NO.NO BABY
The last note you read was something I truly wanted to pour my heart out.
I wrote it because the constant blaming and misunderstandings were getting out of control.
I just wanted to clear things up so everything could move smoothly.
I'm really sorry if it troubled anyone my intention was never to seek sympathy or pity.
I genuinely thought some of you were starting to hate the story because of her over-innocence.
But please, just once, read her past chapters only once and you'll understand her better.
I truly hope this story always remains just fiction.
Please don't mix it with real life, and don't let fiction affect you so deeply that reality gets forgotten.
It happens sometimes, but at the end of the day, it's still a story.
That doesn't mean I'm showing anything wrong. It reflects the reality of a few girls innocent, yet lacking knowledge not everyone, but some.
And don't worry, not even a single word has been changed.
Everything is the same. I did say I might make changes, but after reading all your comments, I decided otherwise.
Trust me, after posting that note, it took me only three minutes to make my decision.
I was wishing that at least a few people would say, "Continue, author," and that would've been enough for me.
But instead, I received more than 3.5k comments asking me to continue so how could I stop?
Once again, I'll stick to my words:
IF THERE IS EVEN ONE PERSON LEFT TO READ THIS STORY, I WILL CONTINUE.
I'm not taking my words back ever.
I thought about deleting the author's note, but I can't. There are such beautiful comments there, and honestly, they made me cry. They motivate me so much. Whenever I lack motivation, those words become the key to my writing journey so there's no way I'm deleting it.
Thank you, everyone, for loving me and supporting me. Without knowing me, without seeing me, you've given me love, patience, care, and support it's beyond my imagination and beyond words.
I promise to keep giving my best, to stay honest with my writing, and to respect the love you've shown me. This journey feels incomplete without you all, and I'm truly grateful for each one of you who chose to stay.
Rivan (thinking):
I swear I'm calling the government.
There should be a LAW against this kind of innocence.
She suddenly cupped his face.
Devyani: "Pati ji... if you ever get white thing...
will you tell me?
Rivan almost fainted.
Rivan: "NO
NO talking
NO white thing
She blinked innocently.
Devyani: "Okay.
But if you die, I'll cry."
Rivan: "I WILL NOT DIE FROM THAT!!"
She nodded like she didn't believe him at all.
The moment Rivan said "I am NOT dying,"
Devyani narrowed her eyes like she didn't trust him at all.
Then suddenly
Devyani: "Pati ji.
Go to the washroom."
Rivan: "...Why?"
Devyani: "Check."
Her tone was full doctor mode.
He blinked.
He stared.
He regretted breathing.
Rivan: "KITTEN.
I'm not going to the washroom to—"
She grabbed his wrist and PUSHED him towards it.
Devyani: "GO!
If you die, I won't forgive myself!"
And she shut the door on his face.
Rivan stood inside the washroom, staring at the door.
Rivan (thinking):
I'm a mafia king.
People fear my name.
And my wife sent me to check if I'm leaking fevicol.
What is my life.
Meanwhile, outside
Devyani was pacing like a crazy person across the room.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Right.
Her brain was on a rollercoaster ride.
Devyani:
"Oh god oh god oh god.
What if he also gets white thing?
What if boys die earlier?
What if he dies first and then I die because he died??
Uffff I knew this marriage is dangerous!"
She suddenly gasped.
Devyani:
"HE BHAGWAN... what if it already started!?
What if he fainted inside!?"
She knocked rapidly on the door.
Devyani: "PATIIII JI????
ARE YOU brEATHING!??"
Inside, Rivan massaged his forehead.
Rivan (shouting):
"YES, I'M brEATHING!"
Devyani: "Are you sure??
Take deep breath!
Let me hear!!!"
Rivan: "KITTEN. STOP."
She ignored him completely and kept pacing.
Devyani:
"First me... now him...
White thing is attacking both of us.
This is family disease.
We are dying together.
I should tell Yashodha ma.
No no she will cry.
I'll tell Jinal.
NO she will panic."
She clutched her head.
Devyani:
Maybe we will die.
Should I apologize to Kaizan for calling him Kaliya??
No... he deserved it.
Inside, Rivan banged his head on the wall gently.
Rivan (thinking):
When Arav gives me her age report, and if she turns out younger than 18,
I am going to go to jail smiling because THIS CHILD NEEDS BABYSITTER NOT HUSBAND.
Suddenly Devyani yelled:
Devyani: "PATIIII JI IF WHITE THING CAME SCREAM!"
Rivan: "KI...KITTEN !!!! IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!!!"
Rivan was still inside the washroom, doing the "self-check" Devyani had forced him to do.
Outside, Devyani paced like a stressed rabbit.
Just then
Knock. Knock.
Before she could react, the door opened and Rudraksh stepped inside.
Devyani's head tilted.
Rudraksh's soul left his body.
