CHAPTER 30
SIYA
Few minutes later
The moment Esha tells me Raghav is in the gym, I make my way there. I don’t realise how fast I’m walking until I push open the heavy glass doors leading to the boxing section.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The unmistakable sound of leather striking a punching bag echoes through the otherwise empty gym.
I glance around, and there he is. Dressed in a black sleeveless vest and charcoal joggers, he’s standing in front of the heavy bag, sweat glistening over the hard lines of his body.
His gloved fists slam into the bag relentlessly…
jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts landing one after the other, each strike sending the bag swinging.
The chains holding the bag rattle violently with each blow. He doesn’t even seem to notice my entrance or maybe he simply doesn’t care. My pulse pounds louder than the bag as Mom’s words replay in my head.
“If he’s at fault, you are as well.”
No. Absolutely not.
Raghav lands one final vicious combination before sensing my presence, and he slowly turns to face me. The instant our eyes meet, he stops punching.
Without a word, I march straight towards him and shove him hard. His body barely moves. He simply absorbs the force, staring at me with narrowed eyes.
I shove him again. Harder this time.
“What the f*ck is your problem now?” he shouts.
“You are my problem.” I shove him back again through gritted teeth.
“Everyone around here believing that our marriage is normal is my problem.” Another shove.
“The people of RK Estate having no idea what their favourite, respectable Boss did in Cape Town is my problem.” Another push.
“And worst of all? Mom telling me that this isn’t just your fault…
that I’m equally responsible for this entire mess too... that is my problem.”
He simply keeps taking every shove without retaliating, which only makes me angrier. I curl my hand into a fist and punch him straight in the chest. The impact stings my knuckles far more than it hurts him. He exhales sharply.
“Siya.”
I swing again, this time aiming for his shoulder.
He instinctively blocks it with his forearm.
My eyes widen at his boxing reflexes, but I’m too angry to stop.
I throw another punch. Then another. Raghav shifts sideways, and the punch slices through empty air.
I then go for his ribs, but he catches my wrist just enough to stop it, then immediately lets go, as if reminding himself that he isn’t fighting an opponent.
“I’m warning you,” he growls.
“Oh really?” I retort, swinging at him again.
Raghav ducks. I throw another punch. He avoids it. Then another. His gloved hand comes up and knocks my arm away, only infuriating me further.
“Fight back!” I yell.
“I’m not fighting you.”
I shove him again, this time with both hands.
His jaw tightens, as if he has finally had enough.
Without taking his eyes off me, he lifts one gloved hand to his mouth, catches the strap between his teeth, and yanks.
The Velcro rips apart with a sharp sound.
He tosses the glove aside and does the same with the other one.
Before I can attack again, both his hands close around my arms, and he turns us in one swift movement.
My back collides with the padded wall beside the boxing ring, and his arms cage me in.
Every muscle in his forearms is taut beneath my fingers.
His chest rises and falls rapidly from the workout as sweat trickles down the side of his neck.
His face is only inches away from mine as he finally speaks again.
“Stop it, Siya.”
“No,” I don’t let him speak and jab a finger against his hard chest. “I won’t stop.
Because marrying a woman against her will is a crime, Raghav Kundra.
And in this entire mess… I’m the one being blamed while you walk around with your head held high, as if you’ve done nothing wrong. That’s my f*cking problem.”
That finally triggers Raghav. He grabs both my arms and pulls me closer. I gasp at his sudden reaction. Raghav glares at me, the vein at his temple popping out in anger.
“I don’t give a f*ck to what people around us think, Siya,” he blurts out. “But since this is bothering you so much, let me tell you something. I did nothing different from what you did.”
I stare at him, taken aback by the accusation. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You put a garland around my neck in that temple in front of my people. And you know what that means in Shivtara Valley. That gesture is as good as a marriage there. So when I came to Cape Town and married you for real in front of your people, the underworld… how exactly is that any different?”
I blink at him, stunned.
“You did it because you didn’t want Kriti anywhere near me. You did it to save me from her manipulation that night. Likewise, I acted the way I did because I didn’t want the mafia anywhere near you. I didn’t want them hunting you down, using you, or hurting you ever again.”
