The request hung in the air, a blunt demand. "I want a grandson, and soon, Shivay," the man said, his voice rough with expectation. He was nearing fifty, his authority etched into the lines around his eyes. "Three days married, and you haven't even looked at your wife." He shook his head, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. "Can't you grasp a simple thing? This empire needs an heir." The volume rose slightly, but he composed himself, noticing the glare his son leveled at him.
Shivay turned away, heading toward the small bar in the mansion. "You want a grandson? Fine." The words were cold, laced with resentment.
**************
She adjusted her nightgown, removing the last traces of makeup. Her face was beautiful, but her eyes held a deep sadness. The glow of her skin couldn’t hide the shadows within. Her breath caught in her throat when the door crashed open, slamming against the wall with a sickening thud. A man, barely twenty-seven, stood in the doorway, reeking of alcohol. She recognized him as her husband, his imposing frame captured in portraits hanging on the walls.
Shivay moved behind her, pulling her roughly against him. His hands travelled down her shoulder, then lower, pressing against her breast. Disgust coiled in her stomach. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to push him away, but his grip was too strong. How could a man touch her with such brutal intimacy without a word, a glance, even a question about her comfort? She lost herself in the swirling vortex of her thoughts, unaware of her feet leaving the ground. She gasped as she felt her back hit the mattress, her nightgown tearing away from her body. Tears streamed down her face as his mouth pressed against her breast, his hand between her legs, claiming her. A groan escaped her lips, quickly crushed by his lips as he forced himself inside her, taking her virginity. It wasn’t lovemaking; it was a violation, a rape committed by her own husband. He continued his assault throughout the night, his rough sex a brutal assault on her body.
When the sun finally rose, its rays fell on her pale body. Her lips were swollen, dried tear tracks stained her cheeks. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light. She turned to the other side of the bed, but he wasn't there. Her heart broke. At least she deserved to wake up beside him. She felt like a sex toy, discarded by a billionaire on the bed.
***********
Days drifted by, and she never saw him again. Her life was a gilded cage, draped in luxury and money. It wasn’t the future she had dreamt of. She was a prisoner in a golden prison, known as a Queen only because the crown of the empire rested on her husband's head. She hadn’t imagined her in-laws would be so callous, so obsessed with securing a son to inherit their vast empire.
She began to feel nauseous, emptying her stomach into the sink. Days passed, and the sickness worsened. Finally, she discovered she was pregnant. Her eyes glazed over, her heart pounding against her chest. She wasn’t ready, she couldn’t be. Her life was already a mess, and the thought of bringing a child into it was unbearable. But she couldn’t abort the child, not with this family. They wanted this baby, especially if it was a boy. She reluctantly told her mother-in-law, who leaped with joy and immediately informed her son, who was busy in London managing their most important company and planning to stay there for the entire year.
"It’s a business tycoon's heir," Mr. Oberoi said happily, placing his hand on his daughter-in-law’s head.
"Yup, finally we’ll get our grandson!" Mrs. Oberoi chirped.
Disappointment coiled within her veins. No one mentioned a girl. "What will happen if my child is a girl?" The thought crossed her mind, and her body shivered. From their faces, she understood they would abandon the baby if it wasn’t a son.
*************
Four months passed, and instead of gaining weight, she lost it. Her baby bump was barely visible, and she began to sink into depression. Her husband didn’t call, didn’t visit, didn’t even acknowledge her existence. Her in-laws ranted only about their future grandson. She wasn’t allowed to leave the room, fearing their heir would be harmed.
"I can't live here anymore," she finally cried, her voice breaking the silence. But she couldn’t run away; the security was too tight.
"I’m caged here, and the only escape is death," she whispered, her eyes flowing for the first time in months. Her heart declared one thing: she couldn’t endure it any longer.
********************