Chapter - 32
I was about to stand up, but he stopped me.
"I'll get it," he said, walking toward the door.
As he opened it, I saw the whole family standing there—Dadimaa, Papa, Maa, Chachu, and Arjun Bhaiya.
But Chachi wasn't there.
And neither was Buaji.
Where is Chachi?
Did Buaji tell her not to meet me?
A strange feeling settled in my heart, but before I could think too much, everyone walked inside.
They all asked me how I was feeling. I gave them a small smile and said, "I'm fine."
Even after hearing my answer, they still made sure I was really okay before leaving.
"Take rest, beta," Dadimaa said as she walked out.
One by one, they all left. And then... it was just me and him.
Alone.
He walked back to me and sat beside me on the bed.
I could feel my heartbeat getting faster.
Then, he looked at me, his expression serious.
"Siya, I want to talk to you."
I swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous.
What does he want to talk about?
Is it about my dance performance?
Will he scold me now because I hid it from him?
Or will he say that I shouldn't have danced because... because I'm his wife?
I lowered my gaze, already preparing myself for whatever he was going to say next.
But instead of scolding me...
He gently took both of my hands in his. His grip was firm, warm.
And then, he said something I never expected.
"Will you give me... and this marriage a chance? Please."
I froze.
I looked at him, my breath catching in my throat.
Did... did I hear him right?
I thought he was going to be angry. I thought he would tell me what I did was wrong. But instead... he was asking me?
A chance?
Till today, only Bhai ever asked me how I felt. But even then, in the end, things always happened the way Tauji and Taiji wanted.
No one had ever asked me what I wanted.
No one ever gave me a choice.
But Aarav... he was giving me one.
Does that mean... he truly wants this marriage?
I was still lost in my thoughts when his voice pulled me back.
"Tell me, Siya... will you give this marriage a chance?"
His voice was steady, but there was something else in it. Something I couldn't quite understand.
I looked at him again, my heart pounding.
I hesitated before whispering, "I was not your choice... you—"
Before I could finish, he placed his finger gently on my lips. My breath hitched, and I froze.
"I'm talking about the present, not the past, Siya," he said firmly, his eyes locked with mine. "I want to give this marriage a chance. But this marriage will only work if you... if you give me a chance too."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing with doubts. Could I really believe this? Could I trust that this wasn't just a responsibility for him?
"But... you are the King of Rajasthan," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "And me... I'm just... Siya."
His gaze didn't waver as he asked, "Does it matter to you that I'm the King of Rajasthan?"
I shook my head instantly. "No... but people—"
"People don't matter to me, Siya. Only you do," he cut me off before I could finish. His voice was steady, leaving no room for doubt. "And you are not just Siya. You are Siya Aarav Singh Rathore."
My breath caught at his words, the weight of them settling deep within me.
"I just need you," he continued, his tone softer now. "But you have to give me a chance for that. Only then can we make this work... together."
His voice softened even more as he asked, "Will you let me hold you in my arms forever?"
I stared at him, my chest tightening.
Even after everything... he still wanted me?
Tears welled up in my eyes—tears that weren't from sadness but from something else. Something I had never felt before.
Someone wants me in their life.
I matter to him.
I tried to speak, but my throat felt tight. So I just nodded.
But he shook his head. "I want to hear it from you, Siya."
I took a shaky breath before whispering, "Yes... I will give this marriage a chance. I want you... hold me forever."
The moment the words left my lips, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly.
"You don't know, angel, what you've given me today," he murmured against my hair. "Today, I feel like the richest man in the universe. Thank you so much, love."
I hugged him back, my fingers clutching his shirt as silent tears streamed down my cheeks.
It felt like a dream.
Like if I closed my eyes for too long, I would wake up... and everything would disappear—him, his care, his family.
How can I be this lucky?
He pulled away just enough to cup my face, wiping my tears with his thumb. His touch was soft, careful—like I was something fragile.
"Don't cry, please," he said softly. "I can't see your tears."
I nodded, trying to stop, but the warmth in his touch, the gentleness in his voice... it only made my heart ache more.
This was real.
He was real.
After a moment, he said, "Okay, you rest. I'll come in a while."
He was about to stand when, without thinking, I held his hand. He stopped, looking at me.
"Do you want something?" he asked.
