SHADOWS OF THE BLOODLINE

Chapter 1

Ishan awoke to the harsh morning light, feeling suffocated by the weight of his nightmares. As Ishan reluctantly emerged from the clutches of sleep, he found himself confronted by the relentless glare of the morning sun seeping through the curtains. Each ray seemed to pierce through the veil of his subconscious, casting harsh shadows that mirrored the turmoil within his mind.

Raina, ever attentive to Ishan's struggles, approached with a soft chuckle.

"Little prince woke up? Haha," Raina chuckled, but Ishan's annoyance remained.

Raina closed the curtains, offering Ishan more sleep, but he refused, his mind plagued by restless thoughts.

"I know you haven't slept lately," Raina remarked, his concern evident in his gentle touch.

Ishan's silence spoke volumes as he retreated into himself, seeking solace in the familiarity of his bed.

"I will let your father know if this continues," Raina suggested, his voice laced with worry.

"No, you won't. You know what he will do first. I don't want to see Saurav uncle now," Ishan replied, his eyes betraying a hint of fear. "He will give me medicines that I don't like."

"How will you recover from this if you don't take medicines?" Raina pressed; his concern etched into every word.

"I will recover if I go out from this hell," Ishan retorted bitterly.

"This is not hell, Ishan, it's your home. Your father and your brothers stay here," Raina reminded him gently, but Ishan's resentment bubbled to the surface.

"Yeah, along with 50 people with guns," Ishan mocked, his tone dripping with disdain. "It happened that way. We all need protection. Everyone wants to harm your dad. His line of work is like that way".

"Why do I need protection? Can't I go out? It's because of dad only, his dirty business, that I am here. I hate him". Ishan spat, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"You loved your dad once so much," Raina interjected softly, his voice filled with sadness.

"It ended when I got to know that he killed my mom," Ishan snapped, his pain raw and unfiltered.

"Your mom never loved him , Ishu. She wanted to destroy him. But she certainly loved you. She would have been dead long before if he hadn't known your existence."

"So I should be happy for me. Right?"

"Ishu.."

Raina's voice trailed off as Gambhir entered the room, a smile on his lips, oblivious to the turmoil within.

"Ishu, your eyes look so tired," Gambhir observed.

"You really need to get some sleep. Perhaps you should see Saurav."

"No. It's not medicine I need. I need to escape from here. I'm imprisoned," Ishan cried out, his desperation ringing through the room.

Before Raina could react, Ishan collapsed, his body unable to bear the weight of his emotional turmoil any longer.

"Ishu..." Raina's voice cracked with worry as he reached out to him.

"Call Saurav," Gambhir's command cut through the tension, his smile faltering as he witnessed the scene before him.

"Sure, sir," Raina murmured softly, his heart heavy with the burden of Ishan's suffering as he left the room to make the call.

"Why do you have to endure so much pain, beta?" Gambhir's voice was tender as he gently brushed Ishan's hair, his touch a fleeting comfort amidst the storm of emotions.