-49-
For once, calculation and strategy didn't work for Raghav like he anticipated.
That night, he slept peacefully, putting his phone on silent to prevent any useless calls and messages from disturbing his rest.
Unknown to him, the thundering clouds outside pointed toward an incoming storm—not just drenching the Hooda mansion, but also carrying the strength to destroy the peace he believed he had finally found in his life.
He woke up to streaks of light falling over his face through the curtain gap, accompanied by loud banging on his door.
"Raghav, come out right now!" Vandana called, her palm striking the wood, clearly panicked. It took a few moments for Raghav to stabilize himself, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He got out of bed, moving quickly to open the door.
His mother was no longer there. A deep frown formed on his forehead as he stepped out, feeling the heavy, cold tension in the house.
Pulling on his shirt while walking downstairs, he saw his mother striding across the living room while his grandmother sat on the sofa, clutching her head and chanting on her mala.
"What happened?" he asked attentively, reading the room.
"They broke off the marriage." It wasn't said by his mother, but by Dhara, who walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray with two glasses of water for Vandana and Gauri.
For a moment, Raghav felt like he had misheard. Who broke off the marriage? What were they talking about?
"Jayasvi's mother called me half an hour ago. They refused the marriage," Vandana spoke, sitting down beside Gauri with a worried sigh. "I can't even call your father—he left for Karnataka last night. I don't know what to do," she whispered, visibly panicked.
"The wedding cards were going to be printed soon. The jewelry, the dresses, the vanity—everything was almost set. How can they do this? Didn't they give you a reason for suddenly denying the marriage? They are humiliating us," Gauri Hooda spoke, her frustration fueled by the fear of losing face.
She had already told all her acquaintances about her grandson's upcoming wedding.
"Her mother called. She seemed very upset. She said we betrayed them by hiding the truth—that we hid Raghav's affair from them. She said... Jayasvi is their only daughter, not some burden or object to be sold, and they won't push her into hell after finding out," Vandana said worriedly,
looking at Raghav.
"Beta... what is going on? If there was someone else, you could have informed us. What is the meaning of all this?"
Raghav stood completely blank for a long moment, trying to absorb the situation before pulling himself back into composure.
"Affair?... Did she mention a name? How did they even hear about this?" Raghav spoke, his voice remaining eerily calm as he looked at his mother.
"She said the girl came to their place early this morning with her grandfather. The girl told them you two were in a relationship when you were in London, and that you promised to love and marry only her. She claimed... you are marrying Jayasvi just because we are pressuring you.
Even her grandfather humiliated Jayasvi—questioning her character and ethics," Vandana explained, relaying the bits and pieces from the call.
Gauri gasped as the depth of the situation hit her. "He did what? Why would he do that? Why traumatize a girl who didn't even know they existed a moment ago? She was getting married to Raghav—what wrong did she do?" Gauri questioned, standing up.
"Dadi, the marriage will happen no matter what. You don't need to speak about it in the past tense," Raghav stated, turning to go upstairs to get ready for the day. Dhara watched his retreating back, contemplating her next steps for a moment before following him.
Raghav was in his closet pulling out a shirt when Dhara stepped in.
"Bhaiya, can we talk?" she asked hesitantly.
Raghav turned to look at her, his calm exterior giving her a silent invitation to continue.
"Bhaiya, I know you said yes to this marriage for me—so I could be with Rishabh. But I've learned my lesson. It's not worth it. Jayasvi's family humiliated ours today. Please don't chase after her anymore. I don't want Rishabh if it means our family gets hurt because of it," she spoke softly.
Raghav looked at her carefully, setting the shirt aside on the table. "Bhabhi," he stated.
Dhara froze, looking at him, confused. "What are you talking about, Bhaiya?" Her head tilted slightly.
"Jayasvi is your bhabhi. I don't want to hear you call her by her name like that again. And as for you marrying Rishabh or not—Dhara, are you seriously as dumb as you are pretending to be?"
his tone was sharp enough to make his point clear without raising his voice.
"I am not playing house. That girl has been my fiancée for months, and I am marrying her. This isn't the time for your self-realization. I don't care if you marry Rishabh or not. All I know is I am going to marry Jayasvi and only her," he stated,
moving toward the bathroom before pausing at the threshold.
"Mind you, do not bring up this absurd conversation again," he warned before slamming the door behind him.
Dhara stood frozen. She had expected many reactions, but not this. She didn't even know how to process it. Why would her beloved brother speak to her that way when she was only trying to protect their family?
"You think a middle-class nobody like you has what it takes to be the Bahu of the Hooda family? You are practically a stepping stone for them to use until they deem it unnecessary—like a lump of dirt mixed in harvested wheat, waiting to be discarded."
Jayasvi couldn't stop the poisonous words of the old man from echoing in her mind.
Her tears flowed continuously while her mother tried to calm her down.
"You'll just be there for pretend play. He loves my Aneri, and he will always return to her. Even though I know he'll never leave my Aneri, I came here specifically to warn you to stay away from him. If, after today, you still have no shame and willingly sell yourself for money, that's your choice."
The old man had shrugged, looking at her as if she were beneath the dirt on his shoes while sitting royally on their sofa.
Aneri—the very woman Jayasvi had once asked Raghav about—stood by his side, glaring daggers at her.
"Enough! Who do you think you are? You might be some rich businessman, but you have no right to humiliate my daughter and my family. She wasn't the one who pursued this marriage—the Hoodas sent the proposal. This is my house, and I won't think twice before throwing you out," her father had snapped.
