Mumbai â Jannat Villa
Haya was completely shockedâwhat had suddenly happened to Rudraksh? How could he insult his beloved Sophia like that? His behavior was completely opposite to his usual nature.
Seeing Haya lost in thought, Rudraksh spoke calmly, "Don't put too much strain on your mind. Right now, where you are standing, there are many people around us who have their eyes on us. I don't want to give anyone a chance to say anything that could affect our reputation."
Hearing his words, Haya turned her head in all directions and said with a smirk, "Oh really? But I don't see anyone around."
At her response, Rudraksh gave her an intense glare, his eyes filled with authority and warning. He didn't like it when someone, especially Haya, talked back to him.
After about two minutes, both of them were downstairs. The moment they entered, all eyes turned toward Haya. People greeted her warmly, their faces filled with admiration.
A woman, smiling affectionately, said, "Congratulations, Mrs. Shekhawat! Your younger daughter-in-law is even more beautiful than the elder one."
Hearing this, Arina did not feel even a hint of jealousy; instead, she was genuinely happy. However, somewhere deep inside, Veena felt hurt. But she was skilled at masking her emotions, so not a single trace of disappointment appeared on her face.
Just then, a voice broke through the conversation. "How are you, Haya?"
Haya turned toward the voice, her eyes meeting those of a young man who looked around the same age as Rudraksh, perhaps slightly older. She was surprised, and before she could say anything, Arina quickly stepped forward and introduced them.
"Oh! What happened is that Veeresh and Ishan were out of the country for some important work, so they couldn't attend your wedding. This is Ishan, my husband and your elder brother-in-law. And this is Veeresh, the youngest son of the familyâyour brother-in-law."
Before Haya could respond, Veeresh spoke with an amused smile, "Wow, Bhabhi! The way Falak praised you, you're even more beautiful than that. But of course, why wouldn't you be? After all, you're the wife of our heroâRudraksh Shekhawat!"
As he finished speaking, Veeresh playfully winked at Rudraksh.
That was it. A wave of possessiveness and anger surged through Rudraksh. His entire being burned with a silent fury. His sharp gaze alone was enough to send a chill down Veeresh's spine, making him regret his playful remark immediately.
Looking at both of them, Haya hesitantly asked, "Actually, I don't have any brothers... so can I call you both my brothers?"
She spoke with slight nervousness, to which Ishan gently placed his hand on her head and said, "Of course, Haya. You can call us whatever you like. There's no need for formalities here."
His words made Haya feel a sense of relief, but before she could say anything else, Veeresh quickly added, "But Bhabhi, just call me by my name."
Haya nodded in agreement.
Right now, only family members were present in the hallâmainly the younger onesâwhile the elders were busy attending to the guests. Haya hadn't yet officially stepped in front of the guests because Ishan and Veeresh had intercepted her midway.
Meanwhile, Rudraksh was getting increasingly bored with everything happening around him. To him, all of this felt like complete nonsense.
Sensing his frustration, Arina leaned in and whispered, "Rudraksh, why do you look like that? As if you don't want to be here at all?"
She assumed that everything between Rudraksh and Haya had been sorted out by now.
Rudraksh, however, responded calmly, "Bhabhi, you're absolutely right. I don't like being here at all. If you guys are done with your emotional drama, can I leave?"
His words made Haya frown in annoyance, but before she could react, Arina intervened, "No. You both have to go in front of the guests together and take some pictures. Tomorrow, these pictures will be in the newspapers and on some official accounts, so you better stay here."
Hearing this, Rudraksh placed a hand on Ishan's shoulder and smirked, "Bro, you're not satisfying Bhabhi properly in bed. That's why she's taking out her frustration on me."
The moment those words left his mouth, Haya's eyes widened in utter shock. But Rudraksh, on the other hand, remained completely unfazed.
Before Ishan or Arina could say anything, Rudraksh grabbed Haya's hand tightly and led her outside.
Fuming, Haya tried to free her wrist and snapped, "You're so shameless! I've never seen anyone more disgusting than you in my entire life!"
Rudraksh remained completely unfazed by her anger and replied casually, "I can be this shameless with you too, but the problem is... I have no interest in you."
His words made Haya's blood boil with rage. She clenched her fists, but suddenly, an idea struck her.
Leaning closer to his ear, she whispered mockingly, "Oh, but your girlfriend is here, right? So should I talk to Dada and get our room vacated for you? That way, you won't have to go anywhere else."
