Before Shaurya could react, Ishani rushed into the room, her face pale with fear. She threw herself between the two men, trying to push Vikrant away.
"Vikrant, stop!" she cried, her voice trembling. "What are you doing? Please, leave bhai alone!"
But Vikrant wasn't listening. He shrugged off Ishani's hands with a harsh jerk, causing her to stumble back. The sight of his sister being treated so roughly made Shaurya's blood boil. He clenched his fists, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Don't fucking touch her like that ever again!" Shaurya snarled, his voice thick with fury as she pushed him away.
The tension in the room reached a boiling point, the air crackling with the promise of violence. Shaurya's muscles tensed, as he lunged at Vikrant again, to make him pay for laying a hand on Ishani. But before he could move, a commanding voice cut through the chaos.
"Enough!" Abhyendra Singh Raizada, Vikrant's father bellowed as he walked towards them, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Both of you, stop this nonsense and behave like adults! You're the heirs to vast empires, and here you are, brawling like common street dogs!"
The room fell into a tense silence, the echoes of the altercation still lingering in the air. Reluctantly, Shaurya released Vikrant, his chest heaving with the effort to control his rage. Shaurya took a step back, his eyes never leaving Vikrant's, a silent warning passing between them.
Everyone settled into the hall, but the atmosphere remained thick with unresolved tension. Vikrant couldn't stop staring at Meera, who sat with her head bowed, avoiding his gaze.
Vikrant's fury blazed, ignited by a deep concern for Meera's safety. She was the epitome of innocence, molded by a strict and traditional upbringing that confined her to the sheltered confines of her home.
Naive and unworldly, she was a flower too delicate for the storms beyond her home—a flower that could easily be crushed underfoot by someone with the wrong intentions.
She was woefully unprepared for the harsh realities of the world beyond those walls, Meera was a lamb in a world full of wolves.
She was a soft-hearted soul, one easily misled and manipulated by those with darker intentions. And none were darker than Shaurya, the man who had once been his closest friend but now stood as his worst enemy. Shaurya, cunning and ruthless, viewed the world that was divided into two: things that were his, and things that didn't matter at all. Once something caught his eye, it became his entirely, obsessively, until nothing remained untouched by his will.
"I would be damned if I let Meera fall into Shaurya's clutches," Vikrant vowed silently, his thoughts seething with determination.
"The past is the past," Vikrant's father said, his tone brokering no argument. "I know Vikrant and Meera were once engaged to be married, but things have changed. It's time to move forward."
Vikrant's eyes flashed with defiance, his jaw clenched.
"Ishani is your wife now, Vikrant," his father continued. "Forget the past and focus on the life you have in front of you. Meera and Shaurya are married now, and everything happens for a reason."
"I don't believe in this marriage!" Vikrant spat, his voice shaking with anger. "Ishani betrayed me! If I had known it wasn't Meera behind that veil, I would never have married her."
Ishani flinched as if struck, tears welling up in her eyes. The sight of her pain was too much for Shaurya to bear. His protective instinct surged, but before he could speak, Vikrant's voice cut through the silence again.
"I'm going to file for divorce," Vikrant declared, his voice resolute. A tear slipped down Ishani's cheek, and Shaurya's heart clenched at the sight.
"And Meera will file for divorce as well," Vikrant added, his tone final and unyielding.
Meera's head shot up, her eyes wide with shock. She looked at Vikrant,who was laced with cold determination.
"No one is getting divorced," Adhiraj, Meera's father, interjected with authority. His voice was calm but laced with an edge that demanded obedience. "You kids are going to ruin this family's reputation again, and I won't allow that to happen."
He turned to the men in the room. "Abhayendra ji, Vikrant, Shaurya, Abhiram—come with me." Without waiting for a response, he led the way to his study, the other men following behind. Shaurya hesitated, casting a final glance at ishani before he left.
As the men disappeared down the hallway, the tension in the room remained, thick and oppressive. Meera sat trembling, her mind spinning with everything that had just happened. She felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of expectations and the cold reality of her situation. The family that had once cherished her now looked at her with nothing but hatred and disgust.
"Aree, Ishani beta, don't cry," Meera's aunt Asha cooed, though her voice was laced with thinly veiled disdain. She gave Meera a sidelong glance that made her stomach churn. "Come, let me take care of the evil eyes casted over you"
"Another night ruined by this girl's mere presence," Sanyogita, Vikrant's mother hissed, glaring at Meera as if she were a curse. "Such a witch, turning best friends who were like brothers into enemies thirsty for each other's blood."
Meera sat silently, clutching the edge of her saree so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The words stung, each one cutting deeper than the last. She felt as though she was drowning in a sea of resentment and bitterness.
Sahista, came to her side and gently took her hand. "Come with me, Meera," she said softly, leading her away from the living room and into the kitchen. Once they were alone, she dismissed the maids with a wave of her hand, ensuring their privacy.
Sahista's gaze was sharp and unyielding as she turned to Meera. "Do you see this?" she asked, gesturing around them. "This is the reality of women in our society. This is why I insisted Shaurya marry you. He's the only one who can protect you from your father, your uncle, and this cruel world."
"But Maa—" Meera began, her voice trembling with fear and confusion.
"No buts," Sahista interrupted, her tone firm. "Listen to me, Meera. You're married now. Your husband is everything to you. You must obey him, respect him, love him, and take care of him and ..... all his needs."
Meera's heart skipped a beat at the implication in her mother words. The thought of what she was expected to do, of what Shaurya would want from her, filled her with dread.
"Your brother is gone," Sahista continued, her voice softening but still insistent. "And I don't think he will ever return. If Shaurya leaves you, the fate your father has in store for you will be worse than anything you can imagine."
Meera's fear deepened, her mind reeling with the terrifying possibilities. She had no choice—her life depended on her compliance.
"Promise me, Meera," Sahista pressed, her eyes locking onto Meera's with an intensity that left her helpless.
"I promise, maa"
YOU ARE READING
DECEPTIVE FATE - Obsession, love and lies
General Fiction"It was you" Her eyes met his. Her heartbeat sped up in tremendous fear. Meera, an 20 year old young girl who was once loved by everyone was now the one whose mere presence felt like poison to her loved once. What game did her fate played that she...
