He put his hand above her head on a pillar. His head tilted to a side slightly to get a better view of her face. Her hands fisted behind her back, in a way to calm herself.

As Ragini found herself under his mercy, her heart raced with fear and confusion. The man standing before her exuded an aura of calmness that sharply contrasted with the danger she sensed lurking beneath the surface. His piercing eyes seemed to hold a myriad of secrets, and Ragini couldn't shake off the feeling that she had stumbled into something far beyond her comprehension.

" By answering like this, you will only create trouble for yourself and make me believe that I've done nothing wrong taking you with me."

She gulped, her chest moved up and down slowly and she instantly put her hands on his chest to stop him ending the little distance between them.

She blinked her eyes as he palmed her cheek. His touch held utmost gentleness.

" I am sure you want to meet your family."

Ragini snapped her gaze at him, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion and fear.

Fear- that he might have done something to them.

Confusion- why is he talking about them? Is he setting her free?

She felt him caressing her jaw softly and saying,

" I am sure you do."

He stepped back and Ragini questioned him nervously.

" Wh..what did you do to them?"

Vidyut chuckled humorously.

" I don't hurt people close to you except-"

He grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with her.

" another man than me."

He fixed her hair and said.

" For your family's safety and if you want to meet them soon, you are going to do what I'll say. Okay?"

Ragini's confusion grew wider. She wants to meet her family but she is not sure if he'll stay on his word. What if he takes his work from her then never let her meet her family.

" I..don't trust you."

He expected this.

He took out his mobile and showed her the video. It was a live video of her family. Ragini hurriedly grabbed the mobile from him and whispered with glossy eyes.

" Mumma, papa...Rakhsit."

She touched the screen, happy to find them all safe. They are sitting in a moving car. Vidyut took his mobile from her and put it back in pocket.

" So?"

Ragini looked at his face.

" Will you really let me meet them?"

He smiled while hiding his sinister feelings and he said.

" Yeah, I will."

He wiped her tears.

" Okay."

He smirked lightly-

" Good girl!"

And took her inside the haveli. Ragini thinned her eyebrows, got even more scared seeing so many people present in the living room. She could recognize only one person- Rudraksh, who was standing behind with an amusing expression on face as if he was going to enjoy the upcoming drama.

She felt too small in front of all these people who all passed her weird stares and glanced at her hand which is joined with Vidyut's. She tried taking her hand out of his hold but he tightened his grip.

She mentally sighed and wondered if all these people were Vidyut's family.

" Why were dogs barking? And who's this girl?"

Ajay questioned.

" Dogs were meeting their new favourite person, Kaka and she-"

Ragini looked at him as soon as she felt his stare on herself. Vidyut passed a smile to her before replying-

" She is my soon- to-be wife!"

Ragini widened her eyes while Vidyut's family got even more shocked than her. Rudraksh chuckled, standing at the back.

I knew it! - He said to himself.

" What the hell?"- Tamanna muttered.

" What the fuck are you saying, Vidyut?"

Ratan screamed at his son. Ragini struggled to free herself from his tight grip.

He left her hand only to slide it around her waist and pull her close. He squeezed the side of her waist, indicating to her to stand quietly.

She obeyed him, knowing her family is with his men.

" I said right, baba. She is Ragini, my to-be wife."

She kept her gaze low and clenched her jaw angrily. Ratan scoffed.

" And what about the girl we chose for you? We have fixed your marriage already."

Kamini said with worry and Vidyut knew what type of worry she was having.

Vidyut shrugged his shoulders.

" That's your problem to discuss."

Ragini is feeling like she will go crazy. The Voices of these people are eating her ear now. She needs an alone time where she finds no Vidyut. She wants to run away from these creatures. They look scary.

" Please excuse us."

Vidyut said and was about to take Ragini with him but-

" You cannot leave without any explanation, Vidyut."- Vidyut's grandmother said.

He sighed heavily and looked around. He called Rudraksh and asked him to take her in room. Rudraksh came,

" Let's get going, bhabhi."

Ragini glared at him which no one could see as he was standing while covering her.

" She is not going anywhere."

Kamini protested.

" Escort her to the room, Rudra."

Vidyut ordered his brother while looking at Kamini sternly. Rudraksh started taking her away from there and nobody had the audacity to stop them.

Rudraksh came after dropping Ragini to her room and found his whole family getting crazy over a stunt his brother had pulled. While Vidyut is sitting calmly and unaffected by their anger.

" You knew?"

Kartik mumbled to Rudraksh.

" I guessed."

Rudraksh replied.

" Say something, Vidyut? What is this you've done? What will we say to your dadu-sa when he'll be back."

Vidyut leaned his back on the couch.

" I don't know. Did I ask you all to fix my marriage? No. Did I agree to the marriage? No. So, it's your problem not mine."

" Have you seen her, Vidyut? Just look at her, she doesn't even match your standards? She looks so naive, poor and uncivilised."

