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"हवा ने छुआ तो खुशबू बिखर गई,

तेरे खयालों की महफ़िल फिर से सज गई,

बाहर में तूफ़ान था, दिल में सुकून,

तेरी यादों से रात फिर से रोशन हो गई।"

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A U T H O R ' S     P O V

The rain poured relentlessly breaking the silence of the room. The room was bathed with a golden light coming from oil-lit diyas creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. The gentle pitter-patter of rain on the open window glass was making a soothing melody. The curtains danced gracefully as the wind swept through the room in the middle of the night.

The soft rhythm of breathing was the only sign of life in the quiet room. Someone's long wavy hair was spilled all over the pillows. A soft yellow light enhanced her facial features in contrast to the raging storm outside. Her closed eyes hid secrets beneath the veil of her long eyeslashes, touching her cheeks making her look so innocent. Untouched. So fragile, yet so addictive. Calm but still keeping the fire which can burn anyone.

Suddenly, the calm, soothing atmosphere changed into something unknown. The weather was changing drastically, telling an untold story. The soft breathing sounds coming from none other than Arohi turned more erratic. She lay there gasping for air. Her chest heaved with rapid breaths.

She was trying to get out of the nightmare she has been witnessing. A thick layer of sweat formed on her forehead. Her hair sticking all over face. She was struggling in her sleep like she was so desperate to come out of the danger no one knew.

"Sa-Save me. Ba-Baba. Save me !!!", she muttered in her sleep continuously like she had seen ghosts lurking outside her window.

"H-He will find me. Why are you standing there? Do-Do something. He will take me. Ba-!!!", a scream left from her mouth. She sat on the bed with a sudden jerk. She was shivering with the impact of the torment she had gone through. She tried to grab something with her palms like she was trying to hold something, but found none.

A R O H I ' S    P O V

I woke up abruptly looking here and there. I could still hear those voices. The voices which still haunt me, day and night. I realized I was in my room. I moved my eyes all over the place trying to find anything out of the place. But found nothing.

Everything was kept as I left before sleeping. Nothing out of the order. I could still feel my hands trembling. Hair falling on my face due to the strong winds, coming out from the open window. I removed all the hair out of my face, which was spilled all over the bedsheet. Long enough to reach below my waist and wavy at the ends.

I wiped the sweat beads still clinging on my forehead, with my palms. I was still breathing rapidly. My whole body was still recovering from the shock. Tucking my hair behind my ears, I searched for my phone on the bedside table. The screen showed 3 am, way too early. I couldn’t sleep again because of the nightmare, still haunting my insides.

The moment I kept my feet on the cold floor, a shiver ran all over my body. I saw my dupatta tossed in the corner. I ignored it and decided to take a bath. Removing my clothes on the way, I entered the bathroom. The voices were still ringing inside my head. I just want to feel blank, just for once. Maybe the cold shower can help. I turned on the shower, letting the cold water silence whatever I couldn’t describe.

Coming out of the shower in nothing, I started taking out my clothes. The wet hair was sticking to my face and reaching below the waist. I picked a random white anarkali and got ready for the upcoming day.

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It's still dark. The rain has stopped. I came out of the house going to the temple. I usually go outside in the early mornings or late nights. It has become one of the non-negotiable habits. The moon is glowing in its glory. The moonlight is scattered everywhere making my walk way more worthy than I imagined.

The road is completely empty, like everyone in the world is sleeping. Everything around me is silent.

Very Silent.

Motionless.

Deadly quiet.

The kind of silence you crave, but when it's under your feet, it makes your skin crawl. The kind where you feel thousands of eyes staring directly at you, and when you look back you find nothing except the silence you have been begging for.

The road was still damp from the early rain. Walking on the deserted road, I found those street festoon lights, I find them every single time. Each bulb glowing with every single step I took. Like someone knew about the demons I was scared of. Lurking in the corners of the dark night. I was terrified of everything around me but these lights always gave me a sense of satisfaction. Security. That my path is still glowing. Whenever it's dark, another lamp will lighten.

I reached the temple. Walking up the stairs, I found pandit jii sweeping the floor as usual. " Pandit jii, aap ise chodiye ye mai kr lungi. Aap Pooja ki tayaari karein", he looked at me with his soft eyes and handed me the broom. I took the broom from his hands and tied the dupatta on one side and started sweeping the floor.

[ Pandit jii, you leave it. I'll do it. Please prepare for the pooja.]

I was sweeping the floor. Lost in my own little world. Neglecting every single thought which reminded me of the real realm I was living in. Humming a song to myself.

