𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

Chapter 21

The opulent Bairya living room buzzed with a tense energy that had nothing to do with the afternoon sun streaming through the expansive windows. Reena sat stiffly on the plush sofa, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Her aunt and uncle, uninvited guests in this grand mansion, sat across from her, their faces contorted in a mixture of anger and disappointment.

The visit, as expected, had been nothing short of a disaster. From the moment they'd arrived, their voices had been laced with barbs, their words dripping with the humiliation they felt Reena had brought upon the family.

"How could you do this to us, Reena?" her aunt shrieked, her voice shrill enough to pierce the high ceilings. "Running off with some rich stranger, marrying him without a proper ceremony, bringing shame upon the whole Oberoi name!"

Reena gritted her teeth, forcing a calm facade despite the storm raging within her. "There was no shame, Aunty. This marriage is a business arrangement, a way to secure the Oberoi legacy."

Her uncle snorted, a dismissive sound. "Business arrangement? Don't try to sugarcoat it, Reena. You've thrown yourself away for a few measly coins!"

The room spun slightly. The truth behind the marriage, the contract, the coercion – these were things she couldn't share with them, not while protecting their honor hung in the balance.

Just as she was about to retort, a deep, chilling voice cut through the tension. "That's enough."

Rajveer, who had been observing the scene from the doorway, stepped forward, his face a mask of cold fury. His eyes, usually playful and warm, were now narrowed in a steely glint.

Her aunt and uncle, taken aback by his imposing presence, sputtered in surprise. The once-powerful words seemed to die in their throats.

"You will not speak to my wife in such a disrespectful manner," Rajveer continued, his voice low and dangerous. "She is a Bairya now, and any disrespect towards her is disrespect towards this entire family."

Reena's breath hitched. This fierce protectiveness, this declaration of her being his wife, sent a jolt through her. It was unexpected, a stark contrast to their strained interactions of the past few days.

Her aunt, emboldened by a moment of defiance, scoffed. "Your wife? Don't make us laugh, boy. This whole marriage is a sham!"

Rajveer's eyes blazed with an intensity that sent shivers down Reena's spine. He leaned closer to her aunt, his voice a low growl. "Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. She is my wife, and I will not tolerate anyone, not even her so-called family, badmouthing her."

He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over both her aunt and uncle. "Dare you use any derogatory word for my wife again," he said, his voice laced with a chilling threat, "and I will bury you at the same time."

The silence that followed was deafening. The air crackled with a tension that had nothing to do with the earlier argument. Reena's uncle, his face pale, seemed to shrink under Rajveer's icy glare. Her aunt, her initial defiance replaced by a flicker of fear, could only manage a weak nod.

Rajveer turned back to Reena, his expression softening. He offered her his hand, a silent invitation. Reena, her body still buzzing from the intensity of the moment, took his hand gratefully.

As they walked out of the living room, leaving her bewildered aunt and uncle behind, Reena couldn't help but steal a glance at Rajveer. The anger that had flared in his eyes had been genuine, a fierce protectiveness that surprised her.

"Rajveer," she began, her voice barely a whisper, "why did you do that?"

He stopped, his gaze meeting hers. "Because you deserve respect, Reena," he said, his voice softer now, but still laced with a quiet determination. "And because you are my wife, in name and soon, I hope, in reality as well."