CHAPTER 35
RAGHAV
What were you about to say, Siya?
I stand there and watch her disappear into the crowd, away from me. A part of me is relieved. Relieved that she’s genuinely happy around my family. That she now considers them as her own. But then I think about what she’s hiding from me.
My jaw hardens. Whatever it is… it has hurt her deeply enough to make her eyes well up with tears and for her run and hide. And I don’t like that thought. My eyes remain fixed on her as she wipes her tears and forces a smile for Meher and the others, as though nothing had happened.
Bul*shit. My instincts don’t lie. That unfinished sentence about Samarjeet means something has happened.
Something big enough to break her voice in the middle of a sentence.
I know enough about men like him. Mafia families are full of them.
Sisters and mothers are never a priority, so Samarjeet treating Siya badly doesn’t surprise me.
My fingers tighten around the coffee mug as the image of her tear-filled eyes refuses to leave me.
She’s my wife. And I don’t like unanswered questions where Siya is concerned.
Whatever she was about to say… I’m going to find out sooner or later.
***************
Few hours later
The rituals are over by now. The priest has completed the puja, and throughout it all, Ayaan never once leaves Meher’s side.
I look at him and notice the little things about him.
The way he helps her to her feet without her asking.
The way he makes sure she’s sitting comfortably.
The glass of water he places in her hand even before she asks for it.
The entire family is around them as guests come and go, congratulating Meher and blessing her. Laughter echoes across the hall. And although I stand a little away from the crowd, Meher’s eyes keep finding me every now and then, making sure her brother-in-law doesn’t disappear into his own world.
Siya is there too. The tears I’d seen in her eyes a while ago are gone. She’s smiling again, chatting politely with everyone who approaches her. Eventually, the function settles into cheerful chaos as guests begin making their way towards dinner, and conversations break into smaller groups.
I step away to take another call from Haider and return after some time.
By then, the entire family has gathered in the living room.
Baba is sitting with Pratap Uncle. Simran and Trisha are laughing over something.
Krish is chatting with Aksh and Devika, while Ayaan is beside Meher, asking her if she wants to rest for a bit.
Vishnu is pretending to listen to everyone while scrolling through his phone, and right in the middle of it all, is my mother-in-law, laughing cheerfully.
For a second, I simply stand there, watching her. Back at RK Estate, I’ve never seen her like this. There, it is just Siya, me, and her. But here, she’s smiling, talking freely, and participating in conversations as though she’s known these people for years.
RK Estate can give her security, but she needs people. It’s clear she enjoys big families, chaos, laughter, and a sense of belonging. As I move closer, I hear the reason behind all the laughter.
It’s Pratap Walia. Apparently, the Chief Minister still hasn’t forgotten how to charm the women around him.
“Rukmini ji,” Pratap Uncle says with an easy smile. “If I had known Raghav’s mother-in-law would bring such grace with her, I would’ve personally welcomed you at the gate.”
She chuckles softly. “Pratap ji, you flatter me too much.”
Uncle immediately shakes his head, but Baba intervenes this time. “Don’t believe a word he says. Pratap was the biggest charmer in his younger days. No one could flirt better than him.”
Krish leans towards Ayaan and whispers loudly enough for all of us to hear. “The old man’s still got it.”
“After all, whose father-in-law do you think he is?” Ayaan replies with a grin.
Meher’s jaw drops as she smacks Ayaan’s arm. “So you flirt with other women too? Have you forgotten you have a wife and are going to become a father very soon?”
“C’mon, Meher. Have I looked at any other woman ever since I fell in love with you?” Ayaan scoots closer to her. “I just meant your dad is smart. Like me. That’s it.” He winks at her with a boyish grin.
“Oh, really?” Meher narrows her eyes and pushes his arm away, though I know she isn’t taking any of this seriously.
I then glance at Siya, who is enjoying this far too much.
“He’s still the same old Pratap,” Baba tells Siya’s mother as he sips his tea.
Meanwhile, Pratap Uncle isn’t done. “Don’t listen to them, Rukmini ji. They don’t see what I do. You know some people walk into a room and the entire mood changes. You’re one of them.”
This time, Siya’s mother blushes. “Now you’re just being kind.”
“Not at all,” he corrects her with a grin. “I’m just being honest.”
She laughs again, looking slightly flustered. “You always have an answer ready, don’t you?”
“Only when I know I’m right,” he says with a hint of mischief in his voice.
