5. Mrs. Malhotra

Ahana

A week spent in my own agony, every single day, every single minute, every single second, I tried to piece myself back together from the damage I had caused to my own mind. The damage of loving the wrong person with all my heart.

Was that really all I had? Just a heart that gave too much, too soon, to someone who never deserved it?

I did not say a word to Janvi nor contacted her, I knew if I did, she would have marched over and beaten Kabir so badly he might have ended up in the hospital. She would not have spared Diya either. But I did not want that, I did not want drama. I just wanted to move on, quietly, in whatever way I could.

Everything started to feel normal again. Or at least it looked like that on the outside. Pretending to be okay had become my second nature. I did the chores, went through the motions, and held myself tight in butterfly hugs every night, whispering broken stories to my pillow through silent tears. That is all I have done these past few days.

Bhaiya had left again, gone back to his place for some work. It did not bother me anymore. This was how it always was. A part of me had come to accept it. But my respect for him had grown, especially after that day. He had helped me without asking questions. Somewhere deep down I craved his affection, his presence, though I never said it aloud. Maybe sometimes all we can do is wait and let time do its healing.

I was lost in that swirl of thoughts when a loud thud downstairs jolted me back to the present. The sound echoed through the silence of the house and shook me to my core. My heart skipped a beat and I nearly jumped from where I was sitting.

I shot up and ran toward the door, but just as my hand touched the handle, I froze.

The mirror on the wall caught my reflection, my cheeks were wet, my eyes red and swollen. I had been crying again, and I had not even noticed. The sight of myself like this made me more vunerable.

No. I could not let anyone see me like this.

I rushed to the cupboard, pulled out a dupatta, and quickly wrapped it around my face.

Without another moment's pause, I unlocked the door and ran toward the hall.

But when I reached, the scene in front of me made the breath in my lungs vanish. It was enough to make someone fall to their knees.

My parents stood quietly in a corner, their heads slightly bowed, looking smaller than I'd ever seen them. My father's hands were clasped behind his back, his eyes glued to the floor. My mother's fingers twisted the edge of her dupatta.

In the middle of the room stood four or five unfamiliar men. All dressed in black, sharp suits, not a word passing between them. They didn't move much. Didn't look around. Their presence was silent, but it buzzed with a kind of heaviness that made the air thick. The way they stood still, calculating, made it very clear. They weren't here for anything good.

Then my eyes fell on a figure sitting

alone on the sofa, like he owned the silence in the room. A tablet rested in his hand, but he wasn't just casually scrolling. His focus was sharp, calculated, like every word on that screen had meaning and weight. His face was unreadable. Like his eyes were on the tab but his mind elsewhere, ears elsewhere.

But I don't know why, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Yes, he was handsome, anyone could see that, But it wasn't just his face which made him different it was his aura that he is carrying with him. It was deniably dangerous that made my skin crawl and my body shiver. It felt like his presence could swallow the whole room.

And then as if sensing my eyes on him, he turned. His sharp gaze cut through the air like a blade, scanning in my direction. But perhaps my dupatta shielded me just enough, veiling my presence, or maybe he saw me and simply chose to ignore it.

Suddenly, the main door slammed open with a loud thud, jerking me out of my trance.

Two men barged in, dragging someone between them. The moment I saw the figure they were holding, a sharp scream tore from my throat.

"Bhaiya!"

I ran to him, my eyes already full of tears. My hands shook as I reached out to him. His face was swollen, bruised, his lips bleeding. I felt like the ground had disappeared under my feet.

"Bhaiya... what happened to you?" I asked, choking on my own words. "please open your eyes." My voice cracked as I gently shook him.

He opened his eyes slightly. "M...main thik hu... tu yaha se ja," he whispered, his voice full of pain.

I couldn't stop crying. "What the hell are you saying? You think I'll leave you here like this? Are you out of your mind? No way. Wait, I'll get some ice or something, okay? Just hold on."

I stood up quickly, not caring about who was around or what was happening. Nothing else mattered at that time other than him. I had stayed away from him, distanced myself, but that didn't mean I could watch him like this. Never.

I turned to run, but my right foot slipped beneath the floor, I stumbled and was about to fall. I shut my eyes, waiting to hit the floor but instead, I felt a strong hand wrap around my waist and pull me up and I bumped into something hard.

Everything happened so fast, I didn't even know what was going on.

Slowly, I opened my eyes only to find a pair of hazel eyes staring back at me intensely. They looked at me through the thin fabric of my dupatta, but even with that between us, the way he looked at me made my heart skip a beat.

