Mumbai
Jannat Villa
As soon as Haya fell into the water, she began to panic. She didn't know how to swim, and the water was unusually deep. Rudraksh was busy on a call, likely an important one, but suddenly he felt something was wrong. He quickly looked around, but there was no one in sight. Then his eyes landed on the bridge where only Haya's hair was visible above the water. Rudraksh understood immediately, and without wasting a moment, he jumped into the water. Within two seconds, he reached her and quickly lifted her into his arms, bringing her to safety outside the bridge. Haya was unconscious, her peach-colored sari clinging to her body, exposing every curve. Her long hair had gotten tangled and stuck to her face, and she was breathing heavily.
Rudraksh gently tapped her face, urging, "Open your eyes, Haya, open your eyes," but she remained motionless. Worry began to creep into him as he wondered if her grandfather would blame him. Slowly, he tried to lift her, muttering under his breath, "What's all this drama now? You'll get me scolded by the family again." Clenching his fist, Rudraksh held her face with both hands, lifting her slightly, and in that very moment, his lips met hers. It felt as though time had stopped. A strange sensation overcame him. Rudraksh, who had only gone to help her, now found himself lost in the moment. He was kissing her, and he couldn't understand why. It was something he hadn't planned, yet he couldn't stop himself.
As he kissed her, Haya slowly began to stir. The moment she felt something on her lips, she snapped awake. Seeing Rudraksh leaning over her, she pushed him away with all her strength. Rudraksh staggered back in shock.
In the next instant, Haya slapped him hard across the face. Rudraksh looked at her in utter disbelief, a mix of shock and hatred in his eyes. Haya, filled with disgust, shouted, "How dare you touch me? How could you do that? Just this morning, you were talking nonsense, and now look at you! Can't even control yourself?"
Rudraksh, who had been silently enduring up until this point, could no longer hold back. His anger erupted. He grabbed Haya by the arms, yanking her close, pulling her hair back, and snarled, "You don't even have the right to stand in front of me. And you slapped me? You'd be lying dead in that water if I hadn't saved you in time. Girls like you, from small towns, always act like this. This is the only thing you're capable ofâthese low, disgusting actions. I can't even stand the sight of you. Coming near you? That's an insult to me."
Rudraksh's venomous words pierced Haya's heart. He was right there, so close to her, his wet hair brushing against her face. Haya could feel every inch of her body pressed against his. The bitterness in his words stung, and she felt trapped
in his presence.
Rudraksh's face was filled with nothing but hatred, and his face turned red. He leaned closer to Haya's ear and whispered softly, "Haya Diwan, you have awakened a lion, and this slap wasn't for me, it was for yourself. Until now, I had thought about divorcing you and throwing you out of this house, but no, now I will throw you out of this house, but you will live a life worse than death every single day. You will regret marrying me, Haya Diwan, because now Rudraksh Shekhawat will not let you live in peace, I promise you that." After saying this, Rudraksh pushed Haya away forcefully, and she stumbled, leaning against the wall. Her face turned red, and she realized that she had overreacted. Rudraksh had truly been trying to save her.
Haya wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and looked at herself in the mirror. She changed into another saree and went to the washroom. When she came out, Rudraksh had already left. Haya took a deep breath again, slowly walked downstairs, and entered the dining area where everyone was seated. Rudraksh was also there, but his face showed the anger he was feeling. Pushkar spoke softly, "Come, dear, is everything alright? Are you not feeling well?" Haya nodded gently and sat down beside Rudraksh.
Rudraksh pulled his chair back slightly, while Haya lowered her head. Mannat Ji spoke softly, "Haya, what do you like to eat? We'll make anything you want. You never tell us your preferences." Arina spoke up, "Haya, tomorrow I'll take you shopping, and in the evening, there's a reception, so you can buy whatever you like." Pushkar said gently, "Why would you go, dear? Rudraksh will take her now; it's his responsibility. Tomorrow, Rudraksh will take Haya out. Our daughter-in-law should see Mumbai, roam around a bit, or she'll get bored."
Everyone was surprised when Rudraksh, in a fit of anger, said, "Dadu, I have something very important to do tomorrow, I won't be going anywhere." Pushkar was taken aback and replied sternly, "I've said it, Rudraksh, you will take Haya. This is our decision, and you have to follow it, whether you like it or not."
After saying this, Pushkar Ji stood up, but Rudraksh, in anger, muttered, "I wish you had made this decision during the wedding, Grandpa, and left it to me." Hearing this, Shivay softly told him, "Rudraksh, be quiet." In frustration, Rudraksh left his food untouched and stormed out. Mannat Ji quickly called after him, "Rudraksh, eat something. You didn't even have breakfast properly." But Rudraksh didn't listen and walked out without saying anything.
Mannat Ji, holding her head, looked at Haya, whose eyes were once again filled with tears. Mannat Ji smiled and said, "Haya, dear, why are you so troubled? He does this when he's angry. You go ahead and have your dinner." Haya wiped her tears and replied, "Mom, I'm not going shopping. Why did you say that? I have everything I need." Hearing this, everyone gathered around her. Arina, lovingly, said, "Haya, it's not your fault. He always acts this way when he's upset. Please don't stress about it. Just eat your dinner."
Reluctantly, Haya took a couple of bites after everyone's persuasion, and then, she went to her room.
She took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She felt guilty for causing Rudraksh to leave hungry. She regretted her own actions and whispered to herself, "Why did I react like that? Why did I slap that devil and bring trouble upon myself?" Haya lay down on the bed and tried to sleep, but sleep was far from her. She hadn't been able to sleep at all since this morning. She whispered, "Sleep is nowhere near me tonight. Now, I'll just stare at these walls, all alone." With these thoughts, she began looking at her new phone.
Mumbai - Beach
The sounds of music were everywhere, with boys and girls jumping along with the waves of the sea. Everyone was dancing with bottles of alcohol in their hands. Rudraksh sat far away on a sofa by a stone, his eyes red, and his face tired. He was drinking too. Sophia looked at him and said, "What's wrong? You've been sitting quietly for so long? Did that idiot say something to you? Tell me." Rudraksh raised his finger to his lips and, tilting his head back, said, "Shut up. Your worthless friends are already making too much noise. Tell them to shut up before I silence them for good."
Sophia, irritated, responded, "You don't say anything when you tolerate that idiot, but my friends upset you? All day, work, work, work, and then your secret deals you never tell
Which you never tell me about, and now I've brought you here to relax a little, yet you won't even talk to me," Sofia kept shouting, but rudraksh didn't pay attention to her. Finally, Sofia went silent. Meanwhile, the sound of that slap echoed in Raghav's mind, and his eyes turned a deep red.
What will Rudraksh do now? How will he take revenge for that slap? How will Haya handle Rudraksh 'sanger?
To find out, read The Devil's Sweet Sin.