The sky was ablaze with fierce lightning, as if calling upon the rain to unleash its fury. The rain, keeping rhythm with the thunder's beat, danced upon the branches of trees, busy quenching the fire burning within the earth's soil. Far from the city, in an opulent room of a large farmhouse, a man named Ridhansh Singh Rathod, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, was staring out from the balcony at the cracking lightning. In his deep, dark eyes burned a fire that seemed to flare even more at the sight of the wild weather outside.
Just then, Gagan, a twenty-one-year-old, entered the room. She was wearing a red wedding lehenga, now completely drenched. Gagan was shivering from the cold. The radiance that had been on her face just a while ago had now turned into helplessness and despair. With her swollen, red eyes fixed on the back of the man standing before her, she spoke in a tearful voice:
"Who are you? What do you want from me? Why are you doing all this to me? What game are you playing with me? What have I ever done to you, that you've forced me to come here like this? And how do you know about that poison?"
Hearing her, a dangerous, victorious smile touched the lips of Ridhansh, who still had his back turned. Ridhansh was dressed in a maroon three-piece suit. A Rolex watch adorned one wrist, and a bracelet studded with white diamonds sparkled on the other. Leather shoes completed his attire. His outfit marked him as someone from an affluent family. An arrogance, as if he carried sacks of rice on his shoulders, was evident on his face. Ridhansh's dark, intense eyes were particularly severe at this moment. He turned around, both hands in his pockets, and fixed his stern gaze on Gagan, scanning her entire body.
That intense stare frightened Gagan, but for the sake of her love, she mustered courage and stood her ground. After looking at Gagan for a moment, Ridhansh strode towards her. He came close, looked into her kohl-rimmed eyes with a crooked smile, and spoke in a harsh voice:
"Impressive, baby doll. You arrived right on time. To save your love's life… Well, let me tell you why I summoned you here. The poison that has dissolved in your beloved Kriyansh's body… its only antidote exists in just two places in this world. One is in my forensic lab. And the second…" He deliberately paused to watch the fear spread across Gagan's face, "...the second no longer exists."
Saying this, Ridhansh moved closer. He bent slightly, looking at the marks on Gagan's cheeks—as if someone had slapped her. He began to caress her cheeks. His proximity and touch made Gagan uncomfortable. She jerked his hand away, stepping back in anger, and said, "Don't touch me! Whatever you have to say, say it from a distance. Don't try to come close, or you'll regret it in front of me!"
Seeing Gagan pull away, Ridhansh's dark eyes suddenly turned icy. He grabbed Gagan's hand firmly, twisting it behind her back, and gritting his teeth in anger, said, "Baby doll, those whose own feet are in the grave shouldn't give sermons to others. And don't lecture me about my limits. I will decide how to treat you. Answer the question I asked you."
His action stunned Gagan. "What is this rudeness? Let go of my hand, or I'll scream!"
Hearing Gagan, Ridhansh let out a devilish laugh. "Yes, yes, scream! Very funny, baby doll! You do know you're in my private farmhouse right now. Meaning, in my empire. No one will come to help you here if you scream. But don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you just yet. Until something becomes my property, I don't stake my claim on it."
Saying this in a strange manner, Ridhansh released Gagan. He stepped back and sat on a leather sofa, crossing one leg over the other, placing one hand on the sofa, and staring at Gagan with an arrogant air.
"I will save your beloved's life. In return, you must give me a new life. Like blood for blood, life for life. In the same way, a new life for a life. Meaning, you have to give me a child, baby doll."
His words struck Gagan like a bolt. She stared at the man sitting before her in shock. What nonsense is this person talking? How can I do this? My wedding with Kriyansh was supposed to happen just a little while ago. The one I am madly in love with, who is my entire world. I can't even dream of being close to another man, leaving him.
Gagan became so angry that she stepped forward, grabbed Ridhansh's collar, and said, "How dare you? Speak such cheap words to me? Being rich doesn't mean you'll get whatever you want! That I'll just agree to become the mother of your child! As if I have no honor or dignity that you can just buy through a deal! You may be rich, but you don't have the stature to bargain for my love!"
