Devyani screams, divorce soon and RSY
Hey hiiiiiii mayawiyans!!!!!
This chapter was supposed to be 10k words, but I had to stop midway. I just couldn't write anymore.
I feel really heavy... like a heavy heart.
I don't know how to explain it, but trust me, it hurts, so I can't continue right now.
I don't know why, but my love for RIVAN has increased even more.
I don't know what Devyani will do when she hears the truth.
But I need him right now ????
I want to hug him and say, "It's okay, Rivuuuu."
I don't know... I guess I've totally lost my mind. Yes, I have.
Sorry for making most of you cry in the last chapter. My intention was never to hurt anyone.
But I do feel proud of myself for portraying those emotions so deeply.
Trust me, writing that chapter took a lot of time and many breaks, but I did it. And I felt really happy seeing that you all truly felt the emotions. I have read each and every comment.
And when you all were cursing RIVAN, I laughed so hard like wow, damn, that's good! ??
Reading your comments every night at 11 has now become my routine... almost a habit.
Thank you so much for all the love and support.
Sometimes I wonder... how? Why?
These questions live rent-free in my head, but maybe one day I'll get my answers.
Many of you even related this story to your own lives, and that's when I realized that Devu is not just a character. She is the reality of a few people I didn't even know existed.
I truly hope that whoever feels like this heals soon, and finds a RIVAN in their life someone who cherishes them, loves them, cares for them, and most importantly, understands them.
Let's make a wish.
No matter what, we will rise in our lives. Have faith. Believe in ourselves.
Let's hope that God sends us a beautiful, caring partner who understands us without us having to say a word.
Someone who loves us without expectations, cares for us, and cherishes us for who we are.
Someone who never kills our inner child and can proudly say, "She is my wife."
And let's also wish that we, as girls, do the same for our life partners.
Because efforts are meant to come from both sides.
And a request for vote and comments for my hardwork????
________________________
The haveli had never felt this silent.
Not the peaceful kind of
but the kind that presses against the chest,
making it hard to breathe.
Somewhere inside, Devyani lay unconscious.
Surrounded by people.
Surrounded by care.
And yet
The most dangerous man in that house stood alone.
Rivan Thakur didn't move.
Didn't wipe the blood off his hands.
Didn't react when servants whispered in fear.
Didn't flinch when his own wounds throbbed openly.
Virendra watched him carefully.
This was not rage anymore.
This was calculation.
Rivan finally turned his head, eyes drifting not toward Virendra
but toward the corridor where Devyani had disappeared moments ago.
For a second...
just one second...
Something cracked.
Not enough to soften him.
Enough to make him lethal.
The corridor was silent.
Too silent.
Virendra turned just in time to see Rivan stop.
Slowly
deliberately
Rivan turned back.
His eyes were no longer hollow.
They were deadly clear.
Virendra's spine stiffened.
Rivan reached inside his jacket.
Not in haste.
Not in rage.
With terrifying calm
He pulled out a gun.
The metallic click echoed like a verdict.
Virendra's breath hitched.
Rivan raised it not to aim, not yet just enough for Virendra to see it clearly.
"This," Rivan said softly, voice steady, almost gentle,
"is going to be used very soon."
A pause.
Then his gaze locked onto Virendra's eyes.
No shouting.
No trembling.
That calm
was the calm before absolute destruction.
"Rivan—" he tried.
Rivan cut him off with a faint smile. Not warmth. Not forgiveness.
"You taught me one thing very well," he continued.
"That silence is the best weapon."
He slid the gun back into place.
"But don't worry," he added casually, turning away.
"I'm not angry."
That was worse.
Much worse.
He walked away without another word.
His footsteps faded
Leaving behind a man who had faced empires, enemies, underworld kings
And yet
Virendra Thakur's breaths came heavy, uneven.
His chest felt tight.
Did he find out?
Did he connect it all?
His mind raced.
No... no... I hope not.
He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes briefly.
A bitter exhale left his lips.
He had accepted consequences long ago.
But this
Facing Rivan's truth again,
Facing the monster he himself helped create
That
He was not ready for.
Not again.
The doctor checked her pulse again, shined a light briefly over her eyes, then turned toward Reyansh and the family.
Her expression was serious. Professional. Concerned.
Reyansh swallowed.
"Yes," he answered immediately.
"She panics at the sight of blood."
The doctor's brows knit together.
Reyansh nodded.
"Yes."
The doctor exhaled sharply.
Then her tone changed still controlled, but firm.
The words hit the room heavily.
"PTSD patients don't just get scared," she continued.
"Their brain reacts as if the danger is happening again not remembered, but relived."
She gestured gently toward Devyani.
"When someone with trauma sees a trigger like blood in her case the amygdala (the fear center of the brain) takes over. Logical thinking shuts down. The body enters survival mode."
She paused, making sure everyone understood.
