CHAPTER 31
SIYA
A week later
A week has passed since the morning I overheard the conversation between Mom and Raghav in the temple room.
I hadn’t meant to listen. I’d woken up early that day and came downstairs looking for Mom.
When I saw her walking into the temple room, I was about to follow her inside.
Then I noticed Raghav standing there and instinctively stopped. Without meaning to, I heard everything.
I overheard him promise Mom that neither of us would ever pay the price for his wars. That neither of us would ever be restricted here. That he hadn’t brought us to RK Estate to cage us. We were free to chase our dreams, live our lives the way we wanted to, and make our own decisions.
And the problem is that I believe him. Because Raghav Kundra may have many flaws, but lying has never been one of them. Whatever comes out of his mouth is usually the brutal, unfiltered truth. If he gives his word, he keeps it. I know that.
Ever since overhearing that conversation, hating him has become a little harder. Yes, he married me against my will and dragged me into a life I never wanted. That has changed. Yet every time I try to paint him as the villain in my head, he does something that refuses to fit that image.
Right now, I’m not trying to make this marriage work. I’m just trying to survive it. To coexist with it. To accept the reality that I’m Raghav Kundra’s wife and, for now, there’s nowhere else for me to go. And maybe that’s why I’ve started noticing things I wish I hadn’t.
Raghav never enters the kitchen when Mom is there.
Instead, he quietly eats at the resort while Mom cooks at the villa, as if he doesn’t want to disturb our routine or make Mom feel uncomfortable in a place that technically belongs to him.
Whenever possible, he finishes his prayers before Mom goes into the temple room, allowing her to pray in peace.
Then there are also smaller things that have begun to catching my attention.
He never asks where I’m going, although I know he always keeps track out of concern.
He never checks my phone, even though I’m fairly certain he has already figured out the password to my new one.
And he never behaves the way a man who forcefully married a woman is expected to behave.
He has never touched me inappropriately, even though we sleep on the same bed every night.
Whenever he walks into the bedroom shirtless, I deliberately retreat to the balcony, pretending to enjoy the cool breeze.
Yet I’m painfully aware of his gaze following me every single time…
watching and waiting for me to come back.
For me to stop being stubborn and get some sleep.
I even have a sneaky suspicion that half the time, he pretends to be asleep just so I’ll let my guard down and crawl back into bed sooner and get my share of rest too.
Maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe I know Raghav Kundra a little better now than I want to admit. So, technically, he has never treated me like a prisoner.
Things around me at RK Estate have changed as well.
Earlier, everyone treated me like a guest, someone who would eventually leave.
Now, they treat me differently. The staff is fully alert whenever they spot me.
The kitchen staff calls the villa almost every day to check if we would like any special meals prepared for us.
Even the security guards seem to stand a little straighter whenever I walk past them.
And then there are the whispers, gossip, and the endless curiosity.
The entire estate is fascinated by the fact that their boss finally got married.
They’re even more intrigued by how he married.
The mighty prince of this vineyard, whom they practically worship, falling for a guest and marrying her almost overnight has become the estate’s favourite hot topic.
The only person here who knows the real truth is Esha. A week ago, during one of our conversations, the truth about our marriage slipped out. I didn’t tell her anything about Raghav’s connection to the underworld. I would never reveal that secret to anyone, no matter how angry I am with him.
Today, the weather is colder. Dark rain clouds hang low over the mountains surrounding RK Estate, covering the sky in shades of grey.
The monsoon, my favourite season, has finally arrived.
There is something about rain that has always comforted me.
Maybe because no matter how loud the storm gets, it eventually passes.
Fresh from my workout, I walk out of the resort gym and immediately spot Esha.
“Good morning, Ma’am,” she says with a smile.
“Good morning, Esha.” I return the smile politely.
The poor girl has been feeling guilty for the past week ever since she accidentally revealed the garland incident to Mom. She apologised to me almost immediately afterwards, regretting every word that had slipped out in her excitement. Although I never blamed her for it.
“How are you today?” she asks.
I shrug lightly. “Trying to adjust.”
And that’s the truth. I’m trying to make peace with the fact that I wake up every morning as Raghav Kundra’s wife.
