The realization settled over Siya like a cold shroud, and for the first time, she truly understood the depth of her helplessness. Her new life had begun, but it was far from the escape she had once dreamed of. Instead, it was a prison, and the man she now called her husband held the key.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice when Rudraksh abruptly stopped walking. Her delicate frame collided against what she assumed was a wall, but the faint scent of expensive cologne and the heat radiating from him told her otherwise. It wasn't a wall—it was her husband.
Siya stumbled back, wide-eyed, as Rudraksh turned to face her. The coldness in his dark eyes seemed to pierce straight through her, making her take a hesitant step backward. They were standing in the center of the grand Thakur hall, its opulence all around them—vaulted ceilings, shimmering chandeliers, and walls adorned with portraits of the Thakur ancestors, each face as stern and formidable as Rudraksh himself.
Rudraksh's gaze flicked over her, taking in her trembling form, before he spoke in a tone that was sharp and devoid of emotion. "Do you plan to spend the rest of the night crashing into me, or will you learn to watch where you're going?"
Siya's lips parted, but no words came out. Her heart raced as she lowered her gaze, her hands clutching her sari tightly. "I'm... I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the vast hall.
Rudraksh exhaled, his irritation evident, and his voice turned sharper. "Look at me when you're talking."
Siya froze, her breath hitching at the command. Trembling, she reluctantly lifted her gaze, her wide dove-like eyes meeting his. For a moment, Rudraksh's stern expression faltered as he stared into her eyes—large, innocent, and filled with a mix of fear and vulnerability.
Something inside him stirred, an unfamiliar sensation that caught him off guard. Her purity, the untainted softness in her gaze, was unlike anything he had ever encountered in the cold, calculated world he had built for himself. For a brief second, he almost melted under the weight of her innocence, but he quickly masked the flicker of humanity within him.
Yet, his eyes betrayed him as they wandered from hers, taking in her delicate features—the flush of her rosy cheeks, the subtle tremble of her lips, and the way her fingers tightened around the folds of her sari as if it were her only anchor. Her fragility was painfully evident, and though he had no place for compassion in his world, he couldn't deny the pull he felt in that moment.
Rudraksh's jaw tightened, and he quickly pushed the unfamiliar feeling aside. This was nothing. She was just a pawn, a convenience. His voice, when he spoke again, was cold and controlled, though there was a faint edge of something softer that even he didn't understand.
Suddenly, he raised his voice, his tone sharp and commanding. "Gauri Kaki!"
The sound of his voice echoed through the vast hall, startling Siya. Her body stiffened, and she instinctively lowered her gaze, the fear in her heart intensifying. Within moments, an older woman in her late fifties hurried into the room. She was clad in a simple cotton sari, her greying hair tied into a neat bun. The warmth in her eyes and the hint of concern on her face contrasted sharply with the cold, imposing atmosphere of the mansion.
"Yes, Baba?" she asked, addressing Rudraksh with a respectful yet familiar tone, a sign that she had been part of the household for years.
"Take her to her room," Rudraksh ordered curtly, nodding toward Siya without so much as glancing at her. "Make sure she understands the rules of this house."
Gauri Kaki's eyes softened as they fell on Siya, who stood trembling, her head still bowed. The older woman could sense the girl's fear, her heart aching for the young bride who had clearly been thrust into a life she wasn't prepared for.
"Ji, Baba," Gauri Kaki replied. Turning to Siya, she spoke gently, her voice a stark contrast to Rudraksh's harshness. "Come, bitiya. I'll take you."
Siya hesitated for a moment, her hands gripping the edge of her sari tightly, before nodding and following the older woman. As she walked away with Gauri Kaki, her steps light and hesitant, she cast a fleeting glance at Rudraksh. He stood rooted in place, his sharp features carved into an expression of indifference. Yet, the moment her gaze left him, something shifted in his stillness.
The soft, rhythmic twinkling of her anklets filled the hall, echoing faintly in the vast, silent space. Rudraksh's jaw clenched as the delicate sound reached his ears, an unexpected intrusion into the fortress of his mind. It was unfamiliar, unsettling—too gentle for the cold, hardened world he had built around himself.
Involuntarily, he closed his eyes, the faint chime of her anklets lingering like a melody he didn't know he needed to hear. His fists tightened at his sides, as though fighting off a strange vulnerability he refused to acknowledge.
Why did her presence unsettle him? How could someone be that innocent? The softness in her gaze and the unguarded tremble in her voice lingered in his mind, breaking through the walls he had spent years building. His eyes drifted closed as unbidden thoughts crept in—how might those lips feel? What would they taste like? The thought came with such intensity that it caught him off guard, a surge of temptation he wasn't accustomed to.
Before he could let the image linger, the sharp ring of his phone snapped him out of his reverie. Rudraksh exhaled sharply, opening his eyes with a frustrated flicker of annoyance. Reaching for the phone in his pocket, he pressed it to his ear, his tone cold and commanding as he answered.
