CHAPTER 233: CHAPTER-233

After finishing her meal, Kaya glanced at Veer, who was quietly collecting the dishes. She couldn’t understand this man. Men usually carried such big egos—her ex, for instance, had hated her independence. Even the ones she’d met later, though kinder, still carried that silent pride. But Veer... he was different.

A man like him, loved by everyone in his tribe, clearly the family’s favorite child, almost like a prince—yet he bent down for her so easily, without hesitation. Kaya couldn’t wrap her head around it.

As if he had read her thoughts, Veer suddenly spoke with a faint smile, "Sweetheart... I really do want you to keep staring at me like that for the rest of our lives. But if you’ve got a question, just ask."

Kaya looked at him, her eyes steady, and then finally spoke.

"You knew about me from before, didn’t you?"

It wasn’t a question—it sounded more like she was confirming what she already believed.

Veer’s lips curved into a small smile. He set the basket on the ground, then sat on the bed beside her. His gaze was warm, tender, almost too soft for her to handle, and with that same faint smile he said,

"And what if I did?"

Kaya didn’t flinch. "Where did you meet me before?"

Veer chuckled lightly, tilting his head. "Why don’t you guess?"

She stared at him for a long moment before replying, calm but firm.

"I’ve never met you before."

At that, Veer nodded slowly, his eyes wandering around the room as if he were hiding something behind that casual gesture. "Hmm... maybe that’s true. Or maybe we did meet once, but you don’t remember."

Kaya shook her head immediately. "No. If I had seen you, I would’ve remembered. Someone like you..." her eyes lingered on his face before she looked away, "...is not someone a person could forget."

And she wasn’t lying. With his presence, his face, that unshakable aura—it would be impossible to forget this man. Which only made her more certain. She had never seen Veer before.

Veer only smiled faintly, his eyes fixed on her, and then he said something that made Kaya’s head spin even more.

"Do you know... sometimes we don’t even know where or how we met someone. It just happens—we meet."

Kaya stared at him in utter disbelief. "Stop playing around. Just tell me—where did you see me before? And this—" she held the bedsheet slightly, "—tell me about this. How did you create it?"

Veer looked at her, his smile softening, a little brighter this time.

"Sweetheart, do you know... sometimes, when we meet someone, there’s this sudden pull. Like—yes, this is what I was waiting for. People even call it love at first sight. Do you believe in that?"

Kaya didn’t even think before answering, her tone flat.

"It’s nonsense."

Veer froze for half a second, then burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he bent forward. "Hahaha! Oh, god." He wiped at the tears forming in the corner of his eyes, still chuckling. "I thought you’d say that."

When his laughter calmed, he leaned back slightly, still smiling, but there was something deeper in his gaze now. "You know... sometimes we think magic is nonsense too. Someone tells us it exists, and we laugh it off. But when we see it with our own eyes... only then do we realize how marvelous it really is."

Kaya just stared at him, unsure if he was still teasing or speaking from the heart.

Veer continued, his voice quieter now.

"The first time I saw you—up on that tree, when I was fighting my brother—it was a life and death moment for me. But then... I felt it. A strange pull towards you."

His eyes locked onto hers.

"To tell the truth, the first time I came to find you... it was because of your weapon. I wanted to know what kind of blade could kill my brother so easily."

Kaya’s eyes narrowed slightly, but before she could speak, he went on.

"But the second time I saw you..." his voice faltered for just a breath, softer now, "...I lost everything. It was like being a moth drawn to a flame. I knew I’d burn. I knew I’d be destroyed. But even then—I wanted to follow you, to the very end of this world."

Kaya just stared at him blankly. "Done with the cheesy lines? Now cut the nonsense and tell me—how did you meet me?"

Veer let out a helpless sigh and shook his head. "What do you want me to say? It’s not like you’ll believe me just because I tell you." His gaze locked onto hers, steady and unwavering. "But one thing I can swear on—my love for you is real. If you asked me to die for you, I would, right here and now."

With that, he pushed himself up from his seat, gave her one last look, and walked away.

.

.

Kaya stared at the door for a long time, not even blinking. Slowly, she pushed herself out of bed and dragged her feet to the small bathroom. She filled a bowl with water and splashed it onto her face. There was no mirror here, only the faint reflection on the water’s surface. She leaned over and studied herself.

Short hair. Eyes that used to be black but now shimmered a strange, safari blue—though honestly, she didn’t care what color they were. Her face looked worn out, dark circles carved deep under her eyes. She sighed. How could anyone... love this?

Love—what a useless thing. That’s what she had always believed. Yet, no one had ever said something like that to her before: I would die for you.

Her fingers brushed against her chest, and for a moment, she froze. Her heart... it was thumping. Loud. Fast. Stronger than it had in years. A strange warmth spread inside her, and it made her uneasy.

"What the hell..." she muttered under her breath, shaking her head as if to chase the thought away. She splashed another handful of water onto her face.

"Damn it. I’m going crazy."