6-Possessive Samrat
Amid the scorching sands of Rajasthan, Pratapgarh Palace was glowing with dazzling lights today.
The intricate Rajasthani artwork on the high jharokhas looked even more vibrant.
The sound of drums echoed through the courtyard, and the aroma of saffron and ghee halwa filled the air.
Today was the grand Puja of the Kuldevi of the Pratap Singh family.
Influential landlords, wealthy businessmen, and politicians from Marwar had arrived at the palace with their wives.
But despite all this grandeur, the lady of the palace, Rukmini Devi, was burning with anger inside. There was a faint fake smile on her face, but her eyes were searching for her daughter-in-law.
Rukmini Devi adjusted her silk pallu. The heavy kundan necklace around her neck swayed slightly with her restlessness. Just then, a wealthy lady standing nearby smiled and said-
"Oh Rukmini ji, where is your new daughter-in-law? We heard she's the daughter of a zamindar family from Bengal. We've been waiting to see her. Didn't she like the customs of Marwar?"
For a moment, anger was clearly visible on Rukmini Devi's face, but she immediately composed herself and replied with a soft smile-
"She is just getting ready... she'll be here anytime. Don't worry."
But as soon as she moved away from the guests, her face hardened. She quickly walked toward the stairs.
"This girl... seriously, she won't stop until she ruins my reputation!" she muttered through clenched teeth.
Upstairs, the atmosphere was completely different.
Vaidehi was sitting at the corner of the bed, her face swollen, tears refusing to stop. Samrat's harsh words and that forced kiss had shaken her to the core.
Nearby, Gayatri was sitting on the sofa, laughing and chatting on the phone for the past hour. Seeing this, Vaidehi's anger flared up.
"Gayatri! Will you stop or not? I'm here struggling, and you don't even have time away from your phone!" Vaidehi shouted.
But Gayatri simply gestured "one minute" with her hand and continued laughing on the phone.
Vaidehi's heart broke even more. Her kajal had smudged from crying and spread down her cheeks, making her look not scary, but like a wounded, innocent little bird.
Her expensive Bengali saree was also tangled in places.
Suddenly, the door of the room burst open. Rukmini Devi stormed in angrily, like a raging storm. Both Vaidehi and Gayatri were startled. Gayatri immediately hung up the phone and stood up.
The moment Rukmini Devi's eyes fell on Vaidehi-her disheveled hair, smudged kajal, and that Bengali saree-her anger intensified.
"What is this drama, Vaidehi?" her sharp voice echoed through the room.
Vaidehi said fearfully, "M... mother, actually... Samrat-"
"Just shut up!" Rukmini Devi cut her off. "You are in Rajasthan, not Bengal! You are the daughter-in-law of the Pratap Singh family-fix that in your mind. So many important guests are downstairs, and you are sitting here making faces?"
Tears started flowing from Vaidehi's eyes again, but Rukmini Devi didn't stop.
In a bitter tone, she said, "If my son hadn't married you that day, have you ever thought what respect you and your family would have had left?
Your would-be husband... that coward... no one even knows where or with whom he ran away!
You would have been left alone at the wedding ???? if Samrat hadn't stepped forward. "
Vaidehi stood frozen. She already knew her marriage had happened suddenly, but today she clearly felt that she was living under the burden of a favor in this house.
Rukmini Devi looked at her saree with disgust-
"This Bengali look... remove it right now!" "Wear the Rajasthani dress I sent. Come downstairs in 10 minutes, otherwise you know me very well."
Saying this, she stormed out of the room in anger.
Silence filled the room again. Vaidehi broke down, crying uncontrollably. More than Samrat's forceful act, it was her mother-in-law's words that pierced her heart.
Gayatri quickly came to her and hugged her. "Vaidehi... don't cry. She must have said all that in anger."
But Vaidehi gently pushed her away and cried out-
"You... you just stay busy with your phone!
Why would it matter to you? Everyone blames only me.
