Disha 

First thing i did after waking up was call my mother, asking about her health. She seems to be still suspicious about everything that is happening. According to her, no company pays yearly rent including other bills while arranging a 24/7 nurse. I wish i could tell her that her suspicion is right. Her daughter got married to devil himself on the same night as her best friend. I told her i would visit her every weekend. All i pray right now is to make sure my mother's health stays stable and she continues to believe my lies until i end my devil. 

If i had known, Rudra wasn't going to return last night then i would have explored the upper floor where his secrets lies.

I have never slept so peacefully in years, the way i slept last night. It was like i had no care in the world. For a moment, i forgot i was in lion's den. Any wrong step could get me in trouble. But i don't know why it doesn't worries me. 

Once i am done with my breakfast, I lift my dishes and make way towards the kitchen. Jessica is completely engrossed in something which looks like a grocery list while one maid is doing the dishes and other is arranging the containers. 

Since yesterday, she have been giving me silent treatment. I don't know if it's because of my new hair colour or she got to know i didn't tell Rudra about my little trip to mall yesterday.

I clear my throat to get their attention. Their head snaps towards me. Honestly speaking, I feel sophisticated in my new hair colour, especially the way these female workers talk behind me in their whispers. 

"Was breakfast to your liking?" Jessica asks politely, gesturing the maid who is looking after containers to take my plate from my hand. Maid instantly nods taking the plate from me. 

I step further into the kitchen, walking towards the Jessica with a polite smile. "Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious." I take a seat on one of the stools. 

She nods in response, slips a notepad and pen in front of me. I look at her confused before she speaks up. "Write down your likes and dislikes regarding the food including any allergies you have." 

Her words catches me off guard at her thoughtfulness. There's flicker of some hope rises in me which soon vanishes at her next words. "Rudra demanded to make sure everything is to your likings." 

I stay silent before answering. "You don't have to worry about me, Jessica. I don't have any allergies with any kind of food except red roses." 

Her brows pinches together at my words. As expected. This is the same reaction i always get whenever i tell someone i am allergic to roses. Like allergic to the symbol of love. Isn't it ironic? It completely states love isn't in my life. 

"I am glad you informed me. I will tell Ashok, our gardener to shift the roses from entrance garden to back garden." 

 I smile to which she just looks down, checking the grocery list. I watch her giving instructions to one of the maid to call all staff members to kitchen. Within minutes, they all appear. As she had said, she commands gardener who looks in late sixties older than Jessica to shift roses into other part of garden. Then she gives other maids duties about the laundry, cleaning and all the stuff which is needed to be done. 

Once everyone leaves. I find my chance to get answers to my questions. 

"Can i ask something, Jessica?" 

"I will try to answer according to my knowledge." I look at her surprised. She is behaving like a robot, just like Rudra. I push aside my surprise and ask her. "Where is Rudra's Parents?"

She pauses as if her body stopped functioning, turning her into stone. From what i searched on google last night. All i got to know Ritesh Sehgal, Rudra's Grandfather was best friends with Vedant jiju's Grandfather Harish Oberoi. Both of them started business together, worked hard and reached the higher positions they are in today's time. They have influential empires being operated by their heirs. 

Ritesh Sehgal had two sons. Older one had no children and younger one which is Rudra's father have one son. Rudra leaving him as the only heir to immense wealth of Sehgal. I searched about his parents as well. He is complete copy of his father. But his father smiles in all pictures except him. His father seems to be good man while his son is nothing less than a devil. 

The silence reminds me of the question which is hung heavy in air. Then she answers me. "Rudra started living on himself at 17." 

I blink surprised.  Why would a Heir of such an Empire would start living on himself. Is this why Rudra has his own business while Sehgal Business is handled by his uncle and father. 

 Pushing aside thousands of stirring thoughts i ask, "Any reason behind it?" Colour of her skin starts getting paler by the passing second. She looks down, avoiding looking at me, pretending to be engrossed in checking the list of grocery with items spread on counter. 

"Rudra will answer you better. It's his story to tell."  her answer feels like a dismissal. But i am stubborn who will try to extract as much as information. 

"Does he have any health issues?" 

She looks at me like i am talking something stupid. I immediately try to be more specific. "I mean any mental problems or anger issues." 

"If you are worried, he will hit you. Then rest assured, he will cut his own hands if such thought ever crossed his mind." 

I want to believe her. I wish i could. Only i know the way he looks at me. Like a predator before attacking its prey. 

"Thanks for your precious time. I will leave you to do your work." 

Stepping out of kitchen, i settle down in living room, turning on the tv for my personal amusement. I scroll genres on Netflix for a while before clicking on Crime series. 

As the episodes progresses, i find myself engrossing in screen while people around me continues to move here and there, ignoring my presence like bee in the tea.  

After few hours, i find myself getting bore so i take myself on solo tour of mansion. I walk like a wandering soul who got nothing to kill the time. 