"That screaming, the running, the collapse those were not drama or fear.
That was her nervous system completely overloaded."
Yashodha's hands trembled.
The doctor continued, softer now.
"Her heart rate likely spiked. Blood pressure dropped suddenly. Oxygen to the brain reduced hence the fainting."
She looked straight at Reyansh.
"You cannot expose a trauma patient to what terrifies them the most and expect them to stay stable."
Reyansh's jaw clenched.
"I know," he said hoarsely.
"But we didn't know he was—"
The doctor raised her hand gently.
"I understand this wasn't intentional," she said.
"But the risk is severe."
She lowered her voice.
"Repeated exposure like this can lead to panic disorder, dissociation, night terrors, or even psychogenic seizures."
The room froze.
"She already shows signs of hypervigilance," the doctor added.
"Constant fear. Restlessness. Nightmares. Dependence on a safe presence."
"The sudden absence of her husband likely worsened her condition. He was her emotional anchor."
Silence.
Painful silence.
She placed a light hand on Devyani's wrist.
"Most importantly she must be kept away from violence, blood, shouting, or sudden stress."
Reyansh closed his eyes.
Guilt burned in his chest.
"I won't let this happen again," he said quietly.
The doctor nodded.
"For her sake," she replied,
"it cannot."
The doctor prepared the injection, her movements calm and practiced.
"I am giving her a mild sedative and anti-anxiety injection," she said softly, so no one would panic.
"It will help settle her nervous system."
Reyansh stiffened.
"No strong medicine, right?"
The doctor shook her head.
"No. Nothing heavy. Just enough to slow down the panic response and let her body rest."
Within minutes, Devyani's breathing began to even out.
The tightness in her face slowly eased, though her lashes still trembled faintly like her mind was fighting battles even in sleep.
The doctor checked her vitals once more.
"She may not wake up properly for a few hours," she explained.
"Don't try to wake her."
She looked at everyone present.
Yashodha wiped her tears silently.
"If she wakes up on her own," the doctor continued,
"feed her something light. Warm milk, soup, or water. No force."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"Her body and mind are both exhausted.
Sleep is the safest place for her right now."
Reyansh nodded slowly.
"Will she be okay?" he asked, voice low.
The doctor met his eyes.
"She will be," she said honestly.
"But only if she feels safe when she wakes up."
The room fell quiet again.
Devyani slept on unaware of the storm outside, unaware of the blood, the truths, or the chaos.
For now, her body had chosen rest.
And everyone in that room silently prayed she would wake up without fear.
RIVAN entered the room quietly.
No blood.
No mess.
A clean black shirt clung to his body, sleeves rolled up.
Hair perfectly set.
Face unreadable.
Cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
It was as if the man who had shattered himself for months had locked that version away
and the RIVAN Thakur everyone feared had returned.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Twice as lethal.
The moment he stepped inside, the air changed.
Yashodha froze.
Jinal's reath hitched.
Aditya clenched his jaw.
But Reyansh?
Reyansh didn't even look at him.
His entire focus was on Devyani
lying unconscious on the bed, face pale.
RIVAN didn't acknowledge anyone either.
His eyes went straight to her.
He walked closer.
Reyansh immediately stepped in front of him.
"Why the fuck are you here?" Reyansh snapped.
RIVAN's voice was calm. Too calm.
"Shhh," he said softly.
"She's sleeping."
Reyansh let out a hollow scoff.
He laughed bitterly.
"Wow. We almost forgot you're married, RIVAN Thakur."
RIVAN's eyes flicked up dark, sharp.
"I said she is resting," he warned.
"I don't need fucking noise."
Then, without another word, he bent slightly
arms moving to lift Devyani.
That's when Reyansh lost it.
He grabbed RIVAN's arm, stopping him.
"Where the fuck were you when she was crying every night?" Reyansh shouted, voice breaking.
"Bol kahan tha tu?"
(Tell me where were you?)
"She was shaking in fear. Screaming in sleep. Running to my room like a terrified child!"
His chest heaved.
The room went dead silent.
RIVAN slowly straightened.
His grip loosened but his eyes...
his eyes burned.
For a second, something flickered there.
Guilt?
Pain?
Regret?
Gone just as fast.
He looked at Reyansh voice low, lethal.
Reyansh didn't.
"I won't," he said, standing firm.
"You lost that right the moment you disappeared."
RIVAN leaned closer, voice barely above a whisper but it cut like a blade.
A pause.
Reyansh swallowed hard but didn't step aside.
Behind them, Devyani shifted slightly in her sleep, a soft sound leaving her lips.
Both men froze instantly.
RIVAN's jaw clenched.
He looked at her again this time longer.
Something unreadable passed through his face.
Then, quietly almost to himself
Reyansh frowned.
A pause.
Another pause sharper this time.
The word hit the room like a gunshot.
