Chapter 19 Velvet Boxes and Velvet Walls
Ivikaa sat in the vanity room, sunlight slanting in through the latticed windows, catching in the shimmer of sequins and soft silks that lay spread before her.
She shifted through her latest designs, eyes trailing over embroidery patterns and fabric drapes-but her fingers paused at a crimson georgette panel. Her mind drifted again.
The way he had listened to her rant and tugged her hairband at Nariman Point. The way he had unlocked her door, uninvited but needed. How he had sat beside her on the floor, feeding her, pressing a hot water bag to her stomach, not asking for permission. Just being there.
A smile ghosted over her lips.
Maya entered just then, breaking the silence. "We need to head for the mock ramp walk in twenty. Raha's getting ready for her trial fitting with Divya aunty. They're walking together."
Ivikaa blinked out of her thoughts and stood up, nodding. "Let's go."
She made her way to Raha's vanity room where the girl was twirling in one of Ivikaa's fusion saris-a breezy ivory piece with mirror work on the borders. Raha stopped and looked down at the fabric.
"That looks amazing," Iva said with a soft smile. "Just style your hair a bit looser, maybe a side braid. Try it, see how it feels."
Raha grinned and adjusted her dupatta.
"When is Devaki aunty coming?" Maya asked, scanning her schedule on the iPad.
"She's not coming today," Raha replied. "Dad's flying to Bangalore, so she stayed behind. She'll be here early tomorrow morning."
"And Divya aunty?" Maya prompted again. "Did you two rehearse?"
Raha's eyes lit up. "All set with badi maa. She's incredible, honestly. This is her big comeback. Rudra bhaiya and bade papa are already here for her. It means a lot."
Ivikaa smiled at Raha's energy, but her phone buzzed again-Paris team.
Maya handed her the tablet. "Alex is on. They're pushing the timelines again."
Ivikaa muttered under her breath and took the call, walking out to the terrace with a cigarette in one hand and the tablet in the other. The sky was overcast, and a damp breeze curled her hair around her cheek. She inhaled deeply and tried to focus on the call.
"No, Alex. We've already extended this twice. I need the final samples by Monday. This is non-negotiable."
But before the conversation could wrap, the terrace lights snapped off. A sudden power cut. The screen dimmed to its lowest brightness.
Ivikaa froze. The cigarette fell from her hand.
The shadows swallowed her whole. She stood there with only the tablet's faint glow, chest tightening. The darkness wasn't just physical-it clawed into her skin, rushed up her spine.
Her mind screamed memories.
Ropes. A blindfold. Duct tape. A basement with a dripping pipe.
Not again not again not again.
Sweat broke out on her forehead. Her breath came out shallow and rapid.
Then-
The lights flickered back on.
Ivikaa stumbled back inside, trembling, not bothering to pick up the tablet.
She texted Maya: Handling something. Take care of the mock. I'm heading to the hotel.
She called her bodyguards, ordered the driver. But even the luxury of the car didn't quiet the storm inside her.
By the time the car left Lonavala behind, her anxiety had curled into a spiral.
What if someone had tampered with the lights? What if it was starting again?
Her heart wouldn't settle. "Drive to Mumbai," she finally said.
Hours later, the car pulled into the familiar gates of the Agnivanshi Palace. She stepped out, her heels crunching against gravel, and walked swiftly inside. The moment she crossed the marble threshold, her body finally exhaled.
Nothing can happen to me here.
Her kidnapping eight years ago was like a hidden fracture in her bones-set in silence, but flaring up without warning. Sometimes, darkness alone was enough to bring it all back.
She drank a glass of water in the lobby and thought of Devaki Angnivanshi. She'd be here tonight. Maybe talking about tomorrow's show would help. They had one last piece of jewelry to decide for tomorrow's event.
She walked up the curved staircase to the second floor of the center wing. The house was quiet, but faint music floated down the corridor.
