Siya's Raghav

Kathmandu, Nepal

"What…?" Nishtha almost screamed—"How could you even think like that, Nakul ji… I thought you loved me…" The rest of her words were swallowed by her pain.

"Love…?" Nakul laughed mockingly, "If I loved you, why would I refuse to marry you? I'm ashamed to even associate my name with the daughter of a maid like you. That's why I helped you escape… otherwise, someone like Nakul Bharadwaj wouldn't even look at a two-penny girl like you."

Nakul's words pierced Nishtha's heart like daggers. Tears streamed down her face, and anger and hurt were evident in her expression.

Handing her a card, Nakul said, "If you don't want to see your life become a living hell, call this number… Goodbye."

Saying this, Nakul quickly left, making sure she didn't see the tears in his eyes. Outside, he too began crying. But not wanting anyone to notice, he hid his face behind sunglasses and a mask—because in our society, boys are not allowed to cry.

Moments later, the doorbell rang, making Nishtha shiver. She quietly tiptoed to the window and peeked out. Standing outside was Pratap Chauhan with 10-12 men. Her soul trembled. She immediately tried calling Nakul, but he didn't answer. Tears filled her eyes again. She began pulling at her own hair, desperately thinking of a way to escape. The banging on the door had now intensified—they were trying to break in.

With a final ray of hope, she dialed Nakul again—but his phone was switched off. Panic overtook her; her entire body was drenched in sweat, hands trembling, feet cold. Just then, her eyes fell on the card Nakul had given her. It read: Kashyap Yaduvanshi. She quickly dialed the number. After two rings, someone picked up.

Nishtha had no strength to speak. Only sobs escaped her throat. On the other end, after a couple of "hellos," the man was about to hang up, but then he paused and asked gently, "Nishtha…?"

She gasped, and her sobs intensified. Suddenly, the call was cut off, and her anxiety grew. Pratap was now almost breaking through the door. His men were pushing hard. Then came the crashing sound—the door was broken. Nishtha froze. Standing in front of her like the god of death was Pratap, surrounded by his men.

She cursed the moment she had trusted Nakul and refused the marriage.

Pratap moved toward her with his men. Nishtha, folding her hands, began backing away, pleading—"Uncle, I'm like your daughter. Please let me go… please, Uncle…"

Ignoring her pleas, Pratap turned to one of his men and said, "Mangru, she's going to marry you. Do whatever you want, just make sure she agrees."

Mangru looked at Nishtha with eyes full of lust and sneered, "As you command, sir…" He grabbed her and began dragging her toward the bedroom while the others sat casually in the hall.

Inside the bedroom, he flung Nishtha onto the bed. "Look girl, you will marry me, no matter how much drama you do. Say yes quietly, or Mangru knows other ways to make you agree…"

Nishtha fell at his feet, pleading—"Please let me go… I'm like your sister, please… I don't want to marry anyone, please have mercy…"

Mangru, now enraged, grabbed her hair and snapped—"You won't listen like this…" He twisted her wrist, making her scream. He pinned her to the bed and climbed on top. Nishtha, trying to escape, kicked him in the stomach, and he rolled away. She jumped up and tried to run, but Mangru caught her again and slapped her so hard that she lost her balance and fell.

Mangru began caressing her waist as tears of helplessness rolled down Nishtha's cheeks.

Suddenly, a bomb-like device crashed into the room, and thick smoke engulfed the area. Mangru let go of Nishtha and opened the door—only to find even more smoke outside. Coughing, he stepped out, and whack—a powerful blow to his head knocked him unconscious.

Nishtha too fainted from the smoke.

Out of the smoke appeared a pair of brown eyes, behind a black hoodie and mask. The mysterious boy gently lifted Nishtha in his arms and carried her out.

He placed her in the backseat of a white car and shut the door. From the front seat, a voice asked, "Is she alright?"

The hooded boy replied gravely, "Attempt to rape."

"What…?" the other boy gasped—it was none other than Kashyap Yaduvanshi, dressed in a plain black shirt and black trousers.

The hooded boy nodded silently. Kashyap growled, "I never imagined Jagjeet Raj Chauhan would stoop so low—to try and defile a woman's dignity… I've seen politics, but not this filth."

