Ch11Shadows of the Past #2
Dadi Maa and Pratap Raj Vardhan left, and I went toward the dining room. I found Rivanya serving the other family members, the staff by her side helping. She always seemed small and busy and utterly composed.
I called to her, “Suniye.”
Usually she would call me first; today it felt strange to call her. She looked up, surprised. “Jii?”
“Come,” I said. “We have to go somewhere.”
She blinked in confusion. “Now? At this late hour? Where are we going?”
“I’ll tell you on the way. Come it’s getting late.”
My younger aunt, Chachi Swarnika, teased as I passed. “What’s this, Rudra? I’ve never heard you call someone so sweetly before. Is marriage making you soft?”
Devaditya chimed in, grinning, “Just wait Maa. With Bhabhisa around, you’ll change colors entirely. Soon he’ll be a different man.”
I glared at Devaditya and he went quiet. Vishwraaj added, “Now that we have a Bhabhisa who is so special, our bhaisa must be proud.”
I rolled my eyes and snapped, “Cut the nonsense. I’m not changing for anyone least of all for my tomato wife.”
Rivanya, who had been standing shyly and blushing, shot back in a cheeky huff, “If I’m a tomato, then what are you? A Sadha hua aloo that always hangs around with its face stuck on?”
Everyone turned to stare at us. Normally people would avoid crossing me the younger and older ones all kept their distance because of my temper but today, seeing Rivanya’s boldness, they were surprised. More surprising to me was that I didn’t snap back. Instead, a small smile slipped over my face.
“Alright, then,” I said. “It’s getting late let's go.”
“Come on, Mrs. Vardhan,” I said, glancing at the clock. “We have to leave now it’s already late.”
Rivanya picked up her phone and nodded. “Alright… let’s go.”
We stepped outside into the cool night air.
I walked ahead and opened the passenger-side door, gesturing for her to sit.
She adjusted her saree and quietly slid into the seat, her earrings catching a faint glint of light from the porch lamps.
Once she was settled, I rounded the car and slipped into the driver’s seat.
“I’ll drive,” I told the driver, who had been waiting nearby. He understood and stepped back without a word.
The engine roared to life, and soon the car glided onto the main road. The headlights carved through the quiet darkness as the world blurred past us. For a while, there was only the hum of the tires against the asphalt and the faint rhythm of her bangles as she rested her hands on her lap.
Rivanya stared out the window, her face half-lit by the streetlights, lost in thoughts that I couldn’t reach. There was a calm silence between us but it felt heavy, almost burdened.
After a few minutes, I finally asked, “What’s wrong? I’ve been noticing since yesterday you seem… disturbed. Did something happen?”
She turned slightly, her expression unreadable. “No,” she said softly. “It’s nothing.”
“Rivanya,” I said in a steady voice, keeping my eyes on the road, “you can talk to me. Don’t hold it in. Whatever’s on your mind just say it.”
She hesitated, biting her lower lip before replying, “Do you know that I only recently shifted to Mumbai?”
I nodded, still focused on driving. “Yeah, I know. You came here to finish your studies, right? You used to live in Kashi before… that’s your home, isn’t it?”
She let out a deep breath. “Yes. I’ve lived there since childhood with my Nanu, Nani, Mamaji, and Mami. Ever since my mother left this world…”
Her voice trailed off for a moment, and she looked out of the window again.
“After I came here, everything happened so suddenly that I didn’t even get a chance to tell them anything.”
I frowned. “What do you mean you didn’t tell them? Tell them what?”
Her voice trembled slightly. “About our marriage. No one in Kashi knows. How can I even say it? The daughter they raised with so much love and care how do I tell them she got married… and they didn’t even know?”
The quiet ache in her voice hit me harder than I expected. The reflection of streetlights shimmered faintly in her moist eyes. I steadied one hand on the steering wheel and placed my other hand gently over hers.
“I know this isn’t easy for you,” I said quietly. “But don’t worry. I’m here. We’ll tell them together, okay? You said they love you so I believe they’ll understand.”
She looked at me, her expression a mix of disbelief and pain.
“It’s not about understanding,” she said.
“It’s about how they are. They’re extremely protective of me. If they find out that my father married me to you because of Alisha, without even informing them… they’ll take me back to Kashi. Forcefully.”
At that, my hand instinctively tightened around hers. My tone grew firm, almost possessive. “And you really think I’d let that happen? You think I’d let anyone take away the future Ranisa of Vardhanpur so easily?”
Her eyes widened at my words. “I don’t understand you,” she said, her brows furrowing slightly. “One moment you say you’ll never give me the position of your wife, that this marriage means nothing and the next, you say you won’t let me go. What does that even mean?”
