The Unwanted Wife (Published)

Chapter 2

He could see the apprehension in Niyati's eyes as they sat down but Anthony strongly believed that being forewarned was being forearmed.

He came straight to the point. "As you can see that Uday Rajvansh is not very happy with the arrangement, I want you to keep your eyes and ears open, Niyati. Try to listen to the things around you as much as possible and don't give away too much information about yourself. Okay?"

"I don't understand.

"Information is a weapon, Niyati. I want you to know them inside out and I want them to keep guessing about your strengths and weaknesses."

"But why?"

"Because Kaveri Devi will hover around you like a helicopter, I can see that. You are carrying her precious grandchild for whom she has sacrificed her elder son. She will not let you out of her sight. But if you think that her concern automatically converts into her loyalty, then no, it won't be so. Her loyalty belongs solely to her son. So anything that she knows about you, just assume that Uday Rajvansh does too. Don't confide in her anything that can be used against you. Ever."

"I still don't... understand."

"Niyati, my child, you will be cherished in this house as long as you are carrying this baby. But have you thought what will happen after that?"

She looked at him blankly.

Anthony sighed, "Once this baby is out of your body and you are two different entities, you are perfectly expendable. Do you understand what I am saying?

Fear washed over her.

Anthony quickly clarified, "He won't hurt you. He is not that kind of a man. I'd made sure of that before even initially approaching him. But there are many ways to dispose of a person without physically hurting them. He could put an unimaginable level of mental pressure on you that you yourself would want to leave the baby in their care and go away. A divorce is always an option and these people would fight for the custody of the child by any means necessary. Just stay alert, my child. Give them nothing that can be used against you in the courts. That's all I am saying. Okay?"

"Can he ...take away my ....baby?

"If he wants to, what will stop him from trying?"

Niyati couldn't think of a single thing. Uday Rajvansh intimidated her by his sheer presence. He had this air about him that gave the onlooker an impression of steely unbending will and if he wanted her baby, really, what will stop him? Especially when she was the reason he had to bend his will this time. He won't be taking his ire out on his dead brother or his mother, it would be her he would target.

Looking at her paling hue, Anthony rushed to assure her, "Don't worry, Niyati. You are not alone. I am there, am I not? And all the property and money that I have gotten transferred in your name, it is not just insurance for your comfortable future but it is also the financial weapon to fight him if such battle ensues. Or, hopefully, a deterrence against any such battle since Rajvansh's wouldn't want their ancestral property going to someone unrelated to them.'

"I told you I don't want their money, uncle. It made him madder, didn't it?"

"But it made your position safer. Don't underestimate Uday Rajvansh, Niyati. Three years back during his party clean up, he had so smoothly disposed of three senior leaders of his party who had a political career spanning longer than Uday Rajvansh's total lifetime, that it had left the whole political society marveling. God knows what tricks he used but not one squeak came out of his party office in a country where the firing of party leaders had reshaped the whole face of politics so many times. Those were some seasoned politicians, you are just a young girl. Do you think you stand a chance against him without a penny to your name?"