We must pity the Opera ghost

"He had a heart that could have held the entire empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar. Ah, yes, we must pity the Opera ghost..."

-Gaston Leroux

Mishti woke the next day with an aching body, dark circles under her eyes, and a bloated and blotchy face from nonstop crying. Last night after an arduous bout of cursing, crying, and throwing things around, exhaustion had finally taken over and she had fallen into a restless sleep.

Lying in the plush hotel bed, she looked up at the tall ceiling and wondered why Bappa was punishing her like this. For which crimes was she paying the enormous price of marrying a ruthless man like Ronobir Chatterjee?

A part of her felt grateful to him for surrendering yesterday, she knew that any other man would have taken what he wanted without caring for her at all. But another part of her resented him for embarrassing her; for going away to someone else's bed, to satisfy his cravings. All said and done he was still her husband after all.

Mishti closed her eyes once again, trying to shut off her jumbled thoughts and go back to sleep, but unsuccessfully. After a few minutes, she realized it was impossible and decided to put on her big girl pants and start the day. She was flying back with Ronobir and his family to New York in a few hours, and as much as she hated the idea, there was nothing she could do about it.

She took a long shower and dressed in a pair of black capris, a green silk top, and emerald green ballerina flats. Her hair was styled in loose waves from the night before and she applied only a coat of mascara and lip balm before leaving the room.

She went to the restaurant where she expected to have a quiet and calm breakfast but knew that would be impossible when she saw her soon-to-be sister-in-law sitting alone. Shruti waved at her and Mishti couldn't ignore her, after all, her mother had spent twenty-five years teaching her manners and how to be a proper lady.

"Good morning Mishti!" Shruti said warmly the minute Mishti sat down. She could see the apologetic way Shruti was staring at her which only served to make her feel more embarrassed at her current situation.

"Morning Shruti!" Mishti whispered and was grateful when the waiter arrived to take their order. She asked for Greek yogurt with fruit, a piece of toast, and orange juice since she wasn't sure she could stomach anything more at the moment.

"Mishti, I truly want us to be friends," the blonde said once the waiter had retired from their table. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that this is happening. I told Ronny this was the worst idea he has ever had."

Mishti curled an eyebrow at her, "Really?"

"Yes, of course. But once that man has his mind set on something there's nothing that can stop him," she said while looking down.

"I'm sorry for everything he's putting you through."

"Yeah well, I'm sorry too!" Mishti bit out harshly. "The last thing I wanted was to get married at twenty-five to a man I don't love and have him spend our wedding night sleeping with Bappa knows who. And then to be stuck with him and his family the next day on the flight back to someplace where I don't know anyone," she said agitatedly.

Once she finished her speech she saw Shruti looking at her with her mouth wide open. "Okay!" she leaned forward and placed both hands on the table. "The wedding thing was awful, we're in the twenty-first century and I don't know why Ronny thought it was a good idea to do this!" She looked at Mishti intently, "I know that it must be hard to leave the place you know and all your friends but I could be your friend too Mishti." Her eyes softened while looking at her and Mishti felt a bit of remorse for the way she had treated her lately.

"You don't have to be alone there, the transition is going to be hard, you're going to need as much support as you can get!"

Mishti stared at her and nodded without saying a word, she guessed in a way Shruti was right.

"And Ronny wasn't sleeping with anyone last night!"

Mishti laughed drily and rolled her eyes, "You almost got me, Shruti, but now I know you only want to defend him."

"What? No!", she looked surprised, "I swear it." The chirpy girl swore on her mother and Mishti couldn't help but smile at it. "Ronny crashed into our suite and proceeded to get drunk with Rishabh, then those two idiots fell asleep on the balcony floor!"

Mishti narrowed her eyes in suspicion while looking at her.

"Why would I lie to you? You already hate Ronny. I swear, I could barely get any sleep because of their stupid antics, which is why I'm having a large one today!" she gestured toward the huge cup of coffee in front of her.

The waiter arrived with the food and as he placed it on the table Mishti mulled over what her sister-in-law had said. Should she believe her? Shruti seemed to be a genuinely nice person and Mishti had liked her before she knew about her relationship with Ronobir. Most importantly did it matter? Did it make a difference that Ronobir hadn't cheated on her last night?

