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Shekhawat Mansion

It's 6 am in the morning, the sun started to make its way out and the moon is slowly fading away but still Rudra hadn't returned. No one knows that he isn't at home except for Sathi but she doesn't bother to tell anyone nor look for him.

She was still asleep while clutching the fluffy black blanket tightly which had Rudra's cologne smell lingering on it but she wasn't aware of it thinking this is how his room smelled as his whole room had his cologne smell.

Suddenly the sound of door opening could be heard but since Sathi was a heavy sleeper her slumber didn't break but as the door creaked open the intruder entered in as his loud footsteps could be heard on the marble tiles.

He closed the door behind him and when he turned only for him to stood stilled in his place by the view greeted him and it involuntarily made him clenched his jaw in pure rage and his eyes turned darker blinded by pure rage and hatred towards the fragile figure that sleeping peacefully without a care about anything on his bed meanwhile she was the reason for his sleep been snatched away.

Rudra walked towards his bed where Sathi was sleeping and that too on his bed without his permission. Rudra hates sharing his things and seeing Sathi sleeping on his bed peacefully after destroying his plan only intensified his hatred for her.

He looked at her once who was the main reason for his sleepless night and here she is sleeping peacefully only triggered something in him so he quickly walked inside the bathroom and came out with a bucket filled with water.

Without wasting a second he emptied the entire bucket of water on her making her sit up abruptly. He smirked seeing her trying to calm herself down and she was looking here and there before her gaze stopped at smirking Rudra.

She wiped her face and glared at him while clutching the blanket tightly trying to not lash out at him.

"Tsk..Tsk... Did I disturb your beauty sleep my dear wifey?" Rudra asked mockingly while stressing on the word wife

"I thought you are mannerless jerk but now it seems like you lack of basic human tendencies also, as you don't know how to wake a sleeping person normally" Sathi said while rolling her eyes

Hearing her insult it only fueled Rudra burning rage and without thinking twice he grabbed her nape and pulled her closer to him.

"Never, I repeat never ever dare to disrespect me, just because I stood up against my mother and Tara doesn't mean you can walk all over me, remember whatever I do yesterday is solely for me because now you're no longer a lowlife girl but my wife so if they disrespect you it means they're disrespecting me and moreover only I have the rights to do anything with you Mrs.Shekhawat”

he whispered darkly as their faces just one breath away

He squeezed her nape tightly, inflicting pain to see her reaction but however he failed when she looked at him blankly and pushed him away and went down from the bed and stood in front of him.

"I have a name and that is Sathi don't you dare to call me with anything else and you should know well then me that this marriage is not only forced upon you but me too so don't think I were a willing participant in this because I'm not and I'm not an damsel in distress who needs an knight to save her…I can save myself very well Mr.Rudradev Shekhawat" Sathi said firmly

"If you think I like to call you with endearments than you're totally wrong because I don't even have slightest interest in you but I'm not wrong entirely because isn't it your name from now on 'Sathi Rudradev Shekhawat' just like our name intertwined so does our destiny" Rudra said sarcastically

Sathi understood that talking to Rudra is useless so without saying anything giving a last glare at his way she walked towards the bathroom to freshen up and to get ready for the day ahead since she knows that there is a lot waiting for her.

It's 8 am when Sathi walked down to the hall after whatever encounter she had with Rudra, when she come out from the bathroom she saw Rudra was sleeping on the bed half naked with his upper body left bare and then bedsheet and blanket were changed and it clearly shows that he had changed it before sleeping as he doesn't want anything Sathi touched to be near him.

Sathi reached the dining area and saw that Arpita along with Damini were preparing for morning puja.Sathi didn't know what to do so she decided to stand aside and watch her.

After a few minutes the others started to come down as it was their morning routine to join Arpita with her early morning puja except for Rudra.

Everyone joined the puja except Rudra and Sathi as he was still sleeping, meanwhile no one asked her to join. Yadav also wasn't there as he usually went for a morning walk and he will finish around this time but he is not here yet so there was no one willing to talk to Sathi except for him.

All of them participate in the puja and Arpita asked Damini to hand over the prasad to everyone, Damini heed to her instruction started to hand over the prasad to everyone and when she saw Sathi who stood quite far away from them who were wearing a white long skirt paired with white button up shirt and tied her hair into sleek high ponytail as she looked nothing like the new bride of the Shekhawat family.

Damini even felt pity for Sathi still she couldn't do any as she had skip her as no one in the family accepted Sathi and she doesn't want to indulge in any trouble by supporting this girl.

