..My Brothers Are Everything To Me..
Chapter 38:
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Previous Chapter:
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Chapter 38:
Soumya….
Soumya…
Somu….
His best friend….
The one and only friend who didn’t befriend him because of him being an Oberoi..
Rudra valued their friendship and he always felt comfortable when he’s with her. He didn’t have to be an adult or trying to be cool in front of her.
She never treated him like everyone else. At first they didn’t get along when they joined the college but after some time, they became friends and had fun.
Rudra for the first time had fun without going to club or parties..
He enjoyed hanging out with her and it was very nice to enjoy normal things from making food with her to roaming around in streets..
He even brought her home few times and above all his Shivaay bhaiyaa approved her as a friend. That was saying something because he always checks background of his every friend and gives them a warning. None of his friends had ever came back after meeting Shivaay bhaiyaa for the first time..
Life has never been good and he enjoyed college life a lot until..
Until…
Romy came in his life..
Everything had become a mess..
At first he just wanted to flirt with a hot girl then only he came to know about that she’s crazy and a psycho.
Romy has mental problem and he was to blame for not listening to Somu when she told him about Romy. Rudra didn’t listen to her and the fights started.
Rudra then came to know about Romy and despite all the fights he had with Somu, she selflessly came to his help.
And one time when they were trying to run off from Romy and her followers. That’s when all the chaos started in his life..
In drunken state they got married and when they sobered up, Rudra felt like his world has turned upside down.
To see Somu with a mangalsutra and kumkum on her partition, it had been a shock and then he started the fights again..
He knew…
He knew…
It’s not his fault nor hers too..
They both agreed to foret this incident and that it’s not a marriage at all..
But he couldn’t stop himself from insulting her and he even accused her in confusion and panic.
Every time Somu had forgiven him even if he apologized but this time she took it to her heart and then it sort of made them drift off from each other.
Yet…
Yet…
Every time when he’s in the class or outside of the class, his eyes searched for her. Whenever he spotted her, his heart weighed more than ever with guilt and even more with hurt that she’s ignoring him.
Everyone of his classmates sort of picked the fact they’re not on speaking terms and his friends sort of made themselves as patching experts and made him and Somu to sit together or sometimes lock them together in a room or pair them up in practical labs..
God….!
It was awkward but it didn’t bother him since he too wanted his friend back.
But she didn’t talk with him, avoided meeting his eyes and escaped from every opportunity of being close with him.
When the days passed, he did notice her losing a little weight, her bubbly attitude gone, her bright smile gone and Rudra felt the lowest of all.
He felt responsible and even love angel didn’t help him much but that too came to an end when Prinku told him one day that Somu was love angel, he had lost it.
Was she laughing all the time when he told her every problem.. She must have known his voice…
God…! The things he shared were so embarrassing..
When he saw her next time, he dragged her ignoring her protests and grabbed her shoulders tightly when they reached a secluded class room..
But all the anger left him when the strongest girl he had ever known in his life winced in pain and her eyes glistened with suppressed tears..
He let her go but when her scarf got stuck in his shirt button, he pulled it off but gasped looking at the mangalsutra on her neck..
He was rooted to the spot…
Haven’t they agreed to not treat it as a real marriage?
“Have you gone mad Somu?”
She didn’t meet his eyes but when he made her look up, he could see something in her eyes which pierced his very heart.
“I know.. I know it’s not a real marriage nor do you love me.. It’s just.. It’s just… I couldn’t take it off.. I just.. I don’t want anything to happen to you just because I took this off my neck.”
He was angry yet touched beyond words..
“Somu, Are you insane? Nothing will happen to me just because you take it off from your neck. I mean we don’t even remember anything of that marriage rituals.. I’m not just worried about me, do you know how risky it is? What will your family think of it as? What will your relatives say? I’m.. I’m not worth it.”
Rudra knew that even despite all that Somu is worried about him. It’s stupid yet he found it cute..
Rudra knew he has finally gone insane because now a days he found everything about her cute..
Even now his anger about her being love angel forgotten..
“Don’t… Don’t say it… You’re worth more than….”
She stopped in mid sentence making him forget to breath with her words..
“Anyway what my family will do and all that is my problem so mind your own business..”
With that she pushed him leaning over her and moved away from there..
It’s been days since he saw her before a month, she rarely came to college..
Rudra had stopped getting close to any hot girls after Romy because he had learnt his lesson..
All he does is just flirt and joke with some girls and he kept his distance still..
Rudra refused to admit that whenever he flirts with a girl, the image of Somu with mangalsutra pops up to his mind and he stops right then and there rejecting the girl’s advances..
It was like that too when he flirted with that Bhavya girl. He felt empty and different, like something is keeping him in hold from getting close to any girls.