He handed a bundle of cash to the hooded boy and said, "Make sure no one ever hears about this."

The boy nodded and left. Kashyap drove the car forward.

Rishikesh – Nikunj Residence

"You're doubting bhai (brother), Mom…?" For the first time, Kabir spoke in a serious tone. Normally, every word from him had a joke.

Yamuna ji replied, "No, son… I trust Raghav completely. But you know how this world is—if people find out, they'll talk endlessly… how many mouths can we shut?"

Kabir pushed away his favorite jalebi from the plate. His mood had turned bitter. Taking a deep breath, he said, "It doesn't matter what the world says, Mom… what matters is what you think. You know bhai well—he can't bear to see anyone in trouble and not help. Jhanvi is a responsibility given to him by Grandpa, and he's fulfilling it with his whole heart. But that doesn't mean he's forgotten us. When the time comes, he'll shoulder all his duties. I'm proud to be the brother of such an ideal man. I'm leaving now. Please send Siya when she's ready."

With that, Kabir left. Yamuna ji was struck with guilt. Today, for the first time, Kabir was so serious that he didn't even eat his beloved jalebi. And for the first time, he walked away without his usual mischief.

Kabir returned home, still stung by his mother's words. Raghav wasn't just his elder brother—he was his idol. Even when they were apart, Raghav always seemed near. Be it exams or his silly gossip, Raghav would always listen patiently, even during lectures.

Kabir's heart ached—is being good and helping others really a crime in today's world?

Siya wore a wine-colored gown, white sandals, a small white purse, and her hair was loose. She always looked good, but today, with heavy makeup, she looked radiant. Sparkly eyes, bright red lips—she looked stunning.

She twirled before Yamuna ji and asked, "Mom, how do I look?"

Yamuna ji snapped out of her thoughts, took a protective charm from her kajal, and doted, "Beautiful… may no evil eye touch you."

Just then, Chandrika entered and said, "Beta, Kabir isn't feeling well. He won't be able to go. You'll have to go alone."

Siya paused, then nodded and left for Radha's house.

That evening, it was raining heavily. A chill lingered in the air. Nishtha woke up on a soft bed. She quickly sat up, checked herself—everything was intact. She sighed in relief.

Just then, someone entered. Nishtha's eyes widened.

Kashyap Yaduvanshi strutted over to her, trying to touch her hand. She pulled away and snapped, "Who are you…?"

Ignoring her question, Kashyap grabbed her wrist. After a moment, he let go and said, "Vitals seem stable. Doctor…"

Nishtha noticed the Bluetooth in his ear and understood.

Kashyap continued, "Yes, doctor… thank you very much… we'll meet soon." He hung up and extended his hand. "Hello, I'm Kashyap Raghuvanshi."

Nishtha's pupils narrowed. She recognized him from a newspaper—Dhanraj Raghuvanshi's son, recently joined politics. He looked even more impressive in real life.

She looked him over and said, "Thanks for saving my life…"

Kashyap poured her a glass of water and said, "Nothing comes free in this world, madam. Everything has a price."

Nishtha's expression tensed. "And what's the price of saving my dignity?"

With a mysterious smile, Kashyap replied, "Marriage—to me."

Nishtha's anger flared. She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught it mid-air. Looking deep into her eyes, he said coldly, "You're sick, that's why I held your hand. Otherwise, one tight slap and you wouldn't get up for ten days."

He let go, and she stumbled. He set the glass down and began to leave when Nishtha shouted—

"If you only wanted to violate me, why save me in the first place? In the end, you'll marry me just to own my body. You could've just used me and thrown me in the trash…"

She broke down in tears, head buried in her knees.

Hearing this, Kashyap's fists clenched. Veins bulged. Eyes flamed. He turned back, grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. With the other hand, he raised her face and growled—

"Keep your filthy thoughts to yourself. I have no interest in your body or you. I want to marry you only to secure my political career. Understand?"

He shoved her hand away. She couldn't balance and fell. As he walked out, he added—

"This marriage will last just a year. After that, you'll get your divorce. The contract papers will arrive soon—read and sign them."

As he left, Nakul's words echoed in Nishtha's mind—You're not worthy of anyone…