Radhika's POV

I woke up at around 10 and with some struggle I finally got to the washroom to wash myself. I touched my private part only to find it so sore that it hurt even when I lightly brushed my fingers on it. My thighs had his finger marks with the way he was gripping them to keep me in place. I ran a bath for myself and got inside the bathtub and sat inside. I rest my head backwards on the backrest and closed my eyes. All what happened last night and today's morning flashed right infront of me. He had touched me and kissed me in places I didn't know existed in my body, he had controlled my body so much that even when he is not here I could still feel him kissing me against my will, parting my thighs to give him entrance, kissing my neck, my breast, his hands all over me not leaving an inch untouched and unexplored.

My eyes snapped open and I cried silently muffling my sobs," Why?! Why me?! I never did anything wrong to anyone then why me?! How can my body like what he does?! Do I don't have any self respect?! I know I cannot stop him but I let him have his way with me in the morning and I enjoyed it! I enjoyed him crushing my pride for what?! For sex! How pathetic am I!"

I lowered myself to the bottom, today there was no one to stop me, I can end this once and forever! I can do this as my this will mark victory against him. As the incessant need for oxygen arose and I could not take it anymore, I jolted out of the water as fast as I could. Great! What kind of coward am I! I can't even hold my breath for a few minutes inside the water and I want to die!
But the question was do I really want to die the death of a coward?!

If this is my life, if he is my destiny then I will try to make this work! I want to see how low he can stoop and how much I can bear with him. Today I saw something change in his eyes with the way he looked at me, the way he touched me, the way he tended to my injury even though he himself says that he loathes me because I am the daughter of the man who ruined his life but the care he showed me whether it was carressing my cheek with something close to affection or applying oinment on my cheek or even tucking me in the bed and the thing that shocked the most me  was when he kissed my forehead and I wasn't a fool to not know that there was nothing lustful in that kiss. Can I afford to trust him?!

Later that afternoon#

"So tell me Radhika, How did you meet Arjun?!" Mariam aunty quizzed me.

How do I answer this?!

"We met at the airport." I gave her a short answer.

"So did you guys fall in love then and there?! Who made the first move?! I am sure Bhai must have made the first move because he is such a go getter and he can be so pushy at times." Sam chirped and her lively smile was contagious.

"So I am pushy at times, Sam?!" My heart skipped a beat as he stood right behind me.

"Actually no you are pushy all the time." Sam smirked.

He snaked his hand around my waist," If this is the reward of being pushy all the time then I will be pushy for the rest of my life."

"Common bhai you are making it sound as if she is some trophy." Sam took an offense to his words.

He took his seat beside me and placed his hand behind me on my backrest. He leaned closer and whispered," You are indeed a trophy of my victory over your father but you are pleasing on the eyes and I do enjoy you very much so I guess you are a trophy."

I didn't know how to hold back my tears that threatened to betray me. Was it always going to be like this?!

"What are you two love birds mumering?!" Mariam aunty asked.

"Nothing just telling her how much I missed her and how I want to take her everywhere wherever I go." He played the part of a perfect husband so well that even I would have fell for that lie but I know He is just pretending.

"Why don't you take her out somewhere?! You guys have not gone for a honeymoon yet."

"Why do you need to go somewhere when you can just fuc...." He stopped short on his words," spend some quality time together in the comfort of your house."

"So when are you both going to make me a grandma?!" Mariam asked us.

Bile rose in my throat and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach just with the thought of getting pregnant. I don't want to get pregnant now maybe never because a child will bind me to him forever because if I have his baby then there is no chance I will ever leave the child to him.

"Soon Mariam just a matter of time." My eyes widened in shock at his words and I am sure horror struck my eyes as it dawned upon me how reckless he  has been while having sex with me. He had never used a condom the first time and I don't know if he used it or not the other times.

Was it a part of his revenge to knock me up?! 

"Absolutely It is my plan to get you pregnant so you are tied to me for life and I am sure your father will love to see you carry my baby." He leaned closer and said with bitter sarcasm in his tone.

I felt sick to my stomach as his acidic words fell on my ears.

"Excuse me." I managed to mutter and scutered from there as I could not take it anymore.

I ran as fast as my feet could possibly take me and my feet gave up when I reached the small temple that was my only solace in this place amongst strangers who were my family in relation but no one knew what I had faced. I knew Sam and Mariam were good, they liked me but they were in their own world, they thought of this marriage as the most perfect match made in heaven but only I knew that this marriage was nothing but my imprisonment for life.

I was tired of being that doll who always smiled and never let people see her pain, her heartbreak, her sacrifice. No one knew what she gave up to save her father who didn't deserved to be saved but of course Arjun withheld the complete story until he had her where he wanted her. She didn't dispute that what her father did to his mother was unforgivable and he was nowhere wrong to avenge her but what wrong did she ever do to him or his family.

"Crying for your father?!"

I heard him of course but I choose not to respond and got up on my feet to leave. I  was in no mood to take him on when I  felt so broken from inside.

