𝐑𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐀

Ch19The Curse and the Queen-to-Be

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I had just closed my eyes and rested my head against the car seat when a song reached my ears the one Rivanya had played on her phone.

“Main kya karu Ram, mujhe buddha mil gaya…”

So that was her way of calling me an old man again.

After already teasing me, she had the audacity to play that song.

A faint irritation stirred within me. This girl clearly needed to be taught a lesson.

Acting on impulse, I caught hold of her wrist and pulled her sharply toward me, closing the distance between us in an instant.

Locking my eyes with hers, I spoke in a low, controlled voice.

“Hasn’t your insolence increased a little too much these days, Mrs. Vardhan?”

The moment she came close, the smile vanished from her face.

I saw it instantly the flicker of fear in her eyes.

She lowered her gaze at once, unable to hold my stare.

And I do not know what it is about her lowered eyes, but they possess a strange power over me.

They soften my otherwise stone-cold heart.

Her downcast gaze speaks emotions her raised eyes never reveal.

Seeing her like that, my anger disappeared without a trace. I could not even tell when it faded. Her face looked impossibly innocent deep, dark eyes like black lotuses, a small delicate nose, lips as red as rose petals, and that shy, lowered gaze that worked nothing short of magic on me.

She squirmed slightly within my hold and spoke softly, her voice trembling just enough to betray her nervousness.

“Let me go… what are you doing?”

Instead of releasing her, I pulled her closer. The sudden movement made her stumble forward, and her hands instinctively pressed against my chest. Leaning down, I brought my lips close to her ear and whispered,

“What happened, Sugarplum? Don’t you feel like playing any more songs on your phone now?”

I could feel her breathing quicken the moment I leaned closer. Slowly, she closed her eyes. And for a few seconds, I did nothing nothing except look at her.

I have always had complete control over myself.

Provocation has never unsettled me. I do not lose my temper easily.

Yet, whenever I am with Rivanya, something inexplicable happens.

My maturity slips. My restraint weakens.

I find myself behaving just as childishly as she does.

I know I should not react this way, yet in her presence, I seem to lose control over my own actions.

The window beside her was open, and the cool morning breeze brushed against her face, causing her silk-soft hair to fall repeatedly over her cheeks.

She tried to move it away, but her efforts were almost futile.

Watching her struggle, a faint smile curved onto my lips.

I raised my hand and gently tucked that stubborn lock of hair behind her ear.

The moment I did, she looked up at me and in that instant, my heart forgot how to beat.

It was the first time I was seeing her eyes from such close proximity.

She quickly lowered her gaze again, a shy smile playing on her lips, and I Rudraksh Vardhan, who is never distracted by anything forgot how to breathe.

She lifted her face slightly toward my ear. The delicate fragrance of jasmine from her hair enveloped me, and without realizing it, I closed my eyes. I had never encountered a scent so gentle, so soothing.

Then, in a barely audible whisper, she spoke near my ear.

“You can breathe, you know… Rudra.”

That was all it took. A smile spread across my face despite myself. Unwillingly, unknowingly. I could not understand what it was about this strange girl that was slowly melting someone like me someone known for being unyielding, controlled, and emotionally distant.

Opening my eyes, I asked softly,

“Jasmine? You use jasmine shampoo in your hair, don’t you?”

She immediately pulled away from me and replied,

“You have a very sharp sense of smell, Mr. Vardhan. You guessed right.”

I leaned back into my seat and said calmly,

“There has never been anything in this world that Rudraksh Vardhan failed to recognize.”

She smiled faintly, then turned toward the window and asked the driver to play some Bollywood songs. I looked at her and asked at once,

“You like Bollywood music?”

She turned to me and replied with mild amusement,

“In India, who doesn’t like Bollywood songs?”

I nodded in agreement, because she was right. There are hardly any people who do not listen to Hindi songs.

She then asked,

“Do you listen to them too?”

I replied,

“Yes, but I prefer old songs retro music from Kishore Kumar’s era.”

She jolted upright in her seat, eyes wide with shock.

“Same! I love retro songs too. You know, my mornings feel incomplete without music. I wake up, listen to songs while getting ready, and”

And just like that, Rivanya began talking nonstop.

