Veda Rajveer (you are only mine)

6. Toxic nature

Rajveer walked into his house after returning from the temple, his thoughts still heavy with the weight of his conversation with Veda. As he entered the living room, his eyes immediately fell on Rohi, sitting comfortably with his mother, Nandini, laughing at something she had just said. Rohi, the girl who had been in love with him for as long as he could remember.

The moment Rajveer saw her, his expression shifted to annoyance. Rohi noticed him and immediately brightened, standing up to greet him.

"Rajveer, tum aagaye! Kaisi rahi tumhari shaam?" she asked with enthusiasm.

Rajveer barely glanced at her, his face emotionless. Without acknowledging her greeting, he walked past them and headed straight to his room. Rohi's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered and resumed talking to Nandini.

🌼🌼🌼

It was late afternoon when Rajveer came down for dinner. The entire family was already gathered around the dining table. Nandni, as usual, was serving food to everyone. When she reached Rajveer, she began placing food on his plate but paused for a moment. Her voice was gentle, yet laced with concern as she said, "Rajveer, you shouldn’t have ignored Rohi like that. She was really upset."

Rajveer’s jaw clenching slightly. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure. "Mom, please, not right now," he said, his voice calm but firm, clearly not in the mood to discuss it further.

Devender, noticing the shift in atmosphere, looked at them curiously. "What’s going on here?" he asked, hoping for a lighthearted explanation, but Nandni’s expression remained serious.

"It’s just… Rohi was sad because Rajveer ignored her today," Nandni explained softly.

Devender’s smile faded instantly. Realizing the tension, his expression became more thoughtful.

Before the silence could linger for too long, Rajveer’s bua, Anjali, seized the opportunity to chime in. She never let a chance slip by when it came to criticizing Rajveer. With a mocking smile, she said, "Oh, how could Rajveer do something like that to such a sweet girl like Rohi?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she added, "It’s probably because he wasn’t raised with the right values." Then, she let out a laugh, pretending as though she just realized what she said. "Oh, sorry, Rajveer, didn’t mean to point out your education." Her words were meant to hurt, and her laugh made it clear she was enjoying herself.

Rajveer’s eyes darkened for a moment, but he said nothing, instead staring down at his plate, but he kept his anger in check. Nandni glanced at him, sensing his frustration, but before she could say anything, Rajveer leaned back in his chair slightly, trying to create some distance from the biting comments.

Anjali laughed it off, clearly pleased with herself, while the rest of the table fell into an uncomfortable silence. Devender’s mood had completely shifted, and Nandni, feeling the awkwardness, tried to change the subject by continuing to serve food. Rajveer, however, remained quiet, his mind elsewhere, far from the dining table.

Devender’s life had never been easy, especially in the early years of his marriage to Nandni. His family—his parents and younger sister, Anjali—had struggled for a long time. life felt like an endless string of hardships. Anjali was the apple of Devender’s eye, and he had always been protective of her. He made a promise to himself that, no matter what, he would see to it that Anjali married into a wealthy family, a family that could provide her the life she deserved.

And he did just that. Anjali’s marriage was a grand affair, and she moved into a family that had everything—money, status, and security. For a while, things seemed perfect. Devender was content, knowing that his sister was living a life of luxury that he had always wanted for her. But soon after her marriage, Anjali began to change. At family functions, she distanced herself from them, acting as if she didn’t even know her own brother, parents, or Nandni. Rajveer, who was just a child then, noticed it. Even from a young age, he could see the growing arrogance in his bua. The woman who once called them family now looked down on them.