Same Night — 3:14 AM
Rajveer & Lavanya’s Room
The room was dim, the soft golden light from the lamp casting long shadows across the walls. Lavanya was finally asleep, curled up on her side beneath the covers.
Rajveer hadn’t moved. He sat beside her, back against the headboard, files forgotten in his lap, gaze fixed on her face. Her breathing had evened out. The ghostly pallor of her panic had faded from her cheeks.
But his mind wasn’t quiet.
"Eighteen. She was just eighteen." He murmured softly
Her broken voice echoed in his head. The weight of his own ignorance pressed on him like concrete bricks. Years. She had been dealing with this for years in silence.
He glanced at the strip of pills still lying on the bedside table, unopened. Something twisted in his chest.
But just when he allowed himself to look away
“No—no, don’t—don’t leave me!” Her sudden cries sliced through the quiet.
Rajveer turned instantly.
Lavanya was twisting in her sleep, her face contorted in pain, arms flailing as though trying to reach someone.
“Papa… Maa… the fire—it’s burning again—”
“Lavanya!” Rajveer grabbed her shoulders. “Wake up Lavanya, wake up!”
But she wouldn’t wake.
“You promised don’t leave me alone—please Rajveer help ”
The sound of his name from her lips, in that broken voice did something to him. He felt it in his throat, his gut.
He cupped her face firmly and leaned close.
“Lavanya! It’s me. I’m here. No one’s burning. No one’s leaving. Wake up.”
Her eyes shot open.
Wide, terrified, filled with tears. She gasped for breath like she’d been underwater.
“R–Rajveer…” she breathes
“You’re okay,” he whispered, brushing damp strands of hair off her forehead. “You’re not alone.”
“I… I was dreaming again,” she croaked, her whole body trembling. “It felt real… like every time. I tried to open the door and—”
“Stop,” he said softly. “It was a nightmare. You’re with me now.”
She stared at him vulnerable, raw, open and for the first time, he didn’t look away.
“Let me take the pills,” she whispered. “Please. I can’t go through that again.”
“No.” he commanded
“Rajveer…” she pleaded
“You don’t need them,” he said gently but firmly. “Not tonight. You’re not alone anymore. You’ll sleep.”
“How can you be sure?” she asked
Rajveer took a breath.
“Because I’m not leaving.”
He moved without another word, lying beside her, not touching but close. Close enough that she could feel his warmth. His presence. His protection.
Lavanya looked at him, tears still shimmering in her eyes.
“Why now?” she asked, her voice small.
“Because I was blind,” he admitted.
And with that, he switched off the light.
The room fell into a hush again, but this time, not empty. Not cold.
Just quiet.
Lavanya lay still, her back inches from his chest. Her eyes fluttered shut, and though fear lingered, it was quieter. Less loud.
And Rajveer?
He stayed awake.
Watching.
Protecting.
For the first time, he didn’t see her as a burden.
He saw her as his wife.
3:45 AM
Rajveer & Lavanya’s Room
Lavanya had finally fallen asleep.
Her breathing was soft now, steady. One hand loosely held the edge of his shirt, almost unknowingly, as if anchoring herself in a storm. Rajveer lay still beside her, his arm behind his head, eyes open and locked on the ceiling.
But his thoughts were a war zone.
“Why didn’t I ever ask?”
“Why didn’t I ever care to know?”
“What the hell happened to her?”
He turned his head slightly to glance at her sleeping face. Even in her dreams, her expression wasn’t at peace. There was always a flicker of pain, of something heavy buried too deep.
He remembered how tonight, she had screamed for her parents. The sheer panic in her voice. The trembling. The pain.
“There was a fire… the door wouldn’t open…” he recalled her words
He clenched his jaw.
He never asked about her family. Never cared to know beyond the convenient line of “her parents passed away.”
When they got married, he was too wrapped up in his hatred, in his assumptions that she was just another rich brat married into his world for status, or worse, for his name.
“You’re just a nanny for Veer.”
