-48-
Gajraaj took Raghav away immediately. He knew that staying there at that moment wasn't the most practical decision. He himself was taken aback by his son's words; God only knew what her parents must be thinking about them right now.
The moment they stepped into the Hooda haveli, the ladies were already waiting anxiously, having noticed them leaving with so much wrath earlier.
"What happened? Why did both of you go out in such a hurry?" Vandana questioned her husband, getting up from her seat. She was sure it was something serious; otherwise, neither of them would have left like that.
"Ask your son. We are just returning from Jayasvi's house. He went and told her parents to do a court marriage before the actual wedding rituals. Devi Maa knows who fills this garbage in his head," Gajraaj snapped, glaring at Raghav.
He felt as though his reputation had been ruined tonight, all thanks to his headstrong son.
Raghav stood his ground, genuinely not understanding what he had done wrong. They were going to get married anyway—it was simply for her safety. Why was everyone reacting as if he had asked to celebrate their wedding night before the actual ceremony?
"Haaye, Raghav, pagal ho gaya hai kya tu? Tujhe itni bhi samajh nahi hai kya bolna hota hai aur kya nahi? Pata bhi hai uske ghar wale hamare baare mein kya soch rahe honge?"
Gauri Hooda gasped, looking at her grandson as the seriousness of the situation set in.
(Have you gone mad? Don't you even know what is appropriate to say and what isn't?
Have you even thought about what they must be thinking of us?)
"Dadi, you are all acting as if I am going to marry some random girl. We are going to get married anyway. What is there to overreact about?" Raghav stated, crossing his arms while maintaining the same cool, unbothered aura.
"Don't give her that attitude, young man. You wanted to marry Jayasvi as soon as possible, and we agreed to your every wish. But you are crossing your limits now. This isn't how things are done. You might have grown up in London, but don't forget how traditions work here.
Don't force us to stop you from seeing her until the wedding," Vandana interrupted, well aware of the delicate nature of the situation.
Being a mother to a daughter herself, she knew how fragile a bride's parents' hearts could be.
Raghav's face twitched for a second as the gravity of the matter sank in.
"Is that even a question? After tonight, he isn't going to see her. Besides, the wedding is right around the corner. What is there to meet about now? Once you get married, meet her as much as you want," Gauri spoke, and this time, everyone agreed with her.
They couldn't risk letting things go downhill—not right now, at least, when the wedding was so close.
No matter how mature she considered Raghav to be, he was making impulsive decisions, and it was better for the elders to take control.
A few days passed as the sword of the upcoming marriage hung over Jayasvi's head.
Her mother kept asking her random questions about Raghav, appearing increasingly wary about the whole wedding situation.
Jayasvi couldn't understand the reason behind her suspicion.
Whenever she was on a call, her mother would hover nearby, trying to figure out who she was talking to.
"How is the wedding shopping going?" Raghav asked her over the phone while driving back home after work.
"It's going fine. Went jewelry shopping today. God, my shoulders are aching. It feels like my body is being torn apart," she groaned, massaging her neck.
"Are you asking for a massage, Rana?" he questioned in a playful, teasing tone.
She froze at his words. So he was going down that road now? Her eyes narrowed at the wall opposite her.
"Dekho Raghav, mera dimaag kharab karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Waise hi main bohot thaki hui hoon, please mera dimaag mat chabao," she groaned, digging her fingers into her scalp.
She was exhausted from the shopping trip, and here this man was, constantly finding ways to flirt.
Which girl would want to do that when her mother was glaring daggers at her from across the room?
(See Raghav, don't drive me crazy. I'm already exhausted, so please don't trouble me right now.)
"Okay, I won't trouble you anymore. But I hope you got your lehenga," his voice softened upon hearing the genuine tiredness in her tone.
"Yes, got it," she stated, wanting nothing more than to just scroll through reels. Was it just her, or was everyone acting strangely over the last few days? She huffed.
"And the outfit for our wedding night?" he tested his luck again.
She froze, practically hearing his smirk through the speaker.
"Hooda Sahab, itna pitoge na ki koi shakal nahi pehchaan payega. Toh apne muh ko kripya band karke rakhiye," she warned, gritting her teeth. (Mr. Hooda, you will get beaten so badly that no one will be able to recognize your face. So kindly keep your mouth shut.)
"Oh God, babe, you're getting quite freaky. I didn't think you were planning for BDSM on our very first night. But who am I to say no to your fantasies, right?" he added, making her face flush bright red.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to construct a fitting reply to his shameless remarks, but her options were limited. Her mother was still peeking inside the room.
"You leave me speechless," she let out a long sigh.
"Babe, get used to it. In a month's time, you'll be forgetting how to say anything more than your own name," he stated, his voice dropping a few octaves lower.
Jayasvi, for once, wasn't backing down. "Haan na, pakka? Baad mein disappoint mat kijiyega. Pata chale 5 minute mein hi saara kaam tamaam," she spoke, rolling her eyes before suddenly realizing her mother was still watching her with narrowed eyes.
She gulped nervously. "I mean... it's difficult to finish a cold drink in one single gulp."
A burst of loud laughter echoed from the other end before his voice grew deeper.
"Challenge accepted, Jannat. Don't beg me to stop later when I finally have you in my arms. I'll make you answer for every single threat of yours. You are in for a very long ride," he spoke with a wide, wicked grin.
Jayasvi's face grew even warmer at his words before she narrowed her eyes at her phone. "Oh hello, why so confident? You haven't done anything so far. All this overconfidence is honestly making me wonder if you are really as innocent as you claim to be."
