Chapter 56: Chapter 53- Ishq Wala Love

Siara's pov-

I left with Dad, my steps sharp, my expression thunderous. Behind me, Mahir's 'the scary boss aura' lay in ruins, rolling across the cold marble floor of his own empire.

The nerve of that man. How dare he call me a kangaroo? A KANGAROO. Of all the animals on this planet? He could've called me a lioness. A panther. A deadly viper. But no. That mascular buffallo went with a jumping marsupial.

I was still fuming, my fingers itching to chuck something at him-But honestly? Why waste my energy? I should just call the circus. Let the professionals handle this. I just quickly texted shivay to search for me. I know they'll find me without even knowing the location.

I didn't know where Dad was leading me, but his hand was wrapped around mine, warm and steady, like I was a lost child and I just walk along with him.

I looked around and that's when I noticed it. The stares. No. Not stares-GAWKS.

Mahir's employees had turned into statues. Some were frozen mid-task, others had their heads tilted at inhuman angles, watching the aftermath of the CEO vs. Wife Showdown. A few brave souls pretended to be busy-one guy was furiously typing on a laptop that wasn't even turned on.

I sighed, turning to Dad, my voice dripping with pure sarcasm. "Dad, do I look scary? Because these people are staring at me like I just crawled out of a horror movie."

He chuckled, patting my head like I was some harmless little creature

"Scary? Not at all. You look cute beta. They're just... processing. Anyway, leave them. Tell me, What's that?" He pointed toward my hand.

I blinked, then looked down.

Oh.

In my grip was the origami bouquet-the one Mahir had folded with his oversized hands. I turned it over, inspecting the delicate folds, the way each petal curved perfectly.

I pursed my lips and muttered "He made it,"

Dad raised an eyebrow, amused. "He? As in?"

I waved my hand toward the grand hall, rolling my eyes. "The egoistic, self-obsessed owner of this empire."

Dad shook his head and laughed out. I didn't crack a joke dad. I parted my lips to speak-something, anything-but the words never came.

Because walking straight towards me was him. Mahir. One of his hands hung lazily over his shoulder, gripping my sandals, while the other clutched his discarded coat, his fingers flexing against the fabric. His black shirt, once crisp and perfect, was now undone at the top, the first few buttons carelessly open. His tie? Nowhere to be seen.

When I shifted my gaze, Women were staring at him. Some biting their lips. One even fanned herself, looking seconds away from swooning. Seriously? Don't they have husbands at home that they were staring at someone else's? And What exactly were they drooling over? A limited-edition arrogance model wrapped in designer fabric? These people have no professionalism at all.

My attention snapped back to Mahir.

His dark, heated gaze was locked onto me. Nowhere else.

I didn't even realize when he closed the distance, And then-before I could react-he dropped to one knee.

My heartbeat stuttered. His hands, large and warm, slid down my ankle with a touch so featherlight, so unbelievably reverent, it sent a shiver up my spine. He slowly, deliberately slipped my sandal onto my foot, his movements unhurried-like he had all the time in the world, like there was nowhere else he'd rather be.

This was the second time he did this. But Why? Do men really do these things or is it just him who seems hell-bent on unraveling me. When he rose, he didn't step back. Instead, he leaned in-close, too close-his breath warm against my ear."Breathe, doctor." And with that he stepped away.

Leaving behind my racing pulse, my shattered composure, and the worst part? The undeniable truth that I had forgotten to breathe.

Just as I struggled to gather myself, a voice broke through the charged silence. Kabir. Singing.

"Surkh wala, soz wala, faiz wala love

Hota hai jo, love se zyada Waise wala love."

Avya joined,"Hua joh dard bhi toh Humko aaj kuch zyada hua

Ishq wala love

Yeh kya hua hai kya khabar Yehi pata hai zyada hua

Ishq wala love"

I blinked, snapping out of the trance Mahir had left me in. When I looked around, almost every person was staring-wide-eyed, slack-jawed. What's with these people and staring?

