♡ Two ♡

The Raghuvanshi Mansion - Dinner Table of Doom

The grand dining hall of the Raghuvanshi mansion glittered with wealthlong marble table, gold-rimmed china, and chandeliers dripping with diamonds. But the air?

Thick. Heavy. Ready to explode.

Rajveer sat at the head of the table-stoic, commanding, dressed in his usual charcoal suit. His sharp eyes missed nothing.

To his left, sat Yuvaanexpression cold, fingers tapping silently on the wood. No one dared speak to him unless spoken to first.

To his right, sat Avyansh, legs spread wide like he owned the table, chewing gum and scrolling through his phone like dinner was beneath him.

On the other end sat Manish, sipping his third glass of wine, openly leering at whichever daughter-in-law happened to pass too close.

Beside him sat Manisha back straight, eyes narrowed, head held high like a queen with her court of slaves.

Malika and Anika sat proudly next to her, their faces a mix of disapproval and permanent boredom.

And then came the daughters-in-law Lavanya, Jaanvi, and Tara dressed in elegant sarees, silent, heads bowed, plates in hand, like royal maids in a palace they supposedly "belonged" to.

Lavanya moved gracefully, placing the rice and daal carefully on Rajveer's plate. He didn't look at her, but his hand brushed hers for a second. She froze. His fingers didn't pull away immediately but his expression stayed unreadable.

Yuvaan didn't look up as Jaanvi placed roti beside his plate. She didn't expect him to, but she still swallowed hard when he muttered, "Too thin," without sparing her a glance.

Avyansh, meanwhile, smirked when Tara came near him with the sabzi.

"Careful," he muttered low so only she could hear, "Don't poison me. I know you're tempted."

Tara smiled sweetly. "Don't flatter yourself. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be ashes."

Avyansh chuckled under his breath, biting into his food like she'd just confessed her love. "Feisty."

At that moment, Manisha cleared her throat loudly.

"You girls are slow," she snapped. "A woman should be quicker than this. Or has living in this mansion made you lazy?"

"it won't happen again dadi," Lavanya said quietly, placing salad on Manisha's plate.

"Oh, I'm sure," Anika sneered. "You're all just so busy basking in luxury. Maybe if you worked a little harder, your husbands wouldn't come home so late."

The table went cold.

Jaanvi flinched slightly.

Tara's jaw clenched.

Lavanya looked down, her hand tightening on the ladle.

But none of them replied. Not in front of Manisha. No one dared.

Rajveer spoke suddenly low and calm. "Finish your food. This is not a gossip corner."

Everyone fell silent instantly. Even Anika.

Veer, sitting beside Lavanya in a booster chair, looked around with innocent confusion. "Why is nobody talking, Mama?"

Lavanya smiled gently, cupping his cheek. "Because everyone's eating, beta. Shh now."

Manish smirked from across the table. His gaze slid to Jaanvi's waist again. She felt it and immediately stepped behind Lavanya, using her as a shield.

Yuvaan, of course, noticed nothing. Or didn't care.

The silence dragged as cutlery clinked. Tension swirled with the steam of the hot food.

Until Tara's spoon accidentally slipped from her hand and clattered loudly onto Avyansh's plate.

His jaw twitched.

"You're always clumsy," he muttered. "Typical."

Before Tara could snap back, Manisha's voice sliced the air.

"Control your tongue, Avyansh. Don't behave like a roadside thug in my dining room."

Avyansh leaned back in his chair, smirked, and threw his hands up in surrender. "Not my fault she was raised in a broken circus."

Tara's eyes burned.

But Lavanya caught her wrist gently under the table. A silent plea: Not here. Not now.

"May I take your plate, Rajveer?" Lavanya asked Rajveer softly, trying to defuse the moment.

He nodded once. "Yes."

She leaned in to collect the plate, and he whispered so low only she could hear

"Eat before everything turns cold."

Lavanya blinked. It was small. Barely a line. But from Rajveer? It felt like thunder.

As she turned to walk away, she saw Anika watching her. Studying her. Like a snake waiting to bite.

Dinner was over. But the war had just begun. And the cracks in the porcelain were spreading fast.

....................

The family had moved to the grand living room after dinner. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, and expensive upholstery gleamed under soft golden lights.

Rajveer sat silently on the main sofa, eyes on the news channel but mind elsewhere.

Yuvaan was scrolling through emails on his tablet, face blank.

Avyansh had a drink in hand, legs spread out, owning the space like a lion in his den.

Manisha, Manish, Malika, and Anika sat on the opposite side, sipping post-dinner chai, their expressions twisted in judgment as usual.

Veer sat in Lavanya's lap quietly, playing with a toy car, while Tara stood beside a pillar, arms crossed, trying to disappear.

Jaanvi hadn't returned yet still at the office with Yuvaan's files.

Suddenly BAM.

The double doors flung open dramatically, and stumbled in Aniket Mittal.

Hair is a mess. Shirt wrinkled. Sunglasses on at night. A walking billboard for "rich and useless."

"Ughhh, who put the sun in the hall?" he grunted, shielding his eyes from the chandelier.

Anika jumped up. "Beta! You just woke up?"