Devyani pointed, dead serious.
Rudraksh: "H-Hiding WHAT?!"
She stepped closer, curious like a child discovering a new animal.
Rudraksh felt his heart stop.
Devyani:
"Unki wajah se ho raha hai sab! Woh kiss ki wajah se ho raha!!"
Rudraksh froze, eyes wide.
"Bh... bhabhi... kiss....and who is dying???"
Devyani leaned forward, suspicious eyes:
"Whom you kissed?? Batao!
Shaadi se pehle kiss kiya??? Without marriage???"
Rudraksh stuttered, horrified:
"Bhabhi... I didn't... kiss anyone!"
Devyani gasped:
"Then how come white??
Oh my god, don't tell me... tumhare room ke andar koi... HAI!!!"
Rudraksh blinked.
"What??"
Devyani whispered dramatically:
"White white cheez... tumhari body mein se bhi nikalti hai?"
Rudraksh:
"WHITE WHAT??"
Before Devyani could drop another atomic bomb
Hair messy. Shirt half-tucked. Eyes wide.
"NOTHING!" he said loudly, blocking Devyani's view from Rudraksh.
"Nothing happened! Nothing is happening! Rudraksh GO! We are coming!"
Rudraksh didn't wait.
He practically ran for his life, nearly tripping over the carpet.
Devyani frowned innocently.
Rivan closed his eyes, massaging his forehead.
And whispered, defeated:
Rivan sat beside her on the bed, trying to calm her down, but Devyani looked genuinely disturbed.
She whispered dramatically,
"Woh... white white cheez... jo girls ko hota hai..."
Rivan froze.
Oh.
OH.
He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes.
"DEVYANI... that is NORMAL. Every girl gets it."
Her eyes widened in pure shock.
"Every girl?? Even Jinal?? Even Payal?? Even the ladies downstairs??"
"Yes," he rubbed his forehead, "EVERY girl."
She blinked.
"Even Rajmata??"
Rivan choked on his own breath.
"Kitten—PLEASE—don't take names!"
"But you said EVERY girl!"
"Yes but matlab haan sab ladkiyon ko hota hai! It's natural."
She leaned forward, whispering,
"So... it's not a disease?"
"Not poison?"
"DEVYANI!" he almost laughed, almost cried.
"It's NORMAL. It happens to keep the body clean. Understand?"
She nodded VERY seriously.
Rivan blinked at her, lost for words.
Devyani thought for a long moment.
Then:
Rivan took her face in both hands.
She whispered again, "Toh... you also have white discharge?"
Rivan stared at her.
"Ohhhh..." she nodded slowly.
"Then what do boys have?"
He shut his eyes.
She pouted,
"But I have many..."
Devyani: "Toh... men mein bhi white cheez hoti hai?"
She whispered like she was asking a national secret.
Rivan: "Haan, but—"
Devyani: "It falls out suddenly?? Like plop?"
She did a little hand gesture of something falling.
Rivan: "KITTTTEN no, it doesn't plop."
Devyani: "Then?"
Her eyes were big. Curious. Deadly.
Rivan: "It happens when a man gets... excited."
She blinked.
Devyani: "Excited matlab... like you get when you see chocolate cake?"
Rivan choked. "NO. NOT LIKE CAKE."
She nodded seriously.
"Ohhh... so like... birthday excitement?"
Devyani: "But then how it comes out? You press a button?"
She tapped at his stomach like searching for said button.
Rivan stared at her in betrayal.
"There is NO BUTTON."
Devyani: "But girls have it without button. So boys also should have—"
She gasped.
Devyani: "Ohhh only sometimes?? Like surprise rain??"
Rivan looked up at the ceiling.
He wanted to file a complaint to God.
She leaned closer, whispering seriously:
Devyani: "Do you check with tissue? Or bucket?"
She nodded sincerely.
"You're tall na. Maybe more comes out—"
He almost died.
Rivan grabbed her face.
"KITTEN. LISTEN. NOTHING GETS CONFUSED. ONLY I GET CONFUSED BECAUSE OF YOU."
She blushed.
"Ohh... so men get confused, not the white thing?"
She smiled proudly like she just solved the world mystery.
Devyani: "Thank you pati ji. Good class. I understand everything now."
He stared at her.
She smiled wider.
Devyani: "Pati ji... Kaizan ko bhi hota hai??"
She asked with dead-serious curiosity.
Rivan froze.
Then slowly dragged his hand down his face.
Rivan: "...Kitten... please. PLEASE."
He whispered like a man on the edge.
Devyani: "What? He's a boy na."
Rivan: "IT'S NOT—"
He inhaled deeply.
Like he needed meditation.
She blinked innocently.
Rivan: "He is a CHILD. CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING. UNDERSTAND?"
Devyani nodded... then immediately asked:
Devyani: "When will he have?"
