forced her to stand barefoot under the scorching sun the entire afternoon.

She couldn't run. And she was late. He filled a large container with ice-cold water and ordered her to step inside. He made her stand in it for three hours. When he finally ordered her to get out, her body had gone completely numb. The moment she stepped out, she collapsed onto the floor.

After lying there for a while, she slowly gathered herself, walked to her room, changed into warm clothes, and returned to the spot where she had fallen. Before he could punish her again... she cleaned the water she had left behind. That night, she went to bed, but her body wouldn't stop shivering.

At one point, the shivering became so violent that she pulled every piece of clothing she could find over herself, hoping to fight the cold. Nothing worked. With every passing second, she felt colder. She could almost feel her life slipping away. She didn't want to die. Even after enduring so much torture, she still didn't want to die. She wanted to experience the beautiful life everyone always talked about... a life she had never known. 

She knew she wasn't allowed to take medicine without his permission. Now, she had to report to him even before having her meals. Though he neither responded nor spared her a glance, she still informed him every single time, faithfully following his rules. But today... she couldn't follow them anymore. She took the medicine on her own. Even that failed to ease the cold. 

Her eyes fell on the bed. On the thick comforter lying over it. She immediately climbed onto the bed and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket. Still... the cold refused to leave. An hour later... she lost consciousness. 

The next morning, when Amrita didn't see her daughter-in-law come downstairs even ten minutes past her usual time, panic gripped her. She hurried to her son's chamber. What she saw filled her with dread.

She rushed to her daughter-in-law, who was still shivering beneath the blanket.

"Isha... Isha... what happened to you? Why are you not responding? Isha..."

Amrita kept patting her cheeks, trying desperately to wake her, but nothing worked. She could feel the intense heat radiating from her skin. Fortunately, the medicine had lowered her temperature slightly. Even then... the fever remained dangerously high.

Amrita tried for a while longer before walking downstairs to prepare breakfast. She knew her son grew impatient if his meal wasn't served on time. Her hands trembled as she served breakfast, silently praying that he wouldn't ask about her daughter-in-law. But, as always... luck wasn't on their side.

"Where is she?"

Abhyansh asked in his steely tone, sending a chill through everyone seated at the table. He hardly ever spoke. But whenever he did... it was either to punish someone or to find a reason to do so.

"Sh... She's running a high fever... so... she's sl... sleeping," Amrita Pratap Singh Ranawat replied, fumbling over her words.

She knew her son's temper. She knew his cruelty. She didn't want her daughter-in-law to bear either of them. That was why she had tried to wake Isha before he came downstairs. But the poor girl was burning with fever and couldn't even open her eyes.

Amrita had planned to tend to her once her son left for work. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. The man who barely spared his wife a glance... was asking about her today.

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

Amrita 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.

Amrita 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. 

Amrita 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, Amrita 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 upon a time... he had still respected his mother's words. Once... he hadn't hated her but now...

Amrita spread a blanket on the floor and helped her daughter-in-law lie down on it. She then began rubbing her body with a soft cotton cloth to bring down the fever.

After a while, she brought a large plate of food and gently fed her. Since her son had permitted Isha only one meal a day, Amrita had intentionally brought enough food in that single meal to last the entire day. She decided to feed the remaining portions to her daughter-in-law at lunch and dinner from the same plate itself.

No servant ever entered the chamber. They would never know. Or so she thought. What she didn't know was... her son had expected exactly that.

The previous night, when Abhyansh had come to check on Isha, he had found her lying on the bed, wrapped tightly in blankets. Anger surged through him. He had walked towards her, intending to pull her off the bed. But the moment his hand gripped her arm, he realized she was burning with a high fever.

His eyes fell on the medicine lying beside her. He knew she would survive until morning. So, he turned around and walked away. A powerful urge to help her rose within him. He hated that feeling... almost as much as he hated her. So he left.