Divorce.
No one breathed.
Yashodha's hand flew to her mouth.
Aditya's face drained of color.
Virendra stiffened, as if the ground beneath him cracked.
Reyansh froze.
For the first time... truly froze.
Before anyone could react, RIVAN bent down and slid his arms under Devyani's fragile body careful, practiced, almost reverent. As if she were made of glass.
Reyansh snapped out of it.
He stepped forward instinctively.
But Yashodha caught his arm tightly.
"Don't," she said, her voice shaking.
"He's not in his right mind."
Reyansh turned to her, disbelief burning in his eyes.
He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow.
Yashodha swallowed hard, tears gathering.
"Did you see the cuts on his neck, Reyansh?" she asked softly.
He clenched his jaw.
"No."
Reyansh did.
The faint marks near RIVAN's collar.
The stiffness in his shoulders.
The way his arms trembled just slightly around Devyani.
Yashodha whispered, "He's suffering. Badly."
She tightened her grip on Reyansh's arm.
Reyansh shook his head slowly.
"Time?" he murmured.
"She waited for him every night... and he's talking about ending everything."
RIVAN turned toward the door.
No anger.
No hesitation.
Just emptiness.
As he passed Virendra, he stopped.
Didn't look at him.
Didn't raise his voice.
A beat.
Virendra's chest tightened.
"RIVAN—" he tried.
RIVAN walked away.
The door closed behind him.
The sound echoed far too loudly.
Inside the room, Devyani stirred faintly in his arms her fingers curling instinctively into his shirt.
And for half a second
just half
RIVAN's jaw clenched as if something inside him was breaking.
Then he kept walking.
Leaving behind a room full of people who suddenly realized
The most dangerous thing about RIVAN Thakur
was not his rage.
It was his silence.
RIVAN entered the room silently, Devyani still cradled in his arms as if she weighed nothing.
He laid her gently on the bed, every movement careful too careful for a man who had just walked out of blood and chaos.
He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, tucking it around her like he used to.
His eyes softened despite himself.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
For a long moment, he just watched her breathe.
Slow.
Uneven.
Fragile.
His fingers lifted on their own, tracing her cheek down to her jaw, then her chin. His thumb brushed away a tear stain that had dried there long before he arrived.
A faint, broken smile touched his lips.
"I missed your stupid questions, baby," he murmured.
"So much noise... and now you're this quiet."
His voice cracked just slightly.
Devyani stirred.
Her brows furrowed, lashes fluttering as if she were trapped between sleep and fear. A soft, broken sound escaped her lips.
The word hit him straight in the chest.
RIVAN froze.
He leaned closer instantly.
"Yes," he whispered. "I'm here."
Her fingers twitched over the blanket, searching.
Instinctively, he slid his hand under hers.
She clutched it weakly, like a child afraid of being left alone again.
"Don't... go," she murmured, half-asleep.
"Please... don't disappear..."
RIVAN closed his eyes.
His grip tightened around her fingers.
She shifted again, her forehead creasing.
"...blood..." she whispered in fear.
"Pain..."
Immediately, he leaned closer, his other hand brushing her hair back.
"No," he said firmly.
"No blood. No pain."
His voice softened.
Devyani relaxed slightly, still unconscious, but her grip didn't loosen.
RIVAN stared at their joined hands.
This
this was the problem.
He had survived bullets, knives, betrayals.
But this small hand holding his like he was her only safety?
That scared him more than anything.
He bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead slow, lingering.
"Sleep," he whispered.
"Ask me all your questions later."
Then, barely audible
He stayed there.
Sitting beside her.
Guarding her sleep.
While the storm inside him kept screaming that this peace was temporary and the worst was yet to come.
RIVAN slowly untangled her fingers from his.
Devyani whimpered in her sleep, as if she sensed the distance even before it happened.
He paused.
For a second just one his resolve wavered.
Then he leaned close again, his lips brushing her ear.
"Sleep," he whispered.
"Let me finish the remaining half of the work."
Her breathing steadied, as if she trusted the promise without knowing its cost.
RIVAN stood up.
The moment he turned away, the warmth drained from his face.
The softness vanished.
The man beside the bed died there.
The monster rose.
Outside the room, the air felt heavier.
With every step he took away from her, the cold aura returned layer by layer.
The calm.
The emptiness.
The lethal silence.
He pushed open the hidden door.
The smell hit first.
Iron.
Sweat.
Fear.
Blood fresh and old stained the floor again, as if it had never been cleaned, as if the walls themselves remembered pain.
The chains clinked softly.
A scream tore through the space.
Raw.
Broken.
Human.
RIVAN walked in like death itself.
Same steady footsteps.
Same unreadable eyes.
Same hands now smeared red again.
The man tied to the chair struggled weakly, ropes biting into skin, face hidden under black cloth, breath coming in frantic gasps.