Rivan almost threw himself out of the window.
Rivan: "Bas. Enough. Sit. Sit RIGHT HERE."
She sat obediently like she was attending a training class.
He squatted in front of her, holding her shoulders.
Rivan: "Okay. Listen. Carefully. VERY carefully.
If you interrupt, I'm jumping from this hotel balcony."
She nodded seriously.
Rivan: "Girls have white discharge because of hormones.
It comes before periods and after periods.
It is NORMAL.
It is SAFE.
You are NOT dying.
I am NOT dying.
MEN do NOT have this type of white discharge.
UNDERSTOOD?"
He took a breath.
Devyani stared.
And then
Devyani: "OH MY GOD PERIODS????"
She gasped so loudly the entire floor might have heard.
Rivan blinked.
Rivan: "Haan. Periods. You get them. Every month."
Her eyes widened even more.
Devyani: "YOU know about my periods????"
Rivan: "I'm an adult, Devyani. Not a goat."
Devyani: "But... but... YOU said PERIODS.
From YOUR mouth.
You... you know this?!"
She pointed accusingly at him like he exposed a conspiracy.
Rivan: "EVERYONE knows this! Every man knows this!"
Devyani: "Even Reyu bhaiyya???"
Rivan: "YES WHY WOULD HE NOT KNOW?!"
Her jaw dropped.
Devyani: "Even Aditya???"
Rivan: "YES."
Devyani: "Even Rajveer bhai???"
Rivan: "OH MY GOD YES KITTEN EVERY MAN KNOWS WHAT PERIODS ARE."
She held her head dramatically.
Before Rivan could explain ANY further, Payal barged in.
Payal: "Bhaiyya, everyone is waiting for dinner since long!"
Rivan closed his eyes.
Perfect timing. Perfect destruction.
Then he turned to Devyani, voice gentle but exhausted:
Rivan: "We'll discuss this later, kitten. First let's go eat, hmm?"
She nodded slowly...
But inside her brain?
FULL CHAOS.
As they walked out, Devyani's mind started spinning like a washing machine.
Devyani (thinking):
The news spread so fast...
About my periods??
How??
WHO told them???
I didn't even get my periods yet...
Then how they know I'm going to get them...
And why people are so shameless...
Talking about my blood business...
In front of everyone...
Shameless humans...
She held her saree tighter, now walking awkwardly, staring suspiciously at every Thakur family member like
Rivan glanced at her confused expression.
Rivan: "Now what is happening in that wild brain?"
Devyani (thinking):
NOBODY is safe...
Not even Pati ji...
Why is he so updated...
How does he know BEFORE me?
Does he have a calendar?
She glared at the floor dramatically.
Rivan sighed.
Rivan: "Kitten... kya soch rahi ho tum?"
Devyani: "Nothing..."
But her face clearly said:
They reached the dining hall.
Everyone was already seated:
Virendra at the head, Payal, aradhya , Rudraksh... all waiting.
Devyani marched in like a tiny angry soldier, lips pressed, eyes scanning every man suspiciously.
Rivan muttered under his breath:
Rivan: "Yeh fir start hone wali hai..."
She sat beside Virendra and didn't even greet properly.
Instead she folded her arms dramatically.
Virendra: "What happened, Devu beta? Why this face?"
And then... SHE BURST.
Devyani: "Yeh sab... yeh sab bohot shameless hain!"
Forks dropped.
Aradhya choked on air.
Rudraksh froze like a statue.
Rivan stopped breathing.
Virendra blinked.
Virendra: "Shameless?? Who beta?"
She said like a police officer making arrests.
First pati ji.
Then Adi bhaiyya.
Then Reyu bhaiyya (who wasn't even present but still got blamed).
Then Rudraksh
And lastly Rajveer bhai (who wasn't even family).
Everyone stared at her like:
Virendra looked totally shocked.
Virendra: "Wait wait...
Why shameless?
Kis baat ke liye??"
Devyani puffed her cheeks, angry but embarrassed.
Devyani: "Bas... you all are shameless.
Very shameless.
Specially men's.
Specially THESE men's."
She pointed again for confirmation.
Rivan facepalmed.
But before even one alphabet could come out,
RIVAN IMMEDIATELY CUT HER OFF.
He leaned forward sharply.
Rivan: "We'll discuss this later.
I told you, kitten.
Later."
His tone was calm but very firm, the kind that made her mouth shut instantly.
She looked at him with a pout but obeyed.
Virendra frowned.
Virendra: "Rivanwhat is she talking about?"
Rivan (with the fakest normal voice ever):
"Nothing.
Just... misunderstandings. I'll clear it."
Devyani still whispered under her breath:
"Still... shameless toh hain."
Virendra looked around the table utterly lost.
Virendra: "Beta... men's from THIS house?
Shameless?"
Devyani nodded with full seriousness.
