The cars stopped on the white marble courtyard of the Prajapati Estate. Suhani Chauhan stepped out of the rear vehicle and dropped two heavy travel bags straight into the hands of Swayam Malhotra.

Swayam Malhotra

Suhani Chauhan
"Malhotra ji! Aapki ye gaadi hai ya dabba? Pure raste lag raha tha main kisi pinjre mein band hoon! Agar hamare Chhaya Nagar mein kisi ne aisi gaadi di hoti, toh hum use pehle hi din sadak par khada kar dete!" (Malhotra ji! Is this car of yours a vehicle or a box? The whole way it felt like I was locked in a cage! If anyone in our Chhaya Nagar had given such a car, we would have left them standing on the road on the very first day!)
Swayam adjusted his grip on the heavy handles of the bags. "Suhani ji, yadi aapki agya ho, toh main aapko aapke kaksh ki taraf lekar chaloon? Kunwar Sa ka nirdesh hai." (Suhani ji, if permitted, may I lead you toward your room? It is Kunwar Sa's instruction.)
"Nirdesh apne paas rakho, Malhotra ji! Hum apni marzi se chalte hain. Chalo, mera bhaari saaman uthao aur rasta dikhao! Agar ek bhi chiz khoyi toh Chhaya Nagar waale tumhara ye mehanga coat utarwa denge, samjhe?!" (Keep your instructions to yourself, Malhotra ji! We move by our own will. Come, pick up my heavy luggage and show the way! If even one thing goes missing, the people of Chhaya Nagar will have this expensive coat stripped off you, understand?!)
Swayam looked down into her flashing eyes. "Hum aapke har ek saaman ki suraksha ke liye uttar-daayi hain, Suhani ji. Aap nishchint hokar aage chaliye. Hamare yahan saaman ya samman, dono mein se kuch nahi khota." (I am responsible for the safety of your every belonging, Suhani ji. You walk ahead without any worry. In our place, neither luggage nor respect ever goes missing.)
"Baatein banana toh koi tum shehar ke babuon se seekhe! Chalo ab, khade mat raho! Hum thak chuke hain!" (One should learn how to spin words from you city gentlemen! Now move, don't just stand there! I am tired!)
A few feet away, Virajita stepped out of her car and marched straight up to Shaurya Prajapati.
"Kya hua, Kunwar Sa? Chaar crore kharch karne ke baad bhi aise khade ho jaise koi bada teer maar liya ho? Main yahan rone ya tumhare aage haath jodne nahi aayi hoon, yeh baat apne dimaag mein bitha lo!" (What happened, Kunwar Sa? Standing there after spending four crores like you achieved some great feat? I am not here to cry or fold my hands before you, get this straight inside your mind!)
Shaurya looked down at her. "Virajita, apne is krodh ko thoda viraam do. Hum Prajapati haveli ke nikat hain." (Virajita, give some rest to this anger of yours. We are near the Prajapati mansion.)
"Viraam? Oye, Udaipur ke boss! Yeh tum shudh Hindi waale mode mein kyun baat kar rahe ho? Saaf aur seedhi bhasha bolo varna mujhe baat-baat par ek translator rakhna padega!" (Rest? Hey, boss of Udaipur! Why are you speaking in this pure Hindi mode? Speak clear and direct language or I will have to hire a translator at every step!)
"Yeh Hindi hi hai, priye. Aur hamari haveli mein maryada aur shanti sarvopari hai." (This is Hindi itself, darling. And in our mansion, dignity and peace are paramount.)
"Maryada meri jutti par!" Virajita shot back. "Aapne mere lalaachi chacha aur baki sabko paisa diya hai, Kunwar Sa. Meri aatma ko nahi khareeda. Main tumhari is shant aur khamosh haveli ko ek din zaroor circus bana dungi, dekh lena." (Your dignity on my shoe! You have given money to my greedy uncle and the rest, Kunwar Sa. You haven't bought my soul. I will definitely turn this peaceful and silent mansion of yours into a circus one day, just wait and watch.)
"Circus pradarshani ke liye swagat hai tumhara. Kintu meri anumati ke bina, tum is parivartan mein asaphal rahogi." (You are welcome to hold a circus exhibition. But without my permission, you will fail in this transformation.)
