Chapter-1
⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣, 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕞𝕪 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕙𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕒
23 AUGUST,2025
Amidst the outskirts of Udaipur, stood a forest, mighty, tall and thick canopy covering the forest casting a shadow over it while a fleet of black cars roared through the forest consisting of nearly twelve cars.The cars belonged to the Thakur family and Chauhan family of Udaipur, two of the most influential families of the city who played a major role in the political circle. Both the families were going to take blessings of their kuldevi as soon as their kids were going to start a new phase in their lives.
The cars came to a halt just before a flight of 500 steps which is said to be a kind of test for the resilience and patience of the devotees and their devotion towards Maa Bhawani. As the door of a black Rolls Royce opened, a young man probably in his late twenties appeared out of the car in a kurta pyjama, a thin gold chain glided around his neck .While, a thick Kada made of gold which often is worn to depict commitment to God, faith, strength and devotion.The rings in his right hand were each screaming power and danger the most prominent one was a lion faced ring of gold and two red sapphires which indicated his eyes.He was none other than the sole of the Thakur family, Rudransh Singh Thakur, a man who is said to be the epitome of power in the political circle even though he joined it just a year ago. He started climbing the steps while the servants behind him brought all the ingredients for the pooja.
From another black Bugatti emerged a young girl probably in her early twenties wearing a maroon sharara suit with a duppata having intricate embroidery, few maroon bangles jingled in her hands.Her eyes were brown and she had a sharp nose with lips covered with burgundy lipstick while there sat a little black mole just above her upper lip drawing a lot of attention. Her hairs were tied into a low bun as she has always been feeling motion sickness every time she goes somewhere in the car. As she got out of the car,her mother held her hand and her father came forward to help his little girl who was struggling cause of being dizzy.
If it wouldn’t have been for the pooja,he wouldn’t have asked her to travel for such a long time in the car and it wasn’t even possible for them to get the private jet here as the forest’s canopy is very thick. (He is a very soft hearted father Yk na ,the pookie girl dad). He held her and she wrapped her fingers around his finger just like she used to do when she was a kid. He smiled seeing her grip around his fingers and started moving forward despite the spinning she was feeling as she needed to reach the NGO by 5 in the evening and it’s a three hour ride from here to the city .
She started going forward while holding her father’s finger but she suddenly lost her balance and just when she was about to kiss the stairs with her head along with passing a stumble to her father. A hand gripped her waist and the very next moment she was in the sky and her fingers unravelled from her father’s fingers. She looked up at the person who dared to swing her like a rumble and of course, it was none other than ‘Rude Singh Thakur’.
He chuckled when she was looking at him as if spitting fire from his eyes. He gave her a little jerk and she wrapped her hand around his neck to not fall.He smiled with satisfaction on getting what he wanted.
Looking at her with a smirk he whispered,“Dovresti imparare ad adattarti in base alla situazione, preghiera”
(You should learn to adjust according to the situation, prayer)
She looked at him with anger clearly visible in her eyes as she whispered back,penetrating her perfectly manicured sharp nails into his neck,“Non sono la tua preghiera, non ho bisogno di adattarmi perché sono il tesoro di mio padre”
(I am not your prayer,I don’t need to adjust cause I am my father’s treasure)
She smiled at him while he hissed at her actions. Having gained satisfied by her stunt,she smiled with satisfaction glee spreading throughout her body. He looked at her with a glare but the smile on her lips made his heart skip a beat. He still trying hard to not smile back at her and maintaining his rude guy personality. He looked at her and said in quite an angry tone,“Stay in your limits or I may throw you down, Soon to be wifey.”
She gave him an annoyed look but decided not to drag this matter further. Soon, both of them reached the temple with her being still in his arms. He slowly and carefully let her down on the ground and both of them bowed their hand touching the entrance of the temple before entering.Both of them moved forward entering the temple at the same time and then moving to the family.
Soon, the pooja started and both of them stood in front of the devi’s idol and prayed for the betterment of everyone in the world.Rudransh looked at Akshita and the six year old memory came rushing to his mind when the eighteen-year-old girl became his preghiera.
Flashback
6 years ago
A twenty year old Rudransh came back to his home for a vacation during his summer break.When his family decided to visit their kuldevi and his father’s friend, Shivansh Singh Chauhan and his family was also called to accompany them as their daughter Akshita too would leave the country for her future studies the next month.
As both the families reached the temple of their kuldevi, the unbothered souls of Rudransh and Akshita sat in front of the idol surrounded by their parents and guards not knowing how very soon this temple and the goddess is going to tie them together in the most unusual way.How she is going to bless them with something they may not want but will beef for sure.
Pandit ji was going to start the pooja when he realized that the water in the kalash was not enough for the pooja.So, he asked Rudransh to go and get some water from the pond in the backyard.On the other hand, Akshita was asked to get some flowers from the garden from the backyard too for making the garland.She picked up the little bamboo basket and moved towards the background on the mission ‘Finding Flowers’.
Rudransh who was filling the kalash with water, he heard the slight jingling of someone’s anklets.Feeling curious about who it was,who was in the backyard along with him, he decided to follow the sound.Following the sound, he ended up in the garden with various types of flowers surrounding him.In front if him, stood a girl in a pink anarkali with jhumkas and silver bangles giggling with a flower basket in her hands. On her feet, a little rabbit kept moving from one side to another making her chuckle even more. She kept the basket on the ground and picked up the little mischievous creature who looked innocently at her with his red eyes.
She patted his back with her hand in a soft rhythm.The phone in her pocket ringed and the caller was her mother.She quickly let the little buddy down and turned around to go back to the temple.When she looked at a boy in a white kurta looking at her without even blinking.She felt really awkward with his gaze who was not even bothering to look away when she was straight away glaring at him.
Just as she passed him in anger, with the flower basket in her hand.He came back to his senses and scratched the back of his neck while feeling awkward.Just as he closed his eyes, she was the only thing that came to his mind, an angel, just too pure.As he was just about to leave, he found her jhumka on a flower.In order to reminisce the angel for a long time, he decided to steal her jhumka the same way stole his peace for a few moments. The only difference being he is in no mood to return it.
He quickly decided to go back to the temple along with his kalash and stolen jhumka.Just as he entered the temple, placing the kalash near the idol of Devi maa just as he was about to move back, he bumped into someone and just as both of them were about to fall their backs kissing the floor, he pulled her closer while holding her waist towards himself.At that exact moment, the duppata over Devi maa’s idol fell on both of them covering them and the bell rang showing it was a good omen and a very auspicious one too.
He felt his heart beating very fast against his ribcage and felt as if everyone and everything around him disappeared, the only thing that mattered right now was her and the only thing he wanted to do was to get lost into her eyes.Looking at the art God created, appreciating this masterpiece. His innocent angel, as sacred as a prayer. A prayer that’s what she was.
His prayer, his preghiera.
That was the moment he looked at her and she became his preghiera: silent, sacred and everything he had ever wished for.
