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The man gritted his teeth and shouted with all his strength, “Who the hell are you to do this to me?!”

“Me?” Jade smirked. “I’m Jade. Death to people like you… and justice for those who lost their lives because of monsters like you.”

Dixit looked at her, weak and bleeding. Blood poured from his wounds, and he started choking on it, coughing it up from his mouth.

“Oh, my Dixit. Looks like your time on this earth is coming to an end,” she said with a slight smile.

“Take him to the same lake where he killed Priya and her family. Feed him to the same crocodiles. Make sure no one ever finds his body,” she ordered.

The guards nodded and dragged Dixit’s body away.

Once they were gone, Jade turned to the glass wall. On the other side, Rajini Dixit, his wife, was tied up tightly with metal wires.

“Hi, Mrs. Rajini Dixit,” Jade said.

Rajini moved, trying to free herself, but the wires held her tight.

“Don’t wriggle,” Jade warned. “Those wires have glass in them. Move too much, and they’ll cut you.”

Rajini didn’t listen. She struggled again and let out a muffled scream as the glass dug into her skin.

“ Remove her blindfold and plaster.” Jade ordered and the guards quickly obeyed.

As soon as the tape was removed, Rajini screamed out loud, her voice echoing in the dungeon.

“ Shut it, you are way too loud for an old woman.” Jennie said, stepping in.

Rajini looked at Jade with a gaze that begged her to spare her life.

“ Please…. Leave me. I am innocent, I didn't do anything wrong.” she begged, her voice a mere plea.

Jade signed, exhausted. It's the same sentence she has been hearing for years. Everytime she catches a criminal, they end up saying the same sentence which always irritates her and today too.

“ See, stop this. Your plea and all.” Jade said.

“ Today I am not in a very good mood, so I want to finish this matter soon. So corporate.”

She looked at Jennie and gave her a nod.

Jennie stepped forward and began, her voice calm and flat.

“Mrs. Rajini Dixit.

Age: 53.

Crime: Helped her husband kill a girl and her entire family. Also cheated on her husband behind his back.”

Jade raised an eyebrow hearing her tone.

Jennie’s calmness was strange. Usually, she was filled with rage during cases like this. But now, she looked distant—almost robotic.

“Guards, take her to the lake too,” Jade ordered suddenly, still watching Jennie.

Abel, standing nearby, looked shocked. “Jade… you’re letting her go?”

Jade nodded, not breaking her gaze from Jennie, who continued typing on her iPad like nothing had happened.

“I mean… why?” Abel asked again, confused.

“I don’t want to waste my energy on her,” Jade replied simply.

Abel nodded, still puzzled.

Jade walked over to Jennie and gently tapped her shoulder. “You okay, Jen?”

Jennie nodded, eyes still on her screen. “I’m fine. It’s just… seeing that woman reminded me of my mother. That’s all.”

“It’s okay,” Jade said softly and turned to Abel. “Anything else left for today?”

Abel checked his iPad. “Just one thing. Mr. Raghuvanshi—the King—has requested a private meeting with you.”

Jade’s eyes widened. Even Jennie looked up, surprised.

“What should I do? Should I accept or not?” Abel asked.

“Absolutely not!” both Jade and Jennie said at once, making Abel flinch.

“Oh, okay! No need to scare me!”

With that Abel walked away, followed by his team leaving both jade and Jennie alone.

“ We should get going too, i have more things to look on,” Jennie said, scribbling on her ipad and stood up. Jade nodded and they both walked out followed by the female guards.

*

THAT NIGHT,

RAGHUVANSHI PALACE.

Inside the Living room, the elders were seated on the plush couches with worried faces. Prisha, Ashrit's mother, stood near the entrance waiting for her son impatiently. Ranjeet, his father was seated on the couch, his eyes glued to the entrance.

Kalyani signed, and looked at the worried prisha.

“ Prisha beta, come and sit. Ashrit will come soon.” She said gently, tapping on her side of the couch.

Prisha shook her head, as she refused to move from there until she saw her son, safe and sound.

Kalyani glanced at her husband, who also signed at his daughter in law’s stubbornness.

Kalyani leaned in and whispered to her husband.

“ In dono ko sach bolde kya, Abhiraj?” she asked, glancing at Prisha and Ranjeet.

“ I can't see them like this anymore. We know we found a solution for Ashrit's problem but they don't.”

Abhiraj signed and leaned back on the couch.

He glanced at his son and daughter-in-law, the way they were impatiently waiting for their son, who didn't return home last night, made him feel guilty.

They both don't know that he had found a solution for their son's problem. They were still thinking that their son was in danger. A danger — Ashrit himself didn't know about.

Abhiraj felt guilty for not telling them about it.

he knows, once they got to know about it, maybe a little percent of their worry would be lessened yet he didn't say it.

Why?

Because even the walls have ears.

because he knows that the palace they were staying in isn't safe for them— especially for Ashrit.

And with Ashrit's life on the line, he wouldn't dare to say something important in a place like ‘Raghuvanshi palace.’

Suddenly, the gates of the palace opened and a black SUV drove in. Prisha ran outside, followed by Ranjeet. Their hearts beating fast as they approached the car.

As the car stopped, a guard opened the door and Ashrit stepped out.

As soon as Ashrit stepped into the house, his eyes fell on his parents.

In that moment, it hit him—he hadn’t come home last night.

And now, he had to face the consequences.

