chapter 56
Next Morning
Ishni stood in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection for a long second.
“Stay strong,” she whispered to herself.
She took a deep breath and walked downstairs.
Rudra was already at the dining table, reading something on his tablet. The moment he saw her, his expression softened.
“Good morning, jaan,” he said gently.
“Morning,” she replied, sitting beside him.
He noticed the calm mask on her face the one she wears when she’s hiding somethingbut he didn’t say anything.
“By the way,” she asked casually while pouring herself tea, “where is Tara? And did she come back last night?”
Rudra nodded slightly.
“Yes, she came. I heard her around midnight.”
Just then, they heard quick footsteps from the staircase.
Both Rudra and Ishni looked up.
Tara was coming down.
And she was smiling.
Her grin stretched from ear to ear, and she looked like someone who either hadn’t slept at all… or had the sweetest dreams of her life.
Rudra slowly lowered his cup.
Ishni blinked once.
“Tara…” Ishni said slowly, observing her carefully. “Did you sleep last night?”
Tara immediately straightened. “Yes! Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”
Rudra leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Because you look like someone who was awake till 3 a.m. smiling at the ceiling.”
Tara froze.
“I was not!”
Ishni raised an eyebrow. “Really? Then why are you glowing like this?”
“I’m not glowing!” Tara protested, touching her cheeks unconsciously.
Tara quickly sat down and grabbed a toast to distract herself. “Why are you both staring at me like detectives?”
Ishni leaned slightly closer. “No reason. Just… someone looks very happy this morning.”
Tara tried to hide her smile, but it kept escaping.
Rudra exchanged a knowing look with Ishni.
Definitely didn’t sleep.
“Is smiling a crime now?” Tara asked defensively, trying to suppress her grin.
Rudra calmly took a sip of his coffee. “No. But excessive smiling without a reason is suspicious.”
Tara gasped. “Wow. So now I need permission to be happy?”
Ishni leaned her chin on her palm, watching her carefully. “Not permission… just explanation.”
“There is no explanation!” Tara insisted quickly.
Rudra raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because this is the kind of smile people have after either winning a lottery… or falling in love.”
Tara almost dropped her toast.
“Jiju!” she exclaimed.
Ishni narrowed her eyes playfully. “Hmm. Interesting reaction.”
“I always smile like this,” Tara muttered.
Rudra looked at Ishni. “Do you remember the last time she smiled like this?”
Ishni shook her head thoughtfully. “Nope. This is new.”
Tara crossed her arms. “You both are overreacting.”
Rudra gave a small, knowing smirk. “We didn’t even say anything.”
Tara opened her mouth to argue… then closed it.
Her cheeks turned pink again.
Ishni smiled softly this time. “Relax, Tara. Smiling isn’t a crime.”
She paused.
“But hiding the reason might be.”
Author’s POV
Rudra was in his office, going through some files when the door suddenly opened.
“Boss!” Vipul rushed in, slightly out of breath.
Rudra immediately looked up. “What happened?”
Vipul stepped closer, his face serious.
“Boss… I saw Italian men yesterday.”
Rudra’s chair screeched slightly as he stood up. “What?!” he said sharply.
“But what were they doing here?” Rudra asked, his brows furrowed.
“I don’t know, boss,” Vipul replied honestly.
Rudra’s expression hardened. “If they’re here… it means something is going wrong.”
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Rudra slowly picked up his phone and dialed a number. Vipul watched him carefully.
After a few rings, the call connected.
“Hello,” the person on the other end said.
“I want you to keep eyes on all the powerful faces in Italy,” Rudra said in a calm but dangerous tone. “Especially the Romano.”
There was a brief pause.
“Okay, boss,” the man replied.
The call ended.
Rudra placed the phone back on the desk, his gaze turning cold and calculating.
“We need to be more careful now,” he said quietly.
Vipul nodded. “Should I increase the security around the mansion?”
Rudra exhaled slowly, already thinking ten steps ahead.
