Journey of two broken souls.
ADHIRAJ RANA -future CM of Rajasthan and king of Udaipur
Dr. TRANIKA RAJVANSH- IAS officer
"I am your fucking wife, Adhiraj, treat me like one," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "The wife you forced into this mar...
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I stood there, impatiently waiting for her arrival. My heart pounded with a mixture of rage, love, and an unshakable sorrow. When she finally entered, walking beside Ritwik and Atharva, she looked like a vision—no, like a goddess—in that red lehenga. Every step she took toward me sent a wave of turmoil crashing through my chest. She was my bride. My bride.
I couldn't stop my eyes from welling up as I took in the sight of her, but I forced myself to hold it together. After everything, I still couldn't let her see how much power she held over me.
Her gaze flickered toward my hand. She noticed the mark. The deep cut I'd inflicted on myself in a desperate attempt to punish these hands—hands that had hurt her, hands that no longer felt worthy of touching her. Her expression faltered for just a moment, but she quickly masked it.
As we sat before the sacred fire, the panditji handed me the sindoor. My fingers trembled as I picked it up. I leaned forward, brushing aside a few strands of her hair, and placed the vermillion in her hairline. Her eyes closed, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. My heart twisted painfully.
I wanted to believe that tear was for me, for us—for the love we had once shared. But the accusations echoed in my head like a relentless storm. How could someone I loved so deeply betray me so mercilessly? How could someone so radiant, so pure, lie with such ease?
But then again, could she? Could she truly have done what everyone claims? My heart and my mind were at war. One last time, Tranika, I thought desperately. One last time, I'll ask you to tell me the truth. If you just speak the truth, I swear I will forgive you. I'll forget everything.
But my thoughts were interrupted when panditji's voice rang out, steady and final.
"Aaj se aap pati patni hue."
The words landed like a blow to my chest. Husband and wife. It should have been the happiest moment of my life. Instead, it felt like a bittersweet agony. Her betrayal, my anger—all of it was buried deep beneath the weight of one undeniable truth.
I glanced at her face one more time, searching for something, anything that could tell me what she was feeling. Was she hurting, too? Or was this all just another part of her deception?
This feeling, this storm within me, I couldn't explain it even if I tried. All I knew was that I had lost her in ways I didn't fully understand, and yet, she was mine now. Mine in name, in bond, in every way.
Even if her love was buried under layers of betrayal, just like my pain.
The ceremony had ended. The guests were sparse, and the rituals wrapped up in barely an hour. Now, it was time for the Vidai.
I glanced at Tranika, standing still amidst the hushed chaos. Her face betrayed her—a blend of nervousness, dread, and exhaustion. I knew what was coming, and it wasn't going to be gentle. Her parents rarely ever were.
