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"Why politics? You can work with me. Your fast-pacing brain can come to great use in the hospitality business. You can prove to be an important asset to my vision," he questioned her, raising the one topic that was making him confused. But for Jayasvi, it was an obvious choice.
"Firstly, politics is all I have studied during my graduation and everything I actually know about, while hotel management is something I have zero knowledge of. Secondly, politics feels like home. Every theory seems to be connected to my day-to-day life. It's the study of human nature in itself,
which actually makes me a lot more interested. Thirdly and most importantly, during my internship under your father, I learned a lot of new things and lessons about life. It just makes me more curious about this world," she spoke in almost a daze, looking at the passing trees on the way.
She knew it was absurd. Her mother wasn't really a fan of her working under a politician, especially given the kind of presence they hold in society.
This wasn't really a field considered safe for women.
But now that she was going to be the daughter-in-law of the man she once only saw through a screen, it felt like a sign for her to keep moving forward.
Raghav cleared his throat as if to pull her out of her dreamland, having seen the way her face looked lost in the rear-view mirror as he slowed his speed a bit.
"You know it's always your choice what you want in life. But all I can tell you is that if you work with me, it will give me a sense of peace knowing you are safe," Raghav spoke after a long pause, letting her know his true intentions regarding her.
It was never about controlling her; it was about keeping her around him to ensure her complete security.
But the reality was, could somebody actually learn anything in life without taking risks? She wanted to at least give the situation a try before taking a step back, because one thing Jayasvi never did was hold onto guilt about anything.
No matter if she made a good or bad decision in her life, she never carried guilt about it. Not even when she was betrayed by Raghav and so many other people. It was always a lesson for her—one that she should never forget.
They soon reached closer to the city area, with the traffic buzzing around them now. Raghav's helmet concealed his identity, even though his security detail was actively keeping tabs on their location. Soon after, he stopped the vehicle in front of a luxurious car dealership, asking her to get down.
Jayasvi frowned for a moment, even though she got down obediently, looking up to see the 'BMW' logo.
The brand she had always drooled over. Her very dream that had never come true.
Jayasvi had spent half her life trying to convince her father to buy a car for the family—wanting to have the experience of owning a car and feeling proud about it, even though it wasn't a big deal for many people.
But for Jayasvi, who spent almost all her life taking cabs, autos, and buses, or having to travel with relatives while feeling like a burden upon others, it was a luxury she never got to afford—even though they never lacked finances.
Her father simply never wanted to take on the responsibility, nor did he want her to be self-reliant enough to not need him.
"Moon to earth," Raghav interrupted, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes and making her blink rapidly.
She suddenly became hyper-conscious of the loud sound of traffic, the surrounding people, and then this beauty standing in front of her.
Before she could bring herself to fully understand, Raghav held her hand, interlinking their fingers together and leading her inside with him.
"Raghav, why did you bring me here?" she questioned him while looking around the showroom, taking in those gorgeous beauties around her.
She was barely holding herself back from drooling at the models, the elegance, the interior, and the rich fragrance lingering in the air. Everything felt like a dream to her.
"I have to take a car delivery," Raghav responded, causing her to turn and look at him.
Of course he was rich. He could afford this very easily, just like the other cars he owned that were even more expensive than these.
It must have been a regular thing for him and his family, which explained why nobody else from his family accompanied him here the way people mostly do.
"Do you have any identity proof on you?" Raghav further questioned, making her frown and raise her eyebrows. The radars in her head perked up slightly, curiosity clearly getting the best of her.
"Yes, but why would you need that?" she asked him, clutching her bag tighter. Before letting her overthink, he gently took her bag from her, making her gasp as she already reached to snatch it back from him—but he was faster. He pulled out the ID card he needed and handed her bag back to her.
This guy has no hesitation. No shame, she thought, already panicking about what he was trying to do.
"The car will be under her name," Raghav spoke to the dealer, providing her card for further processing, rendering her completely numb for a while.
She almost forgot how to speak, staring at Raghav while opening and closing her mouth like a fish.
He reached out to tap his finger softly over her lips.
"Don't think too much about it. I know you deserve more than this, but let's start with something small. Consider it your first wedding gift from my side," he stated, patting her head gently.
She licked her lower lip, which suddenly felt far too dry. Her breathing hitched for a good long moment before she let out a shaky breath.
"Raghav, there is no need for all this..."
she tried to speak, even though her voice broke for a second.
She never thought this day would actually come.
It felt wrong in every way for a girl who had never even taken 10 rupees from another person because she never wanted anyone's favor over her or to be seen as weak.
But then, it seemed like her childhood dream was coming true—just like that?
Without her fighting? Without her crying?
Without her heart breaking again? Was she dreaming?
Because that is what seemed to be happening. She was in a chaotic state of mind at the moment. Her heart was heavy with emotions she couldn't comprehend. She wanted to speak so much, but for once, her tongue was completely tied.