Just as they reached the entrance, Rudraksh suddenly stopped in his tracks. Within a second, he grabbed Haya's wrist roughly and pushed her against the wall. His other hand fisted into her hair as he tilted her face up to meet his furious gaze.
His voice was dangerously low. "Are you threatening me?"
Haya, despite the situation, kept her eyes shut tight and boldly responded, "I absolutely am. And trust me, it doesn't take long for threats to turn into reality, Mr. Devil Shekhawat."
Hearing the name, Rudraksh's lips curved into a dark smirk. He traced a slow finger along her neck and whispered in a dangerously seductive tone, "Oh... what a name you've given meâ'Devil Shekhawat.' I really like it. I'm glad you recognized me so soon. Now, I won't need to show you the trailer... you'll get to watch the full movie directly."
Haya, unfazed by his intimidation, caught his finger firmly in her own and retorted, "I never gave you the right to touch me. You have no permission."
Rudraksh simply twisted her fingers back effortlessly and locked eyes with her. "Did I give you the right to marry me? Did I give you permission to enter this house? Then how dare you tell me what I can and cannot do?"
His eyes flickered down her body for a brief moment, and he smirked darkly. "And by the way... if I really wanted somethingâ" his gaze roamed over her chest, making her face flush crimson, "âI would have taken it myself. I don't need your permission."
Haya's heart pounded in her chest. She clenched her jaw, suppressing her anger, but before she could respond, Rudraksh took a step back and let her go.
His voice was icy. "Rudraksh Shekhawat doesn't have cheap interests like that."
Haya let out a sharp exhale and suddenly smirked. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "Even if you ever develop an interest, Mr. Devil Shekhawat, you won't get what you want so easily. No matter how much you burn with desire, you'll never have it."
The moment those words left her lips, Rudraksh's patience snapped.
With a swift motion, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and, without warning, hooked her leg around his own waist.
Haya's breath hitched. She was suddenly pressed up against himâso close that she could feel something hard against her stomach.
Her eyes widened in realization, and a deep blush spread across her face.
Rudraksh leaned in, his lips just inches from her ear as he whispered in a husky voice, "And who's burning now, hmm? Who's struggling to breathe?"
His words sent shivers down her spine. Her breathing became erratic, sweat forming at her temples.
Rudraksh smirked darkly. "Just imagine... the day I take that right away from you, these villa walls will echo my name. You'll scream only one name, over and over againâRudraksh Shekhawat."
His voice dropped even lower.
"And that day... you'll realize that Rudraksh Shekhawat isn't just a devil. He's a demon."
With that, he let her go in a slow, seductive motion, leaving her stunned and breathless.
Haya wiped the sweat off her forehead, her eyes blazing with fury. "Is this all you've learned? Just this useless talk? You can keep dreaming, Rudraksh, but let me make one thing clearâyou might crave for me, but I will never long for you."
Rudraksh, utterly unfazed, leaned slightly closer, his expression calm yet mocking. "And what did you think, Miss Haya Diwan? That this is some kind of filmy love story? That the hero will take one look at the heroine and fall madly in love? That he will forget everything and worship her beauty?"
His sharp gaze raked over her from head to toe before he scoffed, "Grow up, Miss Haya. This is real life. And even if this were a love story, the writer would have no choice but to erase the hero from it... because I will never love you. Never."
Saying this, he turned his gaze away from her, dismissing her entirely.
But Haya, instead of backing down, folded her arms and smirked. "Absolutely, Mr. Shekhawat. This is no story where a helpless girl will silently endure your cruelty or foolishly fall in love with you like some ideal wife."
She took a step forward, her voice filled with unshakable determination. "And if this were a story, then the writer would have to change the heroine, not the hero. Because I will neverâuntil my last breathâbe that kind of woman."
Her eyes gleamed with challenge. "You hurt me once, I'll return that pain tenfold. You will never break me, Rudraksh."
A tense silence fell between them as Rudraksh's deep blue eyes locked onto hers, their gazes filled with fiery defiance. The air crackled with unspoken tension, a battle of wills raging in that single moment.
And thenâ
Both of them suddenly heard a voice interrupting their silent war.
Will their hatred truly lead to love, or is fate preparing something else for them?
Will the fire burning in Rudraksh and Haya's hearts ever be extinguished?
To find out, read The Devil's Sweet Sin!