CHAPTER 28

SHIVNYA'S POV

It was a usual evening. Abhimanyu and all the men had gone out for work, leaving the ladies at home. They decided to go shopping, but I couldn't join them because of the secrecy surrounding our marriage. When his bua found out, she said,

"Bhabhi, you belong to the groom's side. This girl should be honored that she married into our family. Such a simple wedding for Rajasthan's RANA SA ? You should have considered more."

Her words hurt deeply. She was a bit like Mrs. Madhu,  but I couldn't do anything about it

As evening fell, I was working on my laptop when suddenly, the power went out. Panic surged through me. Ever since childhood I have had fear of dark , darkness triggered memories of the past—the shadows, the unknown. I ran toward any source of light. I stumbled into a small cupboard in the corridor, turning back to see a shadowy reflection. My heart raced. I quickly got up and ran again, knocking over a vase in my haste. I descended the stairs swiftly, but the shadow seemed to follow. I hid behind the sofa, trying to make myself as small as possible.

AUTHOR'S POV

Abhimanyu and Yuvraj returned to the haveli and found it pitch black, understanding immediately that it was a power cut. They switched on their phone lights and called for the workers, but no one responded. Abhimanyu called shivnya, but she didn't answer. Panic gripped him as he searched the house. Yuvraj tapped his shoulder and pointed toward the back of the sofa where someone was hiding. Abhimanyu gestured for Yuvii to approach from the back while he went from the front.

As they neared the figure, she looked up—it was shivnya. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she was shaking. She glanced at Abhimanyu briefly before crawling back. She stammered with Yuvii's leg, when Yuvii approached, she grabbed his wrist tightly, pulling him close, her voice filled with fear.

"Aayu... Aayu... leave from here... Go... I will come..."

Abhimanyu realized she had mistaken Yuvii for Aayansh, her younger brother whom she always protected. She looked at Abhimanyu and cried out, "Aayu, go!" Pushing Yuvii away, she continued to plead, "Aayu, go now!"

Abhimanyu approached shivnya and sat beside her. She was behaving like someone in a state of mental distress, her frantic movements revealing her deep-seated fears. He tried to hold her arms, but she pleaded through her sobs, "I broke that vase... I broke it. Please don't punish Divi and Aayu, please..." It felt like she was trapped in a nightmare.

"Please leave me too... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I won’t do anything wrong again," she begged, her voice cracking with desperation.

Abhimanyu was confused. Which vase? Who would punish Divit and Aayansh? Her words echoed with pain and fear, a glimpse into a past she rarely spoke about. She continued, "Please leave me... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I will not do anything."

He tried to take her in his arms, but she continuously ran away, her movements frantic and uncoordinated. She crawled back and then tried to run again. As Abhimanyu stood to hold her, she clutched her head with both hands and suddenly collapsed. Before she could hit the ground, he caught her.

"shivnya," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm here jaan . You're safe my love "

He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to their chamber which was in the scheduled area . As he laid her down on the bed, he could see the terror still etched on her face. He stayed by her side, holding her hand, whispering soothing words until her breathing steadied and she drifted into a restless sleep.

Abhimanyu sat beside her, guilt gnawing at him. He hadn't realized how much she was suffering, how deep her scars ran. He vowed to protect her, to never let her face her fears alone again. The shadows of the past might haunt them, but together, they would find the light.

ABHIMANYU'S POV

I felt utterly helpless seeing her like that—terrified of me, running from me. She was trying to protect her brother, but who was she talking about? Who would punish them just for breaking a mere vase? I will kill the person who has given her these nightmares. My love has to suffer all this alone, and here I am, watching her face pale and feeling utterly helpless. I didn’t want to leave her side for a second, but in our world, showing weakness could be fatal. I ordered Yuvraj to inform the family that Shivnya was feeling unwell and resting.

After two agonizing hours, she started to blink her eyes, shaking her head vigorously as if she were trapped in a terrible nightmare. I tried to wake her gently, but she jerked awake, sitting up in bed. Her breathing was erratic, and she looked at me, whispering, “Aayu... Divii...” She threw off the quilt and tried to jump out of bed. I caught her and soothed, “Shivuuu, shhhh, jaan, they are fine. Thik hai wo.”

She looked into my eyes briefly, her hands trembling and her eyes brimming with tears and pain. “Unhone wo vase nahi toda,” she insisted, her voice breaking.