Walking for few minutes felt like a draining a energy out of me so i went back to living room and resumed my episodes. 

This time i barely get to focus as my eyelids starts to get heavier by the passing seconds. Soon i dozed off again. 

At night...

There's a tingling sensation curling in my stomach. My entire blood rushes to my face as i feel something heavy there. It lingers for a long moment before it lowers to my lips taking a path down to my rest of the body. 

There comes a sound of soft thud of glass meeting a table. 

I open my eyes to find a Whiskey bottle resting on coffee table. Next moment my gaze falls on the couch on side of me where my eyes travel from legs dressed in black pants, then to upper body dressed in white shirt, sleeves rolled up slightly but enough to reveal the veins. One hand is holding a cigarette resting on back of couch and other is holding a glass full of whiskey. I watch the hand movement as it travels up. 

My breath stutters at the sight in front of me. His honey brown eyes are fixed on me with unreadable expression. He is sitting like a king who would on his thrown. His gaze is penetrating, making my blood rush wherever his gaze follows. 

He takes a swig of his drink. 

Unconsciously my eyes follows the way his throat works to swallow. My mouth grows dry. His top button of shirt are open revealing enough the bandage peaking out from left side. 

He brings the cigarette near his mouth to take a long inhale. Smoke fills the air as he exhales. I coughed at the polluted air. He smirks without taking his eyes off me and takes another sip of his whiskey. 

I look away from him after realizing i have been staring at him for too long. 

I sit up,  looking around me, finding the mansion silent as dead. It means it's past dinner time, workers are gone and Jessica must be in her room. 

It's strange no one wake me up for lunch or dinner. What's more strange is i have been sleeping for hours. 

I stood up to leave, not wanting to see him any longer. 

 I halt at his voice. 

"Leaving without greeting your husband, little one." His voice slurs, more huskier than usual. I hate how it makes my stomach curl. 

I turn to him. "I might have greeted well if your dead corpse had entered the house." 

Darkness flickers in his gaze, jaw locked, grip tight on glass. Like a chameleon changing its colour he masks his reaction into blankness immediately. "Hope your wish soon gets granted." he said, voice dripping with coldness lacking any warmth. He nonchalantly brings cigarette near  his mouth again as if he is the one waiting for his death desperately than me. 

I roll my eyes before heading to kitchen. 

I switch on the lights of kitchen, opening the fridge. Even though there's some food left. I grab the brown bread and jam before sitting down on stool, resting jam and bread on plain island. I grab plate and butter knife making myself some easy night snack. 

Just i am about to have a bite of it, i feel the presence behind me followed by approaching footsteps. 

"Don't eat that crap when there's still food." he said, despite the alcohol in his system, his voice is stable. He grabbed the bowl of Aloo Gobi from fridge and heats it up. 

"I am fine with it." i take a bite of my bread. 

"I am not fine with my wife eating something like that." He pins me with his gaze. Wife? My foot. No sane husband would marry their wife the way he did with me. 

I look away focusing on the bread in my hands while keeping an eye on him from corners of my eyes.

 On one side Sabji is in oven while he is heating up the chapatti with ghee into crispiness making my stomach growl with hunger. 

Minutes later, he took away the bread and jam, replacing it with a plate full of crispy roti and warm aroma of sabji in front of me. He takes a seat on stool across me. My eyes move according to the movement of his efficient hands serving us food. 

I look down at my plate then at his. My hunger won over my ego making me take a bite of the food. I resist myself from moaning in bliss. I always loved reheating roti with ghee into crispiness. 

I feel his gaze on me every few minute. If i wasn't hungry i would have said something provoking. But not now. 

 We have our dinner in silence with the only sound of our even breathing and movement. 

Suddenly my mind registers its our first meal together. The thought makes my heart skip a beat. It feels normal in this moment. Like he didn't turn my world upside down. 

As we finish our meal, he stood up before i could, taking my plate to wash the dishes. I raise my brows at his such a calm and polite behaviour. Why is he reacting like this? Did he hit his head? 

I don't wait for him to finish before heading back to my room. I take a cold quick shower, changing into night pajamas. 

Stepping out, i moisturize my skin before settling down on bed. I glance at the door as if silently expecting it to open. When it doesn't, i stare at the ceilling blankly. 

I make my mind to think about the ways to get out of this hell hole. But it barely focuses on my escape, more on the way Rudra behaved. I keep on tossing and turning on my sides for hours. 

Finally around 3 in morning, my eye lids starts to close. I fell into the deep slumber. 

Minutes later, door creaks open, i feel the movements around me. I mentally let out a sigh of relief at the stroking of my head for few seconds which gets replaced by a gentle brush of something which feels like a warm lips on my forehead. In seconds, it vanishes. 

I don't dare open my eyes. Because if i did, my peaceful dream will shatter into something which was never there. Reminding me, it would be just my imagination.