The elevator moved for a minute before halting abruptly and jerking them both from their position. The light flickered before the darkness completely engulfed the small space. First, she was claustrophobic and, second, the darkness was like icing on the cake. The thing which she was dreading the most came true. Her heart throbbing loudly in her chest that she felt it would come out of her throat while she shivered like a dry leaf. "W… what happened?" She asked and he heard the trembling in her voice. "The lights went out, don't worry I will get someone checked," he said and fished out his phone and immediately dialled his assistant. She crawled to the corner clutching the fabric of her gown. 'Don't panic, it will be alright' she was chanting in her mind but nothing seemed to work for her. She was trying not to panic and closed her eyes for a moment to divert her mind. After he was done with the phone call, her small whimpers diverted his attention towards her. As he glanced at he
Next morning; Sun rays pipped through the window while the cold breeze caressed her bare arms making her shiver slightly. She stirred and turned her head to the other side only to wince in pain. Groaning in her sleep she opened her eyes. It took her a minute to adjust her vision and she found herself sleeping on the floor in a sitting position causing her muscle to ache. She was still cladded in that gown from last night. She stood up and teetered into the washroom. After doing her business she took a shower and wrapped a towel around her body as she stared at herself in the mirror. One after another, scenes flashed in her mind from last night. The elevator abruptly stopped. Her phobia attacked. Him consoling her. What if, what if he was not there? This question alone scared her to the core. She might have had a panic attack there only if not for him. And then there was her blurry memory, him kissing her. She was sure it was not her hallucination or something. He rea
Shanaya was ambling through the corridors while plugging her ear pods and playing her favorite playlist. She attended all the lectures and spent time with her friends. Tanya and Nia already left as she had some work in the library so she stayed back. She came out of the building just then her eyes caught a glimpse. She walked near and her eyes widened in realization. It's him, standing there leaning against his car with sleeves tucked to the elbow, wearing shades and his coat hanging over the car window. No wonder he gets attention wherever he goes. Girls were swooning over him and pumped up to see him. She huffed and stomped her feet in anger and strolled on the opposite side towards her car. He was going through his phone when his eyes landed on her though her back was facing him. He shoved his phone inside his pocket and paraded in the same direction as her. "Why was he even here?" she muttered while stomping her feet and walking towards the awaiting car. He scowled looking in
The next day when Shanaya was leaving the college she got a call from her father. Rajeev asked her to come to the office after she's off to college. She spotted the car waiting for her on the porch. "Okay dad, I'll be there," she said and hung up the call. She hopped in the back seat and the car drove off. She was engrossed in her phone when she felt the heated gaze of someone. In an instant, her head shot up at the rearview mirror and the driver immediately averted his eyes. The driver was wearing a mask and a cap while driving the car. Weird. She felt odd but didn't voice out but soon her mind got alert when she saw the car was moving in a different way instead of the office root it was driving in the opposite direction and she uttered "this is not the root to the office" she looked at him from the rearview mirror but he didn't say anything. Her brows furrowed when he ever so slowly lifted his left brow glancing at her through the rearview mirror and that was it. Her mind got c
He was driving her to the office while she was sitting in the passenger seat. His fingers brushed against her thigh whenever he reached out to change the gear. That mere touch sent chills down her spine. She was sitting in his car stiff but there was havoc in her heart. "Stop here," she said meekly when they were a little distant from the office. "But we are a little away from your father's office," he said, frowning. "I will walk… a little. Dad might…see you" she stuttered fidgeting with the seatbelt. 'Smart girl' he chuckled inwardly and nodded at her. She got out of the car and he drove away without sparing her a single glance. "What's wrong with him? At Least he could say bye" she pouted looking in his direction and left. "Where were you, Shanaya? I was waiting for you" Rajeev let out as she walked into his office. "Sorry dad, I got late," she said meekly while taking her seat. "Alright dear, I need your signatures on these files," he said, forwarding her bunch of files and sh
"What the hell have you all been doing for all these months? Avyaanh shouted. His loud voice roared in the corridor out of the VIP ward making everyone shiver in fear. A woman probably in her late forties was lying like a corpse on the hospital bed. Her condition was critical. The best medical team was assigned to treat the woman who was in a coma for the last three years. "S…Sir, we're trying…our best b…but she's not responding…to the treatment," a senior doctor among them spoke out while his whole being stuttered. Who wouldn't fear the man standing in front of them was none other than Avyaansh Malhotra. A ruthless businessman who was capable of demolishing this hospital and ruining their career in a flick of a finger. "We have called the specialist from Italy for her treatment. He will be here by this weekend" that same doctor enunciated after a while and Avyaansh dismissed them. He looked at the woman who was none other than his mother Shreya Malhotra. After that tragic incident
