AUTHOR'S POV
The sound of a glass tumbler shattering against the floor echoed through the halls, slicing through the murmurs of conversation and drawing startled glances toward the highly secured chamber.
Vinesh Joshi, who had been in the middle of an important exchange with his girlfriend, Misha, froze mid-sentence. His expression stiffened as he turned his head towards the locked chamber. Without another word, he strode toward the chamber with annoyance etched on his face.
With a swift swipe of the keycard, the door unlocked and he stepped inside.
The sight that greeted him made his jaw clench.
Aahana, his own daughter, had turned the entire room into chaos. Cushions tossed, sheets torn, chairs upside down, plates smashed.
She stood in the center, breathing raggedly, eyes bloodshot and wild. Her fists trembled and her cheeks were streaked with tears that refused to stop flowing. The moment her gaze met his, she let out a sharp sniff and without hesitation, hurled a glass bowl of untouched food to the floor.
Vinesh remained by the edge of the doorway, unmoved. Watching.
But, Aahana didn't stop. She kicked away a tray of water bottles.
"Princess is angry."
He cooed mockingly, taking slow steps toward her like she was just another child throwing tantrums at petty things.
As he crouched down to clasp her arms, Aahana's eyes flared with raw hatred.
"Do not call me 'princess."'
She screamed with all the rage bubbling inside her tiny frame and yanked herself free.
Vinesh stumbled back slightly, caught off guard. The sheer fury in the gaze made his heart skip a beat.
"You don't speak to your papa like that, Aahana. Didn't your mother teach you anything!?"
He tried to class her but Aahana didn't budge.
"You're not my papa, anymore. You're a monster! A big monster who hurt mumma."
She spat and the next moment, broke into harder sobs.
For a flicker of a moment, his jaw twitched. He couldn't believe his little, innocent daughter could dare to speak like that to her.
But then the mask returned, his calm, cold smirk settling back into place.
""My baby princess..." He purred, tilting his head. "I'll bring you gifts from New York. Hmm? Then you'll be happy right?"
The shamelessness of his tone was worse than the words themselves.
"I hate your gifts! Send me to mumma!"
Aahana shrieked, admist her sobs.
"Oh! You wish!"
Vinesh muttered under his breathe.
"Aahana, I'm you dad." He tried, softening his tone as he crouched to her level. "I don't mean any harm to you, princess. You can go to your mother afterwards. Why don't you want to be with me?"
She sniffled hard, wiping her nose with the back of her hand as she glared at him.
"You're not my dad. Not anymore. You've hurt mumma. So, you've hurt me too. I don't love you. Not anymore."
His eyes darkened, anger simmering behind the calmness he tried to maintain.
"Who inserted all these shits in your head, hmm? Your mother? Or your mother's new boyfriend?"
Aahana's jaw trembled, but her voice didn't waver.
"Mumma is not bad like you."
"Aahana!"
His voice thundered through the room as the last thread of his temper snapped.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that interrupted the chaos before it creaked open and Misha appeared from behind. Her heels creaked against the floor as she quickly scanned the mess in the room. Aahana looked at her with the hatred that could make a grown woman like her halt her steps but she didn't.
She walked to Vinesh and without wasting another moment, began.
"We received intel directly from R. Drishye's portal. They're proposing a treaty."
"A treaty? For real? What the-"
He laughed out loud, shaking his head in disbelief.
"What're we at? War?"
He resumed chuckling loudly, clearing ignoring his daughter's state.
Misha did not display any reaction. Neither did she shower any attention or empathy towards Aahana.
"Well, the war hasn't begun yet, wifey."
He declared, aloud.
Taking a moment, he asked Misha.
"What did they propose?"
"Chhavi wishes to sign off all her properties and holdings to your name in exchange of Aahana's custody."
The smirk on his face slowly faded, replaced by a calming smile.
Even Aahana stopped sobbing for a moment, sensing the shift in the room.
"She really thinks I'd consider keeping her?"
He narrowed his eyes.
None of the ladies made a sound. Both of them anticipated his next call.
"Of course, not! But, neither so easy, baby."
Vinesh murmured, a cold smirk curling on his lips.
Both of them watched him carefully.
He strolled toward the window, fingers tapping rhythmically on the sill as silence stretched for a few long seconds. Then, turning around, he spoke with a calmness that could squeeze the life out of a rabbit.
"All right. Let's do it. The. Way. You. Want. WIFE!"
Misha blinked, surprised at the sudden agreement.