Devyani: "Haan. Entire list."
Virendra sighed deeply.
Rivan shot her a warning look.
She immediately shook her head like a scared kitten — "I won't tell now."
Everyone continued eating.
Only the men... ate in fear.
Dinner continued around her, but Devyani's brain had already sprinted into emotional chaos.
She lowered her eyes, poking her food, thinking:
"Maybe... maybe pati ji misunderstood me."
(Translation: Maybe Rivan misunderstood what I meant.)
"Haan... bas misunderstanding hogi... obviously!"
(Yes... it must be a misunderstanding... obviously!)
"Periods itna impure topic hota hai... itna ganda... itna sharam wala... kaise koi aadmi uske baare mein seedhe muh se bol sakta hai?"
(Periods are such an impure, dirty, shameful topic... how can a man talk about it so openly?)
"Woh bhi pati Parmeshwar ji jaise... dangerous aadmi..."
(Especially someone dangerous like Rivan.)
Her thoughts grew darker.
"Aur phir... Bapu ne kitni baar mara tha mujhe iss baat pe..."
(And Bapu beat me so many times for even mentioning this...)
"Kaise bol diya maine... ufff Devyani tu pagal hai kya??"
(Why did I say anything... ugh Devyani are you stupid??)
She gulped, eyes stinging slightly.
"Haan... yeh sab toh ladkiyon ka curse hota hai... ek badi si paap ki saza..."
(Yes... all this is a curse for girls... a punishment for some huge sin...)
"Why would pati ji know about it? He's not a normal man at all..."
She lightly slapped her forehead under the table.
"Arrey haan! Relax Devyani... it's just a misunderstanding."
(Okay yes! Relax Devyani... this is all just a misunderstanding.)
"Bas... bas... calm... calm..."
(Just... just calm down...)
She took a deep breath.
And stop making your brain work... behave like you're half asleep. If you keep thinking this much you'll get tired... you'll faint right here on the dining table...
"Phir pati ji utha ke le jayenge... aur fir tujhe sharam aayegi..."
(Then pati ji will have to pick you up... and then you'll feel so embarrassed...)
Her eyes widened dramatically.
"NAHI! Oh God oh God... please nahi... please bas chup ho jao Devyani!"
(NO! Oh God oh God... please no... please just shut up Devyani!)
She hurriedly stuffed rice in her mouth just to shut her own brain up.
Across the table, Rivan watched her with narrowed eyes.
After dinner, Devyani tapped Aaradhya's arm softly.
"Aradhya... Jinal kahan hai?"
(Where is Jinal?)
Aaradhya smiled. "Oh, she's with Reyansh bhaiyya. They haven't reached yet."
Devyani's eyebrows shot up.
Her face did a full "hmmmmm??? suspicious much??" expression.
Then she said sweetly,
"Can you give me your phone? I need to call her."
Aaradhya: "Haan ok, Bhabhi."
She handed the phone.
Devyani immediately dialed.
The moment Jinal picked up:
Devyani: "Where are you?"
Her tone = soft but interrogating like a CBI officer.
Jinal (nervous smile): "Umm... we are coming, Devu."
Devyani narrowed her eyes.
"You are with Reyansh bhaiyya?"
Jinal: "...Yes?"
Devyani's eyes became even thinner.
Like she was trying to zoom with her eyes.
"But why are you two doing alone?"
(Translation: Why are you two together alone??)
Jinal: "We are doing something important."
Devyani frowned harder.
Why something important alone with him???
Jinal (panicking): "Nothing Devu... tell me, do you have some work?"
Devyani nodded quickly,
"Yes."
Devyani (in a very serious whisper):
"Woh... I need to ask about that white thing.
You didn't tell me anything in the morning."
On the other side, Jinal froze.
Jinal: "Devuuuu... because you didn't hear me and ran away!"
Devyani: "Oh... that's why."
She nodded to herself.
"Can you clear it now? I am very confused.
And pati ji also not making me understand properly."
Devyani continued, dead serious:
"It's like... Fevicol."
She made a sticky-hand gesture.
"And very... chipku. Sticky.
So can you explain in detail?"
On the other side of the phone:
Jinal's soul left her body.
She stared at Reyansh in horror.
Jinal (voice cracking):
"D-Devu... why are you describing it like a school project?!"
Devyani: "Because it is confusing!
It's coming like glue!
And pati ji got confused when I asked him if it happens to men too...
And Rudraksh also ran away.
So now only you are left, explain na?"
Jinal clutched her forehead.
Then she said gently
Devyani: "Haan, okay.
But you have to explain properly, okay?
Like chapter-wise.
Because this morning I was thinking I will die...
Now I am thinking maybe pati ji will die...
It's too much confusion."
Devyani: "When are you coming back?"
Jinal's breath hitched.
Her voice wobbled.
Jinal: "Ummm... we are coming soon, Devu."