Once they were done with the morning puja, all of them stepped out from the praying room and walked towards the dining area, that's when all of them noticed Sathi standing there alone.

"Oh-Ho the new bahurani of the house has woken up very early seems like she had a very good night of sleep after destroying a innocent girl is life" Sadhika taunted Sathi

No one from them wished her morning nor welcomed her as the adults eyes held an unsaid hatred for her except for the young adults in the house.

"I don't know what to say, I heard everything from Yadavji but still whatever happened can't be justified, you've ruined another girl's home to build yours so expecting for us to accept you is not simple for any of us" Arpita said, the old woman eyes scrunched in disgust

Everybody was going to settle down in their place at the dining table to have their breakfast while letting a quiet Sathi stand there, while Jhanvi didn't even bat an eye towards her new daughter in-law because as per her she can't accept Sathi because in her eyes Sathi is a homewrecker.

However, when Arpita was going to take her seat Sathi's voice stopped her.

“I didn't break anybody home because there was no one home at the first place in your grandson's life to break” Sathi said sharply

Hearing her sharp reply everybody stopped at their place and looked at her, like she has grown two horns because nobody has ever mouthed back the old matriarch. Even though Yadav Shekhawat is the one rule the empire but most of the rules in this house was running by Arpita and seeing a young woman speaking to her like this is something new to them.

“Don't forget your place, just because Dev married you it doesn't automatically gives you the power to disrespect the Shekhawat because you're still a nobody coming from a low background” Rishi asserted firmly looking at Sathi

Sathi let out a forced yet sarcastic chuckle and rolled her eyes.

“You’re right I'm nobody's but at least this nobody knows how to treat people the way they deserve and clearly can see through people's intentions but you…tsk..tsk..tsk…how sad coming from such an elite background still can't buy you class neither manners” Sathi mocked Rishi

Rishi looked at Sathi with simmering rage as how a petite girl literally mocked the business shark of the Shekhawat in front of everyone.

“Enough! Is that how your parents raised you? Don't you know how to talk to your elders…can't blame you if it's clearly the mother's fault in it, what can we do” the old matriarch said with disappointing head shake

“Yeah right! If someone speaks the truth then you've to go below the belt because after all that's all you can do if there's no comeback such low mindset” said Sathi

Gasps filled the atmosphere, as the two daughters-in-law of the house shared a look seeing the new bride arguing back to back with the old matriarch. Rishi's patience wears thin seeing Sathi's steel spine of not backing down.

“Areyyy…chup kar ladki itna badtameezi ho tum…chii how did Dev's type fall so this low” Sadhika said disgust laced in her tone (Heyyy….be quiet girl you're so rude…chii how did Dev's type fall so this low)

“At least I'm not as low as you all, ganging up to bully the new bride of the house instead of welcoming her and the audacity to call me low when all of you are literally a grown ups and still behaving like this is just giving me second hand embarrassment and make me question who is actual low here?” Sathi retorted back

“That's enough Sathi, you're right they shouldn't speak to you like that but that doesn't give you the right to humiliate them like this and no matter what now you're a part of this family and this family is run by a strict rules and I believe you will able to abide to it” Karan finally speak up sensing the growing tense atmosphere

Sathi looked at Karan and said honestly

“Karan Sir respectfully don't speak in-between this because you weren't the one going through their words but me even though it's doesn't bother me but it's my self respect in the line and I will speak up if it's necessary and you weren't saying anything when your father called me coming from low background so I expect you to keep your opinions to yourself just the way you're quietly watching just now”

The young adult girls looked at Sathi shocked seeing how she wasn't able to easily bend by any of them.

“You—” before Jhanvi could speak up Yadav walked in and instantly the atmosphere turned into pin dropped silent

Yadav walked in and saw how the entire atmosphere turned silent in the early morning and not like the usual morning where they were indulging in some conversation. He looked at all of them suspiciously when his gaze fell on Sathi who stood there staring blankly at the floor without saying anything.

"What happened? Why are all of you looking at me like that and why is Sathi standing here and not sitting with you all? Did you all say anything to her?" Yadav asked looking at his family suspiciously

"Papaji finally aagaye hi aap! Dekho yeh badtameezi ki ladki was literally insulted maaji, just because maaji showed a little sadness of her so she choose to insult her” Sadhika rushed to said (Papaji finally you're here! Look this rude girl was literally insulting maaji, just because maaji showed a little bit of her sadness so she choose to insult her)

Yadav looked at his wife before looking at Sathi who was standing there clutching her handbag tightly in her grip but this time she didn't look down but she was looking straight at Yadav.

"Beta what happened? Did anybody say anything to you?”

