Mihir's POV

For a second, I thought I'd misheard.

"Hello... brother-in-law."

The words didn't register.

I frowned at the phone. "What?"

Aayat's fingers tightened around my wrist.

I looked at her, then back at the phone. "You have the wrong number."

A soft chuckle came from the other side. Calm. Almost amused.

"No, I don't," the voice said. "You just haven't connected the dots yet."

My jaw clenched. "Who is this?"

Another pause. Deliberate this time.

Then, casually, like he was talking about the weather:

"Naina's husband, brother-in-law. Your little sister's husband."

The room went dead.

Not silent.

Dead.

My brain refused to process the sentence.

I felt Aayat's breath hitch beside me.

"You're lying," I said flatly.

The man laughed again, lightly. "If I were lying, I'd say something safer. This is... far more interesting."

My grip on the phone tightened. "Naina is not married."

"Oh, but she is," he replied smoothly. "Very much so."

A slow, cold wave crawled up my spine.

"To who?" I demanded.

"To me."

The words hit harder than any threat ever could.

Aayat whispered, barely audible, "Mihir..."

"You expect me to believe," I said slowly, "that my sister married someone without me knowing?"

"Not without you knowing," the man corrected gently.

"Without you being allowed to know."

Something inside my chest cracked.

"How long?" I asked.

There was a smile in his voice now. I could hear it.

"Long enough for her to stop running. Long enough for her to choose me over the world that kept hunting her."

My blood turned to ice.

"Where is she?" I asked, every word controlled with violence.

Another pause.

Then:

"Safe. Alive. Breathing. Smiling."

Each word was a knife.

"You want proof?" he added. "Or do you want dinner first?"

I felt Aayat's nails dig into my arm.

"What are you talking about?" I snapped.

"An invitation," he said lightly.

"Come meet me. Come meet us."

My throat went dry.

"Dinner. Tomorrow night. My place."

"And if I don't?" I asked.

The man's tone didn't change.

"Then you keep living in theories and blood reports... while your sister lives a life you were never part of."

Silence swallowed the room.

Then he added, almost politely:

"I think you owe me at least one meal, brother-in-law."

The call disconnected.

The phone slipped slightly in my hand.

For years, I had chased ghosts.

Now, one of them had just called me.

And claimed to be my family.

"Nothing is making sense," I said. "Nothing."

I started pacing, fast.

"First Naina and Advit disappear from the hospital. No CCTV. No records. No trace. Just... gone."

I looked at Aayat again, my voice rising despite myself.

"Then we find documents. Forged signatures. People lying to my face."

My chest felt tight.

"And now some piece of bastard calls me and casually says he's Naina's husband?"

I let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh.

"How? When? From where did he even come into the picture?"

Aayat stepped closer. "Mihir, breathe."

"No," I snapped, not at her, at the situation. "Tell me how this fits. Tell me where does a husband fits into that picture."

I stopped pacing, staring at the wall like it might give me answers.

"She was in a hospital bed days ago," I said. "Barely conscious. Being moved around like a file."

My voice dropped.

"And now she's married?"

I turned to Aayat again, my eyes burning.

"Advit was chained in a goddamn room, Aayat. Hidden. Terrified."

"And now this random man appears out of nowhere and claims he has a right to them?"

I laughed once, sharp and hollow.

"He didn't even sound nervous. He sounded prepared."

Aayat said quietly, "Like he knew you'd eventually reach this point."

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Like he's been watching everything from a distance."

I looked back at the phone.

"He didn't call to explain anything," I said.

"He called to let me know I'm behind."

Time passed.

Not the dramatic kind, just slow, suffocating minutes where my mind kept replaying everything on a loop.

Naina. Advit. The hospital. The call.

Aayat stayed beside me the entire time.

Sometimes she didn't even speak. She just sat there, close enough that I could feel her presence, like she was anchoring me to something real.

By 7:30 pm, we were already on our way.

The location had come in earlier. No message. Just a pin dropped on my phone.

An address in a quiet, high-end area.

We reached exactly at 8 pm.

Not a minute early. Not a minute late.

I rang the bell.

The door opened almost instantly.