.. Samrat thinks I'm a fool, and mother treats me like I owe her everything.
Where do I go, Gayatri? Do I even have a home anymore?
"Gayatri held her face in her hands, wiped away her smudged kajal, and said-
"You're such a fool! Your home is wherever Samrat is. And don't stress about what mother said. Today, we'll show them that when a daughter of Bengal wears Rajasthani attire... even real queens start to fade in comparison. Now get up! Stop crying and answer them with your beauty and brains."
Vaidehi looked at her.
Slowly, she stood up... and walked toward the red Rajasthani outfit.
Today, she couldn't afford to lose... Today, she had to face the world as Samrat Pratap Singh's wife.
(3 months earlier)
Mukherjee Residence, Kolkata
The entire house was glowing with lights. The fragrance of marigold flowers and the sound of conch shells filled the atmosphere. But inside the room, 22-year-old Vaidehi was lying on the bed on her stomach-her legs swinging in the air and her face buried in a pillow.
"Mom! Please! Don't get me married to that doctor! I'm only 22. I still want to travel the world... I haven't even seen a live concert of BTS yet... and you want to marry me off already?" Vaidehi said in frustration.
Her mother, Hemlata Devi, turned from the wardrobe while taking out jewelry and said in a strict tone, "Be quiet! It's better not to keep a useless girl like you in the house. I have to listen to people because of you all day long. At least I'll get some peace once you leave."
Vaidehi smiled faintly and said, "Fine, Mom... I'll complete my graduation and find a job. I don't want anything from your property... everything can go to my brothers. Just give me one year... just one year."
For a moment, the pain was clearly visible on her face.
She knew that apart from her father, Avinash Mukherjee, no one in this house truly considered her their own.
She was like a free bird... whose wings her own family wanted to cut.
Her brothers were happy that the house would finally be peaceful.
Avinash ji was against this marriage, but he couldn't do anything in front of his wife and sons.
Her wedding was scheduled for 11:30 tonight... Little did she know that the dreams being tied to Dr. Neel Chakravarty... had their fate already written by someone else.
That same evening
Dr. Neel Chakravarty's Apartment
In a modest 2-BHK flat in Kolkata, Dr. Neel Chakravarty was arguing with someone on the phone. Sweat covered his forehead, and there was clear panic in his voice."I will go through with this marriage! Why should I stop? I'm not going to refuse at all!" Neel said angrily.
Just then... a voice echoed through the room.
Cold... captivating... yet so heavy, as if it struck straight at the heart.
"Think again, doctor..."
"Every decision has a price... and trust me, you won't be able to afford that price."
Neel turned around abruptly. The door of his apartment had been kicked open with such force that it lay broken on the floor.
In front of him stood a man-full of dominance, a dangerous coldness in his eyes, and a burning cigarette between his lips.
He was dressed in a black suit, as if he had walked away from an important deal just to hunt his prey.
"Y-you... who are you?" Neel's voice trembled.
The man smirked slightly. Taking a long drag from his cigarette, he said in a slow, icy tone, "Your worst nightmare..." Then leaning slightly forward, he added, "Or you can say... your father."
Neel's anger flared up. "What kind of nonsense is this? Get out of my house!"
Samrat didn't even seem to hear him. He casually sat down on the sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and took out another cigarette from his pocket, lighting it. A strange silence filled the room-only the faint sound of the cigarette burning could be heard.
"The deal is quite tempting, doctor," Samrat said, his sharp gaze fixed on Neel through the smoke.
"A luxury palace in London, crores of funds... and a completely new identity. What else do you want?"
Neel replied angrily, "Vaidehi is my childhood love! I will marry her no matter what! I can't leave my love for money!"
There was no visible change on Samrat's face. He rolled the cigarette between his fingers, brushed his forehead lightly with two fingers, and said, "Last warning, doctor... think again."
"I've already made my decision! I will never leave Vaidehi!" Neel's stubbornness was about to cost him dearly.
