Chapter - 18
The warehouse was quiet, save for the hum of the generators in the background. Located deep in the forest, it was my territory, far from prying eyes. I pushed the heavy doors open and walked inside. My men stood alert as I strode to my chair at the far end of the room.
As soon as I sat down, one of them approached me. "Boss," he started hesitantly, "that man..."
I didn't let him finish. My voice cut through the silence like a blade. "What happened to him?"
He lowered his gaze, fidgeting. "Sir, he's...he's dead."
I stilled for a moment, my mind racing. Anger bubbled to the surface. "How?" I demanded, my tone sharp, cold.
The man hesitated before answering. "Raghav, sir...he killed him. And...he fed his body to Simba."
Relief mixed with irritation washed over me.
Relief that the threat was eliminated, but irritation that it hadn't gone as I had planned.
I leaned back in my chair, my jaw tightening.
I had meticulously planned for this man's end—his suffering, his screams—but Raghav had robbed me of that satisfaction.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Raghav. No answer. Typical. If there's one person who doesn't care about my authority, it's him.
"Get out," I ordered my men, my voice cold and final.
Without wasting another second, I headed to Raghav's penthouse. I knew he'd be there; he always was when he wanted to avoid me.
When I entered his living room, I found him sitting on the couch, a glass of whiskey in hand. He didn't even look up when I walked in. I sat across from him, saying nothing.
The silence stretched on for thirty minutes. He drank. I watched.
Finally, he broke the tension, pushing a glass toward me. "Drink?"
I ignored it. I wasn't in the mood.
When I spoke, my tone was sharp. "Why did you kill him?"
Raghav looked at me, his expression darkening. Instead of answering, he asked, his voice edged with anger, "And why the hell was that bastard still alive? You had him. You should've killed him immediately. Don't you think so?"
I leaned forward slightly, meeting his gaze. "Why do you care, Raghav? You had nothing to do with it."
The glass in his hand shattered as he slammed it against the table. He stood, pointing a finger at me. "Don't give me that bullshit. You know exactly why. Don't act clueless, Aarav."
My voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Then why do you disagree every time?"
Raghav didn't answer directly. Instead, he threw the question back at me. "Why didn't you kill him? Why didn't you torture him the way you planned?"
I let out a sharp breath, my patience wearing thin. "Because I was waiting for you. The wedding functions were happening, and my priority was ensuring my family's safety. But before I could call you, you'd already taken care of him. A little impulsive, don't you think?"
I paused, my lips curling into a smirk. "But at least now you can't deny it. You care about her. You love her."
Raghav's eyes flashed with fury. "Shut up," he snapped. "It's not like that. It was...a crush, nothing more. It's over."
I raised an eyebrow, but I didn't push further. Not yet.
He turned away abruptly. "Go to your angel. I'm done for the night."
I stayed seated for a moment, staring at the broken glass on the table. His words lingered, but so did mine.
He might deny it now, but I knew the truth. Raghav cared—more than he'd ever admit.
With that thought, I got up and left, my mind already calculating the next steps.
The morning light peeked through the curtains, waking me up earlier than usual. Today was my first day at college after the wedding. I got up from bed, stretched, and went to the closet to select an outfit.
But when I opened the doors, I froze.
There were so many new outfits hanging neatly on the racks. My eyes widened in shock. These weren't here last night! Who bought them? And then I noticed something that left me speechless—these were the same outfits I had seen in the mall yesterday. The ones I couldn't afford.
My mind was racing. How did they get here? Who brought them? As I stood there, lost in thought, a familiar voice startled me.
"What happened, Siya? You didn't like them?"
I turned around quickly to find Mr. Rathore standing there, his presence making me nervous, as always. His gaze was steady, his voice calm, but something about him always unsettled me.
In a quiet, hesitant voice, I replied, "They're nice... but why did you buy so many? I already have enough clothes."
He crossed his arms and replied in a soft but firm voice, "You have clothes, yes, but not enough for college. You can't wear heavy outfits every day, so I arranged these for you."
I blinked at him, processing his words. He was right. Most of my clothes were traditional and too heavy for college. I couldn't argue with that, so I just nodded. Before I could say anything else, his phone rang. He glanced at it, gave me a brief look, and walked away to answer it.
I stood there for a moment, still trying to understand everything. Then I picked out a simple outfit, went to the bathroom, and got ready. Before leaving, I carefully hid my mangalsutra beneath my suit and applied sindoor in a way that wouldn't be visible to anyone.
When I went downstairs, everyone was already gathered. I quietly walked over to take blessings from the elders. I bent down in front of Papa, but before I could touch his feet, he stopped me.