His fingers tighten around my arms just enough for me to feel the conviction behind every word.
“You put that garland around my neck to protect me. I put the mangalsutra around yours to protect you. So tell me, Princess… why is your action justified while mine is considered a sin?”
Fresh anger surges through me. I wrench one arm free and shove him with all my strength.
He barely moves.
“Oh, so now you’re blaming me?” I snap. “No, Raghav. You’re just trying to turn this around on me now.”
His expression hardens instantly. “No, I’m not. And I’m definitely not putting the blame on you either. I’m just showing you the truth you’ve been conveniently trying to run away from.”
I open my mouth to argue, but he doesn’t let me.
“We met eleven months ago in that club in Mumbai. But the moment I found out who you were, I drew a line and stayed away.” His gaze never leaves mine.
“But then you came to RK Estate. I even asked you to leave, but you didn’t.
One thing led to another. You defied me.
I challenged you. You kept walking into my space, and I kept walking into yours.
We chased each other, pushed each other, and tested each other’s limits. ”
His gaze drops briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes. “And somewhere in between all that... possessiveness crept in. So did jealousy.”
I hate that every word he says is true. My heart pounds harder.
“The decision you made that day at the temple didn’t come out of nowhere, Siya.” His thumb brushes absently against my arm. “It came from everything that happened before it. You didn’t put that garland around my neck because a stranger needed saving. You did it because it was me.”
His eyes search mine.
“Maybe your intentions were pure. Maybe you were only trying to protect me. I believe you. But you still took that first step towards me. And that’s where my restraint ended, and I took the next one.
The only difference is that I knew exactly what I was doing when I made you my wife.
” There isn’t an ounce of hesitation in his voice. “And I have no regrets.”
Something painful flashes across his face as he adds, “Except for one thing.”
His eyes soften for the first time since this argument began. “The only thing I regret is blackmailing you through your mother. I know that was unforgivable. But it was the only way I knew you would agree to the marriage.”
I continue to stare at him without saying a word.
“I never intended to separate her from you.” He gives a slight shake of his head. “I know what it means to grow up without a mother. I would never knowingly let someone else go through that pain because of me.”
The anger inside me falters for a bit. His words don’t erase what he did. They don’t make it right either. But they do make me understand why he acted the way he did. Still... it changes nothing. I stare at him, my eyes already heavy with unshed tears.
“But you knew I never wanted this life, Raghav. You knew I never wanted anyone connected to the mafia or that world as my husband.”
Without warning, his hand shoots out and grips my elbow. He again pulls me towards him until I collide against his warm chest, still slick with sweat.
“You should have thought about that before putting the garland around my neck or kissing me that night,” he says. “Now it’s too late.”
A bitter smile touches my lips as I slowly nod.
“Right. It’s too late.” I laugh softly, shaking my head.
“I was such a fool, wasn’t I? To believe that at least you would understand why I wanted to escape this mafia life forever.
Someone who himself had walked away from that darkness, looking for peace, would relate to my desperation to break free. But I was so wrong.”
I let out a humourless laugh. “Do you know why I never wanted a man from the mafia, Raghav? Why I wanted to escape this life. Why I never wanted someone like you as my husband?”
Raghav says nothing. He just glares at me with his jaw still clenched. “It’s because I spent my entire childhood watching my mother stand at the door every night, waiting for my father to come back home… alive.”
My throat tightens.
“Waiting to hear the sound of his car pulling into the driveway. And every single time he was late, every single time his phone was unreachable, every single time somebody knocked on our door unexpectedly... we thought he was dead.”
Silence falls between us.
“You know what my childhood memories are? It’s not birthdays, holidays, or family trips.
My memories are filled with blood. I remember Dad walking into the house covered in it.
I remember bullet wounds on his body. I remember Mom locking herself in the bathroom because she didn’t want me to see her cry.
And every time he left the house again, we did the same thing.
” I look straight into his eyes. “We waited and prayed that he would come back alive.”
Raghav swallows, his grip on my arms loosening a bit.