( they didn't break the vase )

I lifted her in my arms, bridal style, and reassured her softly, “Haa jaan, wo vase nahi toda unhone.” I tried to settle her on the bed, but she clung to me, refusing to let go. I poured some water and coaxed gently, “Ye paani pijiye aap.” I helped her drink, and she rested her head on my chest again. I wrapped my arms around her, gently caressing her head. After a minute, she winced in pain and whimpered, “Aaaaah, my head, aaaaah, it’s painful.”

( yes jaan they didn't break the vase )
( drink water )

I massaged her temples gently and said,“Shivvu, rest. I will call the doctor.”

“My medicines,” she murmured.

“Where are they?” I asked

“In my pouch,” she replied weakly. Still carrying her, I went to the dressing table. “Which ones?” I asked.

“These three,” she pointed with a shaky hand. I took out one tablet from each bottle and gave it to her with water.

“Give me more,” she pleaded, desperation in her eyes.

“No, Shivuuu. Rest, you will be fine,” I said in a firm but gentle tone. She swallowed the medicines, and I tried to lay her down so she could rest more, but she clutched my shirt, keeping her head on my chest, her arms wrapped tightly around my torso.

“Please stay here,” she whispered, her voice fragile.

“Baby, I am here,” I assured her, lying down on the bed with her still in my arms. I stroked her hair and whispered soothing words until she finally fell asleep again, her breathing slowly evening out as she found peace in my embrace.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘

The next morning, I awoke in our chamber to find Shivnya still asleep on me. Her hold was firm, though the traces of tears on her soft cheeks and chapped lips remained. Her tousled hair framed her face, making her look equally enchanting as she did when she was happy. I carefully shifted her to the other side of the bed, then went to the dressing table to fetch a rubber band. Gently, I tied her hair in a loose ponytail to make her sleep more comfortable. Unable to resist, I pulled her closer to me. I didn't want to leave her for a second, so I stayed there, watching my cute, lovely, alluring wife sleep.

About twenty minutes later, she began to stir. Blinking her eyes open, she looked up at me, still lying on my chest, and then closed her eyes again as if she was used to waking up this way. She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and sat up. I followed suit, sitting up beside her. For a moment, she kept her eyes closed, perhaps flooded by the memories of the previous day. When she opened them again, her gaze was soft, filled with vulnerability.

"Sorry," she murmured.

"Why? What happened?" I asked gently, taking her hands in mine.

"Actually, yesterday..." she started, but I interrupted her.

"Shivi, you are my wife. I've told you this countless times, and I'll keep saying it: you are my wife. You can tell me anything, everything. You don't have to feel judged by me. I want to be your support system. Please, don't say sorry to me," I said, my tone is soft and genuine. She nodded in response.

"If you're comfortable, can you tell me what happened?" I asked softly. Suddenly, sweat beaded on her forehead, and she looked at me with fear in her eyes.

"It's okay, you don't have to answer that," I assured her.

"It's just... the thought of it always fills me with the same fear," she said, her voice trembling as she looked haunted by her past.

"Shivvu, if you tell me, I will protect you from that fear," I said with a small, reassuring smile. She looked at me with her teary eyes, and I continued, "Come here." She moved closer, and I hugged her, settling her in my lap. As she began to narrate the events, her voice trembled.

"Yesterday, I was working on my laptop. Everyone else had gone shopping, and I was alone in the haveli. Suddenly, there was a power cut. I'm afraid of the dark, especially in unfamiliar places. I've overcome this fear in familiar settings, but new places still scare me. I ran to the area with some light. While running down the corridor, I stumbled into a cupboard. I turned and saw her reflection. In my panic, I ran again, and in my haste, I broke a vase. That sound brought back memories of that day. The memories overwhelmed me so much that I lost control. I thought you were that person and Yuvraj was Aayansh, which is why I acted the way I did with you both." She shivered as she spoke, and I gently caressed her head, wrapping my arms around her to make her feel safe. But one question remained unanswered: who was that person?

"But whose reflection?" I asked softly.

"Mrs. Madhu Viren Rajvanshi," she replied in a disgusted tone.

"What?" I was shocked.

"Yes. I was young then. I think I told you how she used to punish me by locking me in a dark room. That room was underground. Whenever I did something wrong, she would lock me in there. One day, while we were playing, Aayu accidentally broke a vase. She came in, furious, and demanded to know who broke it. Before Aayu and Divi could admit their mistake, I told her I did it. She dragged me toward the underground room to lock me in, but was interrupted by a call. While she was outside, Aayu came and tried to help me escape despite my pleas for him to leave. Suddenly, she returned. I shouted at him to run, and he did. She then looked at me and locked the door."

