𝐑𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐀

Ch16 Faith and Fire #2

Rudraksh straightened, his jaw tight.

Mamaji’s glare turned sharper.

And destiny…

destiny watched silently, preparing to change everything.

A few moments later…

Everyone had gathered inside Rivanya’s house.

Rudraksh stood in the middle of the hall fearless, unmoved, his very presence enough to make hearts tremble.

Rivanya stood silently with her gaze lowered, fear twisting inside her like a cold knife. The only thought haunting her was

What if Mamaji takes me away from him…?

The fear made her repeatedly twist the end of her saree around her trembling fingers.

She knew her boundaries. She knew her family.

With so many eyes watching, she didn’t dare look up into Rudraksh’s eyes.

Dhara and her Maami stood beside her; her Nana and Nani were seated on the sofa, and her Mamaji stood right in front of Rudraksh eyes burning with rage, body stiff with anger.

Rudraksh finally spoke, his voice cold and deep, slicing the air like a blade.

“Listen carefully. I know none of you approve of this marriage, but nothing you say can change the truth

Rivanya is my wife.

Ritually… legally… and in every sense that matters.”

A dangerous calmness settled in the room.

“And you know it very well, Mr. Sandeep,” he continued, his tone becoming deadly,

“that taking Rivanya from here is a game even my left hand can win. You know the Vardhan family

we never go back on our word.

You are her uncle, and only out of respect for that relation am I choosing not to take strict action. Otherwise”

But before he could finish, Sandeep Mamaji exploded.

“Otherwise WHAT, Rudraksh Vardhan?!” he shouted, stepping forward.

“Will you attack us? Threaten us?

Listen to me carefully my niece will NOT go back with you. And that is final.”

He grabbed a set of papers from the table, practically throwing them onto Rudraksh.

“Here. Sign these.”

Rudraksh’s face hardened even more.

His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

“What is this?”

“Divorce papers,” Mamaji spat.

The word hit Rivanya like a physical blow.

Her breath stopped.

Her legs felt numb.

Her heart crashed somewhere deep inside her chest.

But before she could speak, another voice echoed from the doorway.

“Mr. Rudraksh Vardhan.”

Her father, Naresh Bedi, entered with Alisha beside him.

Just hearing his own name didn’t make Rudraksh turn.

Instead, a cold, mocking smile touched his lips.

Everyone stared in shock.

Even Nani stood up abruptly, fury trembling in her voice.

“How DARE you bring this girl into my house, Naresh?!”

Naresh spoke firmly, almost pleading but stubborn.

“Maaji, I know how much you all despise Alisha… but I’m here today to correct my mistakes. To set things right.”

Nanu’s voice boomed.

“And what mistake do you think you’re capable of correcting now, Naresh?”

Rivanya wanted to shout, to beg, to ask what her father was doing

but she stayed silent.

She needed to see what he really intended.

Naresh stepped in front of Rudraksh.

“Mr. Rudraksh Vardhan…

your marriage was fixed with my younger daughter, Alisha.

So correct your mistake.

Sign these papers and free Rivanya.

Marry Alisha instead.”

Rudraksh laughed a dark, humourless, terrifying laugh.

“Mr. Naresh Bedi… it seems you’ve misplaced your brain somewhere, that’s why you’re speaking this nonsense.”

His voice sharpened like steel.

“It was YOU who forced Rivanya to marry me because your precious daughter ran away.

And now you dare lecture ME?”

Naresh clenched his jaw.

“I married Rivanya off.

And now I’m breaking it.

And about relationships let ME not remind YOU what kind of bond you have with your own family, Mr. Vardhan.”

From the corner, Dhara suddenly froze.

Her eyes landed on Rivanya and shock ran through her.

The tears on Rivanya’s cheeks had dried.

Her eyes were no longer soft, no longer trembling

they were burning embers of fire.

Her fists were tightly clenched.

A storm was rising.

Dhara whispered to her mother,

“Maa… look at Rivanya.”

Maami looked and fear spread across her face.

Because once Rivanya’s patience broke… destruction followed.

Everyone knew Rivanya’s gentle, calm nature.

But only a few had seen her Rudra form.

And today…

it was about to erupt.

Alisha smirked, flipping her hair arrogantly.

“Oh please, Rudraksh.

Don’t tell me you’ve never touched a girl before?

Forget her.

I am better than Rivanya in every way.

And honestly no son of the Vardhan family has a clean character anyway.”

She wasn’t even done speaking when

SLAP!

A fierce slap cracked through the hall.

Alisha’s head jerked to the side, her cheek instantly turning red, blood forming at the corner of her lip.

The room froze.

No one realized how fast it happened.

Alisha turned and saw Rivanya standing there, eyes blazing like fire, her chest rising with rage, her silence more deadly than any threat.

Even Alisha didn’t dare speak after looking into those eyes.

Rivanya had arrived.

Not the soft one.

Not the silent one.

But the storm.

