Chapter - 22
When I came back from the bathroom, Siya was already asleep. Her face looked peaceful, but I could still see traces of sadness lingering. I knew something was wrong.
I stepped out onto the balcony and pulled out my phone, dialing my PA. "I want every piece of information about Mr. Suresh Rajput and his wife, as soon as possible," I ordered sharply before cutting the call. My jaw tightened as I stared out into the night.
My gaze fell on the moonlit streets below, but my mind was elsewhere. Siya was hiding something from me—something that was tearing her apart. My angel wasn't telling me the truth. But she didn't need to. I'd find out myself.
I dialed another number, this time calling the man I had assigned to monitor Dev Rajput. "Update me as soon as he recovers. I want him here in Jaipur," I commanded, my tone leaving no room for argument. With that, I ended the call and walked back into the room.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, my eyes fixed on Siya's sleeping face. Even in her sleep, a shadow of sadness lingered, and it pierced through me like a blade. Leaning closer, I spoke softly, knowing she wouldn't hear me.
"I promised to give you happiness, yet here you are, carrying pain because of me. If a king can't protect his queen, then what good is he?" My voice was low, filled with frustration and guilt.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration clawing at me. Guilt, anger, and helplessness simmered in my chest. I should have never let her go back to that house—Rajput House. If I'd known it would lead to this, I would've stopped it.
"I don't know what's hurting you, Siya," I murmured, my voice trembling with conviction, "but whatever it is, I'll end it. I'll destroy anyone who dares to bring tears to your eyes. That's a promise."
Leaning down, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She stirred slightly but didn't wake. For a moment, I lingered there, memorizing her face in the soft light of the room. Then, I lay down on my side of the bed.
I couldn't sleep, like always when I knew Siya wasn't okay. But I didn't mind losing sleep if it meant she felt safe with me.
The forest was dark, and Siya was running as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was or who the people chasing her were, but their voices were loud and terrifying.
"Find her and kill her too!" one of them shouted, their voice slicing through the silence.
Her heart was pounding, and her breath came in short gasps. Tears rolled down her cheeks as fear gripped her. Why are they after me? What do they want? she thought, but there was no time to stop. She only knew one thing—she had to keep running to save herself.
Suddenly, her foot hit a stone, and she fell hard to the ground. Pain shot through her as she saw blood oozing from her injured toe. One of her sandals broke, making it harder to move. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out and stood up slowly, her leg hurting badly.
Even though her body ached, she forced herself to run again. The voices behind her were getting louder. "Shivji, please save me," she whispered through her tears. "They will kill me."
She looked around, hoping to find someone who could help, but all she saw were trees and darkness. There was no one else there.
Just when she thought she couldn't go on, she heard the faint sound of vehicles in the distance. A tiny spark of hope lit up in her chest, and she started running toward the sound. Her voice trembled as she cried out, "Shivji, please, don't let them catch me!"
Finally, she saw a road ahead. Relief washed over her, but before she could take another step, she heard a voice—familiar and firm, cutting through her terror.
"Siya... Siya! Wake up, Siya!"
Her eyes flew open, and she sat up in bed, gasping for air. Her body was shaking, and her face was covered in sweat. She looked around, confused and scared, until she saw Aarav sitting beside her. His face was full of concern.
"Siya, what happened? Are you okay?" he asked gently.
"Mr. Rathore..." she whispered, her voice trembling. Tears filled her eyes as she threw herself into his arms.
"They'll kill me," she cried. "They... they said they'll kill me!"
Aarav hugged her tightly, his strong arms making her feel safe. "No one can harm you, Siya," he said softly, his voice calm and steady. "You're safe here. I'm with you."
She sobbed into his chest, her whole body still trembling. Aarav gently held her face in his hands, making her look at him. "Take a deep breath, Siya. In and out," he said softly, showing her how to do it.
Siya nodded and followed him, breathing in and out slowly. Her crying began to ease, though she still looked scared.
"You're safe," Aarav reassured her. "No one will ever hurt you. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
Siya nodded slowly, feeling a little better. Aarav helped her lie back down and lay beside her. He gently pulled her closer, resting her head on his chest.
"Try to sleep now," he said softly, patting her back in a comforting rhythm.
Siya clung to him tightly, her ear pressed against his chest. The steady sound of his heartbeat made her feel calm, and slowly, she fell asleep.
Aarav stayed awake, watching her peaceful face. It was almost 4 a.m., but he didn't care. Siya had gone through so much, and he wanted to make sure she could sleep without any more bad dreams.
Looking at her, he whispered softly, "I'll always protect you, Siya. No one will ever hurt you, not as long as I'm here."
He kept patting her back gently, staying awake to guard her peace through the night.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I remembered was the bad dream from last night.
My heart raced as I recalled the fear, the running, and the darkness.
But then, I also remembered how Mr. Rathore held me, calmed me down, and stayed with me until I fell asleep.
Thinking about it made my cheeks heat up.
How could I hug him like that? What must he think of me?
I quickly sat up and glanced at the clock. My eyes widened as I saw the time—9 a.m. My heart skipped a beat. 9 a.m.? How did I sleep this late? Panic surged through me. I was already late for college, and the thought of what the Rathore family might think made me even more anxious.
How could I let this happen? I scolded myself as I hurried to the bathroom. Freshening up quickly, I stepped into the shower, letting the cold water calm my nerves, even though my heart was racing.
Once I was ready, I chose a white Anarkali with delicate floral embroidery paired with a red-bordered dupatta. I felt a little better as I stood in front of the mirror, but then my eyes fell on the faint marks on my neck.
