Riddhima was placing the dishes on the dining table when her eyes drifted to the side table.

There stood a large black-and-white photograph of a woman in her early thirties. Her face was stunning—radiant, calm, and glowing with a kind of strength that pulled you in. Thick eyelashes framed her kohl-lined eyes, a small black bindi adorned her forehead,  and her smile… her smile lit up the entire frame. Her slightly visible teeth made the picture look even more alive.

Riddhima froze, leaning forward, still holding a plate, completely lost in that picture.

Rajveer noticed the way she was staring and a soft smile appeared on his face.

“That’s Avantika,” he said gently. "Vansh and shaili's mother "

Riddhima placed the plate on the table and murmured in one tone, “She’s so beautiful… I think I’m seeing her for the very first time.”

You were too young .Rajveer’s eyes softened as he looked at the photo, almost melting into memories.

Suddenly, his mind drifted back to the day

Avantika ran laughing across the garden, holding his phone high in the air. Rajveer chased her, half irritated, half mesmerized.

“Avantika! Stop!” he had yelled. “Give me my phone back, I have urgent work!

But she only laughed harder. “No! You promised you’d spend time with me. So today—no urgent work!”

Rajveer had halted, breathless, and softly called her name again—“Avantika…”

She turned, laughing, and he had captured that exact moment… the same moment now framed on the wall

“Uncle… Uncle?”

Riddhima’s voice finally broke through his memories.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine,” he replied quietly.

Rajveer placed a loving hand on her head. “Avantika chose you for Vansh when you were a child. And I’m sure… you’ll handle everything beautifully.”

“I should go,” Riddhima said softly. “Dada,ji  must be waiting downstairs.”

Across the city, In her quiet, solitary house, Ishita lay on her bed in her dark room, clutching Vansh's photograph tightly to her chest. Her eyes were closed, but tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.

​Ishita was setting the dining table when Vansh and the others arrived together. “Wow, Ishita, you’ve cooked up a storm today! Is there something special?” they asked.

​Ishita beamed, “Yes, I heard Vansh-ji finally got his dream project, so I thought we should have a small celebration.”

“Thanks, Ishita,” Vansh said. “But honestly… it’s just the deal. Not the celebration point yet.”

“I know,” she replied softly. “But… I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

Mamta frowned. “This time why so early? Stay for a few more days.”

Soumya sighed. “I told her the same thing. She says she’s missing her parents too much this time. So she’s leaving tomorrow.”

Just then, Aditya handed her the flight tickets.

Her phone rang—an unknown number.

She picked up. “Hello?”

A voice spoke on the other end, firm and emotionless:

“Sorry to inform you… but your parents met with an accident on the highway.”

Ishita’s entire body trembled. “W-what? Where? How? Are they okay? Please tell me!”

Her breath caught. Her legs felt weak her body started trembling with fear

Soumya rushed to her. “Ishita? What happened?”

Ishita choked, “M-my parents… they met an accident.”

Everyone panicked at once.

They rushed to the location.

The moment Ishita stepped out of the car, the police stopped her.

“Ma’am, you can’t go ahead.”

“My parents!” she cried. “Are they okay? Please tell me they’re okay!”

The officer looked down. “Ma’am… they died on the spot.”

Ishita’s gaze shifted to the bodies being lifted into the ambulance. Her world stopped.

Her knees gave way, but before she hit the ground, Vansh caught her in his arms. And he was the one who console her and give her strength to her tough time

When Riddhima returned to the dining table, everyone was waiting for her.

Mamta placed a gold chain around her neck. “no matter what you do but … we will still fulfill our duties.”

Soumya and Arjun  handed her envelopes of cash.

Then Kishore looked at her with a mysterious smile. “I have a gift you will really like.”

He handed her a document.

“You are now a fifteen-percent partner in the company.”

Hearing this, Vansh choked on his food. His eyes widened as he stared at Kishore, wondering if he had heard correctly. A pin-drop silence fell over the entire hall

Soumya stomped hard on Arjun’s foot in anger.

Mamta stared at Kishore saying with her eyes you have done very wrong with vansh

Kartik and Shaili were glowing with happiness

Aditya stayed neutral.

Riddhima?

She was shocked—frozen.

She was unsure how to react but secretly delighted—a fifteen percent partnership in the company, for free! If I had known there was such an offer—fifteen percent partnership without doing anything—then why would I have put in so much effort and risk just to blackmail Prannath Well, actually, this is exactly what I wanted!"