He grabbed my  arm and pinned it behind my back singlehandedly," Answer me! Were you crying for your father?!"

"What does it matter to you?!" I asked him, teareyed.

"For the last time Radhika, were you crying for your father?!" His jaw hardened and I trembled under his murderous gaze.

"No." I managed to say.

"Good." He loosened his grip and smiled crudely,"Because I would really love to beat the sympathy for your father out of your body."

I shivered at his threat, he wasn't just daring me but I could see the storm in his eyes. He meant every word he said!

"Why were you crying?!" He asked, his voice a lot calmer now.

I turned my face away as more tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Stop crying!" He harshly retaliated.

Fear coursed in my veins hearing his loud voice and my whole body shook in fright!

"I said stop crying! Don't make me tell you again, Radhika." He warned.

I nodded and wiped my tears as fast as I could.

"It's nothing really..." He squeezed my cheeks, " My dear, don't make me ask you the hard way."

"I just...the...baby....I...don't...." I fumbled between my quiet sobs.

"You don't want to have my baby?!" His eyes looked deadly as if flames would emit out of them and burn me!

Yes! I don't want to have your baby! I refuse to carry the baby of the man who ruined my life. Do I don't get a say in this?! This is my body, for God's sake!

"No...I...the...child...it's...soon...too.."

I am just 22 and I don't want to have a baby for next five years at least and perhaps never if you don't grow to care for me.

"Then brace yourself because you are going to carry my child whether you like it or you don't, that's irrelevant!"

"I don't want to....please...Arjun.." My protest dissolved as he captured my lips and kissed me passionately. His hand moved across my back as he made me step aback and moved me towards the wall behind me, he pinned me against the wall and kept kissing madly with fervour.

"Radhika, we will have children not one but many and all sons. I don't want any daughter." He said as he broke the kiss.

Children! I was horrified with his declaration. What does he mean with all sons?! The sex of the child is not in our control. Fear coursed through my veins at the thought of having a daughter. What if he tells me to abort?!

"And what if we have a girl?!" I asked him pleading him with my eyes to not break my heart with his answer.

He looked away from me," I said I don't want daughters but if we have then it's fine as long as we have one son at least."!

I was not convinced with his answer. I was worried sick for a daughter that didn't exist. Will he love her?! Will he treat her right?!

"Will you ask me to abort?!" I asked in a broken voice, my gaze cast down at my feet.

He raised my chin up with his hand under it and made me look at him. He pulled me, lifted me off the ground until we were eye to eye," Never again do I want to hear this word from you! Am I clear, Radhika?!" He asked me in a voice that meant business.

"Does this mean you..." He crashed his lips on me not letting me complete what I wanted to say," Never! I am many things and I can be worst but there is one thing I can never be, a fucked up father who did no good to his own child." 

I nodded at his words and he let me go not before ushering a warning," Don't ever doubt my intentions for my child! Don't question me next time especially about this because next time I won't be so forgiving. When you question my intentions for my child, I take it to mean you compare me to my father in my head!"

"You didn't had a good father?!"I asked him, measuring my words as so far I know his father is sensitive topic.

"That's none of your business! You are nobody to me and I am not answerable to you." He snapped at me.

I felt tears peeking in my eyes. Can't he be little nice to me?!

But just then a miracle happened! I saw Something close to guilt in his eyes.

"If only he had been a good husband and a good father, my mom would have been alive today." He said bitterly.

"He didn't love you?!" I am pushing my limits I know but I want him to confide in me.

"He wanted an heir not a son. I wouldn't even be here standing talking to you if I was a girl." He said to me blankly but I felt he was talking more to himself than me.

How can a man be so cruel to his own flesh and blood?!
Although from his words and from his frigid eyes and from his cold tone, I could see he was putting on a brave front but I could see through that facade. He was still very affected by his father in the deepest of his being.

I looked at his fisted hands and opened his closed fist with my hand," I am sorry for what he did to you. No child deserves to be treated like that by his or her father."

He jerked off my hand that was holding his," I don't want your sympathy! Never try to give me your sympathy." He barked at me as he looked at me fiercely.

I took a step ahead close to him," I wasn't trying to give you sympathy, Arjun. It just made me sad that.."

He raised his palm stopping me from completing my stance," Its over. It's all in the past and I don't want to talk about it."

He touched my cheek," You should not feel anything for me, my dear. If my father was a despicable man then I am my father's son in more ways than you know."

I leaned more into his touch," Something tells me you are not."

He pulled his hand away," Then you are stupid to believe that. Don't forget what I did to you." He looked as if I just punched him in the gut as if I just touched his most vulnerable spot and he looked for cover to hide away the pain in his eyes.

He doesn't like to be compared to his father but he believes he is after all his father's son. I don't know much about his father but whatever he did to Arjun was something that gave him nightmares to this day. Did those burn marks on his back had to do something with his father?! Did he have an abusive father?!
I have seen him waking in cold sweat most of the times and his answer to it is sex over talking about it. If he wakes up in the middle of night then he will wake me up too. I feel he takes it in a way that sex helps him distract himself everytime his mind goes back to his past.

