𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 || @𝘼𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙨||

.Chapter-25. Partnership.

2600+ words

ek tukada baadal.
ek aangan barasaat,
dil ki yahi khvaish, 
ki bhigu tere saath 
maang lungi tujhe ab 
takadir se, 
kyuki ab mera maan 
nahi bharata hai 
teri tasvir se.

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Author's pov:

"Hello?" he answered, his voice betraying none of the turmoil swirling within him.

"Hello, Ashwin," came the smooth, familiar voice on the other end of the line, sending a shiver down Ashwin's spine. It was Vikram Mehra, the man whose mere mention had stirred up a whirlwind of emotions within him.

"What do you want, Vikram?" Ashwin asked, his tone laced with a mixture of apprehension and defiance.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, the silence stretching taut between them like a tightrope. Then, Vikram spoke again, his voice smooth as silk and just as dangerous.

"I think you know why I'm calling, Ashwin," he said, his words dripping with thinly veiled menace. "I saw your wife today, at the meeting. She's quite the impressive woman, isn't she?"

Ashwin's jaw tightened at the mention of Ashlyn, his grip on the phone growing tighter with each passing moment. He had hoped to keep her out of the tangled web of his past, to shield her from the ghosts that haunted him. But now, it seemed that Vikram had other plans.

"What's your point, Vikram?" Ashwin demanded, his patience wearing thin.

Vikram chuckled on the other end of the line, the sound grating on Ashwin's nerves like sandpaper. "My point is simple, Ashwin," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "I want what's mine. And I won't stop until I get it."

Ashwin's heart hammered in his chest at Vikram's words, a sense of foreboding settling over him like a suffocating blanket. He knew that Vikram was not a man to be taken lightly, that his threats were more than mere idle words.

But even as fear gnawed at the edges of his consciousness, Ashwin's resolve remained unbroken. He would protect Ashlyn at all costs, even if it meant facing his past head-on and confronting the demons that lurked in the shadows.

With a steely determination, he squared his shoulders and met Vikram's gaze, his voice firm and unwavering. "You won't lay a finger on her, Vikram," he vowed, his words ringing out like a solemn oath. "Not now, not ever."

And as he ended the call, a sense of grim determination settled over him like a mantle, steeling his resolve for the battle that lay ahead.

Yuvan's concerned voice cut through the tense atmosphere, drawing Ashwin's attention back to the present moment. With a heavy sigh, Ashwin pocketed his phone and turned to face his friend, his expression grave.

"It's nothing, Yuvan," he said, his voice strained with emotion. "Just... some unfinished business from the past."

Yuvan's brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes searching Ashwin's face for answers. "Unfinished business? What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Ashwin hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal to his friend. But as he met Yuvan's gaze, he saw nothing but genuine concern reflected back at him, and he knew that he couldn't keep the truth from him any longer.

"It's Vikram," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "He's... he's back."

Yuvan's eyes widened in shock at the mention of Vikram's name, his expression mirroring Ashwin's own sense of dread. "Vikram Mehra?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief. "But I thought..."