He is the same person who sent a shiver run down my spine, the same person who looked at me sharply that within a second he could erase my name from the whole world.

His grip was firm against my skin, holding me steadily as if he had no intention of letting go. I was still in shock from almost falling, but my mind barely processed that. I was too focused on him. His hold wasn't harsh, but it was strong enough to keep me exactly where he wanted. Slowly, with one hand, he reached up and removed the dupatta that was half covering my face.

My puffy face, tear-stained and eyes swollen from crying, was now completely exposed to him. I felt so vulnerable under his gaze. He stared straight into my eyes, so deeply as if he could see everything I was trying to hide. I held his gaze for a second, maybe two, but I couldn't take it anymore. It felt like he was reading right through me, and I couldn't bear that.

I quickly looked away, trying to escape the weight of his eyes. My body shifted, and I tried to move, but his grip on my waist only tightened. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at him again, a mixture of nervousness and fear crawling up my spine.

"P... please leave me," I whispered, not even sure if he heard me. My voice sounded so small at that moment.

But he didn't bother replying, his eyes didn't waver for even a second. His full attention was still on my face, his expression unreadable. It was like I was standing there exposed, and he was silently flipping through the pages of my heart, reading everything I never said out loud.

And then, suddenly, bhaiya's voice echoed through the room, full of rage and warning.

"Don't you dare do something wrong with my sister. I'm warning you, Aastik!"

I whispered his name, almost unconsciously, "Aastik..."

It slipped from my lips like a secret I wasn't supposed to say, yet it felt so right. There was a strange comfort in it, a softness that didn't match the intensity in his eyes. Aastik... it echoed in my mind like a melody I had never heard. Such a beautiful name belongs to this person, I thought.

"Gaddaro ko utna muh nahi chalana chaiye, Daivik," he suddenly spoke, his voice low but sharp, like a knife slicing through the silence. His eyes were still on me, unwavering and intense, as if I was the only one standing there.

His words shook something inside me. I snapped out of my thoughts and pushed him away with all the strength I had. This time, he let me go.

I stepped back, my chest rising and falling with uneven breaths, anger rushed through me remembering his words, "My brother is not a betrayer, mind your language, Mister" I spoke.

He chuckled. Not out of amusement, but mockery. A dry, bitter laugh that made my fists clench.

"Ooho... toh bhaiya ki pyari behena ko kuch nahi pata apne bhai ke karnamon ke baare mein?"

I frowned, confusion taking over my anger for a second. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to understand the meaning behind his words.

I turned to bhaiya, hoping, praying he would speak, that he would defend himself. "Bhaiya... why... why don't you reply to his words? He is misunderstanding you, right?" I asked.

But bhaiya didn't say anything, he just stood there, looking down, avoiding my gaze. His eyes... they weren't meeting mine, they were filled with guilt.

His silence was louder than any answer he could've given. My heart sank as the realisation hit me.

"Got the answer?" he asked stepping closer, "Your pyare bhaiya betrayed me. And because of him, I had to face a huge loss and Aastik Malhotra is not someone who would let this type of matter slide so easily.... playing with me is equal to playing with death"

"So now tell me, how should I punish your bhaiya?" he said coldly. "Shall I bankrupt your pyare bhaiya's company overnight? Not just bankrupt... I'll make sure he loses his face in front of the public too. I'll destroy his name, his image, everything he built."

"NO!" I shouted almost immediately, my voice echoing in the silence. "No... p... please..." I begged, my chest tightening with panic. My hands folded on their own, trembling as I joined them in front of him. "You don't know... what sacrifices my brother made... you don't know what it costed him to build this company," I said, tears welling up in my eyes again. "I beg you... please don't do this."

There was a long pause before Bhaiya's voice came, shaky and broken, as if it hurt him just to speak,

"Nahi Ahana... please... mere liye apne aap ko mat gira... meri galti ka saza tu q rahi hai?"

His words made my heart squeeze painfully, It was choked... heavy... full of guilt and pain.

"Nhi… Bhai…" My voice trembled, barely above a whisper, as I stood between them. "I know how much you sacrificed for this company… this company is more than my self-respect," I said, looking at HIM, searching for even the faintest flicker of emotion, so that I could know what his next step was but there was none.

"Please…" I begged, my voice sorer than before, "I request you… forgive him."

