Ex-wife?Punishment?
After a while, everyone left the hospital.
Despite Maya’s continuous protests… Atharva did exactly what everyone already knew he would.
He forcefully picked her up in his arms—
And took her home.
—
Outside the hospital…
Dhruv stood near the entrance, waiting for someone, his expression tense.
Just then, he spotted Veer approaching from the opposite side.
“Where were you?” Dhruv asked immediately.
Veer paused for a second. “I… went to check some medicines.”
Dhruv frowned. “But the pharmacy is inside. Then why are you coming from outside?”
Veer hesitated slightly. “Yeah… some medicines were different, so I just went to check… leave that. Where is everyone? Still inside?”
Dhruv shook his head.
“No. They’ve gone home.”
And then—
He told him everything.
Every single thing that had just happened.
Veer’s expression changed instantly.
“What?!” he snapped. “But why? If she didn’t want to go home, why did bhai force her like that?!”
Dhruv exhaled slowly.
“You know him… he’ll never let bhabhi go.”
Veer’s jaw tightened, anger rising again.
“This is wrong,” he said sharply. “He can’t do this every time. If she was asking for a divorce, he should’ve given it!”
Dhruv grabbed his shoulder.
“Calm down—”
“How do I calm down?!” Veer snapped, pulling away. “Bhai just doesn’t understand! Maya doesn’t want to stay with him—why can’t he see that? Why isn’t he letting her go? This is too much!”
Dhruv narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Maya?”
Veer froze for a fraction of a second… then corrected himself.
“Bhabhi.”
Dhruv looked at him carefully.
“And I don’t understand your reaction,” he said slowly. “Why are you so worked up? If you think you have some chance after they separate… then you’re wrong, Veer. She loves him. And he loves her.”
A pause.
“And think about it—you should be relieved she’s going home. She’ll be safe there. Whoever did this… she needs protection. But you’re reacting the opposite way.”
Veer stared at him for a moment.
Then looked away.
“They lost their baby…” he said quietly. “That’s why I feel bad. That’s it.”
His tone hardened again.
“But you… you’ve already created your own story in your head.”
Without waiting, he turned and walked away.
Dhruv followed him silently.
—
Raisinghani House.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Heavy.
Silent.
Atharva carried Maya in his arms all the way to their room.
Her family had already left from the hospital.
The rest of the family remained downstairs in the hall—
No one had the permission to go upstairs.
No one had the courage either.
—
Inside the room—
Maya struggled, pushing against him, trying to break free.
But she was weak.
Her body had no strength left.
And Atharva’s grip—
Was unbreakable.
No matter how much she resisted—
She couldn’t get away.
He placed her on the bed.
She looked at him with burning anger.
Atharva didn’t respond.
Instead, he moved around the room—
Locking every window.
Closing the balcony doors.
Securing everything.
Like a cage.
“Stay here,” he said coldly.
And turned toward the door.
“Shameless,” Maya shouted behind him, her voice filled with rage. “You don’t have even a little shame, do you? After everything you did, you still brought me here forcefully? What do you want now?”
Her voice broke—
But her anger didn’t.
“You already took my child away because of your actions… now what? Do you want my life too?”
Atharva stopped.
Slowly—
He turned back.
His eyes were dark.
Dangerous.
In two steps, he reached her.
Grabbing her hair tightly, he pulled her closer.
“You’re not in a condition to fight me right now, Maya,” he said through clenched teeth. “So keep your mouth shut.”
“I will not!” she snapped instantly. “Do whatever you want!”
For a second—
Their eyes clashed again.
Then—
He released her.
Turned away.
Walked out.
And locked the door from outside.
—
Maya screamed.
Loud.
Desperate.
She banged on the door again and again, her voice echoing through the entire fourth floor.
“Open the door!”
“Let me out!”
Her cries filled the space—
But no one came.
No one dared to.
Atharva didn’t return.
And the rest of the house…
Stayed silent.
—
In the gym—
Atharva ripped off his coat and shirt, leaving himself in just his pants.
His body was tense.
His breathing heavy.
And then—
He started punching the bag.
Hard.
Relentless.
Each punch carried rage—
Pain—
Guilt—
The force was so strong that the punching bag swung violently with every hit.
Again.
And again.
And again.
His eyes were red… slightly wet.
His jaw clenched.
Sweat soaked his body.
But he didn’t stop.
Didn’t want to stop.
Because the moment he did—
Her words came back.
Her accusations.
Her hatred.
Her demand for divorce.
It all kept replaying in his mind.
Over and over.
Louder.
Sharper.
Breaking his control.
Destroying his patience.
—
And on the other side—
Maya kept crying.Screaming.Begging.
