Siya's life in Chandipur was marked by resilience and solitude, her days consumed by nurturing the vibrant blooms of her flower shop. Abandoned at birth and haunted by the mystery of her parents' disappearance, she had grown accustomed to the whispe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The room was eerily quiet except for the muffled sobs of Siya, seated beside Jiya and Jeevika, who were doing their best to console her. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably, her tear-streaked face buried in her hands. Suresh Sharma, her father, stood by the window, his body taut with barely contained fury, his fingers twitching as though desperate to lash out at someone. Whereas Rithvik paced the room like a caged tiger, his face a storm of emotions; rage, frustration, and a consuming need for action.
"We can't just sit here!" he barked suddenly, breaking the silence, causing me to raise my eyebrows.
"Every second we waste is a second Ishita is in danger. Do you even understand what that monster could be doing to her?"
Yes, they kidnapped Ishita!
"Rithvik, calm down," I said, my voice even but laced with steel.
"Calm down?" He rounded on me, his fists clenched.
"She's your family too, Bhai-sa! How can you just stand there and—"
"Enough," My voice was low but sharp, slicing through the air like a whip. He froze mid-sentence, his chest heaving. I stepped toward him, my hands clasped behind my back to keep myself from acting on my own simmering rage. Beacuse right now, my mind is fucked up! And Rithvik outbursts, Siya's crying isn't helping either.
"Do you think I'm not furious? That I don't want to burn everything Devraj Seth has ever touched to the ground? But losing control won't bring Ishita back!"
"But bhai-sa?"
"A king doesn't charge blindly into battle. He strategizes, he calculates, and then he strikes!" I said, clenching my fist. But before I could say more, Siya's trembling voice cut through the tension.
"Please... r-raj," she whispered, her red-rimmed eyes searching mine as she walked toward me helplessly. Once she was no longer in her usual composed state, I couldn't predict what she might do next.
"A-aap layiye... usse hamare p-paas... hum usse nahi kho sakte..."
"Just... just bring her back. I... I can't lose her too," The words were barely out when she attempted to touch my feet in order to persuade me, her desperation clear. I froze, eyes wide, and gently caught her by the shoulder, shaking her to bring her back to herself.
"C-calm down..."
"No, I need to go to her! I don't believe Devraj! He'll do something to her! R-raj, she's afraid of the dark....she might faint! You're not understanding!" She continued to sob, panic rising in her voice. I knew how much Ishita meant to her, but her distress was something I couldn't ignore.
