Ch35 The Captive Lioness #4
She silently pleaded with her eyes, determined not to let any family drama taint the sanctity of the auspicious day.
Respecting her silent request, Rudraksh checked his temper and sat down in absolute silence.
Rivanya gracefully settled beside him, and the rest of the family took their respective places on the floor.
As the domestic staff began serving the royal feast, Dadimaa turned to Rudraksh with a fond smile. "Rudraksh, your wife has been fasting all day long purely for your well-being. Break her fast by feeding her the very first morsel with your own hands."
Without offering a single complaint or dramatic fuss, Rudraksh elegantly broke a piece of bread from his platter, gathered the initial morsel, and brought it directly to Rivanya's lips.
Lowering her eyelashes in sheer modesty, Rivanya quietly accepted the food from his hand.
With the fast successfully broken, a wave of relief washed over the table as the family began enjoying their dinner.
Once the elaborate meal concluded, Dev enthusiastically insisted on some mandatory family time.
The entire clan shifted outdoors, sitting together in the lush, manicured gardens of the estate.
A crisp, cool night breeze rustled through the trees under a canopy of stars.
Surrounded by the warmth of a united family, Rivanya felt a profound sense of happiness.
Rudraksh, however, remained true to his brooding nature. Sitting entirely aloof and silent, he clearly possessed zero interest in sentimental family gatherings; he had only agreed to step out here because of Rivanya's persistent, adorable pleading earlier.
As the faint chatter of the family echoed around her, Rivanya's mind drifted back to a highly private, breathless encounter that had transpired between her and Rudraksh just moments after dinner, when the rest of the house had been temporarily distracted.
**Flashback**
While the family members were busy wrapping up dinner conversations, Rivanya had slipped away quietly to head up to their bedroom.
As she walked down a dimly lit, secluded corridor, a powerful hand suddenly shot out from the shadows, gripping her wrist firmly and pulling her flush into a recessed alcove. Before a terrified gasp could escape her lips, a warm palm was pressed flat against her mouth, effectively silencing her.
Rivanya's reflexes kicked in; she adjusted her posture, fully prepared to deliver a brutal, defensive kick to her captor's shins. But just as she raised her leg, her eyes adjusted to the dim light, locking onto the striking, familiar features of her husband. A massive wave of relief washed over her.
Stepping back as he slowly lowered his hand from her lips, she exhaled sharply. "Rudra! What on earth was that? You absolutely frightened the life out of me!"
Rudraksh smirked, leaning his shoulder against the wall, his eyes glinting playfully. "Oh? I thought you were a fierce lioness, Mrs. Vardhan. What is there for a lioness to be frightened of?"
Rivanya huffed, adjusting the golden border of her red saree. "The only thing to fear was the alternative. Let me tell you, if I hadn't recognized your face in time, my defensive kick would have permanently crushed your dignity beneath my heels."
For the very first time in his adult life, a genuine, unbridled laugh escaped Rudraksh's lips.
Rivanya froze, completely captivated. The sound of his rich, rare laughter swept through her senses like a sudden wave of warmth it felt like a gentle ray of winter sunshine piercing through a freezing rainstorm, beautiful and entirely mesmerizing.
As she stood there completely dazed, lost in the magnificent sight of his smile, Rudraksh's expression softened, turning intensely focused. "Will you answer a question for me truthfully today, Rivanya?"
Snapping out of her trance, she cleared her throat, her heart beginning to race. "If... if it is a question worth answering, I certainly will."
In one swift, possessive movement, Rudraksh reached out, wrapping his strong arm securely around her slender waist and pulling her body flush against his hard chest.
Looking down into her startled eyes, his voice dropped to a deep, demanding register.
"These rigorous fasts you observe for me, the sacred prayers you perform, this relentless worry you carry for my safety... do you do all of this out of basic, ordinary concern? Or is there a deeper, hidden reason behind it?"
The sheer proximity sent a violent tremor through Rivanya's veins. Unable to hold the burning intensity of his gaze, she looked down, her tongue tangling as she stammered, "What... what sort of absurd thing are you asking? Please let me go... I have urgent chores to tend to downstairs."
Refusing to grant her an escape, Rudraksh tightened his iron grip around her waist, anchoring her even closer until there was virtually no space left between them.
"You aren't going anywhere, Mrs. Rivanya Rudraksh Vardhan," he murmured, his warm breath brushing against her cheek, locking her in place. "Not until you give me the answer I am looking for."