Fractured Crowns

Instagram ~ takaraamaba_

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The morning sun bathed the Raghuwanshi Palace in a soft golden hue, as if nature itself was trying to wipe away the shadows of the chaos that had unfolded just hours ago.

The grand structure stood tall and proud once again, its walls no longer echoing with gunshots or footsteps of enemies, but with peace—the kind that comes after a storm.

The broken glass had been swept away. The blood had been cleaned. The chaos had turned into calm.

The scent of sandalwood incense lingered in the corridors, and the palace staff quietly moved about, restoring what had been disturbed.

Every surface gleamed, every room breathed with life again, though the emotional scars were still fresh in the hearts of those who had fought and bled for this peace.

Mahira stood near the balcony, arms folded around herself, staring at the trimmed lawns stretching far ahead, blinking slowly at the horizon.

Her hands still trembled every now and then, not from fear anymore—but from everything she had faced, everything she had remembered.

Behind her, Mahima approached with hesitant steps. Her hair was still slightly messy from the earlier rush, but her face was calm—too calm.

"Myra," she said softly, and Mahira turned. One glance at her sister's face, and she knew Mahima had something to say.

Mahima sighed, stepping closer. “You’re not going to see him again.”

Mahira blinked. “What?” Her voice came out hoarse.

“Father,” Mahima continued, gentler now. “He’s gone. We made sure of it.”

Mahira felt something in her chest crack—not grief, not sorrow. Just… a silent break, like the final string snapping on an already strained violin.

“What happened?” she asked, voice quiet.

Mahima looked at her for a long second before speaking again. “Divya...,” she said. “She found the records. Connected the dots. Turns out… after everything, after killed mother and after you ran away, he started working under Vicky.”

Mahira’s heart dropped.

“At first, he was nothing,” Mahima continued. “Just another man in a long list of Vicky’s pawns. But he was smart. He rose quickly. And Vicky… trusted him.”

Mahira closed her eyes.

Mahima hesitated again. “Through Vicky, he learned that you were alive… and here, with us. And when Vicky planned his attack on the Raghuwanshis…”

Mahira didn’t need her to finish. “He joined in.”

Mahima nodded slowly. “He came here for you. Not out of love. Not to rescue you. But to take you back into his world. Into his control.”

Silence fell between them.

“He’s gone now,” Mahima said again. “You'll never see him. Ever again.”

Mahira didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. She just stood there, staring out at the world as if it had flipped upside down again, but this time she wasn’t afraid.

“I never had a father,” she said softly. “Not really.”

Mahima stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. “You have me,” she whispered. “You always will.”