Author Pov :

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"Did you bring me here just to watch them together? To watch me burn with agony?" Ishita's voice was a jagged blade of resentment.

Soumya didn't flinch. A slow, predatory smile spread across her face. "Darling I didn't bring you here to watch a romance; I brought you here to witness an execution. I hold a card in my hand that will shake the very foundations of both the Singhanias and the Raichands.

"What could you possibly have?" Ishita asked, her breath hitching.

"See for yourself." Soumya reached into the depths of her mahogany wardrobe and pulled out a small, unassuming box. She handed it over like a sacred relic.

Ishita flipped the lid. Her eyes widened, the pupils dilating in sheer shock. Her jaw dropped as the reality of the contents hit her. "Is... is this for real?"

"Every bit of it," Soumya purred.

"When do we drop this bomb?" Ishita's voice was now breathless with wicked excitement. "When do we blow the Singhania Mansion apart?"

"Patience," Soumya warned, her eyes narrowing. "Not a word until I give the command. Understand?"

Ishita swept into the living room, finding Aditya collapsed on the couch. His eyes were closed, the lines of exhaustion etched deep into his handsome face.

Masking her venom with a layer of fake sweetness, she poured a glass of water and leaned over him.

"Drink this. You look like you've been through hell," she murmured.

Aditya's eyes snapped open. He looked startled to see her. "Ishita? What are you doing here?"

"I know, I shouldn't have come," she sighed, playing the martyr. "But I couldn't stay away. This family is mine, too. When I heard about Shaili, I felt like my own heart was breaking." She paused, her eyes searching his. "How is she? When is the discharge?"

"She's better," Aditya said, his voice weary. "She's been discharged, but she went with Rajeshwari Auntie."

"Oh, that's for the best," Ishita said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. She reached out, sliding her hand over Aditya's. "You're such a good brother, Aditya. It just breaks my heart... because I know if it ever came down to a choice between you and Vansh, Shaili would choose Vansh in a heartbeat."

Aditya flinched as if burned. He ripped his hand away from her grasp and stood up, his face darkening with a sudden, sharp fury.

"I don't care who she chooses," he spat, his voice trembling with conviction. "I will still choose her. She is my sister."

He strode out of the room without looking back. Ishita watched him go, a cold, mocking smirk playing on her lips. "We'll see how long this 'so-called' sibling love lasts," she muttered under her breath.

Riddhima was in her element, leaning over her desk as she discussed high-stakes files with Madhav. Suddenly, a rhythmic, thumping vibration started echoing through the floorboards.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, frowning.

"Yeah... it's coming from outside," Madhav replied. He walked to the window and looked down. His eyes nearly popped out. "Uh, Madam? You might want to see this."

Riddhima looked down and her blood pressure spiked instantly. She stormed out of her office, through the lobby, and out into the parking lot.

There Stood Vansh

He was leaning against his car in a razor-sharp black suit, dark aviators shielding his eyes. He was checking his watch every five seconds like he was timing a heist. But the kicker? His car speakers were blasting

"Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Baith Ja"Aaja meri gaadi me baith jaa at a volume that was vibrating the nearby windows.

A crowd had already gathered. People were laughing, pointing, and recording

Riddhima did not want to create a scene infront of everyone so she gave a fake smile to vansh and stood next to her and as soon As Riddhima came everyone returned to their desk

Riddhima marched over, reached into the car, and slapped the power button. Silence fell, awkward and heavy. She reached up and placed a hand on Vansh's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Vansh asked,

looking down at her through his shades.

"Checking to see if you sustained a secret brain injury as a child," she hissed, her face flushed with embarrassment. "What is this trashy behavior? You're doing infront of my office

Vansh pouted-a genuine, ridiculous pout. "Trashy behavior? Pranpriye, these are my efforts!

"Just shut up and get in the car!" she commanded, shoving him toward the door and they drove off to Singhaniya Mansion

In the quiet of Mamta's room, kishore was out of the town for some work and room's air was thick with fake devotion. Ishita was kneeling at Mamta's feet, massaging them with a calculated rhythm.

"I knew it," Ishita cooed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "I knew the moment I left, you will not bother to take care of you. Look how tired your feet are."

Mamta sighed, closing her eyes. "Who else in this house has your touch, child? No one cares like you do."

"Well, I'm back now, Dadi. I'll be massaging your foot every single day," Ishita promised, exchanging a dark, knowing look with Soumya. She leaned in closer.I was so worried for shaili "I was actually going to rush to the hospital to see Shaili, but then I heard she had already been discharged."

