-47-
"Bas issi aadmi ka aana baaki reh gaya tha," Jayasvi almost groaned aloud the moment she heard Raghav's voice, covering her face in sheer frustration. (Only the arrival of this man was remaining at the moment.)
Anjali smacked the back of her daughter's head upon hearing those words, terrified that Gajraaj would catch her shameless commentary. She was convinced by now that her daughter had lost her mind and her values; somewhere in a gutter, given how ridiculously she was behaving tonight.
Jayasvi winced at the smack, rubbing the sore spot as she looked at her mother. "You don't believe me, Mummy? Just wait and see for yourself what he does now," she whispered in a dangerously low tone, not wanting to create even more chaos than there already was.
"What is going on? Is her home always under surveillance by you people?"
Aahan snapped, his voice booming through the space.
This was pushing him past his limits. First, getting beaten black and blue by Gajraaj Hooda, and now Raghav Hooda was making his grand entry too.
Why was the universe so hell-bent on destroying his plans?
"Tum chup ho jana, Aahan. Ye sab tumhari wajah se hua hai. Bada villain banke ghar mein ghuse the mere, ab ban jao villain," Jayasvi snapped, making a move to storm over to him, only for her mother to grab her arm, glaring daggers.
(Just shut your mouth, Aahan. All of this is happening because of you.
You were acting like a big villain invading my house. Now be the villain.)
"Sharam karle thodi, ladki. Bas karde. Bohot drama ho gaya hai aap ke lie," Anjali scolded, exasperated by her daughter acting like a mindless brat. (Have some shame, girl. Stop this. Enough of the drama for today.)
"Drama? Abhi dekho, jo aaya hai na, vo batayega drama kya hota hai," Jayasvi muttered, twisting her lips.
She knew Raghav's entry into this volatile situation was the most disastrous thing that could possibly happen.
Peeking toward the doorway, she saw Raghav step inside, with Karan following closely behind, frantically trying to calm him down.
(See, the one who had come here would tell you what drama is.)
Oh God, is there anyone left to show up tonight? This house has literally turned into a wild jungle.
The second Raghav crossed the threshold, he saw red at the sight of Aahan. But even before that rage took over, his eyes locked onto Jayasvi. He reached out instantly, gripping her elbow to pull her close, scanning her for any signs of injury.
"Saale, bola tha na tujhe, door rahiyo. Teri aukaat kaise ho gayi yahan aane ki?" Raghav growled, marching toward Aahan with eyes burning a terrifying crimson. (Didn't I tell you to stay away from her, you scoundrel? How dare you step in here?)
Karan rushed forward alongside Gajraaj's bodyguards, restraining Raghav before he could inflict harm that might complicate the legal situation later.
"Take him out," Gajraaj snapped at Karan, shoving Aahan in his direction like a discarded ball. "Get him out of his sight right now."
Karan nodded immediately, dragging the barely walking Aahan away, followed by Gajraaj's guards. All Gajraaj wanted was to distance Aahan from his son at this moment; the impending violence would be enough to traumatize Jayasvi and her family for the rest of their lives.
"I want to talk to her alone," Raghav announced.
Her parents' faces fell at those exact words. It was far too late, and the atmosphere was much too dense for them to be left alone in a room. Anjali frantically nudged her husband, silently demanding he put a stop to this.
"Raghav, you are already enjoying a lot more liberty than any couple getting married in our family usually receives. They never meet beforehand, yet we allow Jayyu to see you so you both can understand each other better. But being alone at this hour—it's simply not acceptable,
" Ramesh finally spoke up, stepping forward to pull them apart.
However, he was politely stopped by Gajraaj, who shook his head.
"I think we should leave them alone for a while. Whatever misunderstandings occurred because of that scum need to be cleared out right now. Otherwise, these issues root deeper than we realize. Ramesh ji, they are mature adults; they know what is right for them and what is wrong.
They'll be married in a few months anyway; we can't keep following them around to monitor their every move. It's time they take ownership of their choices," Gajraaj spoke politely, his voice surprisingly calm and controlled compared to the tone he had used with Aahan.