Until her voice started fading.Her strength gave up.
And slowly—
She collapsed onto the floor near the bed.
Tears still falling.
But now—
Her mind held only one thing.Her child.The child she had lost.
Time passed—Heavy.Silent.Painful.
And neither of them knew—
This was only the beginning of something far more destructive.
In the gym—
Atharva was losing control.He wasn’t just working out.He was trying to burn himself out.
Each punch he threw was wild… brutal… as if he was forcing all his anger, all his pain, out through his sweat.
His fists slammed into the punching bag again and again—
Relentless.Merciless.
Like he wouldn’t stop until something inside him finally broke.
—
Morning turned into afternoon.
Afternoon faded into evening.
But not once—
Not once did Atharva and Maya see each other’s faces again.
Downstairs, the entire house was restless.
Family members walked up to the fourth floor again and again… reaching the main gate—
But no one dared to knock.
No one had the courage to call out.
Fear held them back.Tension suffocated the air.
No one ate.No one drank.
Everyone just kept pacing… waiting… worrying.
—
After some time—
Atharva’s phone rang.
He stopped mid-motion, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his body.
He picked up the call.
“Did you find anything about them?” he asked, his voice still rough.
On the other side, Rana spoke.
“Sir… the men who attacked Maya ma’am… someone has killed them.”
Atharva froze.
“What?”
“Yes, sir.”said Rana
A dangerous silence filled the space.
“Why do we keep missing every time, Rana?” Atharva said, his voice dropping, frustration building again. “How is he always reaching before us? Why is every move happening before we even get there?”
Rana hesitated.
“Sir… it feels like… someone knows everything happening inside the house.”
Atharva’s jaw tightened.
His eyes darkened.
“No matter what,” he said coldly, “we have to find that man. Before he does something worse.”
“Yes, sir.”said Rana
The call ended.
For a few seconds—
Atharva just stood there.Thinking.
Connecting dots.But nothing made sense.
Only one thing was clear—Something was very wrong.
—
Without wasting another moment, he walked toward the room.
Unlocked the door.And pushed it open.
The moment he stepped inside—
His eyes dropped to the floor.Maya was lying there.
Unconscious.Still.
For a second—
His heart stopped.
“Maya!”
He rushed to her instantly, lifting her up in his arms and placing her carefully on the bed.
Her body—
Burning.
Her skin was hot to the touch.Panic flashed across his face.
He immediately grabbed his phone and called the doctor.
His voice wasn’t steady anymore.
He explained everything quickly.
The doctor instructed him about medicines… and told him to call again after forty-five minutes.
Atharva didn’t waste a second.
He somehow managed to make her take the medicine—
Holding her up, supporting her weak body, forcing her to swallow it.
Then he covered her properly with a blanket.
And stepped back.Waiting.Watching.
Restless.
He kept pacing around the room—
Running a hand through his hair again and again.
His eyes kept shifting—
From the clock…To Maya…Back to the clock.
Every second felt heavier.Slower.
Painful.
And on the bed—Maya lay unconscious.Completely unaware.
While beside her—
For the first time that day—
Atharva wasn’t angry.He was scared.
After some time—
Atharva finally stepped closer to the bed and placed his hand on Maya’s forehead.
The heat had reduced.
Not completely—
But enough.
Her entire body was drenched in sweat, strands of her hair sticking to her skin.
For the first time in hours—
He breathed.
A deep, heavy breath.
Relief, quiet but real, settled inside him.
Without wasting time, he turned and walked toward the balcony, pulling out his phone and calling the doctor.
“She’s better now,” he said, his voice steadier. “But why did she get a fever?”
“Most likely because of stress,” the doctor replied. “She must’ve pushed herself too much emotionally. You’ll have to take very good care of her for at least a week. Otherwise, her condition might worsen.”
“Hm.”said Atharva
That was all Atharva said before cutting the call.
He stood there for a moment, staring into nothing… then walked back inside.
He brought fresh clothes and placed them beside Maya.
As he bent slightly to lift her—
Her eyes snapped open.
“What are you doing?” she said sharply, her voice weak but filled with resistance.
Without looking at her, he helped her sit up against the wall.
“I’m going to change your clothes,” he said calmly. “They’re soaked with sweat.”
A pause.
“Don’t make a sound. Don’t resist. Just let it happen… otherwise, I’ll have to use other ways.”
Maya’s eyes flared.
“Who do you think you are to touch me?” she snapped. “Don’t come near me.”
Atharva closed his eyes for a second—
A slow, controlled breath leaving his lips.
Then—
Without another word—
He grabbed her wrists and tied them to the bed.
Maya struggled, shouted, tried to fight—
But he didn’t listen.