A man stood there, relaxed, well-dressed, with a smile that felt practiced.

"Oh hi," he said lightly. "Exactly right at 8 pm."

I looked at him for a second, then replied flatly,

"A punctual CM."

Aayat stepped forward with me, completely composed, her posture confident, eyes sharp.

The man's gaze flicked to her, mildly curious.

"Didn't expect company," he said.

Aayat smiled, polite, but not friendly.

"I don't trust mysterious dinner invites. So I came to supervise."

He laughed softly. "Fair."

He stepped aside. "Please, come in. Both of you."

We walked in together.

The house was silent. Not empty, just controlled. Like no one was allowed to leave a trace of themselves.

Aayat looked observant.

I stopped in the middle of the living area.

"You didn't invite me here for hospitality," I said. "So let's skip that part."

The man turned back to face us.

"Still straight to the point," he said. "Good."

Aayat crossed her arms. "We're listening."

He studied us for a moment.

Then said calmly, "You both arrived right on time."

I frowned. "You already said that."

He smiled slightly.

"Yes. But what I mean is, you arrived exactly when I expected you to."

I didn't like the way he said that.

"Expected?" I repeated. "You tracking my calendar now?"

He shrugged lightly. "People like you don't ignore things. You confront them."

Aayat tilted her head. "So this was a psychological experiment?"

He smiled. "More like a confirmation."

I stepped closer. "Of what?"

"That you'd come without security. Without media. Without noise."

His eyes flicked between us.

"Just you. And someone you trust."

Aayat didn't break eye contact. "Flattery won't make this less weird."

He chuckled. "You're right. This is weird."

I cut in. "Stop circling. Say what you want."

He finally dropped the host tone.

"What I want," he said calmly, "is for you to stop pulling threads you don't understand."

The room felt colder.

Aayat's voice sharpened. "You called him. You dropped the location. Now you're telling him not to ask questions?"

"Yes," he replied simply. "Because some threads aren't meant to be pulled."

I laughed once, without humor. "That's not how this works."

He looked at me steadily. "It is when the thread is tied around people you can't afford to lose."

Aayat's hand tightened around mine.

"Is that a threat?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. It's a warning."

I stared at him. "From who?"

He paused.

Not long.

Just enough to be intentional.

"From someone who's already one step ahead of you."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's your name?" I asked, voice sharp.

He turned slowly toward Aayat, smiling. "Hi, Aayat Kapoor... oh, sorry, Aayat Mihir Raghuvanshi. Nice to meet you, bhabhi."

My jaw tightened. He looked way too comfortable.

"By the way," he continued, "I've been connected with the Kapoors a very long time."

Aayat blinked, clearly surprised, she didn't know this. I noticed immediately.

Then he turned back to me, grin widening. "And brother-in-law... too bad you don't know my name. Dev Chopra."

I felt the air shift. Every instinct in me screamed that this man wasn't just casual. Not even close.

I stared at him, the name echoing in my head.

"Dev Chopra," I repeated slowly.

The way he said it, like it was supposed to mean something to me, made my stomach twist.

"And?" I asked coldly. "Should I clap?"

He smiled, unfazed. "No. You should remember it."

I took a step forward. "You know my sister's location. You know my wife's past. You know my schedule. So stop with the introductions and tell me one thing—"

My voice dropped.

"Where is Naina?"

The room went quiet again.

Not tense.

Calculated.

Dev exhaled, almost amused. "Still skipping to the last page, I see."

I clenched my jaw. "I'm not here for your games."

Aayat spoke beside me, steady and sharp. "You dragged us here. The least you can do is answer."

Dev's eyes flicked to her, then back to me.

"She's not in this house," he said calmly.

That wasn't an answer.

"Where," I repeated, slower now, more dangerous, "is she."

Dev tilted his head. "Safe."

I laughed bitterly. "You already used that word on the phone. It doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

He stepped closer, finally closing the distance.

"Then let me rephrase," he said quietly.

"She's somewhere you can't reach by power, money, or threats."

Aayat's grip tightened around my hand.

I felt something dark crawl up my spine.

"So you're holding her," I said.

Dev didn't deny it.

