The night smelled of smoke and blood.

Anubhav Rajvansh stood at the edge of the burning Rajvansh Haveli, his fists clenched, his breath steady. The fire roared, swallowing the history of their dynasty, turning memories into ashes.

Somewhere behind him, Aditya's cold voice broke the silence.

"We have nothing left."

But he was wrong.

They still had each other.

They still had revenge.

Anubhav turned to face his brothers. Ayansh, his ever-cheerful younger brother, had lost his usual smirk-his eyes were filled with anger that even flames couldn't match. Beside him, Arnav, the youngest, stared at the fire, his hands trembling, his voice silent.

"They thought they could erase us," Anubhav said, his voice like a blade cutting through the night. "They forgot one thing-Rajvansh never die. We rise."

The flames had taken their past.

Now, it was time to rewrite their future.

And this time, the world would bow.

➪𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐄 ❁

The grand halls of the Rajvansh Palace were built to command power and fear. But tonight, amidst the towering walls and golden chandeliers, there was only silence.

Anubhav stood by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, his sharp eyes fixed on the city below. He was a man who had seen the worst of this world. A man who built an empire with his mind, his strength, and his ruthlessness. A man who despised weakness.

And yet, behind him, stood the one woman who was the embodiment of it.

Veda.

Standing in the same room as him, her wide, doe-like eyes staring at him as if he wasn't the monster everyone feared.

"Aap krodhit hai," she whispered. Her voice was gentle, almost unsure, as if she was still trying to understand him.

(You're angry.)

Anubhav exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. Angry? No. He was furious. At the world. At himself. At the fact that, for the first time in his life, he couldn't bring himself to push someone away.

"aapko chale jaana chaahie,rani sahiba," he said, his voice hard, cold. Distant.

(You should leave)

Veda's delicate lips jutted out in an unintentional pout, her brows furrowing in confusion as she tilted her head slightly. Her innocent doe-like eyes blinked up, curiosity shining in them as she asked, "par... kyu?"

(But....why)

Anubhav turned to face her then, his Stormy Grey eyes locking onto hers Honey Brown. She was a fool to ask. A fool to stand so close to him. A fool to think he could be anything other than what he was.

But how did he explain to her that she was the only thing in this world he couldn't taint?

He took a step closer, towering over her, his presence overwhelming.

"Because, Rani sahiba..." he said, his voice dangerously low, "the longer you stay near me, the more I'll destroy you."

Veda blinked, her brows drawing together. And then, in the softest voice, she whispered-

"hume kuch samajh nahi aaya."

➪𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐀✰

Aditya sat on the sofa, his sharp features unreadable, his posture relaxed as if this moment meant nothing to him. Because it didn't.

His bride had run away. And he didn't care.

He turned his head slightly toward Mr. Mehra, the man who had begged for this alliance, for his daughter to be the wife of a Rajvansh. The same man who now stood with a face full of shame, his eldest daughter missing on the night of her own wedding.

Aditya exhaled, unimpressed. He leaned back against the cushion, his voice dripping with cold amusement as he spoke.

"I don't care who sits next to me today, Mr. Mehra." He twirled the gold ring on his finger, his dark eyes sharp. "It doesn't matter if she's your wife, your maid, or one of your other sluts. I just need a woman in the mandap. That's all."

No one dared to speak against him. Because this was Aditya Singh Rajvansh and his family, they know he's right.

Aditya smirked. Coward.

The fire burned in front of him, the marriage rituals continuing. A priest's voice echoed through the air.

"Bring the bride."

Aditya didn't even bother looking up. He didn't care who they brought. Any woman could take that seat, and it wouldn't make a difference.

But then-

A rustle of heavy silk.

A familiar scent-jasmine and fresh paint.

A presence that made his entire body stiffen.

His jaw clenched, his fingers tightening against his knee as his gaze finally lifted.

And there, walking towards him in bridal red, her eyes filled with quiet defiance, was the last person he wanted to see.

Sitara

His finance little sister.

The girl who had spent her life avoiding him, hating him, challenging him with silent stares and sharp glares.

The girl who was now walking towards him as if this was her fate all along.

Aditya's smirk vanished. His expression turned to stone.

And now the wedding suddenly became very, very personal.