“I will never accept you in front of the world.”
“You’re a gold-digger.”
He shut his eyes tight, guilt crawling up his spine like fire.
Was that night the reason she always takes sleeping pills?
Was that fire... how they died?
And where the hell was her family when it happened?
He recalled Veer’s birth certificate how her father’s name was listed as a major business tycoon, one he vaguely remembered hearing about in real estate.
But everything else?
Blank.
Because he’d never bothered to look deeper.
What kind of hell did you come from, Lavanya?
And how did I manage to make it worse for you here?
His gaze lingered on her now peaceful face.
Something shifted in him.
Not dramatically. Not instantly. But like the slow cracking of ice just enough to let warmth bleed in.
He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, careful not to wake her.
“What really happened to you… Lavanya?” he whispered into the night.
....................
Next Morning — Raghuvanshi Mansion Dining Hall
The long dining table was as full as ever. Rajveer sat at the head, silent and composed, flipping through a file on his iPad. Yuvaan sat on his left, scanning emails on his phone. Avyansh, as usual, looked half-done with this planet already, sitting to Rajveer’s right with a bored expression.
Manisha, regal and commanding in her shawl, occupied her usual seat, while Malika sat next to her, hands folded as if to show obedience. Anika, draped in a deep green silk saree, sat with her sharp tongue sharpened like a dagger, waiting for a victim.
Lavanya served everyone with quiet elegance, her wrist slightly bandaged from a burn no one bothered to ask about.
Tara limped slightly as she walked over to serve parathas. Her ankle was healing, but the pain was still evident in her slow movements and winces. Yet, she kept her head high, trying to ignore the discomfort.
Anika’s sharp gaze locked on her.
“Arre waah, look at her our new queen of slow motion,” Anika scoffed, eyes narrowed.
“Maybe next time just roll to the table, Tara. This snail speed won’t work in the Raghuvanshi house.”
Malika chuckled mockingly, sipping her tea.
“Lagta hai kuch zyada aaram mil gaya isse,” she added coldly. “Aise toh kaam kaise chalega, Maaji?”
(It seems she’s gotten a little too comfortable,” she added coldly. “How will work run like this, Maaji?)
Manisha sniffed in disdain.
“Tameez naam ki cheez nahi hai is ladki mein. Aayi thi shaadi karke Raghuvanshi khandaan mein, par adab toh kahin se bhi nahi sikha. Sare kaam theek se toh karti nahi, chali aayi thi dahej leke.”
(This girl has no sense of manners. She came here to marry into the Raghuvanshi family, but she hasn’t learned any respect. She doesn’t do any work properly, came only to take dowry.)
Tara’s hand froze mid-air, holding the serving spoon.
She opened her mouth to say something anything but before a word could escape, a sharp voice cut through the tension like a blade:
“Enough.”
Everyone turned.
It was Avyansh.
He hadn’t even looked up from his plate, but the edge in his voice made the room go dead silent.
Anika blinked in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
Avyansh raised his eyes slowly, deadly calm, and looked directly at her.
“I said enough, bua. Tara twisted her ankle because I tilted her. By accident. You have a problem with how she walks, take it up with me.” his voice Sharp, challenge anyone to dare
A pin-drop silence fell over the table.
Even Yuvaan looked up from his phone. Rajveer raised a brow, faintly intrigued.
Manisha narrowed her eyes. “Tu bol raha hai? Tumhe kya ho gaya, Avyansh?”
( You're speaking,? What happened to you Avyansh?)
“Bas ho gaya,” he replied coolly, taking a sip of his black coffee. “You keep slapping her in front of servants like she’s a maid, and you think no one’s watching?”
( Enough, this is enough)
Tara's eyes widened slightly. This was the first time he'd ever spoken up for her. She wasn’t sure if he was defending her... or simply irritated.
Anika’s face darkened. “You’ve lost your mind! Now you’ll take your so-called wife’s side over your family?”