"Jayasvi, you are going to be my wife. Your comfort becomes my top priority. I have done things in the past that I am not proud of, and I am not saying you should forgive me for them because of this car. No. Never. You deserve it as my wife. It's not the guilt speaking;
it's my responsibility to give my wife a comfortable and luxurious life that I can afford. And this is something I can very well afford. Yes, I could have bought something more expensive for you, but this is your dream car. So, you will get this exact one," he spoke, his voice warm for once.
His heavy, rough hand—calloused from years of weightlifting and gym workouts—reached up to trace her cheekbone softly, wiping away a lone tear that had escaped from the emotional outburst.
She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths in and out, desperately trying to gain control over her emotions.
"I admire you a lot, Jayasvi. You have suffered a lot in life, even though people don't see it, and the way you still stand strong after everything is something beyond me. The respect you have for your family, the way you keep pushing yourself harder just to make your family proud,
and the conditions in which you grew up—you have already done a lot more than many people could ever dream of. And yet, I have never seen you become jealous of other people. There is a sense of calm to your personality, a peace with what you have. It's something you don't realize the importance of,
and I would want to learn this from you in the life we are going to share together," he confessed with the absolute truth of his words.
She looked up at him, her throat squeezing with the immense emotions dumped upon her.
The tough-girl act was weakening somewhere inside.
She took a step closer, burying her face into his chest and letting the tears roll down her face uncontrollably.
"This is by far the kindest thing any person has ever done for me," she whispered, clenching her fists tightly as trembling emotions took over her body, not wanting to break down completely and make a mockery of herself in front of so many people.
"Shh... meri jaan," his deep voice dropped to something warm and velvety. "You have nothing to worry about from now on. I'll take care of everything."
He didn't stop her from expressing herself, letting her find solace in front of him without fear while he patted her hair softly in a calming motion, allowing her to dig her face deeper into his chest.
Ahaan stood outside the showroom, looking at the couple lost in each other's arms as if the world and everyone's perception of them didn't matter at all.
His phone almost cracked under the pressure of his grip.
It took everything in him not to thunder inside, shove Raghav away from his Jayasvi, and pull her into his own arms to hide her from the rest of the world.
She was acting like Raghav had just become the center of her universe.
What had he even done? Just a single car made her react that way?
Was she so eager to have somebody buy her a car?
If only she had told him about it before, he would have gotten her ten such cars.
He gritted his teeth, clenching his hands into fists and slamming them onto the bonnet of his car, turning his back on the scene in front of him.
"Brother, I am telling you right now, if you don't do something immediately and they continue being this close, within just a year of their marriage, you'll see them with a child. It's high time," Raj, his friend, warned him in clear, heavy words, resting a hand over Ahaan's shoulder.
Ahaan didn't respond to his words, staring daggers into the shadows ahead.
"Am I doing something wrong, Raj? I saw her first. My mother asked her mother about the proposal first. How dare they reject me, only to agree to marry her off to that Raghav? Just because he is a Hooda? For God's sake, I'm no beggar either! Jayasvi could have lived her life like a queen with me!"
Ahaan clenched his fists, practically growling at the thought.
"Yes, brother, you are right, but they rejected you. They chose Raghav for her. By the way, I have to give it to her—she was born with incredible luck. Two heirs fighting for her love! No matter who wins her in the end, she's going to live a prosperous life," Raj smirked,
looking back over at Jayasvi.
Ahaan's voice dropped to a dangerous octave as he turned back to glare at Jayasvi.
"Who said I will let her go that easily? Her family rejected me. Who do they think they are? Mark my words, Raj—once I get my hands on her, she'll pay for every struggle I went through to win her. She could have been mine and lived a peaceful, beautiful life, but no—she chose that bastard over me.
I will make her realize the weight of her mistake every single day."
He raised his hand toward the direction where Jayasvi stood, slowly squeezing it into a tight fist.
"Her days of freedom are numbered. And so is the pride of Raghav Hooda. He thinks he can bow the mountains in front of him. I hadn't entered this game until now, but now that I have, I won't let Jayasvi belong to Raghav at any cost," Ahaan promised,
his eyes turning blood-red as he glared at Jayasvi.
"But I thought you loved her," Raj spoke, taken aback by his words. He certainly wasn't expecting a reaction like that from Ahaan.
"Love? You think a woman like her, who makes the man of her life the center of her universe, could ever be worthy of my love? She's just a fool, no matter how much she tries to dress up like a mature young woman. Her existence depends entirely on her man. What is her identity without Raghav?
Who even knows her? A woman with no backbone, who simply runs back to a man the moment he softens up to her," Ahaan scoffed mockingly, shaking his head.
"She's only good enough to be played around with—not strong enough to hold my emotions. She has lost the right to be anything to me the day she rejected me."