"You don't have to pick me up we are going to Nia's place for the assignment. I had spoken with dad" Shanaya declared when Neil parked his car near the porch. "Okay, give me a call when you are done, I'll be…" Shanaya didn't let him complete and say. "No need. I will come by myself" and got out of the car as did Nia and Tanya. She had told her friends about her meeting with Avyaansh today and surprise was written all over their faces. Tanya and Nia didn't leave a chance to tease her. They were happy for their best friend as she was for the first time doing something on her own.After college Shanaya was waiting at the library. Nia and Tanya left after bidding bye to her not before giving her a teasing smile that made her palm her face. She was checking her phone now and then. It's been half an hour since she was waiting and after a while, her phone buzzed. She instantly picked up the call seeing his name flashing on the screen. Her heart was beating at an unusual pace and she took de
Shanaya pushed him and ran to the random side "now catch me if you can" shouted back at him. He shook his head and ran after her. She was laughing and running around the shore freely. She felt delighted and wanted to be careless for a while. As she saw him approaching her she ran faster screaming in excitement but not faster than him. He grabbed her wrist easily but her feet twisted and they both fell on the sand. Her back hit the ground and Avyaansh was on top of her hovering over her. Both were panting hard after the run and were staring at each other. None of them said a word. Avyaansh dipped his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled her hair. She shivered in his hold and shut her eyes. Her intoxicating lavender scent was addicting him and he wanted nothing more but to inhale her intoxicating smell. However, he pushed his arms and stood up it was then she released a breath that she was holding. Avyaansh forward his hand and she grasped it and he pulled her up. "I have somet
“I started working as your nanny when you were just five years old. You were a timid child, hesitant to warm up to strangers. However, it didn't take long for me to encourage you, and soon you began to form a bond with me. There came a time when I had to leave my job to look after my brother when he fell ill. But when I received the call saying you fell sick and missing me, I rushed back to you without hesitation. Since then, I've been living here with you. All this time, I believed your mother had passed away, as I had been told. Not once did I suspect that you weren't his real daughter.” Reema Bi said the last part with a frown, sitting on the bed, gently stroking Shanaya's hair as she lay with her head in her lap.“Even I didn't imagine in my worst nightmare of him being a murderer of my parents and pretending to be a father figure all these years,” she sniffed and the tremble in her body didn't go unnoticed by Reema bi who felt a tug in her heart. “He showed so much love and care l
The commotion from outside echoed through the opulent halls as Ryan dashed inside, the guards followed closely behind him with weapons, cladded in a black suits with earpieces on ears, their faces set in grim determination.The guards stood behind Avyaansh, waiting for his command to spring into action. Reluctantly, he broke the embrace that held him captive against his will. Standing beside Shanaya, he intertwined his fingers with hers and ordered the guards. “Take him to my warehouse and call the doctor to treat his wounds. He should be healed enough to take my wrath. He souldn't just die so easily,”He glanced at Shanaya from the corner of his eye, but she remained impassive, even after hearing his plans for Rajeev, she didn't show any reaction which he was expecting. Deep down, she had accepted the truth and recognized the real monster. Rajeev was no longer her concern. How Avyaansh chose to make him pay was not her business anymore.Everyone around her had only fed her lies—wheth
While they were standing aiming their guns against each other. There was a commotion at the entrance that drew Rajeev's attention and he went alert. Avyaansh smirked looking at Rajeev's blanched face losing its colors. Ryan has already surrounded the mansion with their guards. Outside, the armed men surged forward like a dark tide, their movements swift and calculated. They spread out around the mansion, a well-coordinated assault aimed at dismantling Rajeev's defenses. The guards, once confident in their numbers, now found themselves outmatched, falling one by one to the relentless onslaught. The sharp crack of gunfire punctuated the air, mingling with the shouts of men caught in the throes of battle. Each confrontation was brutal and swift; the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed through the mansion. Neil, battered and bruised, slowly rose from the ground, the metallic taste of blood lingering on his lips. He wiped the crimson streak from his mouth with a shaky hand. With ea
