CHAPTER 38
SIYA
An hour later
After giving Raghav some time to freshen up, I went downstairs to the living room, where Ayaan was already telling Uncle and Mom what had happened at the club after we left.
He didn’t go into details, but I know enough now.
The men stalking us inside the club had been sent by the Singhals.
And from the way Ayaan spoke, I realised that Raghav was about to shoot one of them tonight.
By the time I return to our room, Raghav has already showered. He’s dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, and is standing alone on the balcony with his back to me. Moonlight spills over him as both his hands rest lightly on the balcony railing.
That’s when I notice the AirPod in one of his ears, its tiny light glowing softly, while the other one lies forgotten on the bed beside me.
Whatever he’s listening to is still playing.
Curiosity gets the better of me, so I slowly pick up the other AirPod from the bed and slip it into my ear.
It’s a piece of music. The deep, haunting notes of a cello fill my ears, taking me by surprise.
Raghav turns the very next instant, as if sensing my presence, and I look at him in disbelief. His eyes land on me and then on the AirPod in my ear. Slowly, I remove it as he walks back inside.
“This…” I begin, still trying to process everything. “This music?”
“I listen to this whenever I’m stressed,” he says, seemingly lost in some deep thoughts. “This particular piece is the only thing that calms me down, no matter how bad my mood is, how angry I am, or how awful I feel.”
Really? I shake my head in disbelief. “I always thought you dealt with stress by shutting the out the world... not by listening to music.”
“It’s not just any piece of music to me, Siya.” He gives a faint smile and replies, “It’s an emotion, a strength given to me by someone I really liked and respected when I was young. I was around thirteen. Wild. Untamed. Already angry at the world before I even knew why.”
He looks away.
“Once, I blacked out in my own rage,” he says quietly. “I nearly beat a man to death. By the time they dragged him away, his face was barely recognisable.”
My breath catches.
“He lived,” Raghav continues. “But I still remember the blood on my hands. The pounding in my head. The rage that refused to leave me even after the fight ended.”
His eyes darken with the memory. “That was when my closest bodyguard stepped in. A man of few words and even fewer expressions.”
He looks somewhere beyond me, and my heart pounds. “That night, he sat beside me, handed me a pair of old headphones, and said, ‘When you cannot silence the storm inside you, Raghav, you have to learn to control it.’”
I remain completely still as he goes on.
“He made me listen to this slow instrumental piece. A melody that made it feel as though the whole world had slowed down. And somehow... it worked. For the first time, the chaos inside my chest didn’t feel like an explosion waiting to happen.
It felt like something I could hold on to, something I could control.
So whenever I listen to this music, I remember him…
and everything he did for me back then.”
I don’t know what to say. Every new truth Raghav reveals seems to peel away another layer of the man I thought I knew.
“Where… where is he now?” I ask, unable to take my eyes off him, still processing what he said about the man and that music.
Suddenly, Raghav’s expression turns serious, almost haunted. “He’s no more.”
My eyes almost tear up, but the moment I see Raghav lost in the thoughts of his past, his hands trembling in anger, I instantly reach for him.
“Raghav?” I wrap my fingers around his arm to bring him out of his thoughts.
A lone tear slips down his cheek, and I freeze. I’ve never seen him this vulnerable. It’s as if the memories he kept to himself were painful. I want to ask him more, know more, but just then, his phone buzzes. Raghav instantly snaps out of his thoughts and checks the caller ID.
It’s Haider again.
He wipes his eye and is about to leave the room when I stop him.
“Where are you going now?” I ask. “You need to rest.”
“No, Siya,” he gently frees himself from my hold. “I can’t rest until I set this right.”
With that, he turns away and walks out angrily.
I know the underworld isn’t sitting quietly. They’re coming. And Raghav wants to stay ten steps ahead of them. I sit on the edge of the bed, my mind still replaying everything he told me about the man he lost... and the music that still holds him together.
RAGHAV
Next Morning – Shergill Mansion, Mumbai
We are flying back to RK Estate today.
Last night, after sharing all those pieces of my past with Siya, I couldn’t go back to sleep.
Not when the entire underworld is just waiting for one opportunity, one mistake, one opening to strike.
So I spent the night on calls with Haider, planning my next moves. Even then, my worries haven’t eased.