Ivikaa paused outside Devaki's suite. A soft peal of laughter rang out from inside-warm, unguarded. She turned, about to leave... until she heard his voice.
Adwait.
She moved closer.
Through the long glass windows, mercifully curtainless, she saw them. Devaki and Adwait. Laughing. Twirling. Dancing.
He had one hand on hers, the other raised in an exaggerated pose. She was laughing like a young girl. And he-he was singing.
"Abhi na jaao chhod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahi..."
His voice was loud, unapologetic, almost theatrical.
Ivikaa stood frozen. Her fingers curled around the doorframe.
Devaki Angnivanshi despises Adwait... doesn't she?
But there was no disdain in the way she looked at him. Only affection.
"Yeh shaam dhal to le zara,
yeh dil sambhal to le zara..."
Adwait sang louder than the old speaker, with the kind of abandon only someone deeply familiar with both pain and joy could muster. He twirled Devaki Angnivanshi once again, her laughter rising in the golden light of the room.
"Main thodi der jee to loon, nashe ke ghoont pi to loon..."
The moment felt stolen from time, like a faded photograph brought back to color. But it shattered when Devaki's eyes fell on the door.
There stood Ivikaa.
Frozen. Unsure.
The music continued playing, but the room had gone still. Devaki quickly stepped out of Adwait's hold, her face tightening, though she masked the shock with composed grace. Adwait followed her gaze-and stopped.
Ivikaa. She wasn't supposed to be here.
He looked at Devaki. She gave him a small, silent nod. Without a word, Adwait walked to the terrace and slipped out, the music still playing softly behind him.
Devaki turned and gestured Iva to come in.
Ivikaa hesitated. For a moment, she felt ten years old again-standing at a doorway where something intimate, something beyond her understanding, was unfolding. But then, like her usual self, she straightened her spine and walked in.
She sat on the sofa, wordless, hands clenched together. Devaki didn't speak either.
Until Iva did.
"So you don't..."
Devaki raised an eyebrow. "Don't what? Despise him?"
A crooked, sardonic smile curved her lips.
"No, I don't hate him. Yes, I dislike what he's become now-par nafrat, Adwait se?" she gave a soft chuckle, one filled with too many stories. "Kabhi nahi."
["But hatred, for Adwait?", "Never"]
"Iva," Devaki continued, sitting beside her, "mujhe pata hai tumhare mann mein bahut saare sawaal hain. Jaise ki kyun main aur Raha kisi ko nahi batate ki hum Adwait se milte hain? Kyun aise chupke milte hain?"
[I know you have so many questions. Like why Raha and I never told anyone that we meet Adwait? Why we meet him in secret?]
"You knew about Raha?" Iva asked, taken aback by the confidence in her voice.
Devaki's gaze turned amused. "Of course I'm her mother. Mujhe nahi pata hoga meri beti kis se milti hai?"
[You think I wouldn't know who my daughter meets?]
Iva nodded slowly. It did make sense.
"Raha Adwait se milti hai, main jaanti hoon," Devaki said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Bike chalana bhi Adwait ne hi sikhaya usse. Camping bhi dono sath jaate hain. Unki apni ek chhoti si duniya hai... ek secret, jise Raha sochti hai main nahi jaanti."
["I know Raha meets Adwait,"Devaki said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear."e taught her to ride a bike. They go camping together. They have their own little world... a secret, which she thinks I don't know about."]
She smiled softly now, not mockingly-but with the quiet ache of a mother knowing more than she ever says.
"Raha aur Adwait... unka bond alag hai. Jaise tum ho Ambani princess, apne bhaiyon ki jaan, waise hi Raha hai Agnivanshi princess-Rudra aur Adwait ki jaan."
[Raha and Adwait... their bond is unique. Just like you are the Ambani princess-the heartbeat of your brothers-Raha is the Agnivanshi princess-Rudra and Adwait's everything.]
She paused.
"Rudra... Raha ke liye toh kuch bhi kar sakta hai. par Adwait-Adwait usse apni jaan se zyada protect karta hai."