"Please, don't make us feel embarrassed by saying all that. You must understand, you have a daughter as well. The marriage hasn't happened yet—there are still a few months left. We are a respectable family bound by the rules of society; we can't just let the kids do whatever they want,
" Anjali voiced her firm disagreement, looking straight at Gajraaj.
No matter how powerful his stature was, her daughter's reputation remained her main priority.
"I understand that. Trust me, I do. But I also know that whatever happened here tonight needs to be resolved between the two of them without us interrupting," Gajraaj stated, glancing back to see Raghav's eyes heavily locked on Jayasvi. It was crucial to clear the room.
Defeated by the decision, the family finally stepped outside. Her mother opened her mouth to object one last time as Gajraaj closed the door behind them, but Ramesh stopped his wife before she could speak.
Inside, Raghav's relentless gaze swept over Jayasvi until it froze on her face—specifically, the delicate curve of her cheek and chin, slightly reddened from where Aahan had held her captive to keep her quiet.
He closed the distance between them instantly. Before she could even gasp, his massive hands gripped her shoulders tightly, pulling her into a crushing embrace.
"Raghav, what has gotten into you?" she whispered, her body freezing at the sudden physical contact.
He didn't answer—at least, not with words.
Instead, his arms locked around her like iron bands, wrapping so tightly it almost hurt.
He buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar scent deeply, as if reassuring himself that she was really there and safe.
When his security team had informed him that Aahan had snuck into her house, he had genuinely feared for a moment that he was going to lose her, or that something far worse had transpired.
His breathing was uneven—sharp, ragged, and hot against her skin. The usually composed, formidable businessman looked... visibly shaken.
Then suddenly... SMACK.
She gasped loudly, eyes wide with shock, as the sharp sound echoed through the room when his palm landed firmly on her backside. She stumbled back a few steps, glaring at him while rubbing the impacted area. His dark, intense eyes—still burning with residual panic—met hers.
"I told you from the start to stay away from that idiot. What if we hadn't reached here on time? Do you have any idea what he could have done to you?" his deep voice rumbled, dangerously low. The reprimand came through gritted teeth.
"Raghav, I don't know how to read people's hidden motives! Behave yourself. Aapka dimaag toh kharab nahi ho gaya? Koi dekh lega. Please control yourself and your shamelessness," she snapped, her face burning with sheer embarrassment.
She had never expected tonight to take such an outrageous turn right when her family was outside along with his father.
(Have you lost your mind? Somebody might see.)
Ignoring her protest, he yanked her close again despite her struggles. Two more rapid spanks landed on her bottom, each strike making the soft fabric of her pajamas cling tighter against her skin.
"Idiot," he growled, though there was no real malice behind it—just that rough, aggressive worry that only he seemed capable of expressing.
"Your inability to recognize bad intentions will give me a heart attack one of these days. I am warning you Jayasvi, just wait till the marriage. You will pay for every single thing you are doing now. I'll make sure your backside would be burning red, the next time you put yourself in danger."
Even though his words screamed violence, his actions clearly said something else.
He reached out, his thumb softly tracing her cheekbone.
For a second, he handled her as if terrified she might shatter.
His fingers gently brushed over the red marks left on her skin where Aahan had forced her mouth shut.
"Nobody has the right to mark you," he muttered darkly before crashing his lips onto hers.
There was no sweetness, no gentle approach—just a raw, desperate effort to erase the lingering touch of that disgusting pest from his goddess, his jannat, the woman who had somehow become his absolute peace.
The kiss was entirely all-consuming. His lips moved against hers with a rough, starving urgency.
One of his hands cupped her face tightly, while the other tangled deep into her long braided hair, tilting her head back to deepen the force of the kiss.
Jayasvi couldn't even stand straight after a few seconds; his hot, uneven breath left no room for air, offering no mercy.
The metallic edge of his engagement ring pressed firm into her skin as his grip tightened, reducing her to a trembling mess.
When he finally broke the kiss, he immediately followed it with a flurry of lingering pecks across her face—her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her chin—claiming every inch with a fierce, possessive tenderness.
It was his silent way of making her realize just how deeply she mattered to him.
"I won't ever let any such trouble come near you again," he whispered against her lips.
Her eyes opened to meet his, reading the deep, unspoken tales of longing raw within them before he captured her mouth once more.