पार्वती बोली शंकर से, सुनिए भोलेनाथ जी,

रहना है हर एक जन्म में मुझे तुम्हारे साथ जी।

वचन दीजिए ना छोड़ेंगे कभी हमारा साथ जी,

ओ भोलेनाथ जी, ओ शंकरनाथ जी।

My feet danced on their own with the rhythm of the melody. My hands started dancing in the air, making gestures about what parvati jii asked Mahadev jii to never leave her. My dupatta twirling with the moves. I started making full spins as my anarkali danced with me making the scene more serene.

The broom swung in the hair with the steps I was dancing on.

My voice could be heard echoing in the whole temple breaking the stillness of the surroundings. My face was revealing my contentment. Whenever I see these nightmares, this is the only way I can put myself at ease and forget everything.

After cleaning the temple, I washed my hands. Pandit jii has already prepared everything. I went inside the temple, putting the dupatta over my head, I started chanting all mantras. Pandit jii came and gave me milk and water to pour over the Shiv Lingam as a sacred offering.

"Pandit jii, mai ye kaise kr skti hu. Ye to aap arpit krte h na!" I said looking at him with perplexed eyes.

[Pandit jii, How can I do this? You always do all the rituals.]

He smiled and looked at me, saying- " Janta hoon. Tum hamesha se Mahadev ka Abhishek krna chahti ho. Mai chahta hoon aaj ye pooja tum karo. Tumhe iski jaroorat hai. Bhavishya mai tumhe avashya koi aisa jarur milega jo tumhari sabhi inchhayein puri krega. Tumhe bilkul shiv-parvati jaisa prem milega, beta.", he remarked, glancing at the sacred Shiva Lingam.

[I know. You always wanted to do Shiva Abhishekam. I want you to do pooja today. You need it. One day, you’ll find someone who will grant all your wishes. You will find eternal love exactly like Shiv-Parvati, my dear child.]

He became serious all of a sudden. He looked at me intensely. Like he was trying to convey something. "Abhi or aage tumhe jo bhi milne vala hai use Shiv ka aadesh maan kar swikar kar lena. Khud ko puri tarah Shiv ko samarpit kar do, beta. Unhone tumhare bhavishya ke liye kuch achaa hi socha h", he finished, putting his palm on my forehead giving me blessings, " Bhagwan kre tumhari masumiyat ko bacha kr rkhne vala tumhe jald mile, Har Har Mahadev. Jai Shiv Shambhu."

[Now or in future, whatever comes in your way, embrace it as a blessing from Mahadev. He has already decided something good for your future.]

[I wish you will find someone who'll treasure your innocence, Har Har Mahadev. Jai Shiv Shambhu.]

I looked at him and he gave me assurance to do the pooja. I started pouring milk on Shiv Lingam feeling tears pooling in my eyes. I could feel the strong energies around me. His words keep repeating in my head. It has always been my wish to do shiv Abhishekam with my husband.

I don't know what my future holds. But I have immense faith in my Mahadev. He must have decided the best for me. I completed the pooja rituals and took the prasad, surrendering myself fully to the mantras, letting all the emotions and miseries fade with the chants.

A U T H O R ' S    P O V

Contrada Bosco Vecchio

Strada Statale 118

92020 Santo Stefano Quisquina AG

Sicilia, Italia

The forest was silent. A terrifying silence which hides thousands of screams. The night made everything scarier. More frightening. The rain poured continuously adding to the chilling atmosphere. Hundreds of men were standing in the middle of the dark forest. Straight in lines. Each one more bulky and heavier than one another.

Black tailored suits made them look more petrifying. Heads bowed in unison. Like they were horrified to look into something they weren't meant to. As if they have been disciplined this way for years. Drenched in rain, they all were waiting for something. For someone.

Everything was calm. A chilling calm before the danger. The storm was waiting to destroy everything hiding between the lush green trees. They stood motionless. The weapons in their hands telling their buried stories, they were hiding behind the mask of still posture. Their lives were dedicated to something far bigger.

The silence was broken by a whimper. Like someone was trying to say something. Something which can shield. Protect. Hide. But found none. A family of seven— an old couple in their eighties with their son… his wife and 8 year old child and their daughter with her husband, were hanging on the branches of huge trees across from each other. Their heads and neck were covered with black clothes. Their wrists were bound with ropes. Their feet dangled in the air. Face swollen, cut marks all over the body. Their body sagging, from not knowing how much time.

Suddenly that small whimper was also silenced. The screeching sound of a chair being pulled was heard. One of those men, way more bulkier from others, Luke, his name written on his suit, kept the chair in the middle of the wet ground. His skeptical eyes scrutinised everyone and everything around him. He stood beside the chair. Like it was his place. The only place he was meant to be.

