Page 118 of The Redemption
They saw Parag get shot. They saw the underworld discover that the Dark Prince was alive. Then came the moment when Samarjeet openly threatened Raghav in front of the entire underworld, saying he would hunt Siya down no matter where Raghav took her. For a moment, I genuinely thought that would be the end of it.
Instead, it became something far worse. Because even from a distance, we all saw the exact moment Raghav made up his mind and announced that he was marrying Siya himself right then and there. Once again, his decision shocked the family. Because this was no longer just about obsession or possessiveness. Raghav was publicly claiming Siya Vardhaan in front of the entire underworld and daring anyone to challenge him afterwards.
“What?” Meher whispered in shock. “What is he doing?”
Kailash Uncle looked as if someone had physically punched the air out of his lungs. Ayaan suddenly slammed his hand against the table hard enough for the sound to echo through the call.
“He’s lost his f*cking mind!” he exploded furiously. “He’s marrying a mafia princess?”
Dejected, I still kept showing them everything live. Siya’s visible unwillingness to marry him. Raghav emotionally cornering her using her mother. And finally… Siya giving up.
Every second of it felt harder to watch than the last. My eyes burned as I saw the condition of the family on the other side of the screen. They loved him, and tonight, Raghav was breaking their hearts with his own hands by doing something none of us ever imagined he was capable of doing.
The family had always been super excited about Raghav’s marriage. We all wanted him to find his happily ever after just like we all had. Ayaan, Meher, and Kailash Uncle had dreams, hopes… a belief that one day Raghav would finally put the darkness behind him and get the peaceful life he deserved after everything he had survived.
But tonight, we watched him fulfil those sacred rituals in the middle of a war zone, surrounded by armed syndicates, terrified guests, blood-stained floor, guns pointed at people’s heads, and a bride who clearly did not want the marriage to happen.
By the time the marriage was finally over, complete silence had taken over the video call. Nobody had the strength left to speak.
Moments later, Raghav’s convoy of black SUVs started leaving the estate one after another. I stood there, frozen, long after they disappeared through the gates. Still holding the phone. Still trying to process, like the rest of the family, what exactly we had just witnessed. And judging by the horrified silence on the other side of the video call, none of us would ever forget this night.
“Come back home, Trisha,” Krish finally said, breaking the silence, and all I could do was nod in response.
The mission to extract Siya and settle her safely in New Zealand had been destroyed by none other than the man whom we had agreed to do it for.
I didn’t know whom to blame anymore. Ayaan, for changing the plan at the last minute, or myself for sharingthat with Raghav. We did not fail a mission tonight. We lost the version of Raghav we had started believing in again. And watching him choose the mafia over himself was much more painful than a failed extraction.
If only we knew he would do something like this…
If only we knew how much he was willing to risk for Siya, even at the cost of his own family, none of this would have happened at all.
SIYA
Private Airport, Cape Town.
Present
By the time the convoy reaches the private airstrip on the outskirts of Cape Town, my entire body feels numb with exhaustion and rage. A private jet bearing the RK emblem is waiting near the runway, and the sight of it only makes the reality sink in harder. That Raghav had forcefully married me in front of the entire underworld and is now taking me back to RK Estate. Not to Queenstown, where I had dreamt of starting my new life.
During the entire thirty-minute drive to the airport, I hadn’t spoken a single word to him, even though he sat beside me in the backseat. As soon asour SUV stops near the private jet, armed men quickly spread around the airstrip, securing the perimeter. Raghav gets out first, but I don’t move. Even when the driver hurries around to open my door, I still remain seated inside the car, staring straight ahead. I’m not stepping out like some obedient prisoner.
Raghav is speaking to one of his men who is waiting for us near the jet, as though taking updates about something. Amoment later, he notices me. Without saying a word, he walks around the vehicle to my side and bends slightly near the open door.
His dark eyes meet mine. That expression alone infuriates me more than the marriage itself, as if he already expects me to obey him now. Absolutely not.
“Get out,” he orders.
I stare right back at him without moving an inch. For one second, neither of us breaks eye contact. When I still show no signs of getting out, his hand closes firmly around mine. Raghav pulls me out of the SUV before I can even think about resisting him.
“Don’t touch me,” I snap, jerking my hand away from him the second my heels hit the ground. He ignores my anger completely and starts dragging me towards the aircraft stairs, fully expecting me to follow.
The sheer arrogance of that man!
When I come to a sudden halt, that finally gets his attention. He turns around and gives me a death glare, but I don’t care.
“I’m not getting inside that jet until I see Mom,” I demand, refusing to back down. “Where is Mom? I’m not leaving anywhere without her.”
His jaw flexes briefly. Several of his guards glance at us cautiously, but I genuinely don’t care anymore. For a split second, something dark flashes across his face. Then, before I can even process what’s happening, Raghav bends down, lifts me straight into his arms, and starts walking towards the jet.
