Happy reading,
Let's start,
Aditya and Meera sat together on the chair in the boardroom. The chaos of the world outside didn't matter at that moment. They both had tears in their eyes silent, unspoken pain that only the two of them could understand.
Meera's head was resting gently on his chest, her fingers weakly clutching the fabric of his shirt. Aditya held her tightly in his arms, as if protecting her from everything... including himself. His eyes were red.
Neither of them said anything... for a moment
The silence between them was louder than words. She could feel his heartbeat. He could feel her breathing slow down.
Just as Aditya was about to whisper something fragile, honest, his phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen 'Isha'.
He sighed and cut the call.
Meera didn't move. Her head remained on his chest, her eyes shut, her heart trying to rest in his arms.
A few seconds later, the phone rang again.
Aditya clenched his jaw, shut his eyes in frustration, and cut the call again this time more angrily.
His hands moved up slowly. He gently took the edge of Meera's dupatta and wiped his face, his tears.
The phone buzzed for the third time.
This time, he snapped.
He answered the call with fire in his voice, "What the hell is this, Isha? Can't you..."
But then... he looked down at Meera.
She was still leaning against his chest, lost in her own thoughts, eyes distant, lips slightly parted. There was something so vulnerable in her silence that it made his anger melt.
And then he remembered 'she hated his anger'.
He softened instantly, guilt creeping in. He whispered against her hair, almost inaudibly, "Sorry... Jaan..."
Then he brought the phone back to his ear and said in a quiet but firm voice, "Isha... why don't you understand? Right now, I'm just trying to spend a little time with my wife. Just... a little peace. I'll call you in a while, okay?"
Isha's voice on the other end was stiff. "But Adi, I really..."
He cut her off, his voice now heavier and cold. "Isha. Listen to me carefully... do what I said. Okay? Bye."
Before she could respond, he ended the call.
His fingers brushed Meera's hair gently, and he rested his chin against the top of her head. She didn't say anything, but she heard it all.
Meanwhile, Isha stood frozen with the phone still in her hand. Her face was pale, her lips trembling.
The same Aditya who once used to call her without a reason... now didn't even want to talk to her.
And all because of her Meera.
Fury, jealousy, and pain mixed into her bloodstream as she grabbed her keys and whispered to herself, "Why don't you understand, Adi. She's your danger."
Without wasting a second, she stormed out of her house, heading straight to the showroom.
Syndicate,
Vansh walked in briskly, his jaw tight, eyes sharp.
"Haan Nikita, bolo," he said, his voice calm but heavy with tension.
Nikita looked up, clearly anxious. "Vansh... that guy Adi shot, his body's been flown back to Italy. We took care of the papers and the media silence. But now his men are getting aggressive. They're threatening us saying they'll file an international complaint. They know he was last seen with Aditya... and they're sure Adi pulled the trigger."
Vansh closed his eyes for a second, letting the storm settle inside him. "Alright. I'll handle it," he said coldly. "But tell me one thing, Nikita... you couldn't stop him?"
She took a breath, "Vansh, I tried. I swear I tried to stop Adi. But that man... he said something filthy about you. And you know Adi. When it comes to you, his brain switches off. He sees red. Before I could stop him 'boom' he fired. One bullet. That's all it took."
Vansh let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "I swear Nikita agar main kabhi road pe aa gya na agar public ne mujhe jute mare toh samjh lena sab mere bhai ki maharwani hai mujh par.
(Translation - I swear, Nikita, if I ever end up on the streets and the public starts throwing shoes at me, just know-it'll all be thanks to my dear brother's generosity toward me.)
He leaned against the desk, his voice lowering. "Even I don't have as many cases pending as the number of cases I've wiped clean for him. Every mess he creates, my half of the went to clean his messes."
He clenched his fists. "And if Dad ever finds out... we won't even get time to explain. He'll finish us both. And this idiot, 'my Adi', still doesn't get it."
Nikita said cautiously, "Adi's world is you, Vansh. That's why he doesn't fear anything... because he knows, as long as you're there, nothing can touch him."
He looked at her, "And you... you can't even control one situation, Nikita"
Nikita's voice was low. "Vansh... You know Adi's anger. When he's angry, he doesn't listen to anyone not you, not me, not even himself. He doesn't see consequences. He just sees blood."
She added softly, "He's not just dangerous to enemies. He's dangerous to himself."
Vansh ran a hand through his hair. "And that's the problem. That's why I protected him so much..."
Then fell silent for a few moments, his eyes fixated on a distant point lost in a memory that still haunted the corners of his mind. The tension in his shoulders softened just slightly, and a flicker of pain crossed his usually unreadable face.
He looked away from Nikita, turning his back to her so she wouldn't see the sudden heaviness in his eyes.
His voice came out low, almost like a whisper laced with raw emotion he rarely let anyone hear. "And that's exactly what scares me, Nikita..."