"Anumati? Phir se naya bhaari shabd pheka?" Virajita scoffed. "Main bhi dekhti hoon ki aap mujhe kab tak is sone ke pinjre mein qaid rakhte hain. Ek na ek din toh main yahan se bhaag kar rahungi." (Permission? Threw another heavy word again? I will also see how long you keep me imprisoned in this golden cage. One day or another, I will definitely run away from here.)
"Humne kaha na, koshish karke dekh lo, Virajita. Par jab tak hum yahan hain, tumhari parchhai bhi hamari ijaazat ke bina is chaukhat ko paar nahi kar sakti." (I told you, give it a try, Virajita. But as long as we are here, even your shadow cannot cross this threshold without our permission.)
A few hours later, they were all in the grand dining hall. Virajita pulled out the heavy carved chair right next to Shaurya with a sharp pull. The wooden legs scraped loudly against the floorboards.
"Good morning, sabhi ko! Wah! Itna bada breakfast? Mujhe toh laga tha ameer log sirf hawa aur attitude khaate hain. Yahan toh poore gaaon ka khana akela Kunwar Sa lekar baithe hain." (Good morning, everyone! Wow! Such a grand breakfast? I thought rich people only ate air and attitude. Here Kunwar Sa is sitting alone with enough food for an entire village.)
Shaurya kept his eyes on his tablet. "Baitho, Virajita. Khana khao, abhi poora din baaki hai hamare sath." (Sit, Virajita. Eat your food, the whole day is still left with us.)
"Main toh bolungi, Kunwar Sa. Tumne mujhe yahan aane par majboor kiya hai, meri zabaan ko nahi. Jab tak main yahan hoon, main sabka sukoon aise hi chhinungi." (I will speak, Kunwar Sa. You have forced me to come here, not my tongue. As long as I am here, I will steal everyone's peace just like this.)
Kunal Oberoi set his coffee cup down with a sharp click and stared at Virajita with a cheap smirk.
"Shaurya... yaar, mujhe samajh nahi aata ki tumne is ladki par chaar crore kyun phook diye? Chhaya Nagar ke bazaar mein toh is jaisi hazaaron mil jaati hain, aur unki qeemat toh chaar hazar bhi nahi hoti. Itna paisa is par kharch karne se acha tha koi dhang ki cheez khareed lete." (Shaurya... buddy, I don't understand why you blew four crores on this girl? Thousands like her can be found in the markets of Chhaya Nagar, and their price isn't even four thousand. Instead of spending so much money on her, it would have been better to buy something of actual value.)
BANG!!!!!!!!
Shaurya slammed his heavy crystal water glass onto the table. He rose like a dark, lethal shadow, his massive frame completely towering over the table.
"Kunal Oberoi! Aapki ye tuchh aur ghatiya himmat? Hamari haveli mein baithkar, hamari aankhon ke saamne, aapne hamari jaan par ungli uthayi hai?" (Kunal Oberoi! You dare show such low and cheap audacity? Sitting in our mansion, right in front of our eyes, you have raised a finger against our life?)
Kunal turned completely white, his hands starting to shake. "Shaurya, suno... mera woh matlab nahi tha, main toh bas mazaak-" (Shaurya, listen... I didn't mean that, I was just joking-)
"Humne kaha apni zabaan ko viraam dijiye, varna hum ise hamesha ke liye khamosh kar denge!" Shaurya stepped around the table, his boots hitting the floor with a dangerous rhythm. He stood right over Kunal.
"Virajita hamari zindagi ki sabse sammanit sadasya hain! Unke prati aisi ghatiya vaani ka prayog toh door, agar kisi ne unpar ghalat nazar bhi daali, toh hum uski aankhein nikalne ka dum rakhte hain! Humne aapko hamara vyapaari saathi banaya hai, iska ye arth nahi ki aap apni simayein bhool jayein! Aapko kya laga? Aap hamare saathi hain toh aapko hamari jaan ka apmaan karne ka adhikaar mil jayega? Hamari haveli mein baithkar hamari hi shakti ko chunauti dene ki bhool kaise ki aapne?!" (We told you to stop your tongue, or we will silence it forever! Virajita is the most respected member of our life! Forget using such low language against her, if anyone even throws a wrong glance at her, we hold the power to gouge their eyes out! We made you our business partner, but that does not mean you forget your boundaries! What did you think? Just because you are our partner, you would get the right to insult our life? How did you make the mistake of sitting in our mansion and challenging our very power?!)
