Ch26 The Bow That Broke Pride #5
He stood up and walked straight toward Rivanya.
Everyone held their breath, expecting anger... harsh words... something intense.
But what happened next... was completely unexpected.
Rudraksh didn't stop.
Instead, in the very next moment, he did something that no one in that room could have ever imagined not even in their wildest thoughts.
He walked straight up to Rivanya... and then, without a second thought, he went down on his knees in front of her.
For a second, time froze.
Before anyone could even process what was happening, Rudraksh gently held Rivanya's feet, his eyes lifting to meet hers.
There was no hesitation in them, no anger only a strange, intense calm.
And then, bowing his head, he softly pressed his lips against her feet... right there, in front of everyone.
The entire hall fell into a stunned silence.
(YOU'RE REACTION RIGHT NOW)
("I CAUGHT YOU AGAIN!"??)
Chandni stood there, completely shocked, her face drained of color. The rest of the family was no less shaken no one had ever seen Rudraksh like this before. The same Rudraksh who never bowed before anyone, the one who made others bend with just his presence... was now kneeling before his wife.
But the most shaken of all... was Rivanya.
She froze completely.
Her mind went blank, her heart racing uncontrollably as she stared at him, unable to understand what had just happened.
She hadn't even imagined something like this not from him, not in front of everyone.
Her breath hitched, her fingers trembling slightly, and her eyes instinctively lowered as a deep blush spread across her cheeks.
Rudraksh then slowly stood up, a faint smirk playing on his lips, his gaze shifting toward Chandni.
Rudraksh said,
"There you go, Bua. I've fulfilled even this wish of yours. I've bowed down and kissed the feet of the Lakshmi of my house. And in your language... yes, I've become a slave to my wife."
His words were sharp, laced with mockery, yet carrying an undeniable pride.
At that moment, Rivanya was still trying to process everything.
Her heartbeat refused to calm down, and something deep inside her shifted.
What he had just done wasn't just shocking it touched something within her heart that she herself hadn't recognized before.
Without realizing it, she was slowly starting to fall for him...
and after today, it would be almost impossible for any girl not to fall for a man like Rudraksh.
The room remained silent, heavy with emotions.
Rudraksh's expression hardened again as he looked at Chandni.
Rudraksh said,
"You've insulted my wife enough. Don't forget she is not an ordinary girl. She is Rivanya Rudraksh Vardhan... my wife, the elder daughter-in-law of the Vardhan family, and the future Queen of Vardhanpur. So from now on, choose your words carefully."
There was no anger in his tone anymore.
Only authority.
Only warning.
And only pride for his wife.
That level of humiliation was more than enough for Chandni. Her pride had been shattered completely. Without saying another word, without looking at anyone, she turned and walked out of the house. The same woman who had entered with arrogance and taunts left in silence defeated.
But she wasn't the only one overwhelmed.
Rivanya, who had been standing there all this while, suddenly felt everything hit her at once. Her heartbeat was still racing, her cheeks flushed, and her mind unable to process what had just happened. Without saying anything to anyone, she quickly turned and rushed upstairs to her room.
Rudraksh noticed it immediately.
He watched her retreating figure, confusion flickering in his eyes.
Rudraksh thought,
"What just happened to her?"
Without wasting another second, he followed her upstairs, his steps quick yet controlled.
Downstairs, however, the entire family was still frozen in place, trying to process what they had just witnessed. It felt unreal as if they had just seen a completely different side of Rudraksh, one they never thought existed.
Dadi Maa finally broke the silence, her eyes filled with emotion and a faint smile on her lips.
Dadi Maa said,
"Pratap... Rivanya will truly change your son. Finally."
Pratap exhaled deeply, a sense of pride clearly visible in his expression.
Pratap said,
"She won't change him, Kaki-sa... she already is. Today, for the first time, I feel truly proud of my son. I couldn't tolerate Rivanya's insult either... but the way she handled everything, we didn't even need to step in. And to be honest, I wanted Rudraksh to take a stand for her...
that's why I stayed silent."
Dadaji nodded in agreement, his voice firm yet filled with satisfaction.
Dadaji said,
"Yes, I wanted the same. Otherwise, no one has the right or the status to insult our daughter Rivanya like that in front of us."
A quiet sense of pride and relief spread among the family.
Because today... they hadn't just witnessed a confrontation.
They had witnessed a beginning.
A change.
And perhaps... the first step of a love story that neither Rudraksh nor Rivanya had fully realized yet.