Usually people thinks he is just a playboy and plays with girls heart but it’s not just his fault, the other girls too want to flirt with him because he’s an Oberoi.. They will never leave him alone even knowing that he is with another girl. Sometimes he likes the attention and sometimes the same attention suffocates him. Somu was the only one who treated him like he wanted to and he ruined their relationship with his own stupid mouth.
He hurt her and the absence of her from his life had made him want to apologize genuinely for the first time in his life.
She had changed her number and cut off all the communication between them and she refused to meet him when he went to her house..
She took it to her heart when he in anger said….
Why don’t you just disappear from my life..?
He regretted ever uttering that word ever in anger. He didn’t want her to disappear like that from his life..
He wanted her…
He meant he wanted her in his life. It felt like there’s no colors in his life without her in it..
Now… Seeing her after a month… In Shivaay bhaiyaa’s marriage.
She’s strangely wearing a saree and he has to say she lost weight even more than before and he felt the guilt in him increased.
When their eyes met she averted them and gave the gift to the person who was collecting them and walked towards him hesitantly.
“It’s just.. Bhaiyaa’s marriage and he invited me personally that’s why I came. Else I wouldn’t have..”
“Somu.. Please.. I’m sorry..”
She didn’t listen and turned to go away. He had enough of her running away from him.
When he pulled her hand, Soumya could feel her traitorous heart beating for him in an irregular manner.
She hated it…
She hated the sway he had over her whether he realized it or not.
At first they fought with each other like Tom and Jerry when they both met in college. Him teasing her as fatty while she teased him an idiot for getting zeroes in the tests.
Then they sort of became friends from enemies and he even saved her from Riyaan when he followed her around.
Rudra may be childish and a guy who never takes anything serious and even an idiot sometimes but Soumya had witnessed it, she know it that he’s has the purest heart and still somehow naive despite being rich.
She knew he flirts with girls yet chickens out when they get serious. It has been a two year friendship ever since they started the college but felt closer than ever.
At times her heart felt strange whenever Rudra talked with other girls but she endured it. When she met his family, they were all good people and treated her well. Om bhaiyaa always took her side when Rudra and she argued. Above all Shivaay bhaiyaa cooked for her and even made her felt like home.
The fights started due to Romy and partly her unexplainable jealousy. Somu couldn’t stand to see him getting lightly serious about Romy. She had spent her nights restlessly with her confusing feelings.
Then they sort of patched up and ran off from Romy and her followers.
But…..
They got married…
Even though they were drunk..
She still remembered everything when Rudra forgot everything..
How he kissed her cheeks…
How her stubble pierced…
How close he was…
And that was the moment…
That was the moment she realized all those signals her heart and mind were giving her..
She’s in love…
She’s in love with a playboy..
And above all..
She married her love yet he refuses to even see it more than as a drunken prank..
God..! How her heart ached…
So she avoided him at all costs and threw herself in studies, not getting charmed when Rudra spoke when she was a love angel, sharing his worries with her unknowingly that it’s her.
She could feel his eyes on her and all those times when he teased her fatty made her feel slightly insecure. She has always been comfortable with how she is and never bothered with make up and lessening her weight but seeing him flirt with beautiful girls had made her feel insecure..
Above all the mangalsutra on her neck weighed with guilt of hiding it from family..
What will happen to her?
Rudra won’t accept this marriage. Honestly anyone would do the same if they are in his place.
But to her..
She loved him more than ever and she knew there’s nothing but pain in this love but still her heart fails to listen and she couldn’t sleep well nor eat well when her heart’s filled with him..
So she stopped going to college for few days not wanting to see him with that stupid girls and spent her days in home.
But then one day Shivaay bhaiyaa came personally to invite her since she too is part of the family for him. She felt touched that he thinks of her likes this.
And then she saw the Priyanka news on the television and was utterly shocked at how they’re ruining the Oberoi’s family name.
That’s when the mangalsutra around her neck felt like a rock.
She had been selfish…
She had been selfish with her unrequited love.
Her family may accept her but the Oberoi family will be hurt and Shivaay bhaiyaa along with Om bhaiyaa will feel betrayed so just before the day to go to bhaiyaa’s marriage, she spent the day, gathering her courage to remove it.
It was heart wrenching yet she knew nothing good will come if she kept wearing this..
But here now…
Even though she advised herself to stop loving him. It looked like her heart will never listen to anyone except Rudra.
When he dragged her away from the marriage hall, away from the guests, she let him drag her.
When they reached near the Mansion, he turned towards her and pulled her with a hand on her bare waist, making her shudder involuntarily.
Calm down… Calm the hell down heart..