RIVAN rolled up his sleeves.
Calmly.
Methodically.
Pain returned to the room the way fire returns to dry wood.
Every strike was precise.
Not rushed.
Not blind with rage.
This wasn't anger.
This was punishment.
Blood splattered.
Bones cracked.
Screams echoed until they turned hoarse, then silent, then into choking sobs.
RIVAN leaned close to the man.
His voice was low.
Dead.
Another scream.
Another blow.
Pain multiplied.
Outside, the haveli slept unaware that the night had swallowed its darkest secret again.
Inside, RIVAN stood drenched in blood and shadows.
And far away, in a quiet room, Devyani slept
believing her pati ji had just stepped out for work.
Unaware that every scream in the dark was the price of her safety.
RIVAN returned after a long time.
The water had washed the blood away,
but not the sins.
Fresh clothes.
Calm face.
Controlled breathing.
Nothing on him suggested the screams that still echoed somewhere behind locked walls.
He entered the room quietly.
The lamp beside the bed cast a soft glow on Devyani's face.
Pale.
Fragile.
Peaceful in sleep unaware of how close pain always came to her.
RIVAN stopped beside the bed.
For a moment, he just looked at her.
As if memorising.
Then he lay down beside her, careful not to wake her, and gently pulled her into his arms.
Her head fit against his chest as if it always belonged there.
Instinctively, Devyani moved closer.
Her fingers clutched his shirt.
RIVAN froze.
His jaw tightened.
Slowly, he wrapped one arm around her, holding her protectively
as if the world itself was the enemy.
He lowered his head, his lips brushing her hair.
In a voice so soft it barely existed, he whispered
The words carried no drama.
Only certainty.
His grip tightened for a brief second,
then loosened again as if he was already learning how to let go.
Outside, the night remained silent.
Inside, two hearts slept together
one innocent,
one carrying storms that would soon break everything apart.
The sun had already climbed high,
yet Devyani hadn't stirred even once.
The heavy dose kept her trapped in deep, unnatural sleep
silent, breath steady, lashes resting against pale cheeks.
RIVAN woke up before the house did.
No nightmares.
No restlessness.
Just a sharp, controlled calm.
He freshened up slowly, methodically
like a man preparing for war, not a day.
Then he walked out.
Straight to the kitchen.
The moment his footsteps echoed there, the air changed.
The kitchen staff froze.
Hands mid-air.
Utensils trembling.
Breaths caught painfully in their chests.
That alone felt like a sin.
Their minds screamed the same thought
We've done something wrong.
Before anyone could speak, he said coldly,
"Leave."
One word.
That was enough.
They scattered as if fire had broken loose
running, not looking back.
Silence returned.
RIVAN rolled up his sleeves.
The veins on his forearms were visible.
So were faint scars old and new, layered like history.
He opened the fridge.
Took out ingredients.
Moved with deadly precision.
The sound of chopping filled the space
sharp, rhythmic, controlled.
From the doorway, the entire family stood frozen.
Yashodha's hand covered her mouth.
Aditya's brows knitted in disbelief.
Samar swallowed hard.
This wasn't the RIVAN they knew.
Not the cold businessman.
Not the ruthless underworld name.
Not the broken man who disappeared.
This RIVAN was something else entirely.
Dangerously calm.
Terrifyingly focused.
As if emotions had been locked away,
and only purpose remained.
Virendra stood at the back.
Hands folded.
Eyes closed.
He prayed.
Not for forgiveness.
But for survival.
Because deep down, he knew
When a man like RIVAN becomes this silent,
this composed,
this controlled...
It isn't peace.
It's the eye of the storm.
The aroma of soup slowly drifted through the haveli.
Warm.
Comforting.
Completely out of place.
RIVAN poured the soup into a bowl with the same precision he used to pull a trigger.
He wiped his hands once, neatly, as if erasing all evidence of what he was capable of.
Then he walked out of the kitchen.
RIVAN entered the room without a sound.
The curtains were half-drawn, morning light falling softly over Devyani's fragile form. She looked smaller somehow too small for the weight she carried inside her.
He sat beside her, careful... almost afraid.
"Kitten," he whispered, gently brushing her arm, just enough to wake her.
"No questions. Just drink this."
He lifted her slightly, supporting her head, bringing the spoon to her lips.
She drank half asleep, obedient, unaware.
Like a child trusting without knowing why.
When the bowl was empty, he kept holding her.
Slowly... very slowly... her eyelids fluttered.
And then
She saw him.
The scream ripped through the room.
A raw, soul-tearing scream.
She screamed again.
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Her hands trembled, pushing him away with whatever strength she had.
RIVAN froze.
He didn't move.
Didn't touch her.
The door burst open.
Reyansh.
Yashodha.
Virendra.
Aditya.
Everyone.
But Devyani didn't see them.
She was no longer in the present.