Meanwhile Vansh muttered, “Fifteen percent? Why not the whole company for your precious daughter-in-law?”

He stood up to  leave, but  Kishore stopped him. “Wait, Vansh, I have one more thing for both of you.”

Kishore handed another envelope to Riddhima and Vansh. Riddhima was about to open it when her phone rang. Both Riddhima and Vansh looked at the screen—it was the lawyer. Vansh said, “Thanks, Daddu,” and grabbing Riddhima’s hand, pulled her to the terrace.

​Riddhima left the envelope on the table. She called the lawyer, and Vansh commanded, “Speaker!” As they spoke, Kartik followed them onto the terrace.

​The lawyer instructed, “You both need to sign the papers and send them by tomorrow,” and began to list the other legal precautions. Kartik quickly retrieved the document from the envelope and read it.

He read it—and his jaw dropped with excitement.

He ran to them. “Guys… divorce later. First read this.”

Riddhima hung up the call.

Vansh demanded, “What’s in it?”

Kartik, trying to supress his happiness, said, “You two cannot get divorced for one year. If you do, the company goes to the trust. You must stay together for one whole year.”

Both screamed, “WHAT?!”

Vansh stammered, “No, this can’t be true. Daddu must be joking, he can’t do this. I know he loves me very much.” The anger was palpable; his previously normal facial expression instantly darkened. After hearing the contents of the document, he spoke with such fury that the veins in his neck were visible, and his green eyes turned a dark, menacing shade.

​Gritting his teeth, Vansh spat, “My biggest mistake was trusting your words. I think this was all your plot! You must have given Daddu this idea because you want to snatch everything from me! You’ve got my company, my inheritance, just by sitting here! That’s why you’re over the moon, aren't you? Got a fifteen percent partnership so you can become the most successful "

Riddhima exploded, “SHUT UP! IF YOU SAY ANYTHING ELSE, I AM GONNA KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!”

​But Vansh pressed on, “But I won’t fall for your trap this time. I understand now! Everything has been going exactly the way you wanted from the start! So stop playing the victim, you cheater and liar!”

That was it.

Riddhima’s hands shot out and gripped his throat, squeezing it. She hissed, “You misunderstood me! My plan was to kill you, not to steal your inheritance!”

​Vansh, equally furious, grabbed Riddhima’s throat. “I haven't got handcuffs on my hands either!”

They were strangling each other like tow wild storms colliding , locked in a brutal race to see who could steal the other's breath first.

Just then, Shaili came onto the terrace, saw the horrifying sight, and screamed. She tried to pull Riddhima’s hand from Vansh’s neck. “Let go of each other! What are you two doing?! Have you gone mad?”

​But Vansh and Riddhima were oblivious; they were locked in a terrifying battle. Their fire-blooded eyes were fixed on each other. It was as if they had forgotten how to blink, staring intensely into the soul of their enemy.

​Shaili yelled at Kartik, “Help me, Kartik Bhaiya!”

Kartik initially hesitated, “Riddhima called me a elephant in the morning

, so I wasn't coming,” but when Sheli pleaded, “Kartik Bhai, please!” he relented.

​Kartik moved in and tried to pull Vansh’s hand from Riddhima’s neck. They had gripped each other so tightly that Kartik had to grab Vansh by the waist and pull him back forcefully. Separated, they gasped for air, taking deep, ragged breaths.

​Kartik signaled to Shaili, and Shaili took Riddhima’s hand to lead her away. As Riddhima left, she snarled at Vansh, her voice filled with venom, “I won’t spare you!”

​Vansh roared back, “I’ll destory you "

Rajeshwari was searching the entire house for Ashish, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, she went to Riddhima’s room. Ashish was sitting on the floor near the bed, looking through an album.

​Rajeshwari sat next to him. “You’re looking at the album here?”

​Ashish showed Rajeshwari a photo of Riddhima in her school uniform, sitting on his lap. He smiled wistfully. “Do you remember? Someone at school told Riddhima that their dad was more handsome than hers, so Riddhima came straight from school to the office, demanding that I tell everyone I was the most handsome.”

He laughed to himself. He showed her another photo. “And do you remember this one, when Riddhima learned to walk for the first time?”

​Ashish shared a few more stories and pictures

Rajeshwari listened to all the stories.

Ashish finally shut the album and sighed.

