chapter 39
The soft morning light filtered through the tall curtains of the Rajput mansion, brushing over the quiet study room where Rudra satlost in thought, his gaze fixed on the old photograph of his grandmother. His eyes were heavy, dark circles hinting at the storm he’d endured the night before.
The door creaked open gently. Ishni stepped inside with a traya plate of cut fruits, a cup of black coffee, and the faint aroma of care that filled the air more than anything else.
“Rudra…” she called softly, walking toward him. He didn’t respond. His elbows rested on the desk, fingers entwined, jaw tight.
“Why haven’t you had your breakfast?” she asked, setting the tray down beside him.
He exhaled slowly, not looking up. “Just wasn’t hungry,” he muttered.
Before she could argue, he reached out suddenly, catching her wrist and tugging her gently onto his lap. Ishni let out a small gasp, her hands instinctively landing on his shoulders.
“But Rudra…” she protested, her voice half stern, half fond, “you shouldn’t skip breakfasts like this. It’s not good for your health.”
He looked up at her then, eyes softer than before, though still shadowed with sorrow. His hand slipped around her waist, holding her close. “You’re turning into dadi,” he said with a faint, broken smile.
She brushed her fingers along his jaw. “If that’s what it takes to keep you alive, then I don’t mind being her,” she whispered.
For a moment, silence filled the room gentle, almost healing. Rudra’s hand rested protectively over her stomach without realizing it, and Ishni froze for a heartbeat, her breath catching. She quickly placed her hand over his, steadying it before he could notice.
“You’ll eat?” she asked softly.
He looked at her, eyes flickering with warmth for the first time since the funeral. “Only if you feed me.”
Ishni smiled faintly, picking up a slice of apple. “Drama king,” she murmured, bringing it to his lips.
He bit into it slowly, never taking his eyes off her the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips as though she was the only thing anchoring him to this world.
Rudra leaned back slightly in his chair, his arms still resting around Ishni’s waist as he stared into the distance, his mind already running through a thousand possibilities.
Ishni placed the plate aside and looked at him, her brows furrowing softly. “Rudra… why would Swetha do that to Dadi ji?” she asked, her voice quiet, careful but heavy with concern.
He sighed, his jaw tightening. “I don’t know, Jaan…” His eyes darkened, a storm gathering in them again. “But I won’t spare her this time. Whatever game she’s playing, it ends now.”
Ishni’s hand reached for his, her fingers curling over his knuckles gently. “Rudra… maybe Dadi ji knew something. Something Swetha didn’t want to reveal. What if—”
Before she could finish, Rudra looked at her, the sharpness in his gaze softening as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Jaan…” he whispered, his thumb brushing her cheek. “I’ll handle everything. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Rudra—”
“No,” he said firmly but gently, cutting her off. “You just stay away from all these matters, mm?” His voice softened as his forehead leaned against hers. “I’ve already lost too much. I won’t risk losing you too.”
Her eyes softened, guilt flickering across her face. “But I can’t see you go through this alone…”
He smiled faintly the kind that hides pain behind affection and kissed her forehead. “You already do more than you realize,” he murmured. “Your presence alone is enough to keep me breathing, Ishni.”
For a moment, she melted into the silence, resting her head against his shoulder, torn between obedience and the need to protect him in her own way.
Because deep inside, Ishni knew Swetha’s game wasn’t over. And if Rudra was going to face her… she couldn’t just stay away.
After sometime
At his office
Rudra’s eyes slowly lifted from the desk, his gaze sharp as steel. The tension in the air was heavy, the silence thick enough to slice through.
Vipul placed a few papers on the desk, his tone low but urgent. “Boss… as you suspected, Swetha wasn’t doing this alone. Someone’s helping her. There’s a big hand behind all this. And that note you received—” he hesitated, “—it was a set-up. Maybe Swetha is just one of them.”
Rudra leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest as his mind pieced everything together. His jaw clenched. “So… it wasn’t her plan alone.”
“No, sir,” Vipul said. “Someone powerful enough to cover tracks, manipulate evidence, and even get access to your family’s private records.”
Rudra’s eyes darkened. “Which means this isn’t about family revenge anymore… it’s war.”
Vipul nodded grimly. “Exactly. And there’s one more thing… the last payment Swetha made it was traced back to an offshore account. Under a fake name… but registered in Italy.”
Rudra froze for a second Italy. The place he’d just returned from.
Vipul looked at him, uneasy. “What should we do next, boss?”
Rudra’s lips curved slightly, though his eyes held nothing but fury. “Find out who’s hiding behind that name."
As he left the office, Rudra leaned forward, elbows on the desk, hands clasped. His thoughts raced back to the night Dadi died, the look in Swetha’s eyes the fear, not guilt and now, Italy.