He sighed and closed his eyes for a second, guilt sinking in.

“I should have informed them,” he thought to himself, regret washing over him.

Tears filled Prisha and Ranjeet’s eyes the moment they saw him—safe, alive, and standing in front of them.

Without a second thought, Prisha rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her son.

“Thank God you’re safe,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion and relief.

Ashrit gently hugged her back, his arms circling around her small frame.

“Yes, mom. I’m safe,” he said softly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Prisha nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t let go. She couldn’t. For her, this one moment erased the pain of the long night she had spent in fear.

Ranjeet stood a few steps away, watching silently. His heart was full—relieved that his son had returned, but heavy seeing how broken his wife had been in his absence.

He saw the pain in prisha’s eyes. She didn’t deserve this kind of worry… the long hours of waiting, the silent cries, the fear of not knowing.

Ranjeet turned his face slightly and wiped away the tears that had escaped his eyes.

He stood quietly, holding back his feelings, trying to stay strong—for her, for the family.

But inside, he wished things had been different.

A moment later, Prisha pulled back from the hug and looked up at Ashrit. She gently held his face in her hands and checked if he had any injuries. But there were none.

Usually when he disappeared, he would come back with injuries or any other severe wounds that would need to operate immediately.

But today he seemed fine, which was odd to her.

She frowned and looked at his hands and body carefully, hoping not to find anything—but again, he seemed fine.

Then she looked into his eyes and asked,

“Where were you last night, Ashrit?”

Ashrit froze. Her question hit him hard.

There was no way he could tell her the truth—that he had stayed at Noor’s place. His mom already disliked Noor, and if she found out he was with her, it would only make things worse.

So, he chose to stay silent. He pretended he didn’t hear her question.

Prisha’s frown grew deeper. She didn’t like his silence.

“Tell me, where were you?” she asked again, this time her voice was louder, filled with worry and anger.

“ I was at work mom,” Ashrit replied and tried to remove her hands from him but failed as Prisha held him firmly.

She was convinced, and looked at him suspiciously. “ Ashrit, you must have grown up and got married but that doesn't change the fact that you're my son and I am your mother.” She said, firmly.

“ I know you are lying, so please tell me the truth.”

Ashrit looked away, avoiding looking at his mother.

Outside the palace he could be a man, whom the world fears but inside the palace, he was still the little boy to his parents.

A boy whom his parents love a lot.

A boy who was their only reason for being alive.

A boy who is their only hope.

To the world he may appear scary, heartless but inside his heart there was still a boy whom he buried the day his sister died.

Prisha held his arm's and made him look at her.

“ Answer me Ashrit? Where were you?” Prisha asked again, her voice sharp filled with anger.

Ashrit signed, and closed his eyes in defeat.

“ I was with Noor, mom”

Prisha left him, as soon as she heard it. She took a step back. Ashrit opened his eyes at the load of touch and looked at his mother, who looked at him as if he had betrayed her just now.

Prisha’s hands trembled as she stepped back, her eyes fixed on Ashrit with pain and disbelief.

“With Noor?” she whispered, as if the words themselves hurt to say.

“ Why Ashrit?.... I told you to divorce her. I told you she is a danger to you….. yet you went to her?”

Ashrit's jaw tightened. He didn't speak. He knows his mother would react this way, He knows she would be hurt that's why he lied to her.

“ She is just a replacement in her sister's place Ashrit!” Prisha continued, “ you both don't have a future! You will die if you're with her!!”

“ Mom, she needed me—” Ashrit tried to explain but Prisha cut him off.

“ She needed you?” Prisha scoffed,

“ Why would she need you? Don't tell me she is throwing herself on you?”

“ Mom!!!”

“ Prisha!!”

Ashrit and Kalyani snapped at her. Ashrit's face flushed with rage, he fisted his hand, his breathing turned heavy.

Ranjeet who was calm all this time, widened his eyes hearing her, and stepped forward,

“ Prisha bahut hogaya, Ashrit is fine and home. Now let's stop this.” He said calmly.

Prisha shook her head stubbornly,

“ No Ranjeet. I need to know why didn't my son divorced her yet, and why was he with her when I clearly refused him?”

Ashrit’s eyes darkened as he took a deep breath, trying to stay in control. His body was tense, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

“Because I love her,” he said finally, his voice low but firm. “That’s why I didn’t divorce her.”

The room fell into silence.

Prisha stared at him like she couldn’t believe what she just heard.

“ You…love her?” Prisha repeated slowly, still in shock. “ Why Ashrit? Why love her when isn't the one for you?”

Ashrit looked at his mother in eye, “Who said she isn't the one for me mom?” He asked.

“ Just because you didn't select her doesn't mean she isn't the one for me. I chose her for myself and that's enough.”

Kalyani stepped closer, placing a hand on Prisha’s shoulder to calm her, but she shrugged it off.

“ No Ashrit.” Prisha said, her voice breaking.

“ Take your words back, i am telling you, she isn't the one. You will suffer because of her!”

Ashrit shook his head, “ no mom, you may see her as a villain but for me she is the peace in the chaos. I can't leave her, mom. I can't”

“ She is not your responsibility,” prisha shouted, her tears finally falling,

“ Vo ladki tumhare liye zehar hai, Ashrit!!!” She yelled at him,her body trembling with anger and pain.

“Toh mai Kushi Khushi apna jaan de dunga,”

Ashrit said without hesitation.