He didn’t bother replying, He just kept staring at my face. His gaze was so intense that I felt my courage slipping. I looked down at the floor, unable to bear the weight of his eyes any longer. His face was stoic, no expression, no emotion, Just cold silence.

My eyes immediately snapped to him, wide with disbelief. I stared at him, stunned. He forgave Bhaiya... just like that? I couldn't believe it. For a brief moment, a fragile hope bloomed in my chest, maybe everything is going to be alright now.

"But from when did Aastik Malhotra become a saint?" he said with a dark chuckle, his voice thick with mockery. "Your brother made my company suffer a loss, wasted my time in foolish things... so it’s only fair that I restore balance, isn’t it?" His voice echoed around the silent room.

He walked toward me slowly, my fingers trembled in fear which I tried my best to hide and then he stopped right in front of me.

Leaning down, he reached into his coat pocket, but his eyes never left mine. It felt like his eyes were saying, ' I DARE YOU TO MOVE YOUR EYES' But suddenly something cold, metallic brushed against my arms, I flinched as goosebumps prickled across my skin.

Slowly, I removed my eyes from him and looked at the object moving on my arms. The second I saw it, my soul left my body.

My eyes widened in fear, my voice caught in my throat, I was unable to speak, to gasp.... It's so scary... So dangerous.

What is this man doing with this? I thought in my mind, it felt like my inner soul is giving me a hint, how dangerous is the man, that is standing in front of me.

It’s… it’s a gun...A real, freakin gun. Never in my life had I seen one, and now it's pressed against me.

He kept the gun pressed against me in such a way that it remained hidden from everyone standing opposite in the room.

"P...please," I whispered shakily, my voice barely escaping my throat. But he didn’t care to bother himself.

He straightened himself scanning the room like a hunter surveying prey. "I will also take something from your brother that is very dear to him," he announced, Loud enough for everyone to hear.

I looked at him in confusion, I was unable to decode his words, I instinctively turned to Mumma and Papa, hoping they'd catch the meaning but as expected, their faces were blank, confused.

But bhaiya... His rage filled his eyes, as he roared, "No!" his voice cracking with rage and sheer terror. "You won’t dare to touch her! I swear, I’ll burn you alive, Aastik!" His fists were clenched. He understood exactly what Aastik meant.

Whom is bhaiya referring to HER? Is there any girl in his life? I thought for a moment when again HE spoke—

"And just as you guessed… if I look around," he said dramatically, "your pyari behena seems to be the most precious thing you have, isn’t she?" His eyes locked with mine now "She was standing here… fighting for you… protesting for you…" His said, casually playing with the dangerous weapon in his hand.

"So simply... I’ll take her away from you."

Each of his words dropped like thunderbolts, cracking through the silence with a brutal finality. And before I could even process his threat, he twisted my hands behind my back in a harsh, merciless grip. “Aah…” I cried out, the pain shooting through my arms as my body arched involuntarily.

My back collided with his hard chest, my nostrils hit with his musky scent invading my senses. I could feel the slow, deliberate movement of his breath. The situation was terrifying, yet everything felt excruciatingly real.

"What do you say? Isn’t the deal good?" he asked coldly, and now the cold steel of the gun was grazing my face. He was using the dangerous piece of metal like a toy.

“NO!” Mumma’s voice pierced the room from the other side, desperate and shrill.

Everyone’s attention snapped toward her. "You can’t take our daughter like this," she pleaded, eyes glistening with fear, hands trembling.

And in the midst of that dangerous tension, a genuine, fragile smile touched my lips. She cares.

She cares for me... All those moments I thought she didn’t… maybe I was wrong. Maybe she really does care for me…

But the illusion shattered in the next second..."She is a young girl… of marriageable age," Mumma continued, her voice quivering. "If you take her away without any proper relationship… what will society say? They’ll look down on our family. We’ll lose our face. I hope you understand our side, Mr. Malhotra… we won’t be able to show our faces to the outside world."

And just like that, her words struck me like iron hammers to the chest. So that was it. Her words didn't came out of love or care.

She just cared about her face in that so-called society. But what about me?what about my safety? An unknown man is trying to take away her daughter but she didn't even raise her voice?

I let out a soft, bitter chuckle inwardly. How could I have expected anything different from them?

Am I a stupid girl?

And yet, despite knowing all this, fear still gripped me. Why? Why am I scared? When no one truly cared for me… why am I trembling? I bit my lower lip harshly to hold it together. A lone tear broke free, a quiet rebellion but I wiped it away quickly before anyone could see.