Abhyansh deliberately punished her by confining her to the room for an entire week. That would give her enough rest to recover... and enough strength to endure his punishments again. At least, that's what he told himself. Yet, the thought that she could have died had she not taken the medicine... or climbed onto the bed... disturbed him far more than he wanted to admit.

He refused to let himself soften towards her. So, he added another punishment. One meal a day. That alone was enough to satisfy his raging heart for even entertaining such thoughts. But his mind reminded him that he had already anticipated his mother would do exactly what she did—bring enough food to last Isha the entire day. And he had deliberately chosen to ignore it.

The realization only reignited his fury. He slammed his fist against the table.

A week passed.

Isha recovered completely, though she still felt a little weak. She resumed her daily duties. Abhyansh kept his distance, giving her time to recover before resuming his punishments. After breakfast, she returned to work for the first time in a week.

"Thank you, Ragini, for granting me leave. I really needed it," Isha said with a faint smile.

"No problem, dear. You're fine now, and that's all that matters. Now get started. You have a lot of pending orders," Ragini replied.

Isha nodded and got back to work.

Ragini requested her to finish at least one pending order before the end of the day, and Isha readily agreed.

She was grateful that Ragini had granted her an entire week's leave despite the hectic workload. The least she could do was fulfil that request. Isha knew she would be late. She tried her best to finish the order, but it took longer than expected.

She called Amrita and informed her. Fearing her son's punishment, Amrita asked Isha to leave work and return home immediately. But Isha had already given Ragini her word. She couldn't leave. By the time she reached home, she was two hours late.

Her mother-in-law had already completed all of Isha's household duties except cooking as the BEAST would immediately recognize that someone else had prepared the food. Isha thanked Amrita and hurried to the kitchen.

Both of them believed Abhyansh hadn't noticed what time she had returned. They couldn't have been more wrong. During dinner, Isha tasted the food before serving it to him, just as she did every day. Abhyansh ate in complete silence. He got up to leave. Both Isha and Amrita let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The very next moment... Abhyansh spoke.

Stealing that relief away.

"Both of you will starve for the next three days."

Without another word, he walked away. The rest of the family looked at one another in confusion. They had no idea whom the King was referring to. But the pale expressions on the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's faces told them everything.

They had broken one of his rules. Silently, everyone left the dining hall. Except Avyan.

"What did you do, Ma?" he asked.

Isha was about to answer, but Amrita gently held her hand, trying to stop her.

Isha answered anyway.

"I got late at the office... and Ma covered for me. I don't know how he found out..."

The last part escaped as a whisper to herself. But Avyan heard it.

"Bhai Sa knows everything. We'd be fools to think he wouldn't," Avyan remarked rather harshly, unable to hide his resentment towards his sister-in-law. After all, it was because of her that his mother was now sharing the punishment.

"Avyan... I'll slap you if I ever hear you speak to Isha in that tone again. She is your brother's wife. She deserves your respect. Yes, he doesn't accept her today, but I know the day will come when he'll accept her wholeheartedly and shower her with all the love she deserves," Amrita said, her gaze softening as it rested on Isha.

Isha returned the smile, careful not to hurt her mother-in-law's feelings. Deep down, however... she knew that day would never come.

The last shred of hope she had clung to had died the day Abhyansh had made her his slave and called her a sl*t.

"Ma, if she gets late, why do you have to cover for her? Now you're suffering because of it," Avyan said again, his tone noticeably gentler this time.

"It's not as though she's not suffering. Did you not hear your brother? He asked both of us to starve for three days, not just me." Amrita sighed before continuing, "And listen to me carefully. Just because your Bhai Sa is wrong in treating Isha this way doesn't mean you should walk the same path and disrespect your Bhabhi Sa."

"Ma... lower your tone. If Bhai Sa hears you saying this—or finds out you're still calling her my Bhabhi Sa after he forbade it—he'll punish you," Avyan warned, instinctively glancing around.