"No, beta," he said, his voice gentle. "You're my daughter, Siya. A daughter's place isn't at her father's feet—it's here." He pointed to his chest. "At my heart."
Then, to my surprise, he pulled me into a hug. A real, fatherly hug.
My throat tightened, and tears filled my eyes. It was a kind of love I had long forgotten, something I had prayed to Shivji for every day. My father's memory was so blurred that I didn't even know what it felt like anymore, but today, I got a glimpse of it.
Chachu's voice interrupted the moment. "Bhaisa, what have you done? You've made our Siya cry!" he teased, walking toward me. He gently placed a hand on my head.
"Siya beta," he said with a soft smile, "Bhaisa has grown old; he's forgotten how to handle kids. Look, see what I brought for you." He extended his hand, and when I looked, there was a bar of chocolate.
I couldn't help but smile a little. He gestured with his eyes for me to take it, so I did.
Just then, Anaya entered the room, her voice cheerful as always. "Dad, where's my chocolate?"
Chachu chuckled and pulled another bar out of his pocket, handing it to her. Anaya grinned, taking it happily.
The moment felt warm, like I belonged here. But then Mr. Rathore entered the room, and everything changed. The cheerful chatter faded, and the room grew quiet.
We all moved to the dining table, where Maa served me kheer. "I made this for you, beta," she said with a kind smile. "It's your first day, after all."
Her words made my chest ache. No one had ever done something like this for me before—not when I came first in class, not when I fell sick. But now, sitting here with this family, I felt something I had craved for years.
I took a bite of the kheer, and tears threatened to spill again. It wasn't just the taste of the food—it was the taste of love, something I had forgotten existed for me.
After breakfast, Mr. Rathore left the dinning table, and Anaya and Arjun bhaiya turned to me with bright smiles.
"Bhabhi, you sit here. We'll be back in a moment!" Anaya said cheerfully.
A few moments later, they returned. Arjun bhaiya handed me a beautifully wrapped diary. "This is for you," he said with a grin. Anaya, not to be outdone, presented me with a trendy tote bag.
Arjun bhaiya raised an eyebrow at the bag. "Why did you pick a bag like this? It was supposed to be for bhabhi, you fool?"
Anaya crossed her arms, looking annoyed. "You don't know fashion! This is trendy and cute, just like bhabhi. Right, bhabhi? You like it?"
I felt a warmth spread through me at their words. "Yes, I like it," I replied shyly, smiling. It was nice to know they thought of me like this.
After that, I went to my room to gather my things for college. Just as I was about to leave, Mr. Rathore walked in. "Your brother wants to talk to you," he said, handing me his phone. Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
I took a deep breath and said, "Hello, bhaiya!"
"Hello, baccha! How are you?" he replied, his voice bright. We chatted for about ten minutes, and I felt a rush of happiness hearing his voice.
As I was getting my things together, Mr. Rathore's voice suddenly broke through my thoughts. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
I turned to him, feeling confused. "W-what didn't I tell you?"
He spoke softly, "That you don't have a phone."
I felt my heart race. I didn't know how to respond. I didn't have an answer, and the truth was, I couldn't tell him.
Seeing my silence, he stepped closer and handed me a brand-new phone. "This is your phone now. I've saved every family number, including your bhaiya's." He pointed out the numbers one by one, "This is my number, and this is my PA's. If my phone isn't reachable, you can call this number."
I hesitated, my mind racing. What if my taiji found out? What if she treated me the same way she always did? No, I couldn't handle that pain again. "I... don't need the phone," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He raised his voice slightly, "I'm not asking you. I'm telling you." Then he ran his hand through his hair, and his tone softened. "If I need you, how can I contact you? You might not need the phone, but I do. Please keep it for me."
Reluctantly, I nodded and took the phone from him. He handed me my college ID card. "If you have any problems at college or anywhere else, you can call me anytime. And don't go without the driver."
I nodded again, feeling overwhelmed but grateful.
"Siya, I need your words," he said, looking at me intently.
"Okay, I understand," I replied, my heart racing.
"Good. Let's go," he said, and we headed downstairs together.
When we reached the living room, everyone looked at me and said, "If you have any problems, just tell us." They wished me good luck, and I felt a mix of excitement and nerves.
It felt like I was going to school for the first time, and their kindness made me feel so lucky.
Thank you, Shivji, for this family. Please keep them happy always.
I don't want anything else in the world now.
It feels like you've accepted every prayer I've ever made.
This family is my reward for every wait and wish I had.