Chapter-21

Author's POV,

As Rudra lounged on the couch in the living room, his eyes remained fixed on his laptop screen, which displayed the camera feed from the main gate. Every move and expression of Pihu was captured, analyzed, and processed by his watchful gaze. As he observed her, he detected a shift in her demeanor, a transformation in her expression.

Initially, Rudra had harbored thoughts of punishment and retribution. He wanted to make her understand the consequences of defying him, to ensure that she would never dare to escape again. Yet, as he saw her standing in the scorching heat, her face etched with tension and fear, something inside him stirred. The ruthless desire to break her clashed with a more complex emotion-a desire to protect her, to ease her suffering, and to erase the fear that had held her captive.

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Summoning every ounce of courage within her, Pihu decided to confront Rudra head-on. With a fiery determination burning in her eyes, she started moving towards him, casting aside the suffocating grip of fear. This time, she refused to let him see her trembling.

As she closed the distance between them, her steps were firm, her posture resolute. She met Rudra's gaze without flinching, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and defiance. She could feel his calculating gaze upon her, like a predator studying its prey, but she refused to be his victim anymore.

Her voice trembled slightly, a result of both fear and fury, as she spoke with a steely edge, "Where is my family, Shivani, and Shaurya?"

Rudra's calculating gaze met hers, and for a moment, a subtle shift occurred within him. He saw her vulnerability and strength intermingled, and a pang of conflicting emotions surged through him. The predator in him acknowledged her defiance, while the other side-the part that wanted to ease her pain-yearned to protect her. Still, he wore a mask of composure, his smile unwavering, as he considered her question.

As seconds turned into agonizing heartbeats, Pihu's frustration grew. She felt the weight of his gaze and his deliberate silence, yet she was determined not to break. The fear he had instilled in her for so long was now mingled with a burning anger that refused to be contained.

The air between them was thick with tension, an unspoken battle of wills. Pihu's emotions churned within her, a tempest of conflicting feelings that threatened to overwhelm her. And yet, she held her ground, meeting Rudra's gaze with unwavering determination.

Frustration tinged Pihu's voice as she pressed forward, her urgency palpable, "I demand to know what you've done to them. Where are they?"

Rudra's enigmatic smile remained firmly in place, his gaze unwavering as it locked onto hers. The intensity of their silent exchange hung in the air for a few heartbeats before Rudra finally chose to break the silence, his voice calm and composed, "How are you, Pearl?"

Pihu's response was a mix of astonishment and confusion. His unexpected question caught her off guard, momentarily sidelining her demand for answers. Her mind struggled to reconcile his query with the situation at hand.

As Pihu doesn't respond, Rudra moved with an air of casualness to a nearby table, poured water into a glass, and carried it towards her. He extended the glass, his voice almost coaxing, "Take it."

Pihu's eyes flicked between Rudra and the glass, her hesitance apparent. Despite her thirst and discomfort, she was wary of any gesture coming from him. The turmoil within her was mirrored in her trembling hands, which hovered uncertainty over the glass.

Rudra, ever perceptive, saw her hesitation and confusion. He addressed her concerns directly, his words delivered with a mixture of reassurance and command, "Don't worry, there's nothing mixed in it. And I think you need the glass of water, especially after standing in the sun for over two hours. Take it, or forget about seeing your loved ones."

Pihu's internal struggle was evident in the way her fingers eventually closed around the glass. She raised it to her lips, sipping hesitantly. Her physical thirst was undeniable, but her emotional thirst for answers and control over her situation was equally powerful. The cool water offered a temporary relief, soothing the parched sensation in her throat, yet her mind remained on high alert.

As she drank, Rudra's calculating gaze never left her, a constant reminder of the complex power dynamic between them. His enigmatic demeanor was a mix of allure and danger, a tantalizing combination that both captivated and repelled her.

The glass was placed back on the table, and the silence that followed was laden with unspoken tension. Pihu's eyes met Rudra's, her determination shining through the storm of emotions within her. She had taken a step, however small, towards him, but her stance remained defiant.

With an almost abrupt shift, Rudra turned gracefully and strode to the couch, settling onto it with an air of self-assuredness that bordered on arrogance. His voice, a blend of command and an oddly tempting invitation, floated across the room, "Sit, Pihu. Let's talk."

The audacity of his behavior, the way he assumed control, ignited a surge of anger within Pihu. Her voice held a hint of incredulity as she retorted, "Mr. Rathore, I didn't come here to sit and talk. Just tell me where they are."