That’s why, the next morning, I head downstairs looking for Ayaan. He’s in the living room, already on a call with someone. The second he notices me, he wraps up the conversation and hangs up.
“I need to talk to you,” I say.
“I wanted to talk to you too,” he replies immediately.
“But what I have to say is more important.”
His eyebrows shoot up.
“And how exactly have you decided that your topic is more important than mine?”
“Because I’m ten minutes older than you. And definitely wiser.”
Ayaan scoffs. “By only ten minutes. Not ten years.”
“Still older,” I say, holding back my grin.
“Fine.” Ayaan throws up his hands in surrender. “Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life listening to you remind me that you’re older?”
He’s just being overly dramatic now. We’ve had this argument many times, and despite all his complaints, he’s never really minded me pulling the ‘older brother’ card whenever it suited me.
When I don’t reply, Ayaan finally gives up. “Okay, you go first.”
The amusement fades from my face as I exhale. “What happened last night shouldn’t have happened.”
His expression changes instantly, knowing what I’m talking about, but he still smirks.
“Really?” he asks casually. “You pointing a gun at the Singhal man and almost shooting him in the middle of a public street where half the city could’ve witnessed a murder? That part?”
“All of it,” I reply. “The fact that the Singhal men, or anyone from the underworld for that matter, got close enough to the family, close enough to keep a watch on them because of me… none of that should have happened.”
The teasing vanishes from his face as I continue. “But this won’t happen again. I know I brought this upon the family. However, I won’t let anyone suffer because of me.”
I pause, locking my eyes with his. “Marrying Siya was my decision, and I don’t regret it for a second. But maybe… the way I did it… I went too far. The underworld learning that I’m alive is now a threat to everyone around us… that’s the fallout of my choices. And I’m going to fix this.”
Ayaan becomes serious too. “I know you will,” he says with a nod. “To be honest, ever since you married Siya, I was really pissed off. Maybe because I never expected something like this from you, Raghav.” He pauses. “But in the last few days… I’ve realised something.”
I frown slightly.
“I think whatever happened… happened for the best. I mean the marriage part. Siya’s a good woman. She’s perfect for you.”
I stiffen, not sure where this conversation is heading. But Ayaan keeps going.
“Ever since you both came here, the way I’ve seen you around her, and her around you… it never once felt like this was a mistake. Yes, the way it happened wasn’t right. But I still think it’s the best thing that could’ve happened to both of you.”
He smiles softly while I stand there, processing his words.
“The family already loves her, and I like her a lot too. You have no idea what a power couple you two make. And you… you’re different around her.
When she’s near you, you make decisions from here…
” He taps a finger lightly against my chest, right over my heart.
“That’s why you’ve been so different from your usual broody self ever since you married her. ”
“What the f*ck is that even supposed to mean?” I mutter. “Looks like last night’s hangover is still talking.”
“C’mon, Raghav,” he grins. “We’re twins. Nobody knows you better than I do. We spent nine months glued together inside Mom. Our connection runs that deep. So, I know what’s going on inside your heart. You probably don’t even realise it yet, but I can sense it.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” I ask dryly. “Because I have no interest in listening to your theories about my own heart.”
“Fine, then. Figure it out yourself.” Ayaan chuckles.
“The thing I actually wanted to say was… I am sorry.” The smile slowly fades from his face as he continues, “I’m sorry for deciding to send Siya to New Zealand behind your back.
I shouldn’t have done that. But at the time, I honestly thought it was the best decision for all of us.
Keeping Siya away meant keeping my brother away from his past life.
When you married Siya, I thought you had strayed from your new life…
from your redemption. I judged you without even trying to understand what was going on inside that thick head of yours.
We should’ve talked it out like brothers instead of throwing punches at each other. ”
Ayaan lets out a breath, and his smile is back.
“I didn’t see it then, but I do now. If anyone had tried to come between me and the woman I cared about, I would have done exactly what you did.
And before you ask me again what the f*ck I’m talking about…
” He lightly punches my chest with his fist. “I mean… love is going to knock on your heart’s door very soon, brother. I’m just warning you to be prepared.”
Love? I stare at him. He thinks I’m falling in love with Siya? How the f*ck can that happen?