57.Cant Be Controlled.

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Raina adjusted the minimal oxidised metal bangles on her wrist as she walked inside the palace. The jhumkas (earrings) were dangling from her earlobes and her brown hair was cascading through her back all the way to her hips.

Raina was feeling a bit uncomfortable in that attire but even she agreed that the dark red anarkali suit was enhancing her warm beige complex to fullest.

She stood behind the closed door and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before meeting the old lady.

She held the door knob and twisted it, opening the door with creaking sound she entered inside.

Everyone was present there, Nagars, Rathores, Diya and Gaurav and especially the guest of the day, mighty Maheshwari Sisodiya.

Her eyes roamed over rhe hall when Raina walked near them but could not find him.

The elder lady was silently staring at her from head to toe, inspecting her.

Raina came forward and touched her feet, greeting her politely, "Pranam Dadi sa."

(Greetings! Grand mom.)

"Sada sukhi rahiye.", she patted her head.

(Be happy.)

Raina looked for a seat, just then Akshit patted the place beside him. Raina smiled slightly and sat beside him.

"So,it's decided that wedding will be held in our palace of Udaipur. I will personally look after the arrangements of my child's marriage, it would be good if both families will arrive there a weak prior to marriage so that we will have enough time and less rush.", Maheshwari asked.

"Fair enough.", Mr. Nagar replied after getting the blink of agreement from his grandson.

Raina looked at the elders chatting about the arrangements, deciding about important things.

She was really expecting a chaotic environment but everything was smooth here, much to her relief.

"What happened?",Akshit nudged her.

Raina shook her head, smiling to Adya who was weaving at her and glancing at Akshit now and then.

Suddenly the typical ringing of phone boomed in the Hall, creating pin drop silence.

Rana sa took out his phone and glanced at the screen. He forwarded his hand towards Raina and said,"Lado! Can you answer this call? I am a bit busy here."

Maheshwari Sisodiya squinted her eyes after listening the endearing he used for her.

Raina took his phone,"Sure Kaka Hukum."

She stood up, excusing herself but stopped in her tracks seeing Him calling. She looked at Rana sa with wide eyes, Rana sa discreetly nodded his head, telling her to take the call.

Raina came out of the room and received the call.

His urgent voice resonated from other side,"Baba sa! Everything is done,I just need signatures of yours and hers. If we will-"

"H- Hello!!", she spoke hesitantly in middle making him aware of her presence.

Silence followed for a minute when Adhiraj asked from other side,"Hello?? Raina?"

"Hmmmm.", Raina hummed in agreement. Her fingers tangling with layers of her dark red dress.

"Where is Baba sa?"

"He is with everyone, quite busy."

"No issues. Come in my room.",he said bluntly.

"What?",she asked a bit shocked.

"Raina, you hear that. Hurry up."

He hung upon her, Raina sighed and started taking steps towards his room.

Rohan and Adhiraj was busy with some papers. Adhiraj and Raina turned listening the tinkling sounds.

Raina entered gracefully, Adhiraj looked up and froze for a moment seeing her dressed in red ethnic wear with her brown locks spreading vividly and her russet brown eyes adorned with kohl.

"Oh... Hey Raina.",Rohan stood up seeing her.

"Hii.", Raina greeted back with a sweet smile.

"Screw this formality, you are my sister in law so one hug is must.", he came towards her with a bright smile on his face.

"Uhh...",Raina sounded confused.

Rohan gave her a side hug , Raina reciprocated it after few seconds of being stiff.

Rohan pulled away and picked his phone , he said keeping it in his pocket, "Both of you talk, I will be down in the hall."

Raina saw him going out of the room.

"Ahmm!!",Adhiraj cleared his throat, gaining her attention.

Small smile tugged on her lips seeing him. Adhiraj gestured her to seat beside him and she obliged. She sat there but maintaining small distance between them.

He watched her for a moment but then shook his head slowly and handed her few papers.

He said,"Sign here."

Raina frowned and started going through it, "What is this now?"

Adhiraj kept his silence and resumed gazing at her. He maintained his stare casual, not wanting to look like a creep.

On the other hand Raina was engrossed in the papers, it was the documents in which it was clearly stated that Rajputana empire will provide financial help to Raina's new company.