"Shaurya, please, ek baar baat suno, hamari multimillion-dollar deal-" Kunal stammered. (Shaurya, please, listen to me once, our multimillion-dollar deal-)
"Humne kaha shant rahiye! Hamara parivaar aur hamara kosh itne kamzor nahi hain ki hume aap jaise ghatiya insaan ke paise ki zaroorat pade! Aapka aur hamara rishta, hamari har ek deal, hamari saari sanyukt sampatti abhi aur isi samay samapt hoti hai! Hum aap jaise tuchh vyakti ke sath ek kshan bhi vyapaar nahi kar sakte! Hamare beech se abhi aur isi vakt uthiye! Agar agle do minute mein aap hamari haveli ke baahar nahi dikhe, toh hamare suraksha karmi aapko us haal mein baahar phekhenge jo aap soch bhi nahi sakte! Hum dobara aapka ye sarrn-hua chehra Udaipur mein nahi dekhna chahte! Chale jaiye yahan se!" (We told you to be quiet! Our family and our treasury are not so weak that we need money from a low person like you! Your relationship with us, our every deal, and all our joint assets end right here and right now! We cannot do business for even a single moment with a low person like you! Get out of our presence this very second! If you are not seen outside our mansion in the next two minutes, our security guards will throw you out in a condition you cannot even imagine! We do not want to see your rotten face in Udaipur ever again! Get out of here!)
Kunal grabbed his phone with trembling fingers and ran out of the room. Shaurya turned back toward Virajita, his eyes instantly shifting from dangerous to incredibly soft and protective.
Virajita sat completely frozen. She had never seen anyone destroy a massive financial empire in ten seconds just to protect her name. A strange, heavy thud echoed inside her chest.
Khushi broke the silence, clapping her hands. "Aap bohot adbhut hain, bhabhi! Bhai ne pehli baar kisi ke liye itna gussa dikhaya hai! Haveli mein ab maza aayega!" (You are very wonderful, sister-in-law! Brother has shown this much anger for someone for the very first time! Now it will be fun in the mansion!)

Khushi Prajapati
An old female servant stepped forward to refill the water pitcher, her hands shaking violently. A few drops of water spilled onto the table. The old woman froze in terror. Virajita reached out gently, wrapping her hand around the servant's shaking fingers, stabilizing the pitcher.
"Arre Amma, koi baat nahi. Hath toh kisi ka bhi hil sakta hai. Itni si baat par itna darna kyun? Aap jao, main sambhal lungi." (Arre Amma, it's okay. Anyone's hand can shake. Why fear so much over such a small thing? You go, I will handle it.)
The old servant left with tears of gratitude. Shaurya leaned slightly closer to Virajita. "Tumhara hriday bohot komal hai, Virajita. Kintu apni is komalta ko gusse ke peeche mat chupao." (Your heart is very soft, Virajita. But do not hide this softness behind anger.)
Virajita turned her head away to hide her red cheeks. "Hriday? Komal? Oye, Kunwar Sa, yeh radio waale bhaari aur puraane shabd mere samne mat bolo! Main bas Amma ki help kar rahi thi, tumhare upar koi ehsan nahi kiya hai main jo tum itne dhyan se mujhe dekh rahe ho!" (Heart? Soft? Look, Kunwar Sa, don't use these radio-style heavy and old words in front of me! I was just helping Amma, I didn't do any favor to you that you are looking at me so intently!)
Shaurya let out a low chuckle. "Maine ehsan manga bhi nahi, priye. Orange tum par acha lagta hai. Breakfast khatam karo, humein ek ghante mein legal cell jaana hai." (I didn't ask for a favor either, darling. Orange looks good on you. Finish your breakfast, we have to go to the legal cell within an hour.)