He paused, as if the weight of his next words was too much to say out loud.
"...If one day I'm not there... if I'm not standing beside him like I always have... then I don't want the world to get a chance to break my Adi again."
He clenched his jaw and looked up at the ceiling for a second before continuing more to himself than to her. "Once was enough. I saw him fall apart once..."
He swallowed hard, emotion tightening his throat.
"Those memories... they still live inside him. Some nights, they still destroy him."
Vansh looked down at his hands, as if recalling the blood they'd once carried for Aditya's sake.
"I don't want that boy 'my Adi' who once smiled like he had the world, to ever break again."
He turned halfway toward Nikita, not meeting her eyes. "Let the world call him a monster, a don, a devil whatever they want. But for me... he's still the same boy who once held my hand and stood between me and a bullet."
"So if protecting him means burning down cities... I will. But I won't let him be hurt again. Not in front of me. Not in my lifetime."
Nikita stood frozen, staring at him quietly, realizing for the first time how deep Vansh's bond with Aditya really ran not just as a best friend or a brother, but as the only shield Aditya had ever truly known.
Showroom,
Isha entered the Aditya's showroom in her usual confident stride. Kabir, noticing her heading straight toward the boardroom, stepped in front of her.
"Isha, where are you going?" he asked firmly.
She frowned, slightly annoyed. "To meet Adi. I need to talk to him."
Kabir shook his head. "You can't meet the boss right now."
She narrowed her eyes. "Since when did you start stopping me, Kabir?"
Kabir sighed, his tone firm but respectful. "Earlier, the boss used to be alone. Now he's not. Bhabhi is with him."
Isha clenched her jaw. "It's important, Kabir. I'll talk and leave, in just two minutes." She didn't wait for approval and moved forward.
As she approached the cabin and gripped the door handle, voices from inside stopped her in her tracks.
From the other side of the door, Meera screamed, "Ahhh! Mummy!"
Aditya's voice followed, soft and laced with concern. "Baccha, give me five minutes... just five."
Meera whimpered, "But..."
"I know... I know it hurts," Aditya said gently, his voice like a soothing balm.
Her eyes wide with panic, "Agar baad main dard hua toh? What if there's swelling?"
Aditya chuckled under his breath. "How would that happen when I'm right here, hmm? I'll take care of everything."
"Aap ho isiliye bol rahi hun." she said with a shaky breath.
"Wow, baccha," he teased softly, "You don't trust your husband even a little?"
"Aahhh! Not at all!" she yelped again, half in pain and half irritated.
Outside, Isha stood frozen. Her expression twisted with disbelief and a hint of jealousy. She muttered under her breath, "This girl doesn't even trust you... and you're losing your mind over her?"
Her back against the wall, her nails digging into her palm as tears welled in her eyes but she didn't let them fall.
She whispered to herself,
"She doesn't deserve you, Adi. I'll prove it. I swear, I'll prove it... even if I have to destroy her to do it."
Inside, the reason for the chaos became clear. Meera's delicate earring had gotten entangled in Aditya's shirt collar and chain. She winced every time she moved.
Aditya lowered his head and whispered close to her ear, "Jaan, stop moving. Trust me. The more you move, the more it'll hurt. Let me remove it slowly."
With utmost care, he freed her earring strand by strand, brushing against her skin gently. She hissed again.
Just then, Isha pushed the door open, her heels clicking on the floor. She folded her arms and said curtly, "Adi, I need to talk to you. It's urgent."
Aditya turned to face her, his expression hardening the moment he saw her. His gaze was sharp, jaw clenched. "Isha, didn't I tell you not to come in?"
"I know, but..." she began.
But before she could finish, he raised his hand slightly, silently asking her to stop. He looked down at Meera, who was still nursing her ear, and then back at Isha.
Controlling his temper in front of his ziddi baccha, Aditya didn't yell he didn't need to. His eyes said enough.
"Isha," he said in a cold, controlled tone, "Go outside. I'll speak to you later."
Isha's breath hitched as she felt the sting of rejection. For a moment, she didn't move.
But when Aditya's eyes hardened further, she turned on her heel and walked out defeated and burned with questions.
Isha walked out of the cabin, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor, but her mind was a storm. Behind the glass door, the warmth she once thought she deserved... now belonged to someone else.
Inside, Meera slowly sat up from Aditya's lap, adjusting her dupatta over her shoulder, still feeling the lingering sting in her ear and the heaviness of what had just happened. Aditya gently helped her, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"You should go home now, okay?" he said softly, his tone caring yet commanding. "I'll be there in a little while."
Meera nodded slowly, still in discomfort.
"Where's your phone?" he asked, looking around the cabin table.
Meera blinked, confused. "Uh... my phone? I think... I must have left it in the car."