It’s hopeless…
She felt like crying. Soumya wanted to go to her room and never come out of it.
How she longed for him yet no matter how much she longed for him, it still just an unrequited love..
The love advises she give to others as love angel seemed to fail when it comes to her.
Why..? Why he is pulling her so close?
She tried to move away but he pulled her closer even more and leaned down to match up their height.
“Somu.. I’m.. I am so sorry Somu. I know it’s not your fault. I just said all those things in anger and panic. I’m sorry Somu. I never meant any of it.”
Soumya knew that he said it in anger. She’s not avoiding him because she’s angry but she’s avoiding him because she didn’t know how much her heart can take with this painful feelings of her.
But looking at Rudra all teary eyed and a painful expression on his face, Soumya felt like she can endure till her heart is torn into pieces and torn even more….
She can endure it…
If it means he can smile again..
“It’s fine Rudra”
She said trying to move a little away but he’s stronger and held her close.
“Seriously Somu, from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.. I shouldn’t have said any of those words. I hurt you.. I hurt you and I hate myself. I don’t deserve a friend like you..”
“Shh.. Rudra.. Its fine.. Ok?”
She smiled reluctantly at him and he smiled at her in relief.
“So friends?”
“Always..”
They both smiled at each other..
“Now let me go Rudra..”
“Oh.. Sorry…”
She breathed in relief when he let her go and when she turned to go towards the marriage altar, she was again pulled towards him.
She looked at him confusingly but gasped silently when his fingers trailed her neck..
“Rudra, what are….”
“Did you take it off?”
She realized he was asking about mangalsutra and she nodded, pulling away from his hold.
“Yeah.. It’s just as you said.. I don’t want to burden anyone..”
“Somu.. I said sorry for saying those words..”
“No.. No.. I forgive you Rudra. I’m seriously saying that it was just we were both drunk and did it not knowing anything. It has no meaning anyway so I just took it off”
Soumya went towards the guests area not noticing the hurt look on Rudra’s face but she was strangely happy when he made her sit on the family seatings, near Om bhaiyaa rather than among guests.
She was surprised when he spent all the time with her instead of going to the beautiful girls among the guests.
She leaned down and whispered the words even though it hurt her to utter them,
“You don’t have to spend all your time with me.. You can go to the girls you want to flirt with..”
She never wanted to cage him with her feelings.. Even though it’s unrequited love it still was selfless and wanted nothing more than Rudra to be happy.
“How can I when I’m a marrie…..”
He cut off and her breathing stilled at what he was going to say..
Then the bride with a vile covering her face along with groom came in traditional way and the marriage rituals started. Rudra started crying because his bhaiyaa is getting married and he has to share his bhaiyaa..
He chuckled even while crying when Somu called him a crybaby and offered a handkerchief.
It strangely made him remember the fuzzy memory of his marriage. He turned to look at Somu when bhaiyaa put mangalsutra around bhabi’s neck.
Somu looked at him too and averted her eyes with slightly reddened cheeks.
Rudrahad never felt a strong urge to kiss those cheeks more than now..
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Ranveer watched the television, a channel telecasting Oberoi marriage live.
Priyanka had been inconsolable with all those news and he took care of her all through her crying. He never let her out of his sight, force fed her and even agreed when she wanted to go to her bhaiyaa’s marriage even in a disguise.
So Ranveer had arranged her to go in a disguise and he stayed home, knowing if anyone spotted him, it will be worse.
He doesn’t have the luck of wearing veil like a women to cover his face and the securities tighter. The guards may be fond of Priyanka and let her in but they won’t let him.
So he stayed and watched Shivaay getting married.
He watched it till the end, his heart in ease when the media was all ushered away and they will reveal the face to media tomorrow. He was glad Priyanka didn’t get caught.
What a family…
Even though they told her to get out from the Mansion, he received a call just after that day from none other than Shivaay himself.
He was surprised at first but when he attended the call, Shivaay didn’t let him speak instead all he heard was,
“If you hurt her or even made her sad, know that you’re hurting Shivaay Singh Oberoi’s sister and you will face even worst side of me. I will kill you if something happened to her”
With that the call got cut off and just few hours after he got a call from Tej Singh Oberoi threatening his life.
He now realized how much Priyanka’s family loved her. Even though they’re angry, they still want her to be happy.
He was getting calls from various members of Oberoi family to take care of Priyanka.
He decided to leave his ego and convince them once their anger lessen with days because he too wanted Priyanka to be happy.
And her happiness lies with her family..
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When her veil was removed by Pinky Aunty for after marriage rituals when the guests are gone, everyone was shocked to see it’s her..
Annika not Tia…
She didn’t think far about all this when she agreed to marry him..