[Rudra would do anything for Raha. But Adwait? He protects her more than his own life.]
"Then why meet in secret?" Iva pressed gently.
"Adwait ki wajase," Devaki said, her voice lowering. "Woh nahi chahta ki uski wajah se Raha ko koi dard mile. Na duniya se, na khud se. He protects her from everything-even himself. And honestly, I can't blame him."
["Because of Adwait."Devaki said, her voice lowering."He doesn't want Raha to get hurt because of him. Not from the world, not even from himself."]
Iva stared at the floor. Her chest felt tight, but not from anxiety this time. From understanding.
"And me?" Devaki continued. "Raha ke mamle mein usse jyada bharosa mein khud pe bhi nahi karti."
["And as for me? When it comes to Raha, I trust him more than I trust myself."]
"So that's why you don't hate him," Iva whispered, a small smile breaking on her face. Somehow, her heart felt steadier now.
Devaki's tone sharpened. "That doesn't mean I like him. I totally dislike him for what he's become. And I don't shy away from reminding him. Believe me, meri taane sunne ki aadat ho gayi usse."
[Doesn't mean I like him though. I dislike what he's become-and believe me, he's used to my taunts by now.]
They both chuckled quietly.
Then Devaki got up and walked over to the music player, switching off the tune that still hung in the air like incense.
"Don't tell Raghav that I danced ok?" Devaki warned.
"Why? don't you dance?" Iva asked gently.
Devaki turned,"I don't. Not even with Raghav. But... Adwait loves to dance to this song. Abhi na jaao chhod kar. He always has. For Raha, for all the things he's done for her-this was a small gesture."
She walked back toward Iva and sat down again.
"I know Raha is an adult now. Raghav and I can handle her external world-rules, security, press, all of that. But her internal world? Her emotional compass? That's Adwait. Sirf uska Adi bhaiya. And I'm okay giving him that place."
[Only Adi brother]
A comfortable silence fell between them.
Then Devaki added with a smirk, "so now don't you dare tell Raghav I danced with Adwait. Jealous soul hai, woh."
[Raghav is Jealous soul.]
Iva laughed. "I won't. Though I'm tempted."
The two women shared a look-one of shared secrets, pain, and protection, the kind only women in complex families and deeper silences understand.
Devaki raised an eyebrow as Iva stood up to leave. "Shouldn't you be in Lonavala?"
Iva turned, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I'm not very comfortable with new places... so I came back. You thought no one was home, didn't you? That's why you were with Adwait?"
Devaki laughed softly, impressed. "Smart girl."
"Don't worry," Iva said, crossing her heart. "Just like Raha's... your secret is safe with me."
They both burst into laughter, the tension finally easing. What began as confrontation was now morphing into a strange, unexpected intimacy-one stitched together by shared silences and unspoken loyalties.
Soon, they were poring over plans for the next day's event-discussing seating arrangements, final walkthroughs, and last-minute tweaks. When the logistics were finally sorted and the air grew quieter, Iva rose to take her leave. But something held her back.
She turned once more, hesitation lingering in her tone. "Aunty... so this saree... was it for Adwait?"
Devaki paused at the question, her fingers grazing the soft fabric draped over the armchair.
"Haan ji," she admitted. "Usko main yeh wali saaree aur bindi mein bahut pasand hoon." Her voice was gentle, private. "Woh hamesha kehta hai... main saree mein uski apni lagti hoon. Aur yeh bindi uske bina toh-"
["Yes," she said softly."He really likes me in this particular saree and bindi."Her voice was gentle, almost private."He always says... in a saree, I look like someone who belongs to him. And without this bindi-"]
"Shringar adhura hota hai," Iva completed the sentence, a whisper of recognition in her voice.
["The adornment feels incomplete."]
Devaki turned to her, eyebrows raised in soft surprise.
"He always says that to Raha," Iva explained.