Without wasting a second, Aditya pulled out his own phone and called Kabir.
"Kabir, bring your bhabhi's phone from the car. Check properly and get it fast."
Within a minute, Kabir entered with the phone, slightly panting. But as he stepped into the cabin, he froze.
The floor had visible blood stains on the rug, on the corner of the desk. A fine trail leading to where Aditya stood now.
His eyes widened. "Boss! There's so much blood here! What happened? How did you hurt yourself?!"
Meera's throat tightened. Tears pooled in her eyes as guilt mixed with worry overwhelmed her.
Aditya, looked at Kabir and shook his head. "Kabir, let's end this topic right here."
His eyes subtly shifted to Meera, silently instructing Kabir not to say anything further that would upset her.
Kabir caught the hint. "Understood, boss," he replied, bowing slightly.
Aditya turned back to Meera. "Kabir will drop you home. With double security."
Meera raised her brows. "Double security? Why, Mr. Singhania?"
Aditya let out a slow breath and walked closer, his tone deepening. "Why don't you understand, baccha? When your husband owns a diamond empire, the world doesn't just look at his business... they look at everything he treasures."
Meera went speechless, her heart beating a little faster.
Kabir, hiding a smile, nodded. "Got it, boss."
As he turned, his inner monologue whispered, Wah boss... bhabhi ko toh aap do line me hi manipulation kar lete ho.
Just as Meera stepped toward the door with Kabir, Aditya's voice stopped her again. "Oh, and one more thing... until I say otherwise, you're not going to college."
Both Meera and Kabir froze.
"What?" Meera turned to him, surprised. "Why, Mr. Singhania?"
"Yeah boss, why suddenly?" Kabir added, equally confused.
Aditya leaned back against the desk, crossing his arms.
"Because I don't want you to," he said.
"That's not the reason," Meera argued, folding her arms too.
Aditya smirked. "For me this is the reason, Baccha."
Meera huffed, frustrated but too emotionally exhausted to argue more. Kabir just blinked.
Meera turned away without responding, knowing she couldn't win this one. Kabir opened the door, and the two stepped out.
Just then, Isha walked back into the cabin, her expression tense. Her eyes immediately fell on Aditya's hand, where dried blood stained his skin and shirt sleeve.
She gasped, stepping forward quickly. "Adi! What happened? You're bleeding! How did you get hurt?"
Aditya didn't flinch. His tone was cool and composed, as if her concern barely registered. "Isha, leave that. First tell me why did you come here?"
Isha hesitated, a little hurt by his indifference, but she composed herself. "We need to go collect the diamonds."
Aditya gave her a flat look. "You could've done that alone."
Isha shook her head. "No, Adi, it's not that simple. Things have changed. The area is under tight watch, there are new officers on duty, and none of our trusted men are there anymore. Getting the consignment out without backup is risky."
Aditya didn't respond immediately. His mind was racing. Then he pulled out his phone and tried calling Vansh. "What the hell... why isn't Vansh answering his phone?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the screen.
Isha looked at him in surprise. "Adi... why are you calling Vansh?"
Aditya responded while still staring at his phone. "I thought I'd take him with me. He's good at under pressure."
Isha crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. "Why him? He's probably buried in his own work."
Aditya gave her a sharp look. "Isha, why are you reacting like this."
She sighed and looked away, trying to hide her frustration.
But Aditya's thoughts shifted. His eyes softened slightly. "You know what... maybe we should cancel tonight's plan. Dadi's not home, and Baccha is alone there. It's already late."
Isha stepped forward, trying to keep calm. "Adi, this consignment is important. We can't delay it again. Why don't you call Vansh's mother? She can stay with your wife for the night. Problem solved."
Aditya raised an eyebrow, considering her suggestion. "Hmm... not a bad idea, yaar Isha you are the best. Maa hasn't spent time with baccha in a while anyway. This way, she gets to bond too."
He dialed his mother's number while walking out of the cabin with Isha by his side.
As they stepped into the parking area, the wind blew slightly colder. Aditya tried calling again, but there was no answer.
He frowned, muttering, "Why isn't Maa answering either?"
Isha glanced at him, noticing the slight worry in his eyes. She quickly walked to the driver's side and opened the door. "Adi, you sit. I'll drive. You focus on calling aunty."
Aditya didn't resist. He exhaled deeply and slid into the passenger seat. "Okay. Thank you, Isha."
As she started the car, he tried the number again. This time, his mother answered.
He sat upright, "Hello? Maa?"
Maa answered the call, her voice calm. "Yes, Adi?"
Aditya leaned back in the car seat, glancing at Isha who was starting the engine. "Maa, can you please go home? I'm a bit caught up right now. baccha's alone at home,"
She sighed heavily on the other side. "Beta, I'll go, don't worry. But tell me this how are you always busy? All day, all night... I don't understand. You're married now, Adi. She is alone at home. At least come home on time at night. Or have you forgotten that a home also needs time?"
