The familiar feeling of restlessness settled in as I prepared to return home after a month-long absence. It wasn't just the comfort of my family's presence that I craved, but something more. Something that had been gnawing at me since my wedding night.
I thought back to Anant's anniversary celebration two days prior, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for not being there. My entire family had been in attendance, beaming with happiness, but my mind had been elsewhere. It had been with her - Swan, my wife.
I missed her emerald eyes, which seemed to haunt me every time I closed my own.
I missed the sweet, honey-like tone of her voice, which had captivated me on our wedding night. I even missed her angelic face, which radiated innocence.
But why? Why did I feel this way? Swan was scared of me, always. Her eyes would well up with tears whenever I looked at her, her voice would stutter and tremble whenever I spoke to her. Her face would fall, etched with sadness and fear, whenever I was near.
And yet, despite all this, I couldn't help but feel drawn to her. I didn't want her to be scared of me. I wanted her to look at me with the same adoration that my family did. I wanted her to smile when she saw me, not cower in fear.
I pondered these thoughts, a realization dawned on me - I was tired of being the monster that Swan saw me as. I was tired of being the one who inspired fear, not love. I wanted to change, to prove to Swan that I wasn't the man she thought I was. But where did I even begin?
I settled into my seat on the private jet, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I left Singapore behind. The news of Manasa's true identity had sent shockwaves around the world, and I was still trying to process it all.
Just as I was starting to relax, my phone buzzed, and I saw my mom's name flashing on the screen. I answered with a smile, "Hello, Mom."
"When did you come?" she asked, her tone was strict. I could sense a hint of annoyance, probably because my dad hadn't given her the gift she was expecting.
"After tomorrow," I replied, trying to stifle a laugh.
"Come here quickly, Anant needs you," she said, her voice laced with concern. "He should stay with Isha more, you know very well what happened last time."
I felt a pang of worry, knowing that Isha's health was still a concern. But before I could respond, my mom dropped another bombshell. "Now those people are also going to shift homes."
I was confused, unsure of who she was referring to. "Why? I mean, if they shift, then where will Isha's sister go?" I asked, my heart starting to beat faster.
My mom's response sent a surge of anger through me. "Why are you asking? She is shifting to the hostel, so they are coming here."
I felt a wave of possessiveness wash over me. Who had given Vaani permission to leave? I certainly hadn't. I hummed in response, trying to keep my emotions in check, and disconnected the call.
The jet soared through the skies, I couldn't shake off the feeling of restlessness. Why was Vaani leaving? And with whose permission? I didn't like the sound of this one bit.
I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turned to see an air hostess standing beside me, a polite smile on her face.
"Sir, we are about to land. Please tighten your seatbelt," she said, her voice soft and courteous.
I nodded in response, my mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Vaani. I was angry, angry at her for making such a reckless decision, and angry at Isha and Anant for not stopping her.
The Jet touched down, I quickly gathered my belongings and made my way to my car. I couldn't wait to see Vaani, to confront her about her decision. My anger simmered just below the surface, waiting to erupt.
I drove to the apartment, my mind racing with thoughts of what I would say to Vaani. I was determined to make her see sense, to make her understand that she couldn't just leave like this.
I stood outside Vaani's room, I could hear her voice, calm and collected, as she spoke to someone on the phone. But her words only fueled my anger. "Yes, I know, but no worries, I'll handle everything... Yaa, I'm shifting tomorrow."
My anger boiled over, and I pushed open the door, striding into the room. Vaani's body shuddered as she looked up at me, her eyes widening in fear. I could see the fear written all over her face, and it only made me angrier.
But then I heard a male voice on the other end of the line, and my anger turned to possessiveness. "Hello, Vaani..." the voice said, and I couldn't take it anymore.
I strode over to Vaani, snatching the phone from her hand and throwing it to the ground, where it shattered into pieces. Vaani closed her eyes, covering her ears with her hands, and I could see the fear radiating from her.
I grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her ears, and declared, "You're not going anywhere."
Vaani slowly opened her eyes, looking up at me with a mix of fear and something else. She searched my eyes, as if looking for something, and then quickly looked away. She tried to jerk her hand out of my grasp, but I held firm, my fingers wrapped around her wrist like a vice.
I could feel her trembling beneath my touch, and it only made me more determined. I wouldn't let her go, not now, not ever.
seems like my scared swan is going brave......
I glared at her, my anger simmering just below the surface. "I'm going to the hostel," she stammered, but I wasn't having it.
