Ch48Only for You, Raksh #3
For years, he had lived entirely out of India, and even after returning, he had never once participated in any family function or festival.
In fact, his own family members used to catch a brief glimpse of him barely once in several months.
But the exact moment Rivanya stepped into the lives of Rudraksh and the Vardhan family, their domestic happiness had multiplied a hundred times over.
Before her arrival, Rudraksh lived completely isolated inside this gigantic palace, and no one dared to move in with him.
It was Rivanya who had single-handedly transformed this cold estate of brick and stone into a warm, loving home, bringing the entire family under one roof.
Everyone feared Rudraksh not just because of his personality, but because the head of the Vardhan family commands absolute authority.
Not a single decision in the entire lineage can be finalized without his explicit permission.
Now that Rudraksh was the reigning head, he already commanded immense generational respect, and added to his volcanic, short-tempered nature, everyone naturally walked on eggshells around him.
But our Rivanya was absolutely no less than him.
Just as Rudraksh turned his back to leave the celebration and retreat into his shell, someone firmly grabbed his hand from behind.
It was none other than Rivanya. Seeing her incredibly bold move, a wave of panic shot through the family; everyone was fully convinced that Rudraksh would violently flare up at her in rage.
Instead, everyone was left in absolute shock when Rudraksh didn't even utter a single word of complaint.
He quietly let her lead him right into the very center of the dancing crowd.
Rivanya excitedly gestured to the dhol players to beat the drums louder, and instantly, Rivanya, Vyom, and Dev began dancing wildly all around a frozen Rudraksh.
Soon, the infectious joy caught on, and the rest of the family members became entirely busy dancing and celebrating around the young couple.
After the intense session of dancing and singing, Dadi Maa stepped up to the grand entrance of the mansion.
With a beautiful silver tray, she performed a traditional welcoming aarti for both Rudraksh and Rivanya, feeding them sweets to mark their auspicious entry.
Hand in hand, the husband and wife finally stepped inside the grand foyer together.
Rivanya immediately walked over to Dadaji and Pratap, who showered her with immense words of praise and paternal blessings for saving the family name.
Watching her being enveloped in the love of his family, Rudraksh quietly turned around and walked up the stairs, disappearing into the quiet isolation of his master bedroom to wait for his wife.
The moment Rudraksh walked away, Rivanya turned to Dadi Maa, the heavy question that had been lingering in her mind finally slipping out. "Dadimaa, why does your grandson always remain so detached from everyone? Why does he never mix with the family?"
Dadi Maa let out a long, heavy sigh, her eyes clouding with the painful shadows of the past. "Rivanya beta, Rudraksh has become like this ever since Agnishikha left us. He witnessed his own mother's death with his very own eyes, and at that time, he was only a five-year-old child."
Dadi Maa paused, wiping a stray tear, before continuing, "Any other child would have forgotten the trauma by now, but not Rudraksh. Or rather, he never allowed himself to forget. After his mother's tragic demise, he turned into an absolute stone. He stopped playing, stopped laughing,
and would lock himself inside a pitch-dark room all day. He never allowed a single soul to come near him. And the person he hates the most in this world is his own father, Pratap. Because in her final moments, Agnishikha lost her life while saving Pratap's life. Rudraksh witnessed everything,
and to this very day, he believes that if his mother is not with him today, it is solely because of Pratap."
Rivanya stood in absolute silence, absorbing every single word Dadi Maa spoke.
A sharp, suffocating ache bloomed inside her own chest, as if she could physically feel the agonizing torment that Rudraksh had been carrying all these years.
It was bound to happen; when you love someone with all your heart and soul, you naturally begin to feel the bleeding wounds of their heart inside your own chest.
Rivanya understood this devastating pain all too well.
When her mother, Katha, was taking her very last breaths on the hospital bed, a tiny Rivanya was standing right there, helplessly watching her mother drift away into the afterlife.
However, since Rivanya was also very young at that time barely four or five years old she didn't remember much of the tragedy.
Moreover, her childhood wounds were gently treated with the healing love of her maternal grandmother's house, allowing her to heal.
But Rudraksh? Rudraksh had never shown his hidden scars to anyone, nor had he ever allowed them to heal.
He was still living in that same suffocating darkness even today.