Yadav asked in gentle tone

Everyone looked at Yadav shocked written all over their face because they believed with Sadhika’s word he would now lash out at Sathi for disrespecting his beloved and respected wife but the scene in front of them is totally different.

Sadhika looked at Yadav with slightly her mouth open and she was going to say something but Yadav raised his hand stopping her mid sentence and kept his eyes solely focused on Sathi.

“Mr.Shekhawat I didn't purposely disrespect your wife…she is the one who questioned my upbringing and your son has joined team with her to tarnish my self respect so I do what I need to do to protect my self respect” Sathi answered honestly looking at the old patriarch wrinkled eyes

A slow yet soft amusing chuckled tore through the atmosphere and before anybody could say anything Yadav speak up

“Very well then…if it's matter of your self respect then we'll they deserve it”

Rishi looked at his father with wide eyes and said

“But papa she was bluntly rude towards all of us even to Karan but here you're siding her blindly without asking us anything?”

Yadav looked at Rishi and whatever softness he has for Sathi just now vanished the moment he locked gaze with his middle aged son.

“Don't try to use your manipulation trick on me Rishi! I'm your goddamn father and if you think this will work on me then I'm sorry you're just a fool because I know how some of you all can behave as I already witness it by myself yesterday” he said while his eye narrowed towards a quiet Jhanvi

Jhanvi lowered her head in shame seeing how her father in-law was pin pointing her out without saying out loud and somewhere it hurt her because she was never the one to lose calm easily but because of this girl she had to do it.

“But papa—” Rishi tries to reason but Yadav cut him out by raising his hand

“If anybody thinks Sathi is rude then I'm sure you're the first one to poke her and remember if you match the stick be ready to eat the fire as well so stop complaining and I remember yesterday itself I made myself clear that it's better to all of you to accept their relationship and Sathi as soon as possible but seems like you love to try the outcome of it I guess” Yadav said with a chilling cold tone

Arpita looked down in guilt when she sensed her husband's eye watching her but she didn't find the courage to speak up.

“From now on if I see anybody is so keen on digging the past then get ready to face the consequences, anyways get back to your breakfast all of you” Yadav warned

Yadav turned and looked at Sathi and said softly

“I'm sorry for their bad behavior beta…please come and join us for the breakfast”

But before Sathi could make a move, Arpita spoke again.

"What is this Yadavji, how can you forget the rituals that we have been following over generations"

Even though Arpita didn't accept Sathi or neither the families, still she can't neglect the traditions that they have been following from generations.

Yadav looked confused and asked his wife

"What now Arpita? I don't get it"

Arpita shook her head in disappointment and looked at Jhanvi and said

"Jhanvi I know this hard for you to accept that Dev's marriage happened this way and you're not ready to accept it so does us but still no matter how the marriage happened we shouldn't forget our tradition and now no matter what she is the daughter in-law of the Shekhawat so it's our responsibility to make sure she do every rituals as every daughter in-laws of this house"

Jhanvi looked at Arpita and smiled bitterly before saying

"I understand what you are trying to say maa, today is her first pehli rasoi as the daughter in-law of this house but I'm sorry maa I can't guide her but that doesn't mean I will let you down so I have already asked the maid to prepare everything in the kitchen and Damini can guide her" Jhanvi said without looking at Sathi

Arpita turned to look at Sathi for a moment and disapproval flashed in her eyes seeing the way Sathi dressed but she didn't say anything as she remember her husband's warning so she decided not to say anything about it and proceed to ask her to go to the kitchen to do her rituals.

But before she could ask her to, Sathi looked at Arpita and said

“I'm not going to do any rituals today as per your request because I remember vividly the way you disrespect my mother by bringing her upbringing so fair to say I should also act accordingly to it right”

Yadav didn't say anything but he did looked amused seeing Sathi's sharp tongue and he knew this girl has a spine as a steel that nobody can bend her and seeing her seeking revenge this way a small yet humorous smiled crept up but he quickly covered it with his hand pretending he is not interested in their conversation.

"But this is the rituals that we have been following from generations and it's compulsory for a new bride to do it-" Arpita was saying this when Sathi interrupted in between by saying

“Mrs.Shekhawat I think that's enough for a day…how much you want to argue with me? As I already said I'm not going to do anything so stop it” saying so Sathi walked away from there leaving the conversation hanging in the air

Everyone momentarily looked shocked except for Yadav as he understood Sathi's turmoil and he didn't want to force her so he let her be.He quickly instructed the maids to serve breakfast as they all needed to get going with their day.

As the maid started to serve everyone indulge in the breakfast quietly without uttering anything after that.