RIVAN is missing
Hey hiiiiiii!!!!!!
Hold your breaths??
Because................
Hey in the last update I gave you one target and I really thought you would complete it in just one day
But it's okay my bad maybe I expected too much
The target is still not completed but I am still updating because your author is not cruel
She truly loves you all????
But sometimes I also wish you would fulfill my small wishes too??
HAPPY READING??
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Night had fully settled over the haveli.
Still...
No sign of Rivan.
No calls.
No footsteps.
No familiar presence that Devyani had already started depending on without realizing it.
She paced the room, her bangles clinking softly, fingers twisting into her dupatta.
"This is not good..." she murmured to herself.
"Pati ji never disappears like this."
Her heart felt uneasy like it was sensing something her mind refused to accept.
Unable to sit still anymore, she walked out and went straight to Reyansh's room.
The door was half open.
She peeked inside.
Reyansh was on a call, his back turned to her, voice low, tense.
He turned and froze when he saw her standing there.
He disconnected the call instantly.
"Devu?" he asked, forcing a smile.
"What happened?"
She walked closer, her eyes searching his face.
Reyansh's heart clenched.
He swallowed hard... then smiled again this time wider, practiced.
"Haan, Devu," he said casually.
"He called me just a few minutes ago."
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Really?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"He said he's out of the country for business."
She frowned a little.
"So suddenly?"
Reyansh shrugged lightly.
"You know how his work is. Urgent things come up."
He added quickly, "The network was bad there, that's why he couldn't contact anyone. He even said sorry for not informing you."
Her shoulders relaxed just a bit.
"Oh..." she whispered.
"Okay."
Then, after a pause, she asked the question she had been holding in.
Reyansh's smile stiffened for a fraction of a second.
He looked away, then back at her.
Reyansh felt something twist painfully in his chest.
"Of course," he said immediately.
"Sure."
She gave him a small smile one that didn't quite reach her eyes.
And with that, she turned and walked out.
The moment the door closed, Reyansh's smile vanished.
He sank down onto the bed, rubbing his face with both hands.
"Forgive me, Devu..." he whispered under his breath.
"I'm lying to protect you."
Outside, Devyani walked back to her room slowly.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the door like it might open any second.
"Few days..." she murmured.
She hugged a pillow to her chest, trying to calm the strange ache inside her heart
an ache she didn't yet have a name for.
And somewhere far away...
Rivan Thakur was walking straight into a storm.
Virendra's study was unusually silent.
The dim lamp on his desk cast long shadows across old files and framed photographs generations of Thakurs watching silently.
Reyansh entered without knocking.
Virendra looked up instantly.
"Devyani is getting restless," Reyansh said, his voice low but tight.
"She's trying to act normal... but I can see it. She's waiting."
Virendra exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair.
"I know," he said.
"I've noticed it too."
He paused, then added calmly,
"But don't worry. We will find him."
Reyansh let out a short, almost bitter laugh.
"Really, uncle?" he asked.
"Do you actually think we can find him?"
Virendra's eyes narrowed slightly.
Reyansh stepped forward, his tone sharpening.
He shook his head.
Reyansh's jaw clenched.
Virendra stayed silent, listening.
"He is still Rivan," Reyansh continued.
"The same Rivan who vanishes when things get dangerous."
"The same Rivan who walks straight into hell without informing anyone."
Reyansh looked away for a moment, then back at Virendra.
The room fell silent again.
Virendra finally spoke, his voice steady but heavy.
Then his eyes darkened.
Reyansh looked at him.
"Now," Virendra said slowly,
"he has something to lose."
And for the first time that night,
both men felt the same cold fear settle in their chests.
The door of Virendra's study opened quietly.
"S...sir, you called me?" Arav asked, his voice cautious.
Virendra looked at him sharply.
"Yes."
He gestured for him to come in.
"Tell me," Virendra said, his tone hard.
"What was the last thing you discussed with Rivan?"
Arav swallowed.
The room went still.
"And?" Virendra demanded.
Arav hesitated, then spoke carefully.
Reyansh straightened.
Arav's voice lowered.
Virendra's expression darkened.
"There is no proper history," Arav continued.
"No records. No school details. No hospital data. No documents."
"Nothing that proves she existed... before."
Silence crashed into the room.
Virendra muttered under his breath,
"Shit..."
He looked at Arav sharply.
Arav nodded nervously.
"Y–yes, sir. The moment I confirmed it, I informed him."