Devyani: "But why you both are late?
What are you doing alone?"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You sound... different."
Jinal (panicking): "D-Devu stop being detective—"
Before she could finish, Reyansh snatched the phone.
Reyansh (smooth, mischievous voice):
"Because, Devu, we are doing something very important.
Something that can only happen when we are alone."
Devyani's eyes shot open.
"Alone?
Important?
Which important thing two people do alone?
Are you guys eating secret food??
Are you guys opening a secret box??
Are you doing magic??
Are you planning a murder??
Reyansh bhaiyya tell me naaaa!"
On the other side, Jinal looked like she would bury herself alive.
Reyansh smirked, enjoying every second.
Reyansh:
"Think harder, Devu.
It's... something only adults do alone."
Devyani gasped dramatically.
"ADULTS?
ALONE?
IMPORTANT?
KYAA??
Reyansh burst out laughing.
Jinal hit him on the shoulder so hard the phone shook.
But Devyani wasn't done.
Devyani:
"Wait. Are you two..."
Reyansh cut her off:
Devyani froze.
Her mind went into maximum imagination mode.
Devyani:
"Jinal... are you in danger?"
She whispered like a spy.
"Tell me if Reyansh bhaiyya kidnapped you."
Jinal screamed into the phone, "DEVUUUUU!"
Jinal suddenly cut the call.
Devyani stared at the phone like it betrayed her.
"Why she cut the call...?
Why everyone cut the call when I talk??
Am I ghost??"
Her confusion boiled over.
She marched straight to Rivan.
He was on a call stern, sharp, discussing something deadly.
She tugged his shirt lightly.
He held up a finger.
"Two minutes, kitten."
She tugged again, harder this time.
He sighed, immediately ended the call, and turned to her with worry.
Devyani's eyes were big and panicked.
"Pati ji... Reyansh bhaiyya and Jinal...
They are doing some work.
Alone.
WHY?"
Rivan frowned.
"Maybe some important work... why?"
"But... why they not reach yet?"
She leaned forward dramatically.
"And why they working alone??"
Rivan blinked.
"What kind of question is that—"
She whispered scandalously:
"ARE THEY COUPLE?"
Rivan froze.
Then blinked again.
Then whispered, stunned:
"Kitten... you don't know what you say sometimes."
But Devyani wasn't done.
Rivan's eyes suddenly went knife-sharp.
His jaw tightened.
That deadly aura rose he thought someone threatened Jinal or Reyansh.
Devyani (innocently): "Yes!
Reyansh bhaiyya said something important only adults can do alone..."
Rivan's eyes turned even more dangerous.
Now he definitely misunderstood something.
He forced a smile that looked like a warning to the universe:
She nodded.
"Okay..."
And walked away.
The moment she turned
Rivan's smile vanished instantly.
His face went full mafia mode.
"What the hell is Reyansh doing alone with Jinal?"
RIVAN dialled.
Second ring. Then:
RIVAN: "YOU FUCKING BASTARD, where the fuck are you?"
There was a pause... then Reyansh's lazy voice,
"Wohhhh... cool, man."
RIVAN: "Cool my ass. What's Devyani saying? You guys are doing something?"
Reyansh: "Yes. We are doing IMPORTANT WORK."
RIVAN's voice turned ice cold.
"Reyansh... don't mess with me. I'll fucking kill you and I don't give a damn."
Reyansh snapped back immediately:
"Shut the fuck up, RIVAN! I'm diverting enemies right now. Didn't we plan this? Or your brain is sleeping with your wife?"
RIVAN growled:
"SO WHY THE HELL JINAL IS WITH YOU?!"
Reyansh lost it.
"BECAUSE YOU FOOLS FORGOT HER!"
Silence.
Then louder, angrier
"She came LATE. You all LEFT. No one even noticed she was MISSING. She was standing ALONE!"
RIVAN: "...fuck."
Reyansh:
"Yeah. Fuck. And now YOU are calling ME? You fucking BASTARD, telling me like I kidnapped her."
"Shut the hell up NOW."
Call got cut.
.
.
.
Rivan didn't even knock.
He pushed the door open with a force that made it hit the wall.
Virendra looked up from the files on the table, glasses low on his nose.
Virendra:
"Why are you screaming like a madman? Come inside and talk."
Rivan entered, fists clenched, jaw tight.
Rivan:
"Why the hell you all left Jinal alone?"
Virendra blinked, calm as water.
Virendra:
"We didn't leave her alone. Reyansh was there."
Rivan's voice went sharper.
Rivan:
"What do you mean? What if Reyansh had already left? Who would take responsibility then?"
He paced the room like a caged animal.
Rivan:
"You know we have enemies waiting like vultures to attack our family. And you all just walked away."
Virendra's tone remained steady, controlled.
Virendra:
"That's exactly why I left her with him. She is safer with Reyansh than with anyone else."
