chapter 44

Vikrant stared at his mother and wife from a distance as they both laughed to themselves while preparing essentials for morning puja.As he stood there, hidden in the shadows of the corridor, Vikrant's gaze softened for a moment. His mother's smile lit up the space around her. And Pari... she had blended into this house, into this family, with an ease that no one questioned. Together, they looked like the very image of peace. A mother and daughter sharing a bond he hadn't seen in years. But that image, however beautiful, was now tangled in questions he couldn't ignore.Four days.It was Saturday today.That's all it had been since Ranvijay placed those damning papers in his hand. Two days of restless nights, of long calls to Gautam, of retracing steps buried twenty-two years in the past. And yet, he was still staring at shadows, still waiting for one name, one confirmation, one undeniable thread to tie the truth together.Vikrant's chest tightened.He thought of the nights his mother cried softly, thinking no one heard. He thought of the silence that followed whenever someone mentioned the child who had died. And now, to think that the girl who had unknowingly become his wife's closest friend might be the very child they lost...His fists curled at his sides.He couldn't tell Akansha yet, not until he was sure. Not until he had truth strong enough to shake the foundations of their world. Because when the truth surfaced, it wouldn't be just a revelation. It would be a reckoning.After Puja, Pari and Akansha went to the dinning room where Vikrant was already present. Akansha put tilak on Vikrant's forehead while Pari smiled and took her seat." Where's Ranvijay, maa? I Haven't seen him for the past few days."Vikrant asked while sipping his tea. Akansha shrugged her shoulders," Busy at work. It's all your fault. He's just a child. How can you give him so much work?"Akansha glared at him. Vikrant made a face before saying, " he's twenty-four, maa. Not a child."Pari chuckled while Akansha muttered, " whatever."Both of them stared at the elderly woman who started blabbering something under her voice." I don't have much time but what about my children? They don't get any free time because of their work. I don't know when they will spend time with their mother."Vikrant smiled and put his hand over his mother's." Maa kahe to kal pura parivar sath vaqt bitaye?"( If maa wants, can the whole family spend time together tomorrow?)Akansha's eyes lit up as she looked at him." Really?"He nodded, " hmm. Pura parivar."( Hmm, the whole family.)If destiny permitted, they might welcome another member in their small family." That would be fantastic. I will cook for you all-"" Maa, why are you always ready for work?"" That's my right!"Vikrant rolled his eyes." Come on, Maa. We have a dozen cooks. You don't need to step into the kitchen."" But none of them know how much sugar Vikrant likes in his halwa," Akansha countered proudly, her eyes twinkling. "And Pari doesn't say anything, but I've seen the way she finishes my aloo parathas."Pari blushed.Akansha beamed like a child being praised, then softly said, "It's not just about food. It's about the feeling, you know?"Vikrant went silent for a beat, watching the woman who had held everything together after Angad's cold detachment, after pain had threatened to splinter their lives.Pari spoke up gently, "And you've done a beautiful job, Maa. Honestly."Akansha smiled at her. "You are part of it now. Maybe you'll also add someone little someday."Pari flushed and Vikrant shook his head, a rare genuine smile tugging his lips.Because while his mother dreamed of growing the family, he was preparing to uncover a truth that might bring them all to the edge of something none of them were ready for.Tomorrow, he thought, the family dinner may come with more than just dessert. It might come with answers....Pari sat cross-legged on the bed, Vikrant lounging behind her, his back resting casually against the headboard. She sewed his shirt button while keeping her focus mainly on the needle.Vikrant's eyes gleamed with mischief. He twirled one of the strings of her blouse between his fingers, slowly undoing the loose knot and retying it tighter, only to undo it again a moment later. The slow repetition of it, his fingers teasing, her pretending not to care, drew out a tension neither of them acknowledged out loud."You know," he drawled, his voice brushing against her shoulder as he leaned in slightly, " this is probably the slowest death by distraction I've ever planned."Pari raised an eyebrow, still chewing his button, refusing to look at him. "What distraction?""This," he tugged at the string gently, letting it fall loose, "and this," he brushed her hair away from her neck and placed a deliberately slow kiss on her bare shoulder.Pari finally turned slightly, shooting him a lazy glare, "I'm trying to work."She turned her head in front and continued her work." Even I am busy," he said