"Legal cell? Kyun? Kya mujhe yahan se nikalne ke kaagaz tayyar hain? Agar aisa hai toh main abhi chalne ko taiyaar hoon!" (Legal cell? Why? Are the papers to send me away ready? If that's the case, I am ready to go right now!)
Shaurya leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "Nahi, priye. Tumhare parivaar ne jo chal kiya hai, usse tumhe surakshit karne ke liye tumhare naam par property register karni hai. Tumhe kya laga, main tum par adhikaar jataunga? Main tumhe swatantra dekhna chahta hoon." (No, darling. Because of the deception your family committed, I need to register the property in your name to keep you safe. What did you think, I would force my right on you? I want to see you independent.)
"Surakshit? Swatantra? Oye, tum jaan-boojhkar mujhe confuse karne ke liye naye-naye words dhoondhte ho na? Main keh rahi hoon, main kisi paper par sign nahi karungi jab tak mujhe poori baat samajh nahi aati!" (Safe? Independent? Hey, you purposefully look for brand-new words to confuse me, right? I am telling you, I won't sign any papers until I understand the whole thing!)
"Toh mat karo. Jab tak tumhara manna na ho, main tumhe vivash nahi karunga. Chalo, sirf rasta dekh lo." (Then don't. Until you are willing, I will not force you. Come, just check the way.)
They walked back out into the central courtyard, where Suhani was still marching around the fountain, refusing to let Swayam rest. Swayam followed behind, carrying her heavy cosmetic cases.
"Hum yahan ek pal bhi nahi rukenge! Mujhe yeh bade patthar waale ghar aur ye ajeeb log bilkul pasand nahi aa rahe! Aur Malhotra ji, aap itne dheere kyun chal rahe hain? Mera ye qeemati saaman gira toh aapki naukri chali jayegi, samjhe?!" (We will not stay here for a single moment! I do not like these big stone houses and these strange people at all! And Malhotra ji, why are you walking so slowly? If my valuable luggage falls, you will lose your job, understand?!)
Swayam kept his tone perfectly even.
"Suhani ji, aapka ye krodh ashobhniya hai. Kintu aapke is saaman ko surakshit pahunchana mera kartavya hai. Aap hamari naukri ki chinta mat kijiye." (Suhani ji, this anger of yours is unbecoming. But delivering this luggage of yours safely is my duty. You do not worry about our job.)
"Ashobhniya?! Oye Malhotra, tu mujhe rasta mat dikha aur na hi mujhe ye bhaari words sikhao! Hum tumhare niyam samajhne nahi aaye!" Suhani snapped, spinning around and stepping directly into his personal space. (Unbecoming?! Hey Malhotra, don't show me the way and don't teach me these heavy words! We didn't come to understand your rules!)
Swayam didn't back down an inch, looking down at her with a burning gaze. "Hum niyam sikhate nahi hain, Suhani ji. Hum niyam banate hain. Chaliye ab." (We do not teach rules, Suhani ji. We make rules. Let us move now.)
"Ofo! Tum log sab ke sab pagal ho!" Suhani muttered, stomping her foot.
(Ofo! Every single one of you is crazy!)
Shaurya and Virajita walked up to the parked luxury car. Shaurya raised a single hand, stopping the bickering instantly. "Swayam, inke krodh ko agni mat do. Inhe kosh-kaksh dikhao." (Swayam, do not feed fire to her anger. Show her the treasury room.)
Virajita groaned dramatically, throwing her hands up. "Kosh-kaksh? Shaurya, tumhare pure Udaipur mein koi normal insaan nahi milta?! Saari haveli hi ajeeb aur puraane zamane ki bhasha bolti hai!" (Treasury room? Shaurya, do you not have a single normal person in your entire Udaipur?! The whole mansion speaks in a strange and old-fashioned language!)
Shaurya stepped directly into her path, forcing her to look up into his steady eyes. "Virajita, tumhare liye har cheez ek virodh hai. Pariksha ka samay abhi prarambh nahi hua hai." (Virajita, everything is an opposition to you. The time of the trial has not yet commenced.)