Subhash Kashyap, a man in his late 70s, rose from his seat with a sharp look, adjusting his expensive dark coat as he glared at her father.
"You are right. You people are far beneath our standards. Who would even want to stay here? I just wanted to personally see the faces of people who sell their daughters for a richer lifestyle," he stated, raising an eyebrow before stepping toward her father to adjust his collar.
"This time I came to talk. Next time, your daughter won't be so lucky. Remember that. I can do anything for my granddaughter—and when I say anything, I mean anything. I won't let some nobody steal what is hers," Subhash Kashyap warned.
"Be wise and save your only daughter... otherwise, be ready for the worst."
The threat kept replaying in her mind. It wasn't that she feared for her life; she simply felt consumed by shame.
All her life, she had done everything society and her parents expected of her, suppressing her own hopes and desires—whether in education, sports, or debates—just to make her family proud.
Yet today, she had become the source of their humiliation and pain.
Who knew that the moment she woke up today, she would hear the most disheartening words of her life?
"Beta... please don't cry like this. We won't marry you into that family. It's good we found out the truth now. See, God is on our side," her mother tried to soothe her, watching her daughter break down into a sobbing mess.
Anjali's heart was shaken; she wouldn't let her daughter walk blindly into destruction.
"I told you I didn't like that boy! Still, you were so sure about him. Look what happened!" her father snapped, clutching his head. He looked ready to break something, but restrained himself at the sight of his daughter's fragile state.
"It's all because of you! You spent years cursing her about how hard life would be when she grew up—treating it like harmless rambling when you were drunk!"
Anjali snapped back through her tears. Jayasvi closed her eyes, more tears falling as she watched her parents fight over her.
She covered her ears, unable to bear the shouting any longer.
The front door was knocked on again, this time more impatiently.
"Who is it now?" Anjali muttered, moving toward the door.
"What are you doing here?" she gasped. Jayasvi looked up, her tear-blurred vision landing on Raghav.
He was dressed in a long white designer kurta and pants with leather shoes, a brooch pinned to his chest.
Karan followed closely behind him, along with several women and security guards.
Jayasvi stood up, too confused and panicked to make sense of the situation. What was he trying to do?
"Raghav, we shouldn't meet. The wedding is off," she stated, wiping her tears while he settled comfortably onto the sofa.
"Says who?" Raghav questioned, giving her a lazy grin.
"This isn't a joke, Raghav. The wedding is off. My mother called yours. We have nothing to do with each other anymore," Jayasvi stated, growing frustrated by his nonchalant behavior.
Raghav looked at her closely for a moment before smiling. "No, wifey. We have a lot to do with each other. A lot of firsts to remember, and so much more to explore," he said with a wink, making a clear reference to intimacy, but she was in no mood for it.
"Oh hello, hero! When my daughter says no, it means no! We called off the wedding. We don't want this kind of complexity in our daughter's life—especially not after learning your reality," her father intervened, stepping between them.
"Sasur ji, aap bhi na bohot achhi baatein karte hai. Chaliye, jitne me Jayasvi taiyaar hoti hai, itne hum dono thodi baatein hi kar lete hai," Raghav spoke, leaning back like a king who owned the world—which he practically did for half the city,
given how rapidly his real estate empire was expanding.
(Father-in-law, you sure talk nicely. Come on, while Jayasvi gets ready, let's chat for a bit.)
"Wait, what are you talking about? Kis cheez ke liye taiyaar hona hai usse?" Her mother questioned, sensing that nothing good was coming from this situation. (What does she need to get ready for?)
"Arey Saasu Maa, aap toh dulhan ki maa hai—aap ko hi toh sab dekhne wale hai. Jaiye, jaldi se taiyaar ho jaiye. Aapke paas 4 ghante hai, take your time. Ab jab chaand ki maa hai, toh chaand jitna samay bhi toh lengi na aap taiyaar hone mein. Chaliye jaiye, yeh ladkiyan aapko bhi taiyaar kar dengi.
Dekhiye, agar koi kami lage toh main aur kuch mangwa deta hoon. Meri biwi ko bohot achha lagna chahiye aaj, yeh aapki responsibility hai," he said with a lazy smile at Anjali, who froze at his words.
(Mother-in-law, you are the bride's mother—everyone will be looking at you.
Go get ready quickly. You have 4 hours, take your time.
Being the mother of the moon, you'll obviously take your time to look the part.
Go on, these girls will help you get ready too.
Let me know if anything is missing and I'll order it.
My wife needs to look incredible today, and that is your responsibility.)
"Yeh kya bakwaas kar rahe ho!" her father snapped, stepping forward. (What nonsense are you talking about!) At that exact moment, the guards stepped in, surrounding him from all sides.
"Sasur ji, keep your temper in check. If your BP spikes for no reason, you won't be able to enjoy your beloved daughter's wedding," Raghav stated, the corner of his lips lifting into an amused smile.
"Get out right now, Raghav!" Anjali finally snapped at him.
"Saasu Mom, don't worry—I'll leave when the time comes. But not before taking what was promised to me. I have trusted you all for a long time, now it's time to take matters in my own hand without letting you all ruin them. That old bat won't interrupt the marriage trust me,
I'll handle him and his granddaughter in the best way possible. You just sit back and enjoy. Tell me if you need popcorns. Till then please do what is asked. The auspicious time of the wedding is pretty soon," he smiled, placing a pistol on the table.