"I'm protecting her," he corrected.

I looked straight into his eyes. "From who?"

His smile faded just a little.

"From you."

I lost my control.

"God, damn it, bloody bastard," I snapped, my voice cracking through the room.

"Just tell me, WHERE. IS. NAINA."

Dev didn't flinch.

Not even a muscle.

He just looked at me, calm in a way that felt illegal.

Aayat's hand tightened around mine again, like she was trying to hold me back from doing something irreversible.

Dev sighed, slow and deliberate.

"You really think shouting will change anything?" he said quietly.

I stepped forward anyway, closing the distance.

"You brought me here," I said through clenched teeth. "You used her name. You used my family. So you don't get to act relaxed now."

His eyes finally hardened.

"She's not a place you can barge into, Mihir," he said. "She's not a file you can summon."

"Then what is she?" I shot back.

Dev held my gaze.

"She's a consequence."

I took another step toward him, rage burning through every nerve.

"Dev Chopra, I'll fucking kill you," I said, my voice shaking with control. "You better make sure I meet them."

Dev didn't move. Didn't raise his hands. Didn't even look alarmed.

"Cool down," he said calmly. "Cool down."

He looked at me like I was predictable.

"You want to meet them?" he continued. "Really?"

I didn't answer. My silence was enough.

Dev's lips curved slightly. Not a smile. More like a warning.

"Then I've got a condition."

My blood snapped.

"The hell do you mean, a condition?" I said, already stepping toward him.

Dev's eyes flicked to Aayat.

"If you want to meet them," he said calmly, "then your beloved wife has to pay."

For a second, I didn't even understand the sentence.

Then it hit.

Hard.

I moved without thinking.

My hand shot up, stopping an inch from his face.

The urge to slap him, to break him, was almost physical.

Aayat gasped. "Mihir—"

I was shaking with rage.

"You bring her into this again," I said, voice low and lethal, "and I won't stop at threats."

Dev didn't even flinch at my raised hand.

Instead, he smiled.

"See? That reaction," he said softly. "That's exactly why she's valuable."

My jaw clenched so tight it hurt.

"What do you want from her?" I growled.

Dev finally looked at Aayat properly.

Not as bait.

Not as leverage.

As a target.

"I want the Kapoors to bleed," he said.

"And you, Mihir Raghuvanshi... you're married to the perfect knife."

Dev's gaze stayed on Aayat.

Cold. Calculating.

"Simple," he said.

"Name all your companies. Each and every branch. Transfer them in my name."

For a second, I thought I'd misheard.

I let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "You're insane."

He didn't even look at me.

"I'm practical," he replied. "You want information. I want ownership."

Aayat stiffened beside me.

"You're asking me to sign away my entire life," she said slowly.

Dev smiled. "No. I'm asking you to buy your sister-in-law's life with it."

My vision went red.

"You think money scares me?" I snapped. "I'll bury you in lawsuits before you see a single file."

Dev finally turned to me, expression calm.

"You're a Chief Minister," he said.

"You deal in power. I deal in leverage."

Then, softly:

"And right now, I have more of it than you."

Aayat's hand slid into mine, firm.

"You don't get to trade people like assets," she said.

Dev tilted his head. "Everyone trades people. I'm just honest about it."

The room felt like it was shrinking.

I looked at Aayat.

She wasn't afraid.

She was furious.

And that scared me more than anything Dev had said.

Dev's lips curved slowly, like he'd already won.

"And yes," he added calmly, eyes still on Aayat,

"if you agree, Aayat... then meet me here tomorrow. 9 a.m. Sharp."

I felt Aayat's fingers tense in mine.

"Alone," he continued. "No Mihir. No security. No lawyers."

My head snapped up. "Absolutely not."

Dev didn't even glance at me.

"Only you can make Mihir meet his siblings," he said quietly.

"That's the deal."

I stepped forward, rage burning through me.

"You think I'll let her walk into your trap alone?"

Dev finally looked at me then, almost bored.

"You don't have a choice," he said.

"If you come, the deal dies. If you don't send her, the information dies."

Aayat inhaled sharply.

I shook my head immediately. "No. This is not happening."