"Prarambh?! Mujhe tumse koi pariksha nahi deni! Main tumhare is niyam ko tod kar rahungi, dekh lena!" she declared fiercely. (Commenced?! I don't have to give any trial to you! I will break this rule of yours, just wait and watch!)
"Main bhi yahi dekhna chahta hoon, priye. Chalo ab, vilamb ho raha hai." Shaurya smiled, holding the car door open for her. (I want to see that too, darling. Come now, it is getting late.)
"Vilamb?! Ofo, thoda dimaag thik karo, Kunwar Sa!" Virajita huffed, jumping into the front seat. (Late?! Ofo, fix your mind a little, Kunwar Sa!)
Shaurya climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. He glanced at her flushed profile. "Koshish toh karke dekh lo, Jaan. Mujhe tumhari is zidd se bohot prem hai." (Give it a try at least, darling. I am deeply in love with this stubbornness of yours.)
Virajita quickly turned her face away to look through the side window. "Prem?! Tum sach mein pagal ho, Kunwar Sa!"
(Love?! You are truly crazy, Kunwar Sa!)
"Keval tumhare is krodh ke liye, Virajita." Shaurya murmured softly, driving the vehicle out of the grand gates. (Only for this anger of yours, Virajita.)
The luxury vehicle pulled up to a private building hidden deep inside the private forest zone of the estate. Shaurya led Virajita down a quiet, dimly lit corridor and swiped his card at a heavy oak door at the very end.
The lock clicked open, and Shaurya stepped aside to let her enter first.
Virajita stepped inside and instantly froze. The room was completely filled with giant, floor-to-ceiling digital screens glowing with an intense blue light. The screens were displaying real-time GPS tracking, detailed personal dossiers, leaked phone call recordings, and hidden offshore bank account records belonging to her greedy uncle and her cousins. Right in the center screen, a giant red file labeled LEGAL LIQUIDATION AND ARREST WARRANT was flashing, with Shaurya's corporate signature boldly stamped at the bottom.
Behind her, Shaurya closed the heavy oak door and locked it from the inside with a solid electronic click. He walked up right behind her, his large frame completely enveloping her shadow.
"Kunwar Sa... yeh... yeh sab kya hai? Tumne toh kaha tha hum yahan property papers sign karne ke liye aaye hain?" Virajita whispered, her voice trembling as she backed up straight into his solid chest. (Kunwar Sa... what... what is all this? You said we came here to sign property papers?)
Shaurya wrapped his large arms around her waist from behind, trapping her securely against his frame as his dark eyes reflected the cold blue glow of the screens mapping her family's destruction.
"Humne kaha tha hum aapko surakshit karenge, priye. Property toh keval ek bahaana tha unhe vyast rakhne ka. Hamara asli sankalp aapke parivaar ko hamesha ke liye mitaana hai... aur aapko poori tarah se hamara banana hai." (We said we would protect you, darling. The property was just an excuse to keep them busy. Our real determination is to erase your family forever... and make you entirely ours.)
Virajita gasped, trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened, his lips almost touching her ear.
"Ab batayein, Jaan... hamare is faisle par aapka kya nirdesh hai?"
(Now tell us, darling... what is your instruction on this decision of ours?)
The screens suddenly flickered red as a high-priority incoming call from her uncle filled the audio system of the secure room. Shaurya reached out, his hand hovering over the answer button, looking down at her with a dangerous smile.
"Yadi aap kahein, toh hum unka ant abhi isi kshan prarambh kar dein?"
(If you say so, shall we commence their end this very moment?)
Virajita stared at the flashing red screen, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs as Shaurya's grip tightened around her waist. Her uncle's name kept blinking in giant, angry letters, and the audio system started to beep with increasing urgency.
"Kunwar Sa, rukiye.. aap unhe jail bhej rahe ho? Par agar unhone poore Chhaya Nagar ke samne mera naam kharab kar diya toh? Tumhe pata nahi hai woh kitne ghatiya log hain!" (Kunwar Sa, stop... are you sending them to jail? But what if they ruin my name in front of the entire Chhaya Nagar? You don't know how disgusting those people are!)