I nodded slightly. "I... I'm sorry that I—"
Before I could finish, he interrupted, "You don't have to feel sorry or say sorry."
But I wasn't done. "Let me complete," I said softly.
I lowered my eyes, feeling nervous. "I wanted to tell you about the dance... but I thought you... I mean..."
The words were in my mind, but I didn't know how to put them together. I hesitated, struggling to explain.
Before I could think too much, he held my hand again. His grip was firm, reassuring. "Siya, you don't have to think before speaking—at least not in front of me. I will never judge you. You can tell me anything."
I took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you about the dance performance, but then we went to Delhi, and I completely forgot about it. When we came back, I waited for you till late at night, but I fell asleep. In the morning, you left early, and I thought I would tell you when you came back..."
I looked at him nervously, waiting for his reaction.
But he just pulled me into a hug. "It's okay," he murmured. "You don't have to think so much about such a small thing."
I relaxed in his arms, feeling safe.
Then he surprised me by saying, "I'm sorry... I was so busy that I wasn't there for you."
I pulled back slightly and shook my head. "It wasn't your fault. You don't have to say sorry."
He smiled. "Then you don't have to feel sorry either."
I bit my lip, hesitating. There was something else I wanted to ask him... but how could I?
But he said I could say anything... right?
Gathering my courage, I finally asked, "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming to my college as a guest?"
His expression remained calm as he replied, "I wanted to surprise you."
I blinked. Surprise? That was a shock for me!
But before I could say that, another thought entered my mind.
Trisha's words.
"Girls are crazy about him... they're losing their minds over him."
I lowered my eyes, feeling something strange in my chest. Before I could stop myself, I asked, "But... why did you visit my college after getting ready so much?"
He frowned, looking confused. "Getting ready?"
I nodded. "I mean... why did you visit in the first place? What was the need?"
He gave me an amused look. "I already told you. I wanted to surprise you."
I huffed, frustrated. He's not understanding what I'm saying!
Before I could think, I blurted out, "You shouldn't have visited! Do you even know how girls were gawking at you? They were—"
I stopped mid-sentence when I saw the way his lips curled into a smirk.
His voice was teasing as he leaned slightly closer. "Siya... are you jealous?"
I felt my face heat up. "Why? Why would I be jealous?" I said quickly, trying to sound normal.
He leaned in a little, his smirk deepening. "If you're not jealous, then why does it matter to you that girls were gawking at me?"
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing logical came out. "Because... because they can do black magic! Yes, black magic!" I said quickly.
For a second, he just stared at me. And then—he burst out laughing.
I froze.
I had never seen him laugh like this before. I had never even heard him laugh properly. It wasn't a chuckle or a small smirk—it was real, deep laughter. His eyes crinkled slightly, his body shook, and he looked... different.
But wait.
He's laughing at me.
"Why are you laughing?!" I pouted.
"Siya... black magic?" he asked between laughs, shaking his head. "Seriously?"
I crossed my arms. "Yes! I'm telling you the truth! They can do black magic. What if they put a spell on you?"
His laughter died down, but the amusement in his eyes remained. He looked at me like I was the cutest thing he had ever seen.
I continued, "I only have one husband! What if they take you away? How—"
I couldn't even finish my sentence because, in the next second, he moved closer.
Too close.
Hovering over me.
His deep, low voice sent shivers down my spine. "How many husbands do you want, Siya?"
I froze.
Wait—when did he get so close? My heart started beating too fast, and my mind went blank.
He looked straight into my eyes, his gaze intense. "Tell me."
I opened my mouth, but words refused to come out. I... you...
Before I could even attempt to form a proper answer—
Knock. Knock.
I let out a small breath, my heart still racing.
Saved.
He glanced at the door before stepping away to open it. A moment later, he returned, holding a glass of juice.
"Maa sent this," he said, placing it in front of me.
I frowned. "I'm not that weak that Maa has to send juice to our room."
He sat beside me, his eyes soft. "You're not weak, Siya. But today, I want to take a break from everything... and I want my wife in front of me all the time."
His words made my heart skip a beat, but I didn't say anything. I just picked up the glass and took a few sips. I couldn't drink it all.
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and stood up. "I'll be back in a while."
I nodded, watching him leave.
Exactly five minutes later, he returned. But this time, he had something in his hand.
A phone.
A brand-new phone.
