34 - Weather before summoning storm(S1)

Prithvi strode angrily towards the lounge area, his eyes ablaze with fury as if they could incinerate anyone who dared to meet his gaze. He came to a halt in front of his wife, his hand loosening his tie with a swift motion before locking eyes on her.

As he surveyed her.

She sat between his mother and his cousin sister, still visibly shaken from the recent tragic incident. Her breath seemed held, as if she were struggling to process the ordeal she had just witnessed, the first of its kind in her life. His mother comforted her with gentle pats on her back.

Gritting his teeth to rein in his anger, Prithvi clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He closed his eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain his composure before addressing the situation.

Upon reopening his eyes, and focused on his weak wife before speaking.

his sister Vaishali approached him with concern. "Bhai sa, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" she inquired, her worry evident in her voice.

Ignoring own sister's questions and without sparing her a glance, Prithvi only had eyes for his wife.

Niharika, upon hearing Vaishali's voice, looked up with a concerned expression, freeing herself from his mother's comforting hold.

Niharika met his gaze with a mixture of fear and desperation, her swollen, dry eyes betraying the tears she had shed.

Prithvi softened momentarily as he observed the pain behind her swollen, dry eyes.

She wasn't crying anymore, but her red, scrunched-up face betrayed the aftermath of her tears, like a frightened child.

But then, instead of softening further, Prithvi's eyes grew darker, his hand clenching even tighter.

Despite his efforts to conceal his anger, it was palpable in his voice as he spoke in a stern and cold tone, "Get up."Niharika flinched at his tone and obeyed silently, rising to her feet as instructed.

"Let's go," Prithvi commanded, approaching her and taking her hand in his.

Without waiting for her response, he began leading her out of the venue, jerking her hand to prompt her to follow him.

As they made their way out, Niharika whispered in a barely audible voice, "A...rre you o..okay?"

"Don't ask questions, just come with me," Prithvi replied in a low voice meant only for her ears, his resolve evident in his tone.

Ignoring his mother and sister, he guided Niharika out, leaving them behind.

His mother, upon noticing their departure, interjected, rising from her seat. "Prithvi, where are you taking her? You can't leave anywhere, and leave her alone. We'll all stay at the hotel. Go to your suite; I'll send her once she's feeling a bit better," she urged, concern etched on her face.

"-- You are surrounded by risk. And that will only frighten her more; it's her first time witnessing something like that. This is your father's order. Comply with it," his mother concluded, striding over to him and gently removing Niharika's hand from his grip.

And Sensed something amiss with him, wrong with him and noticing Niharika's lingering anxiety, Prithvi simply stared at his mother, analyzing her actions without uttering a word.

His outward calmness belied an underlying tension, a subtle indication of the impending danger he perceived.

Rajmata, his mother, continued, addressing him directly, "And answer Vaishali. She was concerned and asked about your well-being. Don't dismiss or belittle her concern."

Their eyes locked in a silent exchange of intensity, while Niharika stood quietly behind Rajmata, observing the interaction.

Vaishali approached Rajmata, attempting to diffuse the tension. "It's okay, Mami sa. Bhai is tense," she said, placing her hand on Rajmata's arm in a gesture of reassurance.

Prithvi's eyes remained  fixated on his mother, his gaze lowered as he delved into his own thoughts.

Rajmata turned her attention to Niharika, instructing her firmly, "You come with me."

Prithvi glanced in his mother's direction, meeting her stern gaze as she continued, "And Prithvi, you will do as I said. I'm not allowing you to talk to her or anyone else right now. Your anger needs to subside; your temper is too hot-headed at the moment."

Prithvi finally released his clenched fist, and he parted his lips to reply, spoke in an angry tone, "Maasa, don't try to test my patience level," tersely.

His eyes turned red again as he struggled to control his anger, realizing there was no way he could regain his composure anytime soon.

"And I said, Prithvi, she can't talk to you right now. There's no reason to debate, and losing your patience over this will only make things worse. Go now, you can meet with her in the morning and discuss everything you want to say. Enough has already happened for today," said Rajmata, her tone authoritative.

Niharika hid further behind her back, clutching her saree tightly.

Prithvi's jaw clenched in response, finding it increasingly difficult to contain his anger with each passing minute.

His mother's refusal to back down only added fuel to the fire of his current situation.

Through gritted teeth and tense forehead muscles, he insisted, "No, Maasa, don't come between us. I need to talk to her right at this moment."

He then turned his gaze to Niharika, who was still hiding behind his mother, sharing the same expression of fear.

His eyes bore into her soul as he repeated to Niharika once more, "Right now, at this time."

Niharika's fear became even more visible as she looked back at him.

His face displayed no emotion except for the anger he was holding, a reason for which she had no clue.

Her eyes held a questioning gaze, wondering about the reasons behind his directed anger.

She remained rooted in her position.

Until now, she had feared for his safety and well-being, but now she found herself fearing for her own safety and well-being from him, all because of him.

"Prithvi, wait, listen, you can't just-" Abhi interjected urgently as he approached. Prithvi turned to him briefly before returning to Niharika and grabbing her hand, causing her fear to clutch at her very foundation.

"I think someone is trying to use her as bait," Abhi added, attempting to reason with the situation.

Niharika remained still, piecing together the fragments of information she was receiving one by one.

Despite avoiding his gaze, she could still feel the intensity of his stare upon her.

Prithvi disregarded Abhi's wise words, with nothing seeming to penetrate his ears, not even his mother's words, whom he respected above all else.