“Yes. Double it" he ordered.
Vipul nodded again. “Understood, boss.”
------
The car door slowly opened.
Ishni stepped out, her red heels touching the rough ground with confidence.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, black sunglasses resting perfectly on her face. She wore a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into black pants, giving her a sharp, powerful look.
The wind slightly lifted the loose strands of her hair as she looked around.
In front of her stood an old abandoned warehouse. Rusted metal walls, broken windows, and silence hanging heavily in the air.
It looked like the kind of place where secrets were buried.
Ishni pushed her sunglasses slightly up the bridge of her nose.
“Vijay, you sure he’s here?” she asked calmly.
Vijay stepped out of the car behind her, scanning the area carefully.
“According to our source, last time he was spotted here,” he said. “We need to check. What if we find some clue?”
Ishni nodded slowly.
“Let’s move.”
Her heels echoed against the cracked concrete as she walked toward the warehouse entrance.
The large metal door creaked when Vijay pushed it open.
Inside, the place smelled of dust, rust, and something darker… something uneasy.
Broken crates were scattered everywhere, chains hanging from the ceiling, and faint light entering through shattered windows.
Ishni removed her sunglasses and tucked them into her shirt.
Her eyes became cold and sharp.
“Stay alert,” she said quietly.
Vijay nodded.
They started walking deeper inside the warehouse.
Every step felt heavier.
Because somewhere in the shadows…
someone might already be watching them.
Ishni’s POV
It had been hours, yet we still hadn’t found anything suspicious.
The entire warehouse felt dead, silent in a way that made my skin uneasy.
I walked a little farther away from Vijay, my heels echoing softly against the cracked concrete floor.
The deeper I went inside, the stranger the atmosphere became. Something about this place felt… wrong.
Then my eyes caught a half-closed door at the end of a narrow corridor.
Curiosity mixed with caution as I slowly pushed it open. The hinges creaked loudly in the silence, and a thick cloud of dust rose into the air. I quickly covered my nose and mouth with my handkerchief before stepping inside.
The room was large but forgotten, filled with old furniture pushed into corners and hidden under white sheets. Chairs, tables, even what looked like cabinets were covered as if someone had abandoned everything in a hurry years ago. But something about those sheets made my stomach tighten.
They weren’t completely white.
Dark red stains were scattered across them… some small, some smeared like someone had tried to wipe them away.
My heart started beating faster.
They looked like blood.
Just as I was staring at the strange red stains on the sheets, a sudden chill ran down my spine. It felt as if someone was watching me. The feeling was so strong that my steps slowly came to a halt.
I turned my head slightly, my eyes scanning the dim room. The air felt heavier now, the silence thicker than before.
“Anyone here?” I called out cautiously.
My voice echoed faintly against the walls, but no response came. The silence that followed only made my uneasiness grow stronger. I took a slow breath and turned around, deciding to walk back outside and call Vijay.
But just as I took a step toward the door, something caught the corner of my eye.
A shadow.
My body froze.
Near the far wall of the room, in the darker corner where the weak light barely reached, a black silhouette stood still. It wasn’t clear enough to see the face, only the outline of a tall figure dressed completely in black.
My throat went dry and I instinctively gulped.
“Who… who are you?” I asked, my voice firm but cautious.
The figure didn’t move. It just stood there in the darkness, silent, almost like it had been watching me the whole time. The tension in the room thickened as my eyes tried to adjust to the dim light, trying to see the person clearly.
And then suddenly—
The shadow took a step forward.
The shadow slowly began walking toward me.
Each step he took echoed faintly in the silent room, and with every step my heartbeat grew faster. Something about his presence felt disturbingly familiar… a feeling I couldn’t explain.
As he stepped closer, the dim light from the broken window finally touched his face.
He was dressed completely in black black hoodie, black gloves, black boots. A dark mask covered the lower half of his face.
But his eyes…
My breath caught in my throat.