The very next moment-
Samrat suddenly lunged forward from the sofa like a predator attacking its prey. His speed was so fast that Neel didn't even get a chance to react. He grabbed Neel by the throat with his strong hands and slammed him against the wall with such force that it shook.
Neel began to struggle. His feet lifted off the ground, his breath started to choke, and his face turned red.At that moment, there was no humanity left in Samrat's eyes... only an obsession-
to make Vaidehi his, at any cost.
And he didn't loosen his grip on Neel's throat...
until every movement in his body went completely still.
As soon as Samrat released his hold, Neel's lifeless body collapsed onto the floor. Samrat took a deep breath and stepped back slightly. He bent down and checked Neel's pulse.
"Oh God... he's dead," slipped from his lips.
But there wasn't even a trace of regret on his face. Instead, a faint, dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
He glanced at his watch-it was 8 PM.
Samrat pulled a nearby sofa, sat down comfortably, and lit another cigarette. He flicked the ash right next to Neel's dead body... as if nothing had happened.
Now, he had to go to Vaidehi's house...
but not as a groom-
as her destiny.
Samrat stared at his own hands. He remembered that he had killed someone for a girl... and had easily hidden it using his money and power. Yet, even today, he felt no remorse.
At that moment, it was as if his mind wasn't working at all. After all, he had loved Vaidehi for the past 15 years. How could a third person come between them?
In fact, when Vaidehi's marriage was being discussed, he had even asked his father to take a proposal to her house.
But Vaidehi's father had clearly refused.
He had said he didn't want to marry his daughter so far away-Kolkata and Rajasthan were worlds apart.
Everything was different, and his daughter wouldn't be able to adjust.
And truly, Vaidehi was struggling to adjust. She faced difficulties in everything. The biggest issue-she ate non-vegetarian food, while everyone here was vegetarian-even food had become a problem for her.
But who was there to listen to her? It felt like no one really cared about her.
Little did she know, someone was so madly in love with her that he had stained his hands with blood for her...
Samrat clenched his fists tightly. Just then, Sitam came from behind and hugged him, whispering softly into his ear,
"Oh my child... what are you thinking? Tell your father too."
Hearing this, Samrat turned around and punched him straight on the face.
"Who is whose father-you know that very well!"
Sitam immediately made a face and said like a small child,
"How could you hit me... it hurts so much! You're not nice at all... you're a red flag."
Ignoring him completely, Samrat walked out. He looked at his watch-it was time for the pooja.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Gayatri was helping Vaidehi get ready. In the red Rajasthani outfit, Vaidehi looked stunningly beautiful. Seeing her, Gayatri playfully warded off the evil eye and said-
"You really look incredibly beautiful.""Of course, you look beautiful in a Bengali look too, but in this Rajasthani attire... you look like an absolute queen-just the way I imagined."
Then she added, "You're just missing a bindi," and placed a red bindi on her forehead. Smiling, she also gave Vaidehi a light kiss on her cheek.
But Vaidehi was still sobbing softly.
Just then, a notification popped up on Gayatri's phone. She picked it up, entered the password, and the same video started playing on the screen-of Vaidehi and Samrat kissing.
Seeing this, Vaidehi's tear-streaked cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She immediately snatched the phone from Gayatri and shouted angrily,
"You still haven't deleted this? I swear I'll kill you! Delete it right now!"
But Gayatri laughed, grabbed her phone back, and ran off, saying,
"I told you, I'm going to post this everywhere!"
Saying this, she ran outside.
Vaidehi followed her, trying to manage her heavy Rajasthani outfit. The dress was quite heavy, making it difficult for her to run, but her playful nature didn't let her stop.
Running like this, both of them reached downstairs, where many guests were present. Seeing the daughter-in-law of the house running around like this, everyone was left shocked.
From a distance, Rukmini Devi and Vaidehi's mother, Hemlata ji, were watching all this. Hemlata ji felt uneasy seeing it-these were the very habits that used to make her angry with Vaidehi.