Tamanna commented and Kamini agreed. Vidyut snapped his eyes at them.

" I'll forget what you are to me if you utter one more word against her."

He warned them.

" But she is not wrong at all, Vidyut. Who are her parents? Who is she actually? Are you sure she is not some spy? Will you take responsibility if she tried harming any of us? Are you sure she is good for this family?"

Kaushalya asked. Vidyut smiled, remembering her face.

" I am not marrying her for you all but for myself."

His answers did not satisfy his family.

" Are you all done?"

They passed him a displeasing look. Unbothered, he stood up and declared.

" I will be marrying her next week. If you don't want to create any problems, you are invited."

He went upstairs to his room.

" Ahhh! Fuck!"

Ratan kicked the table before him angrily. The marriage they fixed for him, means so much to them. That family is so big and joining hands with them will bring fortune to their business. Not only this, they will gain more power in the underworld.

Meanwhile,

Back in the city, Ragini's family was in a frenzy, frantically trying to piece together the puzzle of her disappearance. Aaditya's absence only added to the mounting tension, leaving them grasping for answers in a sea of unknowns.

Police were not ready to help them for some strange reason. Rajesh Singh could not stand keeping his hands over one another. So, he chose to take superior orders help. If needed he was ready to go to CBI.

But, water was splashed over his plans when two men came to Singh Nivas. The whole family was shocked yet happy to know about Ragini. Those men asked them to come with them to meet their daughter but Rajesh needed proof which those men presented.

They departed in a car. God knows! Where.

Rejesh sighed and looked at his wife who was silently looking outside the window. Rakshit is sleeping with his head resting over her shoulder and she is caressing his hair.

Vidyut entered his room and found Ragini crying hysterically. Well, previous conversations must be like a storm to her peaceful life.

He locked the door behind and walked forward. Hearing the shoes clicking sound, Ragini stood up from the ground and turned to him. Her breathing is heavy.

She just spent a single day in his haveli and he had dropped many invisible bombs over her head.

" Was...was that true?"

She stammered. He spoke while removing his watch.

" Yes,"

He walked to the dressing table and put the watch inside the drawer.

" Wh..why?"

Her voice came out so broken. She seems defeated already. Vidyut turns to her. She took a step toward him while speaking.

" Why are you doing this to me? Please, I have done nothing to you. Leave me.. I... I don't want to marry you."

She pleaded and joined her hands in front of him.

" Let me go.."

Her voice came out tiny. Vidyut kept standing there, showing her he is unaffected even though her tears were bothering him.

She fisted his shirt and broke into several heart wrenching sobs. She tiredly put her forehead against his chest and mumbled while crying,

" Please.."

Vidyut raised his hands to rub her back but he withdrew his hand and put on the dressing table behind, while letting her take support of his body to lean on.

Ragini calmed down after a while. Vidyut has gone outside to bring food for her while she is sitting on bed quietly. Her expression seems gloomy and eyes dull.

Vidyut came back to the room and put the food in front of her. When he saw her for the first time, he never imagined to keep her like this but guess it's all his fault.

" Eat your food."

He said, taking a seat opposite to her. Ragini looked away, disagreeing with him.

" Eat or else I'll have to feed you."

Staying with him for almost 24 hours, Ragini has realised one thing that he does what he says. It's better if she eats food by herself.

But gulping down the food was difficult. Tears made a way down to her cheeks as she tried putting one bite into her mouth.

She somehow managed to eat 1.5 chapatis. Vidyut forward a glass of water to her which she drank.

Vidyut made her lie on her back on the bed. Ragini grabbed his hand and pleaded with her eyes to let her go but all she got as reply was-

" Sleep, Ragini."

Ragini left his hand and faced her back at him. Vidyut sat on an armchair and stared at her. He knows she does not want to sleep, neither she will if she decides that is why he had mixed sleeping pills in her water.

It won't take her much time to drift into her dreamland.

Honestly, he cannot let her go now. Because if she leaves his haveli then he will take her with him. All thanks to enmity between him and that man. He knows Vidyut has kidnapped her and he is so after Ragini. He is just waiting for a better opportunity.

It's not safe to free her now.

⋆⋅✧⋅⋆

Vidyut was bombarded with Ragini's questions as soon as he stepped into the room.

" When will you let me meet my parents?"

" Soon, Angel-"

" Are they here already?"

She cut him off in the middle.

" Yes."

Vidyut replied.

" Then take me to them."

Vidyut chuckled at her desperateness.

" I need to fix some things beforehand, Angel and I won't let you meet them till then."

She glared at him.

" You are controlling me."

Vidyut thinned his eyebrows slightly and asked.

" Do you not want to meet your family?"

Hearing the above sentence, Ragini's expression softened because she cannot afford to lose this opportunity. She just wants to meet her parents so that she can elope with them- away from his sight.

Vidyut walked toward her and tucked his finger under her chin to make her look up at his face.

" I told you already, I won't harm your family. After all, you agreed to be my wife."

