Page 190 of The Redemption
But through it all, my gaze keeps returning to one person.Raghav.A faint smile curves his lips, but it’s the unmistakable pride in his eyes that takes my breath away. It’s as if hearing everyone admire my work delights him, as if my achievements deserve to be celebrated instead of hidden away behind closed doors.
Even Ayaan looks stunned. He glances at Raghav. And Raghav responds with a look that communicates something only the two of them seem to understand.
Kailash Uncle smiles warmly before raising a hand to bless me. “I’m so proud of you, beta.”
“Truly impressive.” Pratap Uncle nods approvingly, then turns to my mom. “Although I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. A woman with such grace and strength was always bound to raise a daughter just as talented as you.”
Mom smiles shyly again, and I notice Raghav narrowing his eyes, as if he’s wondering,‘Why does this man somehow brings my mother-in-law into every conversation?’
I bite back a smile. He’s impossible.
These past few days, I’ve discovered many different sides to Raghav. I always knew he was dominant and obsessive. Once someone or something becomes his, he fiercely protects them.
But he never cages the people he loves with his authority. He simply stands guard over them, watching quietly to make sure nothing and no one dares to hurt them. And most importantly, unlike most mafia men I’ve known all my life, he’s not threatened by a woman’s dreams. He doesn’t hide her talents behind closed doors, nor does he expect her world to shrink so that his can grow larger.
No. He takes pride in her successes. He announces it to the world as if her achievements are his reason to stand taller. As if there’s no greater joy for him than seeing his woman shine and ensuring everyone around him knows exactly how extraordinary she is.
And perhaps that is what frightens me the most. Because somewhere between his madness, his possessiveness, and that silent way he takes pride in my achievements without asking for anything in return… my heart has begun to betray me. For the first time in the truest sense, it is beating restlessly over a realisation… that Raghav Kundra is no longer just the man who forced me into this marriage.
Somewhere along the way, he has started becoming the kind of man I never thought I’d find in my world… and dangerously close to the man I’d always wanted in my life as my life partner.
CHAPTER 36
RAGHAV
Shergill Mansion – Same night
We are back at Shergill Mansion. Exhausted after the baby shower celebrations, Ayaan and Meher have already retired to their room. Baba has also called it a night.
I’m already inside our bedroom when Siya walks in after settling her mom. She’s still in that ivory saree, still looking like the reason I’ve barely managed to hold on to my sanity since morning.
Slowly, I remove my watch and place it on the bedside table before reaching for the top button of my kurta. As I undo it, her gaze flickers to my chest. When I loosen the next button, Siya’s gaze lingers there just for a bit before she lifts her eyes to meet mine.
“How did you know I design luxury footwear for women?” Her eyes search mine. “Nobody except Mom knew about that.”
I undo another button without taking my eyes off her.
“There’s nothing about you that I don’t know, Princess.” I pause. “Except the sentence about Samarjeet you left incomplete today.”
Her expression changes instantly.
“And trust me, I haven’t forgotten it. I’m going to find out what you were about to say.”
Siya swallows hard. Silence falls between us before I speak again. “You are my wife, Siya. Do you think I’d allow anything about you to remain hidden from me?”
She’s still staring at me.
“Nothing about you is impossible for me to find out. I noticed your obsession with footwear when I first saw you. Among all the Louboutins you wore, there were a few pairs that stood out. They carried no luxury label, no brand name. Just a small engraved ‘S’. So naturally, I got curious.”
I pause, watching her. “I had those designs checked. They didn’t belong to any known brand, and none of those shoes had ever been sold in the market. That’s when I found out you had them made by a local craftsman in Cape Town. You gave him the designs, he made the shoes, and that little ‘S’ was your signature. You were designing shoes for Louboutin that the whole world could buy, but at the same time, you were creating completely different designs just for yourself. Shoes no one else had. Designs that were entirely yours.”
A faint smile touches my lips. “You weren’t only wearing beautiful shoes, Siya. You had your own little secret collection all along.”
She’s still looking at me as if she still can’t believe what she’s hearing. I close the distance between us and clutch her arms.
“But what I don’t understand is… why hide all this from the world?”
She lowers her gaze, a wistful smile touching her lips. “Maybe it’s the bitter reality of being a mafia princess.” Siya lets out a breath. “I’ve always been crazy about footwear since I was a little girl. And as I grew older, I also loved designing it. I wanted to pursue it professionally. I even told Dad about it once. But you know how mafia fathers are. He refused.”
