Arundhita's car came to a halt at a temple, precisely twenty minutes from the mansion. As her foot ascended the temple stairs, relief washed over her. The chirping of birds, the ringing of bells, and the chanting of mantras — it all made her feel safe, more at ease. For months now, she had been a regular visitor to this temple.
Her head bowed at the entrance of the temple door, where inside sat the magnificent, glorious idol of Mata Durga. Adorned with a beautiful saree, bangles, and ornaments, the deity appeared even more divine. One of her hands wielded a Trishul, piercing the demon beneath her feet, while she rode upon her vahana, a tiger. Her eyes were red, her tongue protruded, as she stabbed the Asura with the Trishul held in both hands, her other four hands gripping various weapons.
Tears welled in her eyes. 'Maa, please help me. I fear that someday I might give up and take my own life,' her inner voice pleaded. She wished that Maa would slay those people just as she did Mahishasur. This Durga was the only presence that breathed life and warmth back into her.
It wasn't just a day's visit, but months of seeking the Goddess. She sought refuge with her when everything felt like the end. "Saubhagyavati bhav" (May you be blessed with a long and prosperous married life), said Pandit ji, holding a cone-shaped vessel in his right hand and a thali of 'deepak' (lamps) in the other, waiting for her to receive blessings.
"Don't worry, beta, Maa will make everything alright. Just have faith," his words felt like velvet to Arundhita's ears.
After receiving blessings and prasad, she drove her car straight back to the mansion.
Upon reaching the mansion, she saw a group of people leaving the house. Her father was shaking hands with them. "No, Mr. Saha, it's my pleasure to be able to wed my daughter into such a distinguished family." Her heart stopped, her breath almost shallow. Did he just say 'his daughter'? He had decided she would marry? How could he?
Her breath hitched as his eyes fell on her. "Arundhita, beta, come here. Shrewat ji, this is my daughter." He pinched her hand, subtly urging her to greet them. She joined her hands, murmuring "Namaste" to everyone. "She's beautiful; Rajat will like her," he remarked, his gaze scanning her from head to toe.
They all left the next minute without another word. As she turned to her father, who walked toward the sofa, "You fixed my marriage?" she asked, her voice trembling with unarticulated hurt.
"Yes. You'll be marrying Mr. Saha's son within two weeks," he said with a straight face, sipping the tea he held.
Arundhita stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't expected anything less from this man — her so-called father.
She remained silent, still gazing at him, until he stood up. "Radha, take her to her room and make sure to feed her. I don't want any mishaps during the wedding." The elderly lady then gently led Arundhita away.
Once inside the room, the door clicked shut. Everything shattered. She couldn't process any of it. The air left her lungs. "Aru-Arundhita dear," those words felt like a warm invitation to release the dammed emotions within her, but ultimately, nothing came out. She felt empty — a void.
Was this how everything was going to end? Had she now lost everything? Was there any point in living like this anyway? She had wanted to run – to run away long ago – but if she did, he would kill her. One more life would vanish because of her, one more burden of guilt to carry.
All she could do was accept everything, like a lifeless corpse. Everything had ended long before, when she had killed someone. She had been dead for a long time; today was just another manifestation of that. Nothing new.
On the other side, Adityraj stood tall in front of a huge glass wall, dressed in all black, his muscular, well-maintained physique peeking through the undone buttons, gazing at the city. The town glowed with light against the enveloping darkness. One hand held a glass of scotch, while the other was in his pocket. He twirled the wine, looking into it with his bluntly red eyes.
"He fixed her marriage to the Sahas," said Anand, who leaned on a fine wooden table, legs crossed, reading a file. He looked at Adi, who stood there without moving or replying. "Should we kill the groom?" Anand questioned, knowing Adityraj very well. He would rather cage her in his hatred than let her go.
Anand heard a scoffed laugh from him.
"Let her go... that's not even in the question. Even if it's hate, she will be only mine."
He said, his words filled with a harsh certainty. He would not let her go, no matter what. Even if he hated her, she would remain bound to him. Always.
Anand looked at him. A similar feeling burned within him; it had been years since those eyes had made him capable of finding beauty in any other woman. The worst part was, she had disappeared right after making him utterly addicted to her.
Now his world spun chaotically, searching for her everywhere.
No CCTV footage, no records remained under her name, as if all evidence had been erased, driving him insane.
The only feelings he knew before seeing those eyes were power, money, arrogance, lust, and the tactics of a cruel world. But sometimes those eyes filled him with something he couldn't name.
Her presence felt like a need to him.
A grave need.
On the other side, in a small apartment in Borivali West, Anchija slept on the bed while Prachi gently patted her, ensuring she was in a deep slumber before making her way to the kitchen.
As she grabbed some vegetables, chopping them finely, she lit the gas and placed a pan on it, frying them in a bit of oil.
Today had been a hectic day, more than she could have imagined. Her HR had scolded her for a mistake she had never made, but was that anything new to dwell on? No. However, rumors were circulating that their boss, who hadn't been in the company since she joined, was presumed to be returning.
Since she and some others had been chosen directly by HR, the whispers were that they would be re-interviewed by the CEO to confirm their eligibility.
Did every company do that? Or did the man simply lack confidence in his HR and team?
If she were to lose this job, chances were high that the Rajvals would find her if she tried for other companies, as this one was somewhat out of the spotlight. Thus, leaving here meant facing a worse situation, and she couldn't risk it. Now that she wasn't alone but had her daughter, she couldn't let those monsters get a grip on them.