Well, she try to subside her anger but he never let her do that. He always utters something offending to her.

She moved his hand down from her chin and asked with both hands resting on the either side of her waist.

" When did I?"

Vidyut raised his eyebrows amusingly.

" You have not? Such an unfortunate thing. I'll have to keep your parents away from you then."

He is surely testing her patience. He loves making her angry and Ragini has realised this just now.

" That's a different thing."

Vidyut chuckled.

" That's not. Don't you remember our deal last night? Or should I remind you?"

Ragini stepped back when he moved closer to her.

" Apni seema mein rahiye."

( Stay in your limit.)

She warned him, pointing her finger at him angrily. What happened next, shook her to the core!

Her eyes widened when he put his lips on the tip of her finger which she had pointed at him. She hurriedly hid her hand behind her back.

" How dare you!"

She was about to show him another hand but gasped and hid it behind her back. He couldn't help but laugh.

" Goodness! Such a freaking innocent Angel."

He walked past her while laughing. She turned around and looked at him, who grabbed his watch from the dressing table and wore it around his wrist. He fixed his hair with the help of comb then said-

" I'll be out, so it will be better if you stay inside this room only."

She furrowed her eyebrows and he put the comb down before turning to her.

" I am sure after last night's incident, my family must be waiting to have a conversation with you. If you want to lose your sanity, you can talk to them."

Above sentence of his held sarcasm.

" I've lost my sanity the time I've met you."

She mumbled.

" Certainly, Angel but I promise I will bring your sanity back."

She scoffed inadudibly.

" Avoid my mother and Kaki at any cost when you see them. One more thing, If you dared to expose our reality to any of my family members, trust me I will keep you caged in this room forever."

First, he is weird. Second, his family is more weird than him. Third, his warning regarding his own family is out of this world.

Vidyut walked closer to her.

" Agar apne parivar se milna chahti ho to hamari baat maan ni padegi. Baaki to tum jaanti hi hogi. Apne shabdo se pare nahi karte hum."

( If you want to meet your family then you'll have to do what I say. Rest your know I don't turn back on my words.)

She blinked her eyes when he patted her cheek once and stared at her face for some good seconds as if he was filling her in his eyes. She caught his smile before he walked away from there. This time, he did not lock the door.

Ragini wondered only one thing-

" Where the hell am I stuck?"

Meanwhile, Vidyut called Rudraksh and told him to keep an eye on Ragini.

" Make sure, these people don't hurt her."

" Okay boss!"

He saluted at him dramatically. Vidyut glanced at him bluntly before leaving the haveli.

⋆⋅✧⋅⋆

Ragini looks at the maid who just came into the room.

" Hukum is asking for you-"

" Let it be, Rina."

A lady came into the room anyway, pushing the maid aside who bowed and walked out of the room. Ragini looked at two middle aged ladies. One must be his mother and other his Kaki- she concluded

She remembers how he asked her to avoid them but how can she when they themselves showed up in front of her. Moreover she does not know how to do these types of things.

" Name?"

Kamini asked, taking a seat on the bed and putting one leg over another very professionally.

" Um, Ragini."

Ragini replied hesitantly. Other one looked at her up and down and Kamini was not at all different. Ragini is already uncomfortable with them.

" How much?"

Kamini asked.

" Sorry?"

Ragini uttered confusedly. Kamini took a deep breath before asking.

" How much do you want to leave my son?"

Ragini raised her eyebrows.

" Excuse me?"

Tamanna stepped forward.

" Stop behaving like this. Why would anyone love someone like Vidyut Jaisingh? You came to him for Money, fame, popularity, right? Because, look at you. So poor and not a suitable match for him. We know girls like you very well."

Ragini's self respect was hurt.

" Dekhiye! Aap aise nahi bol sakti."

( Listen! You cannot say this.)

She said with anger in eyes.

If you dared to expose our reality to any of my family members, trust me I will keep you caged in this room forever.

She recalled his warning. Tamanna chuckled. Kamini rolled her eyes then stood up and walked closer to Ragini.

" Listen-"

" Maa!"

Three of them looked at the source of the voice and found Rudraksh. He came inside the room.

" Please excuse us. I need to take her somewhere."

He said politely to both the elder ladies. Kamini crossed her hands around chest.

" So he sent you to guard her? Really? Now my son will guard a low class girl? Is this the class of Jaisingh's now?"

Kamini's tone was screaming frustration.

" Please, maa. You cannot disrespect her like this. Bhai won't like it."

Rudraksh said. Kamini passed an irritated glance at Ragini before leaving the room with Tamanna.

Rudraksh scratched his neck nervously.

" Uhm, you should get ready. Bhai is asking for you."

Her eyes sparkled.

" Are you taking me to my parents?"

Rudraksh smiled amusingly.

" Maybe."

She smiled to herself, getting overwhelmed by emotions. She can finally meet her family.

⋆⋅✧⋅⋆

To be continue...