A silence passed between them-one not awkward, but thoughtful. Then Devaki blinked as if remembering something.
"Oh, I almost forgot-we haven't finalized one last piece of jewellery for tomorrow," Devaki said, rising to fetch a smaller, older-looking container from the back of the cabinet. "Come, help me pick. I need your eyes on the detail."
They sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, surrounded by velvet-lined boxes that shimmered with the weight of heritage. One by one, Iva lifted the ornate pieces-heavy with history, delicate with craft. She selected a necklace with regal poise and a pair of bold, temple-style earrings.
Then her hand reached toward a small, velvet-covered container tucked underneath the rest.
"Don't open that one," Devaki said quickly-but it was too late.
The lid gave way, revealing a pouch. Iva opened it.
Rows of old-style naths-intricately designed nose rings-glinted in the soft light. They were clearly not modern. Each one was delicately crafted with pearls, tiny jhumkis, and antique gold work, echoing a bygone era.
"Nose rings?" Iva asked, surprised.
Devaki sighed, shaking her head with a soft smile. "Yes. Adwait had these made years ago. He always says-jokingly, of course-that 'Meri biwi toh nose ring pehenke hi aayegi.'"
[' My wife will only arrive wearing a nose ring.']
Iva laughed under her breath. "Seriously? Who wears nose pins anymore? Not even Divya aunty. Raha-definitely not."
"Exactly," Devaki said, amused. "Toh Adwait ne socha, chalo main hi rakhta hoon apni hone wali biwi ke liye. He laughs about it, but also says 'Nath ke bina kya shringar kaisa lagta hai?' It's silly, maybe... but sweet too, in that strange Adwait way."
["Exactly," Devaki said, amused."So Adwait thought, fine-I'll just keep them myself, for my future wife.He laughs about it, but he also says, Without the nose ring, how can any adornment feel complete?It's silly, maybe... but sweet too, in that strange Adwait way.]
Her fingers brushed over the edge of the box.
Iva stared at the collection-at the floral curves, the understated grace of each piece. Something about them, and about the fact that Adwait had chosen to hold on to them, struck a note in her.
She smiled softly. So he liked his woman in a nosepin.
Gently, she picked one up, studying its curve. "So..." she said quietly, "it was for his lady?"
Devaki chuckled, not unkindly. "Woh toh mazak mein bolta hai, Iva. You know how he is."
[He says it jokingly, Iva. But you know how he is.]
Then her voice softened, turning more reflective. "Woh kaha kissi ko apni duniya mein aane dega? Even I and Raha have been kept at a distance-close enough to care, close enough to protect, but never close enough to truly enter his world."
[He never really lets anyone into his world, does he? Even Raha and I-we're kept close enough to love him, to worry for him... but never close enough to truly be part of his world.]
Iva's fingers paused mid-air, the nose ring still nestled in her hand.
"Kisi aur ka uski duniya mein jaana? Impossible," Devaki continued, her tone definitive now. "Woh sabko door se chaahta hai... paas aane deta hi nahi."
["Someone else entering his world? Impossible,"Devaki continued, her tone definitive now."He cares deeply, yes-but only from a distance. Getting close? He never allows it."]
Iva didn't answer. She simply placed the nose ring back into its velvet slot, but her fingers lingered just a little longer-tracing its outline like a question she didn't yet know how to ask.
Because somewhere between the emotional barricades he built and the delicate symbols he preserved... she wondered:
What if Adwait wasn't trying to keep the world out?
What if he was just waiting for someone who wouldn't ask for permission to walk in?
"Kuchh chizein abhi bhi Mummy ji ke paas hain," Devaki said, adjusting the lid on one of the boxes. "Agnivanshi family ki heirlooms hain-especially the royal nose rings and waist chains. Adwait unhe kissi ko chhoone bhi nahi deta."
["Some things are still with my mother in law." Devaki said, adjusting the lid of one of the boxes. "They're Agnivanshi family heirlooms-especially the royal nose rings and waist chains. Adwait doesn't let anyone touch them."]
