Third person’s pov!

“Leave?” Raghav scoffed, his face twisted with anger and despair. “After all you did? You can’t leave until the two of you are married.”

The statement hung in the air like a noose, and the weight of it crashed down on Vaidehi. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked between Vedant and Raghav, but the man’s face was unwavering, his determination to see her married off to anyone stranger than his love for his niece.

But did he ever love her? She was the black sheep of the family, after all. All due to her desire to continue her education.  

Vaidehi was inconsolable. The pain was agonizing, and the embarrassment was intolerable. Her father, her own blood and flesh, and she couldn't believe he'd allowed this to happen. Like a silent observer, he stood there.

'Is this now my life?' She wondered.  

Vedant stood there, frustration and rage heaving in his chest. He was stuck in a twisted nightmare where nothing made sense, and he felt alienated in this weird place. As the girl was once again denied her right to privacy, the villagers looked on with condemning eyes.

One of the older women turned aside and said, "Get ready, girl. Marrying someone is inevitable, and it's better to do it now than later, that too with your lover itself."

It was the last blow. The weight of their words crushed Vaidehi, who sagged against the wall with tears running down her cheeks.

"This isn't over. You all have no authority over our lives." After a moment of standing there with his thoughts racing, Vedant murmured in a voice as cold as ice.

Vedant was unable to look away from the tumultuous scene that was playing out before him.

When Vaidehi's mother, Manjula, arrived on the scene, her face was twisted in grief and rage. The woman's demeanor instantly changed from sadness to boiling rage as soon as she entered the barn and met Vaidehi's gaze. Without a word, she moved toward her daughter, her hand raised in a blur.

Slap!

The sound of the blow cut through the thick air like a whip. Vaidehi’s head snapped to the side, her face turning red as she stumbled back. Her mother's voice was full of resentment, and her eyes were full of grief.  

"How could you?" Manjula's voice broke with pain as she screamed. "How could you compromise the honor of our family? You insolent girl!"

Vaidehi's hands were shaking as she struggled to keep her balance, and her eyes were wide with shock. 

“Maaa, please, I didn’t do anything! Please listen to me!” She begged, her voice barely above a whisper, full of desperation. But Manjula’s heart was set on her accusations. She raised her hand again, this time with even more force.

Slap!

Vaidehi shouted out in agony as another hit struck her cheek, causing her body to tremble. She couldn't handle the betrayal, the confusion, or the humiliation. Her mother, however, wasn't finished. Breathing heavily with rage, she grabbed her by the hair and drew her closer.

“You have brought shame to this family! And to your father, to your brother—do you know what you have done?” Manjula’s voice was frantic now, wild. “We gave you everything, Vaidehi, everything. We even sent you out of this village for your education despite all the refusals from the relatives. And this is how you repay us? How can you ruin everything?”

“No, no, please, you have to believe me! I didn’t do anything!” Vaidehi cried, her voice cracking with the weight of the accusation, but it only seemed to make her mother angrier.

Manjula abruptly lifted her hand once more, aiming it toward her daughter's chest this time. Vaidehi's back thudded on the cold floor as she gasped for air from the power of the slap. Vedant struggled with the scene.

"Stop it!" With an angry and harsh voice, Vedant yelled. 

He clenched his fingers into a fist and punched the wall forcefully so that it shook. As he watched this woman, who ought to have been protecting her kid, commit such cruelty, his heart pounded in his chest, a searing ache piercing his being. 

How could a mother turn against her own flesh and blood was beyond him. Where was the affection, where was the trust?

He remembered something that had happened a few months ago in his own household. His cousin brother had been accused of a terrible crime, but his aunt had not believed him. Without hesitation, she rejected her son and sided with her niece. That memory surged to the front of his mind, hot with anger. ‘Such parents do exist…’ he thought bitterly, the fury rising in his chest like a tidal wave.

But his anger gave way to something else—something dangerous, something final. 

He couldn’t let this girl suffer at the hands of these monstrous people.

At that moment, a cold decision settled over Vedant. He wasn’t going to stand by and watch her being abused by everyone.

"All right!" His voice was unflinching as he yelled. "I will marry her."

The surrounding audience fell silent. Vaidehi's breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened in shock. Unsure whether to accept what she was hearing, she gazed at Vedant.

Vaidehi's uncle Raghav Naik came forward grinning slyly, his eyes shining with malicious victory. 

"Tomorrow, the marriage will take place along with my daughter's," he said.

Vedant's determination remained unwavering but the announcement felt like a death knell to Vaidehi's soul. He had already made up his mind. He wasn’t going to let her face this alone—not while he had the strength to fight.

"Lock him here itself and make sure a couple of boys stay on guard. He cannot be allowed to flee in the middle of the night." With a sardonic smirk, Raghav went on.

Vedant's blood boiled with anger as his fists clenched so tightly that his claws sank into his palms. 

‘You will pay for this, old man,’ he thought to himself, his gaze cold and unblinking as he met Raghav’s eyes.

The villagers moved as if on cue, dispersing quickly, leaving only the sound of Vaidehi’s sobs behind them. 

Manjula, dragging Vaidehi by the arm, hauled her away from the barn, leaving Vedant locked inside, his thoughts a swirling storm of fury and determination.

As the last of the crowd disappeared into the night, Vedant stood there, his chest heaving with emotion. He wasn’t going to let this family destroy Vaidehi. 

He could easily escape from here.. But once he is gone, they will surely kill that girl. And his conscience will never let him sleep peacefully if he let that happen.

If marrying her was the only way to save her, he would do it.

A/n

I will give daily updates, but I cannot confirm a time as there is no update scheduling option in stck like in wattpad. I will try to post as early as possible, but mornings are quite busy here. In wattpad, I usually draft it and schedule the time for update the day before itself. That option is not available in stck.

By the way, are you guys using stck reader app? How is it?

Also, I will keep more chapters free if I can get more likes and comments here…

Please make sure to like and leave a few comments for each chapter dears!

Love,

SF❤️