Didn’t stop.
Within moments—
Everything was done.
He changed her clothes, removed the damp sheets, set everything aside.
Like none of her resistance mattered.
—
After a while—
He untied her hands and made her sit on the couch.
Then called a servant to bring food.
“I don’t want to eat!” Maya shouted immediately. “And don’t even try to force me!”
Atharva ignored her completely.
He started changing the bedsheet.
A knock came at the door.
He opened it.
Veer stood there—
Along with a servant holding a tray.
“What are you doing on my floor?” Atharva asked, his tone instantly turning cold.
“Bhai… it’s been the whole day,” Veer said, trying to stay composed. “She hasn’t had proper medicine or food. Don’t you think her condition will get worse?”
Atharva tilted his head slightly.
“And you’re going to teach me how to take care of my wife?”
“No,” Veer said, his jaw tightening. “But you should’ve at least thought about it—”
The servant quickly placed the food inside and left.
Atharva was about to respond—
When Maya’s voice cut through the air.
“Veer, please! Save me!” she cried. “He tied me up!”
Veer immediately tried to step inside—
But Atharva’s hand pressed firmly against his chest.
“Don’t you dare.”
Veer__“But she—”
Atharva_“I said don’t.”
There was no room for argument in his voice.
Veer’s jaw clenched, anger burning in his eyes—
But he couldn’t do anything.
Atharva gestured toward the exit.
After a long, tense second—
Veer stepped back.
Then turned and walked away.
Atharva shut the main door.
Locked it.
And then locked the room again.
—
Maya glared at him with pure hatred.
Atharva walked over and sat beside her.
“How did your feelings change so quickly?” he asked, almost casually.
Maya frowned. “What feelings?”
“Two nights ago,” he said, his eyes fixed on her, “you felt safe in my arms… and today, you’re calling Veer to save you from me?”
Maya let out a bitter laugh.
“I must’ve been out of my mind when I said yes to you… when I accepted you.”
Something dark flickered in his eyes.
He reached forward, gripping her cheeks tightly.
“You have one week, biwi,” he said slowly. “Just one week.”
His voice dropped.
“After that… I’ll show you what ‘losing your mind’ really means.”
He released her and leaned back.
Then picked up the plate of food and held it toward her.
“Eat.”
Maya turned her face away.
“I’d rather eat poison than take food from your hands.”
Atharva shut his eyes briefly, tilting his head.
“Maya… don’t argue today,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to make your pain worse.”
“How much worse will you make it?” she snapped. “You’ve been doing that since morning.”
In the next second—
His hand wrapped around her throat, pulling her slightly closer.
“Just eat.”
Maya_“I won’t.”
His grip shifted to her jaw, holding it tightly—
And he started feeding her forcefully.
At first, she resisted—
Struggled—
But slowly…
She stopped.
Because she understood one thing clearly now—
Atharva wasn’t someone who gave up.
—
A week passed.
And everything remained the same.
Atharva took care of her food, medicines—everything—with unsettling precision.
But—
She never stepped out of the room.
Neither did he.
Many people tried to come, tried to meet her—
But Atharva’s stubbornness overpowered every attempt.
No one entered that floor.
Except for food.
That was all.
—
The Morning.
Soft light filtered into the room.
Maya lay on the bed, her eyes slowly opening.
She looked around—
Then her gaze stopped.
Atharva was sitting on the couch.
Watching her.
She jerked up slightly.
“Bad morning, baby,” he said with a faint smile.
Her brows furrowed instantly.
“Why the hell are you saying that?”
His smile deepened—cold, knowing.
“Because from today… your bad time begins. So wishing you is only fair.”
Maya stared at him.
“So you were waiting for me to recover?”
“Of course.”
Anger flickered across her face.
She got up and started walking toward the bathroom—
“Wear the dress kept inside,” Atharva’s voice came from behind.
She stopped.
Turned.
“That controlling behavior might’ve worked before… when I was scared,” she said firmly. “Not anymore. So keep it to yourself.”
Atharva looked at her—
Calm.
Too calm.
“Your father goes to his office every day on a scooter,” he said casually. “Accidents can happen.”
Maya stepped forward, about to speak—
But her phone rang.
She glanced at him once—
Then picked it up.It was her mother.
And within seconds—Everything inside her shattered.
Her father had met with an accident.
He was in the hospital.Her hands started trembling.
Her voice broke—
She tried to ask more—
But suddenly—
The phone was snatched from her hand.
Atharva cut the call.
“Why?” Maya cried, tears streaming down her face. “If you had a problem with me, then why did you do this to my father?!”
“Right now, it’s just a few scratches,” Atharva said calmly. “But it could turn into something worse.”
