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Devyani's POV

I was sitting beside him... the man they say is now my husband.

The pandit ji announced softly,

"Vivah sampann hua... the marriage is complete."

Complete?

I blinked, looking down at my trembling hands, the cold metal of the mangalsutra resting heavily against my skin.

I am married now? Just like that? How?

Even though I keep telling myself it's only for a year—just one year to clear babu's debt—but how will I live here?

How will I live in this huge haveli where everything is so grand,where everything smells of money and power?

I don't know anything about rich people.

I don't even know how to speak to them properly.

I don't even know this man beside me.

What if he tries to touch me?

What if he touches me like that man in the morning?

That touch... bad touch it still crawls on my skin, making me feel so disgusting I want to scratch it off.

What if he hurts me?

What if he kills me?

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm the storm of fear boiling inside me.

It's okay, Devyani, don't panic.

That sweet uncle will be with me, right? He will help me...

I will work hard. I will do all the household chores perfectly. I won't let them be disappointed with me. I will endure it all, and as soon as the debt is cleared, I will go back to where I truly belong.

But... will babu even let me return?

He said, "Even if you die, don't come to me."

Did he really hate me that much?

I look around the mandap, everyone's faces are blurred, speaking words I cannot hear. I clutch the corner of my shawl, my only comfort.

And here I am,

sitting beside an unknown man, who is now my husband, in a place I don't belong, in a world I don't understand.

I wish... I wish I had never stepped out of that house that night.

But the damage is done now, Devyani.

And I have to pay for it.

I inhale a sharp breath,

lowering my eyes as the world around me celebrates a marriage I didn't even know happened.

Author's POV

After the wedding rituals ended, Yashodha stepped forward toward Devyani, her calm warmth radiating in the cold tension of the haveli.

Devyani's hands trembled as she quickly stood, trying to bend to touch Yashodha's feet, because that's what she had seen in the old TV shows. Her knees almost buckled from nervousness when Yashodha gently held her shoulders.

"A daughter doesn't touch feet, Devyani..." Yashodha said softly, "a daughter hugs."

Daughter?

The word hit Devyani like a warm wave in her cold, trembling world.

Slowly, hesitantly, Devyani raised her arms, unsure if she was allowed, but when Yashodha pulled her into her embrace, Devyani's world stopped.

A hug.

A simple hug she had craved for eighteen years.

A hug she had only seen between mothers and daughters on the television, but never felt.

A hug that whispered love, safety, warmth.

Devyani's eyes grew blurry as tears welled up. Her arms, shaking, finally wrapped around Yashodha, and she hugged her tightly, burying her face into the soft warmth she had never known.

And then, in a whisper so fragile it could shatter,

"Maa..."

The single word slipped from Devyani's lips, along with a tear that slid onto Yashodha's shoulder.

Yashodha froze for a moment, then held Devyani even tighter, tears forming in her own eyes. For a moment, she didn't feel like she was holding a daughter-in-law she just met.

She felt like she was holding her own daughter.

They stayed like that for what felt like eternity until a deep voice cut through the quiet moment:

"Move, Yashodha,"

Everyone turned in shock.

Virendra was standing there, his gaze soft, a small, rare smile on his lips.

"She is my daughter too."

Everyone's eyes widened.

Virendra Thakur, the man whose voice alone commanded fear, the man who never used gentle words, was speaking softly, with warmth?

Yashodha stepped aside, still brushing Devyani's tears with her saree pallu, as Virendra stepped forward.

He raised his hand and placed it on Devyani's head in blessing, then did something that made the entire haveli gasp silently:

He pulled Devyani into a hug.

A fatherly hug. A warm, safe embrace that said she was protected now.

"My sweet baccha," Virendra said, his voice softer than anyone had ever heard.

Devyani stood frozen, her tears soaking into Virendra's kurta, unable to process how the man who saved her was calling her baccha—like she was truly someone's child for the first time in her life.

And around them, everyone in the haveli exchanged stunned glances, watching the ruthless Thakur act like a soft, pookie father-in-law—for the first time in their lives.

After that unexpected, warm hug, Virendra stepped back, his large hand still on Devyani's delicate head, and said with a soft, reassuring voice,

"Welcome to the family, Devyani."

His eyes held a promise she couldn't understand, a promise of safety she had never received before.

"Welcome to a world where you will get love... and only love."

He bent down and kissed her forehead with fatherly warmth that made Devyani's eyes sting again.

Before she could recover, another elder man stepped forward with a kind smile, folding his hands in blessing.

"I am your chote papa, Devyani. Welcome to the family, and may God bless you," said Samarveer Thakur.

Devyani blinked rapidly, overwhelmed, as he gently placed his hand on her head in blessing.