It’s a light-hearted, harmless conversation, and everyone is enjoying it. Everyone except me. Something about watching another man, even if he is Pratap Walia, trying to charm my mother-in-law doesn’t sit well with me. It’s not anger. It’s protectiveness. She’s Siya’s mother… my family.
My eyes narrow slightly as I turn towards Vishnu, who’s standing beside me. “Tell your father to control himself. He’s getting carried away.”
“Not a chance.” He looks at me, barely holding his smile.
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen him like this, and frankly, I’m enjoying it too much.
So don’t expect anything from me.” His grin widens.
“And what exactly is your problem? Rukmini Aunty herself looks comfortable. Nobody is troubling her. So save all that possessiveness for the daughter… not her mother.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I say a little more sharply. “She’s my mother-in-law.”
Vishnu stares at me. “So?”
“So?” I repeat, looking offended. “What kind of question is that? She’s family, and I don’t like other men flirting with the women in my family.”
Vishnu holds my gaze for a second before shaking his head. “Relax, Raghav. They are just having fun, and they don’t need your permission to enjoy themselves.”
Then he turns back to the rest of the family and acts like nothing is wrong. And I don’t like it one bit.
SIYA
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Raghav is standing beside me with his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, looking like a pressure cooker about to explode. He’s absolutely pissed about Pratap Uncle’s harmless flirting with Mom, who is very much enjoying this herself.
I steal a glance at him and nearly bite back a smile. I know Raghav is ridiculously protective. But even for Mom? That’s surprising.
Right now, he looks ready to scowl at any man who so much as looks at Mom or speaks sweetly to her, just like a little boy who doesn’t like anyone else getting too close to his mother, wanting all the love and attention for himself.
Suddenly, I realise why he’s behaving like this.
He never got to live that phase with his mother.
Now that he has my mom, he’s become just as fiercely protective of her without even realising it.
No one has notices this, except for me and Kailash Uncle, who is sitting across the room, but every now and then, his eyes are on Raghav.
Then I catch the smile on his face. That soft, knowing smile that only a father could wear.
Mom is completely unaware of the drama happening around her, though. She laughs again at something Pratap Uncle has said. That finally does it. Raghav takes one step forward.
“Enough.”
The entire room goes silent. Everyone turns to look at him, including Mom and Pratap Uncle, who pause mid-conversation.
“I mean...” Raghav clears his throat, suddenly aware that everyone is staring at him. “Enough of the talking. Give her a break.”
Pratap Uncle frowns. “What’s your problem? Why are you so bothered? If Rukmini ji’s cheeks are hurting from all the laughter and talking, she’ll tell me herself. I’ll stop when she asks me to. Right, Rukmini ji?”
I watch Raghav’s hand curl into a fist. Without thinking, I grab his wrist to calm him down. He glances at my hand on his wrist, and his expression softens, if only a little.
Before either of them can say anything else, Kailash Uncle intervenes. “Pratap, you can’t expect Rukmini ji to be happy with compliments alone. She and the rest of us are all hungry. The food is ready. Come on, we’re starving.”
That finally convinces Pratap Uncle and everyone starts getting up to head towards the dining area.
Krish shakes his head, grinning at Raghav. “You actually managed to end the conversation, man.”
“Possessive son-in-law,” Vishnu says, giving him a wink.
Trisha is trying hard not to smile while I stare at my husband. Only Raghav could look ready to start a gang war over his mother-in-law being harmlessly teased by a sixty-year-old Chief Minister.
And the funniest part? The moment everyone gets up and the entire topic dies, I can actually see his shoulders relax, as if he has successfully averted a major crisis.
Seriously… this man is unbelievable.
*****************
Everyone gradually settles around the long dining table. Platters of food are passed around and conversations overlap, filling the room with laughter and the familiar chaos of a big family meal.
That’s when Meher smiles at me. “Oh, I forgot to introduce you to the youngest troublemakers in the family.”
I laugh as she points towards the little girl in a high chair beside her mother Devika. Three-year-old Avika is busy eating while Devika patiently feeds her. On the other side, Simran is occupied with her two-and-a-half-year-old son, Veer, who is seated in his own chair and refusing to eat.
“Avika, say hello to Siya Aunty,” Meher says.
The little girl grins and waves. “Hello.”
I wave back at her.
“And this is my little monster, Veer.” Simran sighs dramatically. “He only listens to himself… just like his father and grandfather.”