For the first time in his life, Rudraksh Vardhan was stunned.

He had always seen Rivanya as calm, obedient, soft-spoken

but the woman standing before him now was someone else entirely.

Fierce. Fearless. Unshakable.

He had never seen such a girl

as sweet as she was dangerous.

Rivanya stepped forward, her voice cold and sharp.

“Alisha, how dare you speak about my husband’s character?

YOU who sells your body to a new man every night?”

Gasps echoed across the hall.

Naresh roared,

“Rivanya! What nonsense are you speaking about your own sister”

But Rivanya’s voice sliced over his, powerful and furious.

“Enough, Naresh Bedi!”

He froze.

Hearing his own name

not Papa, not Dad

shook him to the core.

He had never seen this fire in his elder daughter’s eyes.

Rivanya’s voice trembled with pain and years of buried hurt.

“Do you have even an ounce of shame left? Tell me.

Because of YOU, my mother left me.

Because of YOU, my entire childhood was misery.

Because of YOU, my education stopped.”

Her chest heaved, tears burning at the corners of her eyes but refusing to fall.

“When everything was finally settling, YOU forced me into marriage

and today, you crossed every boundary by asking my husband to marry your other daughter in front of me?

Is there ANY shame left in you?”

Naresh tried to defend himself weakly.

“I… I am just correcting my mistake…”

Rivanya glared.

“I don’t need any favour from you, Mr. Naresh Bedi.

And hear me clearly

from today onwards, you are dead to me.

And I am dead to you.”

The entire room went silent.

People couldn’t believe their ears.

Especially Naresh.

Rivanya moved and stood beside Rudraksh like she belonged there.

Her voice softened, but the pain behind it was piercing.

“All of you gave your opinions.

All of you made your decisions.

Did anyone ask what I want?

Anyone?”

Everyone lowered their eyes in shame.

“My whole life, I allowed you all to decide for me.

Thinking you were elders and would choose what’s right.”

Her eyes turned to Mamaji.

“Mamaji, you have always taken correct decisions for me.

You never forced anything…

so why today?

When I am telling you that I want to stay as Rudraksh’s wife,

why is that so hard for you to accept?”

Silence.

“You are angry because Naresh Bedi chose him for me?

Then look again, Mamaji.

The man before you

before whom the entire world bows

is standing at YOUR doorstep…

with respect…

asking for his wife.”

Even Sandeep Mamaji had no answer.

Rivanya continued, steady and resolute.

“The sindoor and mangalsutra you all call my helplessness

they are my strength.

And yes, Mr. Naresh Bedi

I don’t want to be Rivanya Bedi.

I am proud to be

Rivanya Rudraksh Vardhan.

And that is my destiny…

a destiny no one can change.”

Rudraksh watched her silently, a storm of emotions rising inside him.

So much pain…

in a girl who hid it behind smiles.

Suddenly, without warning, Rivanya walked toward the puja room.

Everyone looked at each other, confused.

A minute later, she returned holding a thick garland of fragrant flowers.

She walked straight toward Rudraksh and faced Mamaji.

“Mamaji… you know our tradition.

The girl who puts the sacred garland from Maa Gauri’s altar around a man…

belongs to him forever.”

The room fell silent.

Rivanya looked at Rudraksh

and in that moment, every anger, every storm, melted into serenity.

“I, Rivanya… daughter of Katha Bedi…

accept Rudraksh Vardhan as my husband,

before Maa Gauri herself.

Now only death can separate me from him.”

And with steady hands, she placed the garland around Rudraksh’s neck.

No one breathed.

Rudraksh’s heart thundered

he couldn’t look away from her.

Today he realized

if a woman is Maa Gauri,

she can turn into Maa Kali too.

Then Rivanya walked up to Alisha.

Her voice was soft…

but deadly.

“If I ever see you anywhere near my husband again…

I will cut off both your hands and feed them to the dogs outside.

This is my last warning.”

Rudraksh couldn’t help the slight smile that appeared on his lips.

He had never seen such fierce loyalty in anyone.

When Rivanya turned away, Alisha gathered the courage to hiss,

“What do you think you are, Rivanya?”

Rivanya spun around, fire blazing.

“The wife of Rudraksh Vardhan.

The daughter-in-law of the Vardhan family.”

And Rudraksh stepped forward, finishing the sentence with royal weight

“And the future queen of Vardhanpur…

the wife of the head of the Vardhan legacy.”

After that, Mamaji silently walked to his room.

Naresh, ashamed and defeated, left with Alisha.

Nanu stepped toward Rivanya, tears in his eyes.

“Forgive us, beta…

in our stubbornness, we forgot to ask what you truly wanted.”

Rivanya broke down, hugging him tightly.

Nani walked to Rudraksh, hands trembling.

“Instead of welcoming you with flowers…

we insulted you, Damad ji.

If possible…

forgive us.”

Rudraksh immediately held her hands gently.

“Please don’t do this, Nani Maa…

you are elders.