Rivan laughed — a dry, angry sound.
Rivan:
"Great. Now they're dealing with enemies, bullets, blood and you're sitting here like it's a picnic."
Virendra leaned back, eyes narrowing, full of authority.
Virendra:
"So what?"
Rivan froze.
Virendra:
"Reyansh is with her. She will be fine. He might be reckless but he never lets anyone touch what is ours."
There was unshakeable confidence in his voice.
Not arrogance.
Experience.
Virendra:
"No one can protect Jinal better than him. So stop shouting unnecessarily."
Rivan's anger wanted to fight, but Virendra's tone made it impossible.
Then Virendra said quietly, almost casually:
Virendra:
"Instead of wasting energy here... go spend time with your wife."
The word wife hit Rivan like a hook to the chest.
His brows pulled together, anger melting into something softer.
His thoughts slowed.
Devyani.
Her small hands.
Her confused eyes.
His heart tightened.
There was a strange calm washing over him.
He muttered under his breath:
Rivan (mind):
"Baat to sahi hai."
Virendra saw the shift and smirked.
Virendra:
"Go."
Rivan didn't argue.
Didn't stay.
He simply turned on his heel, and walked out silently.
The corridor felt different.
Lesser danger.
More responsibility.
His fists weren't clenched anymore.
Only one thought moved in his head:
Where is Devyani?
He needed to see her.
He needed to know she was okay.
His steps turned faster.
Almost urgent.
Because somehow...
without realising it...
Her safety was more important than his anger.
He was still annoyed... but Devyani's name had changed everything.
The anger that had been burning like fire suddenly calmed, like someone poured cool water on it.
He wasn't stupid he could recognise it.
She had that effect on him.
He stepped into the corridor, chest heaving.
Why the hell do I react like this?
He had faced bullets, knives, enemies.
He had killed men without blinking.
But one word
Devyani
could make his heartbeat change.
He exhaled sharply.
As he reached the front hall, he saw rudraksh pacing nervously, checking his phone again and again.
"Where is Jinal didi?She's not replying," Aditya muttered.
Rivan snapped, "Relax. Reyansh is with her."
Rudraksh panicked, "That's not the point. I should've gone with her."
Rivan looked at him for a second, then punched his shoulder lightly.
"Next time, open your eyes and don't forget your sister. Idiot."
Rudraksh sighed, "I know... I messed up."
Rivan didn't reply, but the line from Virendra echoed in his head:
Spend time with Devyani.
A slow, unwilling smirk touched Rivan's lips.
He entered the room.
Devyani was sitting on the sofa, hugging a cushion to her chest, legs folded, completely clueless that she had been the centre of a war a few minutes ago.
Her eyes lifted as soon as she saw him.
."Aap—"
He raised his hand, cutting her off.
"First tell me... why are you asking questions to jinal?"
Devyani blinked.
"What questions?"
Rivan walked closer, towering over her.
"You said they were doing something important. What exactly were you thinking?"
Devyani's eyes turned widened.
"I-I was just curious... both said something only two people can do so... I just... asked."
Rivan stared at her.
Silent.
Intense.
She fidgeted, hugging the cushion tighter.
Then very softly he said,
"Don't worry about them. They're safe."
Devyani nodded. "And Jinal?"
"She's with Reyansh," he answered, voice calm now.
Devyani's eyes widened again.
"Oh..."
Rivan saw something in her eyes
Concern. Relief. Trust.
That made something warm move inside his chest.
He cleared his throat.
"Come," he said.
"Where?" she asked, startled.
Her breath stuck.
She stood up slowly, small and hesitant in front of him.
Rivan looked at her quietly, the storm already gone.
His voice had no anger now only truth.
Devyani nodded, eyes soft.
"Okay."
Rivan's shoulders eased.
Baat toh sahi hai, he thought again, this time with a faint smile.
Rivan said, checking his gun, phone and laptop, preparing for the night.
"Now sleep," he said without looking at her, voice low and commanding.
"I have some work to finish."
Devyani, sitting on the huge bed with her knees up, shook her head.
"Umm... no. I'm not sleepy. I'll explore the place."
Rivan turned sharply.
Devyani pouted, her lower lip coming out, eyes narrowing like an angry kitten.
"Why?"
Rivan folded his arms.
"Because I don't want anyone to die with your questions.
Go and sleep like a little baby... or else I know how to make you sleep."
She glared at him dramatically.
"Papa ke paas jaaun?"
( Should I go to papa? )
His eyes widened like someone just put a gun on his forehead.
Rivan:
"I... didn't say anything."
Devyani gasped dramatically:
"Hawwweee! Jhuth! Don't lie!"
She pointed a finger at him with full confidence.
Devyani:
"You know he can give me a new husband. So mind your answers."
Rivan just stared at her like she was a ticking bomb.