Yes, it mattered.

"Do you believe me?" Shruti asked sincerely.

"Yes Shruti, I believe you!"

She smiled briefly before digging into her food. Mishti watched her eat with disbelief, her plate was filled with eggs, pancakes, and sausages, and she wondered how she could still be as skinny as she was.

They continued their breakfast talking nonsense; clothes, their love for silly reality shows, and books and they even managed to bond over their mutual hatred for Mishti's sister, Pari. The morning seemed promising but the mood dampened considerably when Shruti's phone rang informing her it was time to start packing. She gave Mishti a sad look, telling her it was better if she headed back to her suite.

"He's not that bad Mishti," Shruti told her as they walked together towards the elevator. "I know what he did was wrong and I would never excuse him for it but you don't know him the way I do, there's good in him."

Mishti nodded and remained silent for the rest of the way. She mused her words for a long time but she couldn't find any valid reason to believe them. Ronobir Chatterjee had brought nothing but chaos and pain with him since the moment he had walked into her life.

Almost as if she had invoked him, he walked into the room, looking as fresh as a daisy. He was wearing a deep blue polo shirt and a pair of jeans, looking like he had walked straight out of a Ralph Lauren ad and Mishti hated him for it.

"Don't you look wonderful today, wifey!" he said, looking her up and down. She ignored him and continued packing her items into the suitcase.

"Nothing to say, Scarlet?"

"Stop calling me that!" she muttered.

"Oh, she speaks!" he mocked her and strode languidly towards her until he was standing right behind her, the heat of his body enveloping her as his warm breath singed her ear. "Did you sleep well, sweety?"

"No better than you I assume," she snapped, wanting to know how he'd answer.

"Does it bother you?", he said huskily as his arms snaked around her slender frame and pulled her flush to him. "'To think I was balls deep in someone else last night?"

She registered the words but couldn't pay any attention as he had tilted her head to the side and was currently running his nose up and down her neck as if he was trying to inhale her very essence. "Tell me Mishti", he whispered deeply.

"I hate you!" she answered passionately and felt his grip on her get stronger.

"Love and hate are not a far stretch from one another, I have told you that already." His hands moved until his fingers were playing with the buttons on her jeans, "I wasn't with anyone last night Mishti and I won't touch anyone else until you give yourself to me sweetie." She hated the part of her that felt relief at his words.

"And you will beg... you'll plead for me and then I'll give you everything I've been holding on to," he spun her around so quickly, Mishti could barely react before his mouth was devouring hers. His hands slid around her waist and curved her body flush to his and he kissed her like he was a starving man and her mouth was the only thing that could assuage his hunger. She drowned in the incredible feeling of his soft lips against hers, his tongue discovering every nook and cranny of her mouth, tracing its soft and luscious contours. Her heart pounded in her chest erratically as she lost herself in the wet sounds of their kisses and the blazing feel of his hands as they roamed around her bare back and gripped her ass cheeks.

He ground against her relentlessly and her eyes rolled at the back of her head, and she couldn't stop her moan at the feel of his erection against the softest parts of her, "Ronobir..." she whimpered in complete bliss, her core vibrating with need, and felt him smirking next to her mouth.

Mishti felt like her body was on fire, she could feel every nerve-ending, ablaze with need and desire, the touch of his smoldering mouth scorching her hot skin. She was floating again in a cloud of lust and nothing else mattered, as she threaded her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. He growled in pleasure, his hands gripping her hips and he pulled away slightly with her lower lip still between his lips.

"So sweet" he whispered and she could feel the tangy taste of blood on her tongue, the bastard had bitten her but before she could say anything, he pulled his tongue out and licked the injured lip, tasting her blood on his tongue. That gesture drove Mishti wild with need, she had no idea what came over her but the sheer carnality of the act made the dampness between her legs grow and she chased his tongue with her own, fusing their mouths again in a passionate kiss.

A knock on the door interrupted their lustful haze, their lips broke apart and their foreheads rested against each other as they tried to control their breathing. His hands were digging into her hips and she was sure she would have bruises on her skin tomorrow.