"Didn't you hear? YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" I bellowed, my voice echoing off the walls as I took a step closer to her.
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back, her back hitting the wall as I trapped her between me and the solid surface. She looked tiny and fragile, like a scared little kitten.
But then, something snapped inside her. She pushed against me, and I stumbled back, giving her some space. Her eyes flashed with defiance as she yelled, "I'm not a servant of yours, Mr. Rajwansh!"
I was taken aback by her outburst. The girl who had always been timid and reserved around me was now standing up to me, her voice ringing with determination.
But even as she stood up to me, I noticed that she couldn't meet my eyes. She looked everywhere but at me, and I felt a pang of frustration.
"You know I was going to leave tomorrow, but now I will go today only," she declared, turning to gather her belongings.
I couldn't let her go, not now. I grabbed her arm and jerked her back towards me. She fell against my chest, and for a moment, I felt a spark of electricity run through me.
But I pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the anger that still simmered within me. "You want to go, but now you will have to stay in this room till tomorrow," I growled, pushing her onto the bed.
I turned to leave, but not before I heard her shouting and crying from inside the room. I ignored her, knowing that she deserved some punishment for her reckless decision.
I stood outside the room, I couldn't help but think about what to do next. I couldn't leave her here alone, but I also couldn't take her with me to the Rajwansh mansion. Or could I?
The thought sent a spark of excitement through me. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to take a swan to the mansion, to show her the life that was hers by right.
But for now, I just stood there, listening to her cries and feeling a sense of satisfaction at having asserted my dominance over her.
I stood outside Vaani's room, lost in thought, when my phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was my PA, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. "What?" I asked gruffly.
My PA's voice was apologetic. "Mr. Mehra is waiting for you in the office, sir. He wants a meeting."
I cursed under my breath. Mr. Mehra was an important person, and I couldn't ignore him. I made my way to the office, my mind still preoccupied with Vaani.
The meeting with Mr. Mehra was a long one, lasting two hours. As I finally emerged from the meeting room, I checked my phone to find a barrage of missed calls from Anant, my dad, and even Shivam. My heart sank as I scrolled through the messages.
12 missed calls from anant
8 missed calls from dad
5 massage from Shivam
Firstly i opened a massage to my brother.
bhai we know you already come.
come to your apartment bhai.
we all are going there.
bhai please come fast.
bhai vaani is unconscious..
But it was Shivam's last message that made my blood run cold. "Bhai, we know you're already back. Come to the apartment, bhai. We're all going there. Bhai, please come fast. Bhai, Vaani is unconscious..."
I felt a dagger pierce my chest. I had locked her in the room and left her, not thinking about the consequences. Oh God, what had I done?
I didn't waste any time, settling into my car and driving at breakneck speed. My heart was racing, and my mind was a jumble of emotions. I had never felt this way before, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.
I screeched to a halt in front of the apartment, I leapt out of the car, taking long strides to get to Vaani as quickly as possible. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had settled over me.
What had I done? Was Vaani okay? The questions swirled in my mind as I burst through the apartment door, desperate to find out.
I stormed into the room, but was met with darkness. What the hell? My Swan was scared of the dark, and I had left her in this condition? I pushed aside my guilt and made my way to her room, but it was empty. The door was open, and there was no sign of her.
"GUARDSSSS!!!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, summoning the guards. They rushed in, bowing their heads in respect.
"Why is there darkness here, and where is my Vaani?" I demanded, my tone harsh.
One of the guards spoke up, "Sir, there was an electrical issue here, due to which the lights of the entire building went off for half an hour."
Half an hour? My Swan had been in the dark for half an hour? I felt a pang of guilt and anger.
"And where is she?" I asked, my voice low and menacing.
The guard hesitated before speaking, "Sir, the entire royal family had come here, but after some time, the king took Vaani mam with him to some place. But Vaani mam was unconscious, the king was carrying her in his arms."
I stood there, numb, as the guard finished speaking. I signaled for them to leave, and then pulled out my phone to call someone who could tell me where my Swan was. I dialed Dipali's number, knowing she would be the one to give me the information I needed.
"Hello, bhai," she said, her voice trembling, as if she had been crying.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice was low and urgent.
"We're at the mansion," she replied, and I felt a sense of realization wash over me. Despite my best efforts to keep swan away from the royal family, she had finally reached her true home. The Rajwansh mansion, where she belonged.
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