Those eyes looked… familiar.
“Who are you? Huh?” I demanded, forcing my voice to stay steady.
The man didn’t answer. Instead, a slow smile formed under the mask, visible in the way his eyes curved slightly.
Then, without breaking eye contact, he lifted his hand and slowly removed the mask.
The moment his face was revealed, it felt like the ground disappeared beneath my feet.
My vision blurred.
“No… this… this can’t be…” My voice trembled as my legs gave up and I stumbled back, collapsing onto the dusty floor. “Tum…?”
The man tilted his head slightly, watching me with an amused expression as if he had been waiting years for this exact reaction.
Then he spoke calmly, almost casually
"How are you… wife?”
“No… this can’t be possible. You’re dead!” I shouted, my voice shaking with disbelief as I pushed myself up from the floor.
My legs felt weak, but anger and shock forced me to stand straight. “How can you…? I killed you with my own hands!”
The man in front of me didn’t react the way a normal person would after hearing that. Instead, a slow, amused chuckle escaped his lips.
He tilted his head slightly, watching me like I was some fascinating story unfolding in front of him.
“Yes… you did try,” he said calmly, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his black sleeve.
“You were very convincing that day.”
My fists clenched tightly.
Memories I had buried deep inside began clawing their way back blood, screams, the moment I thought everything had finally ended.
“You think you can fool me?” I snapped, anger bursting through the shock that had frozen me moments ago. I took a step toward him, my eyes blazing. “Nah… I killed you with my own hands.”
My voice echoed in the empty warehouse as years of buried rage surfaced.
“I cut you into 107 pieces,” I continued coldly, pointing a finger straight at him. “There is no way you survived that.”
For the first time, the man’s smile widened slightly like my words amused him rather than threatened him.
“So tell me,” I demanded, my patience snapping, “who the fuck are you?!”
Silence filled the room for a moment.
He looked at me carefully, studying my face like he was savoring every second of my confusion. Then he slowly started clapping his hands… once… twice… the sound echoing in the dusty room.
“Impressive,” he said softly.
My jaw tightened.
“Most people would have fainted by now.” His eyes darkened slightly. “But you… you always had a strong heart, Ishni.”
My stomach twisted hearing him say my name again.
He took another slow step closer, close enough that I could see the faint scar near his eyebrow the same scar I remembered from years ago.
“I’m disappointed,” he murmured. “After everything we shared… you still can’t recognize your own husband?”
My breath hitched.
“No,” I whispered instinctively, shaking my head.
His smile sharpened.
“You’re right about one thing though,” he added calmly. “The man you killed that night…”
He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
“…was supposed to be me.”
A cold chill shot through my entire body.
“But death,” he continued, eyes gleaming, “is a very complicated thing when powerful people want someone alive.”
He straightened his posture and looked at me like a predator watching prey.
“So here I am,” he finished softly. “Back from the dead.”
“And this place… remember?” he said slowly, spreading his arms slightly as if presenting the entire warehouse to me. “This is the same place where we lived our home sweetheart.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the world around me seemed to tilt.
My breath got stuck in my throat.
I slowly looked around the room again the dusty floor, the broken furniture covered with white sheets, the faint rusty stains that looked too much like dried blood.
Memories crashed into my mind like a violent storm.
My fingers trembled as I took a step back.
“No…” I whispered, shaking my head as if refusing to accept what my eyes were seeing.
But he was still standing there.
Alive.
Watching me.
Enjoying every second of my confusion.
“You remember now, don’t you?” he said softly, his voice dripping with dark amusement. “How you dragged my body across this floor… how you cut me… piece by piece…”
My stomach twisted violently.
“Stop it!” I snapped, my voice breaking.
He only chuckled.
“You were so angry that night,” he continued calmly. “So full of hatred. I almost admired it.”
My chest rose and fell rapidly as I tried to steady myself.