The door was knocked on once again; this time more forcefully, "Ronobir the car is waiting for us downstairs", Rishabh's voice said from the other side of the door.

"Asshole!" Ronobir muttered under his breath as he released Mishti from his grasp. "We'll meet you downstairs in a minute!" he shouted in the direction of the door before turning his attention back to Mishti. "You got everything?"

Her cheeks were still flushed and her lips swollen, Ronobir swore he never saw anything more beautiful than her, at that moment.

"Yes, I'll just have to zip this up," she averted her gaze and turned to close the handbag she had been preparing before he arrived.

"Is this all you're bringing?" he asked while gesturing to the black suitcase in the corner of the room and the handbag that was currently resting on her arm.

"Yes, my mom... she's sending all other things straight to New York," she answered looking anywhere but at him. It was going to be so strange seeing all of her things in Ronobir's house, all the things she had from her previous life, the life where she had been happy.

He nodded and grabbed her suitcase and his own. "Let's go then," he gestured for her to walk out first and then followed her.

She was curled on the seat in a position that couldn't be very comfortable, but he couldn't bring himself to wake her up. Dark circles bruised the soft skin under her eyes and he knew he was the reason they were there because he had turned her life upside down. The least he could do was let her sleep.

She was wrapped in a warm, fluffy, cream blanket and looked so angelic; her long lashes fanning her cheeks and her mouth partly open. They were flying in the family's private plane and he was currently sitting across from her, watching her sleep throughout the trip; her eyes had closed the minute her body landed on the seat.

Ronobir had never been a man to care about feelings. He had been trained since a very young age to view feelings as nothing but an unwanted obstacle on the road to success. Love was only a weakness; his father had imparted that lesson to him repeatedly. He taught him that lesson when he made him gut out his favorite dog, who in a moment of fear had bitten Rishabh, he taught him that lesson when he struck his mother and broke his arm when he tried to intervene, he taught him that lesson the first time he made him kill a man.

Albeit the man he had killed was a criminal, who had raped the daughter of one of the men in THE FAMILY. Udayveer had thought it was going to be the perfect introduction into 'manhood' for Ronobir. He was fourteen at the time and he had been shaking like a leaf the entire time, as his fingers pulled the trigger tears had been streaming down his face. Ronobir cried the entire night after that, but that was the last time he ever shed a tear. Sometimes, even now when he closed his eyes, he could see that man's face and hear his father screaming at him to shoot.

Violence and bloodshed were a part of their lives, Udayveer had thrived on them, but Ronobir did not. His people still respected him because they knew that even though Ronobir didn't share his father's bloodlust, he would stop at nothing when it came to protecting his people. He was their Boss and everyone knew better than to mess with the Boss's family.

And now Ronobir had brought this heavenly creature into his hellish world of violence and blood. In moments when he let his humanity resurface and his conscience speaks to him, he cursed himself for chaining this innocent girl to him, because he was a monster and there was no doubt he was going to destroy her. He was not capable of love, his life choices had turned him into a coldhearted machine and he was going to tear her apart. In those brutally honest and unselfish moments he wanted to free her from captivity but then the darkness resurfaced. The monster that lived inside of him wanted to claim her and Ronobir had lost the battle to that part of himself a long time ago.

She had called to him since the first time he had laid eyes on her, her body had sung to him and his need to know her became obsessive. He never truly disappeared from her life, on more than one occasion he flew to Mumbai and watched her from afar. He loved to see how her eyes shone when her lips turned up in an endearing smile, how she seemed to float around on a cloud of happiness, how everyone around her revivified when she talked. Mishti was pure sunshine. She gave him peace, it was something he couldn't explain and didn't want to dwell on too much. When he stared at her he felt at ease, like she could keep all of his monsters at bay with the power of her warm gaze. He was a selfish man and he wanted the calm she could provide him even if it ended up breaking her.

And above all he wanted her to love him! Ronobir didn't know much about love or had ever experienced it but he needed her to love him so much that it consumed her. He was never letting her go even if it ended up destroying both of them. And he knew he would destroy her because he was darkness and nothing as bright and beautiful as she could live long surrounded by darkness without withering away.

