Shreya's POV
I stood there shocked hearing him. Is he bipolar or something?
One, he doesn't talk much to anyone, it's hard to get him speaking but he has been speaking nonstop in front of me.
Second, he hates people who stutters but here he doesn't say a word to me.
To me 'The Stuttering Queen'.
Third, my sister ran away from the marriage. The girl whom he loved for the past four years yet he is calm as if this is what he wants.
He should have hated me, and my family as the girl he loved ran away just before the marriage but here he is.
Is he forgetting that he married me just to save his family reputation? I'm just a replaced bride
Does he see me as a substitute? He didn't get his loved one then he will see me as her and be with me and leave me when she comes back. Just like it happens in C-drama and K-drama.
That's when my mother's words rang in my head as an alarm and my heart dropped realizing the truth of our marriage.
'Remember, you are just a replaced bride. The day Tanika comes back, Maharaj will kick you out. You don't deserve to be loved. You are an ominous girl. Wherever you go you will only bring back luck.'
"I should go," I said and walked past him. I quickly went outside and asked one of the servants to show me the way to the kitchen as it was my pehli rasoi rasam.
I walked inside the kitchen to see my mother-in-law there.
"Beta, aap aa gaye?" she asked me and came near me as she saw me.
(Child, you came?)
"Jii, Aunty," I said in a small voice.
(Yes)
"What's this aunty, call me Maa." She said to me and tried to glare at me but couldn't. She is so cute.
"Say Maa," she said and I said "Maa," I said in a small voice as tears made their way into my eyes as memories filled my mind.
'I'm not your mother.'
'Don't call me mummy. You disgust me.'
'I hate you. Don't fucking show your face to me.'
I came back from my thoughts when I felt someone shaking my arms.
"Where are you lost?" she asked me and I shook my head.
"Come you don't have much time. You need to make breakfast." She said and I nodded my head and went to prepare the dishes.
It was nearly one and a half hours since I started preparing the dish and I was done. I know it's hard to make these many dishes in a short time but practice and beating make your hands and legs move fast.
Thanks to my old family, I know how to use them as fast as I can.
I and other staff started to arrange the food on the dining table.
"Beta." I turned around to see his mother, no my Maa standing there with a sweet smile on her face.
(Child)
"Yes Maa," I said with a small smile. While I was cooking my Maa was with me, talking to me and telling me about everyone.
"You are the youngest daughter-in-law of this house and newly married. You should always cover your face when elders are here, it's our tradition." She said.
I nodded my head and covered my face with my pallu.
Slowly everyone started to come and sat on the chairs. The head chair was empty. My guess is it's for Hukum.
Suddenly everything went silent and everybody stood from their place. I peeked from my veil to see Hukum coming downstairs, in all his glory.
As he came near the hall everybody bowed down and I too followed them but stopped midair hearing him.
"Never bow down, Rani Sa."
"I'm king of this realm but you are my queen. You hold a higher position than anyone else. Higher than me." He said and I lifted my head, turned to the side, and tried to see him from my veil, only to see him gazing at me intensely.
He slowly walked near me and lifted the veil from my face only for us to hear several gaps.
"Maharaj....." his father tried to speak but stopped when Hukum glared at him.
"A queen should never hide behind any veil." He said while looking at me.
"Hukum, it's our tradition." I shifted my eyes from him and said.
"You will not hide your face. Weak kings didn't want people to see their wives as they couldn't protect their wives. They always wanted their wives to stay behind the cotton and follow in their footsteps but I want my wife to walk in front of me, guide me into our life, and correct me when I'm wrong. I want you to show me the right path." He said, making me shocked. Well not only me but everyone present in the hall.
He sat in his place and told me to serve him.
I made various types of dishes and two sweets. I made the food a bit spicy as Maa told me that Hukum loves spicy food.
It was true. He ate to his containment and stood up from his seat. He grabbed my right wrist and pulled me, no dragged me like a rag doll with him.
Now what have I done?
I looked behind to see Maa looking at us with tension.
After walking for a few minutes he pulled me inside his room and pushed me on the bed.
I quickly jumped out of bed and stood there with my hands behind me and my head bowed down.
"What did I say downstairs?" he said in a stern voice.
I choose not to answer in fear.
"Look at me. Didn't I say never bow down?" he said
"LOOK AT ME." He shouted and I lifted my head. Tears gather in my eyes.
He started to run his fingers on his hair, angrily. Jaw clenched.
"What did you call me downstairs?" he asked looking into my eyes. I gulped in fear seeing his red eyes.
"Hu.. Hukum." I said as I was scared. Looks like his BEAST mood is on.
"I'm not your HUKUM." He said, his sound full of anger, his breath uneven.
"Maharaj?" I said. I noticed every family member of his addressing him like this. I think he is angry as I didn't call him Maharaj just like others.
But oh boy, I was wrong.
"RANA SA" he growled.
"You will address me as Rana Sa or Ranvijay is even better. Rani Sa."
I looked at him. My eyes were wide open and my lips parted.
"Come, let me give you a tour of our chamber." He said and turned around when I asked what I should have never asked.
"Why?" I whispered but he heard me.
"What?" he turned around and asked me with confusion on his face.
"I ASKED WHY?" I shouted as the dam of my emotion and my tears broke down. I thought I would never cry in front of anyone but this traitor has to leave my eyes.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Why are you doing all of this? WHY." I shouted.
