Gauri wipes her unstoppable tears to forget about the man who has stolen her hope of being happy. Her dear husband has once again proven how the walls between them will remain high. That there weren't two but three in this relationship. Her, him, and his past.

When her thoughts started becoming darker and hurtful, she decided to leave the confines of her bed and move to a couch near the window with the journal of Rajyavardhan Rana in her hands. Anything which might help her forget the very words that went through her heart like a dagger.

'The tension in the study could be cut using a thick blade. Where I was settled behind the large desk with a shot of whisky in front of me, he was standing stubbornly with his hands folded on his chest beside a chair, refusing to sit and give my words a thought. It was a defensive position for both of us.

The chatter had started with light talks about business followed by a cheerful shot over recent success attained in the south within such a short period. I was congratulating him when he touched on the sensitive subject of the woman he brought home. And just like that, things went south.

The confession of an undying love coming from my son's mouth surprised me and let me tell you this- I am not easily surprised. I thought the tune of Mandakini will grow old in a few days and he will move on but things were serious. That woman had wrapped him around his fingers.

"I will never accept this union, Raghuveer. You don't love her but simply pity her for what she went through. You have a kind heart, my boy, and that woman is taking advantage of it."

"Her name is Mandakini." He gritted, refraining from raising his voice in front of me. If it had been any other man, he would've dismantled them by now and tossed their bones in The Indian Ocean. But I was his father and somewhere my acceptance of this relationship mattered to him. He might fight over being with her but wouldn't marry her without my approval. And this was the only reason why he was civilly trying to make me understand rather than throwing a tantrum.

"It doesn't matter. Mandakini is a broken woman. I had a background check on her. She was sold to Surya Narayan for maintaining the wealth of a selfish paternal household. Since then, the damned girl has been used like a brood and mare, doing explicit things to gain favors for her corrupted husband. I am aware she was forced but after going through trauma for a long time, there is no saving. Even the bravest hearts drop their weapons in front of never-ending darkness. She was but a girl."

"She doesn't need saving, father. Trust me, she only needs to be found and appreciated for who she is!"

"Why can't you see that she is toxic and you've just got to know her? Stop praising her like a tipsy canary."

Raghuveer leans forward to ram his clenched fist on the table and looked me in the eyes.

"Father, that woman has gone through hell and still manages to be an angel."

I laughed at his naivety, he wasn't seeing the big picture.

"Being illogical is one thing, and an idiot another. Let's forget about our needs for one minute and take this situation over a wider platform. I am not fighting you over your decisions. That is none of my business. I am trying to make you see what will happen after this stage.

That woman, your fiancée will never be respected or seen as your wife no matter where you go. For the world, she'll always be a leftover of Surya Narayan. Fingers would be pointed at her, on her character and her relation with you. She would be taunted and badmouthed behind your back. Bullied till she will cry tears of blood.

Within a few months, she will start doubting herself, her role in your life, and her worth.

Why?

Because we live in a society where the darkest sin committed by a man might get overlooked, but the smallest mistake of a woman becomes a grand spectacle. Surya Narayan will always be known as a corrupted man, but not a wife-beater and rapist. Nobody wants to cover that because the price of a woman's tears is worthless. People might sympathize with a victim for a few days but after some time, they will start looking for the chinks in her armor, where she went wrong that it lured a man to harm her.

From there the invisible torture begins which pains more than any physical wound. Wherever she'll go, they will put her on a pedestal to punish her for a crime committed by somebody else.

I am not saying that Mandakini was at fault in this situation. As a father, I am warning you that she is not the right choice. You are the strongest male in the hoard, the future King of this province, and the masses would like to see an equally brave woman beside you. Not a victim of the past.

What is the best you could do for Mandakini at this point is, to be her friend. She has recently come out of an abusive relationship and needs support to heal. It is not right to push her into another relationship when she is not in her right mind. Help her in gluing the broken pieces, and send her to a rehabilitation center. Find the best doctors for her to recover from mental stress. She is not emotionally stable to move on. Your happiness must not become her burden, son. Give her time. She will lean on you because you pulled her out of that hell but don't let that become her obsession. First, give her a chance to become a woman who is sound enough to make her own decisions, not someone who is simply running away from the past and putting too many hopes in her future.

We will talk about it once all the fire has settled. You must not take any step blinded by passion. There's more to a partnership than simply falling in love and being together. It is about turning each other's weaknesses into strengths."

I knew this mind game will come biting in the ass someday, but today, I just want him to maintain his distance from her. Her problems weren't his. He must learn to make boundaries and not fall like Romeo.

The long silence prevailed and Raghuveer slowly took a seat. His eyes were dazed, probably clouded by thoughts. My words slowly penetrated the fog of Mandakini and knocked him up into a reality where the price of love was as high as that of a donkey carrying backbreaking weight. People are only interested to see power, not emotions. For them, emotions are for sissies. A woman's jewel.

The door to my study burst open and my second son stepped in, looking worried.