"Send them an invitation." He continued, voice coated in venom. "I'd like my dear wife to visit her stupid father's warehouse once before she gifts it to me."
His smirk deepened.
Misha looked at him, eyes wide with shock, surprise etched across her face. Her lips parted to speak but before she could form a single word, a loud thud from outside the chamber echoed through the space, silencing the air around them.
Vinesh's brows furrowed, body stiffened as his eyes darted towards the door.
Misha instinctively took a step back, her hand brushing over the pistol strapped to her thigh.
Aahana quietly stepped towards a huge armchair and hid behind it.
Before any of them could react further, the reinforced chamber door exploded open with a high-pitched screech and slammed to the floor, sending dust and sparks billowing into the air like shrapnel.
Smoke curled inward like a serpent.
And through it stepped a shadow.
R. Drishye. Square shouldered, fearless eyes and a calm expression, walking towards him with his hands in his pockets as if he didn't just burn down the map behind him.
Every single armed man who was assigned to secure the warehouse didn't get to fulfill any death wish.
Within a blink of a moment, shadows emerged through it, quickly taking position before they could even process everything.
Jada, Noor, Xysha and Veda slid into the chamber to take their position.
"What in the-"
Before Misha could barely even begin, Xysha's gun was already aimed straight between her eyes. In one swift move, she dragged an iron chair from behind Misha, slammed it into place and with a strong, hurtful nudge on her chest with the cold barrel of the gun, she pushed Misha onto it.
Misha's knees buckled and she fell on the hard surface with a thud.
"If you don't want to lose your tongue, keep speaking."
Xysha threatened, making her snap her mouth shut.
Jada and Noor had already secured their position. The former by the entrance of the chamber while the later standing just behind Vinesh with her gun aimed at his skull.
Vinesh didn't react. He just watched Drishye while Drishye didn't blink even once.
Both of their glares were razor- sharp, like an Eagle locking his target on a poisonous serpent.
Both of them stood in the same room.
Both wore the look of calm predators.
Both were dangerous.
Both wanted Chhavi. But, one wanted to use her and the another wanted to serve her.
While one spent years breaking her, another spent years worshipping her.
While one made sure to slice even the last of her wings, another dedicated himself to stitching them back.
Vinesh claimed Chhavi like she was his possession.
Drishye held her like she was his prayer.
None of them backed off. Both were lethal for each other. Since, ironically, the woman of their interest was common.
And now, standing across each other, they looked like equals- until you noticed the critical difference: both wanted to ruin her but...
And just when the tension stretched to a shattering point-
Click. Click.
Someone's footsteps once again drew their attention towards the doorway of the chamber and from the billow of the smoke, emerged a figure.
Chhavi Sharma.
But, this time- not the trembling wife. Not the silenced woman. Not the broken mother.
Hair pulled back, gaze sharp, dressed in pitch-black, holding a single file in her hand- she walked like she owned the place. And, there was no lie in it.
She walked past Misha, past the guards knocked dead by Drishye's team and stopped only when she stood directly in front of him. With her head high, meeting his eyes.
Vinesh Joshi.
Now, jaw trembling somewhere near the dusty ground, he could barely recognize the woman before him.
This wasn't the wife he abandoned! No way!
"Mumma!"
Aahana came running to her, her eyes resuming their emotional waterfall.
She flung herself into Chhavi's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Her body trembled against hers as she tried as hard as she could to clutch onto her mother's clothes, afraid she'd be snatched from her again.
Chhavi closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. Her arms wrapped around Aahana protectively, pulling her close.
But she didn't cry.
Not this time.
Not in front of him.
Her spine stayed straight and she opened her eyes to burn holes through Vinesh from across the room.
Enough of tears.
Enough of blaming fate.
She kissed Aahana's temple gently and whispered.
"Go to Iyes uncle, baby."
"No! Don't leave me alone, mumma. Please!"
She welled, clinging to her tighter.
"It's okay, baby. You're fine now. Mumma won't let you go. Never."
She cupped Aahana's tear-streaked face, brushing away her daughter's trembling sobs with the gentlest of thumbs. Her voice didn't crack but her heart did.
Aahana sniffled, nodding faintly.
With one final kiss to her forehead, Chhavi slowly loosened her daughter's grip and turned her towards her soon to be ex- husband, legally.
Vinesh watched the 'drama' unfold in front of him, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
He scoffed under his breath.
"I should've bought some popcorns."