Her eyes searched the room wildly, terrified, broken.
Then she saw Reyansh.
Her entire body reacted before her mind could.
She slipped out of RIVAN's reach and ran
stumbling, crying, gasping
A nurse rushed in, panic on her face.
"This is a severe panic episode," she said quickly.
"We need to sedate her."
"No—NO—" Devyani screamed again, thrashing.
Her screams were unbearable
like someone reliving their death again and again.
The injection went in.
Her body stiffened once... twice...
then went limp.
Silence.
Devyani collapsed completely into Reyansh's arms.
He held her.
And for the first time...
a tear slipped from Reyansh's eye.
He slowly lifted his gaze.
Looked at RIVAN.
RIVAN was standing there, unmoving.
His face was stone.
But his eyes
They told a different story.
The same pain.
The same helplessness.
The same devastation.
Two men standing on opposite sides of the same nightmare
And a woman in between them,
paying the price for sins that were never hers.
Reyansh gently lifted her.
She felt weightless in his arms, like she might shatter if held any tighter. He placed her carefully on the bed, adjusting the pillow beneath her head, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders.
His fingers moved softly through her hair, slow... protective... repetitive
as if reassuring himself that she was still breathing.
"Sleep, Devu," he whispered, his voice breaking despite his control.
"I'm here. Nothing will happen to you."
Her face relaxed slightly under his touch, the terror slowly loosening its grip.
One by one, everyone quietly left the room.
No words.
No questions.
The door closed.
Only three remained
Devyani, unconscious.
Reyansh, sitting beside her like a shield.
And RIVAN.
RIVAN stood near the bed.
Still.
Silent.
The distance between him and the bed felt heavier than miles.
He looked at her
really looked.
The faint tremble in her fingers.
The tear stains dried on her cheeks.
The way her brows were still knitted, even in sleep.
His jaw tightened.
Reyansh didn't look at him.
Didn't acknowledge his presence.
Minutes passed.
Then
Not anger.
Not arrogance.
Just a dead, hollow statement.
Reyansh's hand stilled for a second... then continued caressing her hair.
"Don't," he said.
"Right now, your presence is poison to her."
RIVAN stopped.
His fingers curled into fists.
RIVAN looked away.
For the first time, his shoulders sagged just a fraction.
Reyansh let out a bitter laugh.
RIVAN closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they were darker decided.
"I'll leave," he said finally.
"For good."
Reyansh's grip on Devyani tightened.
"Do whatever you want," he said without emotion.
"She's already paying for it."
RIVAN looked at Devyani one last time.
Reyansh bent closer to Devyani.
"You're safe," he whispered again, though his heart knew
safety had already come too late.
Reyansh slowly stood up.
The air shifted.
He stepped in front of RIVAN, blocking his path close enough for rage to breathe between them.
"Tell me," Reyansh said, his voice low but shaking with restraint.
"Where the hell were you for three months?"
RIVAN didn't answer.
Reyansh scoffed bitterly.
"Your pain is bigger than hers?"
His eyes burned.
"I know you, RIVAN. You don't disappear without a reason. You must've found something. Something ugly. Something dangerous."
He stepped closer.
"But whatever it is..."
His voice cracked.
"Was it bigger than your wife?"
Silence.
"You know now," Reyansh continued, harsher, angrier.
"You know what she went through. You know what kind of hell she survived. And still you chose to vanish. Still you chose blood over her."
His fists clenched.
RIVAN finally lifted his eyes.
They were empty.
Not cold emptied out.
"What if," RIVAN said quietly,
"I am the reason behind all her pain?"
The words fell like a gunshot.
Reyansh froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
"What...?" he whispered.
RIVAN let out a slow, hollow breath.
Reyansh took an involuntary step back.
"That's not possible," he said, but the certainty was gone.
RIVAN laughed soft, broken, joyless.
"I went looking for her past," he continued.
"Not for pity. Not for answers."
"For justice."
His jaw tightened.
Reyansh's chest tightened.
He looked straight at Reyansh.
"I shook the underworld for three months. Burned files. Broke chains. Killed people who deserved worse."
Reyansh's voice dropped.
"And?"
RIVAN's lips curved into a cruel.
Reyansh felt his spine go cold.
"What do you mean?" he demanded.
What RIVAN did next shattered Reyansh completely.
RIVAN stepped forward.
No warning.
No words.
He pulled Reyansh into a hug.
A real one.
Firm. Heavy. Desperate.
For a second, Reyansh didn't even breathe.
His body went rigid, his mind refusing to process it.
RIVAN never touched anyone like this.
Not in grief.
Not in loss.
Not even when the world was collapsing under his feet.
Reyansh swallowed hard.
His hands hovered in the air, unsure
until he felt it.
RIVAN's grip tightened.
Not dominant.
Not threatening.
Broken.