Dev's voice dropped, deadly calm.

"Then neither is your reunion."

Silence slammed into the room.

I felt something crack inside my chest.

Aayat slowly slipped her hand out of mine and took one step forward.

"I'll come," she said.

My heart stopped.

I turned to her. "Aayat, no."

She didn't look at me. Not yet.

"I'll come at 9," she repeated, eyes fixed on Dev.

"But if you lie, if you manipulate even one word..."

Dev smiled. "Then you'll still be rich. Just heartbroken."

That was it.

I grabbed her wrist, hard.

"You are not paying for my family with your life," I said through clenched teeth.

She finally looked at me then.

And her voice was soft. Steady.

"I'm not paying for your family," she said.

"I'm standing with you."

For the first time since we walked in, Dev's smile faded slightly.

Because whatever game he was playing

He hadn't expected her to step into it willingly.

I lost it.

I didn't even remember what exact words I threw at Dev. It was a blur of anger, curses, and pure, uncontrollable rage.

"Stay the hell away from us," I snapped at him. "You touch her again with even your words and I swear I'll bury you so deep no one will even remember your name."

Dev just smiled like he'd enjoyed the show.

I grabbed Aayat's hand and practically dragged her out.

The door slammed behind us.

The moment we were inside the car, everything exploded.

"Are you out of your mind, Aayat?" I shouted, finally letting it all out. "Have you lost it completely?"

She flinched but didn't look away.

"So foolish, so unbelievably foolish, you just agreed like that!"

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing beside the car before getting in, my voice shaking with fury and fear.

"Aayat, please... you're not going to do that. You hear me?"

She stayed quiet.

"The company, the land, the work, you fought the world for it. You built everything from scratch and you're just going to hand it over to some stranger?"

My voice broke for the first time.

"Do you have any idea what you're giving up?"

I turned to her, eyes burning.

"You're giving up yourself."

My hands were shaking now.

"I can fight Dev. I can fight the system. I can fight my own damn father if I have to."

I looked straight at her.

"But I can't fight the idea of losing you because you thought sacrificing yourself was the solution."

My voice dropped, raw and desperate.

"Don't do this, Aayat. Please."

I drove in silence.

Not the calm kind, the kind that feels like it's pressing against your skull from the inside.

By the time we reached the house, my hands were numb on the steering wheel.

I didn't even let her walk properly. I opened the door, took her arm, and led her straight inside.

The moment we were in the living room, I made her sit on the couch.

"You're not doing any of this," I said, flat and final.

She leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms like she was bored.

"Relax, Mr. Chief Minister," she said lightly. "It's not like I'm donating a kidney. Just a few companies, some land. I can rebuild."

I stared at her. "This isn't a joke."

She shrugged. "Everything is a joke when you survive long enough."

That irritated me more.

"Don't act smart with me, Aayat. You don't even know what you just agreed to."

She smirked. "I know exactly what I agreed to. He wants power. I'll give him temporary power."

"Temporary?" I laughed bitterly. "You think people like him ever give things back?"

She stood up, walking past me casually.

"Five months," she said. "That's how long I'm your wife. After that, contract ends. I'll take it all back."

I grabbed her wrist. "You're talking like this is a business deal. This is your life."

She pulled her hand away.

"And yours is your siblings," she said calmly. "Fair exchange."

I clenched my fists. "Stop pretending this is easy."

She turned back to me, still composed.

"You think I don't know what I'm doing? I built my empire from scratch. I lost it once already. I can do it again."

I shook my head. "Just shut up. You've gone insane."

That's when her mask cracked.

"Shut up you, Mihir freaking Raghuvanshi!"

Her voice broke the room.

"You have hope of meeting your siblings and I can't let that die!"

She wasn't smiling anymore.

Her hands were shaking.

"You know why?" she whispered, eyes burning now. "Because I lost mine."

The words hit me in the chest.

"My brother was six," she said, voice trembling. "Six years old. And I couldn't save him."

Her breath hitched.

"So don't talk to me about logic. Don't talk to me about contracts and assets."

Tears streamed down her face now, uncontrolled.

"I watched hope die once. I won't watch it happen again. Not to you."

