Shattered (Book #1 In Heart Series)✔️

Chapter 22: The start of functions

Kritika's POV

Today marked the engagement ceremony for Aradhya and me. I adorned a stunning green lehenga while Aradhya looked radiant in pink. She beamed with joy throughout the journey, reveling in the anticipation of her impending union with a man who cherished her
 unconditionally—a true gentleman. In contrast, my heart felt heavy, burdened by the prospect of binding myself to a man I deemed a monster, a khadoos.

Upon arriving at the Singhania mansion, I was enveloped in a warm embrace by Swetha aunty, whose words dripped with excitement and congratulations. Despite her effusive praise, I struggled to maintain a facade of happiness, yearning to scream out my true feelings.

Navigating through the crowd, I joined Aradhya and Karthik bhai, who were lost in their own world of love and tenderness. Attempting to inject some levity into the atmosphere, I playfully teased the lovebirds, eliciting shy smiles and blushes—a fleeting moment of genuine happiness amidst the facade.

However, my façade crumbled as Karthik bhai approached me, sensing my inner turmoil. He implored me to give Aditya a chance, extolling his virtues as a good man—an assertion I found incredulous given my encounters with the khadoos.

"Good guy? That khadoos?" I retorted, unable to mask my disdain.

"Kritika, don't judge a book by its cover," Karthik bhai urged earnestly, his sincerity piercing through my defenses.

Before I could retort, Sakshi aunty interjected, signaling the commencement of the ceremony. Despite Aradhya's absence, the proceedings continued, with Aditya notably missing due to an alleged emergency call—an absence I welcomed wholeheartedly.

Standing beside Mr. Singhania, I braced myself for the ring exchange. As Ahana presented the rings, I watched apprehensively, my heart pounding with trepidation.

Mr. Singhania's grip on my hand was brutal, his touch sending waves of pain shooting through my finger. Suppressing a cry, I met his cold gaze with tearful eyes, silently enduring the agony.

Forcing a smile, I accepted the ring, feeling the sting of his callousness etched into my skin—a painful reminder of my impending fate.

As I slid the ring onto his finger, my trembling fingers betrayed my inner turmoil. Sensing my vulnerability, Mr. Singhania smirked—a silent challenge I refused to back down from.

Summoning my resolve, I pushed the ring onto his finger with deliberate force, relishing the fleeting moment of triumph as his expression flickered with pain and anger—a small victory in the face of his relentless cruelty.

With the ceremony concluded, I sought solace in the kitchen, the cool touch of ice offering respite from the physical and emotional pain. However, my solitude was short-lived as Mr. Singhania barged in, his aura pulsating with hostility.

"What the hell were you doing out there?" he demanded, his tone laced with contempt.

"Exactly what you deserved," I retorted, matching his disdain with steely resolve.

In a sudden display of aggression, he snatched the ice from my grasp, hurling it aside with disdain. Undeterred, I confronted him, refusing to cower in the face of his wrath. As he moved to leave, I blocked his path, a defiant glint in my eyes.

"Move," he said.

"No."

"I said move."

"I won't, and if you want to go, then you should apply ice on my fingers," I said, showing him my still-red finger.

He glared at me, and I simply shrugged in response. Within a second, I found myself pinned to the wall. I gasped, meeting Mr. Khadoos's glare.

I gulped nervously, unable to tear my eyes away from his intense gaze.

"Now don't you want to say anything?" he asked huskily. I shook my head, unable to form coherent words.

"No... no," I stammered.

"Good girl," he said, patting my cheek before leaving.

Exhaling loudly, I tried to calm my frayed nerves. What the hell was that? How could I surrender to him? Argh!

"So, Raman, did you book the tickets?" Gautam uncle asked.

"Yes, Arjun already booked them yesterday," Papa said, his enthusiasm evident. I rolled my eyes, turning to face the khadoos, who was smirking at me.

Oh, how I wished I could wipe that bloody smirk off his face.

"So, Gautam ji, we are leaving. We need to do packing and all," Papa said, leading the way to the entrance.

"Kriti, Aru, I will miss you both," Ahana said, hugging us tightly.

"We will miss you too," we replied in unison.

As we bid farewell to our hosts, I couldn't shake the lingering sense of unease that accompanied my newfound status as Aditya's betrothed. With a heavy heart, I retreated to the confines of the car, silently mourning the loss of my freedom to a man whose very presence filled me with dread.

Today, I relinquished the title of being single—a concession made not out of desire, but necessity. And as the car pulled away from the Singhania mansion, I couldn't help but lament the inevitable demise of my autonomy in the clutches of a man I vowed to despise.