“No,” Avyansh snapped, finally setting his cup down. “I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m just stating a fact don’t touch her again. Simple.”
Everyone went silent again.
Even Manisha, furious as she was, didn’t retort. For now.
Tara, meanwhile, stood frozen her heart racing. She had no idea what just happened. Why did he did it. What it meant.
But one thing was clear.
For the first time in this house, someone stood between her and a slap.
Even if he hated her.
Avyansh & Tara’s Room — Late Morning
The heavy oak door creaked open as Tara entered the room, still slightly limping. She leaned on the wall for a moment, her breath shaky. Her cheek still burned faintly from the morning slap, but her mind was reeling from something else entirely.
Why did he do that?
Why did Avyansh defend me?
This was the same man who had spat hatred at her on their wedding night. The man who had once said he’d rather sleep with a dog than touch her. And yet today… he stopped a slap.
She walked slowly toward the couch, her ankle throbbing. She bent down carefully, wincing as she removed her slippers.
Behind her, the door opened again.
Tara stiffened.
Avyansh walked in, tossing his phone onto the bed, his tie already loosened. He said nothing, just walked past her to the wardrobe, as if nothing had happened.
She turned, voice quiet but firm. “Why did you say that at breakfast?”
He didn’t look back. “What?”
“You know what I’m asking,” she said, stepping forward, ignoring the ache in her ankle. “You defended me.”
Avyansh gave a half-hearted scoff as he pulled out a fresh shirt. “Don’t flatter yourself. I just don’t like drama during meals.”
Tara folded her arms. “You named them. You called out the slap.”
That got his attention.
He turned to her now, eyes sharp.
“So what? I’m not blind, Tara. I saw the mark. Didn’t know they hit you that hard.”
Tara looked at him, her voice softer this time. “You never cared before.”
Avyansh stepped closer, tension in his jaw. “Yeah? Well maybe I’ve had enough of watching this circus every damn day.”
She swallowed hard. “So... what now? You suddenly care?”
His gaze dropped briefly to her ankle, where the swelling was still visible.
For a flicker of a second, something in his face shifted. Guilt? Concern? Regret?
But then it vanished, replaced by his usual coldness.
“Don’t mistake one moment of silence for affection, Tara. I still hate you,” he said flatly.
Tara looked at him, hurt, but unsurprised. She gave a bitter chuckle, blinking fast to hold back tears. “Right. Thanks for the reminder.”
She turned away and walked toward the window, limping again.
Avyansh didn’t move. Just watched her for a moment longer her bruised cheek, her quiet strength.
“Next time… if anyone lays a hand on you, slap them back,” he muttered suddenly. “Don’t wait for someone else.”
She turned her head slightly, meeting his eyes from across the room.
“Even if it’s you?” she asked quietly.
The silence stretched.
Avyansh looked at her for a moment, then turned away.
“It won’t be.”
And with that, he walked into the bathroom, leaving Tara stunned her heart caught somewhere between relief and confusion.
Rajveer’s Private Study — Late Night
The grand study was dimly lit, filled with the scent of aged leather and burning wood from the fireplace. Rajveer sat behind his mahogany desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the surface, brows furrowed in uncharacteristic frustration.
A file lay open in front of him empty.
No records.
No trace.
No information.
He leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Lavanya Arora…” he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. “You’ve lived with me for years. And still… you're a ghost.”
He had ordered a full background check through one of his most trusted intelligence contacts. And yet, the report that came back was thinner than a school child’s file.
No social media.
No school or college records under her name post age 18.
No financial records except after marriage.
No living relatives.
Not even a proper death certificate for her parents. Just a vague police note: “Car accident, both deceased on site. Case closed.”
Rajveer frowned deeper.
“That’s impossible,” he whispered. “Even I leave a trail. Everyone does.”
He got up, walking to the large glass windows overlooking the lawn. His reflection stared back at him, powerful, unreadable.
“What the hell are you hiding, Lavanya?”
“And why… does it feel like you’re protecting me from something?”