I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead, my jaw tight.
“I may not be able to give you love, Rivanya,” I said slowly, “but I will always give you the respect you deserve. In the eyes of the world, you are my wife and my honor is tied to you. So tell me, how could I ever allow anyone to take away what represents my family’s dignity?”
Rivanya fell silent, processing my words. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, a faint smile touched her lips. “Fine,” she said softly. “Then at least tell me where we’re going, Mr. Vardhan.”
I glanced at her briefly before turning back to the road. “To your father’s house. Dadi Maa needed to speak with him about something important. I told her I’d go along, and she insisted that you come too. She said it would be good for you.”
At once, the warmth from her face vanished. “I don’t want to go to the Bedi Mansion,” she said in a low voice. “I… I don’t feel comfortable there.”
Her tone made me remember that strange moment on our wedding day how she had left without a proper farewell, her eyes red but her lips silent.
“What happened, Rivanya?” I asked gently. “You don’t want to meet your father?”
She took a deep breath and looked away. “Can we talk about this later, please? I don’t want to ruin the moment. I’ll tell you… just not now.”
I nodded slowly. “Alright. As you wish.”
The car continued down the dark stretch of road, the soft golden lights flickering past us. She turned her gaze toward the night sky again, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at her reflection in the glass calm, yet full of untold stories.
A few moments later, our car stopped in front of the Bedi Mansion.
I stepped out first, walked around, and opened the door for Rivanya. One look at her face, and I could tell she didn’t want to be here.
We walked toward the entrance, but our steps froze the moment we crossed the threshold.
In front of us, Naresh Bedi, Rivanya’s father, had his wife Samita Bedi by the hair, forcing her down to touch the feet of Dadi Maa and my father, Pratap Raj Vardhan, who had already arrived before us.
Both Rivanya and I were stunned. What had happened before we came?
Samita Bedi was crying, begging for forgiveness at Dadi Maa’s feet.
But the most shocking sight wasn’t her it was Alisha, standing silently in the corner, head bowed. The moment I saw her, anger burned through me. How dare this girl come back here after everything?
I clenched Rivanya’s hand and led her straight inside.
“Dadi Maa, what’s happening here?” I asked.
Her voice trembled with controlled rage.
“These people deceived us, Rudraksh.
If you hadn’t married Rivanya, who knows what catastrophe would’ve struck Vardhanpur.”
I frowned. “What do you mean, Dadi Maa? Please explain clearly.”
My father, Pratap Raj Vardhan, spoke in a thunderous tone.
“I’ll tell you what happened.”
His gaze was cold, sharp as steel. I waited, silent, as he continued.
“These Bedi’s played us. The horoscope they showed us as Alisha’s... was actually Rivanya’s.
The match that was supposed to align with your birth chart, Rudraksh, wasn’t Alisha’s it was Rivanya’s.
Samita and Alisha planned this for money and status. But when they found out that whoever marries you might face death, Samita forced Rivanya into the marriage instead emotionally blackmailing her. She planned that once Rivanya died, she’d push Alisha back into your life.”
Before he could even finish, fury surged inside me.
My fists tightened, jaw clenched, and I glared at Samita Bedi lying on the floor.
“How low can you stoop?” I roared.
“For your selfish gain, you played with so many lives! And you dared to deceive me Rudraksh Vardhan?”
I stormed forward, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her up.
“How dare you!”
Before I could do anything more, Rivanya rushed in front of me and caught my hand.
“Please, let her go,” she said softly, tears in her eyes. “People like her don’t deserve your touch, Rudraksh. Don’t dirty your hands.”
Seeing the pain in her eyes, I let go. Samita fell to the ground again, and I gripped Rivanya’s hand tightly instead.
Dadi Maa stepped closer. “When we entered the mansion, we overheard Samita and Alisha speaking. That’s how we learned the truth.”
She turned to Rivanya, placed a gentle hand on her head, and said,
“Child, matches are truly made in heaven. You were destined for Rudraksh. You are his true partner, his Ardhangini.”
Tears streamed down Rivanya’s cheeks. “I already knew, Dadi Maa. Since the day of our wedding…”
Everyone around us went silent, stunned.
Even Naresh Bedi, trembling with guilt, stepped forward.
“My child… I don’t deserve to be called your father. Because of me, you’ve known only pain.”
That was it. Rivanya broke down completely, crying uncontrollably.
Dadi Maa embraced her, whispering comfort.
Just then, Alisha still standing nearby suddenly ran toward me, crying.