Shaurya let out a low, dark laugh that vibrated straight through her back. He didn't lift his hand from the console, his fingers brushing intentionally against the screen just millimeters away from the accept button.
"Humne aapse kaha tha na, Virajita... aapke samman par aanch aane se pehle ye Prajapati haveli raakh mein mil jayegi. Unki itni aukaat nahi ki woh hamari zindagi ke baare mein ek shabd bhi bol sakein. Par is phone ko uthane se pehle, hume aapka ek vachan chahiye." (Did we not tell you, Virajita... before a single scratch comes to your honor, this Prajapati mansion will burn to ashes. They do not have the status to utter a single word about our life. But before answering this phone, we need a promise from you.)
Virajita tried to turn around in his embrace, but he held her firmly in place, forcing her to look at their combined reflection in the dark glass of the monitor. "Vachan? Kaisa vachan? Oye, Kunwar Sa, mujhse naye-naye rules mat banwao abhi!" (Promise? What kind of promise? Hey, Kunwar Sa, don't make me follow brand-new rules right now!)
"Hume vachan dijiye... ki is kamre se baahar nikalne ke baad, aap hamare har ek niyam ko swikar karengi. Aur un niyamo mein sabse pehla niyam ye hai..." Shaurya leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of her ear as his voice turned into a deep, commanding whisper that completely locked her breath. "Ki aap hamare bina is haveli se ek qadam bhi baahar nahi rakhengi. Batayein, kya hum ye phone uthayein?" (Give us your promise... that after stepping out of this room, you will accept our every single rule. And the very first rule among those is... that you will not step a single foot out of this mansion without us. Tell us, should we pick up this phone?)
Before Virajita could answer, the red light on the screen suddenly turned into a bright, flashing purple alarm. A completely different file split the screen in two, overriding her family's personal data. A security notification from the front gates of the estate popped up, showing a heavily tinted convoy of armored vehicles forcing their way through the palace barriers without permission.
Shaurya's smile vanished instantly, his eyes turning dangerous as he released her waist and tapped the security feed. On the main screen, a tall, older man with a royal golden cane stepped out of the lead vehicle, surrounded by his own private army, looking straight into the security camera with a cold, mocking grin.
Virajita's eyes widened as she recognized the face on the screen. Her breathing hitched, and she took a step back, her hands starting to shake violently.
"Chacha... woh... woh toh jail mein hone chahiye the na? Kunwar Sa, unhone char crore lene ke baad bhi tumhe dhokha diya! Woh akele nahi aaye hain!" (Uncle... he... he was supposed to be in jail, right? Kunwar Sa, he betrayed you even after taking four crores! He hasn't come alone!)
Shaurya stared at the screen, a low, lethal hum leaving his throat as he slowly unbuttoned the top constraint of his bandhgala suit. He didn't look scared; he looked absolutely ready to spill blood.
"Lagta hai unhone hamari khamoshi ko hamari kamzori samajh liya, priye. Swayam!" Shaurya snapped onto the internal radio, his voice echoing with absolute command. "Haveli ke saare dwar band karo. Aur hamari ijaazat ke bina baahar ka ek bhi parinda andar nahi aana chahiye. Aaj Udaipur mein ek naya itihaas likha jayega." (It seems they mistook our silence for our weakness, darling. Swayam! Close all the gates of the mansion. And without our permission, not even a single bird from the outside should come inside. Today, a new history will be written in Udaipur.)
Swayam's voice cut through the static, sounding completely calm but razor-sharp.
"Nirdesh swikar hai, Kunwar Sa. Saari security positions par hai. Kintu... Suhani ji ne unke lead guard ko fountain mein dhakka de diya hai. Situation thodi... jatil hai." (Instruction accepted, Kunwar Sa. All security is in position. However... Suhani ji has pushed their lead guard into the fountain. The situation is a bit... complicated.)
Virajita looked at Shaurya, completely stunned, while the alarms throughout the secure bunker started to blare in dark patterns.
.
.
.
.
Thank you for reading....🤍
How was the chapter guys??
Pls vote, comment and share the story with your friends if you liked this chapter!!
See you in the next chapter cuties!!✨️
Write a comment ...