"But I-", Raina sounded hesitant.

Adhiraj stopped her in middle and said, "Raina, it's not me who is doing this, it's baba sa. He want to help you,not personally but professionally. Consider this as our investment in your company."

Raina was staring at the paper, it was true that she was in need of financial investment in the early stage of her company. Akshit was ready to do it, to finance her projects.

"Let him do it, he is very calm in all this chaos for you. Let him do this only."

Raina looked at him and then at the paper. Was it good to take help from Rathores?

But, they helped her till then only.

Raina remembered one statement said by Rana sa.

"Lado, if you will have any problem or any issue. Don't forget that Uday Singh Rathore is always here, you call me Kaka Hukum but I feel not less then your father."

She took the pen and slowly inked her name on the required place. She forwarded the paper to him and he took them softly.

"And one more thing. Resign from Rajputana Empire.", he said normally.

"What!!!", she screamed in bafflement.

He smiled at her reaction.

"Raina, you have a company to establish,so why waste your time in a job?", he remarked.

"So, I should start looking for a proper office and all?", she asked.

"No need, that company had it's own employees and office. Just hire a man who will manage the work there and will be a link between you and the employees. See Raina, as I said, keep it all low key untill you are ready to face Jayant and Raval.."

"Hmmmm. You are right.", she nodded.

"Don't give your full name yet, keep it low key untill it is big. It will ensure your safety too.", he reminded.

"It is the third time you are saying this.", she whined, totally irritated by the same instructions. It was like he wanted to make her invisible.

"But where will I work? I can't go to that company's office as you said to keep it all low key. And you are firing me from my job.", she said last part jokingly with a teasing smile playing on her lips.

He smiled back in same way and leaned a bit towards her, "Now, Baba sa won't let her daughter be devoid of office. You know he is very possessive. So he thought to prepare a cabin for her in his own office only."

He smirked at her stunned face and leaned back, keeping his one hand on the armrest and other one on his knees. He remembered, how swiftly he installed this vary idea in his father's mind

"But I am resigning, Right?",she quipped.

"You know it, I know it, our family know it. Employees don't.", he shrugged.

She squinted her eyes at him, but adverted soon. She sighed leaning back her head on sofa.

Adhiraj looked at her jaw, it was sculpted beautifully. His gaze slided down to her collar bone but he again lifted them upto her closed eyes.

"So, met Dadi sa?", he asked.

"Yeah, they all are discussing about marriage down in the hall.", she nodded.

But a slight change in her expression occurred.

"She is okay with our marriage? She wanted Divya to be your wife, right?"

"She knows the truth now."

"Oh!!!"

Raina didn't said something else, her eyes went to him who was sorting the papers scattered on the table.

"What happened Raina? Am I looking too much handsome.", he asked feeling her gaze on him.

Raina bit her lips, feeling embarrassed. But she ignored the hear on her cheeks and said, "I want to ask something."

He nodded his head signalling her to continue.

She shifted on her seat nervously, after thinking for a minute she said,"You are so soft towards me, and it happened all of sudden. Your behavior changed all of sudden."

He looked at her passively, he shook his head saying, "I don't like to repeat myself over and over again. You already know my feelings Raina."

She argued,"But you said your feelings grew with time, slowly but your behavior changed suddenly. I think,it's been months, since your feelings evolved and I still remember how much you used to scold me right here."

"But since the matter of our marriage surfaced, you became extremely humble, so much that it's unbelievable sometimes."

She muttered the last part remembering his old self.

She facepalmed understanding how bluntly she said it.

She tried to rephrase her words but failed miserably, "I am not saying you were bad but... But you were so strict and scary."

He chuckled and forwarded his hands to pull her palms away from her face but in this process his hand hit the piles of files on the table and few folders fell down near her legs.

Raina looked at them.

Adhiraj's breath hitched when she bent down to pick them.

But then, just at that moment a maid entered and said, "Bai sa, elders are calling you both downstairs."

Raina retreated and Adhiraj took profit of moment and picked all the files hurriedly hiding the green folder.

"We will be there in few minutes.", he said to the maid. She bowed a little and left from there.

Raina stood up so did he. Raina felt bad as their conversation left hanging in middle.