Iva looked up, curious. "He doesn't let anyone touch them?"
Devaki smiled knowingly. "Nahi. Unmein kuchh toh bas uske liye hain-inheritance ka hissa, par uske dil ka bhi. You know, traditionally, some of those pieces were meant for Rajveer bhaiya ki biwi. But Adwait ne woh bhi apne paas rakh liye. He's incredibly possessive about the Agnivanshi jewellery."
[Devaki smiled knowingly."No. Some of those pieces... they're just his-not just by inheritance, but emotionally too. You know, traditionally, some of them were meant for Rajveer brother's wife. But Adwait kept those as well.He's incredibly possessive about the Agnivanshi jewellery."]
Iva raised a brow. Devaki continued.
"So much so that he's given up his right to everything else Agnivanshis own-property, business, even his stake-but not these." Iva asked shockingly, "WHAT?"
Devaki gave a small nod, her expression turning thoughtful. "Haan... sirf yeh jewellery aur palace ka West Wing. Baaki sab chhod diya-naam, hissa, legacy. But these... these are what he held onto."
[Devaki nodded slowly."Yes... he only kept this jewellery and the palace's West Wing. Everything else-name, inheritance, legacy-he walked away from. But these... these are what he held onto."]
As Devaki closed the box and shifted the conversation to tomorrow's guest list, Iva's mind lingered-unsettled, spinning.
Why was Adwait so possessive about those particular pieces?
Jewels that once belonged to queens and royal brides-why would he, of all people, guard them like secrets? And the ones meant for Rajveer Agnivanshi's wife... why keep those too?
He didn't even want to be part of the Agnivanshi world anymore. He had walked away from the power, the name, the empire. Then why cling to these fragments of tradition?
Iva stared at the last velvet box, now tightly closed, as if it held answers she couldn't access.
He won't let anyone enter his world... Devaki's words echoed in her head.
And yet-he preserved these ornaments for a woman who, by all logic, should never exist in his life.
A woman he claimed he'd never let in.
A place he'd sworn to never share.
A love he kept locked behind the armor of silence and distance.
Iva exhaled slowly, fingers unconsciously grazing her own earring.
"I hope he finds someone who wears these nose rings for him," Iva said softly, her thumb brushing over the delicate curve of one.
Devaki let out a quiet chuckle-amused, but also slightly bitter. "Jo ho hi nahi sakta, uski kya hope karna?"
["Why hope for something that can never happen?"]
She leaned back against the cushion, her voice dipped in realism. "Adwait aur insaanon ki banti hi kahan hai? Tumne uss din dining table par nahi dekha, jab Rudra ne containers ki keys maangi thi? "
[Adwait doesn't get along with people. You saw it that day at the dining table, didn't you? When Rudra asked for the container keys?]
Devaki's eyes lingered on the shut jewellery box. "Uska bachpan kabhi normal tha hi nahi, toh uska rishta bhi kabhi kisi se normal ho hi nahi sakta. So let's forget about his so-called lady. She doesn't exist."
[His childhood was never normal, so how could any of his relationships ever be normal? So let's just forget about this so-called 'lady' of his. She doesn't exist.]
Iva gave a small, reluctant smile, but her heart didn't agree.
But he's different with me, she wanted to say. He speaks to me. Laughs. Listens. Forgets his walls, even if just for a moment.
But she didn't argue. Didn't defend him.
She simply stood up with a faint nod and walked toward the door-leaving behind the scent of rose and silver polish, and carrying a head full of tangled thoughts.
Her fingers lingered at the doorknob.
If he was so unreachable... why did it feel like he already saw her-more clearly than anyone else ever had?
And with that quiet confusion nesting in her chest, Iva left the room.
Love, apparently, came with a dress code.
And somewhere in the middle of it all stood Adwait-hopelessly romantic with a user manual that says: "Keep Out."
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