CHAPTER 10
Wedding day,
Prisha was standing in front of the mirror, wearing a stunning red lehenga. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, a vision of allure and magnificence. However, the one thing missing was her radiant smile. Instead, her face was emotionless, her heart heavy with pain. She closed her eyes, thinking about how, like every girl, she had dreamed of marrying a loving, caring man with good morals. Shaurya was far from her dream man. Today, she felt she had lost all her happiness. She was certain that this marriage would bring her anything but joy and peace. Tears welled up and began to flow freely down her cheeks.
At that moment, her mother entered the room. Seeing Prisha, she said with tears in her eyes, “You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, my daughter.” She kissed Prisha's forehead and continued, “I hope you will find all the happiness in your life.I wish Shaurya will keep you happy and cherish you forever.”
Prisha hugged her mother tightly, whispering, “I will miss you, Mom. You are my everything.”
Her mother smiled gently, she said reassuring her,"Prisha, now you have 2 house. And you could visit your mother whenever you want." Prisha nodded and they walked outside of the bridal room.
As Prisha walked toward the mandap holding her mother's hand, her gaze fell on her sister, Tina, who was lookingat her with hatred and anger. Prisha understood that Tina was upset, perhaps worried about her future, and she prayed that her sister's anger to fade quickly.
With a heavy heart, Prisha sat beside Shaurya, who looked furious. He didn’t glance at her even once as he performed the rituals angrily. When it came time to fill her hairline with sindoor, he looked at her with a smirk and said, “Welcome to hell, Mrs. Prisha Shaurya Rawat.” A shiver ran down her spine at his dangerous and husky voice.
After tying the nuptial chain around her neck, the priest pronounced them husband and wife. They stood up together and took blessings from the elders, marking the beginning of their tumultuous journey as a married couple.
Shaurya's room,
Prisha was standingin his room, taking in the dark decor that seemed to match Shaurya's brooding personality. The walls were painted in a deep charcoal gray, almost black. The furniture was made of dark, polished wood, with sharp, angular lines that added to the room's severe aesthetic. A massive, king-sized bed dominated the center of the room, above the bed hung his portrait where he was sitting on the horse.
After their marriage, Shaurya had left abruptly, leaving her to enter the house alone. She felt humiliated as Shaurya’s relatives showed her sympathy, clearly seeing that Shaurya was unhappy with the marriage. Some even taunted her, that she didn't match his standard, that she had trapped him.
She was about to change her dress when Shaurya entered the room. Fear began building in her system as she wondered what he would do to her. She could smell alcohol in the air, mingled with the fragrance of perfume. She understood that it was dangerous to stay near him. She tried to rush toward the washroom, but a powerful arm wrapped around her waist. Before she could react, she was thrown into the air, and when she came back to her senses, she was already lying on the bed. Although the bed was soft, her back hurt from the fall. He was standing by the bed, looking down at her. She could feel his chilling aura. He bent down, grabbed her hair with one hand, and forced her to look into his eyes, asking word by word,
"Why did you marry me?" he asked, each word dripping with venom.
"I was helpless," she stuttered.
Shaurya chuckled darkly. "Helpless? Those are just excuses. You wanted to marry me and enjoy all these luxuries and riches, just like your sister. But you're wrong, darling. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I will never accept you as my wife. From now on, you will be my maid. You will do all my work, and in exchange, you can live here and enjoy these things. I will divorce you after a few months. Until then, enjoy."
Prisha inwardly chuckled at his misconception. She didn't want his luxuries; she wanted love, care, and respect—things he could never offer. She snapped back to reality at his stern voice. "I'm asking you something. Yes or no?"
She immediately nodded. "Yes."
Shaurya turned to go to the washroom but paused when he heard her soft voice. "Can you do me a favor? Please behave nicely with me in front of my mom. I don't want to hurt her."
Shaurya's expression softened momentarily, but he quickly masked it with a taunt. "Stop this act. If you cared about your mother, you would never have married a beast like me for money."
Prisha lowered her gaze, wanting to shout that she had done everything for her mother's happiness but knowing he wouldn't believe her, she remained silent.
"Fine. I will behave nicely in front of your mother," he said curtly before walking to the washroom.
A while later, Shaurya emerged, wearing only a towel around his lower body. Prisha, sitting on the bed, turned at the sound of the door and immediately looked away, embarrassed.
Shaurya walked to the cupboard, change his clothes andpicked up a bedsheet, and threw it at her. "Don't forget you're my maid now. Take this and sleep on the floor or the sofa. And don't touch anything without my permission."
After changing clothes, Prisha walked to the sofa and lay down, trying to sleep.
The next morning, Prisha awoke with a groan, her body aching from a night spent on the sofa. She glanced over at the bed, where Shaurya was still sleeping soundly. With a sigh, she clasped her hands and whispered a quick prayer, then headed to the washroom to get ready for the day.
Descending the stairs, she spotted her mother-in-law in the kitchen. Quickly, Prisha touched her feet in respect and said, "Good morning, Mom. I'm sorry I slept in today. From tomorrow, I'll be up early to make breakfast."
His mother smiled and said softly, "No problem, dear. This is your home, and you can wake up whenever you like. We have plenty of servants, so you don't need to worry about making breakfast unless you feel like cooking. Understand?"
Prisha nodded and greeted Shaurya's father before taking a seat. Tina and Rakesh had gone out of town for Rakesh's meeting.
