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“Ashrit what are you doing here?” Abhiraj asked firmly, his sharp eyes boring into him.

Ashrit shrugged, like he wasn't hearing everything while standing behind the pillar.

“ Did you hear everything?” Abhiraj asked again, making Ashrit nod casually.

Abhiraj signed in frustration and looked away.

He heard everything?

I should have known that he would follow us.

What fool I was to think that he would let this go.

Abhiraj walked to a nearby couch and sat on it. He leaned back and pressed his back to the couch to relax himself.

Though the C-Wing was abandoned, it wasn't unclean. Knowing that they would come here often to discuss important things, Abhiraj made sure that the C-Wing would be cleaned.

Seeing Abhiraj, se prisha walked to Ashrit and cupped his face in her hands.

“ Ashrit, abhi tum ne jo bhi suna haina, inn sab ke baare me mat sochna,beta.” She said, her voice soft laced with a hidden fear.

“ Let it go, those things aren't important for you now….. Leave it on us.”

Ashrit didn't respond and glanced at his grandfather, who sat silently.

He wanted answers.

Answer to every question that he wanted to ask since his childhood.

He wanted to ask why they made his life so suffocating?

Why did they make this palace a cage for him?

He wanted to ask why his family is living in constant fear?

And why was he the centre of everything?

Why?

Why can't his family trust him?

He wasn't that ten or fifteen year old nor a twenty one year old then why?

Ashrit removed his mother's hands softly from him, and took a step ahead then another as he was about to reach Abhiraj, his phone rang, cutting through the silence like a sharp knife.

Ashrit closed his eyes in frustration and exhaled sharply, pulling the phone out from his pocket. He saw the caller ID —it was his chachu. His brows dipped together into a frown and he swiped the green button answering the call.

“ Ashrit, come to your study. I have important news regarding the SHADOWS.”

That's it, Ashrit glanced at his grandfather and said, “ this isn't over, dadu. I need every answer to my question.” His voice was calm but sharp.

With that he turned and walked out. His pace fast — hurried, impatiently. He strode through the gardens filled with darkness, and then through the palace corridors and finally he reached his study, where Ranveer —his chachu was present — was waiting for him.

As Ashrit stepped inside his study, he closed the door behind him and then locked it securely. While Zarim, the security head of Raghuvanshi Palace & Raghuvanshi and sons, stood outside securing them.

Ashrit walked to his chair and sat on it, while Ranveer sat across from him in the guest chair.

“ What's the matter, chachu? You came earlier than expected?” Ashrit asked, walking to his chair.

Ranveer leaned back on chair, “ The project finished earlier than i expected, so i decided to came back to surprise you all but—” he paused and glanced at Ashrit, his eyes meeting Ashrit's green ones,

“ —on my way back I encountered the SHADOWS at the city outskirts.”

Ashrit raised a brow, “ city outskirts?”

Ranveer nodded, “ yes, there was a situation where I was rescuing the children from the kidnappers. But suddenly the shadows appear from nowhere and started to beat them, taking it as a chance I secured the children, then they captured the kidnappers and me too,”

“ You too?” Ashrit asked, his voice raising.

“ Those Bastards, didn't they see the royal badge on you?”

Ranveer's lips curved up at the end,

“ not bastards,” he said, voice calm.

“ They are women, not men.”

Ashrit looked at him stunned, “woman?”

Ranveer nodded, “ they were lady guard's. It was quite impressive to see the ladies fight the bad guys. I enjoyed it.” he smiled at the end, as he remembered the situation.

Flashback…… the day before.

As the lady guard's captured Ranveer, along with the Kidnappers they blindfolded him and then cuffed his hand and made him sit with the Kidnappers in their van.

A few hours later, they reached the SHADOWS basement.

All the male guards came out and opened the van door and dragged them out. As they were checking if the kidnappers had any weapons or drugs or something like that, they came across Ranveer's Royal batch.

The guards widened their eyes and separated him immediately from the kidnappers. Ranveer was startled sensing it, he expected to get beaten or any other things but he was pretty startled when they separated him and made him sit somewhere in a cooler place.

“ What did you guys do? You captured a royal?” The head guard asked the ladies.

“ Agar madam Boss ko pata chala toh woh bahut gussa kare gi,”

“ Madam Boss?” Ranveer thought.

A few minutes later, Jade, Jennie and Abel walked in. they weren't shocked to see a Royal in their base.

As the guard already informed them about Ranveer's sudden abduction, Jade signed and approached Ranveer.

“ Mr. Ranveer Raghuvanshi. We are deeply regretful for abducting you.” She said, her voice filled with sincerity and a hint of guilt.

“ My lady guards who had just started working thought you were a fellow kidnapper and abducted you without thinking. We deeply regret it.”

Ranveer nodded, already knowing that it was a misunderstanding.

“ It's fine, I understand. So don't worry.” He said his voice was calm.

Jade signed in relief , realising that he didn't misunderstood their intentions.

“ Thankyou so much and in return for our mistake, our guards like to take you back safely and drop you in the city outskirts where your driver is waiting.”

Ranveer nodded, and moved his hands“ By the way, miss. remove this blindfold and these cuffs.”

Jade gave a look to her guard's which said — why didn't you left him out the moment you saw the royal badge?— and closed her eyes in displeasure.

“ We are sorry, sir. But I'm afraid that's against our rules. Once you are out of here, our guards will remove them.”

Saying that she motioned the guards to take him back.

End of FLASHBACK.

“ And from the talks of the guard I got to know that the lady who talked to me was the boss, her name is jade.” Ranveer said, his voice suddenly turning serious.

