The moment Gagan uttered her reluctant 'yes,' a strange, unnerving light flickered across Ridhansh Singh Rathod's arrogant face. His eyes held a deep, impenetrable glint—a glimpse into a plan so complex that no one could guess what truly brewed in the dark corners of his devilish mind. His mysterious smile and cold demeanor made him look not like a lovesick admirer, but a hunter who had finally cornered his prey.
Ridhansh revived the unconscious Gagan. He took in her helpless, shattered state without a shred of sympathy, then merely snapped his fingers sharply in the air. Snap!
At the sound, two stylish, modern women carrying a large bag briskly entered from behind the door—a hairstylist and a makeup artist. Without even looking at them, Ridhansh pointed a commanding finger at the ghost-like figure of Gagan sitting before him, his voice as cold and authoritative as ice.
"Fifteen minutes. Get this girl ready and present her in front of me. No—prepare her like a bride. Do it fast."
With that, without waiting for a response, he strode out of the room in his imperious manner, as if everything was proceeding exactly according to his script.
His order was followed to the letter. Over the next fifteen minutes, the two women bathed the catatonic Gagan, dressed her in new clothes, dried and styled her wet hair, and applied makeup so perfect it made her look like a breathtaking, yet lifeless, porcelain doll. Gagan was still in shock, unaware of what was to come. The biggest decision of her life had pushed her onto a path whose final destination was beyond her comprehension.
Soon, the two women ushered her into the living area like a finished 'product,' where Ridhansh was waiting.
Ridhansh looked at Gagan. Wrapped in a red silk lehenga and chunari, she looked nothing less than a princess. Sharp features, kohl-lined eyes (still blurred with tears), rosy cheeks, and cherry-red lips that trembled with fear. Her eyes were swollen, but it did nothing to diminish her beauty; instead, it added a heartbreaking fragility.
Ridhansh's gaze lingered on her face for a fraction of a second before he looked away, as if emotional connection was not part of his blueprint. He extended a document he was holding towards her. There was no softness in his voice, only a command.
"Sign this. Without any questions. Hurry up."
Gagan stood silent and motionless, as if she hadn't heard him. Her silence seemed to ignite a cold fury in Ridhansh. He strode to her and gripped her shoulders with such force that she gasped in pain.
"Baby doll, I do not like repeating myself. Don't waste my time. Sign this paper. Now."
The paper was a draft of a marriage certificate. Gagan read the words, and fresh tears welled in her eyes. Her hands felt so heavy that lifting the pen seemed an impossible task.
Seeing her tears, Ridhansh sneered in irritation. "You can perform this crying drama later. You have your whole life left to weep. You can cry to your heart's content afterward. Hurry up, or your 'lover's' breaths will stop. He doesn't have much time left."
At the mention of Kriyansh's name, Gagan's hand moved of its own accord. Tears dropped onto the paper, mingling with the ink as she signed the first document. Ridhansh snatched the paper from her hand and placed another document before her. Without reading, without thinking, Gagan signed everything in a mechanical daze.
Papers in hand, Ridhansh gripped Gagan's wrist tightly and began pulling her out.
Suddenly, Gagan resisted, pulling her hand back. "I agreed to your terms. First, give me the antidote, then—"
Ridhansh cut her off mid-sentence. "Here, we will get married. There, he will get his life. Now, move."
He dragged her into a large living area. The scene had completely transformed. About fifteen to twenty burly bodyguards in black suits stood lined against the walls. Alongside them were two lawyers in black coats and three senior police officers. Everything looked pre-arranged and staged.
Gagan looked at no one. Before her eyes was only Kriyansh's agonized face. She was numb to the world around her.
Ridhansh barked an order at a young man standing by. "Darshit! Handle it."
Darshit, his assistant who had been standing like a shadow until now, immediately stepped forward, head bowed. Ridhansh thrust the signed papers towards him. "Get two xerox copies of this immediately and give them to these 'black coats'."
Darshit nodded and swiftly left with the documents. Ridhansh grabbed Gagan's hand and led her towards a small, hastily erected mandap where a pandit sat waiting. Ridhansh fixed the man with his intense, penetrating gaze, the threat in his voice unmistakable.
"Twenty minutes. Not a second more. Only the essential mantras. Don't waste time."
He raised a finger in the air. A bodyguard standing behind stepped forward, the sound of his gun being cocked echoing softly. He sat down next to the pandit and whispered, "Pandit ji, if the boss's wedding takes more than twenty minutes, your skull will be splattered across the floor in the next three."
The pandit's eyes widened in terror. He glanced at the police commissioners present, but they were all deliberately looking the other way, pretending nothing was happening. Before the power of money and influence, even their uniforms were meaningless.
The pandit swallowed dryly and began reciting mantras in a rushed, truncated manner, wrapping everything up within the allotted twenty minutes. Gagan stood through the entire process in a daze, like a lifeless puppet. There were no customary rounds, no vows—just a legal formality being completed.
As soon as it was over, the lawyers and police officers stepped forward. One lawyer said, "Congratulations, Mr. Ridhansh Singh Rathod. And congratulations, Miss—"
Ridhansh interrupted him, his tone making his attitude clear. "My wife. Mrs. Gagan Rathod. Gagan Singh Rathod. Collect the rest of the documents from my assistant. Now, excuse us."
Saying this, he once again seized Gagan's hand and marched her out. Outside, the rain was still pouring relentlessly.
Gagan's senses returned only when Ridhansh shoved her into the back of a black luxury car.
Who is Ridhansh Singh Rathod?
Delhi's 'Most Eligible Businessman.' The CEO of the Rathod Group, whose steel and platinum pipe business spans the country and the globe.
A billionaire empire, limitless power. He is famous for his arrogant, prideful, and unpredictably violent temper. The media watches his every move, but he is indifferent to anyone's opinion. He is the emperor of his own world, and his favorite pastime is making people dance to his tune and watching them bow before him in their helplessness.
And Gagan Shastri?
A middle-class, bubbly, carefree college student. A first-year student with simple dreams and a deep love for Kriyansh Rajvansh, the man she was supposed to marry today. But the storm named Ridhansh suddenly crashed into her life, turning her entire world upside down.
The story continues...
Why did Ridhansh place such a condition before Gagan? Gagan, whose heart belongs only to Kriyansh—will she ever be able to accept Ridhansh? Is this 'deal of love' driven merely by obsession, or is there a deeper, darker secret hidden behind it? Was Ridhansh's hand also behind the poisoning of Kriyansh?
Stay tuned to find out.