His voice was soaked in condescension.
But even as he taunted, something in his expression flickered which he tried hard to keep intact.
The woman standing in front of him wasn't the one he had gaslit, manipulated and broken.
She was someone else now.
"Here." She began in a voice he couldn't recognise. "The contract."
He looked down at the file, stunned for a brief second, before looking up at her with narrowed eyes.
"Explain."
He fought back.
"All the properties. The inheritance. The shares. Every single piece of asset attached to the Sharmas. In exchange of my daughter. Full custody. Forever. No calls. No visits. No rights."
Vinesh clicked his tongue.
"Hmmm...too easy, right?"
Chhavi leaned in, whispering in a strangely lethal and calm voice.
"You see the lady behind you? She can shoot you straight into your skull and get rid of you for me. How about that?"
Vinesh heard Noor load the gun with a clean, cocky click and his expression faltered.
Behind Chhavi, Drishye stood like a proud lover, watching his Queen take the lead.
"You'll loose your daughter to foster care. Do you realise, Mrs. Joshi?"
"Mrs. Joshi."
Chhavi let out a dry, humorless laugh.
"Mrs. Joshi..."
She repeated it as if it was an insult.
She tilted her head and smiled, meeting his eyes. Vinesh was hating this new found confidence she had on her face.
"Mr. Joshi. You can take the deal." She took a breathe. "Or you can take a bullet."
Her eyes darted to Noor who was just waiting for just a blink from Chhavi to unlive him.
Behind her, Drishye shifted slightly, his fists clenching so tight that his veins popped blue through his skin. Mrs. Joshi!
Vinesh let out a low, mocking laugh and took the file from Chhavi's hand. He moved to the side table, flipping through the pages.
While scribbling his name, he threw in casually.
"You can't deny the fact that you love me, Chhavi."
Her gaze didn't flinch.
"What makes you think so?"
He looked up with a smile that reeked of delusion.
"You could've had me killed, sweetheart. Would've been easy."
She didn't blink. Her voice dropped, dark and amused.
"Oh, Mr. Joshi. That's what I hate most...'ease.' "
That silenced him for a breath. He caught the meaning.
But he still went on, dragging the pen across the final line
That sweetheart again.
Drishye's knuckles cracked behind her. He was already imagining ripping the word off Vinesh's tongue, serving it raw to the wolves that roamed his borders on a good Sunday afternoon.
Chhavi's expression was cool as winter ash.
"What mistake?"
Vinesh leaned in, too close to make her stomach twist in revulsion. But she didn't step back. With an annoying confidence, looked into her eyes and whispered.
"You just gave me the idea of your power, love."
Chhavi smirked. It was slow. Icy. Deadly.
"Oh, ex-husband, you still kept cute expectations from me. I love it!"
She winked and the next moment, snatched the file from him, turned on her heels to strode out, her aura swallowing the room whole.
Vinesh stood still.
Dumbfounded.
In spite of acquiring the crore-worth legacy of the Sharmas, Vinesh felt stripped of power. Hollow.
...
LATER THAT EVENING
The dim lights of the bungalow cast long shadows on the walls.
Krisha stood by the window, arms crossed. Everyone was gathered- Drishye, Noor, Xysha, Veda, and Jada. Chhavi, however, was absent.
"I guess I don't need to be Misha anymore."
Krisha announced with a sigh. She was so done playing a filthy man's girlfriend.
Veda let out a dry chuckle. Noor smirked faintly. Drishye continued sipping his coffee without lifting his gaze.
But before anyone could answer-
"Not yet."
Came a voice from upstairs that made all heads turn towards her.
Chhavi was descending the stairs slowly, dressed in a soft blush brown silk robe, her hair tired into a clean bun. A heavy exhaustion hug around her like a halo yet couldn't overshadow her new found character.
She had just tucked Aahana to sleep, after feeding her, bathing her and taking care of her.
She didn't look at anyone. She walked straight to the center of the room, where a plush couch waited like a throne.
Gracefully sitting on it, she crossed her leg over the other and finally looked straight into Krisha's eyes.
"Marry him."
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Y'all!!! I'm anticipating your reaction on the this chapter (specifically on the last line) so much!
Finally, Chhavi has broken out of the cage! Like finally! But, those who want more context, don't worry! You'll get it in the further chapters.
Okay, I will give you some spoilers.
In the next 1-2 chapters, we'll go back to the time Chhavi was 25 and Drishye was 19. Yes, the college life!