"Come with me," he commanded, gripping Niharika's hand tightly again. "We are going back to the palace," he stated, looking at her face before starting to walk away, forcing her to follow him.

"No, you can't go without a bodyguard. There's a risk to you," his mother protested, standing her ground.But Prithvi ignored her protests, showing no care or concern as he walked away, pulling Niharika along with him.

As they marched out of the hotel, Niharika struggled to keep up with Prithvi's forced pace, her steps feeling strained as he didn't allow her to find her footing properly, yet refused to release her hand.

"Prithvi, hear me out!" his mother's voice echoed, but he paid no attention, his focus solely on moving forward. Niharika glanced back at them, hoping for some reprieve, but Prithvi remained oblivious to everyone around him.

"Prithvi, stop, listen to me!" Abhi shouted, but his words fell on deaf ears as Prithvi continued his determined stride.

With a resigned sigh, Abhi dropped his hand in surrender, promising to deal with the situation. " I'll go and see that stupid fellow."

"No, Abhimaan, at least you listen to me. Go back, you have a flight to catch. I think you should go home. We'll handle this," Rajmata pleaded with a defeated tone, silently urging abhi to refrain from any rash actions.

"Don't worry, Mami sa," Vaishali reassured, stepping closer to comfort Rajmata. "Bhai will be okay.

Inside the car, there was an abnormal silence. Prithvi drove without uttering a word, the tension thickening with each passing moment. Niharika grew increasingly uncomfortable with the silence, her mind racing with thoughts and possibilities.

She gulped hard, fear tightening its grip on her as she clutched her seatbelt close to her chest. Despite the cool air conditioning, sweat formed on her brow, and her body trembled uncontrollably with every slight movement.

It was evident that she was scared, but what terrified her even more were the thoughts racing through her mind. The events of the evening, Prithvi's behavior, and Abhi's cryptic statement all added to her growing sense of unease.

'What bait is he talking about? Why would anyone want to use me as a pawn?'Her eyes darted around the confined space of the car, searching for answers to the questions that plagued her.

And amidst it all, Prithvi's demeanor only served to compound her fears, leaving her feeling more unsettled than ever before.

His behavior was the polar opposite of what she expected. From someone who had been on the verge of erupting like a volcano moments ago, he now seemed as calm as the sea.

It was as if he were carrying an artificial calmness, a facade that puzzled Niharika. Moreover, he drove the car at a normal, safe speed, adhering to the speed limit, which surprised her even more.

Finally, straightening herself up a bit, Niharika decided to confront him with her questions. She removed her hand from the seatbelt, mustering up the courage to speak.

In a hesitant, barely audible voice, she asked, "W...what d..do y..you need to talk ab..o.o.out?" Her gaze met his, seeking some semblance of understanding or response.

He continued driving, his hand rolling on the steering wheel as he prepared to make a turn. He didn't answer or even glance in her direction.

Undeterred, she tried again, assuming that he might not have heard her, refusing to believe that he could intentionally avoid her question. "A..are yo..u,.u m-m-mad about m..yy attire? It wasn't w...what you mig..ght think," she said, pausing as he remained silent.

"It w..was a mis...s..understa..nding. I didn't h...have any in.t.t.tention to h...humiliate you," she spoke nervously, her hand shaking in defense.

Subconsciously, she continued, feeling the urgency to clear up the misunderstanding and exonerate herself. "O..o..r either way, I didn't kn..o..ow about y..o.o..our trad..i..ition. I didn't kn...o..ow it c..c..could affect your i..m..mage. I've ne...v...ver been to a b...big event-" She paused, realizing the implications of what she was about to say, and stopped herself.

Prithvi silently drove, rolling his hands over the steering wheel again, his gaze fixed ahead of him.

"A..are you rea..l..lly fine? Not ju..s.st preten..d..ding to be fi...n..ne from the rece..eption incident? Ar..e.e you hurt s..somewhere? Do you-" she asked, genuine concern lacing her voice as she looked ahead, unaware of Prithvi's face reddening and his struggle to maintain his composure.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, resisting the urge to respond or show his building impatience with each passing question.

Taking a deep breath, he finally managed to regain some semblance of humanity in his breathing, having driven like a robot until then.

"A..a..re you o...o..kay?" she whispered softly.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly in an attempt to regain control.

But then she mentioned something that shattered all his efforts. "W..w..why do y..o.,ou get sc..c.cared in the m..middle of a co..o..nversation, a..c..cting as if so..m..mething happened-" she continued, pushing him to the edge of his patience.

Losing control of himself, he opened his eyes and suddenly applied the brakes, jerking her and making her clutch her seatbelt tightly as the car came to a sudden stop.

"Get out," he said in a calm tone, though the underlying emotions were anything but calm.

"W....w..what?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"I said get out!" he repeated, his tone now piercing, unable to contain his outrage any longer. She was the cause of it, but all she had done was express her curiosity and concern for him.

He didn't look at her as he continued, "Get out, find your own way. I don't know you." His words were cold, cutting.

Fearfully, she obeyed, starting to remove her seatbelt.

This wasn't like Prithvi at all. Even on their wedding night, he hadn't shown this side of himself. But now, he seemed more like a raging animal than her husband.

She complied, thinking perhaps he just needed some time alone. But as the car sped away recklessly, she realized he had no intention of coming back for her, at least not for now.

As she stood there, watching his car grow distant, tears streamed down her face. "He didn't even spare a look at me," she thought, feeling abandoned and forgotten.

Unable to hold herself up any longer, she collapsed to the ground, her knees giving way as she cried freely.