Rudra's composure remained intact, though his patience was clearly tested. His tone was a mixture of restraint and underlying authority as he retorted, "I don't like to repeat myself, Pearl. But you are my precious Pearl, so I will reiterate: take a seat."

Resigned to the reality that she couldn't engage in a futile battle of wills, Pihu suppressed her urge to argue further. Instead, she navigated the space between them with a quiet determination, settling herself onto the couch opposite Rudra. Her motives were clear - she yearned for any scrap of information about her family, a desire that trumped her reluctance to comply with his wishes.

As Pihu settled onto the couch, the weight of uncertainty hung heavily in the air. Rudra's voice cut through the silence, his words seemingly casual despite the gravity of the situation. "It's not that tough, right?, Pearl. Okay, let's talk about the reason I called you here."

Veer, a silent observer up until now, stepped forward and placed a paper on the table in front of Pihu. Her brows knitted in confusion as she looked from Rudra to the paper, her mind racing to catch up with the unfolding scenario.

The next words out of Rudra's mouth sent a chill down her spine. "Sign it, Pearl." Her fingers hovered over the paper, hesitant to pick it up. As her eyes scanned the first lines, disbelief morphed into a growing horror. Her breath quickened, chest rising and falling with the weight of her emotions. It was as if her worst nightmares had sprung to life, etched in ink on those pages. The realization hit her like a crashing wave, stealing her breath and leaving her stunned.

Without a second thought, she sprang to her feet, her movements sharp and resolute. The paper crumpled within her trembling grasp, torn apart as if it represented the future she refused to accept. Her voice, laced with equal parts defiance and desperation, filled the room, "I will not sign it, Mr. Rathore. I will never marry you. I will not sign these marriage papers."

As Pihu's refusal triggered something primal within Rudra, unleashing the raw force that simmered beneath his composed exterior. In an instant, he surged forward, bridging the distance between them in just a few powerful strides. His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her waist, pulling her towards him with an almost possessive urgency.

Pihu's body collided with his, her heart freezing for a fleeting second before accelerating to a rapid, thunderous pace. The proximity to him was both electrifying and terrifying, her emotions swirling into a tumultuous storm as she stood ensnared in the embrace of a man who wielded her destiny like a blade.

Rudra's voice sliced through the charged air, chilling and possessive, as he asserted, "Do you think I'm asking you? I'm ordering you. You have no options left but to marry me."

Pihu's retort was equally fierce, her defiance burning bright. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again-I refuse to marry you. Release me and my family. I swear I'll vanish from your life forever."

As Pihu's defiant words hung in the air, a palpable shift occurred within Rudra. It was as if her resistance ignited a blazing inferno of anger and determination within him. His voice, normally smooth and composed in front of Pihu, now resounded through the grand hall with a chilling authority, his command cutting through the charged atmosphere like a razor-sharp blade. "Guards, bring them here," he declared, his words laced with an undercurrent of a raw, unyielding force.

As the weight of Rudra's command settled in the air, Pihu involuntarily flinched within his embrace. Her heart raced as the gravity of his actions bore down on her, and she looked towards Rudra, whose gaze was now a blazing crimson, who now seemed transformed into a specter of malevolence. It was as if his very essence had transformed into something otherworldly and unsettling, an embodiment of darkness.

A tendril of his fingers brushed against Pihu's cheek, the touch oddly intimate despite the tense and charged atmosphere. He leaned in, his breath caressing her ear as he whispered with a chilling calmness, his words a sinister symphony that resonated through her core "Now, Pearl, it's all your fault. Whatever unfolds from here on out, you bear the weight of it. I've given you ample chances to accept me."

As the weight of his declaration settled upon her, a profound sense of unease engulfed Pihu. Her heart sank, a heavy sensation as if she were being pulled into an abyss of her own making. The grip of fear and helplessness tightened around her, making it impossible for her to muster the courage to retort or defy him.

In that moment, the air shifted once again as the entrance to the grand hall was breached by the presence of Pihu's family and Shivani. Her eyes scanned the scene, taking in the sight of her loved ones, and guards followed, escorting the bruised figures of Shaurya and Shivani's father, Samarth, from an adjacent door that led to what appeared to be a basement. pang of sorrow tightened Pihu's chest as she beheld the evident signs of their suffering, their anguished expressions bearing witness to the ordeal they had endured.

Shaurya, once vibrant, now stood hunched and fragile, his body unable to bear the weight of the brutality he had faced. Tears welled in Pihu's eyes, her determination to break free from Rudra's grip intensified. She struggled against his grasp, her voice quivering with a mixture of fear and urgency as she implored, "What have you done to Uncle and Shaurya?"

To be continued....