Mamta's eyes snapped open, a flicker of hope returning. "So Shaili is coming home with Vansh?"

Soumya let out a sharp, mocking breath. "Why would she come here, Mummy ji? She went with Rajeshwari to her house."

The temperature in the room dropped. "Who told you this?" Mamta demanded.

"Aditya," Ishita chimed in, twisting the knife. "Vansh ji knew about it wait he did not ask your permission maybe he forget he is so stressed

Soumya nodded slowly. "It's for the best, I suppose. Shaili was always closer to Rajeshwari anyway. And we should all be so grateful to Riddhima, shouldn't we?"

Ishita's eyes gleamed with malice. "Oh, absolutely. Such a massive favor! She saved our family's 'honor.' Though... I can't help but think she shouldn't have made such a scene in front of the guests. She could have handled that man privately. Instead, she made a spectacle of our Shaili. And if that police station news leaks? The Singhania reputation won't just be tarnished-it will be buried."

Mamta remained silent, her jaw tight, letting the poison seep into her veins. Just then, a maid knocked. "Dinner is served."

The atmosphere at the dining table was radioactive. Vansh and Riddhima arrived together, but the moment Riddhima pulled out her chair, Mamta stood up abruptly.

"I cannot eat here," Mamta announced to the room. "Send my tray to my quarters."

"Dadi, what happened?" Vansh asked, his brow furrowed. "Why won't you eat with us?"

"Because I am no longer needed in this house," what happend dadi tell me Vansh asked

Mamta snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "You make every decision with your wife now. You didn't think it was necessary to tell me Shaili was leaving? Or did you already report that to the one who truly runs your life?"

"Dadi, you're taking this wrong," I was about to tell you right now Vansh started, but Riddhima cut through the air like a siren.

"If Shaili wanted to go with Mom, it was her choice," Riddhima said firmly. "She's a grown woman. What is there to be offended about?"

"Listen to her tongue, Vansh!" Mamta shrieked. "So if I am speking in my family matters so i am offending and anyways what can I say to you You've already made a circus of our reputation, Riddhima. What more do you want?"

"I made a circus?" Riddhima's voice was dangerously low.

"Yes! What was the need to drag that man out in front of everyone? It could have been handled quietly!" Mamta stepped closer, her face contorted. "You just wanted a chance to humiliate us. If it weren't for Vansh and Prerna, today's headline would be 'Singhania Daughter-in-Law Jailed for Murder.' You would have dragged Shaili's name through the mud! Who would marry her now? You've put a black mark on her face forever!"

"Wait a minute," Riddhima's tone turned cold and hard as steel. "If that headline had printed, it wouldn't have said 'Singhania Bahu.' It would have said Riddhima Raichand. I did what was right, and I don't have a single regret. Not even if I had gone to jail. You wanted me to stay silent while she was being molested I'm sorry, Dadi, you might be capable of that silence, but I am not."

Vansh tried to intervene, his voice lost in the crossfire, while Ishita and Soumya watched the carnage with silent, hungry smirks. They exactly wants this

"Oh, so you're the only right here?" Mamta yelled. "Did anyone bother to ask what Shaili was doing in that room alone? With that man If that man is guilty, so is she! Why did she have to dress up like that? A woman should know her limits. She should be careful Men will be men-their hearts will wander if you tempt them!"

The room went deathly silent. Riddhima felt a physical jolt of disgust.

"Do you even realize what you're saying?" Riddhima whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "Is your thinking really this pathetic? Or do you just hate Shaili that much? She is your own blood, your granddaughter!"

"RIDDHIMA!" Vansh roared.

Riddhima turned her gaze to him, her eyes burning. "Oh, so now your mouth opens? The problem is people like you and this family, who blame the victim instead of the predator."

Riddhima pushed her chair back, the screech of wood against marble echoing like a gunshot. She turned and stormed toward her room. Vansh stood up immediately, but before he followed her, he turned to the table.

"Dadi," Vansh said, his voice cold and final. "Today, you were wrong. And Riddhima was right."

The room gasped. Ishita's jaw dropped. Vansh didn't wait for a reaction; he turned his back on the family and followed Riddhima.

The bedroom door hadn't even fully closed before Vansh's hand clamped around Riddhima's wrist. His eyes were burning, but not with the usual hatred-it was the look of a man torn between two worlds.

"You have no right to speak to Dadi like that. None! Do you understand?" he hissed.

Riddhima didn't flinch. She wrenched her arm back with a sharp, calculated force. "What should I have done, ? Stayed silent while she spit on Shaili's dignity? Should I have humored her disgusting logic just because she's old?"