The same women who had been ogling Mahir moments ago? Their expressions had turned into pure envy. Some clenched their jaws. Others exchanged glances as if suddenly realizing they had no chance.

Dad? He was smiling, as if thoroughly enjoying it. And the circus?

They had joined Kabir. Shivay took over, his voice exaggeratedly emotional, gripping his heart like a man struck by Cupid himself "Agar yeh usko bhi hua hai Phir bhi mujhko zyada hua

Ishq wala love"

Myra and Divya twirled dramatically, swaying like love-struck heroines.

"Leke noor sara chand mera yahin   pe

Hai chupa chupa hua

Ishq wala love"

I should have been annoyed. I should have told them to stop. But then I turned-and saw Mahir. His eyes-dark, deep, consuming-were locked onto mine. He wasn't smirking anymore. He wasn't amused. He was just... looking at me with expressions so soft that I know are reserved for me only.

He hadn't even blinked. His eyes traced my face, lingering-on my lips, my eyes, as if memorizing me in ways words could never explain. They kept singing. The world kept spinning.

But we? We were frozen. He was lost---in me and I? I don't know what was happening. I couldn't comprehend my own self. The lyrics wrapped around us, slow and intoxicating. And just like that, I forgot how to breathe again.

"Hota hai jo, love se zyada Waise wala love, Ishq wala love..."

I blinked twice, forcing myself back to reality, just as Kabir nudged Shivay. "Bro, I think we lost them."

Shivay smirked. "Yep. Gone. Another realm. No return ticket." While Myra placed a hand on her heart, shaking her head."I don't know if this is Ishq wala love or 'I'll ruin you for anyone else' wala love."

Divya clasped her hands together dreamily. "I can wait not just three but thirty years if true love looks like this."

Avi, however, was not amused. He stepped in front of me, narrowed his eyes at Mahir. "Don't look at my sister like that."

Mahir snapped out of his trance, his eyes flickering toward the now very interested audience. Then, with an unapologetic expression, he turned back to Avi."kiddo, Biwi hai wo meri."

(She is my wife)

Shivay whistled. “Wah. Bhai just pulled out the ultimate uno reverse card.”

Avi, still scowling, muttered under his breath, "I need bleach for my eyes."

Mahir, exasperated, pinched the bridge of his nose and ordered the staff “All of you. out.”

Once they left, Dad finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying a weight that instantly shifted the air around us. "Mahir, your work is waiting for you. Go finish it. Build your empire. Your Wife can wait. And who knows that better than you?" Mahir's jaw tighten, his eyes momentarily clouding with something I couldn't quite decipher.

But he didn't argue. Didn't counter with one of his usual sharp-witted remarks.

Instead, he took a step back. His gaze lingered on me and then, with a final glance-one that felt like both a promise and an apology-he turned and walked away.

I never used to overthink. Not in the past few years. My world had been simple—Avi and the hospital. That was it. No distractions. No complications. But now, this man had invaded my thoughts like a storm, relentless and all-consuming. He was hell-bent on proving his love. On proving me wrong.

After leaving the Sehgal Empire, I was stuffed to the brim—courtesy of Papa Sehgal, who had once again struck and this time, with the force of a seasoned feeder. I had eaten more in one sitting than I had the entire day. I don't know why everyone is so obsessed with making me eat. Is this some shared plan to make siara Fat within a week?

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Mahir's pov-

I had been so engrossed in my work that time had completely slipped away from me. Now, I was late, and Mom is definitely going to scold me. Shaking my head, I drove home, mentally preparing for whatever chaos awaited me.

And the moment I stepped inside… I wasn't disappointed. This clan never disappoints. Honestly, who needs kids when you already have these BIG, chaos-loving lunatics running around?

Forget maturity—they had collectively rejected the concept. If there will be a global competition for most unhinged family, I am pretty sure we'd not only win but get a lifetime achievement award.