➪𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐀 ❦︎

Ayansh leaned back against the bed's headboard, his crisp white shirt slightly unbuttoned, his eyes heavy with something far from sleep.

His gaze was locked onto her.

Lavanya.

She stood in front of the full-length mirror, applying a final touch of gloss to her lips, her tight-fitting formal dress hugging every curve designed to drive men insane.

And Ayansh? He was no exception.

Every movement-every flick of her hair, every subtle sway of her hips-felt like a goddamn test.

And Ayansh Rajvansh never failed a test.

His fingers drummed lazily against his knee, his smirk deepening as he continued his silent devotion to the sight before him.

Lavanya caught his stare through the mirror, arching a single, knowing brow. Of course, she had noticed.

She always did.

With a small smirk, she turned around, crossing her arms as she leaned against the dresser.

"Stop fucking me through your eyes Rajvansh,you might want to use something else."

Ayansh's smirk froze.

His tongue flicked over his bottom lip as he stood up, slow, deliberate, his tall frame towering over hers within seconds.

His voice dropped to a murmur, dark amusement coating every word-

"Oh? And what exactly do you suggest I use, ?"

Her lips parted, a flicker of heat flashing through her gaze, but she refused to back down.

"Figure it out, Mr. Chief Minister." She tapped a single finger against his chest, her touch featherlight, her smirk teasing. "Or is politics the only thing you're good at?"

Ayansh let out a low, husky chuckle.

Oh, sweetheart. You just started a game you're going to lose.

➪ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐑𝐀 ♪♪

The students sat with their heads buried in their notebooks, hanging onto every word as Professor Chitra continued her lecture on chemical reactions.

Well-most of them did.

One student, however, had his attention fixed on a very different subject.

The emarald voice.

His head rested lazily on his palm, his lips curled in an unreadable smirk as his dark green eyes devoured every movement she made.

Chitra stood at the front, gracefully explaining the bonding of molecules, her soft voice weaving through the room. But Arnav wasn't paying attention to her words.

No.

He was watching the way her saree hugged her waist.The delicate curve of her hip as she turned to write on the board.The way a loose strand of hair fell across her cheek, begging to be tucked behind her ear.

Fuck. How was he supposed to focus on chemistry when the real reaction was happening right in front of him?

His smirk deepened. Maybe he should conduct his own little experiment.

Leaning back in his chair, he let his voice break the silence-

"Miss, I have a question."

Chitra paused mid-sentence, turning toward him with that sharp, no-nonsense gaze. The only woman in this world who wasn't fazed by his charm.

"Yes, Mr. Rajvansh?" she asked, arms crossing.

Arnav tilted his head, mischief dancing in his emerald-green eyes.

"You've been talking about chemistry this whole time... but what about the kind that happens outside textbooks?"

A hush fell over the room. Some students coughed. Others stared, wide-eyed. But Chitra?

She didn't even blink.

Instead, she exhaled slowly, setting the chalk down before turning fully to face him.

Then, with the calmest, sweetest smile, she said-

"The only chemistry you need to focus on, Mr. Rajvansh, is the one that might save you from failing this class."

The class erupted into laughter.

But Arnav?

He just smirked.

➪ 𝐒𝐀𝐉𝐃𝐀𝐀 ✍︎

The night was thick with silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of burning wood in the dimly lit study. The air smelled of expensive cigars and bloodstained ambition.

Two figures sat across from each other, the golden glow of the chandelier barely reaching their faces. They were men of power, of calculated ruthlessness. And tonight, they spoke of destruction.

Of revenge.

One of them leaned back in his chair, a cruel smirk curling his lips as he swirled the whiskey in his glass. His voice was low, venomous. "The Rajvansh brothers... they think they have won."

The other chuckled darkly, his fingers tapping against the desk. "They rebuilt their empire from the ashes. But they forget..." He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with malice. "...ashes can still be scattered by the wind."

A heavy silence fell between them. Then, the first man spoke again, his voice sharp like a dagger.

"We destroyed them once. And now, we do it again."

His companion smirked, raising his glass in a mock celebration. "Only this time, we take everything. Their empire. Their power." A pause. A wicked gleam. "Their women."

The ice in the whiskey clinked softly, echoing the danger that filled the room.

Because the Rajvansh brothers might have risen again...

But this time, they wouldn't see the storm coming.