"I know she's wrong!" Vansh roared, then dropped his voice to a pained whisper. "I know. But she's the woman who raised us. I can't just turn around and scream at her. I can't raise my voice to the person who joint this family she is my dadi

He collapsed onto the couch, burying his head in his hands. "Do you think your speech changed her? People don't change their entire moral compass in a day, Riddhima. He looked up, his expression weary. "It's a good thing Shaili didn't come here today.

Riddhima didn't reply. She just watched him.

Across town, the air felt different. It was lighter. Ashish and Gayatri had watched with soft smiles as Rajeshwari took Shaili under her wing. In the quiet of a sun-drenched room, Rajeshwari and Shaili sat huddled over an wedding album-Vansh and Riddhima's wedding.

They flipped through the pages, laughing at the candid shots-Vansh looking stiff as a board and Riddhima looking like she was ready to punch the cameraman. For the first time, a real, genuine giggle escaped Shaili's lips. It was music to Rajeshwari's ears.

But when the food arrived, Shaili's smile faltered. She pushed the tray away, the trauma still clinging to her like a shadow.

"No," Rajeshwari said, her tone mock-stern. "I won't hear it. I made all your favorites. Now, open up."

Rajeshwari began to feed her by hand. As the first few bites went down, the dam finally broke. Shaili's eyes welled up with hot, silent tears.

"Shaili? Sweetheart, what's wrong? Is it too spicy? Is the food bad?" Rajeshwari asked, panicked.

Shaili shook her head, unable to speak. She suddenly lunged forward, hugged her and sobbing. Rajeshwari stroked her hair, her heart breaking. "Shh, it's okay. Let it out. Everything is going to be fine."

Shaili spoke between her sobs

"If Mom were alive..." Shaili choked out, "she would have been exactly like you."

The words hit Rajeshwari like a physical blow. Her own eyes filled with tears as she pulled the girl closer.

"Can I ask you for something?" Shaili whispered. "Do you... do you have a photo of her?"

Rajeshwari hesitated. "Finish your meal first," she bargained with a soft smile. "And I'll bring it."

Driven by a sudden, desperate excitement, Shaili finished every bite. True to her word, Rajeshwari returned with a vintage, slightly faded photograph.

It was Avantika. She was laughing, her head thrown back, a smudge of white cake frosting on the tip of her nose. She looked radiant, youthful, and full of life. It was a shot from Vansh's childhood birthday party.

Shaili lay her head in Rajeshwari's lap, staring at the photo as if she were trying to memorize every pixel of her mother's face.

Shaili didn't just ask; the words tumbled out of her in a single, desperate breath, as if they had been clawing at her throat for years. Her eyes were wide, shimmering with a raw hunger for a past she couldn't remember.

"What was Mom really like? I mean... her nature? What did she love? What did she hate? And what was the one thing that would make her lose her temper the most?"

She paused, her voice dropping to a fragile, hopeful whisper that broke Rajeshwari's heart

"Am I... am I even a little bit like her?"

Rajeshwari felt a lump form in her throat. She reached out, cupping Shaili's face with a tenderness that felt like a prayer.

"Your mother, Avantika... she was like a soft breeze that could turn into a storm if she saw an injustice," Rajeshwari began, her voice thick with nostalgia. "She was pure gold, Shaili. She was the kind of person who would give up her last breath to see someone else smile."

"And her favorites?" Shaili urged, leaning into Rajeshwari's touch.

"She loved the simple things," Rajeshwari chuckled softly. "Rainy mornings, the smell of fresh jasmine, and God... she was obsessed with Poha and Rasmalai. If you touched her plate of Rasmalai, you were asking for war!"

A small, genuine giggle escaped Shaili's lips-the first one in a long time.

"But her temper," Rajeshwari continued, her eyes twinkling, "that was a different story. She had the shortest fuse when it came to Vansh. Whenever he got stubborn-which was often-her anger would hit the roof. But the beauty of it was how Vansh would handle it. He'd follow her around like a lost puppy, holding the edge of her pallu, refusing to let go until she finally broke into a smile."

Rajeshwari's thumb grazed Shaili's cheek. "And to answer your last question... you aren't just a little like her, Shaili. You are her reflection. You have her eyes-the kind that tell a story before you even speak. You have her heart, so fragile yet so resilient. Every time you smile, I see Avantika looking back at me."

She pulled Shaili into a tight embrace. "A daughter is the shadow of her mother's soul. You are exactly like her-pure, bright, and beautiful. Though," Rajeshwari added with a playful wink, "I can't say the same for my own daughter. I was nothing like Riddhima when I was young!"

