The Rathore residence was unusually quiet that evening.
Usually, the place was filled with people, phones ringing, staff moving around and someone or the other arguing over a political meeting. But today, the entire drawing room had fallen silent.
The reason?
Kaashi Raghuvanshi.
She stood in the middle of the room, still wearing the same black saree she'd worn for the television debate earlier that evening. Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she walked back and forth, trying to control her anger.
Across from her stood Rana Agastya Singh Rathore.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
And, unfortunately for Kaashi, the man she had been arguing with for the last twenty minutes.
"Ayeee tum Aisa nahi kar sakte ho theek hai ?? Aaye bade mukhyamantri.."
(You cannot just do that.)
Agastya didn't even look up from the file in his hand.
"Par mai to waisa kar chuka hu raghuvanshi.."
(I already did it raghuvanshi)
Kaashi stared at him.And muttered "Saale kutte ka bachhe jheengur" but again looking at him she said-
"Kya gaanja phooke ho ya charas liye ho ji jo aisa baudam log jaisa baat kar rahe ho "
(You're unbelievable)
Idk the English translation of above statment jo just wrote this...
"Thank you."
"Ayye baabu tareef nahi kiye the .."
(That wasn't a compliment)
"I know."
She rolled her eyes.
Of course.He was doing it again.That irritatingly calm expression.
He knew she will be irritated by it so yes he was doing it .
He acted As if nothing in the world could possibly bother him.
And ya it was true
Kaashi walked closer and placed both hands on the table in front of him.
"Tumko pata tha na ye sab karne se pehle..kaahe kare ye nautanki ?"
(You knew exactly what you were doing..)
Agastya finally looked up.And looked straight into her yes then her trembling lips.
"Because I wanted to do it ."
"Ajeeb suarchaap dima---"
"Careful. Apne shabd soch samajh kar chuno Raghuvanshi.."
His voice was quiet.Kaashi straightened.
" Nahi to?? Nahi to kya ??!"
(Or what?)
Agastya closed the file.The sound wasn't loud, but somehow the room became even quieter.
"Mere sabra ka imrehaan mar lo aaj KAASHI..."
(Don't push me tonight, Kaashi.)
She gave him a disbelieving laugh.And thought "you are the one who is pushing me rana..you are the one who has made me feel like a piece of shit from days"
"Aaye haaye hum na kare kuch ..?"
(You're telling me not to push you?)
"Yes."
"After what you just did?"
"Yes."
"You humiliated me."
"I corrected you."
"Abeyy chall hatt..sabke saamne humara ijjat utaare tum ..!"
"You embarrassed yourself."
That did it.Kaashi's eyes widened.Her first tightened her knuckles turned white!
"Excuse me?"
Agastya leaned back against the sofa, completely unfazed.
"You heard me."
She stared at him for a few seconds.Then she laughed.Not because anything was funny.
She was simply too angry to know what else to do.
"Achhaa tumko lagta hai ki tum jaisa chaaho humse baat kar sakte ho ..wo bhi sirf isiliye kyunki tum agstya singh rathore ho..!"
(You really think you can talk to me however you want just because you're Agastya Singh Rathore?)
His expression didn't change.
"No."
He paused.
"Hum aapse jaise chahe waise isliye baat karte hai kyunki aap Kashi Raghuvanshi hai..!"
(I talk to you however I want because you're Kaashi.)
That shut her up for exactly two seconds.
Then...
"You're such an asshole."
A few people standing at the far end of the room immediately looked away.Nobody wanted to be involved.
Agastya, however, looked almost amused.
"Are you done?"
"No."
"Kaashi."
"No, I'm not done."
She stepped closer.
"Ayeee..tumko lagta hai na ki sab tumhare kaabu me ha..tumhara parivar.. tumhari satta..tumhari partyy ..tumhare log..sab kuch tumhare aaju baaju ho sakta hai tumhare kaabu me par..mai nahi..nahi kar sakte tum mujhe kaabu ..!"
(You think you can control everything. Your family, your party, your people, everyone around you. But you don't control me..)
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I know."
"To phir band karo ye nautanki.. stop acting like you do."
(Then stop this nonsense..and stop acting like you control me )
"I never said I did."
"You don't have to say it. You just act like it "
Her voice rose.
"Actually yk what Your entire personality screams it."
Kashi said looking at him with hatred..
Agastya stood up.
The sudden movement made her pause.He was taller than her by enough that she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him.
"Ghar jaao kaashi..."
Kaashi stared at him.
"Nahii."
"Kaashi."
"No."
He sighed.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"And don't order me around."
They stared at each other.Neither willing to step back.Neither willing to lose.And perhaps that was the problem with them.
They had never known how to stop.Kaashi's anger finally got the better of her.
She raised her hand.
Slap.
Padi lakdi lena koi isse seekhe!
The sound echoed through the room.Silence.Absolute silence.
Kaashi's hand remained in the air for a second before she slowly lowered it.Agastya's face was turned to the side.
Nobody moved.Nobody breathed.
Kaashi's heart suddenly started pounding.
Oh shit.
Maybe...Maybe she had gone a little too far.
The voices in her head were like "Nahiii kashii..ye nahi karna tha..you shouldn't have done this...ab ye tujhe kachha chaba jayega "
Agastya slowly turned his face back towards her.His expression was impossible to read.
