Crave: The Blood Oath

Chapter 8 - His wife

Aaravi kept looking at her husband, her heart a tumultuous blend of joy and sorrow. Tears streamed down her face, falling onto Riyansh's hand, their weight heavier with the emotions they carried.

"Ma... Ma... Ma..." Riyan's tiny voice broke through the silence, his hands reaching out to grab his mother's attention.

Aaravi blinked, shaken from her thoughts. She turned to her son, forcing a smile as she gently pulled him onto her lap, nestling him closer to Riyansh's still body. "See, baby, this is your papa," she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and despair. But Riyan, too young to understand, started playfully hitting his father's chest with his small hands, unaware of the pain in his mother's heart.

Damini, who had been quietly observing from a distance, felt her breath hitch at Aaravi's words. "Oh my God... are you his wife?" she gasped, her voice laced with shock and disbelief.

Aaravi turned to face Damini, her eyes wide with sudden realization. She scanned the room for Rian, panic gripping her as she noticed his absence. How could she have been so lost in her own world that she forgot about him?

"You are his wife," Damini repeated, her voice firmer this time, laden with the weight of truth. The room seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with unspoken emotions. Aaravi's heart pounded in her chest, the reality of the situation crashing down on her, filling her with a sense of helplessness and an overwhelming surge of love for the man lying before her.

Aaravi simply nodded in confirmation, her mind still reeling from the emotions swirling around her.

"I am a nurse and also a nanny to the Sindhiya children. I've raised these three kids. I've known them since birth. Rian never hides anything from me. He told me that Riyansh's wife was coming," Damini said, pausing as if choosing her next words carefully. "But I never thought you'd come with a child."

Aaravi listened to her, confusion settling in like a fog. Who was this Rian? Was he the same man she thought she knew? Her thoughts raced as she tried to piece together the fragments of information. She decided to voice her confusion, "Who is Rian?"

Damini let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head slightly. "Oh God, didn't that lad tell you his name? That boy is full of arrogance," she muttered, her tone betraying a mix of exasperation and affection. She knew Rian inside out, having practically raised him as her own.

"That arrogant young man you came with is Rian Alexander Sindhiya. You know he's Riyansh's elder brother, right?" Damini questioned, her words finally clarifying Aaravi's confusion.

"Yes, he told me that Riyansh has a family and that he is his brother. He even showed me some photos, where Riyansh was with a few people," Aaravi replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Damini's expression softened, sensing Aaravi's unease. "Did you meet your family?" she asked gently, her eyes searching Aaravi's for the answer.

"Huh..." Aaravi murmured, her confusion evident.

"Oho... your family," Damini clarified, her tone gentle.

Aaravi's expression shifted, her face clouding with sadness. She bowed her head slightly and said, "I'm an orphan. I have no family. My son and my husband are my only family."

Damini's eyes softened, realizing she had touched on a tender subject. She hadn't known that Aaravi was an orphan. The young woman before her seemed so pure, so genuine, with no hidden layers or dual identity. But Damini wasn't referring to Aaravi's past; she was talking about Riyansh's family, which, by marriage, was now Aaravi's as well.

"I was talking about your husband's family," Damini explained gently. "You have a grandmother, an aunt, an uncle, a brother-in-law, a sister-in-law, and more. This family is royal and big, but they are very close-knit—except for Rian. They all live in the palace. Have you met them?"