𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 | 𝟏𝟖+

𝟏𝟎. Villain

chapter 10 Villain

Ikshita POV

I was sprawled across the bed after the session, muscles still humming with tension, while Aaliya jabbered endlessly into her phone with Vishal. Useless. Completely useless. I rolled my eyes, wishing I could shove the phone down her throat and make her actually do something productive.

I turned my gaze outward, letting it drift to the window for a few seconds of quiet, before finally dragging myself up. The moment I moved, the house felt… empty. My family had vanished like smoke, leaving nothing but echoes and unanswered questions. No time, no chance, no words to confront them… not then.

But now? Now I had time. Now I had fire.

I straightened my spine, the storm inside me gathering like a hurricane ready to break. Feet firm against the cold floor, I stalked toward the study — the place where Bhaiya and Dada usually hid behind books and papers, plotting, whispering, scheming.

And there they were. Both of them. Sitting, talking, calm, unbothered. Like nothing had happened.

I paused at the doorway, letting the weight of my presence hit them before I even spoke.

“I wanna ask something, Bhaiya… Dada.” My voice cut through the room like glass, sharp, demanding, unapologetic.

Their heads snapped up. Their gazes locked onto me. And in that instant, I knew — for once — I had all the attention. All the power. The questions I’d been biting back, the fury I’d been holding, the answers I needed… everything was finally coming to the surface.

“Yes, come, doll. Why are you just standing there?” Dad’s smile was soft, deceptively calm, but I could feel the tension coiled beneath it. I walked over and perched on the edge of the table, legs swinging slightly, every inch of me radiating impatience and edge.

“I met Aakarsh.” I didn’t waste a second, didn’t preamble. Straight to the point. The words landed like a stone in a pond, rippling through the room.

Bhaiya stiffened instantly, back straightening as if I’d thrown a live wire in front of him. He nodded once, sharp, measured. “Yeah… we know. Mom told us…” His voice trailed off, uncertain.

I shook my head sharply, cutting through the hesitation hanging thick in the air. “I’m sorry. I just… gaslighted her. Nothing like that actually happened.” My voice was firm, precise, carrying no doubt. I could see it in their eyes — the hesitation, the doubt flickering like candlelight — and I wanted to snuff it out completely.

“We know, Ishoo. We believe you,” Dad said, his voice steady, unwavering now. Relief rippled through him, but he kept his calm, the kind that always made me feel safe even when my world was exploding.

I nodded once, clearing my throat, feeling the tension drain slightly but the fire in my veins still alive. I had made my point. I had reclaimed my narrative. And for the first time in hours, I felt… anchored.

“I also… got to know something. And please, tell me he was bluffing, that he’s just a mad caveman, that none of it is true!” I blurted out in a single breath, fingers nervously twisting the hem of my top, heart hammering so hard it felt like it might shatter my ribs.

“That depends on what he said,” Bhaiya replied evenly, but there was that sharp glint in his grey eyes that made my stomach twist. I darted my gaze to Dad, looking for the warmth, the reassurance — only to find the same stormy intensity mirrored in his own eyes.

“Dad… he said… I’m now…” I choked on the words, every syllable foreign and heavy, like swallowing shards of glass. My throat tightened. “I… I…”