At mansion
Ishni paced around the living room, her mind restless. Rudra’s words from the morning still echoed in her ears “Stay away from all these matters.”
But how could she?
How could she sit still when the man she loved was walking straight into danger?
She stopped near the window, clutching her phone tightly. “I have to do something…” she whispered to herself. “I can’t just watch him destroy himself over these monsters.”
Taking a deep breath, she dialed a number. The line connected.
“Hello,” she said, her tone calm but commanding. “Track everything on Swetha Rajput who she meets, where she goes, every movement. I want a full report within 24 hours.”
A pause, then a voice replied, “Understood, ma’am.”
She cut the call, exhaling slowly. Her eyes softened, filled with both worry and determination.
“Rudra…” she murmured, looking out at the dark sky. “You’ve fought enough alone. Not this time.”
Her voice grew steadier, a quiet storm brewing beneath her calm.
“I’ll protect you… even if you never find out how.”
Somewhere a dimly lit room
Swetha slammed her purse on the table, glaring at the man sitting across from her. “I’m done now!! If you don’t do something soon, forget about becoming the Crown Mafia King!” she snapped.
The man leaned back in his chair, eyes cold and sharp. “Stop yelling at me, Swetha. All your plans are stupid every one of them has failed miserably.”
Swetha’s lips curved into a bitter smile. “Oh really?” she said, leaning forward. “Then why don’t you make one? You’re all talk and no brains.”
He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. “Watch your tone.”
“Or what?” she hissed, stepping closer. “You think you can threaten me? Remember, I made you reach this far. Without me, you’d still be licking boots in the underworld.”
“Enough!!” the man’s voice thundered through the dim room. “Swetha, one more word and I’ll rip you apart.”
Swetha froze mid-sentence, her smirk fading for a second before she scoffed. “You!!!—”
“Now it’s the end of the game,” he interrupted, stepping closer, his tone deadly calm. “I have a better plan.”
Swetha raised an eyebrow, her curiosity overtaking her anger. “Plan? What plan?”
He turned his face halfway into the light revealing a cold, familiar smirk. “We’ll finish from where it all started.”
Swetha tilted her head, then slowly smiled. “You’re so cruel to your own son, Rajput.”
The man chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting with hatred. “Son? My foot!” he spat, slamming his hand on the table. “I never wanted a weakling like him! I wanted him to be like me ruthless, feared, untouchable!”
He took a step forward, his voice trembling with rage. “But no he turned against me. That ungrateful brat destroyed everything! Because of him, I lost my crown, my empire! He took away my kingdom my name!”
Swetha’s smirk slowly returned. “So the one who wants to end Rudra… is the man who gave him life,” she said softly, almost amused.
Rajput’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “I gave him life… and I’ll be the one to take it back.”
He turned toward the darkened window, watching the rain pour outside. “Prepare everything, Swetha,” he said coldly. “It’s time for Rudra Singh Rajput to meet his fate and this time, no one will save him.”
Swetha’s eyes gleamed. “Not even Ishni,” she whispered.
They both smirked, unaware that someone outside the window had just captured their entire conversation on a recording device Ishni’s spy.
At Rudra's office
The air inside the room was heavy. Rudra sat behind his desk, his eyes fixed on a document but his mind miles away. The silence broke with hurried footsteps.
“Boss!!” Vipul burst in, panting and holding an envelope. “Boss, this just came in no sender name, but… it’s signed by K.”
Rudra’s eyes darkened immediately. His jaw tightened as he snatched the letter from Vipul’s hand. The paper was thick, old like it had been meant to travel through time to reach him.
He unfolded it slowly.
‘I’ve grown tired of this little game of hide and seek.
It’s time you face your fate, Rudra Singh Rajput.’
— K
Rudra’s grip on the letter tightened, veins bulging in his arm.
“Boss… there’s something on the back,” Vipul said carefully.
Rudra flipped it.
There, scribbled in dark ink, was an address.
The moment his eyes landed on it his breath hitched. His pupils widened, hands shaking slightly.
“No…” he whispered under his breath.
Vipul frowned, “Boss? What’s wrong?”
Rudra’s voice came out low, heavy with buried memories.
“It’s… that place.”
Vipul’s confusion deepened. “Which place?”
Rudra looked up, his eyes burning with a mix of fury and pain.
“The abandoned mansion… where I lived with my parents.” He swallowed hard, his voice breaking for a second. “And beside it… the place where my mother and sister were burnt alive.”
The letter trembled in his hand.
Vipul’s face turned pale. “Boss, this could be a trap”
Rudra stood up, his chair screeching backward. “I don’t care,” he snapped. “He wants to meet me? Then let him. This time, no one plays with my past and walks away breathing.”