Reyansh's heart skipped.
Arav replied,
"He told me to search more... deeper."
"And then he cut the call."
Virendra leaned back heavily in his chair.
"Shit..." he repeated, louder this time.
Then he looked at Arav, his voice slower, filled with something close to regret.
"Even if you try your best," Virendra said,
"you won't find anything about her."
Arav frowned, confused.
"Because," Virendra continued,
"she is like a girl who was just born into this world."
Arav froze.
Arav looked horrified.
"S–sir... are you saying—"
Virendra cut him off.
"Yes."
Arav's face drained of color.
Reyansh closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair.
"Damn..." he muttered.
Then he opened his eyes, determination burning in them.
"But no," Reyansh said firmly.
"This can't be the only reason."
Virendra looked at him.
"I don't believe he left just because he didn't get information about her," Reyansh continued.
"Rivan doesn't run."
"He doesn't disappear over confusion."
His voice dropped.
The weight of the truth settled heavily.
And somewhere far away,
Rivan Thakur was walking into a storm
no one else could see
alone.
Meanwhile, inside their room, Devyani felt completely helpless.
The room felt too big.
Too silent.
Too empty.
She sat on the bed, hugging her knees, her eyes drifting again and again toward the door as if he might walk in any second.
But he didn't.
She lay down... then sat up again.
Turned to one side... then the other.
The bed that once felt warm now felt cold.
She had unknowingly developed a habit
sleeping beside him,
listening to his breathing,
feeling his presence even in silence.
Without him, her heart felt restless.
"Where are you, pati ji..." she whispered softly, her voice breaking.
She clutched the pillow that still carried a faint trace of him and pressed it to her chest.
Kaizan stepped into the room quietly, his paws making no sound against the floor. The air felt heavy too heavy.
He stopped at the doorway.
Devyani sat on the edge of the bed, her back stiff, hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her face looked calm, but Kaizan knew better. The silence around her wasn't peaceful it was strained, suffocating.
Something was wrong.
A deep ache stirred in Kaizan's chest.
He walked toward her slowly, cautiously, as if approaching a fragile storm. Sitting beside her, he gently rested his head near her hand and softly licked her fingers his silent way of asking, Mumma, are you okay? I'm here.
Devyani flinched slightly and pulled her hand back.
"Kaliya... please don't," she said, her voice low and exhausted.
"Mumma doesn't want to talk today."
The words stung more than she realized.
Kaizan froze.
He lowered his ears, his eyes dimming. He didn't argue. He didn't insist. He simply nodded to himself.
She doesn't want me.
He slowly stepped back, turning away. If mumma needed space, he would give it to her even if it hurt.
Just as he began to walk away
"Kaizan."
Her voice cracked.
Before he could react, Devyani stood up and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face against his head. Her grip trembled, like she was holding onto the only thing keeping her steady.
"If mumma tells you to leave... you'll really leave, Kaizu? Haa?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
"Sometimes mumma doesn't want to be alone... sometimes mumma just doesn't know how to ask to stay."
Kaizan's breath hitched.
His mind raced, guilt flooding every corner of his heart.
He leaned into her hug, pressing closer, silently begging forgiveness.
Devyani wiped her eyes and pulled back just enough to look at him.
Her sadness suddenly turned into irritation.
"Kaizu... where is dadda?" she demanded.
"Haa? He didn't even call. Not even once to ask how I am."
Her voice rose with every word.
Kaizan straightened immediately, anger replacing guilt.
"Yes, mumma," he said firmly, his eyes sharp with protectiveness.
"I'll make sure he regrets this."
He huffed in frustration.
For the first time that evening, Devyani let out a small, broken laugh. The tension in her shoulders eased as she hugged Kaizan again, this time softerbut warmer.
"Stay with mumma," she murmured.
"Just... stay."
Kaizan rested his head against her chest, silent but unwavering.
Then the clock ticked.
Minutes stretched into hours.
She paced the bed from one side to the other, again and again, like a child waiting for someone who promised to return.
Her eyes burned, but no tears fell
only a quiet ache settled deep inside her.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
Her movements slowed.
Her breathing softened.
Curled up on his side of the bed, holding the pillow tightly,
Devyani finally dozed off,
her face tense even in sleep
as if her heart still hadn't found peace.
And somewhere far away,
two hearts remained awake for the same reason
each other.
Morning arrived at the Thakur haveli, but sleep never had.