"You guys are here!" Sam's voice literally gave me a scare especially because she springed out of nowhere.

Arjun stood unaffected as if her loud voice didn't just gave a blow to our ears as if he was used to her being so loud.

"Sam, why don't you learn how to behave like a lady?! I think you are a man trapped in a woman's body."

My God! That was just so rude of him to taunt his sister like that and it didn't look like it that he even felt tiny bit of guilt for the tone or the words.

"Oh please give me a break, brother! You are the last person who should be lecturing me on how to be a lady when you are a man whore with a capital M who canoodled with sluts with a capital S." His face contored in anger and he took a threatening step towards her," Of course in the past you were now you are married." She quickly corrected herself but the damage was done as he looked furious.

I stood in between him and placed my hand on his chest stopping him," Let go you know she doesn't mean to disrespect you."

"Of course she did mean to disrespect me and you get out of my way." He glared at me.

"What! Are you going to hit her too?!" I asked, panicked.

"Wait a minute! He has hit you, Radhika?!" Sam asked in a berated tone.

I felt like banging my head against the wall at my slip of tongue and if Arjun was furious before, he looked murderous now!

"He hit you or not?! Answer me now!" Sam turned me towards her and asked me.

"Sam, don't poke your nose in my affairs. Stay out of it!" He snarled.

"Radhika, you haven't answered my question yet. Did my brother ever raise his hand on you?!" She asked me in a tone that was demanding.

Why can't I be more like her!

She brushed my hairstands away that were hiding his finger marks on my cheek," I can't believe it! He has slapped you and you didn't think it was legit for you to tell me or my mom." She turned to Arjun," How could you?! Have you no shame?! You hit your wife! I never say a word about how things are done here, bhai. I never interfere in your affairs but if you disrespect Radhika, I won't have it."

He sidestepped me and stood in front of her, eye to eye and both of them had a stare down competition," Sam, she is my wife and how I treat her is none of your business. You should not be giving me your opinion when you clearly are not aware of things."

"Radhika, can you excuse us for a minute, sweety?! I need to have a little chat with my brother." She smiled at me.

I looked at him and he nodded. I left the siblings alone and I wondered why she couldn't talk to him in front of me?! I felt scared for her actually because Arjun has no control over his anger and he tends to act out of impulse. I don't think so he will hit her because he clearly dotes on her. She is like his first child and his emotions for her are very pure but what if she says something and he loses control over his temper and....

Oh God! I have to check up on them, Sam stood up for me, she has been so good to me and I can't let him hurt her for me.

It's almost been twenty minutes and none of them has come back so I ran back to the same spot where I left them alone. I was surprised to find only Arjun there leaning against a pillar and checking his phone.

Where is Sam?!

"Sam." I said only word and he looked up giving me his attention," She is in her room."

I looked up at him suspiciously," Did you hit her?!"

He gave me a death glare," I have never raised a hand on my little sister. Don't dare to ask me this question next time!"

"I thought..."

"You thought if I  can hit you then I  can hit her too."

I nodded.

"You are my wife and I have a unquestionable right on you. She is different and she is my sister."

"Is she okay?!" I asked hesitantly.

He rolled his eyes at me,"Why don't you go and see her in her room and see for yourself since you both have become best of friends now." He looked at my disappointment and regretted perhaps," She will get over it. We always fight and make up. Don't worry about her, she is one tough girl and she is tenacious!"

Why doesn't he say all this nice things on her face?!

"What's the fun in that?! I do what I do for her own good. I am preparing her for life, she is going to run an empire one day and I want her to be unbelievably strong." He answered my unasked query.

"You love her very much." I stated.

"Of course I do. She is more dear to me than my own life." He said in a soft voice that was so unlikely of him.

"If you expect Sam to rule then why do you don't want daughters if you..."

"She can rule but will she sit on the throne?! No she won't and she can't. Rules here don't allow women to sit on the throne." He continued," In case you forgot her last name is not Mehra. She is my maternal sister and not paternal. She is respected by my people not accepted there is a difference in respect and acceptance."

"But you are big hearted to let her rule."

"Really?! Think about that statement once again." He smirked.

"But you said..."

"I said she will run an empire one day I never said anything about this one. As much as I love her but I am not going to share with her something that she has no right over. I was concieved to be the next king and you have no clue what I went through to get my crown back." He smiled with mirth.

"I thought..."

"Darling, you think too much and do you take me for a fool?! I want her to marry into a family like ours and that's how she will be in power." He gave me a smug look.

He closed up to me and touched my stomach," The one who will rule by my side and also after me when I am retired is yet to be born." I shivered hearing his words.

He cupped my face," Give me a boy soon." He leaned in to kiss but I backed off," What if it's a girl the first time?!"

"Then we will keep having children till we have a boy." He shut me up both with his words and his kisses!