Right now, The hall looked like a scene straight out of a C-grade heist movie—Almost everyone was wearing black masks, looking less like professional criminals and more like some low- budget robbers, huddled together like they were in a failed Halloween party. Siara was nowhere to be seen. That should’ve been my first warning.

Before I could process what fresh nonsense this was, Divya came running toward me, waving her arm dramatically. “Bhai, look! I fell!” she cried, shoving her hand in my face.

I squinted. What was I supposed to look at? There was nothing. Maybe—just maybe—if I grabbed a magnifying glass and examined her skin under a microscope, I’d find a scratch.

I raised a brow. “Are you sure you fell? Or did a mosquito just bump into you mid-air?”

Gasps. Dramatic gasps. She froze like I had just insulted her sacred traditions. Kabir leaned in, inspecting her hand with a mock-serious expression. "A tragedy. Someone call an ambulance—no, actually, call the priest, she might not make it."

I rubbed my temples. Why was I even surprised? I gestured toward their new, absolutely ridiculous getup. "What’s this new nonsense?"

Shivay stepped forward, his black mask slightly askew, making him look less like a robber and more like a malfunctioning cartoon villain. He cleared his throat dramatically. "Our last plan to scare your little-too-scary wife."

I stared. Blinked. And glared "MY… WHAT?"

Kabir stepped in, adjusting his mask like this was some elite, top-secret mission. "Bhai, listen. The love of your life is fearless. So, we—" he spread his arms wide, gesturing to the band of lunatics around him, "—decided to test our scaring abilities again."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "And?"

Shivay, ever the voice of reason, sighed dramatically. "And we failed. Miserably. Again"

Myra threw up her hands. "We tried EVERYTHING! Jump scares, fake ghosts, even a sudden blackout—"

Divya dramatically held out her hand like she was on her deathbed. "Bhai, I popped out of a cupboard. With flour all over my face! I looked like a ghost that had been through bad life choices, but did she scream? NO! She just… blinked.".

Kabir groaned and rubbed his face. “Last time she suggested we needed an inhaler, So like any genius, I came prepared. I actually brought one this time. Of course A fake one. For dramatic effect. You know, to sell the performance.” He threw up his hands. “And what she said? She just sighed and said, ‘Get therapy.'"

I could actually picture Siara standing there, arms crossed, watching this entire disaster unfold with her signature unimpressed stare.

Kabir nodded aggressively. "EXACTLY. She said, and I quote, ‘Next time, coordinate better and maybe use proper costumes.’"

Divya shook her head, traumatized. "Bhai. She gave us a step-by-step improvement plan like a judge on a talent show but without the fake enthusiasm."

Shivay nodded solemnly. "So we are going to try our unlucky luck one last time to melt our Queen of Antarctica."

I folded my arms and glared hard. “Remove these stupid masks, stop this nonsense and tell me—where is your bhabhi?”

Before these idiots could respond, we heard a sharp gasp. I turned around and saw mom, flanked by chachi, dad, chachu, and the final boss—Dadi.

Mom’s eyes scanned the crime scene—the masks, the ridiculous props, and, of course, the circus. She exhaled sharply "What. Is. All. This?!"

Chachi clutched her chest. "Arey bhagwaan! Yeh nautanki kisne shuru ki?!" (Oh god! Who started this nonsense?!)

Dad folded his arms. "I don’t know whether to be disappointed or concerned that these are our children."

Chachu nodded sagely. "The correct response is both."

But the real disaster struck when Dadi stepped forward, gripping her walking stick like a weapon. She squinted at shivay. "Mahir blocked your cards so are you planning to rob a bank?"

Shivay gulped. "Dadi, it’s just—"

THWACK. Dadi’s stick landed right on his arm."Bas kar, besharam!" (Enough, shameless one!)

Shivay again tried to explain. "Dadi, we were just—"

THWACK. Another hit. Good. He deserves it for calling my siara scary. How dare he.