"NO. No, baby," he said instantly, hands rising in surrender.
"Why disturb Mr Thakur? Haan?"
He rushed to her side, his whole dominance evaporated in two seconds.
"Come. Let's explore the place. We both will go. Hmmm?"
Devyani's pout vanished. Her whole face lit up.
She gave him the biggest, cutest, toothy smile.
Rivan froze.
Rivan muttered under his breath,
"God save me..."
And followed her out.
The hallway was quiet, dim golden lights along the walls.
Devyani walked ahead with excitement, like a child entering a theme park.
Rivan walked behind her, hands in pockets, eyes everywhere predator mode.
She suddenly stopped.
"Ae ji..."
"Hm?"
She pointed at a modern flower vase.
"Yeh kya hota hai?"
(What is this?)
Rivan blinked.
"A vase."
She nodded seriously.
"Flower holder?"
"Yes."
She stared at it again.
"But why flowers will live here? They don't have bed."
Rivan took a slow breath.
"Flowers... don't need bed, kitten."
She looked offended.
"But everyone needs bed."
"One day I'll explain the science behind it," he said dryly.
"Today, just accept."
She continued walking.
Next, they reached the elevator.
The silver doors closed automatically.
Devyani gasped.
"Someone got trapped! We need to help!"
She ran and started pressing buttons randomly.
Rivan grabbed her wrist.
"Kitten... no one is trapped."
"Then why it closed?"
"Because it's an elevator."
She stared.
"Like a lift?"
"Yes."
"Then why did they change the name? Purane naam mein kya problem thi?"
( What was wrong with the old name? )
Rivan looked at her like he had no answers left in this world.
"I don't know. Ask God."
They reached the elevator again.
Devyani froze.
She looked at the shiny metal doors like it was a hungry monster.
Her voice came out shaky.
"Pati ji... what if we go inside... and it closes... and never opens again?"
Rivan stared at her.
She clutched his arm tighter.
"How do you know? They close door on people every day."
Rivan exhaled slowly.
"You didn't step inside an elevator before?"
She whispered dramatically:
He blinked.
"First time?"
She nodded, wide terrified eyes.
Rivan rubbed his forehead.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what you meant?"
"That you are... very very young."
"Rude."
"True."
She folded her arms.
"Anyways. Let's go by stairs."
Rivan stared at her like she said the dumbest thing on earth.
"Stairs?"
"Yes."
"To the rooftop?"
"Yes."
"That is 40 floors up."
"So?"
"Kitten, we will reach there next YEAR."
"Okay, good exercise."
Rivan almost laughed.
"No. We are taking the elevator."
She stepped back.
"No. I don't want to go inside that metal death-box."
Rivan raised one brow.
She whispered:
Rivan leaned slightly closer, voice low, dangerous, but teasing:
She gulped.
He offered his hand.
She looked at his hand... then at the elevator... then his hand again.
"You swear?"
"I swear."
"With blood?"
"Why would I swear with blood?!"
"Because that is powerful."
"Devyani..." he took a long breath, pinched his nose, "...just come."
She hesitantly stepped in, gripping his hand with both of hers.
The doors closed.
She gasped, eyes huge.
"It closed!!, it closed!! We are stuck!!"
He calmly pressed the button.
The elevator moved up.
She clutched his arm.
She whispered suspiciously.
Rivan:
"...Elevator uncle?"
She nodded seriously.
Rivan rubbed his forehead.
Rivan:
"Kitten, relax. Nothing will happen."
Devyani gasped and pointed upward.
"No no no SEE! It's moving! We're going up. What if we land somewhere else?"
Devyani:
"I'll bring chocolate next time. Please don't kill me."
Devyani was still panicking, breathing fast, eyes big like she had seen ghosts.
Rivan didn't say anything at first.
He just stepped closer.
Slowly... deliberately.
He took her wrists in his hands and gently lowered them away from the door.
Rivan, low voice:
"Kitten. Look at me."
She didn't.
Her eyes were darting everywhere.
So he did what he always did to control her.
He lifted her chin with his fingers.
Her breath stopped.
Rivan:
"Nothing will happen. I'm right here. I won't let anything touch you."
Her shoulders dropped a little.
Devyani whispered:
"But it's moving... what if it falls?"
Rivan stepped even closer, so close his chest brushed hers.
Rivan:
"Then I'll hold you. All the way down."
She stared at him like he had just promised the moon.
Devyani:
"You promise?"
He nodded once, confident.
Rivan:
"I never break promises."
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
She didn't even realize she was holding him.
He did.
He lowered his head slightly, their foreheads almost touching.
She looked around, panicking.
"But what if it doesn't stop? What if it goes to space?"
He stared.
"THERE IS NO BUTTON FOR SPACE."
She looked at the panel of buttons.
"So many numbers..."
Her eyes widened.
