DRISHYE'S POV
I leaned back in my armchair, rubbing my temples as I sent off the last of my emails. Owning India's leading SaaS platform was no small feat.
The faint ticking of the clock filled the silence in my office. After shutting my laptop, I stood to stretch, cracking my neck and shoulders. It had been a long day- getting Aahana enrolled in school, shopping for my babygirls and for the first time ever, sharing a warm lunch date together.
It was incredible, really. Sitting at the table with both of them, laughing, eating...it utterly felt surreal, like a small glimpse of the family I had always dreamed of having with my Rose. Even if it was impromptu, today made that dream feel almost real.
I've come to accept Aahana because she's the apple of my Rose's eye and my sole objective is to protect what's hers. Initially, when she kept on questioning my Rose about her father's whereabouts, it made me sick to my core. Her behaviour only seemed to deepen my already traumatised Rose and that was something I couldn't bear. But then I realized... she's just an innocent eight-year-old. Aahana isn't at fault for being born into that broken, manipulative marriage. In fact, she's been Rose's lifeline through all these years of misery.
I shudder every time I think about what might have happened to my Rose if Aahana hadn't been there to be the oasis in the desert. She's the only good thing Vinesh ever gave to her in their marriage.
As these thoughts circled in my mind, I reached the edge of my rug and pulled it back to reveal the secret passage. The trapdoor opened with a faint creak and I descended down the wooden staircase beneath as the cool, crisp air received me.
The dim room was illuminated by the soft glow of a massive intel console embedded in the far wall along with useful knick knacks lying here and there.
I marched to the intel and entered my passcode. The space came alive. Holographic streams of data and glowing fragments filled the air as a mechanical voice greeted me.
"Welcome, Drishye."
My fingers moved swiftly across the translucent screen, navigating through layers of encrypted, interconnected profiles and remnants of irretrievable data.
But not as irretrievable for me.
I paused for a moment and kept staring at the fragments of her dead profile.
Ten god damn years.
That's how long Vinesh systematically destroyed everything Rose ever built- her degree, her career as an assistant professor, her position as a shareholder in her father's company. He didn't just hide her form herself, he obliterated her. He devoured her identity like a parasite feeding on forgotten pages.
He's a very cunning person, absolutely clear about his game. And, I know it'll only get worse now.
But he didn't account for me.
I'm a player too, Vinesh. And unlike you, I don't underestimate. I estimate. I recreate. I pulled your 'dedicated wife' out of your sham of a marriage. Now, watch me rebuild her.
I kept surveying through the glowing fragments I've assembled so far, from trash memory files to folders registered as 'non- existant' and 'non viable.'
I'll keep going. I'll keep trying- until I restore every shred of who you were, Rose. The brilliant mind who mingled with numbers and equations, effortlessly.
Eventually, I could manage to assemble a little more than yesterday. The night had grown chillier, seeping the cold through my bones and I decided to wrap up for now.
At present, I'm not very far from my next big move.
CHHAVI'S POV
its midnight yet no ounce of sleep collected in my eyes. I was staring at the empty space while beside me, Aahana slept soundly. My little girl was excited about her new school tomorrow.
Earlier, as we made the bed, I'd asked her softly.
"Are you okay with the new place, baccha? The new school?"
Her eyes lit up.
"Yes, Mumma! I love it already! The school takes kids trekking! Drishye Uncle told me."
Her enthusiasm was contagious but it did little quell my unease. Hesitantly, I asked about her father.
"Do you...do you miss your father, Aahana?"
She paused, taking a deep breath before meeting my gaze.
"No, mumma."
She replied, shaking her head.
We didn't stretch the matter beyong this. That was it. Nothing more. Silence engulfed both of us, haunting me to the core. I wanted to probe further, to ask why, but the words died in my throat. Neither did she try to talk more about it.
She quietly coiled under her blanket wishing me a soft 'good night' with her smile.
Now, lying in the darkness, I replayed the exchange over and over. How could my little girl, who's so much obsessed with her father, dismiss him so easily? Not even once, she tried to question me about our sudden stay here and getting her registered in a new school.
She's gleefully hanging out with Drishye. Watching her and Drishye at dinner had been heartwarming. He'd lifted her high into the air, catching her mid-fall as her laughter rang through the room. It was a beautiful moment, taking me back to the moments when I used to have a family, once. Or atleast, I thought I had a family....
But this change worried me. Was she really adjusting, or was this joy masking something deeper? She hasn't questioned why we left home or why we're here. Her ignorance scares me more than her questions ever did.
My array of thoughts were interrupted by the low creak of the door. I wanted to act on my reflex and switch on the bed lamp beside me but something stopped me. Instead, I squinted my eyes, pretending to sleep.
There were no footsteps, no silhouette- just silence.
Then I flinched. A hand grabbed mine. My heart raced erratically, the blood pounding in my ears. I prayed he couldn't hear it too.
He hesitated, sensing my reaction but eventually, when I didn't move any further, he continued. I prayed to god to prevent my hands were not shaking because I did not want him to know that I'm aware of his presence. Sweat tickled down my forehead. My breathes became heavier. I could just hope he doesn't notice.
I felt him resume his movements by moving his hand further to my forearm. I sighed lightly, realizing he was oblivious of my consciousness.
He reached the last of my bangles and held them very lightly. The next moment, he slipped them off, one by one, meticulously collecting them without making a sound. I stayed still, letting him continue.
He was being very careful and delicate. Had I been asleep, I'd have no idea about it happening to me. The silence of lie between us was suffocating me. I wanted to scream at him, turn on the bed lamp and see his face but I wanted to notice his every move. Something in me made me feel that he'd not harm me and my child.
When he was done, he surprised me. He lifted my hands to his lips and in the next moment, I felt the warmth of his breath on my skin. Before I could register his actions, his wet lips met the edge of my fingers.
Goosebumps erupted across my skin. Butterflies churned in my stomach.
What is he doing?
I felt his hands slipping away from mine. Something sprung into my mind.
Grabbing his hand, I whispered.
"Won't you say a proper 'hi' to your mademoiselle?"
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This chapter makes us ask so many questions, doesn't it?
1. Why did Aahana suddenly start acting so indifferently?
2. What is the intention of the stalker?
3. What will happen in the next chapter? (Chhavi said 'hi' to the stalkers!!!)
If you've any other question, do add them in the comment section. I'd love to know what's running in your mind.
UPVOTE. COMMENT. FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM FOR SPOILERS.
||SPOILER||
"So, you've decided to walk her to school?"
He asked in a light tone but with cautious eyes.
"Yes," Chhavi replied. "It's a short distance and I think it'll be nice for us to spend some time together."
Drishye hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"That's fine, but...be careful. There are wolves in the woods, Miss Rosy."
Her brows furrowed at his choice of words.
"Wolves?" She repeated, tilting her head. "Like real wolves? The animals?"
He shrugged.
"Yeah, the animals."
She gave him a small nod and a faint smile, before dropping a bomb.
"Oh! I thought the one I'm living with."