"If I lose her..." RIVAN murmured, his voice barely there, rough and cracked,
"...I won't survive myself."
That was it.
That single line destroyed Reyansh.
His chest burned. His eyes stung.
This wasn't the ruthless mafia king.
This wasn't the man who painted the underworld red.
This was a man standing on the edge
terrified of becoming the very monster he hunted.
Reyansh slowly lifted his arms and hugged him back.
Just once.
Just tight enough to say I see you.
"You won't lose her," Reyansh whispered, forcing strength into his voice.
"But not like this. Not with blood. Not with fear."
RIVAN pulled back slightly.
His eyes dark, swollen, sleepless searched Reyansh's face.
"She's afraid of me," he said hollowly.
"Did you see her? The way she ran? The way she begged?"
His jaw clenched.
"I've faced death without blinking.
But today..."
"...I watched her look at me like I was her father."
The words tasted like poison.
Reyansh shook his head.
"She didn't see you," he said softly.
"She saw blood. And blood, for her, means pain."
He held RIVAN's shoulders firmly.
"She's not rejecting you, RIVAN.
She's reliving hell."
RIVAN closed his eyes for a second.
A single breath escaped him uneven.
"I thought leaving would protect her," he said.
"And coming back would fix it."
A bitter smile touched his lips.
Reyansh nodded.
"Then don't run again," he said.
"And don't fight alone."
RIVAN opened his eyes.
For the first time in months, there was something other than rage in them
fear... and hope tangled together.
From inside the room, Devyani shifted slightly in her sleep.
Both men turned toward her.
And Reyansh knew
This time, RIVAN wasn't running toward destruction.
He was fighting for redemption.
"It's paining, Reyansh..." he whispered.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just... raw.
"Paining me here," he said, pressing his fist to his chest.
"So much that I don't know whether to breathe or stop."
His jaw trembled.
A hollow smile curved his lips.
Reyansh felt his own throat close.
RIVAN continued, voice breaking despite himself.
"When she screamed... I swear something inside me cracked."
"I wanted to disappear.
I wanted to rip my own heart out if that would make her stop crying."
He inhaled sharply, like the air itself was hurting him.
"She calls me pati ji," he said softly.
"Like I'm her safety."
A pause.
His eyes glistened, but the tears refused to fall
as if even they were scared of him.
"Tell me, Reyansh," he asked, almost pleading,
"how do I live knowing I'm the reason her hands shake?"
His voice dropped to a whisper so broken it barely existed.
"I left to protect her."
"I came back to claim her."
Another bitter breath.
Reyansh shook his head, eyes burning.
"No," he said firmly.
"You didn't destroy her. You triggered a wound someone else carved."
RIVAN laughed once short, painful.
RIVAN turned toward her, his shoulders sagging.
"I feel helpless, Reyansh," he confessed.
"For the first time in my life... I don't know how to fight this."
RIVAN turned and walked away.
No explanations.
No backward glance.
Just that heavy, suffocating silence he always left behind.
Reyansh stood there frozen, his heart pounding so loudly it drowned his thoughts.
What was the secret?
What did he find in those three months?
A cold fear crawled up his spine.
"RIVAN!" Reyansh snapped out of it and rushed after him.
The corridor was empty.
Too empty.
"Shit..." he muttered and sprinted toward the study.
The door.
Locked.
Panic hit him full force.
No answer.
"At least tell me," his voice cracked despite himself,
"what did you do? What did you find?"
Silence.
The kind that presses against your chest.
He swallowed hard and started pounding the door.
Reyansh ran straight into the living hall, his breath uneven, eyes blazing.
"Uncle!" he snapped, voice shaking with rage and fear,
"what the fuck did he find out?"
Everyone sitting there jolted.
Yashodha stood up instantly.
Aditya's face went pale.
Jinal froze mid-step.
Reyansh clenched his fists.
"What is the truth?" he demanded.
"What the hell is he talking about? What is he behind Devyani's trauma for?!"
The room went deathly silent.
Virendra slowly stood up.
His face old, tired, burdened with years of guilt looked like it had aged another decade in seconds.
"Yes," Virendra said quietly.
Reyansh's chest tightened.
"Yes... what?"
Virendra swallowed hard.
"Yes," he repeated, voice breaking,
"RIVAN is the reason behind Devyani's trauma."
The words hit like a gunshot.
"What?" Reyansh staggered back a step.
"No. No, that's impossible."
Aditya snapped, "Papa, what are you saying?!"
Yashodha's hands flew to her mouth.
"Virendra... think before you speak."
Virendra closed his eyes.
"I have thought about it every single day," he said hoarsely.
"And I prayed... prayed that this truth would never come out like this."
.
.
.
.
The room was lit by a single cracked mirror.
RIVAN stood in front of it
shirtless, unmoving, eyes empty.
The reflection staring back at him didn't look human anymore.
