𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐:-𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

【Ａｕｔｈｏｒ＇ｓ　ｐｏｖ：】

His steel-gray eyes blaze with fury, sharp enough to cut through glass. His presence alone suffocates the air, turns warmth into ice.

Vania's breath stills, but not in fear.

No.

She is not scared of him. She never was.

Instead, confusion creeps in. Why is he so angry? Her gaze flickers towards Sunita. Calm. Unbothered. As if the storm in front of her is nothing more than a passing drizzle.

Then why?

Rudraksh doesn't say a word. He doesn't even look at Vania. His rage is too consuming, too overwhelming.

He steps forward. Brushing past her.

But she isn't one to let things go unanswered.

"The lunch is ready," she speaks, her voice steady, breaking through the thick silence like a blade.

For the first time since stepping into this palace, he halts.

A beat passes.

And then-he speaks.

"I'll be there in a moment." His voice.

Deep. Commanding. Unreadable.

Then, without another glance, he walks away.

Vania's brows furrow as she watches him disappear down the hall. What the hell just happened?The tension in his stance, the storm in his eyes-it was personal. Too personal. Her heart lurches. Did something happen?

Without wasting another second, she spins around, marching straight into the room.

Sunita sits there, as poised as ever, the very image of grace despite the storm that just walked out.

Vania doesn't bother with formalities.

"Bari Maa, what did you say to him?"

No response.

Vania steps closer, her voice firmer. "Why was he so angry?"

Sunita smiles softly, the way only a mother who's dealt with fire all her life can smile. "It's between us-mother and son. You don't have to know." And then she adds, as casually as one might mention the weather, "The good news is-the marriage will be soon."

Vania's jaw drops. Her heart skips. A thunder roars in her ears.

"Soon? How can that be possible?" she whispers. Her hands are shaking now, her brain reeling. "Did he... agree to this marriage? Just like that?"

Sunita's expression doesn't change. "Do you think he will agree just like that? Of course not. But I'm his mother. I have my ways."

Vania's chest tightens. She sits beside her, almost pleading, "No, no, not like this, Bari Maa. You can't force him."

Sunita's tone remains patient, but firm. "It's for the best-for him and for you."

Vania whispers, almost to herself, "But a marriage that he doesn't want-how can it work?"

Sunita's eyes gleam with something unreadable, a hint of mischief beneath the wisdom.

She smiles knowingly, as if she sees ten steps ahead.

And Vania knows-the seed has been planted.

Time passes. Days blur into preparations.The palace is drenched in flowers, draped in gold, but underneath the celebration lies a quiet dread.

No one is truly happy.

But everyone wears a smile.

Because today-Vania is getting married to the beast. To the devil himself. And after Sunita, who will protect her? Whispers roam the halls.What will Rudraksh do to her?

How long will she survive his wrath?

Will he even let her into his world?

The mandap is radiant. Vania sits adorned in red, her eyes fixed on nothing and everything all at once. Rudraksh enters in silence, a king walking into war. He performs each ritual like it's a chore. A business deal. No glance. No emotion. No warmth. And then-he puts sindoor on her forehead. A line of red across her parting. The mark of a husband.

Of belonging.

Of shackles.

Before the moment can settle-he stands. Walks away. Leaves her sitting there-a newly wedded bride abandoned in the mandap. Vania doesn't flinch. She doesn't cry.

She expected this. She looks up at Sunita. Sunita meets her gaze with a faint nod. A silent message.

"Stay strong. He'll come around."

‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿

Sunita's body begins to fail her more rapidly. The disease pulls her day by day. Vania stays by her side, like a daughter, a shadow, a soldier. Rudraksh visits, brief and silent. He never lingers, never speaks more than a few words.

Vania watches him.

Every time he enters Sunita's room, it's like a part of him cracks open-only to quickly be sealed shut again.

And then-the day comes.

Morning breaks gently. The birds hum. The palace, unaware, breathes in peace one last time. Vania walks in with soft steps and a gentle smile, ready to wake her Bari Maa. But the moment she touches her hand-she knows.

Cold.

Still.

Gone.

Sunita has left.

"Bari Maa?"

No answer.

"Bari Maa, uthiya na.. please." (Bari Maa, please get up...)

Silence.

And then the scream. A heart-shattering, soul-splitting scream. The palace shivers. The walls echo her pain.

Vania collapses beside her, her sobs violent, uncontrollable. "Bari Maa! Please! Don't leave me like this!"

Downstairs, everything stills. The staff freeze. Even the wind seems to mourn. Suruchi rushes in, pulling Vania into her arms like she's the last fragile thing left in a collapsing world. Her grip is tight-like she's holding Vania together thread by thread, afraid that if she lets go, the girl will shatter into dust.

And Rudraksh?

He doesn't cry.

He doesn't flinch.

He watches.

Like stone. Like shadow. Like death in disguise. He handles the funeral like a well-scheduled meeting-precise, distant, and cold.

But Vania sees it. The slight tremble in his fingers. The way he looks away when they set fire to the pyre.

The silence that screams louder than any sob ever could. Something inside him dies that day. And though the world may call him the devil, even the devil bleeds. Even if he'll never admit it. Days pass like ghosts in a hallway-quiet, unnoticed, and unsettling.

Vania locks herself inside Sunita's room, like if she stays long enough, she can hold onto her presence, bottle her warmth, and never let her fade.

But time is cruel.

The house moves on.

The curtains get washed.

The flowers wilt.

And Rudraksh...

He shifts gears. Business takes center stage again. His plans sharpen. His meetings increase.

And now-he begins plotting deals with the ghost of his mother. Deals they once dreamed of, whispered of, fought over. At home, Vania resumes her quiet routine. She serves him dinner, her eyes always a little lost, her soul still dressed in grief. Tonight is no different. She places the dish before him, turning to head back to the kitchen.

But then-

"Vania."

Just one word.

But her heart trips.

Her name, from his mouth, for the first time since everything burned down. She freezes. Her breath hitches. Blood rushes to her cheeks. A strange warmth blooms in her chest-hope or heartbreak, she doesn't know.

She turns. Walks back to him. Eyes wide, cautious, yet soft. She is water-clear, calm, and incapable of hiding anything.

And Rudraksh?

He looks at her like he's peering through glass. His gaze is fire-intense, consuming, yet impossibly distant. A man made of sins, staring at a woman made of prayers.

"Take a seat," he says.

She obeys, silently.

Then comes the monologue. Cold. Flat. Like he's reading off a checklist.

"Look, Vania... we both know what situation we're in. You're young, beautiful... and too pure for me."

His voice doesn't crack, doesn't pause. Not once. "I don't want anyone with me. So it's better we get a divorce. I'll send you far from me, somewhere you'll be free from my darkness. Live your life. Fall in love with someone who deserves you." His fork scrapes the plate as he speaks. Calm. Robotic. As if he's done this before-pushing people away with well-practiced detachment."I'll send you the papers. You just have to sign them," he finishes, and stands. Of course he thinks she will. Of course he believes Vania, the quiet girl who never speaks unless spoken to, will nod and comply.

But he forgets something.

Even calm rivers have depths.

Even the softest voices can roar.

"No."

Just one word.

But two letters never held so much rebellion.

Rudraksh stops mid-step. His jaw tightens. He turns around, eyes narrowed like daggers. "Did you just say no to me?" His voice is low, dangerous, disbelieving. And in that one second- the air becomes flammable.A storm simmers under the surface.

The devil has been denied.