Chapter-41

Author's POV,

Pihu listened, her heart strangely lighter. The image of the ruthless Rudra she once knew was replaced by a glimpse of a wounded soul, shaped by a harsh past she could only begin to imagine.

As Pihu sat in silence, a single question bloomed in her mind, fueled by a newfound curiosity: What had truly shaped Rudra into the man he was today?

Lost in her thoughts, Pihu was suddenly brought back to the present by Claire's question, delivered with a small smile. "How did you and Rudra meet, Pihu?"

Pihu felt a pang of unease at the question, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find an answer. She wasn't sure if she should tell Claire about her and Rudra. While she could talk to people about anything in her life, sharing her problems and sadness was something she reserved for her mother or Shivani only.

Before Pihu could decide whether to share her story with Claire, the ringing of Claire's phone cut through the air. She answered the phone and cut the call short, turning back to Pihu. "I have to leave for a short while as Laurent needs some files. You can rest for a while, and just let the maid know if you want to eat in the room. I'll be back soon."

Pihu nodded in understanding and said, "Okay, I will."

As Claire excused herself and left the room, Pihu couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. She murmured to herself, "I don't know how I'll ever be able to explain my marriage to anyone, as I don't even want to consider it one.

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Rudra slumped back in his chair, the plush leather offering little comfort. The weight of the negotiations hung on him like a leaden cloak, yet victory tasted like ash. He finally spoke, his voice rasped, raw and hoarse,"Did you find him, Laurent?"

Laurent sighed, the sound heavy in the quiet room. He knew the answer would bring another storm.

Rudra's fist slammed onto the desk, the sudden crack echoing through the office. Laurent flinched, not from fear, but from the raw emotion radiating from him. Rudra's ragged breaths filled the air, a counterpoint to the chilling silence that followed."Months!"Rudra roared, his voice laced with venom so thick it seemed to hang in the air. "Months of dead ends and that sniveling serpent Yashvardhan remains a ghost! Does he think he can burrow so deep the earth itself won't yield him up?"

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet alongside Rudra's mood. Laurent cleared his throat, his voice a steady anchor in the rising tide of fury. "Patience, Rudra. My men are the best. They will find him."

Rudra's eyes narrowed to slits, cold and calculating. "Calm is a luxury I can't afford, Laurent. Every passing day is an insult. He witnessed my rise, now it's time to make him witness the monster he helped create!"His voice hitched, a flicker of pain, a ghost of his former self, warring with the rage in his eyes for a fleeting moment. Laurent caught a glimpse of the darkness that festered beneath the surface, a horrifying echo of a past he only knew fragments of.

"He'll pay for what they did. Both him and his son. I want him alive, breathing, in front of me within the month. The waiting ends now."

The weight of Rudra's words hung heavy in the air. Laurent knew better than to argue. The fire of vengeance burned fiercely in Rudra's eyes, consuming any semblance of reason.

"We'll find him," Laurent promised, his voice firm. "Don't worry." He paused, then added, "This Matteo Ricci, however, is another thorn in our side. He disrupts the established order. We can't allow him to continue his interference."

A cruel smile, as cold and sharp as a shard of ice, played on Rudra's lips. The exhaustion that had etched lines on his face seemed to recede, replaced by a mask of chilling focus. "Indeed. Eliminating both threats..." His voice trailed off, a low growl emanating from deep within him. "A productive use of resources."

He leaned forward, his gaze fixing on Laurent. It was a predator's stare, calculating, devoid of warmth. "Find Yashvardhan, Laurent. Leave no stone unturned. And as for this Matteo..." He paused, the silence heavy with anticipation. When he spoke again, his voice was a chilling whisper, the moniker dripping with a madness Laurent had only witnessed a handful of times. "The great RSR needs to send a message."

A glint, devoid of humor, flickered in Rudra's eyes. "A clear, definitive message that this underworld..." He gestured around the room, the implication clear. "It all belongs to me. And no one," his voice dropped to a serpent's hiss, "no one defies the RSR and lives to tell the tale."

The air crackled with a tension so thick it felt like a physical entity in the room. Laurent watched Rudra, the chilling glint in his eyes a stark contrast to the exhaustion etched on his face. He knew a direct challenge would only fan the flames of his fury.

"Patience, Rudra," Laurent said, his voice a steady counterpoint to the storm brewing within Rudra. "Vengeance is a dish best served cold. Let us not allow this serpent's cowardice to unbalance us." He offered a thin smile, hoping to inject some lightness into the suffocating atmosphere. "Besides, wouldn't it be far more satisfying to see the fear in his eyes when he finally faces you, knowing the full weight of the RSR's wrath is upon him?"

A flicker of cold amusement flickered across Rudra's features for a fleeting moment. Perhaps the image of Yashvardhan's inevitable demise held a morbid appeal.

"Speaking of unexpected encounters," Laurent continued, cautiously shifting the subject, "the new arrival,your cute wife.How did the two of you meet?"

The mention of Pihu sent a ripple through Rudra. The icy tension that had gripped him seemed to thaw for a moment, a flicker of warmth replacing the steely glint in his eyes. A hint of a smile played on his lips, fleeting but genuine. It was an expression Laurent, having witnessed Rudra's stoicism for years, recognized as a glimpse of possessiveness, a spark ignited by something precious.