"What is this?" Isha blurted out, unable to believe what she was hearing. "How can he punish his own mother? A son's foremost duty is to feed his mother, no matter what circumstances he is in. But here... he's taking food away from her? This is a grave sin. I'll speak to him."

Both Amrita and Avyan stared at her in stunned silence. The same Isha who trembled in Abhyansh's presence... was now volunteering to confront him.

"He is the kind of king who neither forgives nor forgets. He believes only in punishment. I disobeyed his orders, so I deserve it," Amrita said gently.

"He may be a king," Isha replied without wavering, "but before that, he's your son. He cannot forget that."

For once, Avyan didn't interrupt. Instead, he watched his sister-in-law with quiet astonishment. She was actually preparing to stand before the BEAST... for his mother's sake.

'Let's see how long that courage lasts, Will she even manage to utter a single word once she's standing in front of him?' Avyan thought.

"Isha, let it go, beta. He won't listen. He'll only punish you more," Amrita tried to reason with her.

"Let him, Ma. But I won't let him do this to you. Whatever he has done until now may still find forgiveness in God's eyes, but this never will. A son cannot punish his own mother like this. It goes against everything I believe in. I won't let him."

With that, Isha turned and walked towards her husband's office. Every step made her heartbeat louder. She was terrified of him. But, she hated letting him commit this sin against his own mother even more.

"Avyan, go to your brother's office. That poor girl endures so much every single day, yet she still went to fight him for my sake. I just hope your brother doesn't punish her even more," Amrita said worriedly.

"Huh... she isn't going to succeed anyway. You know that." Avyan sighed. "So eat well tonight. I'll arrange saline for you. If you fall sick, the doctor will administer it." He ruffled his hair in frustration. "This is exactly why I keep telling you not to break his rules. Sometimes... I wonder how a son can treat his own mother like this."

With that, he walked away. Amrita let out a weary sigh. The memories of the incidents that had turned her son into a BEAST... even towards his own mother... began creeping back into her mind. She shook her head, forcing them away.

Isha entered the office. His private cabin was still some distance away.

Before she could take another step, his voice rang through the silence.

"What are you doing here?"

Instinctively, she glanced around, wondering if there were any cameras and he was watching her through them. A loud bang echoed across the office. She immediately understood that her BEAST husband had grown impatient with her silence.

Without another moment's delay, she hurried towards his cabin. There he was... completely absorbed in his laptop. For once, she wanted to look at his face. Slowly, she raised her head. Her gaze barely reached his lips before his voice thundered again.

"Want me to increase your punishment?"

Abhyansh asked without looking up from the laptop.

She flinched and immediately lowered her gaze.

"N-No... I'm here to talk to you about something, Maharaj. Kindly... allow me a minute."

The words stumbled out one after another. Merely imagining his reaction was enough to shatter whatever confidence she had gathered. Yet her resolve to protect her mother-in-law remained unshaken.

"Go ahead."

His voice remained as cold as ever.

Don't let his voice intimidate you... don't... don't, she repeated to herself.

"Ma... Maharaj... you can't punish Ma. It's my fault... not Ma Sa's. Please exempt her from this punishment," Isha pleaded, keeping her eyes lowered.

Abhyansh looked at her with an unreadable expression. His face betrayed nothing. Yet... he was surprised by her courage. He loved her fear. The way she swallowed nervously, the way she trembled in his presence... it fed his ego. He had no intention of changing his decision. Never once in his life had Abhyansh Singh Ranawat revoked a punishment. He wasn't about to begin now. But he was in the mood to amuse himself.

Watching her struggle against her fear promised just that. Before he could respond, Avyan walked into the cabin after being permitted. Abhyansh gestured for him to take a seat.

Avyan did have matters to discuss with his brother, though he had planned to meet him the following morning. He had come now only because his mother had asked him to keep an eye on Isha and Abhyansh knew that.

"Why do you think I'd listen to you?" Abhyansh asked, his icy tone making her heart pound even harder.

Still... she forced herself to speak.