Ashrit leaned back, relaxing his muscles, he rested his hands on the armrest.

“ Hmm, Jade.. a lady is doing all of this?” He mumbled. “ Pretty impressive.”

Ranveer nodded agreeing to him.

“ Jade has two people under her, Jennie —her right hand, the one who handles the internal affairs. And then Abel —her left hand —the man who handles the external affairs.” he completed.

Ashrit throwed his head back on the chair.

“ Finally we had something about them.” He mumbled to himself.

He leaned forward keeping his hands on the desk, and looked at Ranveer, “ so, anything else, like where they are or their base?”

Ranveer shook his head in negative,

“ Nope they blindfolded me, so i wasn't able to grasp my surroundings but it was a dark place.”

Ranveer stood up, “ that's it, I should leave now or else my wife and bhabhi will kill me”

Ashrit nodded, knowing his chachi and mother.

When Ranveer reached the door, he tilted his head in Ashrit's direction, “ Ashrit beta, I don't think they are doing anything wrong. In Fact it looked like they were saving people in the dark.”

With that he unlocked the door and left.

Ashrit leaned back on the chair, his hands rested on the armrest. His eyes suddenly turned serious,as he mumbled.

“ Voh log achi kam kar rahe hai ya nahi, ye aap nahi mai decide karunga, chachu.

*

Few days later….

❅NOOR❅

It’s been ten days since I had breakfast with Ashrit.

Ten days since we decided to give this marriage a chance.

Ten days since we started talking to each other on the phone.

Phone calls?

Yes. The ruthless, arrogant, cold Ashrit Singh Raghuvanshi actually talks to me on his personal phone.

A number only his family and close friends have.

And now... me.

You must be wondering how?

Well, it was him who said, “We need to talk every day if we want to get closer—and if I want you to stop being afraid of me.”

I was caught off guard at first. But as the days passed, I grew comfortable talking to him.

Now I know his favorite food, his favorite color, his favorite car.

Things I never imagined a man like him would even care about.

But he does.

And the strange part?

They’re the same as mine.

Suspicious, right?

I thought so too. But now... I think I want to believe him.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Or maybe—he really does like those things.

Over these ten days, something unexpected happened.

I found peace while talking to him.

Not once did I think about Piyush.

Not the fights, not the tears.

All I thought about... was him.

Us.

This strange relationship we're trying to build.

You know, it shocked me when he asked me to give this marriage a chance.

The first question that hit my heart was—Why?

Why would someone like him want to give a girl like me—a walking jinx—a chance?

People have always taken me for granted.

I know my family loves me. But still…

Indu bua is suffering because of me.

Luv is suffering because of me.

Jiya hates me because of my actions.

How can I accept happiness when my existence causes others pain?

Because... like everyone else, I have secrets.

Not one. Many.

Secrets that could ruin every relationship I have.

Secrets that could destroy me.

And now... he wants to give us a chance?

I’m scared.

What if he finds out how dark my past is?

How much darkness I carry inside?

What if he sees the scars?

They may be few, but they disgust me. Every time I look at them, I’m forced to relive that night. The pain. The helplessness.

All my life, Piyush was patient. But once I turned nineteen, he changed. He started asking for sex.

Every time I said no, he left. Only to return with that same charming smile.

I thought he understood me. I thought he loved me.

But I didn’t know... every “no” planted a seed of hate in him.

And while I waited, trusting him—he fulfilled his desires elsewhere.

After that horrible fight, I cried—not for a man like him, but for the love I gave, the trust, the effort, the time I wasted.

I should’ve been careful. But I wasn’t. Because I trusted him.

And what did he do?

He broke me.

I sighed and lay on the bed.

Just when I thought I couldn’t love again.

Just when I believed I’d never trust again…

He came.

Ashrit.

Like a prince out of a fairytale. Like one of those fictional men you only read about.

He came, sat beside me, and offered me a piece of his heart.

To be honest, I was nothing to him.

A replacement.

An employee.

Yet, that night… he chose to sit beside me.

He consoled me.

And for the first time in a long while, my heart fluttered.

All these ten days, I’ve been at the Mehrotra mansion.

And while I’m here, I’ve thought of every reason not to give this marriage a chance.

But then…

His one phone call makes my mind go blank.

And despite everything…

I’m starting to believe that this relationship might actually work.

But I also know—

It won’t be easy.

Not with someone like me in it.

*

Time passed by and it was evening and I was waiting for my husband to come and pick me up. Finally after ten days I am returning back to Raghuvanshi Palace.

Not as a replaced bride but as his legal wife.

God, I felt weird.

Today while talking on the phone, Ashrit said there was a surprise waiting for me.

I am curious.

What can it be?

As I stood outside the Mehrotra mansion, looking at the pathway waiting for that one black SUV to drive in. My eyes fell on something.

The Mail Box.

My Mail Box.

Everyone in the Mehrotra mansion has a different Mailbox of each.

Lately my mailbox has been filled with letters.

The ones I didn't care to read or open.

But seeing it full, made me want to at least take a look.

I walked to the mailbox and opened it. As soon as i Opened it, I saw two letters in it. One was with a rose stamp— undoubtedly it's Jiya.

Woah, the fact that she would use this way to contact me, is somewhat smart and old fashioned.

I took the letter and not wasting a second I tore the cover. I opened the paper and my eyes swiftly scanned the ink on the paper.

My dearest sister,

Leave my man you bitch. I'm coming back to get what was mine. I won't let you take away Ashrit from me just like my father.

Ps. Your dearest Lovely sister.