He took few steps towards her and placed his palm on her cheek. His voice was soothing as he said, "Don't think too much Raina. Just go with the flow. Their is no any specific reason,it's just happened."

She nodded her head.

"You go ahead,I have one important call to make.", he made and excuse and Raina left from there.

Adhiraj took a breath of relief when Raina went out. He took the same folder and went through the pages. It was the reports of every appointment of Raina with her counsellor. And he could imagine how Raina would feel if she came to know about it, that her private talks were not hidden from him and maybe she would even stop talking freely with her.

Her fears, her phobias were clearly written on them along with notable points of her conversation with her counsellor.

Vasudha being the protective mother looked after the condition of Raina herself. When Raina discussed about marriage to her counsellor and Vasudha came to know about her insecurities, that's when she decided that it was high time since Adhiraj should know about her fear, fear of losing someone whom she will love and fear of not getting a perfect partner.

She wanted a partner who will protect her, who will pamper her and will pull her out of her scarred past but again she didn't want someone who will encage her knowing her bruised soul or someone who will be extra protective of her.

She wanted someone with two opposite qualities, or maybe she was too scared to want any man in her life.

Adhiraj flipped the pages, and stopped at the last one. The last conversation she had in Mumbai.

Was it easy for him to be so open to someone?

Nah, it was hard. It was hard for him to show his feelings.

Raina took a daring step, saying yes to his proposal.

So he had to take one too.

The regular flashing of his small smiles, secure presence, and a soft tone really did something.

He remembered her smiling face, it was quite contrast of her nervous or emotionless face of their earlier times.

She was not that much stiff now compared to few weeks back.

He remembered the evening when Raina was crying in her room when she got failed to win the bidding against Jayant, she was scared of his scoldings. His cold behavior was not going to work with her, it would have made things difficult for both of them.

What changed in few weeks?

He changed, his ways changed. Not for world but only for her.

It's hard for him, but it's worth it.

Small steps , slow steps.

Perfect!!

A content expression settled on his face.

🔅🔅🔅

The hot steam were clouding over their cups, Raina glanced at Maheshwari Sisodiya who was leaned back on chair and silently gazing at Raina while sipping her tea.

Raina took a sip wondering why was she here. Of course, in the words of Maheshwari "She was spending quality time with her would be grand mother-in-law"

And there, they were seating alone in a balcony, trying to enjoy their tea.

Yeah , trying. At least Raina was trying.

Finally Sisodiya decided to speak, "I heard about your parents. I must say that you have lots of courage."

Raina gave a tight lipped smile.

"See Raina, you are a good human being and quite have a charm over Rana sa and Rani sa. But that's not all enough to be a future queen. I am sure you will do it, and royalty will gradually taught you to be sophisticated."

Raina resisted the urge to frown on her words.

"I would suggest you to follow Yuvraj sa, agree to his every demand. Be a soft daughter in law to Rana sa and Rani sa. See, we women have to adjust ourselves according to situations,being soft and obedient is good path. Never deny to your husband,he is your priority from now on, nothing else matters more."

Raina looked straight in her eyes, letting her soft demeanour fall. She kept the cup of tea on the table and leaned back slightly on her seat, cautious not to look like a brat in front of Royal lady.

"I don't know Dadi sa, if I will ever be what you want me to be. A graceful queen to be? Or a tender wife for Yuvraj sa or a perfect daughter in law?" , a mocking smile came on her lips.

"I don't want to be rude to you but I want you to know. I am not someone who can be controlled. No doubt Dadi sa, I respect Yuvraj sa a lot. I really mean it.", she muttered those lines with utmost sincerity.

"But I am not the one who can be controlled, my life was hard and it taught me to be an untamed but composed feminine to save myself."

"I don't need a overly possessive obsessed and controlling man. I just want him to watch me, guide me while I do my things on my own. I want him to feel proud, I want to be his better half in true sense."

She said firmly yet tenderly..

"Well, let's see. This path leads you to which destination.",Sisodiya muttered and stood up with a straight face.

Raina sighed when Maheshwari was out of sight. She already knew what she expected from her but it wasn't something she could do. She can't drown her personality in water and become someone new overnight.

She is gaining this confidence with difficulty and she won't let someone's word snatch it.

So how was it?

Target- 580 votes.

Now, you know why he is behaving so softly all of sudden. Right?

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