Chachi sighed dramatically. "Mujhe toh sharam aati hai ki yeh mere bacche hain."(I’m ashamed that these are my children.)

Chachu patted her shoulder. "Haan bilkul sahi, ek-do toh hospital mein badal gaye honge."(Yeah, Totally correct, at least one or two of them must have been switched at the hospital.)

I stared at them, deadpan. Because in this family, it wasn’t just the circus—even the ringleaders were the same breed of insane. And at this rate… Siara and I weren’t just witnesses to the madness. We were slowly being dragged into it. Another few weeks in this house, and I had no doubt we’d be wearing matching clown wigs and laughing at our own destruction.

I shook my head, sighing at my family's endless antics. But then—I noticed. Siara. Standing near the stairs. Frozen.

Her posture was unnaturally stiff. She wasn’t even blinking. At first, I thought she was just exhausted from witnessing this never-ending stupidity. But something was wrong.

Her eyes were locked onto something in the distance—fixed, unblinking. I followed her gaze, my stomach twisting into a tight knot of dread. She was staring at the clan. But why?

Her pupils dilated in terror, her delicate fingers curled into feeble claws, and her her breathing so shallow it was almost nonexistent. stepped closer, my heart pounding in my ears. I stepped closer. That’s when I noticed—her entire body was trembling, a cold shiver creeping down my spine.

“What the hell?” I murmured, My voice softened instinctively as I called out, “Siara?”

She didn’t react. She didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t even acknowledge me.

And in that terrifying moment, realization slammed into me like a bullet. A sharp bolt of fear shot through me. No. No, no, no.

This was exactly how she behaved the last time—when she had that anxiety attack. But now it was happening again—She wasn’t truly here. She was somewhere else. Somewhere dark. Somewhere she had fought to escape for years.

Something triggered her. BUT WHAT?

A heavy, suffocating rage filled my chest. My breathing caught in my throat as I tried to piece it together. I followed her gaze once more, and that’s when I saw it—a cascade of masked faces.

The clan. They were all still wearing their masks.

The masks. Shit. f*ck.

My jaw clenched so hard it ached. Of course. Of course, it had to be the GODDAMN MASKS.

The same blank, expressionless faces. The same soulless, unrecognizable visages. The same inhumanity that had once surrounded her in thedarkest moments of her life.

That was where she was trapped again—in the labyrinth of her own memories, in the depths of a nightmare she’d fought so hard to escape.

My hands curled into fists as I glared at the clan, their absurdity now a venomous insult. They had no damn idea—no fucking idea—that with every laugh and careless gesture, they were dragging Siara back into the abyss of her terror.

“Siara,” I called out again, my voice rough and desperate, “look, I'm here. There is nothing wrong. Breathe, please.”

But she didn’t respond. Instead, fresh tears traced silent paths down her cheeks, and my heart clenched in anguish. Before I could process the scene any further, Kavya’s voice broke through the turmoil “Oh, there she is. Bhabhi, come here. Dadi is beating Shivay.”

Siara recoiled, stepping back as if an invisible force were repelling her. Without warning, she bolted toward our room. Rage exploded inside me—a scorching inferno fueled by the thought of her suffering. I screamed, my words slicing through the cacophony like a razor-sharp blade,

“REMOVE THOSE FUCKING MASKS, AND DON'T YOU DARE ENTER MY ROOM UNTIL I COME DOWN! OR ELSE YOU’LL SEE MY WORST!”

The room fell silent as every single one of them flinched, this time with real fear. They knew I wasn’t fucking joking. I wasn’t just a man spouting empty threats; I was Mahir—the man who would burn the damn world down for the woman I loved.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I stormed after Siara, each step fueled by a ruthless resolve and a burning promise: no one, absolutely no one, would dare shackle her in the chains of her past while I still had breath in my body.

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So, How was the chapter guys? 😏