A while ago, she could not even meet my eyes. And now, she was talking endlessly like a carefree little girl. What surprised me even more was that I someone who dislikes unnecessary conversation was listening to her rant quietly, hands folded, without interrupting her even once.

The driver played “Mere Rang Mein Rangne Wali,” that evergreen melody by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, a song that still lives in countless hearts.

Somewhere between her chatter and the soft music, Rivanya fell asleep without realizing it.

I watched her silently as she slept, her expressions peaceful and unguarded.

When she dozed off completely, I leaned forward and closed the window so the cold air would not trouble her. Then I straightened back in my seat.

Moments later, I felt something light rest against my shoulder. In her sleep, Rivanya had leaned her head against me. Perhaps dreaming, she curled her fingers around my hand, holding it as if it were a soft toy.

Instead of getting angry, I chuckled softly. How could someone possess so much innocence and childishness? I did not wake her. I let her sleep against my shoulder and covered her gently with my coat, so she would feel warm and safe.

Rivanya fell asleep peacefully, but in that silent car, my heart refused to settle.

Too much had happened between us too much in too little time.

First, her uncle had arrived and taken her away.

Then the attack on Rivanya. I had increased her security since then, but the danger was far from over.

I had countless enemies, and now every single one of them would see Rivanya as my weakest point.

If, even for a moment, I failed to stay by her side, would she be able to protect herself?

I did not know. No matter how brave Rivanya was, she was still young only twenty-three.

That age still carried innocence, traces of childishness I did not want to see swallowed by the darkness of my world.

I had thought about it deeply. Whatever had happened was not Rivanya’s fault.

She had been forced into this marriage because of her father’s circumstances.

Even if I could not love her, even if I could not make her my wife in the truest sense, until our divorce was finalized, her safety was my responsibility.

I could not allow anything to happen to her.

And right now, I could not even grant her that divorce. All my enemies had their eyes on her. One wrong move from me, one lapse in judgment, and Rivanya’s life could be lost.

That was why, for now, I would have to keep Rivanya with me under my protection. Her safety was my responsibility.

I glanced to the side. Rivanya was sleeping comfortably against my shoulder. Watching her like that brought me an unfamiliar sense of peace. At least there was someone who did not feel afraid around me someone who trusted me enough to sleep without worry.

Facing forward again, my thoughts drifted to my father Pratap Vardhan and the words he had spoken earlier today.

---

Flashback

Rivanya had gone upstairs with her sister and aunt. I took a deep breath and walked toward Pratap Raj Vardhan. In a cold, controlled voice, I said,

“Please step outside. I need to speak with you.”

He nodded and followed me after saying something to Rivanya’s uncle. Once outside the house, I stood silently. He stood beside me and asked calmly,

“What is it?”

Suppressing my anger, I replied,

“Why are you here, Mr. Vardhan?”

A sharp, mocking smile crossed his face.

“It’s been years since you last called me Bapusa, Rudraksh the way you did when you were a child. Now, your father has become ‘Mr. Vardhan’ to you, hasn’t he?”

Grinding my teeth, forcing my emotions under control, I said,

“I don’t have time for your nonsense. Answer my question. What are you doing here at Rivanya’s uncle’s house?”

He responded evenly,

“You may think you no longer need elders in your life, Rudraksh, but when it comes to relationships, I understand them better than you do. It will take time for Sandeep ji to trust you. But when I give him assurance about his daughter’s safety as your father,

it becomes easier for him to hand her over to you. The moment I learned about everything that happened, I came here immediately to manage the situation.”

Anger surged through me.

“So you spy on me now?”

Looking straight ahead, he said,

“I don’t consider keeping track of my son and daughter-in-law as spying.”

I stepped closer to him, my voice trembling with restrained fury.

“Your son died for you the day you stood there and let his mother die right in front of him.”

His face hardened instantly.

“You may believe whatever you want,” he replied. “But no one can erase what destiny has written. And I did not kill your mother she was my life.”

The tears in his eyes felt false to me.

“How easy it is,” I said coldly, “to let your wife die before your eyes and then claim she was your life. If she truly was your life, how did you continue living after she was gone, Mr. Vardhan?”

He fell completely silent. Then, in a low, broken voice, he said,

“My life didn’t end that was my punishment.”

I scoffed.