The early morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting golden patterns on the marble floor.
Ishki stood by the wardrobe, her fingers brushing the edge of her neatly folded clothes, trying to keep herself busy trying not to look at her.
As the words hung in the air, She paused, her back still turned. She could hear her footsteps drawing closer behind her, hesitant yet hopeful.
"I can't.." Ishki murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
She shut the wardrobe door gently and turned around. Her eyes met hers, already glistening. "Even if I want to, I just can't stay here anymore. So please, don't force me now."
She raised her palm slowly, as if to place an invisible wall between them. It wasn't anger. It wasn't bitterness. Just.. exhaustion.
The kind of emotional fatigue that wraps around your heart when everything feels too heavy to carry.
Shravya's face fell. Her lips parted, as if searching for the right words. But all that escaped was a soft, broken whisper.
"Why are you doing this, yaar.. it won't be any fun without you. Please, don't leave."
There was no pretense in her voice. No drama. Just raw emotion. The kind that hit her harder than any argument ever could.
She looked away for a moment, trying to compose herself. But when she glanced back, when she saw Shravya's puppy eyes, shining with silent hope.. it broke her.
She bit her lower lip, mentally battling the decision she'd already made. But her heart betrayed her logic.
A sigh slipped from her lips, and with a small shake of her head, she finally gave in.
"Okay okay, cool.. I won't go. Happy now?"
Her tone was casual, but the softness in her voice betrayed her true emotions.
"Happy?! I'm super happy.. thank you so much!"
Shravya didn't wait another second. She wrapped her arms tightly around her, hugging her like she never wanted to let go. The relief, the gratitude.. it all poured out through that one embrace.
Ishki closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to breathe, to feel that warmth just a little longer.
Later Next day Morning..
The breakfast table was still cluttered with half-finished cups of tea and leftover parathas when Devyansh stepped out, his sunglasses pushed up onto his head as he walked briskly toward his car.
He pulled the door open and slid into the driver's seat, the leather interior humming with silence. Without wasting a second, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
As soon as the call connected, his tone turned sharp, cold, and businesslike.
"Even though the mastermind Sameer is no more and his chapter is closed, I want every detail on the others involved, understand?" His jaw clenched, voice dropping with intensity.
"Anyone who was part of Ishki's kidnapping.. I want all their details. Now that there's no threat to the vault, I don't intend to spare anyone. Once you gather the information, coordinate with the security manager and get them all transferred to our prison. Then update me. I'll personally handle their reminders. Okay?"
There was a small pause on the line before his PA responded.
"Okay, Kunwar Sa."
Without another word, He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. He rested both hands on the steering wheel for a moment, his mind racing faster than the engine.
His gaze flickered to the rearview mirror.. his eyes dark, determined. This wasn't over. Not until justice was served.
Without another thought, he turned the ignition and drove off, the car's tires humming against the gravel as he disappeared down the long, winding driveway.
*
The clinking of silverware being arranged echoed through the grand dining room, mixing with the low hum of servants setting the final bowls in place.
A delicate aroma of ghee, spices, and warm rotis floated in the air, wrapping everyone in a homely comfort.
The family had begun settling into their seats around the long, polished teakwood table, the flickering chandelier above casting a soft golden glow over their faces.
But not everyone had arrived.
Sanchi's brows furrowed in confusion as she glanced around the table. Her voice broke the quiet anticipation.
"Who are we waiting for? Everyone's already here!"
Just as Meenakshi opened her mouth to answer, a pair of soft footsteps echoed from the staircase behind them.
"Ish.." Meenakshi began, but quickly paused as her eyes caught movement on the stairs. Her voice shifted into a knowing tone.
"There... the one we were waiting for has arrived."
Sanchi, who had her back turned to the staircase, turned around at Meenakshi's words.
Her breath caught.
There she was.. Ishki.
Descending the grand staircase, She looked like someone who carried too much within her and still chose grace. Dressed in a simple yet elegant kurta, her expression was unreadable. Calm.. too calm.
Sanchi's stomach dropped.
What the hell? She was supposed to have left. She had packed her bags. She had said goodbye. Then why was she still here?
Her disbelief quickly turned to irritation as she clenched her jaw, eyes narrowing as Ishki made her way to the table like she belonged there.. like she hadn't shaken Sanchi's peace just by existing.
Without a word, Ishki quietly took the empty chair beside Shravya. Her movements were gentle, deliberate, almost distant.
Everyone began to eat shortly after, falling into the family's unspoken tradition of maintaining silence during meals.
The only sounds were of spoons against ceramic, soft chewing, and the occasional rustle of napkins.
But Ishki was eating slowly tonight. Much slower than usual.
Her spoon lingered mid-air. Her eyes didn't move from the two people sitting right in front of her.. Devyansh and Sanchi.
Directly across from each other.
Her gaze flickered between them, almost involuntarily. Every time Devyansh looked up, she looked away. Every time Sanchi smiled at something, her fingers tightened around her spoon.
There was tension in the air. The kind no one could name out loud, but everyone felt.
One by one, the other family members finished eating. Soft goodnights were exchanged in murmurs as they left the table, leaving half-drunk glasses and empty dishes behind. The servants began clearing plates, moving silently like shadows.
Devyansh's phone buzzed.