Rajeshwari's eyes sparkled. "She loved Riddhima, "She adored her. She used to say, 'Riddhima will be my daughter-in-law.' And I used to joke that if she had a daughter, I'd steal her for my house. Well," Rajeshwari kissed Shaili's forehead, "you didn't become my daughter-in-law, so I've made you my daughter instead."

Shaili looked up, a soft blush on her cheeks. "They both shared a light, golden laugh.

"How did you and Ashish Uncle get married?" Shaili asked, her curiosity piqued. Because I know mom and dad's marriage was love marriage with every one's love

"It was a battle," Rajeshwari admitted, her face softening with the memory. "My family was dead against it. But I was headstrong. I wasn't about to let a man that good slip through my fingers!"

Shaili giggled, the sound rich and full. "You two really are the perfect couple."

"That's why we fought for it," Rajeshwari whispered.

"Can I keep Mom's photo with me?" Shaili asked.

"Of course, why not? She's your mother," Rajeshwari replied.

As the stories continued , Shaili finally drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep in Rajeshwari's lap.

Vansh opened his eyes to find a plate of food waiting on the table. His gaze drifted to Riddhima, who was perched on the edge of the bed, watching him with an unreadable expression.

"I'm not hungry," Vansh muttered, his voice gravelly from exhaustion.

"Hungry or not, eat," Riddhima countered, her tone sharp

"If you pass out while you're with me, my reputation will be trashed. I can't have people saying my man is a weakling who faints at the drop of a hat."

Vansh let out a dry, unexpected chuckle. "Fine.

But if I do faint, people will just say it's because my wife is so beautiful it took my breath away."

The flirtation hit Riddhima like a physical shock. She went suddenly silent, her eyes darting around the room as a faint flush crept up her neck. For once, the sharp-tongued Queen was speechless.

"You haven't eaten either, have you?" Vansh noted quietly.

Instead of answering, Riddhima did something rare. She moved to the couch sat beside him, and began eating from the same plate. "Shaili has eaten," she said softly between bites. "She's safe. She's okay."

A long, jagged breath of relief escaped Vansh's lungs. In the quiet of the room, they shared the meal in a rare, fragile truce-a moment where the war between them felt a thousand miles away.

Once the plate was empty, Riddhima stood up, smoothing out her clothes. "Your house, your room, your bed. You sleep here. I'll take the couch."

She started walking away, but Vansh was faster. He intercepted her, gently but firmly taking the extra blanket from her hands and tossing it back onto the mattress.

"No, no, Pran-Piye," he teased, though his hand instinctively went to his lower back. "You take the bed. I value my spine

A tiny, victorious smirk played on Riddhima's lips her plan had worked. She took one side of the bed, and Vansh took the other.

"You're sleeping here too?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's my room, pranpriye And don't worry I have zero desire to cross the line to your side."

"Good," she shot back. "Because if you do, you already know how the story ends."

She shoved a massive, fortress-like pillow between them, creating a literal wall. They fell asleep like that divided by feathers, but sharing the same air.

The next morning, the sun hit Vansh's face, but the other side of the bed was cold.

Vansh sat up, his heart doing a strange frantic beat. "Riddhima?" No answer. He checked the bathroom, the kitchen, the gardens. Nothing. It was only 7:00 AM.

"Where the hell has she gone so early?" he muttered. He dialed her number. Switched off.

He went to the office, expecting to find her in his office. but by noon, there was still no sign of her. The silence of her phone was beginning to feel like a scream. By evening, He called Madhav.

"Madhav, where is Riddhima? Her phone is dead."

"I don't know, sir," Madhav's voice sounded worried. "She didn't come into the office today. She mentioned some urgent personal business yesterday, but she didn't say where."

Night fell, and with it came a torrential storm. Thunder shook the foundations of the Singhania Mansion, and lightning tore through the black sky. Vansh sat in the living room, a book open in his lap but the words blurring. He was just waiting. Watching the door.

Just when the door bell rang and he hurridely opened the door

Just as he reached the door, a massive crack of lightning illuminated the porch, bathing the figure in a cold, electric white light. Vansh froze. He took an instinctive step back, his blood turning to ice.

Riddhima stood there, framed by the storm.

She was drenched, her white clothes clinging to her, but that wasn't what stopped Vansh's heart. Her hands were stained a deep, visceral crimson. Dark, thick blood was dripping from her fingertips, splashing onto the marble floor. Smears of red marred her white outfit like a gruesome painting.

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