“No,” I said again, louder this time. “I buried you. I made sure there was nothing left of you.”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“And yet,” he said slowly, taking another step toward me, “here I am.”
Every step he took made my heart pound harder.
“How…?” I finally whispered.
He stopped just a few feet away from me, his gaze locked on mine.
“That,” he said quietly, “is a story for another time.”
Then his smile returned cold, dangerous.
“But I must say… seeing the look on your face right now…” he added, tilting his head slightly.
“…was worth the wait.”
“Then what do you want now, huh? Why are you here?!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the abandoned room.
Anger started replacing the fear crawling inside me.
“You deserved that death!” I continued, pointing a trembling finger at him. “You cheated me… you broke my trust… and in return I killed you! That was your punishment!”
My chest rose and fell heavily as I glared at him.
“But here you are again,” I said coldly. “Maybe destiny wants me to finish what I started.”
For a moment the room fell silent.
Then he laughed.
Just a slow, unsettling laugh that made the hairs on my neck stand up.
“You haven’t changed,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “Still the same fiery Ishni.”
His eyes studied me carefully from my clenched fists to the anger burning in my eyes.
“But tell me something,” he added softly, stepping closer.
“Did you ever stop to think… why I cheated you?”
My jaw tightened.
“I don’t care.”
“Oh, but you should,” he replied calmly. “Because the truth is… you never knew the full story.”
“Stop playing games!” I snapped.
His smile faded slightly.
“I’m not here to fight you today,” he said.
“Then why the hell are you here?” I demanded.
His gaze darkened.
“I came to take back what belongs to me.”
A cold chill ran down my spine.
“And what is that?” I asked slowly.
His eyes locked onto mine.
“You.”
For a second I froze.
Then anger exploded inside me.
“In your dreams,” I spat.
He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“You were always meant to be mine, Ishni.”
My fists tightened.
“I am Mrs. Rajput now,” I said firmly.
The moment those words left my mouth, something dangerous flickered in his eyes.
“Ah yes…” he murmured.
“Your beloved Rudra.”
I chuckled coldly, wiping the corner of my eye where a tear had escaped earlier.
“You know what?” I said, straightening my posture and looking him directly in the eyes. “Even if you try… you can’t do anything to me.”
He raised an eyebrow, amused by my sudden confidence.
“One scratch on me?” I said slowly, taking a step closer to him instead. “Just one scratch… and my Rudra will chase you to death.”
For a brief second, silence filled the room.
Then he tilted his head slightly, studying me.
“Your Rudra…” he repeated with a faint smirk.
There was something mocking in the way he said it.
“Yes,” I replied firmly. “My husband.”
My voice didn’t shake this time.
“He will burn the entire world if someone dares to touch me.”
His smirk slowly widened.
“Is that so?”
I crossed my arms.
“But who will save him from me?” he said slowly, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Ishni, darling… this time I have much more power.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to show fear.
“The day I kill your husband…” he continued, his eyes darkening with something sinister, “…I’ll drag you back to where you belong.”
His gaze locked into mine.
“With me.”
Before he could move another step, rage exploded inside me. I lunged forward and grabbed his collar tightly, pulling him towards me.
“Listen carefully,” I said through clenched teeth, my grip tightening on his shirt. “Before you even dare to touch my husband… I won’t hesitate to cut you into pieces again.”
For a moment we stood there, breathing heavily, eyes locked in a silent war.
Then suddenly—
He chuckled.
A slow, dangerous chuckle.
“Try,” he said calmly.
His hand grabbed my wrist and he pushed me aside with enough force that I stumbled a few steps back.
“Because I’m coming…” he said while walking towards the exit of the dusty room.
He stopped at the doorway and looked back at me one last time.
“…to destroy everything.”
Before I could react, he disappeared into the dark corridor, leaving behind only the echo of his footsteps and the storm rising inside my chest.
My fists clenched.
“No,” I whispered to myself.
“You won’t touch my family.”
Because this time…
I wasn’t the same Ishni he once knew.