Shaurya's room,
Shaurya opened his eyes and yawned, glancing at the clock. It was 10 in the morning. "I woke up early," he mumbled. He stumbled out of bed and headed to the washroom, still half-asleep. Grabbing a toothbrush, he started brushing his teeth, only to realize it wasn't his. Looking around, he saw Prisha's brush, soap, bath gel, and other items scattered around. Anger flared up inside him. "How dare she mix her stuff with mine?" he fumed.
Storming out of the washroom, he saw Prisha entering the room. Marching up to her, he grabbed her hand and said, "How dare you put your stuff in my washroom? I just brushed my teeth with your dirty brush!"
"I can't use any other washroom. If your father finds out, then..." She trailed off, but Shaurya understood her implication. He sighed, trying to calm down. "Fine, you can use my washroom, but your timing will be fixed in the morning. And don't mix your things with mine—find another shelf for your items. You can use the washroom before I wake up. Understand?"
Prisha nodded.
Then he released her hand and said, "Go and pick out my clothes. I need to go to the gym and then to the office. Also, bring my breakfast to the room and prepare a protein shake for me."
She nodded again and quickly set about following his instructions.
Twenty days passed, Prisha’s routine remained unchanged. She woke up early and took care of all of Shaurya's needs without complaint, having accepted this as her fate.
Late one night, Shaurya returned home from the office. When he entered the room, he saw Prisha reading a book.She can smell alcohol, and now this is normal for her.He is a complete spoil brat who knows to spend money. Even in office, he didn't do anything. Seeing him, she quickly rushed to the closet and picked out his clothes. “Should I heat dinner for you?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, I’m not that hungry. Prepare white sauce pasta for me.” With that, he headed to the washroom while Prisha went to the kitchen.
After changing his clothes, Shaurya entered the kitchen and saw Prisha busy preparing the pasta. He watched her, noticing the beads of sweat trickling down from her forehead to her cheek and then to her neck. His gaze lingered on her long, slender neck, and without realizing it, he stepped closer to her.
Prisha was about to wipe the sweat from her face, when Shaurya unexpectedly stepped forward and wiped it off with a tissue, startling her. She turned to face him, and he realized what he was doing. He stammered, "I was…"
"I don’t want your dirty sweat falling into my food," he said arrogantly, quickly composing himself. Prisha frowned at his behavior but shifted her focus back to the pasta. When she reached for the salt on a high shelf, she found the container empty. Sighing, she climbed a stool to get the salt from the upper shelf, but she was going to slip, before she fellShaurya caught her just in time.
For a moment, they lost into each other's eyes, until the sound of shattering glass broke the spell. Both turned to see Tina standing at the kitchen door, her expression mirroring the broken glass at her feet.
“What’s going on here?” Tina demanded angrily. Shaurya frowned at her tone. Before he could respond, Prisha, still in his arms, pleaded, “Please put me down.”
Ignoring her, Shaurya looked at Tina and said, “Come on, Tina, you’re not naive. Can’t you see I’m romancing my wife? If you want to see how your little sister romances her husband, you can stay and watch.” Tina, burning with jealousy and anger, turned and stormed out of the kitchen. Once she was gone, Shaurya set Prisha down and instructed, “Bring the pasta to my room.”
He then walked toward his room. As he was about to enter, he heard Tina's angry voice behind him, “What are you doing with her?”
Shaurya ignored her and stepped inside the room. Sitting on the sofa, he taunted, “Oh, Tina, why are you so curious about what I’m doing with her? Are you really that interested in your sister’s sex life with her husband?”
Tina's blood boiled at his words. With a hurt expression, she said, “Shaurya, I know you’re upset with me. You want to make me jealous, but please don’t use my sister to take revenge. She’s innocent.”
"I don't think your sister is that innocent. She's a tigress in bed—I could show you the marks she left on me yesterday," he said in a teasing tone. Tina closed her eyes in pain, his words were killing her. A smirk formed on his face seeing her face.
He continued, "Listen carefully, Tina. You’re not important enough for me to marry your sister just to take revenge on you. I really love her and married her of my own free will. So, don't you dare interfere in our life. Now, get out before my wife comes. I don’t want her doubting me because she sees you here." He walked to the door and opened it, saying sternly, "Leave."
Tina glared at him and walked out of the room. Shaurya watched her leave, then he walked to the balcony. Hewas looking at the sky, lost in thought. He was brought back to reality by Prisha’s soft voice, “Food.”
He turned toward her and sat on the sofa, starting to eat. Meanwhile, Tina was seething with jealousy. She remembered the times she had spent with Shaurya. Though he never showed it, he had been caring and respectful toward her, always fulfilling her wishes. The world might see him as a carefree and spoiled brat, but she knew he had a caring side. She realized she had thrown everything away, losing a diamond in search of gold.
Looking at Rakesh, she thought about how he provided all the luxuries but not respect, love, and care she craved. She cursed Prisha for taking away her chance with Shaurya. The fear gnawed at her: what if Shaurya really liked Prisha? No, this couldn’t happen.
She closed her eyes, struggling with her thoughts. How could Prisha be so lucky? Prisha had everything—the love and care of their parents, the admiration of relatives and neighbors. Tina had worked so hard to become the daughter-in-law of the Rawat family, but Prisha had got it effortlessly.
Worry consumed her as she thought about the future. In five months, Rakesh would divorce her, but Shaurya wouldn't leave Prisha. Prisha would become the permanent daughter-in-law of the house and enjoy all the luxuries for the rest of her life. These thoughts tormented Tina until sleep finally overtook her.