CHAPTER 23 #4
My heartbeat slows slightly, because that same question has been troubling through my mind ever since tonight.
I glare at Haider who was speaking with one of the stewardesses.
He knows Mom is sharing her side of the story, and for the first time since I’ve known him, he actually avoids my eyes, almost guiltily.
Then, without saying a word, he quietly moves back and takes the seat beside Raghav.
Mom exhales shakily and continues, “At first, Haider refused to answer my questions. But eventually, he did. He told me Raghav never intended to let you leave for Queenstown in the first place.”
For one second, I genuinely stop breathing. What?
Mom nods slowly, equally disturbed.
“According to Haider, Raghav had instructed his brother, Ayaan from GLEN, to arrange our safe extraction from Vardhaan Mansion and bring us back to RK Estate.”
RK Estate? Why there?
“But apparently, Ayaan changed the plan at the last minute without informing Raghav,” she says quietly. “And when Raghav found out through Trisha, he came to Cape Town himself.”
I go completely blank. Why did he want me back at RK Estate so badly?
Mom looks away briefly before speaking again. “I think even Haider was shocked when Raghav suddenly decided to marry you.”
Her eyes fill again with fresh tears. “I could see from upstairs that you didn’t want that marriage.
The way you were standing there… the way you were looking at him…
I could feel your pain. I’m so sorry, baby,” Her voice breaks.
“All of this happened because I disappeared at the worst possible moment. You agreed to marry him because you thought he could hurt me or never let you see me again.”
She shakes her head sadly. “You should never have been forced into something like this because of me.”
The tears I’d been holding back finally streamed down my cheeks after hearing that.
“Mom, no,” I whisper, hugging her tightly. “Don’t say that. None of this is your fault. I trusted him, and that’s what hurts the most. I trusted Raghav to help us leave safely. I trusted him to protect us.” I let out a broken laugh. “And this is what he does instead?”
Mom stays silent while I wipe my tears angrily.
“I still can’t believe he actually forced me into marriage like this.”
Mom watches me quietly before speaking again.
“All these mafia men are the same in the end,” she says bitterly. “Power and their egos matter more to them than emotions. More than consent. More than anything else. But Siya… I still don’t understand why Raghav specifically wanted you back at RK Estate?”
I look at her with the same confusion. Mom studies my face for a moment, and something shifts in her expression.
“Are you hiding something from me?” she asks suddenly.
My stomach drops. The only thing I’m hiding from her is that I kissed Raghav. And yeah, I had placed that garland around his neck too, claiming him as mine before the entire Shivtara Valley. Mom stares at me, as if she can read my thoughts.
I immediately shrug. “Why… why would I hide anything from you?”
“Because I don’t think Raghav married you only because Samarjeet challenged him downstairs. I think it’s something more than that.”
I swallow.
More?
“Did something happen between you two back at RK Estate?” she asks me directly this time.
My entire body stiffens. Suddenly, memories of Raghav and me at the Shivtara Mata temple flash across my mind so vividly that I almost stop breathing for a second.
Raghav’s mouth against mine. His hand possessively touching me everywhere.
Then his words echo in my head.
“When a mafia man decides he wants something, Siya, especially a woman… he doesn’t stop. Not even if she says no or ignores him. Nothing stops him.”
I hold my breath, wondering if our kiss that night is the reason Raghav decided he would never let me walk away from him again. Unable to sit still any longer, I get up and walk towards the small bar area.
The stewardess steps forward politely. “Ma’am, what would you like to drink?”
I can feel Raghav’s eyes on me from somewhere behind.
Even without looking at him, I know he’s watching my every movement.
Ignoring the stewardess, I pull open the glass cabinet myself.
The moment my fingers close around a wine bottle, I freeze.
There it is… the same RK emblem embossed in black and gold staring back at me.
Even the wine inside this damned jet belongs to him. I grab the bottle aggressively, uncork it, and pour the red wine into a glass until it almost spills over the rim. Then, I lift the glass and swallow almost the entire thing in one long gulp.
The burn hits my throat immediately, but it’s not enough to quiet the chaos inside my head. My gaze drifts helplessly around the jet once more, then on the RK emblem stamped into every corner, before finally landing on Raghav himself, who is still watching me.
The reality of my situation sinks in hard.
It reminds me that no matter how far I had wanted to run, I still ended up trapped inside his world, his name, and his control.