"This care, love, and being nice to me. If you are going to break my heart in the future then I shouldn't involve myself in it. Please, I beg you. Leave me, on my state." I said as I joined my hand and begged him.
"You don't love me, you have someone else in your heart. Please don't show this fake love, care, and all of this only to break me in the future. I won't be able to bear it."
"I'm not the one you wanted." I was sobbing right now. I know I will fall for his love and care. I will fall too deep but I won't get that love from him as he loves someone else and I don't want to come in between just because he married me.
"Why do you think you aren't the one I want?" he asked.
A bitter laugh escaped from my lips, hearing him. "Isn't it true? Hmm? You married me just to save your reputation, your name, and your family reputation as my sister ran away from the marriage, just before the marriage."
"I'm a replaced bride. An unwanted bride. At first, I was an unwanted daughter, then I became an unwanted sister, and now an unwanted wife. Tell me Hukum, am I not lovable? Will ever someone love me like I wanted to be? Will I get happiness in my life? Or I will die with this pain, loneliness, fear and all."
"All my life I have suffered but I thought, I thought maybe after my marriage my husband would love me. Give me all the love I have craved in my life. But life, fate, and destiny again played me. I became a substitute bride for my sister. Tell me you will throw me out from this palace, from this house of yours like trash, the day Tanika dii comes."
"You didn't get Tanika di, so you are seeing her in me. Aren't you?" I asked him. Today I didn't stop myself. I let it all out. It suffocates me.
He tried coming near me but I stopped him by showing my hand. "Don't come near me. Please. You told me to call you Rana Sa or by your name. Tell me, what right do I have?"
"You asked why don't I think I'm the one you wanted then tell me?" I wiped my tears and looked dead into his eyes. "Why did you send your marriage proposal to Tanika dii and not me? Answer me?" I could see the pain in his eyes. But the main question is .....
Why?
Why are his eyes telling me that he is in pain?
I turned around, not able to handle the expression of pain in his eyes.
"Please go from here. I want to be alone." I don't get this much courage to kick out 'The King' from his own chamber.
And he did. As soon as he went out I fell on my knees and cried my heart out, letting all the pain out. I cried until there weren't any tears left in my eyes to flow out.
.............................
Ranvijay's POV
It was evening. The sun sets down to let the moon rise and shine. Sun playing hide and seek with the moon I stood on the balcony of our room as I saw my Queen, My Rani Sa sitting with my mother and my brother in the garden. The tree supports her back as she leans in and talks with them with a smile on her face.
Isn't this what I always wanted? To see her happy, smiling, and loving her life. Loving me.
Where did I miss?
Why did she feel unwanted? I have been trying my best to show her that she is wanted, and lovable.
Why does she think that she is unwanted?
A replaced bride.
My Rani Sa, please forgive your Rana Sa if I made you feel unwanted and unlovable.
I have been loving you since the moment I heard the sound of your anklets, from the moment I heard your giggle, and from the moment I saw you.
You reside in this heart. You are fucking heartbeats of this heart.
I was just breathing before you came into my life but this stone-hearted man, this ruthless man started to live his life after seeing you.
Ranvijay Singh Rathore's whole existence is for you, My Rani Sa.
My existence belongs to you.
If Ranvijay Singh Rathore doesn't reside in Shreya Ranvijay Singh Rathore then he doesn't reside anywhere.
If he doesn't live with you then he doesn't live anywhere.
I love you, My Rani Sa.
I couldn't say anything when I saw her crying and sobbing. I didn't say anything, to be honest, I wanted her to let out everything. Every pain, insecurities, fear, and more.
And after hearing her today I think I should have done things differently but I didn't have any options. I tried everything, every way but I didn't get any results so I have to do things in such ways.
When I saw her tears I felt as if someone was ripping out my heart from my body. Actually ripping out my heart won't hurt as much as it pained seeing those tears rolling down her eyes.
I was lost in my thoughts, actually hers. When I saw her for the first time, teaching dance to children in the temple. The echo of her anklets. The temple was noisy yet I heard only two sounds. The sound of her anklets and her giggles. I didn't know when and how but my feet got it owns mind and walked towards her.
And my heart stopped beating. I saw a goddess dancing. Clad in a white Anarkali suit, her hair opened which reached to her hips and flew whenever she turned around. The goddess dancing like an Apsara and caging my heart.
I was thinking all about it when my phone rang. I picked up the call and pressed it on my phone.
"Hukum, she is awake and shouting." I cut the call after hearing him.
I quickly walked out of the palace and drove to a deserted place.
I stepped out of the car and walked inside the den.
Yes, I came to the den because I needed to meet someone special.
As I walked I could hear the shouting of a female and it sounded like a piece of music to my ears.
'Shout as much as you can, bitch' I said to myself.
"Do you even know who I am? I'm Ranvijay's fiancé. He loves me. Wait till he finds you all. He will kill you all and I will enjoy every moment of it" the voice said.
Someone does have a death wish. Taking my name, huh? You have too much courage. I would love to see this courage.
I stepped inside the room and said with a smirk plastered on my face.
"Hello, my lovely ex-fiancé."
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Hope you all liked the chapter. this is the longest chapter i have written. I do have few question and i hope you all could answer those questions. Let's do QNA tomorrow. Ok?
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Simran Chaudhary.