He crumpled the letter in his fist, his eyes dark and stormy the calm before the chaos.
At the Mansion
Ishni’s POV
Ishni paced back and forth across the living room, her heart restless. She could feel it that strange chill crawling up her spine. Something was wrong.
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
She frowned, picking it up.
Unknown Number: “You should see the truth before it’s too late.”
A video file followed.
Her thumb hesitated for a second before she tapped play.
The shaky footage began dim lighting, muffled voices… and then the frame cleared. Her breath hitched.
Swetha stood in a dark warehouse, arguing with a man. The moment he turned his face slightly toward the camera Ishni froze.
Her phone nearly slipped from her trembling hand.
Her lips parted, but no sound came.
“...R-Rudra’s… father?” she whispered in disbelief.
“Son? My foot! I wanted him to lick my shoes, but he turned against me!”
“Because of him, I lost my crown my name!”
Ishni’s heartbeat quickened.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “No… no, this can’t be…” she murmured, watching his face twisted in hatred.
He continued,
“I’ll take back what’s mine. This time, Rudra Singh Rajput dies by my hands.”
The video ended with his chilling laugh echoing in the silence.
Ishni stood frozen. Then the phone slipped from her grip, landing softly on the carpet.
Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Rudra’s… father? He’s K?”
Her breath grew uneven.
She clutched her chest, shaking her head in denial. “No… no, he can’t do this to his own son… not again…”
And then, realization hit her.
“Rudra!” she gasped.
She ran out of the room, grabbing her car keys in a rush. “You can’t face him alone… not this time,” she muttered, tears brimming in her eyes.
she drove her trembling hands clutched the steering wheel tightly while the video’s final echo replayed in her mind:
“This time, Rudra Singh Rajput dies by my hands.”
At Rudra’s Office
Ishni rushed inside, her breath uneven, eyes darting around the empty room.
“Rudra!!” she called out, panic lacing her voice. But the office was silent cold and empty.
Her heart started racing faster. She turned in every direction, her mind spinning.
Just then, Vipul entered, breathing heavily.
“Ma’am—”
She turned sharply toward him, her voice trembling with desperation.
“Vipul, where’s Rudra?! I need to talk to him, it’s very important!”
Vipul looked down for a moment, hesitating.
“Ma’am… actually, boss—”
“Vipul!!!” she yelled, her eyes welling up. “This is about Rudra’s life! Tell me where he is!”
Vipul flinched slightly at her tone, his voice breaking.
“Ma’am… boss received a letter from K. It had an address… he left for that place saying he needs to finish it once and for all.”
Ishni froze.
Her eyes widened, and for a second she couldn’t breathe.
Her lips parted as a whisper escaped her throat“What… address?”
Vipul swallowed.
“It’s… the same old mansion. The one where his family lived… and beside it… the place where his mother and sister—”
Before he could finish, Ishni’s face turned pale.
She stepped back, shaking her head.
“No… no, this is a trap… this is a trap!”
Her eyes filled with tears as she turned and sprinted toward the door.
“Vipul, we have to stop him!” she shouted, already halfway down the corridor.
“Ma’am, please! Wait—” Vipul called, running after her.
But Ishni didn’t stop.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Every second felt like it was slipping away.
She pulled out her phone, dialing Rudra’s number again and again but it kept going to voicemail.
“Pick up, Rudra… please, pick up…” she whispered as tears fell down her cheeks.
After sometime
The abandoned mansion loomed ahead, silent and eerie. Ishni’s heart pounded as she ran through the overgrown courtyard, calling out desperately,
“Rudra!!”
She pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside, her eyes scanning the dimly lit halls. Shadows stretched across the walls, and only a few flickering lights illuminated the dusty rooms.
“Rudra…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. She moved cautiously, each step trembling as the memories of his past seemed to hang in the air.
A dark figure stood ahead, frozen in the very place where Rudra had once lived with his mother and sister. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Rudra…” she repeated, hesitating.
At the sound of her voice, he slowly turned. His eyes softened immediately, the storm in them giving way to relief.
“Jaan… why are you here?” he asked, his voice rough but tender.
Without thinking, he closed the distance between them. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a fierce, protective hug.
Ishni clung to him just as tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks
Rudra held her close, his arms still around her, his forehead resting against hers. “Jaan… I’m fine,” he said softly, though his voice held a shadow of concern. “But… why are you here?”
Ishni swallowed hard, her hands clutching his shirt tightly. “Rudra… I… this is a trap,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “They called you… to kill you. I’m so scared… I can’t… I can’t afford losing you.”