Next came Rekha Thakurain, Samarveer's wife, who smiled warmly and blessed her, saying softly,

"I am your choti maa, Devyani. Welcome, beta."

Devyani was speechless, unused to these gentle touches, these loving words.

Then, Reyansh came forward, flashing a reassuring smile that made him look less scary and more like the protective elder brother he claimed to be. He gave Devyani a quick, gentle hug, saying,

"I'm your new brother, Devyani. Welcome to the family."

But as Reyansh pulled back, he didn't notice a pair of eyes watching him from across the hall with a warmth that could melt even the coldest hearts.

Next came Rudraksh, who dramatically swept a bow, saying,

"Welcome, bhabhi.”

Devyani smiled shyly.

Then Aradhya stepped forward, excitement shining in her eyes as she hugged Devyani tightly.

"I'm Aradhya, your nanad! We will talk later, okay? I have so much to tell you!"

Devyani could only nod, her head spinning with the sudden warmth.

Finally, Jinal came forward, hugging Devyani with a chirpy,

"Welcome to the chaos, Devyani! By the way,i am your nanand(sister in law)”

Devyani froze.

Nanand?

Her eyes darted between Reyansh and Jinal, confusion evident.

If she is his sister, then Reyansh bhaiyya and she aren't... husband and wife?

Devyani swallowed, pushing the thought aside, focusing on the gentle smiles around her—the family she would be with for a year.

Finally, Aditya stepped forward. Unlike the others, he didn't like physical touch, but today, he surprised everyone.

He bent down, touching Devyani's feet to take her blessing.

Devyani almost stumbled back in shock, but before she could say anything, Aditya stood and leaned close to her ear, whispering in a voice only she could hear,

"Welcome to the family, bhabhi. Please, feel free, be happy here. If anyone tries to harm you or scold you, summon me. I promise I will rip them apart for you."

Devyani stood frozen, her eyes wide, heart thudding loudly in her chest.

In her entire life, she had never received this much love, this much acceptance, not even a kind word without conditions.

It was as if God was giving her all the love she had missed in her eighteen years... in a single night.

After everyone finished introducing themselves, hugging her, blessing her, and showering her with so much love that her heart could barely contain it, Devyani stood in stunned silence.

She remembered seeing on TV that after a wedding, the bride and groom went around, touching elders' feet and taking blessings.

But here, it was the opposite.

Everyone—dadas, dadis, uncles, aunts, cousins—came to her, hugging her, blessing her, calling her "beta," "bhabhi," "baccha."

She wondered for a moment,

"Did the rules of marriage change while I was locked up for 18 years? Or... is it how rich people get married?"

She didn't know that no rule had changed.

The truth was simple:

In this family, when they love, they break every rule for the ones they love.

At last, even Samar Singh Rathore (Virendra's father) and Rajmata Durgeshwari (Virendra's mother) came forward.

Samar Singh, his dada sa, blessed her with hands and a kind smile, saying,

"Khush raho beta... stay blessed."

Rajmata Durgeshwari, his dadi sa, placed her hand on Devyani's head, her eyes moist, whispering softly,

"Stay happy, my child."

Devyani stood frozen, realising the family she had entered was nothing like she had ever imagined in her darkest nightmares inside her father's house.

But...

As she finally lifted her eyes, she noticed something that sent a chill down her spine.

All this time...

While the family was showering her with love, one person sat quietly on the grand couch.

Her husband.

Rivan Thakur.

His elbows resting on his knees, his cold eyes sharp, jaw clenched, a glass lazily dangling from his hand.

No one approached him.

No one even dared to look at him.

He neither gave blessings nor received them, simply sitting there, like a ghost or a beast in waiting.

Terrifying. Unreachable.

Devyani's innocent eyes darted around in panic, searching for her babu and bhaiya—the father and brother she thought would stand beside her on this terrifying day.

But they weren't there.

Unbeknownst to her, Virendra had already sent Hariram and Raghu away after paying them even more money, and they had happily left, pockets heavy, without looking back at the daughter they had just sold.

Without caring that it was her wedding day.

Leaving her alone.

With a man she did not know.

With a family she did not understand.

And with a destiny that was no longer hers to hold.

Yashodha slowly walked toward Rivan, who was still sitting on the grand couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, eyes half-open, a glass in his hand, everything around him a blur.

The noise, the lights, the chants, the whispers—nothing reached him.

He looked lost, cold, and untouchable.

Yashodha stopped in front of him, her eyes moist, her heart breaking seeing her son like this on Vasundhara's death anniversary—a day that turned him into the ruthless shadow he had become.

She bent down slightly, moving closer, and whispered so softly that no one could hear,

"Happy married life, Rivan..."

Her voice cracked.

"I know you will not talk to me... neither will you remember what I am saying right now... but I still want to say this..."

Her eyes searched his blank ones, hoping to find her son somewhere inside.

"Rivan... I love you, beta. You are my son, my Rivan... Please don't be too harsh on your maa and baba... Please, we want to hug you, to hold you, to call you ours again..."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"It's been years, Rivan... We both are craving for you."

She exhaled shakily, her fingers trembling as she gently touched his hand.

"I know today is Vasundhara's death anniversary... I know what today means for you... how drastic this day is for you..."

Her eyes turned away for a moment, a bitterness in her expression.

"Still, your baba chose to marry you off today..."

She looked back at him, pain and hope dancing together in her gaze.

"But I think it's necessary, Rivan. Your darkness is growing day by day, beta... You need someone to bring you back."

Her face hardened for a moment, her soft motherly aura sharpening like a blade.

"But listen to me carefully, Rivan..."

"If you ever try to harm my daughter... even once... I will forget that you are my son."

She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath, knowing he would not remember a word she said, but still needing to say it.

She stepped back slowly, wiping her tears before turning away.

Yashodha walked towards the door, and before leaving, she called softly,

"Jinal... take her to Rivan's room."

Jinal's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Devyani, who clutched her shawl tightly, her innocent eyes wide with fear, unaware that she was about to enter the den of the man everyone feared, but no one could truly leave.

As Devayani and Jinal disappeared into the dark hallway.

The faint smiles on everyone's faces froze.

Because sitting on that royal couch, head lowered, veins visible on his arms, eyes half-lidded, was Rivan Singh Thakur—the man whose silence could crack bones.

The man who had just been married without his knowledge.

The man who would wake up tomorrow to a reality none of them were ready to face.

Virendra stood silently, his jaw clenched, watching his son—drugged just enough to perform the wedding rituals, but the moment the chemicals would leave his bloodstream, the lion would awaken.

The storm they had unleashed with their own hands.

Reyansh stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to sound casual, but his voice betrayed a tremor.

"Uncle... do you... do you have any plan for tomorrow?"

His eyes darted toward Rivan, who was still, eerily quiet, fingers tapping the armrest as if sensing the darkness inching closer.

"Because to handle him, we might need not one, but ten backup plans..."

No one laughed.

The air turned cold.

Yashodha stood frozen, clutching the pallu of her saree, her eyes moist, whispering under her breath,

"God, protect that innocent child... don't let her suffer..."

Samarveer exhaled, his face grim.

"Tomorrow... the real Rivan will wake up."

Rekha moved closer to him, placing a hand on his arm, but her own fingers were trembling.

"What if he... what if he harms that child, Samar?"

Payal and Rudraksh exchanged worried glances. Even Rudraksh, who was usually carefree, chewed the inside of his cheek.

Aradhya sat down heavily on the sofa, hugging her knees, whispering,

"Bhaiyya won't hurt her... right?"

No one could answer.

Reyansh, who rarely showed fear, looked at Virendra with a mix of anger and helplessness.

"Uncle... this is madness... you've thrown a lamb into the lion's den... what if..."

Virendra raised a hand to silence him.

His eyes never left Rivan's still figure.

"Let him face what tomorrow holds."

"And let us face what we have chosen."

The haveli felt colder, the silence pressing down on them like a curse.

Because tomorrow morning, when Rivan Singh Thakur wakes up, they all knew—

The real storm would begin.

The corridor felt endless as Jinal led Devyani toward Rivan's room. Their steps were soft against the cold marble, the only sound the faint jingling of Devyani's bangles, betraying how her hands trembled.

Devyani clutched the red lahengga, her eyes darting around, taking in the grandness she had only seen in TV serials—huge chandeliers, oil paintings of ancestors, and carpets so soft they swallowed her small steps.

"This is your... your room now," Jinal said softly, pausing in front of the heavy oak door.

Devyani's eyes widened. Her room? No, his room. A man's room. She had never even stepped into babu's room without knocking. Her breath caught, fear and confusion mixing as she tried to understand how she was supposed to share a room with a man she hadn't even spoken to.

Jinal's hand hovered over the doorknob, her fingers trembling.

Because it had been years since this door was last opened. Years since the room had been filled with laughter, chaos, and life. Years since Rivan had locked it himself before leaving for his penthouse, leaving behind memories that stung Jinal's heart.

A lump rose in Jinal's throat.

Bhaiyya...

"Jinal di, can I ask something?" Devyani whispered, tugging lightly at her sleeve.”

Jinal said bhabhi you can call me only jinal.

Devyani reply  nervously…..ok

"Does he... live here?"

Jinal forced a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"No... not anymore. But... he will, from today."

Devyani looked down, her toes curling into the carpet, her small world colliding with the suffocating richness around her.

"I'm... scared,”

Jinal's own eyes glistened. She pulled Devyani into a brief hug, pressing her trembling lips against her forehead.

"Me too,... but you'll be okay."

With a deep breath, Jinal finally turned the knob. The door creaked, opening to reveal a dark, cold room that smelled of old wood, leather, and a faint scent of cologne that clung to the air like a ghost.

Devyani's eyes widened in awe and fear. The room was massive, with black walls, a giant bed with dark sheets, a glass wall showing the moonlight outside, and weapons displayed above a closed cabinet. Everything was so neat, so cold, so lifeless, yet the presence of the man who owned this space was everywhere, heavy and demanding.

She felt like an intruder.

Jinal stepped in first, her hand brushing over the table where Rivan used to leave his coffee mug, where she used to sneak chocolates for him, where he used to ruffle her hair with a tired smile before leaving for college.

Memories stabbed her heart.

"This is your... new room," Jinal said, her voice barely a whisper, eyes scanning the room as if she was seeing her brother again, a teenage Rivan laughing here, before the darkness swallowed him.

Devyani stepped in carefully, like a frightened fawn, clutching her  lahengga, her eyes darting toward the massive bed where she was supposed to sleep.

"Where... where should I sleep?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Jinal swallowed hard, pushing back tears, and forced a small, trembling smile.

"On the bed, Devu. It's your right now."

Devyani looked at the bed, then back at Jinal, her fear evident.

"But... it's his bed..."

Jinal gently squeezed her hand.

"From today, it's yours too."

They stood there for a moment, two girls bound by fear, pain, and the unknown, staring into the darkness of the room that would soon witness the storm no one could stop.

Devyani tugged at her shawl her eyes wide as she whispered,

“Jinal ……is it necessary to share a room after marriage? Can’t we sleep in separate rooms?”

Jinal smiled gently, smoothing Devyani’s hair.

“Devu, didn’t you see your father and mother sleeping in one room? That’s how beautiful marriage is—two different people tied in a bond, sharing everything.”

Devyani swallowed, her lashes fluttering as she mumbled,

“But… I never saw my mother… I don’t know how married people live…”

She hesitated, voice trembling,

“But what if I… don’t want… to share?”

Jinal chuckled softly, cupping her face,

“It’s okay, Devu. Don’t be scared, he won’t eat you. He’s actually nice, okay?”

“But—” Devyani started, but Jinal cut her off with a warm smile,

“No buts, okay? Just relax and rest. Bhaiyya will be here soon, and don’t be scared. We’re all here for you, right?”

Devyani's eyes stayed fixed on the bed, her throat dry. How could she sleep there? On a bed that belonged to a man she had never spoken to, a man everyone feared, a man who hadn't even glanced at her during the entire wedding.

"Jinal Devyani's soft voice broke the heavy silence.

"Hmm?"

"Can I... can I just sit here for now?" Her small hand pointed toward the couch.

Jinal nodded, her heart clenching.

"Of course, Devu."

Devyani carefully lowered herself onto the edge, clutching her shawl tightly around her as if it would protect her from the unknown,her eyes darting around the room—toward the weapons displayed, the cold decor, the heavy black curtains.

Her heart was thudding painfully.

She inhaled shakily, trying to steady her breath. "It's okay, Devyani... it's just for one year... just for babu..." she chanted inside, remembering the promise she made to herself.

Jinal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You're safe here, Devu."

Devyani nodded, but tears glistened in her eyes. Safe? In a stranger's room? In a stranger's world?

She glanced around again, taking in the luxury she didn't understand. Chandeliers, silk curtains, a walk-in closet, and a view that showed half the city glowing under the moonlight. It felt like a movie set, not a room where she was supposed to live.

"Do... do rich people really live like this?" she whispered to herself.

Devyani hugged her shawl tighter, pulling her knees to her chest.

They sat there in silence, the room heavy with the scent of sandalwood and cologne, until Jinal received a call from Yashodha asking her to come down to handle the rest Jinal turned to Devyani.

"I'll be right outside, okay? Don't be scared."

Devyani nodded, but as Jinal stepped out, closing the heavy door, the click of the lock felt like a reminder that she was now alone.

Completely alone in a world that wasn't hers.

Devyani looked around the room, the silence amplifying the pounding of her heart.

"I wish... I never stepped out that day..." she thought, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.

Outside, the haveli slowly grew silent as midnight approached, the moonlight cutting through the curtains to fall on her tear-streaked face.

Tomorrow, the real storm would arrive, and she didn't even know what monster she had married.

______________________________

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