"See a future with him, pretend to move on... but when it's time to become a bride, it'll be for me. You can hate me all you want, but my name will be in your fate." The monitor backstage buzzed with Swaraj Malhotra's voice, slick with self-satisfaction. "Dhananjay Singhania ke paas na toh bahu hai, na hi bahumat." I almost pitied them. Almost. "Sir?" my aide whispered. "We're live in two." I smiled, not the charming kind they use for posters, the other one . the kind that didn't reach my eyes. The kind that meant someone was about to regret underestimating me. The one that makes my team nervous. Because they know when I smile like that, it means I'm about to ruin someone's perfectly planned day. I walked up to the stage, every step measured. The anthem played. Composure is a crown, and I wear mine well. The Chief Justice handed me the Constitution, his expression solemn. "Repeat after me." as he gestured me forward, the Constitution opened before him. I raised my right hand. "Main Dhananjay Singhania..." My voice echoed back through the hall, too calm, too rehearsed. I could already imagine Swaraj watching this on his fancy LED, smug and proud of his own line. "Main Dhananjay Singhania, shapat leta hoon ki main apne pad ke kartavya..." The words droned on, heavy and holy. Every syllable was a performance loyalty, integrity, service. Funny. Everyone in this room had sold those words long ago. And then I saw her. Front row. White saree. Minimal makeup. Hair tied loose. Sitting right in front , her father's daughter, my rival's pride. I forgot the cameras. The promises. The Politics. "Bahumat toh mil gayi..." I said into the microphone, pausing deliberately. The Chief Justice froze. The crowd murmured. My security chief mouthed something that looked suspiciously like "sir please don't-" Too late. "Ab bas bahu ki kami thi." In one sentence, I did two things - proposed to my rival's daughter and declared a war.

My phone rings for the nth time as I try to climb up the stairs as fast as I can, out of all days the elevator had to be out of service TODAY, wearing the heavy lehenga seems to add to the misery, I open the door to the hall and see my whole family standing there, 5 years and nothing has changed Everything was good till I hear Vyara shout out loud and say "there's my sister" I feel everyone coming to a stop and look at me, I feel my cheeks redden at the stunt my sister just pulled... My eyes roam around in search of my brother but comes to a stop as it notices someone else, the world comes to stop, the people disappear as he lifts up his head to look at me... what is HE doing here? What happens when you let him go, but fate has other plans for you?

✫ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 ᕯᕯᕯᕯᕯᕯ Coming 2026

✫ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 ᕯᕯᕯᕯᕯᕯ She walks like royalty. He moves like a storm. She commands courtrooms with fire. He rules boardrooms in silence. She hides pain behind sharp words. He buries his behind calm eyes. She trusts no one. He lets no one close. She is rage wrapped in grace. He is restraint edged with danger. She used to laugh. He used to be the reason. . . . . RITIKA SINGH RATHORE Born into Rajasthan's most powerful royal family, Ritika is the pampered princess. But she is a Queen of her own world by strength and sheer will. A fierce lawyer feared in courtrooms, her silence is sharper than most screams. But behind that cold brilliance is a past steeped in blood and betrayal. She used to be the third-in-command of the Indian underworld, but now she doesn't even look at that direction. ADWAIT SINGHANIA A self-made billionaire forged by pain, Adwait rose from the ashes of a brutal past. He thinks like a strategist, moves like a soldier and trusts no one with his heart. He is only cheerful around his family and for others, he is nothing more than a silent storm. Once the second-in-command of India's deadliest crime syndicate, he has now cut ties with the crime world. Reason? No one knows. They were once each other's biggest supporter and secret keeper. Until one night shattered it all. Yet, years later, fate throws them together again. Not as friends. Not as enemies. But as two people bound by a past that refuses to die. Because the past isn't done with them yet. Enemies are watching. Alliances are shifting. And every heartbeat draws them deeper into a war they thought they had left behind. This isn't just a second chance. It's a collision course. This is not a love story, not yet. This is a battlefield and their hearts are the most dangerous weapons of all. ✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫✫

✭ 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗻 '𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀' Nishtha~ "I think you should try flirting with someone who is interested in you. Because I am not at all interested in you or your good looks, Mr. Ahuja." Samarth~ "I will see how much longer she can resist my charm." ° ° ° NISHTHA CHANDWANI A single mother and fiercely independent, Nishtha works as the PA to the CEO of one of India's top publishing houses. Her life revolves around her 3-year-old daughter, Mishka, who is her greatest joy and biggest responsibility. Haunted by a traumatic past, Nishtha hides her pain behind a cold, no-nonsense demeanor, refusing to let anyone get too close. Love and trust? She is done with those illusions. DR. SAMARTH AHUJA A celebrated psychologist with a magnetic charm, Samarth is used to getting attention wherever he goes. Known for his playful flirting, he thrives on the chase but never lets things go too far. However, behind the carefree facade lies a man who fiercely protects those he loves. Samarth is someone you want on your side- a loyal friend who will go to any lengths to safeguard his people. But cross him, and his cunning mind can become your worst nightmare. ° ° ° What happens when an obsessive heart meets an unyielding soul? In this gripping tale of love, obsession, and danger- Nishtha and Samarth's worlds collide in ways neither of them could have foreseen.

[𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝] The one quote which keeps Jaanvi going- 'You are on your own.' Choosing herself over anyone or anything else turned out to be the best decision of her life. Working as a therapist, she loved it, helping people that is, even though the profession had its own pros and cons. Yet, being so happy in what she does, there still remains a void in her heart. A void that she has tried filling in many ways but it remains the same. What happens when she realises that the only way to fill the void is to pull down the walls around her heart again? Is she willing to put herself through the same feelings again or will she be content in avoiding the path which puts her heart at a risk?

Love! Adaira Ambrose has finally found it, and doesn't plan to let it go. Who cares about the thousands of miles of distance between her and her beloved? Now it's finally her time to go on an adventure! Off to India! Who cares about the bloody revolution that happens to be going on there? She has grit, determination, and a revolver in her pocket! Who cares about her enraged big brother, who is coming after her and- ...all right, she might have to care about him. But not if she can pull off a successful elopement before he gets his hands on her. Time to embrace the motto "Knowledge is power is time is money!" The tenth and final volume of Robert Thier's "Storm and Silence" series.

Order. Discipline. Silence. Those are the rules billionaire businessman Rikkard Ambrose lives by-at least until his wife Lilly presents him with the bundle of bawling joy that is his newborn son. Together, they embark on a new life of delightfully chaotic perfection, not knowing that, in the shadows, an old enemy is plotting. Can the little family defend itself against a web of intrigues and change diapers at the same time? The 9th volume of Robert Thier's "Storm and Silence" series.

WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.

This was NOT how Lilly had expected her honeymoon to go. Ever since their ship left the shore, she has been feeling dizzy, irritable and nauseous...and what the heck are these strange cravings she keeps having? Her brand-new husband is no help either. Suddenly, stoic, icy billionaire Mr Rikkard Ambrose has turned into a moody, overprotective caveman. Oh well, there's no bad mood that can't be cured by an action-packed adventure in the Wild West, right? Volume 7 of the Storm and Silence series.