On the other hand, Samrat's father, Raghav ji, also felt quite embarrassed. His daughter-in-law was running after Gayatri like a little child.
Suddenly, while running, Gayatri collided with someone, and her phone slipped from her hand.
She had bumped straight into Sitam.
Startled, she immediately stepped back. She was always a little scared of Sitam because he was constantly in a bad mood.
Meanwhile, her phone was now in Sitam's hands... and he was staring at that video in shock.
Seeing all this, Gayatri and Vaidehi both held their heads in frustration. The people standing nearby were also watching their antics and whispering among themselves.
Just then, Samrat also arrived there. But ignoring everything else, his gaze stopped only on Vaidehi. It was the first time he had seen her in a Rajasthani outfit.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful. Though she looked stunning in a Bengali saree as well, in this Rajasthani attire... she truly looked like Samrat's queen.
Samrat seemed to freeze at the sight of her. Even his breath felt stuck. A strange restlessness rose within him-he felt like lifting her into his arms and taking her far away... to a world where there would be only him and his wife... no one else.
He looked at Vaidehi with such intensity and love, as if he wanted to convey all his emotions to her through his eyes alone.Meanwhile, Vaidehi was growing increasingly nervous seeing all this.
On the other side, Sitam's expression suddenly turned serious and filled with anger. He looked at Gayatri, then picked up her phone, saved his number in it, and sent that video to himself on WhatsApp. After that, he tossed the phone back toward Gayatri and walked ahead.
Gayatri quickly caught the phone. She checked it and realized that he had even deleted that video from her phone.
Meanwhile, Samrat seemed completely lost in his own world. As Sitam was passing by, he snapped his fingers in front of him, bringing Samrat back to his senses.
Samrat immediately changed his expression and walked straight to Vaidehi. Placing his hand around her waist, he led her along with him toward his mother.
Seeing her son, Rukmini Devi didn't say anything... she just silently looked at her daughter-in-law.
But Hemlata ji was extremely angry at her daughter.
She approached Vaidehi in anger, but maintained a fake smile in front of others and said,
"I'm sorry... my daughter is still childish, that's why she behaves like this sometimes."
Saying this, she grabbed Vaidehi's hand and took her away from there.
Everything happened so quickly that Samrat couldn't even understand what just happened.
Hemlata ji dragged Vaidehi into a long, dark corridor.
As soon as they reached there, she angrily slapped her across the face four times in a row and shouted,
"You've ruined both your father's and my reputation!
You used to behave like this there, and now you've started here too?
You have no sense of respect for home or outside!
You start doing anything, anywhere! It's good that we got you married, otherwise who knows what more your father would have had to face because of you.
Here, you've left us with no face to show anyone! "
Getting slapped by her mother was nothing new for Vaidehi. With a bitter smile, she said,
"I'm sorry... I won't do this again. It just happened by mistake... and it was the first time. I didn't do anything wrong here. Don't worry, I'll apologize to everyone."
Saying this, she held her cheek and ran from there. She went straight to her room, locked the door from inside, and then went into the bathroom. She turned on both the shower and the washbasin... and started crying loudly.
What will happen next?
When Samrat finds out that the wife he loves more than his life has been slapped... what will he do? How will he react toward Hemlata ji?
How deeply and obsessively does Samrat love Vaidehi? Will Vaidehi ever come to know all this? Will she ever be able to love Samrat? Will their relationship ever improve? Will they truly become one?
And the biggest question-what will Sitam do with that video?
To find out all this, keep reading...
I hope you are liking the story. Sorry for the delayed update-I had my results and was a bit stressed. But everything is fine now.
I'll try to post a new chapter every 2 days... but you all don't comment much, which makes me lose motivation to write.
At least 150 comments and 200 ratings should be possible, right!
Let's set today's target-200 ratings and 50 comments.
If we achieve it, the next chapter will come very soon ????