It looked like something carved out of rage and guilt.
He lifted the blade.
Not in anger.
Not in haste.
With terrifying calm.
"For every scream," he whispered, voice barely alive,
"this is mine."
The blade pressed into his skin.
He didn't flinch.
Didn't hiss.
Didn't gasp.
Blood slid down slowly, tracing the lines of scars already carved there old punishments layered over new ones.
"Kitten..."
his voice cracked for the first time.
"I'm sorry."
The mirror blurred not from tears, but from blood splashing against the glass.
Behind him, tied to a chair, a man watched in horror.
His eyes were wide.
His lips were shaking.
This wasn't normal violence.
This was something else.
This was a man punishing himself, not seeking mercy.
"P-please..." the man sobbed, voice breaking.
"I didn't know... I swear... please leave me—"
RIVAN didn't hear him.
Didn't see him.
Didn't acknowledge his existence.
To RIVAN, the man wasn't even there.
Only the screams in his head were.
Only a small trembling girl, curling into herself, whispering please don't hit me.
Only Devyani.
RIVAN raised the blade again.
"For every night you cried," he murmured,
"this body will pay."
The man screamed now pure, animal terror.
RIVAN's eyes lifted to the mirror.
Slowly.
Deadly.
"No," he said quietly.
"I am awake."
The kind of silence that presses against your ears until it hurts.
RIVAN wiped the blood from his hand slowly, almost methodically, as if he were erasing proof of something sacred. His face went blank again no rage, no pain, no remorse visible on the surface.
He turned.
The man tied to the chair was crying openly now.
"... please... I swear I didn't do any—"
That was the mistake.
RIVAN walked toward him.
Each step was calm.
Measured.
Deadly.
He crouched in front of the man, bringing himself to eye level.
"You know what the worst part is?" RIVAN asked quietly.
"It's not that you hurt her."
The man shook violently.
RIVAN stood up.
Picked up the blade again.
"No nightmares," he continued, voice eerily steady.
"No shaking hands.
No fear of blood.
No screaming in the dark."
The blade flashed.
A scream tore through the room raw, animal, desperate.
RIVAN leaned close to the man's ear.
"She wakes up every night thinking she's going to die," he whispered.
"So tonight... you'll learn how that feels."
The man sobbed uncontrollably.
RIVAN straightened.
"No," he said.
"You're late."
Another scream.
The room felt smaller, tighter, like the walls themselves were listening.
"She's scared of me now," RIVAN said quietly.
The man lifted his head with difficulty, eyes swollen, voice trembling.
"N-no... I didn't—"
RIVAN raised a finger.
His voice dropped dangerously calm.
The man froze.
RIVAN continued, each word sharp enough to cut.
"She's scared... because she's scared of blood."
"She's scared of blood... because she was traumatized."
"And she was traumatized—"
He leaned down, bringing his face inches from the man's.
The man shook his head violently.
RIVAN's eyes darkened.
"I said," he whispered,
"I hate noises."
Silence fell again, broken only by the man's uneven breathing.
RIVAN straightened, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.
"I hate humans now," he said, almost to himself.
"I hate every fucking person on this planet."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
"Including me."
He looked down at his hands.
Hands that had held her gently.
Hands that now trembled with rage.
"Because of me," RIVAN said, voice cracking for the first time,
"my kitten is suffering."
His jaw clenched.
He laughed again bitter, broken.
The man sobbed softly.
RIVAN didn't even look at him anymore.
He turned away.
As if the man no longer existed.
As if the real enemy
RIVAN turned back slowly.
The man looked up, hope flickering for a split second.
RIVAN noticed it.
And smiled.
A smile with no warmth.
"Don't worry," RIVAN said softly, almost kindly.
"I won't kill you this soon."
The man's breath hitched.
"Death is easy," he continued.
"One moment of pain... and then silence."
He tilted his head.
"But silence," he whispered,
"is a privilege."
"You don't deserve silence."
The man shook violently.
"P-please... I'll tell you everything—"
RIVAN step closer.
He straightened, eyes empty.
"You're going to stay alive," he said calmly.
"Every scream you caused... you'll remember it."
"Every drop of blood she saw... you'll count it."
He stepped back, voice dropping into something lethal.
"You'll wake up every day wishing I had killed you."
"And every night you'll realize—"
He turned toward the door, pausing just once.
The lock clicked shut.
And the man understood.
Death was mercy.
And mercy was the one thing
RIVAN THAKUR
would never give him.
RIVAN stepped out.
Slowly.
His body was covered in blood
not someone else's.
His own.
Cuts marked his skin like silent confessions.
Fresh. Uneven. Careless.
He picked up a white shirt.
Pure. Untouched.
For a second, it looked almost ironic in his hands.
He slipped it on.
The fabric drank his blood instantly, turning crimson in patches, spreading like ink in water.