Aditya smiled lightly, "Maa sorry..."
She continued, "I'm not complaining, Adi. But sometimes I wonder if you married her or just kept her as a responsibility."
Just then, Vansh walked in, clearly in a foul mood. "Maa, kahan jaa raha hai ye?"
(Translation - Mom, where is he going?)
She looked annoyed. "Mujhse mat puch, beta. Kahan jaa raha hai iska kaam hi khatam nahi hota."
(Translation - Don't ask me, dear. Wherever he goes, his work just never ends.)
"Aur bigado, Maa aapne hi kiya hai."
(Translation - And it's you, Maa who spoiled him.)
Vansh didn't wait-he took the phone from her hand and said, "Where are you going now?"
Aditya sounded normal. "I'm heading to pick some diamonds. You didn't take my call."
Vansh frowned. "Kiske saath jaa raha hai?"
(Translation - (With whom?)
"With Isha. You can come too if you want, I'll send the address."
Vansh's jaw tightened. "I'm not coming anywhere. And, I don't even want to talk to you."
Aditya blinked. "What's wrong? Are you angry?"
Vansh shot back, "Why would that matter to you? Go wherever the hell you want."
Aditya sighed. "At least tell me what happened, yaar."
"Oh wow," Vansh snapped, "Now I'm supposed to explain too?"
Their mother groaned. "Again? You two are fighting again?"
"I didn't start it, Maa," Vansh said immediately. "Your golden boy did."
Aditya, on speaker, added, "Maa, I honestly don't even know why he's acting like this. What did I do?"
Vansh turned to her, frustrated. "Maa, I'm telling you to tell him to shut up."
Aditya replied at the same time, "No Maa, tell him to first talk properly and say what the problem is!"
Their mother finally lost her patience and raised her voice. "Main naa uski side lungi naa teri... tum dono to thodi der baad patch kar loge buri tumhari maa banegi. Main kisi ki side nahi lungi."
(Translation - I won't take his side or yours... You both will patch things up in a while, and your mother will end up looking like the bad one. I'm not taking anyone's side.)
Vansh muttered under his breath, "Haan... haan aap kyon loge side apka to wahi favorite hai."
(Translation - Yeah, yeah... why would you take sides? He's your favorite anyway.)
She tried to explain, "Aise kya kar raha hai beta tera chhota bhai hai. Kuch kar bhi diya toh kya ho gya."
(Translation - What's the big deal, beta? He's your younger brother. So what if he did something wrong?)
Vansh scoffed. "Wah, Maa. Ye favoritism karte huye aapko bura nahi lagta. Arre wo chhota hai toh mein kya karu isme bhi meri hi galti hai. Aapko ye bilkul taras nhi aata ki ek beta aur hai."
(Translation - Wow, Mom. Doesn't it bother you, this favoritism? Just because he's younger, how is that my fault? Somehow, I'm always the one to blame. Do you ever even feel a little pity that you have another son too?)
Aditya tried to calm the storm with a half-laugh. "Ho gya tera. Ya abhi baaki hai kuch."
(Translation - Are you done now, or is there still more left?)
Vansh glared at the phone. "Haa ho gya mera I'm done main ye chhodkar jaa raha hun."
(Translation - "Yeah, I'm done. I'm leaving this house.)
Aditya replied, amused, "Haan haan jaa drama mat kar. Aur driver chahiye ho toh btana chhodkar aayega tujhe."
(Translation - Yeah, yeah, go ahead don't be dramatic. And if you need a driver, just let me know. I'll send one to drop you off.)
Their mother shook her head and chuckled tiredly, "Beta tu road par rah lega naa? Chal agar tune decide kar hi liya hai na toh pahle mujhe meera ke paas chhod de phir jahan jana hai chale jana."
(Translation - Beta, will you be able to live on the streets? Fine, if you've already made up your mind, then first drop me at Meera's place after that, go wherever you want.)
She picked up her bag and added under her breath, "I've raised two lions... they fight like enemies one moment, and the very next, they're ready to die for each other. Always roaring, always clashing... but at the core, they'd never let anyone else even touch the other. It's just their way of loving loud, wild, and stubborn."
Vansh glanced at her and said, "Maa, I'm serious."
She looked back and smiled, "Beta jis din tu serious ho gya na uss din ganga nahaungi mein. Aaye bade serious ab chal jaldi. Or haan Road pe aise drame mat karna warna waha bhi log hansenge."
(Translation - The day you actually get serious, I swear I'll bathe in the Ganges! Now stop acting all serious come on, hurry up. And, don't create a scene on the road either, or people will laugh there too.)
Vansh muttered under his breath, "Tu jaa beta iss 'high heel' ke sath. Tujhe toh ab junglee billi btayegi."
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