Page 130 of The Redemption
When I came downstairs earlier, Mom was already awake. She had carefully arranged the small idols of her gods on the bedside table and was sitting in front of them with her hands folded, softly whispering her morning prayers.
I didn’t want to disturb her, knowing that as soon as she sees me, she’ll have questions.
Questions to which I don’t even have answers myself.
Are you okay?
What happened last night?
Right now, I don’t want sympathy. I don’t want comfort. I just want fresh air. So I walk aimlessly, following the pathways that lead to the vineyard. I have no idea where Raghav is right now. And honestly, I don’t care.
I hardly realise when I step into the lobby area of the main resort building instead. I barely take two steps inside before a familiar voice gasps in surprise.
“Siya Ma’am?”
I look up to find Esha hurrying towards me from the reception desk, her entire face lighting up on seeing me.
“Oh my God, when did you come back?” she asks excitedly. “Did you check in last night? But nobody informed me. I didn’t even know you were here!”
I open my mouth to respond, but she keeps going without giving me a chance.
“And I hope you got the Princess Cottage again. Or wait, do you want me to upgrade your stay this time? We renovated two more Royal Suites recently and—”
“Esha—”
“No, seriously, tell me if you need anything while you’re here,” she insists happily. “Which cottage are you staying in? I’ll personally make sure—”
Before I can ask her to stop, I feel a sudden warmth settle against my waist. My body stiffens instantly, knowing who it is. Raghav’s hand slides firmly around my waist, pulling me back against his side possessively, as if it belongs there. My breath catches for one infuriating second at how natural the gesture feels.
I glare sideways at him, but he completely ignores my anger. Everybody around us has gone silent. Every staff member nearby is staring at us.
Dressed in a dark full-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and a pair of rugged jeans, he looks exactly like the ruthless, dangerous man who came to Cape Town to ruin my world. Gone is his polished businessman image. The mafia in him overshadows everything else.
Even Esha looks momentarily stunned by the transformation. Raghav looks at her calmly and says in that deep voice of his, “Siya isn’t staying in the resort cottage anymore.” His fingers tighten slightly against my waist. “She’s staying in my villa… as mywife.”
The lobby goes dead silent. Every head turns towards us in shock, drawn first to the hand resting possessively against my waist and then to the man proudly claiming me in front of the entire world. In front ofhis world. In front of all of RK Estate.
That’s when I notice Kriti near the reception desk, holding a few files and speaking to two staff members. The moment Raghav announces that I’m living in his villa as his wife, her entire expression changes.
Not just from shock. Something far uglier flashes across her face. It’s disbelief. It’s as if her mind outright refuses to accept what she just heard. Even the files in her hand nearly slip as her gaze darts from me to Raghav’s arm locked around my waist.
Everybody here knows that I arrived at RK Estate weeks ago as another man’s fiancée. And now, suddenly, I’m standing beside Raghav Kundra ashiswife. I can see the confusion spreading across their faces.
Raghav, however, looks completely unbothered by the attention. He tightens his grip around my waist before speaking again, this time looking directly at me. “We got married in Cape Town two days ago.”
The entire lobby erupts at once.
“Wow…”
“Congratulations, sir!”
“Congratulations, Ma’am!”
“Oh my God!”
“This is such good news!”
Everybody starts talking at once, smiling, congratulating, and looking genuinely happy for us. Meanwhile, I stand there frozen, because none of them know the truth about this marriage. As I accept their good wishes, this marriage suddenly feels too real, too permanent.