I knew where they had come from—the memory of Taiji pulling my necklace flashed in my mind. The thought of anyone noticing these marks made me uneasy. What if someone asked? What would I even say? My hands trembled as I reached for the concealer on the dressing table to cover them up.
Just as I was about to apply it, I froze. "What are you doing?" Mr. Rathore's deep voice startled me, and the concealer slipped from my hand, hitting the floor
I turned around to see him walking toward me. His sharp eyes softened as they landed on the marks on my neck. "What happened to your neck?" he asked, his voice low but filled with concern. "How did you get these marks?"
I panicked. What do I tell him? Before he could ask more, I blurted out, "The necklace... it was too tight and wasn't opening, so I pulled it. That's how it happened."
His expression shifted instantly, and he spoke louder this time, "Are you out of your mind, Siya?"
I flinched at his tone, gripping my dupatta tightly in my hands. He noticed and took a deep breath, softening his voice. "Siya," he said gently, "you should have told me. We could have gone to a jeweler or called someone to fix it."
"I was at Rajput House then..." I murmured, trying to explain.
"So what?" he interrupted firmly. "Next time, don't do something like this."
He guided me to sit on the sofa, his touch firm yet gentle. I felt my cheeks heat up as he walked to a drawer on the other side of the room and pulled out a small tube of ointment. He returned and knelt in front of me.
"Can I?" he asked softly, holding up the ointment.
I nodded hesitantly. When his fingers brushed against my neck to apply the ointment, a strange fluttering sensation filled my stomach. I kept my eyes down, feeling too shy to meet his gaze.
"You need to take better care of yourself," he said, his tone carrying a mix of care and authority.
I nodded again, feeling shy and unsure of what to say.
A knock on the door broke the moment. I moved to stand, but he stopped me. "I'll get it. You sit."
He opened the door, and two servants entered with trays of breakfast. They arranged everything on the table before leaving quietly.
I looked at him, confused. "Why aren't we eating with everyone else?"
"You're not well," he replied simply.
"Who told you that? I'm fine," I said quickly, worried about what his family might think.
Before I could say more, he put a finger on my lips. "I want to have breakfast with you, alone, in our room. Do you have a problem with that?"
I shook my head, my cheeks warming again. "No," I mumbled.
"Then don't worry about anyone else. Just eat with me," he said, his voice calm but firm.
We began eating in silence, though I could feel his eyes on me occasionally. Halfway through, he said, "You're not going to college today."
I looked up in surprise. "What? Why?"
"I've already informed everyone you're on leave," he said casually.
"But why?" I asked again. "I'm fine. There's no need for that."
He gave me a knowing look. "I know you think you're fine, but you need rest. Besides, I'm staying home today, so spend some time with me."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just focused on my food. After a moment, he asked, "You don't want to spend time with me?"
His question caught me off guard. "When did I say no?" I replied quickly.
"But you didn't say yes either," he pointed out, smirking slightly.
I lowered my gaze, feeling shy again. "What will we even do all day?" I asked softly.
"Whatever you want to do," he said, leaning back in his chair, completely relaxed.
I nodded quietly, but deep down, I felt a small flutter of happiness. Spending the day with him...
After breakfast, Mr. Rathore received a phone call and stepped out of the room.
I stayed there for a moment, unsure of what to do.
Should I go downstairs? Or should I stay here like he said?
My thoughts swirled, but eventually, I decided to head downstairs.
Staying in the room made me feel restless.
As I walked into the living room, Maa noticed me and smiled warmly. "Siya beta, what are you doing here? You should rest in your room," she said, her voice full of concern.
I shook my head and replied softly, "Maa, I'm okay now."
Maa patted the seat next to her. "Come, sit here," she said, and I obediently sat down.
Just then, Chachi came into the room and joined us.
The three of us started talking, and I slowly began to feel a little more comfortable.
During our conversation, I learned something unexpected—Mr. Rathore had told them that I wasn't feeling well, so he brought me back from the Rajput house last night.
My cheeks warmed at the thought. He didn't have to do all that for me, but he still did.
As we chatted, Dadi Maa entered the room. Her presence always brought a sense of authority. She looked at us and said, "Devyani is coming next week."
Chachi immediately responded, "Why?" Her tone was sharp, and I couldn't help but glance at her.
Maa answered before Dadi Maa could. "Meera," she said in a slightly scolding tone.
Chachi quickly changed her words. "No, Didi, I'm not saying it like that. I mean, why not? It's her house; she can come whenever she wants."
I stayed quiet, but curiosity bubbled inside me. Who is Devyani? I wondered. Dadi Maa noticed my confused expression and turned to me.
"Siya," she said kindly, "Devyani is my daughter. She's been in America because her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, so she couldn't attend your wedding. But now that his treatment is complete, she's coming to visit."
"Oh," I said softly, nodding. I didn't know what else to say.
Dadi Maa then turned back to Maa and Chachi. "Make sure everything is arranged for her and her husband," she instructed before leaving for her room.
As soon as she was gone, Chachi spoke up. "Didi, I'm thinking of going to my mother's house for a few days."
Maa frowned slightly. "Meera, don't say that. If Maa hears about it, she'll feel hurt."
Chachi sighed and replied, "I didn't say anything yet. I was just thinking of going. Why would Maa feel hurt if she finds out?"
Maa gave her a knowing look. "I know why you're thinking this, and believe me, Maa will understand too."
Chachi looked a little flustered but didn't argue further. Instead, she turned her attention to me with a slysmile and said, "All the best, Siya."
I frowned, feeling a little lost. Why is Chachi behaving like this after hearing that Buaji is coming?My mind raced with questions, but I didn't want to ask anyone. I felt shy and unsure, so I just nodded in response, trying to understand what was happening around me.