She pressed her palm against her chest, like it hurt to breathe.

"So yes, I'll give him everything if that's what it takes."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Because losing money is survivable."

She looked straight at me.

"Losing family is not."

I froze. Her words hit harder than any punch could. The fire in her eyes, the raw edge in her voice, it wasn't the bold, confident Aayat I'd seen all evening. This was something else entirely. Vulnerable. Furious. Terrified. Determined.

I sank onto the couch across from her, trying to make sense of the storm in front of me. My hands fisted in my lap.

"You... you can't just throw yourself into this," I said slowly, voice low, almost strangled. "It's not about bravery. It's... it's insane."

She laughed, bitter and jagged, wiping a tear without care.

"Insane?" she spat. "Maybe. But what's sane, Mihir? Sitting back, doing nothing, letting them, Naina and Advit, be lost another day? That's insane."

I swallowed, anger and fear twisting together in my chest. "You're risking everything. Your companies, your assets... all of it. For a stranger? For—"

"For what matters," she interrupted, eyes blazing again. "For hope! For a chance to make things right. For you. For them. For me."

I looked at her and realized... she wasn't bargaining. She wasn't calculating. She was raw, unfiltered, desperate. And she was going to do this whether I stopped her or not.

My chest tightened, and I ran a hand over my face. "Aayat... just... don't lose yourself in this."

She took a step closer, almost collapsing into the edge of the couch, and her voice cracked. "I already lost myself once. I won't lose hope again. Not for anyone. Not ever."

I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream. I wanted to stop her. But all I could do was watch as the fierce, desperate resolve consumed her.

And I knew, in that moment, there was no pulling her back.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of her words press down on me.

"Fine," I muttered. "If you're going to do this... then at least..." I paused, searching for the words I couldn't fully voice. "...then at least don't let them see you break."

She looked at me, something softened for a second behind the storm in her eyes. "Don't worry, Mihir. I won't."

But I knew. I knew that tonight, hope and fear had collided, and nothing after this would be the same.

I sat back, my hands still curled into fists, but I didn't interrupt. Her voice was quiet at first, hesitant, but it grew stronger as she spoke.

"My little brother... Aarav," she started, her eyes distant, almost glassy. "When he was born... I can still remember. The first time I held him, I just couldn't stop smiling. I think I clapped. I cheered. I probably woke up half the hospital." She laughed softly, a sound that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"My parents... they were over the moon. Everything was perfect. That tiny little room felt like the whole world. My mom kept crying and smiling at the same time. My dad... he couldn't stop pacing, just staring at him like he'd never seen anything so precious. And me? I was the happiest sister in the universe. Perfect... just perfect."

I noticed her hands trembling slightly, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

"Every little thing about him... every coo, every little giggle... I remembered it all. I was so proud. So... so happy."

She swallowed hard, blinking fast, like she was holding back more than just tears. "And then... I lost him. Just like that. Gone. And nothing... nothing could bring that back. Nothing at all."

Her chest heaved, and for the first time tonight, I saw the raw weight behind her boldness. The bold, confident Aayat I'd been trying to reason with was just a mask. Underneath it... was a little girl who had loved fiercely, who had lost fiercely, and who refused to let go of the people she cared about again.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My throat felt tight, heavy with the echo of her pain.

She finally looked up, eyes burning with renewed determination. "So don't tell me what's insane, Mihir. Don't tell me what I can't risk. I've already learned the cost of not trying."

Her words landed like stones in my chest. I wanted to argue. I wanted to stop her. But she wasn't the girl I could protect anymore, not fully. She was this force, a storm that had decided to fight back.

And I realized, as much as I wanted to hold her back... I couldn't.

Not this time.

I sat there, staring at her, the words hitting harder than I expected. Her voice was soft now, almost breaking, but every word carried weight.

"You know, Mihir... siblings are the best people God gives you," she said, voice trembling slightly. "They see you... like no one else does. They know your stupid jokes, your secrets, the quiet moments no one else notices. They love you even when you mess up, even when you hate the world."