For the first time in his calculating life, Rajveer Raghuvanshi felt uncertainty.
He thought she was a gold digger.
He thought she married him for power.
He wanted to believe she was nothing but a pawn.
But the cracks were widening. She didn’t ask for anything. She loved Veer like her soul was stitched to his heartbeat. She bore insult after insult from Manisha, Anika… even from him. Without a word.
And now this.
“A woman who leaves no footprints behind… either has something to hide or is hiding from someone.”
His jaw clenched. He didn't know which one scared him more.
Rajveer picks up his phone, his voice low and deadly precise.
“Track her. Discreetly. I want everything where she goes, who she talks to. Especially if she’s hiding someone.”
He pauses.
“And check the accident report again. Dig deeper.”
He ends the call, eyes fixed on Lavanya’s picture on his desk one with her and Veer, smiling in the garden. The smile he never truly saw when she looked at him.
Next Morning – Veer’s Room
Lavanya is sitting on the floor beside Veer’s bed, tucking him into his soft blue blanket. He wraps his little arms around her neck and whispers in his sleepy voice:
“Mama… did I have a Nani and Nana like other kids?”
“Where are they?” he asked innocently
Lavanya freezes.
Her fingers, which had just been stroking his hair, stiffen. Her smile falters just slightly but only slightly.
“They’re in heaven, baby,” she says gently, placing a kiss on his forehead.
“They love you from up there.”
“But what were their names? What did they look like?” Veer presses curiously.
Lavanya’s throat closes up. The panic claws at her again, like it did last night. Her heart races. She grips the edge of the bed tightly as her vision blurs.
“I—I’ll show you a photo one day, okay? Go to sleep now,” she whispers, forcing calmness into her voice.
Veer nods drowsily, his questions fading as he drifts off.
Lavanya quietly wipes her eyes, her hands trembling.
Behind the slightly open door… Rajveer stands silently. Unseen.
He had come to ask Veer something about school.
But instead, he heard everything.
Her hesitation. Her trembling voice. The absence of a straight answer.
Something twisted in his chest.
Not jealousy. Not suspicion.
Worry.
And something else he couldn’t admit yet guilt.
Ohh beautiful twist.
A man like Rajveer, with all the power, money, and intelligence in the world… unable to uncover the truth behind his own wife? That will haunt him. Here's how we deepen that thread:
Rajveer’s Study – 48 Hours Later
His investigator, a seasoned ex-RAW officer, stands stiffly in front of Rajveer’s desk, file in hand… empty.
“Sir…” he hesitates, sweating under Rajveer’s unreadable gaze. “I....I don’t know how to explain this.”
Rajveer raises a brow, leaning forward slowly, and the voice razor sharp.
“You’ve hunted terrorists across borders. Don’t tell me you’re scared of a name.”
The man swallows.
“Lavanya Arora… doesn’t exist.”
Silence.
The fire crackles in the corner. Rajveer’s jaw clenches.
“Elaborate.”
“Sir… there’s no trace of her from age 18 to the day she married you. No college. No bank accounts. No passport activity. Even the hospital where her parents were declared dead has no records. The death report we found… was fake."
Rajveer’s gaze sharpens instantly.
“What do you mean fake?”
“A forged police report, planted into the database. The officer who ‘signed’ it? Retired 10 years ago. Sir… someone buried her identity. Purposefully. And they did it perfectly.”
Rajveer rises slowly from his chair, walking to the window. His heart isn’t racing, but something… twists. This is no ordinary woman.
“Who are you, Lavanya?”
Behind him, the agent adds quietly:
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s in witness protection.”
That freezes Rajveer for a beat.
Witness protection? What had she seen? Who was after her? Why would she marry him, of all people?
Unless… it wasn’t a coincidence.
He clenches his fists.
Meanwhile in Lavanya’s Room
Lavanya stares out of the window, hugging Veer’s tiny sweater to her chest.
She knows what he’s doing.
She knows the silence before a storm when it comes from Rajveer Raghuvanshi.
“Let it be… please…” she whispers to herself, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
A Week Later — Rajveer’s Private Office, Midnight
The desk is scattered with files. Shredded papers. Deleted CCTV footage. Forged school documents. All dead ends.
Every lead tied to Lavanya… vanishes.
The investigator enters one last time, empty-handed, exhausted.
“Sir, we’ve checked every digital and physical trace. Birth certificates, orphanages, hospitals, even handwriting samples. Nothing.”
Rajveer doesn’t look up. Just swirls the whiskey in his glass, silent.
“Maybe it’s time to ask her directly…” the officer dares to say.
Rajveer’s eyes slowly rise, dark and dangerous.
“She won’t tell me.”
“Then why not force her?”
Rajveer gives a humorless chuckle, sipping his drink.
“Because… for the first time in my life, I’m afraid of what I’ll find.”
Silence.
He dismisses the man with a wave of his hand
Later That Night — Rajveer & Lavanya’s Room
Lavanya lies asleep, her face peaceful, a book still open beside her. The soft glow of the lamp casts shadows on her delicate features.
Rajveer stands near the window, watching her.
“Whoever you are… you’ve survived something worse than me.”
“And yet… you tuck Veer in, smile at my mother’s cruelty, and never once complain.”
He walks to her side slowly and gently picks up the book from her chest, closing it without waking her.
“You’ve hidden something even I can’t reach… and maybe for once, that’s not a threat it’s power.”
He brushes a stray strand of hair from her cheek.
And for the first time, he doesn’t feel hatred.
Just curiosity… and guilt.
Some days later
Late Evening – Raghuvanshi Industries, Yuvaan’s Cabin
The office is dim, the clock nearing 9 PM.
Jaanvi sits at her desk in the corner, eyes burning from hours of screen time, finalizing a presentation Yuvaan won’t even look at for another week.
Her fingers tremble slightly as she types. She hasn't eaten. Hasn't rested.
Across the room, Yuvaan stands by the glass wall, city lights flickering across his face. He's been silent for the past hour, arms crossed, jaw tight.
Finally, he speaks cold, sharp.
“Don’t screw this up, Jaanvi. We’re meeting investors tomorrow. If I see a single mistake—”
“I’ll be thrown into hell. Again. Got it,” she mutters under her breath.
Yuvaan turns sharply.
“What did you just say?”
She looks up. Her eyes are red. Her voice shakes but she doesn’t care anymore.
“Nothing you haven’t already said before, Mr. Raghuvanshi. Maybe I’m just tired of being perfect for someone who will never even call me his wife.”
Yuvaan’s brows furrow. “Keep your emotions out of work.”
Jaanvi chuckles bitterly. “You brought them in the moment you married me just to punish me.”
Silence.
She looks down again, continuing her work. But a tear falls quietly onto the keyboard.
Yuvaan sees it. His throat tightens but his ego, his wounds, won’t let him soften.
Later That Night – At Home
Jaanvi stands in front of the mirror, removing her earrings, shoulders slumped.
Yuvaan walks in, fresh from a shower, towel around his neck. He barely glances at her. Then suddenly
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
She freezes. “What?”
“Vivaan. When he touched you. At the meeting.”
Jaanvi turns, stunned. “You saw that?”
“I see everything. You let him do it.”
“I LET HIM?” she snaps, voice cracking. “You watched and didn’t say a word. I didn’t want drama. But you? You watched and let it happen like I was nothing.”
Yuvaan glares. “Because maybe you are nothing. Maybe you're used to being touched by anyone.”
The words slice through her like a knife.
Jaanvi steps back, hand pressed to her chest. Her lips tremble.
“I wish… I could hate you more than I already do.”
She walks past him head high, tears falling.
Yuvaan stands frozen. His own words echo in his head.
“Maybe you're used to being touched by anyone.”
His fist clenches.
“What the hell is wrong with me…” he whispers.
But it's too late.
...........................
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