The night had passed without rest, without peace. Virendra and Reyansh had remained awake, not because they wanted to but because they knew RIVAN.
Sleep was impossible when that man vanished.
They knew his nature.
His anger.
His rage.
When something hurt RIVAN Thakur, he didn't seek comfort. He didn't ask questions. He didn't wait for explanations.
He destroyed.
Not only people.
Himself too.
Everyone in their world feared him not because he killed, but because he killed without mercy, without hesitation, without regret. And when his enemies bled, he bled as well.
Intentionally.
He bled people...
then bled himself.
Wounds were never stitched. Blood was never stopped. Pain was never avoided.
Pain gave him control.
Pain gave him silence.
Pain gave him pleasure.
Doctors had once said he didn't feel pain normally.
They were wrong.
He felt it too well and that was the problem.
If something hurt him deeply, he didn't protect himself from it. He didn't heal.
He punished the world for it.
And this time... something had hurt him.
Something personal.
Something emotional.
Something that had cracked open a place in him no one had ever touched before.
That was what terrified them.
Because this wasn't mafia business.
This wasn't strategy.
This wasn't war.
RIVAN Thakur was no longer fighting enemies.
He was fighting himself.
And when RIVAN fought himself, the outcome was never small.
The dining hall was filled with the usual morning chaos cutlery clinking, light laughter, familiar voices but something was missing.
And everyone felt it.
Samar broke the rhythm first.
Devyani's head lifted instantly, a smile blooming too fast, too bright.
"He's on a business trip," she said cheerfully. "He'll come back soon."
Her voice was steady.
Her smile was perfect.
But deep down, she wasn't answering Samar.
She was convincing herself.
"Ohhh," one of the sibling chuckled lightly. "Business trip, huh? Bhabhi, why didn't you go with him?"
Devyani's fingers tightened around her spoon.
"Umm..." she smiled again, softer this time. "Maybe next time."
Rudraksh grinned wickedly. "Ohooooo bhaiiiiiii," he dragged the word out dramatically, nudging the others.
"You should not leave your husband like this, bhabhi."
Aradhya almost choked on her juice laughing.
"Yes, bhabhi," she added eagerly, "you should've gone with him. Akele trip pe bhejna? Very risky."
Payal laughed. "Haa bhabhi"
The table erupted in laughter.
Devyani's face burned with nervous and sadness. She kept her eyes on her plate, gripping her spoon tightly, clearly uncomfortable.
That's when
Reyansh slammed his palm on the dining table.
BANG.
The sound echoed through the room, making everyone flinch.
"Every time joke, joke, joke!" he yelled, his voice sharp with fury.
"Don't you people have any other work to do, haaa???"
Silence.
Every spoon stopped. Every laugh died instantly.
His eyes were dark, blazing with anger as he glared at his siblings.
Rudraksh opened his mouth, then closed it.
Aradhya looked down, suddenly very interested in her plate.
Reyansh took a deep breath, then looked at Devyani, his voice softer but firm.
"She doesn't owe any of you an explanation," he said.
"So just eat. Quietly."
His anger wasn't wild it was controlled, dangerous.
Then he said the words that made everyone's blood run cold.
"Your cards will be blocked," Reyansh declared.
"For two whole months."
Shock hit the table like lightning.
"What—" Rudraksh began, panic creeping into his voice.
Reyansh cut him off instantly.
"No arguments," he said coldly.
"And if you think I can't block them test me."
Silence.
No one dared to tease again.
Everyone froze.
It was rare almost unheard of to see Reyansh this angry.
The air around the dining table turned heavy, suffocating.
The siblings instantly bowed their heads, eyes glued to their plates. No one dared to look up. No one wanted to face another demon this early in the morning.
Rudraksh swallowed hard, suddenly finding his breakfast extremely interesting.
Aradhya's playful grin vanished, replaced by silence as she stirred her food without appetite.
Even the usual whispers stopped.
Everyone knew he wasn't bluffing.
Phones were slowly placed on the table, as if even touching them was risky now. Aradhya's face drained of color. Two months without cards meant no parties, no shopping, no freedom.
This wasn't just anger.
This meant something was off.
Because when Reyansh got angry like this, it wasn't over small things. It meant a line had been crossed badly.
No one spoke. No one moved.
They had seen the demon now.
And none of them wanted to push him any further.
The conversation moved on, but Yashodha's eyes stayed on Devyani for a second longer than normal.