He frowned, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Jaan… you shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe. Go home, I’ll—”
Before he could finish, she cut him off, her voice sharp with urgency.
“Rudra… I know who K is.”
His eyes widened, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “It’s…” he began, disbelief and anger battling in his gaze.
“Your father,” Ishni said, her voice low but steady, tears welling up. “He… he wants to kill you. He wants to destroy you… the way he did to your mother and sister.”
For a heartbeat, silence fell over them. The shadows of the abandoned mansion seemed to close in, pressing the weight of the truth onto Rudra’s shoulders.
Rudra’s hands clenched into fists. His eyes darkened with fury, the calm, controlled mask of the mafia heir giving way to raw, unfiltered rage. “He… my father… K…” he whispered through gritted teeth.
Rudra’s forehead pressed gently against hers, his breaths heavy and uneven. His eyes were stormy, filled with a mixture of rage and fear.
“Jaan… I can’t involve you in this,” he murmured, his voice rough. “Only you… only you… are the reason I’m still alive. I’ll fight. I’ll handle this… you please… go.”
Ishni shook her head, her hands trembling but resolute. “noo..no..Rudra… I’m not alone.”
His eyes widened slightly, searching hers, a flicker of confusion passing through the darkness in them.
Slowly, she took his hand, placing it gently against her stomach.
“Our… baby,” she whispered, her voice both fragile and strong, a lifeline thrown into the chaos.
Rudra’s chest tightened, and his hand froze over her. Time seemed to stop for a heartbeat. The weight of everything he had fought for his past, his losses, his rage collided with this single, fragile truth.
He swallowed hard, voice breaking just slightly. “Our… baby…”
Rudra’s hand trembled slightly as it rested over her stomach. His eyes were wide, almost disbelieving, as if the world had shifted in a single heartbeat.
“Baby… my… baby,” he whispered, voice thick with awe and disbelief.
Ishni’s lips curved into a gentle, reassuring smile. “Yes… you’re going to be a father,” she said softly, her fingers brushing his cheek.
Rudra bent down instinctively, pressing a reverent kiss against her stomach. The warmth of the moment seemed to still the world around them.
“My… baby, Jaan… our baby,” he murmured again, voice breaking with a mix of love, fear, and protectiveness. He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing in her presence as if drawing strength from it.
“Boss!” Vipul’s voice echoed as he came rushing in, breath uneven.
Rudra turned sharply, his expression hardening back into the mafia king’s steel. “Vipul,” he ordered, “take Ishni from here. Right now. To a safe place.”
Ishni’s eyes widened, shaking her head in disbelief. “No… no, Rudra, I’m not leaving you! Please don’t do this,” she sobbed, grabbing his arm.
He cupped her face, his own eyes glistening despite the control he tried to keep. “Jaan… aap samajh kyun nahi rahi…” his voice cracked slightly, “…main aapko kho nahi sakta.”
He took her hand and placed it once more over her stomach, his thumb trembling as he whispered, “Aur ab… toh humara ek aur jaan hai jise mujhe bachana hai.”
“Rudra…” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, closing his eyes tightly as if memorizing her breath, her scent, her warmth. “Please, Jaan… meri kasam. Go. Mujhe mat roko.”
She shook her head, sobbing harder. “Rudra, please don’t do this alone.”
But he just smiled softly. “aap meri taqat ho, Ishni. Jab tak aap surakshit ho… main kabhi nahi har sakta.”
He gently handed her toward Vipul, who looked torn but understood his duty. “Vipul, take her away. No arguments.”
As Vipul led her back, Ishni’s hand slipped from his grip, her tear-filled eyes never leaving his face. Rudra stood still, watching her go, every step tearing at his soul yet his gaze burned with a new fire.
“K…” he whispered under his breath, voice cold as steel. “Let’s finish what you started.”
Rudra’s voice echoed through the abandoned mansion.But only silence answered him, the shadows swallowing his call.
Meanwhile, Ishni’s heart refused to obey her fear. “Please, Vipul… I beg you… I won’t go inside, but let me… at least stay nearby,” she pleaded, her voice trembling but resolute.
Vipul hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Ma’am… okay, fine. Stay close. Don’t wander too far.”
Ishni’s lips pressed into a thin line as she nodded, her hands clasped in silent prayer. Her gaze swept the darkened corners, senses heightened, every creak of the floorboards making her pulse race.
Suddenly, a faint noise caught her attention. Her head snapped toward it. Guards moved quickly, following Vipul’s instructions, but she couldn’t wait.
Step by careful step, she walked toward the sound. The dusty air smelled faintly of smoke and decay. The flickering lights above barely illuminated the hall.
And then… she froze.
Her eyes widened.