and tucked his finger under the strap of her blouse. She stopped her movement." Hum keh rahe koi badtmeezi na karna-"( I am warning you, don't do anything-)And he did it!She gasped and immediately held her blouse which loosened after he unhooked it from back.Vikrant smirked shamelessly, utterly pleased with himself as Pari whipped around, eyes wide in disbelief and mouth parted in a soft gasp. Her hand clutched the loose fabric as she glared at him.Her cheeks flushed with a furious shade of pink. "Have you lost your mind?""Possibly," he replied nonchalantly, his voice laced with amusement as he leaned forward, placing his chin on her shoulder like an innocent man who hadn't just caused chaos. "But in my defense, you looked too peaceful. I had to do that."" Do that?" she echoed, appalled. "I was stitching your button!"" And now you're holding your blouse," he added helpfully, grinning like a boy who'd successfully pulled off a prank.Pari gave him a deadly look, the needle still between her fingers. "If you don't behave, I swear I'll break your buttons."" Hm hm, sure. But when I am wearing it."Pari's jaw dropped slightly at his bold response, the audacity in his smirk lighting a fire in her glare."Vikrant!" she warned, but the corner of her lips twitched despite herself."Hm hm," he hummed again, completely unfazed, his eyes lazily dropping to the half-stitched button still hanging on by a thread. "I mean, if you're going to threaten violence, might as well make it interesting. Rip them off when I'm wearing the shirt."She shook her head. "You're impossible.""And yet..." he leaned forward, his lips brushing her shoulder again, his voice dipping lower, "you married me."She pointed the needle at him without turning. "And I can unmarry you too."He leaned back, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. "Now that's just cruel."She put the shirt and needle down before quickly hooking her blouse, under his heated gaze.Pari finished stitching the button, tied off the thread with a sharp tug, and then tossed the shirt on his lap. "Here. Wear it."He chuckled, absolutely delighted, while she turned to leave the bed. But before she could go far, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against his chest in one swift motion."Forget the shirt," he murmured against her ear. "Let's talk about that blouse again."She flushed, " you have got no shame."He hummed, resting his cheek against her. She groaned lightly, " your beard is tickling me."" Oh?"He deliberately rubbed his beard against her cheek and she laughed, feeling inside of her cheeks ticklish." Stop!"Vikrant grinned devilishly at her reaction and tightened his arms around her, refusing to let her escape."Vikrant!" she squealed, laughing breathlessly, trying to wriggle away. "You're so annoying-""Charming, you mean," he interrupted smugly, nuzzling closer.She rolled her eyes playfully and turned her head sideways. Her expression softened as she looked at his tousled hair, lazy smile and eyes that looked at her like she was his whole world.And just like that, all the teasing melted into a comfortable warmth as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Now, can you let me go before your beard gives me a rash?"He smiled and kissed her side of head then let her go. She got down and fixed her saree before humming a song and putting herself into another work. Folding clothes.He got up from the bed and wore his shirt. His gaze rested on the clock.6:37 PM.He grabbed his mobile and typed a message for Gautam.Found anything?Because Gautam gave no reply, he slid it on the bed and sat on the couch to wear his shoes." Are you going somewhere?"He hummed, " will be back soon."She put the folded shirt on the bed, " I can trust every word of yours but not this."" So my wife has started knowing me."She hummed while folding her suit. After wearing his shoes, he made his way to her. She closed her eyes as he followed the everyday routine- kissed her forehead." Have dinner and sleep."She hummed.He picked up his phone and keys, gave her one last look, and left the room.Tonight, he would dig deeper.And this time, no truth, however ugly, was going to escape him.Just as he sat on the driving seat, his phone rang.Gautam.He accepted the call." Yes Gautam-"" Vikrant. At my home. Now! I've got something important."And his eyes sparkled, lips carved into a smirk." On the way!"He shoved his phone on the passenger seat, ignited his engine and drove away from there.Prena sat motionless in front of the grand mirror, her reflection staring back like a stranger. The bodycon gown hugged her figure in a calculated elegance, the deep burgundy shade chosen not for beauty but for defiance. Her makeup was immaculate, almost theatrical, as if trying to paint over everything that was real.But her eyes...She didn't see herself in them.Just hollowness wrapped in kohl and a carefully drawn smile.Saturday.The word echoed in her mind like a ticking clock.In a few hours, it wil