"Switch on the news channels, you need to see this." He announced with a clenched jaw and I immediately obliged. Aryan has the patience of a Saint and if something has managed to rattle him, it could prove fatal to the family.

The moment I turned on a news channel, multiple blurred images attacked my vision.

"What the f**k?" Raghuveer swore crudely as he listens to the news attentively.

The past that he thought was left behind has once again come knocking at the doors.

Blurred naked bodies of a woman with different men in compromising positions were shown. I wished their faces were blurred as well, so I could've shielded Raghuveer from this reality. Tears were dripping from his eyes as he, along with the rest of the world saw the overbearing scandalous news of Surya Narayan and his young wife entertaining various businessmen to earn favors.

The news anchor was telling how the pictures were recovered by investigating officers last night when they went through Surya Narayan's vault. According to sources, he has used these pictures for years to blackmail big personalities and extorted money from them. The name of Mandakini was highlighted in red. She wasn't shown as a victim but as Surya's business partner and would be called by the inquiry branch next.

"That ba****d was whoring her out!"

The shocked gasp of my son would haunt me for the rest of my life as he glared at the screen in disbelief. Picking the television in rage, he threw it against the wall and left the room with bloodshot eyes. Aryan tried to go after him, but I stopped him.

"He needs to vent that anger out before he hurts someone. Just send a few guards after him if he leaves the fort."

Aryan nodded and left.

My eyes turned to stone when I saw the condition of the television and instantly called for my loyal butler who has now returned from the city bearing the item of my interest. The chapter of Mandakini needs to end soon before it drags my family into the mud.

A sudden knock on the door startles Gauri and she immediately straightens on the couch before shutting the journal with a thud and thrusting it beneath one of the pillows. For now, this was only her secret and if the need arose she will share her concerns with Vasundhara. Her husband couldn't be trusted in such trivial matters, discarding the things as nonsense. Vasundhara will know fragments of truth and take needed measures.

"Who's there?" she asked standing from the couch and reaching for the locked latch.

"It's me."

Her eyes shut in irritation and she walks back to her bed, not bothering to open the door. Three hours ago, he had asked her to leave, now what was he doing outside her room? Came to ridicule her more? His careless words have hurt her deeply. It was a pity how she was ready to do anything for him when he didn't consider her his wife. Fury evaded her veins and she decided not to pay any attention to constant knocks.

"Open the door." He insisted from the outside, feeling awkward and stupid to be locked out by his wife.

"Go away!" Gauri grumbled lowly, knowing well he will hear it loud and clear with his wolfish senses.

"Come on, Gauri, stop being childish."

Her nostrils flared. She wanted to set him on fire.

"Just leave me alone." She mocked with a bitter smile, using the same words he punctuated and stabbed her heart.

"Oh for God's sake, mother is awake and she wants to see you."

Her eyebrows raised in curiosity and seconds later, disappointment floods her heart. So he was here to inform her and not to justify himself, to apologize or check upon her.

Clenching her fists in frustration and blinking back the tears, she marched towards the door. As the distance between them reduced, longing surged in her heart and she hated herself a bit more for feeling like this. So vulnerable and hopeless. Only if the man she has come to admire would like her back.

Opening the door, her eyes landed on a solid chest. She ignored him completely and walked around him to enter the room beside her. But a tug on the sari stopped her and she instinctively reached to hold the garment pinned on her shoulder before raining ambers at him through her furious glare.

"What are you doing?" It was a whisper because she failed to find her voice. Her chin wobbled catching him tracing the intricate designs stitched into the silk material by the finest artisans.

"Don't wake her up, she is fast asleep."

Gauri took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, fearing that the instinct of pulling his lush hair will take over.

"Then why did you wake me up?"

"You weren't sleeping."

"Like hell, I wasn't."

"I smelled your tears." She glared at him with bloodshot eyes and moisture threatened to return once more. Rubbing it away, she snatches the end of her sari from his hold and tried to get past him and lock him out once again, but he stepped in front of her. His shoes touched her sari.

"Come with me, I want to show you something."

"I am not going anywhere with you." She spat when agony attacked her entrails once again. These were not the words she wanted to hear. She wanted to be consoled badly and her husband wouldn't do that even in her best dreams.

Yagya whooshed past her to block the entrance of her room and she groaned.

"Get lost."

He examined the time on his watch. It was past midnight. Perfect.

"It is a crime to give such attitude to your King husband. I can punish you for this."

Gauri stomped her feet and tried to push him away.

"I am not going anywhere with you at this hour. If someone saw..."

"You have two options. Either come civilly or it would my pleasure to throw you over my shoulder for the world to see and carry you to my bed chambers." His eyes glinted golden, showing her who truly had more power here. Her stubbornness was nothing in comparison to his will.

"Don't be ridiculous."

He instantly ducks to wound his arms under her knees and she quickly jumped back. Disbelief coated her features. A moment or two passed before her shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Fine."

A devilish smirk appeared on his stoic face.

"Too bad. It would have been my pleasure if you'd rebelled." He teased as he gestured for her to follow him.

"Shut up..."