I stared at it, and instantly, the memories of yesterday came rushing back—Buaji's harsh words, the way she snatched my phone, how I felt so helpless.
Before I knew it, my eyes filled with tears.
He immediately sat beside me and held my hands. "Don't think about it, Siya. Whatever Mrs. Thakur said... just forget it."
I blinked at him. "Mrs. Thakur?"
"Yes, she is Mrs. Thakur," he said firmly.
I hesitated. "But she..."
Before I could finish, he cut me off.
"Siya, I've already taken a backup of your phone."
I looked at him in surprise.
"Now... we can watch your dance again. And this time," he smirked, "I won't forget to compliment my wife's performance."
My cheeks burned at his words.
When she said, "I was not your choice...
you—" I wanted to tell her that she was, is, and will always be my choice.
But I held back. Siya overthinks too much, and the doctor advised her to stay away from stress.
I didn't want to burden her with my truth right now.
I'll tell her everything, but step by step, slowly. When she agrees to give me a chance.
In that moment, it felt like I had won everything in my life. I didn't know what to do without her. She is everything to me. I promised myself that I would make sure her environment is safe and peaceful.
When she mentioned wanting to tell me about her dance but I was busy, I felt a pang of regret. I should have come earlier or at least checked on her the next morning. But I was happy that she wanted to tell me—that was enough for me.
Siya felt sorry for such a small thing. When she asked why I hadn't told her I was visiting her college, I hesitated. I also hid the fact that I knew she was dancing, but I didn't want to reveal how I knew. Some things are best kept hidden for safety.
Then she asked me why I visited her college, worried about the girls gawking at me.
Oh, so my angel is a little jealous. She doesn't need to be; I'm only hers, now and forever.
I teased her, but she made up a story about black magic.
I couldn't help but laugh—not at her story, but at the cute expression on her face as she tried to downplay it.
I noticed everything about her; she was my focus.
I realized I had never laughed this much in my life. People always said I would be a future king, that I had to control my emotions, bury them deep inside. But with her, it felt different. When she joked about having only one husband, a sense of possessiveness washed over me.
"How many husbands do you want, Siya?" I asked, my tone teasing, but I was serious. Before she could answer, a knock on the door saved her. I noticed the small breath she let out, like she escaped a tricky situation.
When I handed her the new phone and saw her eyes well up with tears, it hit me hard. "Don't think about it," I said gently, trying to divert the topic. "Now... we can watch your dance again. And this time, I won't forget to compliment my wife's performance."
We spent the whole day together, talking and laughing. Each moment with her made me feel lighter, and for the first time, I felt like I was winning at something important—her heart.
Aarav didn't let me step out of the room the whole day. We had breakfast, lunch, and even tea, coffee, or juice—all in our room. He didn't leave me alone for even a second. When I slept, he did his work, and when I woke up, he was right there, talking to me.
Now, as we sat down for dinner, something was bothering me—Chachi.
Everyone had come to see me, to ask how I was. But Chachi and Buaji never did. Maa told me that Buaji had gone to her house, but she didn't say anything about Chachi.
I wanted to ask, but before I could, Maa's phone rang, and she stepped out of the room.
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed when Aarav spoke.
"What are you thinking, Siya?"
I quickly shook my head. "Nothing."
But Aarav didn't let it go so easily.
"Angel, if you don't tell me what's bothering you, how can I help you?" He looked at me carefully. "You're not even eating properly. Tell me."
I hesitated for a moment before softly saying, "Chachi."
He frowned slightly. "Chachi?"
I nodded. "She didn't come to meet me."
Aarav leaned back, his jaw tightening for a second before he spoke. "She went to her parents' home. Maybe she hasn't returned yet. When she does, she'll definitely come to see you first."
I wanted to believe that, but something inside me said otherwise. I hesitated, wondering if I should tell him what I was thinking. Would he get upset? Would I be overthinking again?
But then, I told myself—if I don't share my thoughts with him, then with whom?
Taking a deep breath, I finally said, "Chachi didn't come because of Buaji."
Aarav's expression changed instantly. His eyes darkened, and he took a deep breath before saying in a calm but firm voice, "I'll talk to her. You don't need to worry, hmm?"
I nodded slowly. He reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, as if assuring me that everything would be okay.
We finished our dinner quietly, and after that, we went to sleep. But even as I closed my eyes, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.