Kaashi swallowed.And she did not wanted him to see fear in her eyes so, she refused to look away.
"What?"
He said nothing.
She lifted her chin.
"Say something."
He took a step towards her.Kaashi's confidence wavered for the first time.Another step.She instinctively stepped back.
Agastya stopped when there was barely any distance left between them.He looked at her for a long moment.Then leaned down slightly.
His voice was low enough that only she could hear it.
"This was the line, Kaashi."
Her breath caught.He didn't look away.
"You crossed it."
She stared at him.
She knew the devil in front of her..his blood must be boiling with anger .
She knew she messed up.
"And now?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.But there was nothing funny about it.
"Now you'll pay the price."
Kaashi's eyebrows pulled together.
She knew he can kill her in 99 different ways because “The first was definitely standing this close to her, close enough for her to feel his breath against her bare neck.”
"What price?"
Agastya straightened.
"You'll know soon."
He turned around and walked away.Kaashi stood there, watching him disappear through the doorway. She knew something bad or maybe worse no worst actually was coming for her .
The person she slapped right now will make her life a living hell and shw wouldn't be to anything bout it
She should have felt victorious.She had finally shut him up.
but she suddenly had the horrible feeling that she had just made the biggest mistake of her life?
---
THREE DAYS LATER
Kaashi sat beneath the mandap, staring at the flames in front of her.
Her red lehenga felt heavier than it had when she'd first put it on.Maybe it was the jewellery.Maybe it was the dupatta.
Or maybe it was the fact that she was sitting beside the same man she had slapped three days ago.Her eyes slowly moved towards him.
Agastya sat beside her, dressed in an ivory sherwani, looking completely calm.
Too calm. Kaashi hated this calm look of his specially at this point when he is marrying her on gunpoint .
Kaashi couldn't understand how he was sitting there like this was a normal wedding. This was a forced wedding. 10 minutes ago she was begging him to leave her mother and spare her and now everything feel normal .
She leaned towards him.
"You actually did this."
Agastya didn't look at her.
"I told you I would."
"I thought you were threatening me."
"You are delusional everybody knows it"
Her eyes widened.
"You think this is funny?"
"No."
He finally looked at her.
"I thinkYOU ARE FUNNY ."
Kaashi's jaw dropped.
"You are insane."
"Maybe."
The priest began chanting again.Kaashi looked around the mandap.
Nobody knew that she didn't want to be here.Nobody knew that this wasn't a love marriage.Nobody knew that the man sitting beside her had married her because of one stupid slap.
Kaashi looked back at him.
"I hate you."
Agastya's eyes stayed on hers.
"I know."
"And I'll never forgive you. If you think you can fuck me just because you married me then you are nothing but delusional"
His expression didn't change.
"I don't need you to forgive me..and you are not that attractive that I feel the urge to fuck you"
This was the first time in life when Kashi was told that she is not pretty pr something like that .
She was shocked .
This was even worse then her forced marriage.
The priest asked them to stand for the next ritual.Kaashi didn't move.
Agastya looked at her.
"Stand."
"No."
A few people nearby glanced in their direction.Kaashi lowered her voice. He thinks he can call The KASHI RAGHUVANSHI ugly and get away with it ?
"I'm not doing this."
Agastya leaned closer. Close enough to make kashi feel sometimes new..
"You have two choices."
She glared at him.
"What?"
"Stand up."
He paused.
"Or We can wait until I kill everyone present here.. starting with you mother off course."
Kaashi wanted to slap him again.God, she wanted to.But this time she controlled herself.
She knew this man never says something aise hi..and rn he can really do everything he threatened her about
She slowly stood.Agastya followed.The rituals continued.
One after another.Until the priest finally handed Agastya the mangalsutra.Kaashi's eyes fell on it.
Her heart sank.Agastya looked at her.For a moment, neither of them said anything.Then he leaned closer.
His voice was barely audible.
"Remember what I told you?"
Kaashi looked at him.His eyes held hers.
"You crossed the line."
He lifted the mangalsutra.
"This is your price."
And before she could say anything..
He tied it around her neck.The cameras flashed.Everyone applauded.
Kaashi sat there completely still.
She was cursing herself , her job , her boss , actually everything that her interact with him .
Her fingers slowly touched the mangalsutra resting against her neck.She looked at Agastya.
He was already looking at her.And for the first time since she had met him...Kaashi couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
This marriage wasn't the end of their war.
It was simply the beginning of a much bigger one.
---
<AUTHOR'S NOTE 🖤>
Okayyy guys... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! 😭
Like excuse me??? KAASHI???
YOU SLAPPED HIM???? 😭😭
And Agastya... bhai... sir...
Aapko revenge lena tha toh itna extreme jaana zaroori tha kya??? SHAADI??? 😭
I swear, you guys are going to have to be a little patient with these two because there's a LOT that you don't know yet. 👀
And please don't start fighting with me in the comments already, I can literally feel you typing "AGASTYA IS TOXIC" 😭
Bas abhi itna hi bolungi-
Don't judge anyone yet.
Okay I'm shutting up now before I accidentally spoil something. 🤡
Go read Part One, babies.
And yes... we're going back ten days before that slap. 👀🫧
Love you guys already.
Now go. READ. 😭🖤
- Kaashii 🫧
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