As she recounted the story, tears streamed down her face. Each tear that escaped from her eyes was wiped away by me, and with every tear, my anger towards Mrs. Madhu Viren Rajvanshi grew. I felt an intense urge to make her pay for what she did to Shivnya, so deeply and so severely that she would never dare to think of such cruelty again.

"Did no one know about this?" I asked firmly, my anger boiling. If Mrs. Madhu was in front of me now, I would tear her to pieces.

"No," Shivnya murmured, explaining further.

"Bhai was always busy with extra classes, so he was rarely home. His mom and dad never thought about me, and the other family members believed her excuses that I was at a friend's place. Dadaji wasn't around to check her behavior." What a wretched family! When I first met Aarav, his parents, and the entire family, I thought they were just like mine. How wrong I was! They made my love suffer, and now they would pay.

"She punished me a lot, not only for my mistakes but also for my siblings'. I didn't want them to suffer as I did. One day, I realized she loved boys but not girls. From that day on, I became more protective of Sanj. All three of them are not just my siblings; they are like my babies. I protected them from everything and will continue to protect them till my last breath," she said with fierce protectiveness. Now I understood why she was so protective of her siblings. I gently caressed her head and asked softly,

"Jaan, why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

"When the ones who gave birth to me don't care about my existence, why would anyone else? I didn't want to trouble Chachi and Chachu either," she said with a stony expression.

"Do your siblings know?" I asked.

"No, and they should never find out. I don't want them to know any of this," she said, fear evident in her voice

"Jaan, from now on, you are not alone. I am with you. You can tell me everything," I assured her. Her head rested on my chest, and with a heavy heart, she said,

"I was afraid you'd hate me. That's why I refused to marry you. My life has only pain. I don't think I can ever give you the happiness you deserve from a wife."

My wife is such an overthinker. "You are my wife, and you always will be. You are the reason for my happiness, my reason to smile, Jaan," I reassured her with a smile. She sat up straight in my lap, wrapping her arms around me. In a low tone, she said,

"You might lie to others, but don't lie to yourself."

"I'm telling the truth," I assured her. From the day I met her, she transformed me from a silent family member to an engaging one.

She crossed her arms and pouted, "That's a lie."

Believe me or not, I controlled myself a lot to resist kissing her until she would beg for it with her last breath.

"Aapki kasam, jab se humne aapki ye aankhein dekhi thi tabse hi hum aapse... hum khush rehne lage, jaan. Humne ussi din se aapko humara aur hume aapka bana diya tha," I tried to convince her, my voice filled with earnest emotion.

( I swear , ever since I saw your eyes, I've been... I've started to feel happy, my love. From that very day, I made you mine, and made myself yours )

She thought for a moment and then said, "Aapne hume pehli baar humare kamre mein dekha tha..."

( you saw me for the first time in my room )

"Nahi," I interrupted her gently.

( no )

"Huh?" She looked confused.

"Phir kab dekha tha?" she inquired, curiosity evident in her eyes.

( then, when you saw me first time?? )

I tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and said softly with a smile, "Woh hum baad mein batayenge. Pehle aap jaake fresh ho jaiye, phir hume breakfast bhi karna hai." She nodded and realized how close we were, our faces just a breath apart. She quickly jumped off my lap and sat on the bed, looking around.

(  I will tell you later that, first go and get ready they we have to have breakfast also )

"Yeh kamra?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room.

( this room ?? )

I explained, "Yeh sirf humara aur aapka kamra hai, specially for the rana sa aur unki ardhangni ke liye."

( this room is only for both of us specially for the rana sa and his wife )

She smiled and complimented, "Kaafi sundar kamra hai."

( this room is quite nice )

"Chaliye, ab jaake taiyar ho jaiye, phir hume haveli bhi toh jana hai," I said, urging her gently. She nodded and went to the bathroom.

( now go get ready then we have to go to the mansion also  )

As she disappeared behind the bathroom door, I felt a mixture of relief and determination. The love and pain in her eyes had strengthened my resolve. No matter what, I would protect her and ensure she never felt alone or unloved again.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

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What do you guys think should madhu should get punished for behaving like that with her ??

Will Abhimanyu punish her???

Do you guys remember where he saw her first time and when ???

Will abhimanyu would get to know what words she called Shivnya????

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Here is the another update of the book in which only a small thing affected Shivnya that much , shivnya's life has only darkness and abhimanyu is the moon who will enlight in her

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Word count - 2863

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