His second wife (#SaRaj)

30) Arsh is Dead

The temple was abuzz with the sounds of chanting and the sweet scent of incense wafted through the air. Rajat stood tall, his eyes fixed on some distant point as he held the phone to his ear. Savi, resplendent in her bridal finery, gazed up at him curiously, her brow furrowed in concern.

"What's wrong, Rajat?" she mouthed, but Rajat didn't respond. He was too engrossed in the conversation, his face growing increasingly grim.

Tara and Riddhi chattered excitedly, oblivious to the tension that had suddenly descended upon Rajat. Bhagyashree, however, noticed the change in Rajat's demeanor and exchanged a worried glance with Dolly Bua.

As Rajat listened to the sounds of violence and Ashika's terrified pleas, his eyes seemed to glaze over. Savi's hand on his arm was the only thing that anchored him to the present.

"Kiaan, go out!" Ashika's voice was shrill with fear, and Rajat's grip on the phone tightened.

"You bitch, I'll tell you today what the cost of betrayal is!" Arsh's voice was like a slap, making Rajat's head jerk back.

The temple, with its joyful atmosphere and cheerful chatter, seemed to fade into the background as Rajat's world narrowed down to the horrific scene unfolding on the other end of the line.

Savi's voice cut through the chaos, her tone soft but insistent. "Rajat, what's wrong? You're scaring me."

Rajat's eyes snapped back into focus, and he looked down at Savi, his expression apologetic. But before he could respond, Ashika's screams pierced the air, making Rajat's heart skip a beat.

With a muttered apology, Rajat turned and strode away from the gathering, the phone still clutched in his hand. Savi's concerned gaze followed him, but Rajat didn't notice. He was too busy trying to process the nightmare that was unfolding before his ears.

Savi's eyes welled up with tears as she watched Rajat walk away, his face etched with worry and concern. For a moment, she felt a pang of hurt and rejection. But then she took a deep breath and reminded herself of why she had married Rajat in the first place - for Sai's sake.

She consoled herself with the thought that she had no feelings attached to Rajat, that their marriage was a practical arrangement rather than a romantic one.

Meanwhile, Bhagyashree looked flustered and worried, her eyes darting between Rajat's retreating back and Savi's tearful face. She rushed over to Savi and Isha, apologizing profusely for the sudden disruption to the wedding celebrations.

"I'm so sorry, Savi beta, Isha ji," Bhagyashree said, her voice trembling with concern. "I don't know what's going on, but please forgive us for this chaos. We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure everything is okay."

Isha Maa placed a reassuring hand on Bhagyashree's arm, her expression calm and soothing. "It's not your fault, Bhagyashree ji," she said. "These things happens."

Savi nodded, wiping away her tears and forcing a smile onto her face. "It's okay, mummy ji," she said. "Really, it's fine. Let's just...let's just focus on the rest of the celebrations, okay?"

But despite her brave words, Savi's heart was racing with uncertainty and concern. What was going on with Rajat? And why was he so affected by that mysterious phone call?

..........................................................................

As soon as the words left Ashika's lips, she felt a searing pain on her cheek. She turned to face her attacker, and her heart sank as she saw Arsh's twisted face. His eyes blazed with fury, and his hand was still raised, ready to strike again.

Kiaan's terrified face was frozen in the doorway, his eyes wide with fear. Ashika's instincts kicked in, and she knew she had to protect her child. "Kiaan, go now," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.