𝐑𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐀

Ch25 Before the Festival Begins

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As time passed, it became increasingly difficult for Rudraksh to handle Rivanya. Her steps were growing more unsteady, and he kept catching her again and again to stop her from falling here and there. Finally, exhausted, Rudraksh made her sit on the bed and asked angrily,

"Rivanya, how did you drink alcohol? I didn't know you were a drunkard too."

Rivanya pouted and replied sharply,

"Who drinks for the sake of drinking? I drink so I can tolerate your indifference. And by the way, I didn't drink alcohol I had a soft drink. Say no to alcohol, Mr. Vardhan."

Rudraksh muttered in frustration,

"So she must have mistaken alcohol for a soft drink. That's why I always tell Vyom not to keep alcohol at my parties. But he only cares about the other guests. And now... how am I supposed to handle her?"

He was still lost in these thoughts when Rivanya stumbled toward him. Grabbing his collar with both hands, she pulled him close and said,

"You have such a beautiful, hot, sexy wife, Mr. Vardhan... Don't you ever lose control looking at me? Don't you ever look at your wife with desire?"

Trying to steady both himself and her, Rudraksh replied firmly,

"Rivanya, you're not in your senses right now. Go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning, okay?"

"Nahiiiiiiii!" she shouted dramatically.

"Rivu wants to party more. Party!"

Rudraksh's head had begun to ache from managing her, and slowly, his patience was wearing thin.

Without another word, he lifted Rivanya into his arms and carried her toward the bed.

Swinging happily in his arms, Rivanya giggled,

"Where are you taking me? To celebrate our first night?"

Rudraksh wanted to say many things, but this was not the right time. He laid her down on the bed, and just as he straightened up to stand

Rivanya suddenly pulled him down toward her.

In one swift motion, she flipped him beneath her and ended up lying on top of him. It all happened so quickly that Rudraksh didn't even have time to react. Before he could process anything, Rivanya was already above him.

Her long, dark, thick hair fell loosely half covering her own face and half brushing against his.

For the first time, Rudraksh's heart beat so intensely just from being this close to her.

He felt himself momentarily lost in those dark strands.

The soft strawberry fragrance of her shampoo drifted toward him, and in that single second, it almost overpowered his self-control.

And today, fate was not on Rudraksh's side.

Because while he was lost in her hair, Rivanya's saree pallu slipped from her shoulder and fell against his chest. The sight before him made sweat form on his forehead despite the air conditioner running in the room.

Immediately, Rudraksh turned his gaze away. Without looking, he carefully adjusted her pallu back into place.

Rivanya, however, was completely unaware of anything that had just happened.

That was Rudraksh's true strength. No matter the situation, he never forgot his values. He had built himself strong enough that even if, today, he had been the one intoxicated instead of Rivanya, he would never have crossed his limits.

He believed that even though a husband may have rights over his wife after marriage, no man has the right to look at any woman with disrespect or impure intentions.

These were the values of Agnishikha values that still lived within Rudraksh. Even though he had been very young the last time he had truly spent time with Agnishikha and his mother, he had remembered every single word she had ever taught him.

And though Rudraksh harbored resentment toward his father, Veeraksh's principles also lived within him. In fact, people often said that Rudraksh was exactly like his father. However, no one had the courage to say that directly to his face.

Rudraksh had taken responsibility for the Vardhan family at a very young age. Because of that, he had grown up before time forced him to. Life had not given him the luxury of childhood softness.

Looking at Rivanya, he spoke gently,

"Rivanya, try to sleep. You'll feel better. We'll talk in the morning, okay?"

Rivanya shook her head like a stubborn child.

"No. First you have to listen to me. If you agree to what I say, then I'll listen to you."

Rudraksh took a deep breath.

"Alright. Fine. Tell me what you want. But promise me that if I do what you ask, you'll quietly go to sleep."

Rivanya smiled faintly and replied,

"Yes, pakka promise... my Mr. ji."

Hearing "Mr. ji" stirred something unfamiliar inside Rudraksh's heart a subtle, unexpected warmth. But he ignored it and steadied himself.

"Alright," he said calmly. "Tell me. What do I have to do?"

Playing with the buttons of Rudraksh's shirt with her fingers, Rivanya said softly,

"As I said before... take off your shirt. Right now."

