Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh

Chapter 66: Maya Manipulates

The room, once Maya's dominion of deceit and manipulation, now felt like a stage set for her downfall. The walls that had once echoed with her lies and half-truths seemed to close in around her as Aarav's unwavering gaze bore into her. The arrival of the lawyer had disrupted her carefully crafted narrative, and now she was floundering, grasping at straws to maintain control.

"Aarav, please," she stammered, her voice a mix of desperation and feigned innocence. "Main toh bas tumhari madad karne ki koshish kar rahi thi." Her attempt to play the victim fell flat in the charged atmosphere, the words hollow and unconvincing.

Aarav's smile was small but potent, a silent acknowledgment of her failing ruse. For years, she had manipulated him, casting him as unstable and dangerous in the eyes of the world. But today, with the lawyer as a witness and the police looming just outside, the tables had finally turned. The ball was in his court now.

Maya's panic flared as she turned to the lawyer, clutching at the last vestiges of her bravado. "Gautam, mujhe bachao, mera pati mujhe maar dalega!" Her voice was a sharp plea, but even she could hear the cracks in it.

Gautam, the lawyer, had been a silent observer until now. He finally spoke, his voice calm and measured, "How are you, Aarav sir?"

Aarav eased himself onto the couch, the picture of composure despite the turmoil that had unfolded. "I am fine," he responded, his tone steady, though his gaze never wavered from Maya. The calmness in his voice was almost eerie, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in the room.

Just then, Sumitra emerged from another room, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of Maya's disheveled state. "Maya, yeh kisne kiya?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Maya's rage was quick to surface, her mask slipping further. "Iss Aarav ne... ise toh main..." She stopped abruptly, her words catching in her throat as she noticed the lawyer's piercing stare.

Aarav's smile widened, but it was laced with sarcasm. "Ruk kyun gayi, Maya? Aaj mujhpar chabuk nahi barsaogi?" His words were a taunt, a reminder of the times she had tormented him, pushing him to the brink.

Maya clenched her fists, struggling to keep her anger in check. Sumitra's eyes darted nervously to the lawyer, her fear palpable. The lawyer's presence threatened to expose everything the divorce papers, the truth behind Aarav's father's murder, all the secrets they had worked so hard to keep buried.

Aarav's gaze shifted to Sumitra, his expression cold and calculating. "Kya hua, Sumitra? Tumhe paseene kyun aane lage?" he asked, his voice carrying a sinister edge.

Sumitra tried to recover, her voice trembling slightly. "Aarav, tumne shayad apni dawai nahi li hai..."

But her words rang hollow, a desperate attempt to deflect from the real issues at hand. She, like Maya, could feel the walls closing in, the lies unraveling at an alarming pace.

Before Maya could respond or concoct another lie, the door creaked open. The police officers entered, their presence filling the room with a sense of finality. Maya's eyes widened, the mask of confidence she had worn so well slipping entirely. Shock and fear contorted her features, revealing a vulnerability that Aarav had rarely seen in her.

Aarav remained composed, his eyes now shifting between Maya, the lawyer, and the police officers. The room was thick with tension, the air heavy with the weight of unspoken truths. Aarav's resolve only grew stronger in the silence that followed, a quiet determination taking root within him.

This was the moment he had been waiting for, the moment to confront Maya's deceit and bring the truth to light. He would protect his daughter, Khushi, from the dark shadows that Maya had cast over their lives, and he would ensure that justice was served, no matter the cost. The endgame had begun, and Aarav was ready to see it through.