"1... 2... 3... 4... 5..."
She gasped dramatically.
"FORTY?? There are FORTY FLOORS?!"
"Yes."
"People LIVE here?"
"Yes."
"What if they fall while sleeping?"
"No one sleeps ON the windows."
She blinked.
"Then how they see world?"
"Standing NEAR windows."
She nodded slowly.
"Good idea. Otherwise everyone would die."
He whispered under his breath:
"I am dying."
Rivan, slower:
"Breathe with me. In..."
She inhaled shakily.
Rivan:
"Good girl. And out."
She exhaled.
Her panic slowly melted into something else.
Warm. Safe. Dangerous.
She whispered:
Devyani:
"Why are you being so nice?"
Rivan's lips curved dark, teasing.
Rivan:
"Because my wife is scared. And I don't like anyone scaring her."
Her cheeks turned red.
She mumbled:
Devyani:
"I thought...elevator were angry at me."
Rivan leaned in, voice brushing her ear:
Rivan:
"No one here is angry at you, kitten.
Except me. When you talk about new husbands."
She blinked.
Devyani:
"So... you'll not give me new one?"
Rivan's hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer.
Rivan, husky:
"Never. You're mine. One is enough."
The elevator dinged.
Doors opened.
But she didn't move.
Devyani softly:
"Can we stay a little? I'm not scared anymore..."
Rivan smirked.
Rivan:
"That's the problem. Now I'm dangerous."
The elevator dinged.
Doors opened.
Fresh air. Rooftop.
She stepped out like she survived war.
"We are alive..."
"Yes."
She leaned against him, breathing relief.
"Pati ji?"
"Hm?"
He looked down at her.
She smiled proudly.
He smile.
"Yes baby"
She said in a tiny voice:
His expression softened only for a second.
He tightened his grip.
They stepped into the rooftop lounge soft music, warm air, view of city lights.
Devyani gasped.
( Wow... so much world! )
"So many lights... so many air... so many houses. How big is this world?"
Her eyes were shining truly shining.
Rivan didn't answer immediately.
He was too busy watching the way her excitement lit her from inside.
She spun around, arms wide like she could hug the whole sky.
"Pati ji this is AWESOME!"
His lips twitched.
"You like it?"
"I LOVE it!" she said, bouncing on her toes.
"Pati ji... I want to fly."
She said it with such innocence, such genuine desire...
Rivan felt something loosen inside his chest.
"If you want..."
His voice turned low, soft, warm.
"...we can fly too, kitten."
Her eyes grew huge.
She looked at him like he just promised her the moon.
Her whole face glowed.
Rivan's jaw clenched for a second not from anger, but from something strange... something gentle.
Seeing her happy was... peace.
And he didn't even remember what peace felt like before.
He stepped behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Yes!" she nodded eagerly.
"I want to fly like a bird!"
He leaned down, mouth near her ear.
"We will fly together someday."
She gasped.
"Where? How??"
"Just hold my hand and trust me."
Without thinking, she slipped her hand into his.
Her fingers were small, cold, trembling from excitement.
Rivan wrapped his palm around hers warm, steady, protective.
For a moment... the world went quiet.
He didn't see the city.
He didn't see the lights.
He saw only her.
Her joy.
Her purity.
Her ridiculous innocence.
And he felt something he wasn't used to.
Calm.
Peace.
Almost... home.
Devyani turned to him, eyes soft.
"Hm?"
He looked at her, really looked.
"You can go anywhere you want, kitten."
He squeezed her hand.
"And I'll take you."
She smiled that wide, bright, innocent smile that could melt iron.
Wind whipped around them, lights glowing below, the night stretching endless.
Rivan whispered, almost to himself:
Night after night, the same pattern repeated.
Every midnight or sometimes just before dawn Devyani would appear at Reyansh's door.
Barefoot.
Hair damp with sweat.
Breathing uneven.
Eyes wide like she had run from something that still chased her.
She never knocked.
She just stood there, shaking.
Reyansh stopped asking why after the third night.
He already knew.
The doctor no, the psychiatrist had explained it clearly.
What Devyani was experiencing wasn't imagination.
It wasn't weakness.
And it definitely wasn't drama.
It was trauma response.
The psychiatrist had told Reyansh:
"When a person survives long-term abuse, their brain stays in survival mode.
Especially during sleep, when the conscious mind rests, the subconscious replays memories because it never got closure."
Devyani had lived eighteen years in constant fear.
Her brain had learned one thing only:
Be alert. Be ready. Be scared.
Add to that Rivan's sudden absence the one person who unknowingly became her anchor and her mind began collapsing inward.
"Stress triggers trauma memory," the psychiatrist explained.
"The absence of safety makes the brain believe the danger has returned."
Medicines could help her sleep.
They could calm her heart rate.
They could slow the panic.
But they could not erase trauma.
_________________________