Rudraksh looked at her in exhaustion and muttered,

"What a disaster. Rivanya, tomorrow morning you're going to regret behaving like this."

Swaying slightly, she replied,

"Regret what, Mr. Vardhan? If we were like other normal husbands and wives, I would have already seen everything of yours. But you don't accept me as your wife... even though I do. So take off your shirt."

Rudraksh wanted to argue, to say something firm, but looking at her condition, words failed him. He had no idea which drink she had mistaken for juice to be making such shameless demands.

Rivanya narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Are you taking it off... or should I scream?

And if I scream, will that be okay for you?"

Rudraksh immediately panicked.

"Absolutely not! Don't scream. I'm taking it off... wait."

Clapping like an excited child, she said,

"Then do it!"

Rudraksh looked upward and murmured,

"Hey Mahadev, please protect my dignity today from this wild woman."

Meanwhile, Rivanya, completely intoxicated, wandered around the room unsteadily. Her eyes finally fell on Rudraksh, who had now taken off his shirt and tossed it aside.

Slowly, stumbling slightly, she walked toward him. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him.

Rudraksh froze in shock.

Just a moment ago, she had been spinning around like a train without brakes... and now suddenly, she had stopped - and was holding him like this?

Still hugging him, Rivanya spoke softly, her voice losing its teasing edge.

"I never received a father's love in my childhood... but I always prayed to Maa Gauri for a husband like Lord Shiva. Even if our relationship is not what it should be... even if you had to marry me out of helplessness... I am still very grateful to Maa Gauri that you became my husband, Rudraksh.

You are exactly the kind of man that little Rivanya dreamed of since childhood. You are exactly like that..."

Hearing her words, Rudraksh fell silent.

Guilt quietly settled in his heart - guilt that perhaps he would never be able to fulfill Rivanya's expectations. He did not want her life to be ruined because of him. And yet, he also did not want to break her heart.

In Rudraksh's life, Rivanya was the first girl who had ever come this close to him.

The first girl he truly worried about.

The first girl who had begun to matter.

But suddenly, Rivanya burst into laughter.

And in that instant, Rudraksh remembered - she was completely drunk. She had no idea what she was saying or doing.

Composing himself, he said firmly,

"I did what you asked. I took off my shirt. Now, try to sleep."

Rivanya stepped a little away from him and tilted her head.

"Why should I sleep? When such a hot guy is standing in front of me, how can I possibly fall asleep?"

Rudraksh's patience was wearing thin - but he was still a man. Hearing such compliments, no matter how much he tried to control himself, somewhere deep inside, it did affect him.

Rivanya walked closer and lightly traced a finger along his face.

"For me, you're my aloo... and right now, you look like a very hot hot aloo, Mr. Vardhan. I'll have to protect you from other girls, won't I?"

Rudraksh felt strange. Rivanya was clearly trying to seduce him. Years of discipline had made him strong enough not to lose control easily - but still, he was human.

Holding her shoulders, he gently moved her away and said,

"Mrs. Vardhan, you are not in your senses. Don't do something tonight that you'll regret tomorrow."

But Rivanya was too intoxicated to understand.

Frustrated, Rudraksh turned away from her.

She saw the anger in his posture. Quietly, she walked behind him and wrapped her arms around him from the back.

Softly, almost broken, she asked,

"Rudraksh... am I really that bad? Why does everyone turn away from me?"

Those words hit him harder than anything else she had said tonight.

He instantly realized his mistake. She wasn't in her senses - and he was still speaking harshly to her.

Turning around, he cupped her face in both his hands and said,

"Who told you that you're bad? You're very good, Rivanya. So good... that I don't even deserve your goodness."

Rivanya, unable to fully process his words through her haze of intoxication, suddenly stopped being stubborn.

Instead, like a hurt little child, her eyes filled with tears. And she began to cry.

Rudraksh panicked immediately.

"What happened? Why are you crying? Did you hurt yourself somewhere? Tell me!"

Rivanya placed her small hand on her chest and said innocently,

"Yes... it hurts here."

That was enough.

Rudraksh's heart melted completely. Without another word, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest - not out of desire, but out of protection.

For the first time that night, the fire between them softened into something deeper.

Something fragile.

Something real.

Trying to calm her down, Rudraksh held Rivanya close and asked softly,