His eyes locked onto hers.
“It depends on you now. Your actions will decide what happens to your family.”
Maya stared at him—
Shaken.
Broken.
“You’re cruel,” she whispered.
He leaned closer, his face inches from hers.
“Today… you finally understood me correctly.”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“You got too comfortable seeing my love… so I had to bring you back to reality.”
He straightened.
“Now get lost and change.”
Maya lowered her gaze, tears falling silently—
And walked into the bathroom.
—
After some time—
She stepped out.
Atharva leaned back on the couch, his eyes slowly scanning her from head to toe.
She wore a navy blue dress.
Fitted.
Bold.
Revealing.
Her shoulders bare… the back open… the fabric clinging to her like a second skin.
Her eyes remained lowered.
“Mmm…” he murmured. “You look better in clothes like this.”
A pause.
“Now come here.”
Maya looked at him for a moment.
Then spoke—
“How is my father?”
Atharva tilted his head slightly.
“For now… he’s fine. But if you keep questioning me…” his voice softened dangerously, “that might change.”
Maya stepped closer, anger and helplessness colliding inside her.
“I’m doing what you’re saying, right?” she said, her voice breaking. “Then why are you still after him? Please… leave him alone.”
Her hands slowly folded—
Not out of respect.
But desperation.
Atharva’s gaze traveled slowly from head to toe.
Unhurried.
Evaluating.
Lingering in a way that made the air feel heavier.
Then, without a change in expression—
“Let’s go.”
Maya blinked, startled.
“Wh-what? Like this? In this dress?”
Her fingers instinctively moved to adjust the fabric, discomfort flashing across her face.
Atharva stepped closer, stopping right in front of her, his presence immediately suffocating.
He gave a small nod.
“Obviously. That’s why I told you to wear it.”
His tone was calm.
Too calm.
As if her hesitation meant nothing.
He turned around casually, as if the conversation was already over.
“Atharva… please…” her voice came out softer now, strained. “How can I go in front of others dressed like this…?”
He paused.
Slowly tilted his head and looked back at her.
A faint, almost mocking curiosity in his eyes.
“Why would I care?”
The words landed cold.
Maya stared at him, disbelief flickering across her face.
“I… I am your wife.”
For a second—
Silence.
Then Atharva stepped forward again.
Close enough to invade her space.
His eyes once again moved from her face… down her body… and back up.
Slow.
Deliberate.
“Wife?” he repeated quietly.
A faint smirk curved his lips.
“But you were the one asking for a divorce, weren’t you?”
His gaze locked into hers.
“So how are you my wife?”
Maya swallowed.
“Our divorce hasn’t happened.”
Atharva reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against her hair, pushing a strand behind her ear.
The touch was soft—
But it didn’t feel gentle.
It felt controlled.
Calculated.
“Every word that comes out of your mouth…” he murmured, his voice dropping lower, “is like a line carved in stone for me.”
A pause.
Then—
“My ex-wife.”
The words echoed in the silence.
Sharp.
Final.
Maya went completely still.
Like something inside her had just snapped—
Or frozen.
Atharva’s fingers moved to her chin, lifting it slightly so she had no choice but to look at him.
“So from today…” he said calmly, “you’ll play the role of my ex-wife.”
Her lips parted slightly.
A question slipped out before she could stop it.
“Did you sign the papers?”
Atharva let out a soft, crooked smile.
“Papers… documents… files—” he shook his head lightly. “That’s not my style.”
His eyes darkened just a fraction.
“You said it. I heard it.”
A beat.
“That’s enough.”
Before she could respond—
He stepped away from her.
Creating distance.
But somehow making it feel worse.
“Now come.”
Maya didn’t move.
Her feet felt rooted to the floor.
Her heartbeat loud in her ears.
For a second—
It felt like the world had collapsed on her.
Atharva reached the door and stopped.
Without turning fully, he glanced at her from the side.
“You won’t be carried this time,” he said coldly. “You’ll have to walk on your own.”
A pause.
“And if those steps stop again…”
His voice lowered—
Dangerously quiet.
“…your father’s problems might increase.”
Maya’s breath hitched.
“And anyway,” he added, almost indifferently, “he’s not related to me. So I don’t care.”
Her fingers curled into fists.
She swallowed hard—
Then looked straight into his eyes.
Anger burned there.
But something else was there too.
Fear.
And what was strange—
Was Atharva’s eyes.
There was something unfamiliar in them.
Detached.
Distant.
As if he truly meant it.
As if he really had become a stranger to her.
Maya said nothing.
Not a single word.
She just lowered her gaze—
And started walking.
Following him.
Step by step.
Like she had no other choice.