Mafia's Heart

1

Have you ever loved someone so intensely that the mere thought of their absence sends aches coursing through every fiber of your being? Or perhaps, have you ever found yourself breathless in the presence of the one who makes your heart race, making each moment feel like a suspended breath? Maybe you've experienced losing yourself so completely in another person that when you search within, all you discover is them—pervading every part of you, with every breath you draw and every blink you make.

If your answer is 'No,' then perhaps you won't connect with the whirlwind of emotions consuming Aaditya Singh Rajput at this very moment. He's utterly captivated by the woman standing before him—not just any woman but the wife of his late brother. She's the one he's searched for across every corner of his country, the elusive figure he's spent the past eight months of his life pursuing.

"Aaditi," he began, but before he could say another word, his mother, visibly shocked, rose from her seat and stared at her daughter-in-law as if she had seen a ghost. None of the Rajput family members had anticipated her presence, especially not after her abrupt disappearance on the day of her husband's death. The rumors swirling about her alleged involvement in her husband's and the late leader of the Rajput Mafia's deaths only added to the surprise and tension in the air.

The heavy tension and simmering anger in the environment were abruptly shattered by the shrill cry of the child nestled in the woman's arms. It was only then that everyone in the room noticed the small baby cradled close to her chest. As thick saliva formed in their mouths, Aaditya Singh Rajput finally voiced the question burning in his mind, "Where were you?"

Before Aditi could respond, Gauri Singh Rajput's accusing voice filled the air, hurling accusations at Aditi, "Why did you kill my son? What did he ever do to you besides loving you?" Rage blazed in Gauri's eyes, mingled with tears and pain. Aditi's lips curved into a bitter smile at the mention of 'love.' Breaking her gaze from the floor for the first time in the past twenty minutes she had been standing there, she locked eyes with her mother-in-law. The intensity and fury in Gauri's gaze caused Aditi to look away, her eyes dropping to the floor before she spoke, her voice steady yet laced with emotion, "I didn't kill Vikram. It wasn't me."

""Lie, all lies as usual," Gauri accused, pushing her chair back as she strode towards Aditi, her focus now on the little infant nestled in the woman's arms. "Whose child is this?"

"It's mine and Vikram's..." Aditi began, but before she could finish, Gauri's heavy palm landed on her cheek, jerking her face to the side.

"Don't lie," Gauri growled through gritted teeth, madness blazing in her eyes as she pulled a gun from her holster and pressed it against Aditi's forehead.

"No matter how foolish you think I am, I wouldn't bring someone else's child into this house." Aditi met Gauri's gaze with equal intensity, filled with anger and mutual hatred, she asserted, "You know you can't kill me. My family won't stay silent if they think you've harmed me. If you want war..." Her lips curled into a bitter smile as she stepped forward, asserting dominance over her mother-in-law, "then pull the trigger, and war you shall have."

"Mother, step back," Aaditya ordered firmly, his authoritative tone cutting through the escalating tension. Gauri turned to him in disbelief, stunned by her son's words.

"Do you know what she's done?" Gauri's anger overwhelmed the room, overshadowing the innocent infant in Aditi's arms, who could only sense the heavy negativity surrounding him.

"Nothing has been proven, Mother. Until it's proven that she killed Vikram, we can't act rashly, especially not with Vikram's child in her arms." Aaditya's words held a ring of truth, acknowledging the complexity of the situation. Even if Aditi were guilty, he wouldn't let his mother harm her. There was a strange power she held over him, enough to ignite fury at the mere thought of harm befalling her.

"Why did you come back?" Gauri's question cut through the tension, aimed directly at Aditi. Aditi understood the weight and meaning behind her mother-in-law's inquiry, sighing before locking eyes with Aaditya, a shiver running down her spine.

"To settle scores," Aditi replied firmly, her gaze unwavering as she turned her back to Mrs. Rajput and Aaditya Singh Rajput, leaving the room without another word.

"Aaditya..." Gauri's voice trailed off as Aaditya hastily followed the woman who had just exited the room.

_________________
___________________________

Once inside the room where she had endured four years of pure hell, Aditi sank onto the bed, lost in her thoughts. Her hand held her little one tightly, lost in the tumult of her mind, oblivious to her surroundings—particularly to the pair of eyes fixated on her face.

"You're going to tell me where you were, or I'll have to make you talk my way, sugar," Aaditya's voice was a stark contrast to how it had been in the dining room in the presence of his mother and others. It was deadly low but tinged with a desperate edge.

"I needed space and time, Aaditya," Aditi replied wearily, too exhausted to even open her eyes and meet his gaze. She lay back on the bed with her son cradled against her chest, gently patting his back to soothe him to sleep.

"Space and time? That's not what we agreed upon," Aaditya stated, closing the door behind him as he entered the room, ensuring the latches were secured and the windows closed. His voice shifted from needy to dangerously calm as he closed the distance between them, standing beside the bed she lay upon. "Where were you?"

"Somewhere you couldn't find me," Aditi replied, her eyes opening to meet his gaze. The whirlwind of emotions in his eyes momentarily shook her, but she quickly regained her composure. "And why does it matter now that I'm back here?"

"You know exactly why it matters," Aaditya's voice barely rose above a whisper, mindful not to disturb the sleeping baby who was now softly snoring with an open mouth, drooling. His gaze softened as he took in the features of the child. "And this child, is it mine or his?"

"You want me to answer it?" Aditi asked raising her brow, a smirk crept up on her lips "How can it be yours when you weren't the one between my legs fucking the life out of me a year ago? Or were you?"

__________________________
________________
_________________________________