I miss her. This house is so empty without Riddhima. I miss her so much. Did you talk to her? How is she?”

Rajeshwari’s eyes dimmed. “I called twice… maybe she’s busy. Lifiting his mood shall we go tomorrow to meet her ?"

Aashish whispered, almost breaking, “She won’t want to see me. She was already upset. After today… she might even hate me.”

He told Rajeshwari everything about the contract.

She stiffened. “Ashish… why are you doing this?”

“Because I know she won’t accept this marriage otherwise,” he said softly. “And you know why I want this.”

Rajeshwari saw the tears in his eyes and hugged him.

“You know she loves you a lot:

After Riddhima left, Vansh slumped onto the terrace floor, clutching his head. He looked utterly miserable, as if he were about to burst into tears, consumed by sorrow and torture.

​Vansh lamented, “I’m ruined! Destroyed! I can’t stand being with this woman for even one day, how will I survive a year? My family is my enemy! They gave her a fifteen percent partnership! Twenty percent share—first she blackmailed me for that, and now they’ve tied her around my neck! What sins did I commit that everything bad happens to me? I’ve lost my peace, my comfort, and my company! I was happy like an idiot that I’d finally be rid of this woman, but now I’m going crazy just thinking about the one year! I’m telling you, Kartik, she’s doing all of this on purpose!”

​Kartik, trying to sound supportive but secretly happy, consoled Vansh, “everything terrible has happened to you.” He was secretly happy thatDaddu had given them the contract just in time, or they would have gotten a divorce.

​Vansh fell asleep on the terrace that night.

When he woke up in the morning and went to his room, he was utterly shocked by the state of it. He felt like he had walked into the aftermath of an earthquake or a storm.

The room was a disaster: the mattress and bedding were on the floor, things were scattered everywhere, and countless items were broken and strewn across the floor. And Riddhima was nowhere in the room.

Vansh stepped inside, picking up a few things, and muttered, “She causes an earthquake in my room and then vanishes herself!” He began to get ready for the office.

“What the hell…” Vansh muttered. “She brought an earthquake into my room and disappeared.”

Shaili stood right outside Aditya’s room. The moment Aditya opened the door, Shaili thrust both her hands forward, showing them off with pure, unadulterated joy.

Aditya instantly noticed the bangles on her wrist. He placed a hand on her shoulder and teased, “Ooh, so someone’s boyfriend gifted these,

Shaili swatted his hand away. “We are just good friends!”

Aditya smirked, nodding mockingly. “Oh, I know. The classic ‘We Are Just Friends’

Shaili clarified, “And these bangles weren't given by Aryan - Rajeshwari Aunty gave them to me! Look how lovely they look on my hands, don’t they?”

Aditya conceded, “Yes, they look beautiful. Now come on, let’s go downstairs.”

Vansh, now dressed, arrived downstairs. Riddhima was already seated at the dining table, scrolling intently on her phone. Vansh took the seat next to her and spoke in a tone that was both icy-cold and brutally dismissive.

“My room had better be clean by this evening, understood?”

Riddhima didn't even bother to look up from her screen. She fired back immediately, “I am not your maid to follow your orders!”

Vansh retorted with equal venom, “And I am not your therapist to tolerate your drama!”

Just then, Shaili and the rest of the family sat down for breakfast. But Vansh, his appetite clearly ruined by Riddhima's presence, abruptly stood up to leave the dining table. Mamta  tried to stop him. “Vansh, at least have breakfast!”

Vansh’s reply was curt. “No, dadi, my hunger has died.”

Mamta  shot a furious glare at Riddhima and muttered under her breath, “She won’t let my son have a moment of peace.”

Vansh started walking away, but Soumya’s voice reached his ears. She was gushing to Shaili, “Wow, Shaili, your bangles are stunning! Are they new?”

For reasons he couldn't explain, the mention of the bangles made Vansh stop dead in his tracks. He turned back, compelled to see the jewels, and the moment his eyes fell on the bangles...

And Vansh’s eyes and face changed instantly. Seeing those bangles seemed to hit Vansh with a wave of agonizing pain and searing rage—a sight he perhaps wished he could banish forever.

He clenched his fist so hard his knuckles turned white.

His breathing hitched. Then, consumed by fury, he advanced towards Sheli with quick, furious strides. Before anyone could react, he gripped Shaili's arm tightly and yanked her violently out of her chair!

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