"Because... I'm your wife."

She shut her eyes tightly the moment the words left her mouth.

Avyan's eyes widened in disbelief. Even Abhyansh was taken aback. But not a flicker of it reached his face. He refused to admit it... yet hearing I'm your wife from her lips stirred something deep within him. She was his. His to hate. His to punish. His to drag through hell.

"I already told you... you're my—"

Abhyansh began.

"I know." She cut him off.

Avyan nearly forgot how to breathe. She had interrupted Abhyansh Singh Ranawat. Does she have a death wish? he wondered.

"I know I'm your slave for life, Maharaj. But according to the sacred rituals of our marriage, I'm also your wife. My fate is tied to yours, and as your wife, I'm an equal partner in your sins. I can bear the burden of any sin you commit... except this one. Punishing your own mother is a grave sin. I can't be a part of it... and I can't let you do it, Maharaj."

The words flowed out effortlessly. Only after she finished did she realize... she hadn't stammered. She hadn't even thought before speaking. Somewhere deep within her heart... she had accepted a truth she had been denying all along. Abhyansh Singh Ranawat was her husband. And whether she liked it or not... that truth would remain with her for the rest of her life.

For the first time... Abhyansh had nothing to say. That, more than anything else, stunned Avyan. A smile threatened to escape, but he valued his life far too much. So he buried it beneath a perfectly straight face.

"Ask Amrita Singh Ranawat to come here." His voice cracked through the room like a whip. "Right now."

The servants immediately rushed to fetch Amrita. The moment Avyan heard that tone... he knew. His sister-in-law had crossed a line she never should have. Isha silently bid her brother farewell. She was certain... today she would die beneath her husband's punishment.

Bhai... I'm still angry with you... but I love you. May God always keep you happy... and give you the years of my life that He's about to take away from me, she prayed silently.

Amrita rushed into the office, anxiety written all over her face.

"You may have your meals from tomorrow."

For a moment, both Amrita and Avyan wondered if they had misheard him. The BEAST never revoked a punishment. Never. 

A wide smile spread across Isha's face. Unable to contain her happiness, she threw her arms around her mother-in-law. Avyan couldn't help but smile at the sight of his cheerful sister-in-law. Unnoticed by everyone... Abhyansh found himself watching his wife. It was the first time he had seen her smile. And he hated himself for liking it. That smile made her look breathtakingly beautiful.

Realizing she was still standing inside the BEAST's office, Isha immediately stepped back from the embrace and lowered her gaze.

"Thank you, Maharaj."

She bowed her head respectfully.

"You'll bear that punishment instead." His voice remained devoid of emotion. "Six days. No food."

Without a word of protest, Isha nodded. Amrita's heart clenched. How was that poor girl supposed to survive six days without food?

"Three days this week... and three next week."

Silence filled the room once again. He didn't want her falling ill another time. If she did, his punishments would be interrupted. Her suffering gave him peace... and he refused to let anything interfere with it. Yet a tiny corner of his long-dead heart had rebelled. It hadn't wanted her to starve for six days straight.

The thought irritated him. Tomorrow... he would punish her even more severely. That insignificant part of his heart deserved to be crushed before it grew any stronger.

"Now get out."

The cold command was enough. Both Amrita and Isha hurried out of the office without another word.

"B-Bhai Sa... this file..."

Avyan was about to begin discussing work when Abhyansh cut him off.

"The reason you came here is no more." He finally looked up from his laptop. "Leave."

The words left no room for argument.

"Sorry, Bhai Sa..." Avyan muttered, lowering his head.

"The next time you feel like smiling at your brother..." Abhyansh's icy gaze settled on him. "...imagine yourself without teeth before you do."

Avyan froze. He was certain he had concealed his smile. Then how had his brother noticed?

Damn Abhyansh Singh Ranawat and his terrifying observation skills.

"Sorry, Bhai Sa," he mumbled once again before hurriedly gathering the files and making a swift exit.