"It's freaking 10 PM, Mom," he muttered, yawning. "Not everyone's job is to make rotis for a living."

The daughters-in-law stiffened.

Aniket flopped onto one of the armchairs like he was born in it. "Where's my food? I'm starving. Lavanya bhabhi!" he barked, not even glancing at her. "Get me something. Now."

The room still went.

Lavanya didn't respond right away. Her fingers curled slightly over Veer's shoulder.

Anika, smirking proudly, chimed in, "Didn't you hear him? He said he's hungry."

Manisha's cold eyes turned to Lavanya. "Well? You're still sitting. You want my grandson to starve now?"

Rajveer's jaw tightened.

Lavanya carefully picked Veer up and handed him to Tara. She walked toward the kitchen, her eyes lowered-but her spine straight.

As she passed Aniket, he whistled low under his breath. "Hurry up, bhabhi. I'm not one of your four-year-olds."

Rajveer's voice cut the air like a knife.

"Aniket."

Everyone turned.

Rajveer's eyes were on him dark, sharp, dangerous. "If you speak to her like that again, you'll be eating off the floor."

Aniket blinked, stunned. "What?"

"I said what I said," Rajveer replied coldly. "One more word, and I'll throw your entitled ass out of this house."

The silence was deadly.

Even Manisha didn't interrupt. Her lips thinned, but she said nothing.

Anika looked furious but too shocked to speak.

Lavanya paused for a second. Her eyes met Rajveer's briefly. He didn't look away.

She swallowed... and went to the kitchen quietly.

Tara smirked from her corner.

Veer clapped innocently, thinking someone just won a game.

__________________________

Yuvaan's Study - The Ice Chamber

The heavy oak doors of Yuvaan's study slammed shut behind him with a dull thud. The room was cold lined with shelves of untouched books and polished liquor bottles.

Jaanvi stood just inside, holding a thick file of reports in both trembling hands. She had just returned from printing the revised presentation. Her heels ached, her eyes burned from screen light, but she remained composed poised. Just how he liked his "secretary."

Or at least... how he tolerated her.

Yuvaan didn't look up. He stood near the tall windows, hands in his pockets, watching the night.

Jaanvi cleared her throat gently. "I've corrected the figures in the Q3 forecast... and added the new projections you requested, sir."

His voice came like ice.

"Five hours. For three slides."

She flinched. "There were formatting errors and the previous data was mismatched with the...."

"Excuses," he snapped, turning around. His eyes locked on hers sharp, cold, and lethal. "You want to act like you're intelligent, but you're not even efficient."

Jaanvi lowered her eyes, clutching the file tighter.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll be faster next time."

Yuvaan stepped forward, slow and deliberate. The space between them shrank, and so did the air.

"Of course, you'll be faster," he sneered. "Wouldn't you want to disappoint the man funding your luxury, right?"

Her heart sank. She said nothing. She'd learned silence stings less than any reply.

He snatched the file from her hands, flipping through it without actually reading it. "Still sloppy. But then again, what else can I expect from a gold digger who can't even spell commitment, let alone deliver it?"

His words cut. And they landed exactly where he wanted them to.

Jaanvi bit the inside of her cheek. The sting in her eyes threatened to rise.

Yuvaan dropped the file on the desk with a loud thud. "Get out."

She looked up, startled. "Sir?"

"I said, get out. I can't stand the air when you're in this room."

Jaanvi froze. Her fingers curled at her sides. Her throat was tight.

But she nodded once, whispering, "Yes, sir."

As she turned to leave, he added with a cruel smirk, "Don't forget to polish my nameplate before you go. I wouldn't want anyone to forget you're only here because it says Yuvaan Raghuvanshi."

The door closed behind her with a click.

On the other side, Jaanvi paused, pressing her hand to her chest as if to physically hold her heart together. Just one moment. Just one breath.

She had no tears left.

Only silence.

And strength.

.....................................

Avyansh & Tara's Room - The Coldest Fire

The door creaked open.

Tara stepped into the grand, dimly lit room she wished she could unsee. The luxurious decor a cruel reminder of the prison she now called her home was perfect. Perfectly cold. Perfectly silent. Perfectly... his.

She walked slowly past the vanity, her eyes brushing over the mirror where her reflection looked more like a shadow than a person. Dressed in a deep maroon saree with silver embroidery, she looked stunning. But behind the kohl-lined eyes was a storm unseen, unspoken.

Avyansh stood at the bar counter, swirling whiskey in a crystal glass. His back to her. His sleeves rolled up, jaw clenched.

"You're late," he said flatly, not turning around.

Tara didn't answer.

She moved quietly toward the closet, trying to avoid any conversation. But silence wasn't enough. It never was.

"Did I ask you to walk away?" he growled.

She froze.

Turning slowly, Tara met his cold gaze. His eyes fierce, unreadable pinned her in place like a bullet to the chest.

"I didn't want to disturb you," she said quietly, her voice calm. Distant.

Avyansh laughed a bitter, sharp sound.

"Don't flatter yourself. Your voice disturbs nothing. I've heard flies buzz louder."

Tara didn't flinch. She'd grown used to the venom. His words came at her like knives now. Daily.