Suddenly HE released my hand, but I stood there… frozen. My wrists still ached, but I didn't move. My mind swirled with so much, What now? What should I do?

Before I could think, without warning, he harshly turned me around to face him. His eyes locked with mine, but I didn't want to look into his eyes.... Not in this state.

But the moment I removed my eyes from him—

BANG.

The first gunshot shattered the air, loud and deafening. I saw the terrifying flash, right in front of my eyes. My heart felt like it might stop beating. But he didn’t stop at one fire.

He fired again.

I clutched my ears and fell on my knees, "Please! Stop!" I screamed, my voice raw with terror.

And then… an eerie silence fell over the room. I slowly opened my eyes, my body trembling with fear.

My eyes fell on him, standing with the same gun, smoke was still coming out from it. There was an evil smirk playing on his lips, which made me scared even more.

Desperately, I turned my head towards Bhaiya, needing to see him, to make sure he was okay. A wave of relief washed over me seeing him still breathing… but that relief was short-lived.

His hands, they were tied above his head with thick rope, suspending him helplessly. Panic stirred again, but I forced myself to look beyond him, shifting my gaze to my parents. They were crouched together on the floor, trembling and terrified, clutching each other as if their lives depended on it but they were unharmed.

"If they’re safe…" I whispered to myself, "then where did he fire?"

I was looking around for a second when my eyes fell on the floor.

I slapped my palms over my mouth, a scream tearing out from deep inside.

"B-blood… It’s blood!"

My parents eyes fell on something in which my mother screamed more, like a maniac.

I followed her gaze when my eyes fell on a dead body, one of Aastik’s own men lying near the window. Shot directly in the chest.

"Y-you… you killed a man?" I gasped, "How can you be so… so cruel?"

He turned towards me, unbothered by the deed he just did, "Cruel?" he asked with a twisted laugh "This much? Abhi toh sirf shuruaat hui hai,"

(It's just the Starting)

"No… Aastik… no… please stop it!" Bhaiya shouted from across the room, his voice thick with desperation as he struggled violently against his restraints. "Take the company… take everything… but stop this madness!"

But what was he talking about? Did bhaiya already guessed his next move? I looked at him, completely lost.

"Too late," He said simply and then, without a flicker of emotion, he ordered, "Cover his mouth."

One of his men stepped forward immediately and tied a thick cloth around Bhaiya’s mouth, muffling his voice.

"Please," I pleaded, "he’s in pain… don’t do this…"

But Aastik didn’t respond. He turned his back to me and walked towards the corpse on the floor. I watched, numb, as he crouched beside the body. He dipped his fingers in the blood and then slowly stood up.

He looked straight towards my face and without breaking eye contact, he began walking towards me.

I was still seated on the floor, as he approached, I started crawling backwards, inch by inch, my breath quickening with every step he took.

"S..stay away from m..me… don’t come closer," I stammered with a panicked voice.

But rather than stopping he took long, deliberate strides and within seconds, his figure loomed over me.

Author

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, her gaze trembling, frightened, utterly lost. Her body stilled as he knelt down before her.

Suddenly Aastik brought his blood-stained fingers toward her face and then, with terrifying gentleness, he touched her hairline.

Ahana closed her eyes the moment she felt the warmth of his fingers pressing into the parting of her hair, smearing that man’s blood across her forehead. The touch should’ve made her recoil in horror. But strangely, it didn’t.

And then silently, he slipped a silver ring off his own pinky finger and slid it onto her ring finger.

Surprisingly it fitted perfectly as if it had been made for her. As if this madness had been written long ago.

Ahana knew the thing which is happening with her right now is something terrible, like an unholy ritual but she couldn't process what's going on with her.

Her sense of thinking is already gone, she was so tired.

Tired of fighting for people who never stood for her. Tired of caring for a family that only cared about how the world viewed them. When it came to her pain, they watched in silence. But when their pride was threatened, they found their voice. For everything else, they remained quiet. Spectators to her downfall.

Daivik’s muffled cries still echoed through the room. Seeing his own sister getting in the hand of a lucifer is no less than a curse...but why? Why is he getting panicked? Wasn't he also the one who didn't care for her too but is it the full truth?

And her parents? Still crouched on the floorStill clutching each other silently watching their own daughter's destruction happening.

And then, Aastik leaned in, near Ahana's face and whispered "SHAADI MUBARAK, MRS. MALHOTRA."

Then he stood up and again repeated his words but this time louder, "shadi Mubarak MRS MALHOTRA"