"Innocent kahan, meri jaan? Hum toh woh bhookhe sher hain jo apne shikaar ka kab se intezaar kar rahe hain," he teased. (Where am I innocent, my love? I am that hungry lion who has been waiting for his prey for far too long.)
"Sher hi bane rehna, aapki harqatein kahi aapko kutta na bana de. Uss din jo bakwaas karke gaye ho na, uski wajah se bomb mere upar phata hai. Bohot hi ghatiya harqat karke gaye ho. Samajh mein aaya aapko? Ek toh ghar se nikalna mushkil ho gaya hai uss kameene ki wajah se," she huffed.
(Stay a lion then, because your antics might end up turning you into a dog.
The mess you created that day exploded right on my head.
It was a terrible thing to do. Do you understand?
It has become impossible for me to even step out of the house because of that scoundrel.)
"Bahar jaana bhi kyun hai, babe? Ab toh aapko hamare ghar aana hai. Phir jitna man aaye humse milne aate rehna office. Hamara bhi kaam mein dil laga rahega jab roz apni sundar biwi ko dekhenge," he teased.
(Why do you even need to go out, babe? Now you just have to come to my home.
After that, you can visit my office as much as you want.
My heart will actually be in my work once I get to see my beautiful wife every day.)
"Bas aapse duniya jahan ka flirt kara lo. Aapko jo chahiye tha woh toh ho hi raha hai," she huffed, pouting. (All you know how to do is flirt endlessly. Whatever you wanted is happening anyway.)
"Meri jaan, aapki aur hamari zarooratein alag thodi hain. Jo aapko chahiye, wahi hamari chahat ho jayegi," he continued teasing her. (My life, your needs and mine aren't any different. Whatever you want becomes my desire as well.)
"Hmm, aisa kya? Then woof like a dog," she said, a bright smile spreading across her face.
His smile vanished instantly. "Kya badtameezi hai yeh?" he groaned at how effortlessly she had ruined the romantic mood. (What kind of behavior is this?)
"You said my wish becomes your command, so I just told you what I want," she teased, smiling at his frustrated tone.
"You leave it. You only know how to ruin the mood. Women fast for 16 Mondays just to get a husband like me, and this is how you treat me when you're getting one without any effort," he complained.
"16 Somvaar? For you? Shakal dekhi hai kabhi apni sheeshe mein jaakar aapne? Thoda soch kar toh bola karo," she laughed at his audacity. (16 Mondays? For you? Have you ever looked at your own face in a mirror? At least think before you speak.)
"Mera toh pata nahi, jaaneman, par woh din door nahi jab tumhari subah meri shakal dekhe bina nahi hone wali," he stated in a low, husky voice. (I don't know about that, my love, but the day isn't far when your morning won't even begin without seeing my face.)
"Okay listen, I'll call you later. Shivaya is calling me," he cut in when his phone started vibrating for the third time.
"Fine. Good night. Drive safe," she said, hanging up, only to immediately face her mother's interrogation about what they had been talking about.
"Hey buddy, what's going on?" Raghav asked Shivaya, his cousin, the moment he answered the incoming call.
"Where the hell are you, Raghav? Why can you never pick up your phone?"
Shivaya questioned, sounding visibly frustrated.
"Do you even realize what just happened here? Aneri came over and threw a massive fit about how she won't let you marry anyone else. Why didn't you handle her before all this?" Shivaya shot at him.
Raghav's face darkened at those words. "What are you talking about? I haven't spoken to her in years. If she has some delusion about my feelings for her, that's her problem, not mine," he stated, trying to maintain his composure,
though his shoulders tensed at the potential drama this girl could bring into his life just when things were finally falling into place.
"I warned you to get this marriage done as soon as possible because Aneri was bound to throw a fit no matter what," Shivaya spoke with sheer frustration.
"Why are you so worked up about this? Let the dog bark; we don't need to react to everything," Raghav replied in a controlled voice.
"The problem is that she is coming to India with her grandfather to meet your parents and put a stop to your wedding. Get your act together while you still can, because I'm telling you, this is going to get very messy," Shivaya warned him.
Raghav remained silent for a moment, letting the warning sink in.
"You think she scares me? Let her try whatever she wants. I'd like to see who stops me from marrying Jayasvi. You know very well what I've put on the line to have her. These stupid obstacles aren't going to change what I want," Raghav declared, hanging up the call immediately,
not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer.
"Mummy ji, I am very concerned about Raghav. He has been acting very strangely these days," Vandana voiced her thoughts to Gauri while massaging her mother-in-law's legs.
Gauri let out a soft sigh, leaning back against the headboard. "I pray to Devi Maa every night before sleeping to let this marriage happen peacefully. It feels like a new problem arises every single day. Has he gone to see Jayasvi again?" Gauri asked, looking at Vandana, who shook her head.
"Not that I know of. His father has guards keeping an eye on him now. He strictly warned Raghav not to see Jayasvi for the time being—at least until the wedding," Vandana shared with a heavy sigh.
"Yes, speak to Gajraaj about it. Raghav will only listen to him right now. It seems he doesn't value our words anymore. Only his father can talk some sense into him," Gauri spoke, rubbing her face tiredly.
"But Mummy ji, controlling a grown-up son like that isn't good either," Vandana replied, a worried look on her face.
"It's for the best right now. Let the wedding pass, then we'll address his behavior. It's just his young blood boiling. Once Jayasvi comes here as his bride, everything will naturally fall into place," Gauri concluded with a weary sigh.