Mishti opened her eyes and found Ronobir staring at her, traces of sleep still clinging to her and she had to blink a few times to convince herself he was indeed looking at her. Their foreheads were almost touching and as consciousness came flooding back she realized they were in the back of a car and that she was nestled in his lap.

"What-where are we?" her voice sounded slightly panicked as she tried to remove herself from his lap.

His grip on her tightened making it impossible for her to put distance between their bodies.

"You sleep like a log Scarlet, I had to carry you out of the plane myself," his mouth twitched in a smile.

"I- You should have woken me up!"

"But you looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you," he answered and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from retorting that if he didn't want to disturb her he would have let her stay, safe and sound, in Mumbai.

"We're almost home!" he said.

Home! This was not home for Mishti Chatterjee; this place would never be home for her no matter how much he tried.

The 'house', more like a country estate, was massive; a 12,000 square-foot manor. It was two stories in height and the walls were made of bricks arranged in irregular patterns accentuated with timber and stucco. The slated roof created interesting patterns as the various planes intersected and the eyelid dormers added much to the feeling of a fairy tale cottage. Several chimneys with ornamental chimney pots rose from the enormous roof. Double-hung, diamond-shaped, wrought-iron casements with ivy climbing on them dotted the walls and triangular cutouts made the house look like a cross between something straight out of a movie set in Tudor England and Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house. A large porte-cochere protruded from the center with several doors leading onto porches or terraces. The magnificent residence was very different from the kind of place she had imagined Ronobir Chatterjee and his family living in. Mishti felt a hole in her stomach as she crossed the wide doors and stepped into the place where she was going to be living from now on. Who would have thought a month ago that her life was going to take such a drastic turn?

"They will take care of your things," Ronobir's voice brought her back to reality, as he motioned to a pair of boys who were retrieving their suitcases from the car. Rishabh and Shruti hadn't arrived yet and Mishti regretted not having Shruti with her right now.

"I would give you a tour of the property but it seems you're very tired."

Mishti nodded not knowing what else to do, he was right, she suddenly felt insanely tired and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and wake up in her old house in Mumbai.

Ronobir led her up the stairs and into one of the most secluded bedrooms at the end of the hallway. "This is the only room habitable in this wing of the house," he explained as he opened the door and revealed a spectacular bedroom that looked like it belonged in the pages of an architecture magazine. The first thing that struck Mishti's eyes was the massive four-poster bed, it was the biggest bed she had ever seen, it was literally as if two king-sized beds had been spliced together. The room was very masculine and classy, the words minimal but opulent, understated but sexy sprang to mind. There was a marked absence of pictures or other personal knick-knacks portraying Ronobir's lack of sentimentality. "Welcome home sweety"

Mishti stared at the majestic room, dumbstruck for a few seconds before her brain snapped back to reality. "What? You are staying here with me?"

Ronobir chuckled as he hugged her to him and walked further into the room. "This is my bedroom Mishti and you are my wife, therefore this is where we'll be sleeping. Together!" he said with finality.

She pulled away from his embrace and faced him with angry eyes, the energy she had lost during the flight returning to her in an instant. "Then give me another room, there are plenty of those here."

"No!" he shook his head and crossed his arms across his chest, staring at her with a smirk on his lips.

Mishti took a deep breath trying to control her anger, "I won't sleep with you, Ronobir."

He chuckled, "Don't worry Scarlet I won't touch you until you beg me to." He moved closer to her and took a strand of her hair between his fingers. "But you and I will be sharing this bedroom and that's not up for discussion."

"You are crazy if...", he placed a finger on her lips to interrupt her and leaned down until their foreheads were almost touching.

"I think sometimes you forget who you're talking to," the iris of his eyes turned frosty and at that moment Mishti understood the reason for his nickname – 'The Ice man'. There was nothing but coldness in his stare, "You will do as I say, Mishti!"

He removed his fingers and placed a forceful kiss on her lips before walking away and shutting the door behind him.

Mishti collapsed on the bed, her body shivering and eyes filling up with tears. She felt exhausted although she had spent the last hour sleeping. There was no doubt she was in hell and the sooner she accepted the fact the better.

Ronobir Chatterjee had dragged her straight into hell.