Esha’s attention suddenly shifts somewhere behind me. Curious, I follow her gaze and find Haider standing near the open parking area, speaking to one of the security managers.
Interesting.
Esha keeps staring at him for a second too long before letting out a heavy sigh.
My eyebrow immediately rises. This isn’t the first time I have sensed something between the two of them.
But as soon as Esha realises I’ve caught her staring, she quickly looks away.
Just as I’m about to ask her about it, Raghav appears from the opposite side.
The moment he’s near, my heartbeat forgets how to function properly.
He’s again dressed in a black shirt, this time a denim one, with black jeans, a watch, and sunglasses hanging from the front of his shirt.
Some men look good in black. Raghav looks like the reason black was invented.
Suddenly, I remember why keeping my anger in check around this man is a full-time job.
I deliberately look away when he reaches us. His gaze lands on me first before shifting to Esha.
“How many Royal Villa bookings do we have for next weekend?” he asks Esha, who straightens immediately.
“All have been sold out for the weekend, sir,” she replies professionally.
Esha keeps her eyes on the tablet in her hands instead of looking directly at him.
“The wine tasting tour?”
“Fully booked.”
“What about the France distributor visit?”
“Confirmed for Friday morning.”
He nods, probably realising the change in Esha’s behaviour.
A week ago, she would have replied with her usual enthusiasm, but now her responses are short and clipped.
Even I have noticed the difference ever since she learned the truth about our marriage.
It’s clear she still respects him, but the admiration she once openly displayed now seems to have cracks.
“Anything else, sir?” she asks.
Raghav studies her for a second, as if he senses the change too.
“If not, I should get back to work,” she says, stepping back. “I need to supervise the new guest check-ins.”
Without waiting for a response, she walks away. The second she disappears, Raghav looks at me suspiciously.
“What the hell did you tell her?” His angry gaze pins me in place. “Her behaviour towards me has been off for a week now.”
“I just told her the truth.”
His jaw clenches.
“Although, I’m relieved,” I add. “At least now somebody else on this estate can join me in hating you.”
Saying that, I turn to leave. I barely make it two steps before his hand closes around my wrist, and he pulls me closer.
My gaze automatically falls to the chain around his neck and the pendant resting against his chest. Wonderful.
As if the open collar and the skin beneath it weren’t distracting enough already.
“You couldn’t make me regret marrying you,” he says softly, the corner of his mouth lifting, “so now you’ve moved on to turning my own staff against me? That’s not going to work, Princess.”
Princess.
My entire body warms up at that term.
Lately, he has been calling me that, and I still have no idea why. Apparently, being dragged into a forced marriage also comes with a free nickname.
“You should be worried,” I reply, glaring at him. “Your popularity is declining, Mr. Kundra.”
His eyes hold mine, as if he is too aware of himself. “If the price of marrying you is losing a few admirers, I think I’ll survive. No matter how many people you turn against me...” His thumb brushes once against the inside of my wrist. “You’re still stuck with me, Mrs. Siya Raghav Kundra.”
Mrs. Siya Raghav Kundra?
Heat rushes to my face. The name sounds possessive coming from him. Territorial even. I hate how naturally it rolls off his tongue. My heart once again betrays me. The stupid thing actually flutters.
“I wish I could shut that mouth of yours,” I snap.
The amusement on his face disappears immediately. His fingers slide from my wrist to my elbow, and he pulls me closer again. Close enough for me to smell his musky cologne and hear his heart beating.
“I dare you to try,” he challenges me. “There’s only one way to shut my mouth, Princess. And you already know what that is.”
The argument in me dies the moment his gaze drops to my mouth. Almost instinctively, I bite my lower lip. Damn him. I know exactly what he’s talking about.
I shrug off his hold.
“You seem awfully desperate for another kiss,” I shoot back. “I suggest you find someone else. Because you’re never getting one from me again.”
The next instant, he releases my wrist. Before I can react, both his hands come up and cup my face possessively. The warmth of his palms against my skin nearly melts the anger right out of me.
“There has never been anybody else, Siya. You were my first kiss,” he whispers. “I’ve never kissed another woman.”
What?