In fact she was surprised when he asked her to marry her. At first she didn’t know why he was asking her but then he later explained that Tia had ran away from marriage, leaving a letter off and the investigation he had made on their background came today morning and he found out that they were fooling the whole family..
Annika could see how utterly vulnerable he was, trying to save his family name since its already a mess with Priyanka’s marriage and if Shivaay’s marriage stopped then he didn’t know what to do.
He explained everything to her in detail and that he had no other choice but to marry. He did ask her to think about it and decide quickly.
Yes… She loved him but she just can’t accept this not only will it ruin her life but also his.
But her answer depended on the answer for the question she was going to ask..
“Why me Shivaay? You could ask any girl. What if I say no?”
Annika wanted to know because there are so many who is ready to be his secret bride. If he said that anyone’s fine then she will refuse this marriage no matter how much she loved him.
She suppressed the greed in her rising to make him hers and only hers. She didn’t want to be selfish and allow her to foolishly make decisions with her feelings.
To be with him in a room..
To converse with him..
To breath in the same space…
Annika groaned when her heart already started selfishly making future images in front of her eyes yet she stood firmly with her decision..
If he said anyone’s fine….
“It has to be you.. I can only ask you Annika.. If you refuse, then I have to inform the media that my bride has ran away..”
Is it an indirect confession or something?
He turned around from her and she could see how much weight this man shouldered alone..
She don’t know what to say to him. She felt like she’s compromising her self respect in front of her feelings..
“You do know I’m not of some rich family background?”
She doesn’t have the heart to refuse him but she will make him refuse her..
“It has to be you”
Annika took a step back when he took a step forward,..
“I am an orphan you know?”
He flattered in his step because no one knew that till now because she never wanted to say it go anyone..
Her past…
Its painful…
But he again took a step forward, his eyes more intense than ever..
“It still has to be you”
Annika’s heart hammered when she could see the feelings in his eyes clearly..
It may not be love for him yet.. still there was pain, attraction, care for her..
Can she take this risk and drown in it?
Will she drown further or reach a shore?
“Now… Will you marry me Annika?”
“Yes..”
She said without even knowing what she’s doing..
Reckless..
Insanity…
She has finally gone insane..
This is not her…
This is not her…
The normal Annika would never agree but the Annika in love with Shivaay will agree to anything for Shivaay..
This is why she hated love..
Yet with that she got dressed up and sat on the altar in daze..
When he put mangalsutra around her neck, his fingers lingered more than necessary, making her shiver..
How he’s going to handle media and his family?
They can’t hide it forever, then how’s he going to manage everything?
Is he going to blame it all on her or is he going to divorce her?
Annika signed her name on the documents which are going to be taken to marriage certificate registration..
God..!
She’s nervous of what’s going to happen now but was glad that media and relatives left without them knowing anything..
But when they reached the Mansion, Pinky aunty has pulled the veil off and everyone was shocked.
Pinky Aunty was livid with rage,
“Tia.. Where’s my Tia? What did you do to her? See.. Shivaay.. I told you to never let a low class girl like her in but you made her your wedding planner.. Now see what has she done? She has done something to Tia and sat in her place. I was suspicious when the bride refused to take the veil off.. She even signed her name on the certificate documents.. Oh My God..! What a plan..”
With that Pinky aunty grabbed her hand and ignored everyone’s protest of something might have happened and started dragging her towards the exit..
She was hurt by her words no matter how much she wanted to ignore it.
“If the news got out that the secret bride of Shivaay Singh Oberoi is a low class girl.. I don’t even want to think about it.. Now.. Call the lawyer now Shivaay and stop him from presenting the documents and even if he did, make him file a divorce right now…”
She stopped moving and Pinky aunty turned to face her with more rage..
Annika was surprised to when her other hand was grabbed..
It was Shivaay…
Is he too gonna blame her? She did nothing wrong..
He came forward and pulled her other hand from his mother gently..
“You do know there’s no divorce in Oberoi family ever mom”
“But Shivaay she’s a gold digger..”
“Mom.. You’re talking about Shivaay Singh Oberoi’s wife”
Did she hear it right?
Is he not gonna divorce her or something?
The hand which held hers anchored her thoughts because if not she felt like going to dream land despite the situation..
Because why not..?
After all her love is not unrequited anymore and the hand gripping her possessively is more than enough proof.
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(A/N: There is no forced marriage because there is no huge misunderstanding between them. Shivaay is already vulnerable with Prinku situation and Tia ran off, it made him face his feelings albeit halfheartedly. He somehow managed to ask her using the situation as a disguise.. and you will find more in further chapters.
It’s mostly Rumya in this chaoter and I hope Rumya fans are happy. They’re super cute.
So.. Let me know your thoughts..
See you all with next update.)