Then
The atmosphere shifted.
Aditya entered the dining hall.
His face said everything before his mouth could. No teasing grin. No casual walk. His shoulders were tense, jaw tight worried in a way that couldn't be hidden.
Before anyone could ask
Rajveer walked in behind him.
The room went silent.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just... frozen.
Yashodha sensed it instantly. Something was off. Rajveer never arrived unannounced not like this.
Rajveer cleared his throat lightly.
"Umm... hi. Sorry, I didn't inform before coming," he said calmly. "I just needed to discuss the deal."
Heads nodded.
Murmurs of ohh followed.
Everyone understood.
Or pretended to.
But eyes were sharp. Minds were alert.
Meanwhile, the Thakur siblings exchanged glances quick, mischievous, instinctive.
They subtly signaled Jinal.
See?
Your soon-to-be hubby is here.
Jinal stiffened.
Her grip on the spoon tightened as the word hubby echoed in her mind. Her cheeks warmed not from shyness, but discomfort.
She immediately lowered her gaze to her plate, focusing far too seriously on her food.
Rajveer didn't notice.
Or maybe he did and chose not to.
And somewhere at the table, Devyani kept smiling, nodding, pretending everything was normal.
While her heart quietly whispered the same question again and again.
Devyani had gone quiet.
Not the playful quiet.
Not the confused quiet.
The kind of quiet that sits heavy in the chest.
Her smile was still there, but it no longer reached her eyes. She nodded when spoken to, answered when asked yet something in her looked... broken, as if she was holding herself together with sheer will.
Reyansh noticed.
And something inside him snapped.
He suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up hard.
The chair crashed to the floor with a loud thud, echoing through the dining hall.
Everyone startled.
Reyansh exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched tight.
"...Sorry," he muttered, not meeting anyone's eyes.
And then he turned and walked out fast, furious, like if he stayed one more second he might say something he shouldn't.
A heavy silence followed.
"What happened to him?" someone whispered.
No one answered.
Jinal stood up instinctively.
"I'll... I'll check on him," she said.
The moment the words left her mouth, she froze for half a second.
She had forgotten.
Forgotten that she was surrounded by family.
Forgotten that everyone knew Reyansh and she barely spoke in front of others.
A few eyes flickered toward her curious, surprised but no one said anything.
Yashodha simply nodded gently.
Jinal didn't wait.
She hurried out after him, her footsteps quick, heart racing.
Behind her, Devyani watched silently.
She didn't understand what had just happened...
But somehow, she felt it.
That Reyansh's anger wasn't his.
It was Rivan's absence screaming through him.
Jinal followed him out.
He didn't stop.
Didn't even slow down.
Didn't turn.
His strides were long, sharp like every step was carrying anger instead of weight.
Jinal clenched her fists and hurried after him.
Even if she hated him.
Even if she avoided him.
Rivan wasn't home.
Rajveer and Aditya's sudden arrival wasn't normal.
And Reyansh's anger... it wasn't random.
Something was wrong.
They reached the parking area. The cold evening air hit them both, but Reyansh didn't seem to feel it. He stopped near his car, hands gripping the roof so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Reyansh," Jinal said again, louder this time.
"At least stop."
He stayed silent.
She moved closer, her voice sharper now.
That finally made him react.
Before Jinal could react
He pulled her toward him.
Hard.
Not violent.
Not gentle either.
Just raw.
Her breath hitched as she collided with his chest, and before her mind could process anything, his face buried into the crook of her neck.
He exhaled sharply.
Like he had been holding his breath for hours.
Like the weight of everything Rivan, Devyani, blood, fear finally found a place to fall.
Jinal froze.
Completely.
Her arms hung useless at her sides.
Her fingers trembled but didn't move.
She stood there like a statue shock locking her body, thoughts screaming but refusing to form words.
His forehead rested against her skin.
His breath was uneven now. Heavy. Ragged.
For a second just one second he forgot who she was supposed to be.
Forgot walls.
Forgot control.
She felt it.
Not desire.
Desperation.
Reyansh's voice came out muffled, low, almost broken.
"Don't say anything," he murmured.
"Just... don't."
Jinal swallowed hard.
Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it.
This wasn't the Reyansh who joked.
Or teased.
Or stayed detached.
This was a man standing on the edge
and grabbing the nearest thing to keep himself from falling.
Slowly, carefully, she lifted one hand
Then stopped mid-air.
Unsure.
Afraid that if she touched him, something irreversible would happen.
So she stayed still.
Letting him breathe.
Letting him exist.
Her voice finally broke the silence.
His lips moved slightly against her skin as he breathed out.
That single sound sent a shiver straight down her spine.
Not because of anything inappropriate
but because it carried too much.
Too much fear.
Too much pressure.
Too much unsaid truth.
She stiffened, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt without meaning to.
"Reyansh," she whispered again, softer now.
"Aise mat karo."
(Don't do this.)
That finally reached him.
He froze.
Like her words snapped a wire inside his head.
Slowly very slowly he pulled back.
The space between them returned, but the air remained heavy, charged with something neither of them wanted to name.
He didn't meet her eyes.
His jaw tightened.
Then it hit him.
Reality.
He stiffened.
Suddenly, he pulled away
"Why the hell did you come behind me?" Reyansh snapped.
Jinal froze.
She didn't move. Didn't speak. Her body was still, like the words had struck her harder than a slap.
Just two seconds ago... he was leaning on her.
And now this.
Reyansh's eyes were cold, distant.
"Go," he said harshly. "Go and talk to your soon-to-be hubby. He might be waiting for you."
The words shattered something inside her.
Jinal blinked, her throat tightening. Shock washed over her face, quickly followed by pain she couldn't hide. Her eyes spoke what her lips couldn't hurt, confusion, and quiet heartbreak all at once.
Reyansh saw it.
For a brief moment, guilt flickered across his face.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"See, Jinal..." his voice softened slightly, though the distance remained,
"Just move away from me."
"Just go," he said again, more controlled but firm.
"Go as far as you can go."
"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely.
"I didn't mean to—"
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once, twice, like a caged animal.
Without another word, Reyansh straightened.
He took her shoulders gently but firmly, turned her around, and guided her a few steps back as if placing her somewhere safe. Then, almost mechanically, he opened his car door.
"I need to go," he said, voice flat again.
Before Jinal could ask where or why, he slid into the driver's seat.
The engine roared to life.
And then he was gone.
The car disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the smell of petrol and unanswered questions.
Jinal stood there.
Still.
Her heart thudded loudly in her ears.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she hugged her arms around herself. A moment ago, he had been breaking in front of her breathing against her skin, fear wrapped around his words. And now... he was gone, like that moment never mattered.
Confusion twisted in her chest.
Nervousness followed.
And beneath it all something else she didn't want to name.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe.
Slowly, she turned back toward the haveli.
The study room was heavy with silence thick, suffocating.
Virendra stood near the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring outside as if the sky itself might answer him. Aditya paced restlessly, running a hand through his hair again and again. Rajveer sat on the couch, phone in hand, jaw clenched tight.
Aditya broke the silence first.
Virendra didn't turn.
"I know," he said quietly. "Rivan is many things ruthless, reckless, dangerous but careless about family is not one of them."
Rajveer finally spoke, his tone grave.
"Uncle, I've activated all my contacts. Ports, highways, underground routes, even border intel." He looked up, eyes sharp. "There is no trace of him. No CCTV hit. Nothing."
Aditya stopped pacing abruptly.
"That's not possible," he said.
Rajveer nodded slowly.
Virendra's reflection in the glass looked older somehow more tired.
Aditya nodded once and turned toward the corridor.
"Let me check his room," he said quietly.
Virendra agreed instantly. "Yes. I was thinking the same. Go."
Aditya walked with slow steps, his chest heavy with a feeling he couldn't name. Rivan's room had always carried his presence commanding, intense. Today, it felt... empty.
As he pushed the door open, the first thing he noticed was silence.
Then he saw her.
Devyani was sitting in the balcony, knees drawn close, chin resting on them. The breeze played with her hair as she stared blankly at the sky, like she was waiting for something or someone to fall back down from it.
She looked small.
Too small for this storm.
Aditya's heart clenched.
He stepped closer, softening his voice.
"Hii, bhabhi."
She turned immediately, her face lighting up just a little.
"Hii, Adi bhaiyya."
She smiled a gentle smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Aditya sat on the edge of the chair near her.
"How was your day?"
She tilted her head, thinking.
"Hmm... it was okay."
He nodded. "Mine too. I'm absolutely fine."
There was an awkward pause. Not uncomfortable just heavy.
Then Aditya cleared his throat, pretending casualness.
Devyani nodded immediately.