"Pihu," Rudra echoed, the harsh edge to his voice softening momentarily. "She's..." He trailed off, the warmth replaced by a grimace that spoke volumes. His voice grew low, tinged with a weariness that surprised Laurent. "It's a long story, Laurent."

Laurent leaned back in his chair, intrigued. He'd never seen Rudra so conflicted. "Time is something we have in abundance right now," he offered gently. "Perhaps a distraction from the hunt would be welcome."

Rudra hesitated, then sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. The air crackled with unspoken emotions. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and strained. "It all started a few months ago.When she saved my life from a bullet." A flicker of awe crossed his features, a stark contrast to the grim set of his jaw moments before. "Her bravery, her fighting spirit... it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I fell for her, Laurent. Completely and utterly.But Pihu..."

He paused, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the armrests of his chair. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken regret.

"She didn't feel the same?" Laurent prompted carefully, sensing the unspoken turmoil within Rudra.

Rudra's gaze drifted to a distant point, lost in memories. "No, she didn't return my feelings," he admitted, his voice laced with a bitterness he couldn't quite mask. "Back then, I was consumed by a need to have her by my side. Blinded by that need, I..." He stopped, his jaw clenching for a moment before he continued, his voice barely a whisper, "I married her forcefully."

A heavy silence descended upon them. The weight of his confession hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

"But now, when I look at her beside me," Rudra continued, his voice cracking with a vulnerability Laurent had never witnessed before, "I see the emptiness in her eyes. I know she longs for the freedom I took away, the life she once had."

A tremor ran through his voice, betraying a well of emotions – regret, guilt, a flicker of something akin to desperation. "After all these years, I've finally built a life for myself, one I can't afford to lose. But the guilt... it gnaws at me, Laurent. Every day."

Rudra poured out the story of their encounter, the desperate act that bound them together. He spoke of the fear that had gripped him, the way Pihu's courage had ignited a spark of admiration that morphed into a love as fierce as it was possessive. He spoke of the loneliness that had consumed him, a void he'd convinced himself Pihu could fill.

As Laurent listened intently, a new understanding dawned on him. He saw the fractured pieces of Rudra – the ruthless mafia leader, the lonely man yearning for connection, and the guilt-ridden soul burdened by his past actions.

"Rudra," Laurent said finally, his voice filled with empathy, "I can understand why you did what you did. In the darkness you lived in, her light must have seemed like salvation. But force can never forge a true bond, my friend. You need to talk to her, not as the mafia king, but as Rudra, the man she might have loved if you'd given her a chance."

Rudra finished his story, a raw vulnerability etched on his face. "I'm trying, Laurent, trying to change myself for her. But this darkness..." He gestured vaguely, the weight of his past actions pressing down on him. "It's a part of me, a shield I've used for so long. Can I truly take it off, even for Pihu?"

The thought of her leaving sent a tremor through him. "The thought of her leaving terrifies me, Laurent. But can I blame her for wanting a life free from this darkness?"

Laurent studied his friend, his empathy evident. "The things we've done, Rudra, they leave their mark. But even darkness can recede with time. Perhaps if you let her see the man beneath, the one who admires her courage, the one who craves connection..." He trailed off, leaving the hopeful thought hanging in the air.

A flicker of determination sparked in Rudra's eyes. "Maybe you're right, Laurent. Maybe there's still a chance. I won't give up. I'll fight this darkness within me, for her sake, if for nothing else."

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The next day, after a breakfast that could have fed a small village, Claire led Pihu on a tour of the mansion. Pihu couldn't help but be awestruck by the grandeur - the soaring ceilings, the ornately carved furniture, the sheer scale of it all. But the French elegance, infused with modern touches, felt alien and cold.

"Why don't we head out, Pihu?" Claire suggested, her voice laced with excitement. Rudra and Laurent will be busy for a while, and I wouldn't want you to get bored cooped up here."

Paris. The very word sent a thrill through Pihu. Visions of romantic strolls along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower piercing the sky - a world away from the gilded cage she now inhabited. But a dark shadow loomed over her yearning. Rudra. His possessiveness choked her like a vine, his disapproval a constant threat.

"But Claire," Pihu stammered, "you're five months pregnant. Shouldn't you be resting? Wouldn't a long outing be tiring?"

Claire's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh, right! I completely forget sometimes. But don't worry, darling. We'll just take a leisurely cruise down the Seine River. Maybe even visit the Eiffel Tower afterwards. A little Parisian indulgence, wouldn't you say?"

The invitation hung in the air, both tempting and terrifying. Pihu didn't have the courage to refuse the vivacious Claire, but a small voice in her head screamed about the potential consequences. With a forced smile, she mumbled, "Okay, that sounds lovely."

The thrill of escape danced just beneath Pihu's skin as Claire ushered her into a sleek black car. Two bodyguards, discreet yet imposing, followed in a separate vehicle. A dozen guards would have suffocated Pihu, a constant reminder of her gilded cage. But with just two watchful eyes, a sliver of freedom peeked through.

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To be continued.....