She paused, taking a shaky breath. Her fingers gripped the couch tightly. "But... sometimes, God snatches them away too quickly. Before you've made enough memories. Before you've had the chance to tell them everything... before you've had the chance to hold them when they need you the most."

I felt the tight knot in my chest twist even tighter. She wasn't talking about me. She wasn't talking about Aayat or me. She was talking about what she had lost... Aarav.

"And Mihir," she whispered, voice raw now, "I won't... I can't... let that happen again. Not with Naina. Not with Advit. Not now, not ever."

I didn't move. I couldn't. Her words... her desperation... it clawed through every wall I'd built around myself tonight.

She looked at me then, eyes blazing, voice steadier now. "So don't tell me to calm down. Don't tell me I'm insane. I've already learned what it feels like to lose the ones I love. And I'll be damned if I let it happen again."

The room fell silent, but for the first time in hours, it wasn't suffocating. It was heavy, yes... but real. And impossible to ignore.

I realized then, no argument, no logic, no plan would stop her. She had made her choice.

And I... I didn't know if I could stop her either.

I looked at her for a long moment.

Not the bold Aayat who fought boardrooms.

Not the calm Aayat who signed contracts without blinking.

Just her.

Broken. Brave. Real.

My voice came out lower than I expected.

"Thank you, Aayat."

She looked up, surprised.

"For what?" she asked softly.

I swallowed, my throat tight.

"For not letting me become the person who waits," I said.

"For not letting me give up before I even try."

"For reminding me what actually matters."

She didn't say anything.

Just stared at me, eyes still wet.

"I spent years telling myself I was strong," I continued quietly.

"That I could survive anything alone."

I let out a slow breath.

"But you... you didn't let me survive alone. You forced me to hope again."

I shook my head slightly, a bitter smile touching my lips.

"So yeah," I said, voice rough, "thank you."

She looked away, blinking fast.

And for the first time that night, she wasn't bold.

She was just a girl who had carried too much pain and still chose to protect someone else's family.

And that scared me more than Dev ever could.

I froze.

Not because of the name.

But because of the way she said it.

Not angry.

Not dramatic.

Just... empty.

"Mihir," she said softly, staring at the floor, "we were a happy family. Really happy. Not perfect, but happy."

She gave a small, sad smile.

"My dad used to come home early just to put Aarav to sleep. My mom would sit with him and read stories. And I... I'd fight with him over toys and then end up carrying him around the whole house."

Her voice wavered.

"And then Tej Kapoor entered our lives."

The air shifted.

Not just heavy.

Poisoned.

"He came like a savior," she continued. "Business partner. Family friend. Someone my parents trusted blindly."

Her fingers curled slowly.

"And he destroyed everything."

I felt my chest tighten.

"He killed my Aarav," she whispered.

The words didn't need shouting.

They were already screaming.

"He didn't hold the weapon," she said, eyes finally lifting to mine. "But he created the situation. He made choices. He used power. And my brother paid the price for it."

Silence fell.

Not the dramatic kind.

The kind that feels like something inside your body just cracked.

"That's why I don't care about companies," she said quietly.

"That's why I don't care about assets, power, empires."

She looked at me, eyes burning again.

"Because I've already seen what men like Tej Kapoor do with power."

Her voice trembled, but her spine stayed straight.

"So if Dev thinks he can scare me with threats and deals... he's wrong."

She placed a hand over her heart.

"I've already lost the worst thing possible."

I couldn't speak.

Because for the first time, I understood something terrifying:

Aayat wasn't afraid of losing.

She was afraid of watching someone else lose what she never got back.

I swallowed hard.

There was a question sitting in my chest from the moment she said his name.

Aarav.

I didn't want to ask it.

Didn't want to be the one to drag her back there.

But it was already there. Between us. Breathing.

So I asked, quietly.

"Aayat... how did Aarav die?"

She didn't answer immediately.

Then she laughed.

Not soft.

Not bitter.

Just... hollow.

The kind of laugh that doesn't belong in a human throat.

"You know what's funny, Mihir?" she said, staring at the wall like she wasn't even in the room anymore.

"I used to call the person responsible family."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

AND YES TELL ME HOW WAS THE CHAPTER??????

To be continued

Don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT.