2. Twisted.

~•} C H A P T E R|2 {•~

The unending rays of the sun finally decided to disguise under the blanket of sky marking the start of the evening. Bhavna Rathore rashly left her room in her heavy saree and expensive adornments

"Ruhanika!" She raved in her shrill voice.

"Yes, mummy Ji,"

Ruhanika replied whilst adjusting her heavily embroidered peach lehenga.

"Are Naina and Raina ready?"

"Umm... I haven't checked on them yet,"

"Then what were you doing till now? You are the eldest daughter-in-law, you must keep a check on everyone!"

"I will go and check,"

With this Ruhanika swung around around only to find both of them already standing on the staircase decked up beautifully.

"We are here mummy Ji,"

Both Naina and Raina uttered together and Bhavna raked her eyes on both of them.

"The difference between your and and her dressing sense is apparent as daylight after all they have a degree in makeup and fashion,"

Bhavna mocked making Ruhanika a bit insecure about her looks but Ruhanika didn't let Bhavna turn her mood bitter. If they were so repelled by her status and class, they should've gotten someone like them.

You don't bring someone to your house then complain about them being at your house. That's just stupid.

"Bhabhi was busy with the work she didn't have time to get ready from the makeup artist," Raina tried to reason out and defend Ruhanika being done with Bhavna's daily taunts but still maintaining respect.

"And that's why I never wanted a middle-class girl to be my daughter-in-law but because of my father-in-law, I had to agree to get my Yuvraj married to this girl. And now my Vardhaan is also getting married to a middle-class girl!"

Bhavna yelled furiously paying no heed to what Raina said earlier.

Status and class mattered a lot for her. She always wanted to show-off her daughters-in-law and wanted them to be like her, classy and rich. But- none of them matched her class, not even Naina and Raina but atleast they came from a wealthy family giving her something to boast about.

Naina tried to say something but Ruhanika signaled her not to as the three of them watched Bhavna walk out.

"Bhabhi, why did you stop me from defending you? Mummyji is always like this. She leaves no chance to taunt us but I feel she has a different grudge against you,"

Raina muttered lowly so that no one other than them could hear.

Deewar par kaun hi sar mare.

(Who will wack their head on a wall.)

Ruhanika grumbled in her mind as Bhavna was blinded by her wealth and status, slowly turning mad. Or maybe she was already mad-

Who gives such a mismatched reply?

She thought thinking about what Raina said and what Bhavna replied...

"Bhabhi! I'm asking you something," Raina called Ruhanika breaking her trance as Ruhanika passed a fake smile trying to sound sweet and innocent like those typical tv-serial daughter-in-law.

"Just leave it, Raina. She was always like this and now I am used to this behavior,"

"But why she is like this?"

"Because she was against this marriage but couldn't go against Dadaji,"

Mumbling this Ruhanika hurried towards Yuvika's room to make her ready for the wedding that would happen in a few hours.

But she was astonished seeing her husband who was decked up in a three-piece suit, playing with a dressed-up Yuvika.

Ruhanika admired the view from far away. Her heart clenched as she couldn't help but reminisce about her parents who were dead.

Sometimes, oh sometimes she missed her parents dearly at moments like these...

"Maa!"

Yuvika shrieked as soon as she noticed her and Ruhanika gave her a genuine sweet smile.

"Where were you?" Yuvraj questioned with an ugly frown on his face as he checked the time on his wristwatch making her mentally roll her eyes.

"Mummy Ji called me,"

Ruhanika whispered taking Yuvika from his arms and didn't spare him a second look.

"You know that Yuvika doesn't get ready without you so why did you not dress her up early?"

"I was busy," Ruhanika replied in a monotonous tone not caring about him scolding her.

She was so done with everyone here.

"Yeah, you were busy!" Yuvraj sarcastically remarked.

"Take care of Yuvika properly. Don't let her go near strangers. And make sure that she doesn't eat oily food too much. And don't forget to look after her whilst mingling with people," Yuvraj stared down at Ruhanika with a hard look in his eyes as he emphasized each word sternly.

Ruhanika nodded her head in acceptance and Yuvraj left the room while buttoning up his cuffs.

Ruhanika clutched the child in her arms tightly with a warm smile and thought,

You are the only good thing that I got from this marriage.

}}}}}•{{{{{

Here in a perfectly lit room stood Vardhaan Rathore whose marriage was in a few hours but unlike others, he wasn't dressed up in marriage attire instead a white t-shirt and sweatpants.

Vardhaan gazed at the white walls of the room which were filled with tons of paintings. This was his paradise, as he liked to call it.

He came here whenever to express his emotions however they were. This room had always been his safe place, his haven.

He took out the paintbrush in his hand and clutched the paint palette with the other. A vicious smile played on his lips as he dipped the brush into a blood-red hue and made a cross across the painting he spent hours making with no ounce of regret.

With a wicked glint in his eyes and with a smirk dancing on his lips, he watched the painting which was now smeared with blood-red color, and a huge cross that stood in front of the face, he found a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction in this. In his own twisted way.

"You will be welcomed to your hell, soon-to-be Mrs. Ishani Vardhaan Rathore,"

Vardhaan laughed like a maniac but his eyes depicted the sheer hatred he had for his future wife.

}}}}}•{{{{{

The camera flashes and the media became uncontrollable as The Rathores arrived at the marriage venue.

The four heirs of The Rathore Empire stepped out of the matte black car in their glory. Yuvraj was wearing a three-piece navy blue body-fitting suit. Aadarsh adorned a short designer black kurta. Aakarsh was carrying a grey coat on top of a simple black t-shirt and Vardhaan was dressed up in traditional groom's attire.

Yuvraj signaled the other cars to go inside the venue as they posed for a picture or two. Being in a business world came with its own cons such as keeping media updated about their important events.

The Rathore women were yet to be introduced to the outside world but the heirs liked to keep it that way. Already they had suffered enough due to this social media.

Ruhanika was decked up in a peach-colored lehenga, Naina was dolled up in a black net saree and Raina carried a shimmering grey saree efficiently, their faces painted with a fake smile.

Soon the whole Rathore family walked inside the Resort which was also owned by them.

The rituals started and the media wasn't allowed inside the resort for safety and privacy purposes.

Ruhanika peered here and there as she was still getting used to these big fat weddings. She didn't belong here and she knew it but she couldn't do anything about it. Nor did she care about it.

Ruhanika clutched Yuvika's hand tightly as she was feeling left out. Naina and Raina knew some of the people as they belonged to a big family so they were conversing with them. And her husband would never care about how she was feeling.

Suddenly she felt someone's gaze on her. She turned and saw a man in his late twenties approaching her.

"You are Yuvraj's second wife right?" That man confirmed.

Ouch. Was it deliberate? It looked like so.

"Yeah," she replied her lips stretchin in another fake smile like previous ones for the umpteenth time tonight.

"I am the C.E.O. of Singhania Enterprises, Udgam Singhania,"

The man infront answered in a deep voice. He had a commanding aura surrounding him as he gave her a heavy stare as if trying to bore into her soul.

"Nice to meet you," Ruhanika replied politely though she couldn't stop the terrified shiver that ran down her spine at Udgam's look.

"Nice to meet you, Miss?" Udgam tilted his head as he drawled out calmly.

But there was one person who didn't like their conversation due to his own twisted reasons.

"Mrs. Ruhanika Yuvraj Rathore!" That person who was none other than Yuvraj interjected.

"Oh, Yuvraj you are here!" That man exclaimed and extended his hand for a handshake.

The atmosphere suddenly was surrounded by thick tension that Ruhanika swore she could feel. For some reason now she was dreading meeting Udgam.

They shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries but Ruhanika could tell that they both loathed each other and all this was fake.

After a few minutes of talk, they parted and Yuvraj signalled her to come with him which she obliged not wanting to get in more trouble.

"Don't get involved with Udgam Singhania,"

That's the only thing he said before leaving making her utterly speechless and confused with his behaviour.

Was he jealous?

It didn't look like it. He looked troubled not because she was talking to another man but because that man was Udgam.

There was a reason behind all this. A twisted reason, a mystery that she might never find out as her husband behaved like he was allergic to her.

She wanted to still know the reason because that reason made her husband talk to her marking eighth wonder of the world.

But whom should I ask?

She thought exhaling a deep breath knowing she would never know.

}}}}}}•{{{{{{

The priest asked to call the bride. Vardhaan fisted his hands in anger.

After some time Ishani stepped towards him with her sharp eyes glaring at his handsome face without an ounce of care about his reputation. She sat down beside him and kept her hand on top of him inhaling sharply in anger.

Oh, how much she could add his hand into the fire instead of the ghee when the priest asked her to.

His monstrous grip reminded her that he hadn't forgotten about the past events.

Good for him because she hadn't too. And she wouldn't let him forget that so easily.

Eventually, the rituals were completed and they were promised to each other for a lifetime in joys and tears but unknown to others, the reasons for their tears would be them only.

Now I am married to this monster. Congratulations on your downfall Mrs. Ishani Vardhaan Rathore!

Ishani snickered as she glared at him sideways through her veil to find him glaring back at her with similar intensity.