be Sunday.Her birthday.Most people looked forward to their birthdays. She never did. Each year felt like a reminder, a mocking whisper that she didn't belong to the world she walked in.Tomorrow might decide her future... where she'd go, who she'd become. But tonight...tonight would decide her past.She stood up slowly, heels clicking against marble.The night was waiting.So was fate.And so was the man who might unknowingly rip her identity wide open.Vikrant Agnihotri.Prena's fingers curled into fists as she stared at her reflection, jaw tightening until her temples ached. Rajeshwari had laid it all out like a business proposal over breakfast that morning, sipping her imported tea with a calmness that made Prena's skin crawl." You won't even have to try," Rajeshwari had said, waving her hand as if she were discussing a dinner menu. "Just smile... charm him a little...spend the night. That's it. Do you even realize what it means if someone like Yashvardhan Verma gives you his attention? One night with him, and you're on the films, magazine covers, brand deals. Stardom."Prena had stared at her in disbelief.That was it?That was the grand plan?A shortcut dipped in filth and glossed over with perfume?Rajeshwari had decided that Prena's body would be her ladder. One degrading night with a man twice her age, married, with daughters older than Prena and she'd be set. She wouldn't have to struggle like other aspiring actresses. No auditions, no rejections, just a private moment and a deal sealed between expensive sheets.Prena chuckled bitterly now, her hand brushing the edge of her vanity.What else had she expected from Rajeshwari?A woman who never once looked at her as a daughter.Only an investment. A commodity.The irony burned in her chest. The party tonight wasn't a celebration.It was a transaction.And she was the currency.Prena's phone rang and she frowned.Dr. Sharma.She accepted the call." Yes, Dr. Sharma?"" Oh, Prena. You have got good news!"Her eyes lit up.The heavy doors of the Agnihotri Mansion creaked open as Ranvijay stormed inside, his jaw clenched, fingers tightly gripping a folder. The usual calm that followed his footsteps was absent today. Every servant in the hallway paused, sensing the storm in his stride as he made his way to the study.Without bothering to knock, he threw the door open, the force making it slam against the wall.Angad, seated behind his grand mahogany desk, looked up from a set of documents, eyebrows knitting at the intrusion.Ranvijay didn't wait. He marched across the room and slammed the folder onto the desk."What the hell is this, papa?"Angad blinked, gaze drifting to the scattered pages." What's wrong, Ranvi?"Ranvijay pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself but nothing worked when he remembered some dark secrets of his father which he had uncovered a few hours ago.His voice trembled with restrained rage. "Who is Rajeshwari?"Angad's face lost its color. He leaned back in his chair, spine stiffening, but didn't speak.The forbidden name slipped from Ranvijay's mouth like a sin."Where did you hear that name?" he asked, voice dangerously composed.Ranvijay's chest heaved. "Answer me, papa. Who is she? And don't you dare lie."Silence stretched for a long moment before Angad spoke."That name doesn't belong in this house," he said quietly.Ranvijay scoffed. "Then explain why Gautam found her name connected to your offshore accounts? Why does she have properties gifted under shell companies funded by you?"Angad's hands balled into fists and eyes darkened. Ranvijay wasn't supposed to say her name. Well, Rajeshwari was forever erased from his life." Stop wasting your time on irrelevant things, Ranvi and get out. I have work-"" Irrelevant?"Ranvijay interrupted him and chuckled mockingly." Tell me what is irrelevant? You cheating on your wife? You have another woman? You neglecting your own wife and spending nights with your mistress-"" Ranvijay!"" Don't you dare, Papa!"Ranvijay's voice overpowered Angad's as he pointed his finger at him.Angad's nostrils flared, his fists trembling at his sides as Ranvijay's words struck like blades. The study, once a space of quiet authority, now crackled with the fire of exposed secrets and rising tempers."Don't you dare raise your voice at me!" Angad growled, stepping forward, his face contorted with fury. "You have no idea what you're talking about.""I know enough!" Ranvijay shot back, not backing down. His chest rose and fell rapidly. "I know that while Maa was sitting at home, you were living a double life, building a second world you kept hidden like filth under a carpet."There was a pause. A silence filled with decades of lies, cracks in legacy, and unhealed wounds.Ranvijay's voice dropped, heavy with bitterness. "You were supposed to be my role model. My strength. But today... all I see is a man too weak to own his sins."" Ranvi," Angad stood up and walked toward with only one motive. Manipulation.Ranvijay took a step