As soon as she grabbed his collar, Ridhansh's face darkened completely. Simultaneously, Gagan felt the room's temperature drop suddenly. Ridhansh stood up abruptly, gripped Gagan's jaw tightly, looked deep into her eyes, gritted his teeth in anger, and said, "Baby doll, this was the last mistake you made unknowingly. If you dare to grab my collar again, you might have to pay a very heavy price. So don't even think of repeating this mistake. Don't be insolent."
Seeing his dark, intense, stern eyes, Gagan trembled to her core. Ridhansh jerked her face away in anger and walked ahead. He turned towards a panel on the wall and pressed a button. The entire wall in front transformed into a flashing video screen. It showed an ICU. Kriyansh was lying unconscious on a bed, his entire face had turned blue. Many machines were attached to his body, and the monitor showed his slow, irregular heartbeat. A doctor was shaking his head in despair.
"Every person has a price," Ridhansh said in an arrogant tone. "Your price is your love. And I can save him. Or..." he shrugged, "I can let him die in agony. The option is yours, baby doll."
"This is not an option! This is blackmail!" Gagan screamed in anger, now crying. Her fear had turned into rage. "You are a monster!"
"A monster is not the one who offers a deal," Ridhansh said in a strangely philosophical way. "A monster is the one who lets another die when the means to save them is in his hands."
Suddenly, a sharp sound came from the video screen—the sound of the ECG machine. Gagan's breath caught. Her hands flew to her mouth, her pained scream stifled.
"He doesn't have much time left," Ridhansh said, looking at Gagan with deep eyes, his voice now filled with a dangerous softness. "With every passing minute, the poison is destroying his organs. An hour? Maybe two? Then even the antidote won't work."
Gagan stood staring at the screen, tears rolling down her cheeks like pearls.
"You have no right to place any conditions before me," Gagan whispered, but the fire in her voice was gone. There was only a tired, broken despair.
"I can buy the right to everything, baby doll," Ridhansh said with an arrogant expression, laughing. "In this world, only those with the most power succeed. And in today's game, all the cards are in my hand."
Saying this, Ridhansh came very close to Gagan. She smelled his scent—a strong, expensive perfume, and beneath it, the scent of an iron-like willpower.
"One year," Ridhansh said in a deep voice, now a whisper. "You will stay with me for one year. On my terms. If within that year you can give me an heir, you are free. You both can go anywhere, start a new life."
"And if I don't?" Gagan said without looking up.
Hearing this, Ridhansh held her chin and gently turned her face towards him. Their eyes met.
"Then we will change the terms of the deal. But don't think you have the option to say 'no'. 'No' will mean Kriyansh's death. And you... you will still be mine. Just that in that situation, you will have no promise, no hope."
Gagan squeezed her eyes shut. Her entire world—her love, her dreams, her honor—everything was being crushed in this man's fist. She seemed to have lost the power to think. Before her eyes was only Kriyansh's life, which could end with her one 'no'.
Then, Kriyansh's smiling face floated before her. Seeing his charming smile, tears spilled from her eyes. She had come here to save his life, after all. And Ridhansh, in whose eyes there was no mercy, no doubt. Only an iron will, completely certain that he would get what he wanted.
A faint moan came from Kriyansh. Hearing it, Gagan's eyes snapped open. Without looking at Ridhansh, she said in a broken voice, "I... accept this deal. Please, save his life. I'll do whatever you say."
As she said this, the ground seemed to slip from under Gagan's feet. She began to faint, collapsing. Ridhansh swiftly moved forward and caught her before she fell. He lifted the unconscious Gagan in his arms. An expression of fearless certainty, along with a victorious smile, appeared on Ridhansh's lips.
Ridhansh turned towards the window. Outside, the rain had stopped. The garden, gleaming in the darkness, now looked calm. He gently brushed Gagan's wet hair away from her forehead.
"Welcome, baby doll. Welcome to my world," Ridhansh said, a dangerous glint in his eyes, as if he had found a precious diamond.
Behind him, on the screen, Kriyansh's monitor began emitting a long, flat beep.