Red blooming over white.
RIVAN looked at himself.
And smiled.
A chilling, detached smile.
Blood had never scared him.
Pain had never stopped him.
Blood was honest.
It didn't lie.
It didn't pretend to heal.
"It stays," he murmured under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
"Just like guilt."
Then he walked into the living hall.
The moment he entered
Everything stopped.
Voices died.
Breaths hitched.
Time froze.
Yashodha's hand flew to her mouth.
Aditya stood up abruptly, chair scraping the floor.
Samar's face drained of color.
Virendra's heart sank.
RIVAN stood there calmly, blood-soaked, eyes eerily steady.
No rage.
No madness.
Just terrifying calm.
Yashodha's hands trembled.
Not lightly.
Violently.
She had seen RIVAN angry.
She had seen him ruthless.
She had even seen him cold beyond repair.
But this
This self-destruction.
This quiet willingness to bleed
She had never seen this.
Her chest tightened painfully.
For a moment, she forgot everything.
She forgot that he despised her presence.
She forgot that he had never accepted her as his mother.
She forgot that she was not Vasundhara.
All she could see
was a little boy.
A small, broken child screaming in the dark, calling for his mother who never came back.
Her vision blurred.
Memories crashed into her
A boy sitting beside a locked room.
Blood on his knuckles.
Tears he swallowed because crying made him weak.
A child who learned pain before love.
Her breath hitched.
She took a step forward.
Virendra wispered.
"Yashodha—"
But she didn't hear him.
She walked straight toward RIVAN.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
RIVAN noticed her presence.
His eyes darkened instantly.
But before he could speak
She stood in front of him.
So close that she could smell blood.
So close that she could see the exhaustion behind his eyes.
"R..."
Her voice broke.
She tried again.
The name struggled out of her throat like it had never been spoken before.
She raised her hand.
Her fingers shook mid-air.
She knew
One wrong move.
One second too late.
And he could destroy her without blinking.
But she didn't stop.
She touched his cheek.
Gently.
Like she used to touch a crying child's face in her memories.
Her tears fell freely now.
"Please..." she whispered, her voice cracking.
"Rivan... stop this."
For a split second
The room forgot how to breathe.
Yashodha broke down completely.
Her knees weakened, but she somehow stood her ground.
Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of her saree, trying to breathe.
"Please... please stop this," she cried helplessly.
"I can't bear this much pain anymore."
Her voice cracked again.
"Even if I'm not your real mother... I am still a mother," she said through tears.
"And it's hurting me... it's hurting me so much to see you like this."
Her eyes fell on the blood soaking his white shirt.
"Hurting yourself won't erase your pain, Rivan," she whispered desperately.
"Blood doesn't wash away wounds of the heart.
Pain doesn't disappear by bleeding."
She shook her head, broken.
Her words echoed in the hall.
Then
He tilted his head slightly, eyes dark, lips curved in a bitter smile.
"Mrs. Thakur..." he said calmly.
The room froze.
The staff stopped breathing.
Virendra stiffened.
Reyansh's heart skipped.
RIVAN had spoken to her.
Yashodha's sobs stilled.
Her eyes widened.
RIVAN continued, his voice low, steady but every word cut deep.
"Then why didn't you tell me this earlier?" he asked quietly.
"That blood doesn't erase pain."
He took a step forward.
His eyes were not angry.
They were wounded.
"Why didn't anyone tell me..." his voice faltered for half a second,
"...that pain can be healed?"
Silence crashed into the room.
"I was taught only one thing," he went on, voice chillingly calm.
"That bleeding makes you strong."
"That screaming makes you a coward."
His jaw tightened.
"No one taught me that pain could be shared."
"No one taught me that it could be lessened."
"No one taught me that someone could stay... without demanding blood in return."
He looked at Yashodha.
Really looked at her.
"So I learned the only language I was ever shown," he said coldly.
"Pain."
Yashodha felt something shatter inside her.
For years, she had felt dead.
But hearing his voice address her
Not as an enemy.
Not as a stranger.
But as someone finally answering
Something stirred.
Her heart clenched painfully.
Tears flowed harder.
Glimpse
"Is it... helping?" he asked softly.
"...it's feeling strange..." she whispered, breaths uneven.
Rivan didn't stop.
He kept his palm steady, slow, warm against her lower abdomen.
"Strange good... or strange painful?" he asked gently.
She shook her head, eyes half-closed. "I don't know... it's just... different..."
Her knees weakened and she held his shirt tightly, almost hiding her face against his chest.
He adjusted his hold, supporting all her weight without letting her strain even a little.
"Your body is relaxing," he explained softly. "That's why you feel like this. The cramps are easing."
_________________________
How's the chapter????
What is the reason he spoke to Yashodha after decades?
What did he do to Devyani?
Why did Virendra hide all of this?
Why is he going to divorce her?