"Yes?" he barked, already shifting his focus back to the world he controlled, the one where emotions and desires had no place. But no matter how hard he tried, the sound of her anklets and the image of her trembling lips still lingered in the back of his mind, an unwelcome distraction he couldn't quite shake.
As the voice on the other end of the line continued, his expression darkened like a brewing storm. His jaw clenched, the muscles ticking with barely contained fury, and a dangerous glint flickered in his coal-black eyes. The cold, calculating calm he usually exuded gave way to a far more lethal energy—a predator ready to strike.
"I'm coming," he snarled, his voice low and laced with menace, each word sharp enough to cut. "Keep that bastard there. Do not touch him! He is mine!"
The ferocity in his tone hung heavy in the air as he ended the call, shoving the phone into his pocket with force. His mind shifted fully into the mode he knew best—one of dominance and destruction. Without wasting a moment, Rudraksh strode toward the main door, his footsteps echoing like a countdown to chaos.
For now, the faint chime of anklets and the softness of trembling lips were pushed deep into the recesses of his mind. There were battles to fight, and Rudraksh Thakur was not a man who let distractions—no matter how beautiful—stand in his way.
.............................................................................................................
On the other hand, Gauri Kaki led Siya up the grand staircase, her steps slow and deliberate to match the young girl's hesitant pace. Siya's hands trembled, and her gaze was cast downward, her mind a whirlwind of anxiety. Sensing her unease, Gauri Kaki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, her touch warm and steady.
"Bitiya, daro mat," Gauri Kaki said gently, her voice soft and reassuring, a balm to the storm brewing inside Siya. "Don't be scared," she continued, her hand lingering for a moment longer, offering the kind of unspoken comfort that only a mother figure could provide.
As they reached the top of the stairs, Gauri Kaki pushed open a heavy, ornate door, revealing a room that felt as vast and imposing as its owner. Siya's breath caught in her throat as she stepped inside, her eyes immediately drawn to the dark, polished wood that lined the walls. The room was grand yet cold, the large bed with its black silk sheets exuding an air of formality rather than warmth. Everything in the room spoke of control—sharp edges, immaculate organization, and a presence that felt both powerful and oppressive.
Siya's feet faltered as they crossed the threshold. Her gaze flickered to the furniture, the dark hues, the space that seemed both vast and suffocating. It felt like she was walking into an unfamiliar world, one that held the echoes of a man she had yet to understand.
"Yeh... kis ka kamra hai?" she whispered, her voice barely audible as she hesitated in the doorway. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing to make sense of the overwhelming sight before her. Whose room is this?
Gauri Kaki smiled softly, though it was tinged with a hint of caution. "This is Baba's room," she replied, her voice quiet but firm. "Your husband's room."
The weight of her words dropped like a stone in Siya's stomach. She felt her hands tighten on the folds of her sari, the fabric crinkling beneath her fingers as panic began to rise. She hadn't expected to be placed directly into his space, surrounded by his presence even in his absence. The thought of being here, alone, in his room, made her skin crawl.
"Daro mat, bitiya," Gauri Kaki added, her voice more gentle now, as she noticed the fear in Siya's posture. "Baba bhale hi bahar se daravne lage, par andar se bohot acche hain." (Don't be scared, dear. Baba might seem intimidating on the outside, but he is very good at heart.) Her words were meant to soothe, but they did little to ease the terror tightening in Siya's chest.
Siya forced a small nod, though the fear still gripped her. She couldn't shake the image of her cold, commanding husband from her mind—his sharp features, his icy demeanor, his aloofness. The idea of being bound to a man like him, in his world, made her feel small and insignificant.
Gauri Kaki sighed, as if understanding the gravity of the situation. "Main niche hoon agar kuch chahiye toh. Mujhe yaad karna, theek hai?" (I'll be downstairs if you need anything. Just call for me, okay?)
Siya nodded slightly, though her gaze remained fixed on the floor. She could feel the weight of Gauri Kaki's concerned stare, a silent prayer in the older woman's heart for the girl left to navigate this foreign world.
Before leaving, Gauri Kaki placed a hand on Siya's head, her touch tender as she stroked her hair. "Himmat rakho, bitiya," she murmured, offering a kind smile. "Sab theek ho jayega." (Have courage, dear. Everything will be fine.)
Siya nodded again, but her lips pressed into a thin line as she struggled to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to break free. Gauri Kaki's warmth was a small comfort, but it wasn't enough to erase the fear that clung to her heart like a suffocating weight.
With a final glance, Gauri Kaki stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her, leaving Siya alone in the vast, unfamiliar space. The silence that followed was deafening. The room's grandeur felt less like a sanctuary and more like a cage, its imposing beauty a stark reminder of the world Siya had found herself trapped in.
For a long moment, Siya stood frozen, taking in the coldness of the room, the weight of her situation pressing down on her. She closed her eyes, allowing herself just a moment of weakness, a fleeting wish to escape to the life she had left behind—one of uncertainty, yes, but at least it had been hers.
Now, she was here, bound by invisible chains to a man she barely knew. A man whose heart was as cold as the walls that surrounded her. And she had no choice but to try and survive it, no matter how lost she felt.