He pressed her back firmly against the wooden wardrobe, his hand sliding down to wrap around her waist, pulling her flush against his body.
Unaware of what was transpiring inside, Anjali Rana prepared hot coffee and light snacks for everyone, despite the heavy tension lingering in the air.
Her eyes kept darting back to the closed bedroom door.
Why couldn't they just leave the door cracked open?
What were they doing in there? What kind of conversation required this much privacy?
"Beta, it's a blessing you arrived on time, or we wouldn't have even realized that scum had crept into our home until it was too late," Ganga Rana said to Gajraaj, deeply grateful for his presence tonight and for handling the situation before it turned even uglier.
"No, no, please, don't make me feel embarrassed. Jayasvi hamari bhi bachhi hai. Uski zimmedari hamari bhi hai," Gajraaj spoke respectfully, taking a cup of coffee from the tray placed before him. (Jayasvi is our daughter as well. She is our responsibility as well.)
Anjali discreetly motioned for her husband to join her in the kitchen, pacing anxiously.
"What is it?" Ramesh asked in a low whisper, careful not to attract attention outside.
"Why aren't you saying anything? This is our home! He can't just dictate to us what we can and cannot do with our own daughter!" Anjali said, her voice laced with mounting panic, every passing minute feeling like an unbearable weight.
"Anjali, you are overreacting now. And in case you forgot, Raghav was your choice. He and Jayyu are getting married in a few months anyway. What is the point of acting like this now?" Ramesh replied, his voice strained with frustration. Tonight had been equally exhausting for him to endure.
"You won't understand, ji. I am a mother! After everything that happened today, my heart is still pounding in my chest. Thank God, my devi maa, protected my daughter, but right now, every second away from her feels terrifying. Don't you realize?
They arrived here so quickly because they were keeping tabs on us all along! I told you before, I saw drones hovering near her house. I thought it was just routine police surveillance. Only now do I realize they were spying on us the entire time!
I thought if our daughter married into the upper echelon of this country, she would live a comfortable life with strict security and luxury. But now I finally understand why people are so terrified of getting tied to a powerful political family," Anjali confessed,
distress dripping from every word as she nervously twisted the corner of her dupatta.
"Anjali, this is not the time to debate all of this. You wanted to make all the decisions on your own. I told you back then that Jayyu is too young to get married, but you turned a deaf ear to my words. I asked you to give her time to get to know Raghav before tying the knot,
but you ignored me then too. You were the one agreeing to every single demand made by the Hoodas, and now suddenly, when the wedding is right around the corner, you have a problem with everything? Your objections are completely meaningless now. You've backed us into a perilous situation,
" Ramesh stated, shaking his head in absolute irritation.
Anjali's heart sank even further at his harsh words.
"How is any of this my fault? I only ever wanted the absolute best for our daughter!" Anjali defended herself, feeling thoroughly cornered.
"You gave them complete authority to make decisions for her! The marriage, the venue, the dates, even everything she wears! You even let them dictate the restricted number of visits she can make to us after the wedding! And now you suddenly take issue with everything?
Even this Aahan situation came to life because of your actions. I told you to keep Jayyu by your side at every wedding function you took her to, knowing the kind of attention she attracts, but no. You were so eager to show the world how pretty and perfect your daughter is. Now look at the result,
" Ramesh snapped, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
Just then, Raghav stepped out of the bedroom, with Jayasvi following a few moments later. Her cheeks were flushed a deep, telltale pink—a detail instantly caught by her mother, who was watching their every move with an eagle eye.
"The wedding needs to take place as soon as possible," Raghav announced flatly, looking first at his father, then at her family, who stared back at him as if he had grown two heads.
"I will have her security tightened around this house immediately, but it is much safer if the wedding happens without delay. No body won't ever dare to reach for her once she is officially my wife," he added coldly.
"But beta, the wedding is already scheduled just few months from now," Ganga spoke up, failing to grasp the urgency behind his words.
"Yes, Dadi ji, but I wasn't referring to that wedding," Raghav replied, turning his gaze back to Jayasvi.
"I was talking about the court marriage."
The bombshell dropped instantly, leaving everyone frozen in place—most of all, Anjali and Ramesh.