He stood up, excusing himself with a polite nod, and stepped away to take the call.. his plate still untouched since the first few bites.
Sanchi, now absently stirring the remnants of her dal with her spoon, didn't budge. Her eyes flicked toward Devyansh as he disappeared into the hallway, then back to her plate.
Ishki continued eating slowly, almost deliberately now, as if she wanted to avoid this moment but here it was. The silence stretched between them like a thin thread, waiting to snap.
Only three remained at the table now.
Her, Sanchi.. and somewhere just outside, him.
A few minutes passed. The sound of footsteps announced his return. He walked back to his chair, casually pulling it out and sitting down with an air of ease.
He looked relaxed. But his eyes? Focused. Observant. Especially on her.
With the elders gone, he broke the silence that lingered between them.
"How are you feeling now?"
His voice was casual, but laced with something deeper.. concern, maybe. Or curiosity.
She didn't bother looking up. Her tone was short. Distant. "Good."
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion. "So.. bad mood?"
She didn't respond immediately. Her expression didn't shift either. But after a second, she gave a small, silent shake of her head, clearly not in the mood to entertain casual banter.
Yet she felt his eyes on her. Even without looking, she could feel the weight of his gaze, as if he were trying to read through her silence.
Finally, she looked up.
He was staring. Again.
"What?!" she asked, brows raised, voice clipped.
"Nothing.." He murmured, lips curving into a soft, boyish smile as he glanced down at his plate, pretending to focus.
But the smile didn't reach his eyes. They lingered on her a moment longer, filled with thoughts unspoken.
And just like that, the quiet tension returned.. stretching between them like the distance across the table... deceptively small, but impossible to cross.
"Wait.. he's smiling!! Who smiles at such a normal question?! What's going on in his head.. something's definitely off. He's been acting different lately." Ishki muttered inwardly, her eyes narrowing as she subtly watched him across the table.
From the corner of her eye, she caught that fleeting smirk dancing on his lips again.
And there it was.. the exact smile she was talking about. That soft, unreadable smile that lingered just a second too long to be casual. Her brows twitched, suspicion rising in her chest like steam from her soup.
Her eyes, sharp as ever, drifted from him to Sanchi, then back again, piecing together the puzzle that no one else seemed to notice.
"He's changed ever since that chipkali (lizard) showed up." Her thoughts hissed, laced with irritation.
"Ugh.. he used to be so sweet, and now he's turned into such a grump. Who even made him Kunwar Sa?!"
She scoffed inwardly, stabbing a piece of paneer a little too violently.
By the time she cleared her plate, she was officially done. Done with the tension. Done with the weird energy. Done with him and his mystery smirks.
Without waiting for anyone else, she pushed her chair back and left the table, walking into the hall with practiced indifference.
She plopped down on the couch, picked up the remote, and flicked through the TV channels like she couldn't care less about the world.
A few minutes later, she heard footsteps. She didn't have to look to know who it was.
Devyansh appeared beside her, scrolling on his phone like he wasn't stalking her footsteps two seconds ago.
"Come with me.. we need to go somewhere." He said casually, eyes still on the screen.
Ishki didn't even blink. She gave him the most unimpressed side glance ever and turned her gaze right back to the TV, lips twitching with sass.
"Are you talking to me?" She asked, all fake innocence and zero interest.
He finally looked up, staring at her in disbelief. "Do you see anyone else here besides us?"
"No.. but I thought you were talking to your phone." She nodded toward the device in his hand, shrugging as if he were the crazy one here.
He sighed dramatically and shook his head, lowering the phone. "Whatever.. are you coming or not?"
"Tell me where we're going first."
"That's a surprise.. I can't tell you!" He grinned, and with a playful gleam in his eyes, he lightly tugged her shoulder.
Big mistake.
"Then I'm not coming." She snapped instantly, tone sharp enough to cut through marble.
She crossed her arms like a stubborn child. The typical wife attitude.. served hot and spicy.
"Don't be like this, yaar.. it's a surprise, I can't reveal it! Don't act like this!" He pleaded, throwing in the classic pout with exaggerated puppy eyes.
Oh, he was trying to be cute now? She stared at him. Long and hard.
And then..
"Okay, fine.. I'll come. You better remember this moment!" She said with mock warning and finally stood up, brushing invisible wrinkles off her kurta like she was royalty.
He smiled in triumph.
Until...
"Hey, where are you going? The door's this way!" He said, pointing toward the opposite side of the hall.
She stopped, blinked, and then turned around slowly like a movie villain entering their dramatic moment.
"Oh really? I had no idea." She said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
He raised an eyebrow, already regretting his decision. "So?" He asked again, not sure why he was even trying anymore.
"So what?" She replied, matching his energy without skipping a beat.
"I'm asking.. where are you going?"
"Just fixing my hair, obviously! Who even made you an actor?! Don't you even know girls need a little time to get ready?" She widened her eyes in mock frustration, throwing her hands up like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
He just stood there, completely thrown off. His mouth opened slightly like he had something to say, but then nothing.
Silence.
He turned to look at her, and when he did, she was already staring at him with a smug glint in her eye.
And then she grinned.
That grin. The wide, goofy, all-teeth-showing grin that made her look like the sassiest troublemaker alive.
Devyansh blinked and immediately looked away, trying to hide his growing smile but it was already too late.
The girl had won this round.
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To be continued..