"Still playing the obedient wife?" he stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Trying to earn my approval with your fake respect and heavy makeup?"

She said nothing.

"Or maybe you're still dreaming of our so-called 'first night'?" His voice dipped into mockery. "Want me to pass out again for you, princess?"

Tara's lips tightened. Her fists curled slightly at her sides.

"You can humiliate me all you want, Avyansh. But don't pretend you're doing it for justice. We both know this marriage isn't about love. It never was."

He stared at her, jaw ticking.

Then he said, slowly, dangerously, "Don't test me, Tara. You're not here to talk. You're here to pay."

Her voice barely trembled as she replied, "I already am."

Silence.

Tense. Ugly. Heavy.

Suddenly, Avyansh turned back to the bar, pouring himself another drink. "Go to sleep. I don't want to see your face again tonight."

Tara walked over to the couch her bed. Her prison. She pulled a shawl over her shoulders and curled into the corner.

Avyansh didn't look at her again.

He didn't need to.

The hatred in the room was thick enough to suffocate.

....................................

Midnight in the Kitchen - Lavanya's Loneliness

The rest of the mansion had gone silent.

The chandeliers in the hall were dimmed, the curtains drawn. Behind the grand walls and closed doors, every soul was tucked into their luxurious beds.

Except one.

In the kitchen, the flickering orange glow of the stove cast soft shadows across the room. Lavanya, still wearing her navy blue saree now creased from a long day's work, stood barefoot before the gas burner. A small steel bowl of oil gently heated over a low flame.

She stirred it carefully, adding a pinch of turmeric and camphor exactly how Manisha liked it.

Her shoulders slumped with fatigue. Her arms ached. But there was no room for rest. Not yet.

Manisha Raghuvanshi wanted her nightly oil massage. And to deny her that, even for one day, would mean humiliation the next morning.

Lavanya blinked away the sting in her eyes. She hadn't even removed her earrings yet. Her stomach growled softly she hadn't eaten since lunch. Still, she gently swirled the oil, watching the little bubbles rise like ghosts of the life she used to have.

She moved to the corner counter, preparing the massage tray. A clean cloth. The bowl. Cotton balls.

Then soft footsteps.

"Mama...?"

Lavanya turned sharply.

Veer, in his soft dinosaur pajamas, stood at the kitchen entrance, holding a half-hugged stuffed tiger. His hair was messy from sleep, and his eyes were barely open.

"Why are you awake, baby?" she asked gently, immediately kneeling down to him.

"You didn't tell me the story tonight..." he whispered, rubbing his eye.

Her heart broke in the most silent, motherly way.

"I'm sorry, my prince," she whispered, pulling him into her arms. "Mama just had some work."

"Story now?" he asked, already yawning against her shoulder.

Lavanya looked at the tray. The oil was ready. Manisha was waiting upstairs, no doubt already preparing insults for tomorrow.

She smiled softly at Veer and kissed his forehead. "Let's make a deal. I tell you half the story now, and the rest tomorrow morning. But only if you promise to dream about dragons tonight."

"Okay..." he nodded sleepily.

She carried him toward the hallway, whispering gently in his ear.

"There once was a baby dragon who didn't know how to fly..."

And as she walked tired, burdened, but still smiling for her son Lavanya's shadow stretched along the marble floors like the silent weight of every woman who carries too much, too quietly.

................

Outside the Kitchen - Rajveer's Quiet Realization

Rajveer Raghuvanshi stood in the shadowed corridor, unseen.

His sharp, cold eyes had followed Lavanya as she worked late in the kitchen, her graceful hands carefully warming oil for Manisha's massage. She looked drained her bun coming loose, her sari stained with a drop of curry, her eyes rimmed with fatigue.

Yet... she smiled.

When Veer appeared at the kitchen door, her entire face lit up. She didn't groan. She didn't sigh. She opened her arms with pure, unshaken love.

He watched her kneel down to Veer's level, whisper to him, cradle him, kiss his head.

The woman he once called a whore... was now whispering a bedtime story to his son with more love than he'd ever seen from anyone in his life.

Something shifted.

A memory flashed.

> "You're just a nanny for Veer, not my wife."

He'd spat those words at her in a fit of blind rage months ago cornered her, humiliated her, left her trembling. And yet, here she was. Still mothering Veer. Still serving his family. Still... standing.

Lavanya walked out of the kitchen now, carrying Veer in her arms his head resting on her shoulder, his little hands clutching her saree.

Rajveer didn't move.

He just watched.

He watched as she kissed Veer's forehead softly and said, "There once was a baby dragon who didn't know how to fly..."

A lump formed in his throat. He swallowed it like poison.

And for the first time in years...

He wondered if maybe just maybe he'd been wro

ng.

Not entirely.

Not completely.

But wrong enough to feel the sting of shame.

His fingers clenched into fists. The words he'd said the hatred, the disgust echoed in his mind. But Lavanya never stopped. Never answered back. Never threw it in his face.

And he wondered

What kind of woman endures hell... and still sings lullabies?

------------------------

Hopefully you will like it and sorry for the mistakes 🙏

Luv u all 😘