back, not allowing his father to even put his hands on his shoulders." You blamed bhabhi and I thought that, maybe you are angry because bhai married like that. I thought you would soon accept bhabhi. You called her with bad names, said she was from a filthy place but.. what about you, papa?"The accusation, the disappointment, the disgust, all of it was there in his son's eyes. Eyes that once used to look up at him with admiration now looked through him, as if he were a stranger.Ranvijay didn't stop. He couldn't," You tore into Bhai for choosing love. You said she stained our name, that she didn't belong in our family. But tell me, what about you, Papa? You kept another woman, hid her, and you dare call someone else dirty?"Angad clenched his jaw, trying to hold on to the last fragments of control, but Ranvijay didn't let up."You broke Maa. You broke us," he whispered. "And what's worse? you never even looked back. You moved on like nothing happened, like your sins were easier to forgive because of your name, your status, your pride."His voice trembled again, but this time with quiet fury."You said Bhai's love was wrong, but your lust was justified? Is that it? You-"And tears gathered in Ranvijay's eyes which stirred something in Angad's chest. Ranvijay did not easily break but when he did, it means something has surely struck him." You had a child.. with her? You.."Ranvijay swallowed the lump in his throat." I..am that mistake. But who made that mistake, Papa?"Angad's eyes widened, first with shock, then with something deeper. Horror. Fear. The very truth he had buried in the darkest corners of his soul had surfaced, uninvited, unwanted, like a ghost refusing to stay dead.His lips parted but no sound came out.Ranvijay looked at him with storm-filled eyes, voice breaking through clenched teeth. "It's true, isn't it?"Angad's throat worked to form a denial, but nothing would come. The room, so grand and heavy with power, suddenly felt suffocating."Tell me!" Ranvijay shouted, his hands shaking. "Tell me I'm wrong, Papa. Tell me I belong to Maa. To Akansha Maa. That she carried me for nine months. That she-"His voice cracked, "-that she loved me like her own."Angad finally spoke, hoarse, barely a whisper. "She did... love you."That alone shattered Ranvijay. Tears streamed down from his eyes.The study fell into a choking silence. Angad's eyes, still locked on his son, now glistened with unshed tears. His pride seemed reduced to ashes in the face of his son's broken trust."I was trying to protect you," he said, voice brittle."Protect me?" Ranvijay laughed, hollow and sharp. "From what? The truth? Or your own guilt?"Angad flinched."You let me believe I was part of something pure. That I was hers. And she... she never told me otherwise. She loved me like her own. And you let her carry your sin while you pretended to be righteous!""Ranvi-" Angad took a step forward."Don't," Ranvijay warned, his voice raw. "Don't come closer."His eyes, once full of hurt, darkened into something Angad hadn't seen before. A dangerous stillness."You thought you buried it so well," he murmured, "but truth has a way of clawing out of graves."Angad's brows knit, a flicker of dread crossing his face." Bhai... Bhai has found it."Angad's body tensed and words dared not to slip from his mouth.Ranvijay smiled, cold, merciless. "Not just knows. He dug it up."He leaned in slightly, voice a brutal whisper, "And the man who can break bones for his wife... just imagine what he'll do for his sister."The threat hung between them, thick as poison.Ranvijay's eyes gleamed with fire, no longer the betrayed son, but a storm waiting to strike. He stood tall, unflinching."I swear.... Bhai's going to shake the Agnihotri Empire from its very roots."Angad's lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. There was nothing left to justify. No lie strong enough to cover what had been unearthed.Ranvijay scoffed. "You should've thought twice before playing God with people's lives. Now watch as your kingdom burns by the hands of the very sons you tried to control."And with that, he turned and walked away, his shoulders squared, his silence louder than his rage.This time, Angad didn't follow.Because for the first time in decades, he was afraid.Three siblings. Bound by blood, fate, and betrayal.One was on his way to create destruction — Vikrant, the storm cloaked in silence, ready to tear down everything built on lies, for the sake of those he called his own.One had no time — Prena, dressed like a doll for a masquerade of monsters, every ticking second a countdown to the end of her innocence, the staining of her dreams.And one, in search of truth, had found the shattering core of his own — Ranvijay, the boy who bore the wrong name, the wrong legacy, and now stood on the edge of a world that was never his to begin with.Three stories. Three reckonings.And destiny... had just lit the match.⋆༺✷༻⋆To be continued..Read more in scrollstack as early access.