The Prince's Bride

II. The Doom

Jaanvi's POV:

Next day my family was ready to visit the Raigarh palace for the marriage proposal, even if my parents were extremely unsure but Gaurav had somehow convinced them to visit the palace.

We sat in our car and travelled to the royal palace of Raigarh. I was from a middle class family and marrying in a family of royals was a dream, but as of me, it was my worst nightmare. Marriage with Rudra Pratap Singh was marrying my doom.

We were ushered into the huge hall. My parents looked around at everything in awe and there appeared Rudra Pratap, his dark brown eyes glinting. He wore an orange embroidered sherwani with a diamond broach on it, wearing a pearl necklace, looking like a typical Prince.

" Please have a seat Mr. and Mrs. Sahaye. ", he said as he walked up to us. My parents stared at him as if he had come right from heaven.

The three of us sat on the sofa which had a silk cover and below us was a red carpet. Just then Rudra's father, Rana Vikram Dev Singh appeared with his wife.

" So you are Jaanvi, is it?", he asked talking directly to me.

" Yes.", I replied softly, not really expecting him to talk to me.

" I must say Mr. Sahaye your daughter is really beautiful. She has charmed my only son, Rudra and I would be happy to accept her as my daughter in law if you don't have an objection.", he said with a pleasant smile. No wonder the people of Raigarh still considered him as their king.

" I.. Why will I have an objection, Ranaji?", my father said immediately.

" May I have an opinion?", I said as my father shot an angry glance at me.

" Of course, daughter.", said the king.

" I would like to take to Rudra. ", I replied glancing at his smiling face.

" Oh! Why not?", he said as he signalled Rudra. He walked up to me and held my hand taking me away from the hall to the large garden which lay behind the palace.

" Yes, so what is it?", Rudra said trying his level best to sound polite.

" I don't want to marry you.", I said in a rigid voice.

The garden was isolated with nothing more than some birds and butterflies.

Rudra immediately pulled me by my arm, hurting me.

He lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper, his brown eyes glinting dangerously,

" I thought you loved your boyfriend. Listen to one thing and get that clearly inside your mind, if you don't marry me your boyfriend, Gaurav will not get the money he asked for. At least think about him. ", he said as my heart skipped a beat. We stood so close that I lips nearly touched but he seemed to ignore that.

He left my arm which had been hurt by his strong grip.

" I hope you understand what I mean.", he said his voice going back to the polite one.

" Ye-Yes.", I said looking at the red marks that had formed on my hand.

He immediately turned and we walked back into the hall.

" So, would you marry him?", Rana Vikram Dev Singh asked with a pleasant smile as Rudra went and stood beside him.

" Yes.. Yes, I'll marry him. ", I said in a steady voice.

" Fine then, we'll select a date then.", Ranaji said as mom and dad did a namaste to him and walked out of the palace along with me.

" Unbelievable.. I didn't even dream of you marrying in a royal family. ", mom said, not really noticing the red marks on my hand.

We sat in the car as I noticed Rudra who has walked out to say goodbye. He smiled pleasantly but only somebody who had been close to him could have noticed the evil glint in those eyes.

I had agreed to marry my doom, how could life become worse?