Dadi Maa then added softly, "And that is the exact reason why Rudraksh never wants to become the King of Vardhanpur, nor does he want to step foot there. He is staying here right now just to delay his official coronation ceremony, and he refuses to take you to Vardhanpur because of that same fear."
Now, the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place for Rivanya, and the thick mist of confusion was slowly clearing from her mind.
Hearing the tragic story of his deep-seated pain, the profound love she held for Rudraksh multiplied a hundred times over.
Her heart swelled with a fierce desire to protect him, to hold him, and to completely wash away his darkness.
After talking to Dadi Maa for a little while longer, Rivanya finally walked up the grand staircase, heading straight toward their master bedroom to pacify her grumpy, upset husband.
The moment she stepped into the luxurious room, she noticed that Rudraksh was not inside, but the heavy glass doors leading to the balcony were wide open.
A brilliant, deeply wicked smirk played on Rivanya's lips as she thought to herself, "I know exactly how to pacify my stubborn husband, and the opening strike will begin with my anklets."
Saying this to herself, Rivanya walked into the bathroom, took a relaxing shower, and draped herself in a breathtaking, elegant light purple saree that complemented her skin beautifully.
She walked back into the bedroom, noticing that Rudraksh was still out on the balcony, completely engrossed in his work.
Moving like a silent shadow without making a single sound, she sat down gracefully in front of the vanity mirror.
She calmly applied her minimal makeup, slid matching glass bangles onto her wrists, filled her parting with deep crimson sindoor, and fastened her sacred mangalsutra around her neck.
Finally, she leaned down and tied the delicate silver anklets around her feet.
Just as she was about to stand up, her eyes suddenly caught a thin, dazzling silver waist-chain (kamabandh) resting in her jewelry box.
Rivanya smirked, her eyes flashing with pure mischief.
She knew exactly what Rudraksh's ultimate physical weakness was.
Moving with a deliberate, bold confidence, she adjusted the pleats of her saree, tying it slightly lower around her slender waist to fully expose her midriff, and elegantly fastened the shimmering waist-chain around her bare skin.
Fully prepared and looking absolutely breathtaking, she turned toward the balcony, ready to shatter the defenses of her brooding husband.
Completely unaware of the sweet, playful mischief that was about to unfold, Rudraksh was sitting quietly on a comfortable lounge chair on the balcony, thoroughly engrossed in his laptop.
As he focused on managing his pending corporate work, the cold, calculative mask he usually wore remained perfectly in place.
A moment later, Rivanya tiptoed softly toward the open balcony doors.
A beautifully wicked, teasing smile played on her lips as she looked at his intense profile.
Intentionally trying to break his concentration, she gently shook her wrists first, making her glass bangles clink melodiously right within his hearing range.
For a brief, split second, Rudraksh's long fingers froze completely over the laptop keyboard. However, fiercely fighting his own reactions, he forced his posture to remain stiff and deliberately resumed typing, trying his best to act as though he hadn't heard a single thing.
When she realized the subtle sound of her bangles hadn't shattered his stubborn defense, Rivanya stepped closer. Moving her feet with a deliberate, slow grace, she made her silver anklets ring, letting the soft, hypnotic chan-chan sound echo clearly through the quiet night air of the balcony.
This time, Rudraksh had to fight a brutal battle within his own mind.
He kept his eyes locked onto the screen, trying with every ounce of his legendary willpower to ignore her presence completely.
But he had forgotten a dangerous truth the rhythmic chiming of Rivanya's anklets had always been his absolute, ultimate weakness.
The sound systematically dismantled his self-control, threatening to melt his icy walls.
Desperate to regain a grip over his chaotic, rising emotions, he tightly shut his eyes, taking a sharp breath to brace himself.
Seeing him sit there with his eyes closed gave Rivanya the perfect opportunity. Moving like a silent, breathtaking shadow, she stepped directly into his personal space, standing mere inches away from his chair.
A few moments later, assuming he had mastered his control, Rudraksh slowly opened his eyes.
But the exact microsecond his eyelids lifted, his breath caught completely in his throat.
Because of his seated position, his intense gaze dropped directly and squarely onto Rivanya's flawless, fair midriff.
Her gorgeous light purple saree was draped elegantly but tied noticeably lower around her slender waist, fully exposing her beautiful, porcelain skin.