Shanaya's world shattered in an instant. The foundation of her reality crumbled beneath her feet. She felt a surge of anger and confusion, mixed with a deep sense of grief. How could the person she thought was her father turned out to be the devil? The weight of the truth settled upon her like a ton of bricks, and she felt as if the ground beneath her was crumbling. Her mind raced, trying to process the implications of what she had just learned. The once familiar and safe image of her father had been shattered, replaced by a dark and sinister reality.Shanaya's tears swelled, blurring her vision, she found herself engulfed in a sea of emotions - a tumultuous mix of anger, confusion, and heartbreak. The room seemed to constrict around her, suffocating her with its oppressive weight, making it hard to breathe. Her legs trembled as she approached the man holding a gun in his hand. Avyaansh stood facing Rajeev, who ominously aimed a gun at him. Shanaya, despite her trembling legs, walke
Flashback;Harsh was returning with his family from their delightful vacation in Switzerland. As they emerged from the airport, his chauffeur was already waiting with the sleek car. He gently held little Shanaya in his arms, her eyelids heavy with sleep. Taking the keys, he dismissed the driver and settled into the driver's seat. The car glided away as the night drew closer. "Mumma, I wan ish cleam,"(I want ice cream) three-year-old Shanaya uttered in her adorable, gibberish voice, Her big, expressive brown eyes gazed out of the window. "Darling, you already had two ice creams before the flight; it's not good for you, you might catch a cold," her mother gently told her, causing Shanaya to pout and glance at her dad with her big brown eyes as if bribing her father. Seated on her mother's lap, Shanaya looked up at Harsh as he was driving the car, focusing on the road. "Daddy, I wann ish cleam," Shanaya insisted, tugging at her father's shirt. "Alright, sweetheart, we'll be there in no
"And now, it's your turn," Rajeev uttered as he retrieved a gun from the inner pocket of his coat, aiming it directly at Avyaansh. ”Wait,” Neil's voice echoed sharply in the living room, cutting through the tense air like a knife as he approached them, passing by Avyaansh, and positioning himself next to Rajeev, his eyes fixed on Avyaansh who knelt before them. "Why the rush, Dad?" Neil's words carried a mix of anger and frustration, his gaze piercing into Avyaansh. "I still have unfinished business with him, a debt to settle. He held me captive in that fucking warehouse, giving me endless torment, relentless beatings," Neil's recount of the ordeal was laced with bitterness.As Neil spoke, Avyaansh met his gaze with a smug expression, a silent taunt that seemed to convey a message of 'you deserve far worse.' The sight fueled Neil's anger, his frustration bubbling over as he strode purposefully towards Avyaansh, delivering a powerful blow to his jaw. Avyaansh's head snapped to the side
Avyaansh was driving his car when Ryan's call came in. Swiftly plugging his ear pods, he answered, "Yes Ryan," his attention divided between the conversation and the road ahead. "Your assumptions were spot on. He had strategically placed his dogs around your mansion," Ryan's voice relayed over the phone. Just two days prior, he had touched down in India, setting the stage for what lay ahead.“Shanaya is en route to Singhania house. You handle the rest. I'll be at the mansion in fifteen minutes,” he ordered over the phone. Ryan replied in agreement before ending the call, shifting his focus back to the task of driving.As he arrived at the mansion, a truck of guards stationed outside the grand estate immediately caught his attention. Several men, armed with rifles, stood vigilantly at the entrance and scattered around the porch, their stern expressions painting a picture of seriousness and tension. As he glanced at the cluster of men, a smirk played on his lips, exuding an air of confi
It was pitch-black outside while he was inside the gym room of his penthouse. The stillness of the room was broken by the rhythmic thuds of his fists against the punching bag, echoing through the darkness. It was like he was battling his inner demons under the cover of night. With each punch, he unleashed a torrent of pent-up frustration and anger. Sweat poured down his face, drenching his brow. His eyes blazed like fiery embers, fueled by the intensity of his rage. The force of his blows reverberated through the punching bag, causing it to shake violently. It was as if her words had ignited a fire within him, consuming his every thought. “How could you, Avyaansh? How could you stoop so low? My father, the man I've known my entire life, is not capable of such a heinous act. I don't believe in your false accusations, even if I am dying”. He was so consumed by his rage that he wasn't even concerned about his bleeding knuckles. He ripped off his gloves with his teeth and unleashed his b
The car was zooming down the empty road, moving swiftly in the dark night. The cool breeze brushed against her face, soft and gentle. She sat quietly, staring out the window, lost in her thoughts. He was driving, stealing glances at her every now and then. They hadn't said a word to each other for the past half an hour. Her shallow breaths were the only sound in the car. His phone suddenly beeped with a notification. He swiftly grabbed his phone and saw Ryan's name flashing on the screen. Bringing the car to a stop at the end of the bridge, he turned his head towards her. She remained still, her gaze fixed on the window. "Let's go down the bridge, there's a beautiful lake nearby. We can spend some time there," he suggested, unbuckling his seatbelt. Before he could assist her, she took the initiative and opened her car door, stepping out. He let out a sigh and followed suit, joining her by her side. “Shanaya, won't you talk to me,” He asked, sitting on the bonnet of his car while she