"Yeah, sure."
She stood up halfway, then asked softly,
"Do you want help?"
Aditya shook his head quickly.
"No, no. I can manage."
She smiled again.
"Oh... okay."
As Aditya moved toward the cupboard and desk, his eyes flicked back to her without meaning to.
She went back to the balcony chair, but this time her gaze wasn't on the sky.
It was on the door.
As if she expected it to open any second.
As if she believed that if she just waited quietly enough,
Rivan would walk in like nothing had ever been wrong.
Aditya looked away, jaw tightening.
Because for the first time,
he understood something painfully clear
Rivan hadn't just gone missing.
He had left behind someone who didn't even know how to worry loudly.
And that scared Aditya more than anything else.
Aditya searched carefully.
Not like someone looking for a file
but like someone afraid of what he might find.
He checked the cupboard first.
Neatly arranged clothes. Everything in place. Too perfect.
Then the side table.
The study shelf.
The drawers near the bed.
Nothing.
He even glanced toward Devyani she was sitting quietly now, fingers intertwined, staring at the balcony railing. She didn't ask what he was doing again. She didn't question him.
That hurt more than questions ever could.
Aditya turned back.
"One last place," he muttered under his breath.
He crouched and pulled open the bottom drawer of Rivan's desk.
Inside the drawer weren't files.
They were gifts.
Devyani's things.
Carefully kept.
Too carefully.
The car key.
The miniature house model.
The gold bangles.
Aditya's chest tightened.
Why were all her gifts here?
Then he saw the papers.
Tucked beneath everything.
He picked them up slowly, his fingers suddenly cold.
His eyes scanned the first page.
Once.
Twice.
And then
His face drained of color.
"What the—" his whisper broke.
His hands trembled as he read further.
Aditya swallowed hard.
"No... no, no," he muttered, flipping pages faster now.
Every line felt like a punch.
Every word screamed one thing loud and clear
Rivan hadn't left randomly.
He had decided to leave.
It had shaken him so badly
Aditya slowly lowered himself onto the chair, papers clenched in his fist.
Outside, Devyani laughed softly at something a bird did on the railing.
Inside the room, Aditya felt sick.
Because now he understood.
Rivan wasn't missing.
Rivan was running from the truth.
And the truth was sitting just a few feet away...
completely unaware that her entire world was about to tilt.
.
.
.
Jinal's fingers trembled as she ended the call.
Arav's words echoed in her head
each sentence heavier than the last.
"Caged."
"Eighteen years."
"No records."
"No existence."
Her throat went dry.
Jinal didn't wait another second.
She marched straight toward Virendra Thakur's study.
The door was half open.
Virendra was sitting face carved in stone like always powerful, calm, unreadable.
But tonight
Jinal wasn't afraid.
She stepped inside and shut the door behind her with a sharp click.
Virendra turned.
"Jinal?" His brows furrowed slightly.
Her voice cracked before he could finish.
The room went still.
Dead still.
Virendra didn't speak.
Didn't deny.
Didn't ask what truth.
That silence was answer enough.
Jinal took a shaky breath, her eyes burning.
Virendra's jaw tightened.
"She was caged," Jinal continued, tears now streaming freely.
"Eighteen years. No school. No friends. No world. No identity."
"She didn't live, bade papa she survived."
Virendra closed his eyes slowly.
One second.
Two.
"For whom?" Jinal snapped.
"For her?
For Rivan bhai?
Or for the family name?"
Glimpse:
"Please, baby," he whispered.
"Please don't tell me to go away."
He swallowed hard.
"I don't know what the future holds for me," he said honestly,
"but for now... I don't want to separate from you."
That's when she finally spoke.
Rivan froze.
"Leave ninety nights alone," she continued quietly.
"Then... I'll forgive you."
Rivan blinked.
"N... ninety nights?" he asked, stunned.
"Whole... ninety?"
"Yes," Devyani said.
"Whole three months."
Her face betrayed her
.
.
.
.
.
"You are my baby girl," he said gently.
"How can such a cute girl be stupid?"
He shook his head.
"The entire world can say anything," he whispered,
"but not my Devyani."
"She is innocent," he corrected softly,
"not stupid."
"Please don't confuse your innocence with stupidity."
He cupped her cheeks carefully, his thumbs brushing away fresh tears.
.
.
"Baccha," he said softly,
"listen to me."
"Why should I love in limits?" he asked quietly.
"My love for you is limitless."