The door of the car opened. The black shiny boots came into view silencing nature itself to keep the deadly stillness. The atmosphere suddenly became more darkly composed. No one could breathe. Scared if any sound came, they'll have to face hell right here. A man in his early thirties came out of the car.

His broad shoulders cut the air with ease. His body was heavily built. A form of dominance. His massive shoulders, bulked with power and intent. His presence itself displayed the power he carried. His sinister presence was enough to make people feel goosebumps.

His left hand holding a wine glass, fingers keeping the cigarette intact. Another hand holding the gun like it was his only sanctuary keeping his calm. The skin of his left hand and neck was completely hidden behind the tattoos. A serpent coiled around his arm. Ink crawling over his skin like darkness. They were more than decoration- they were warnings, hidden beneath the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. The sight of the tattoos was alone enough to make them shiver.

The stories written on his skin with ink and shadows were not tales- they were promises of pain. Untouchable. Dangerous. And utterly his own. His cold and calculated steps made everyone shiver in their places. He was smoking and drinking at the same time. The expensive limited edition watch, made especially for him, rested on his wrist. A thick cuban silver bracelet telling its own story resting on his other wrist.

His dark green eyes laced with danger and desire, held a fury that made people pee in their pants in no seconds. But his steps, his steps were calm. Unbothered. Silent. Unshaken. Opposite to what his eyes held. He was drunk. But still in his all senses. He sat on the chair kept solely for him. The rain drops wet his black shirt. Half of the buttons open, and the rest struggle to tear apart because of his muscular physique.

A thick black chain around his neck added to the aura he held. His neck was adorned with another thin chain with a Rudraksh-ancient, weather-worn and alive with a gravity, hung low against his chest. Its rough earthy texture whispered in the dark and vows made in blood. The round rudraksh spoke of all the sins he committed, not the prayers he never believed in. It felt less like an ornament but more like a warning.

The rain drops slid down his neck, the chains, the rudraksh and hid behind the fabric of his black shirt. He drank one sip from the glass, and inhaled the cigarette. Veins popping out of his hands and neck like he was trying to hold something.  Something he couldn’t control. He stared at the night sky trying to find where the moon was. He chuckled. Making everyone hold their breath. The moon was also draped in darkness, afraid of what he is going to unleash tonight. The night got darker with the passing time.

He glanced at the prisoners, hanging on the trees. Their voices trapped behind the tapes on their mouths. Their eyes begging for mercy hidden behind the black cloth. He tilted his head, bending his neck sideways, looking at them with something dangerous. Something Unspoken. Something Deadly. His eyes the shade of haunted forests, predatory eyes looking at his prey ready to pounce any moment. Scheming which monster should be freed of its chains tonight. Just for them. A special treatment.

He signalled something with his two fingers. His men brought another chair. Their steps fast. Like they were counting each second. They knew something, the world was unaware of and kept the chair in front of him. He placed both of his feet on another chair, crossing his feet. His black boots shining in the night. His men removed their ropes and shoved them harshly on the ground. His men removed their tapes and the next moment screams and wails were echoing in the forest.

"Who... who are yo—", before he could complete his sentence, the man sitting on the chair like a throne fired a bullet against his head, making him freeze. But it didn't hit him. It passed through his head just an inch away. He was playing. Toying with their fear. Testing how much they could endure. And the moment the tied man realised, he screamed,"Ahhhhhhhhh". The whole forest echoed with his scream and another scream followed. The bullet pierced exactly above his heart. His body went limp and fell on the floor with a thud. It was like he was waiting for his scream.

His fingers moved. Silencing everything with the small movement of his index and middle finger. His men pushing the family's scream down their throats. Seven men pushed their palms on each member of the family's mouth. He observed. Calmly. Enjoying his drink. Like he didn't like noise. The idea of sounds made his body feel disgusted. The man wanted to scream, cry but couldn't. Scared of the outcome.

The women of the family and the only child cried uncontrollably. Their bodies shaking with fear. Their cries muted behind the palms on their mouths. Their eyes held the terror they were witnessing. Tears slipped from their eyes continuously. He took a deep inhale of the cigarette and exhaled slowly resting his head on the headrest of the chair. Sipping his drink. Caring about nothing.

Out of nowhere, the old lady bit the man's palm and screamed, “Why are you doing this? What did we do? We don't even know you. Why are you killing my family? Please… please leave us. I'll give you whatever you want.” She cried. Begged. But her cries fell on deaf ears. No one was there to help her. Help them.

She asked again, "At least tell me…” before she could say more, the palm covered her mouth again, silencing whatever she wanted to beg.

His right-hand man spoke— “No reason. Just your happy little family had a lot of reasons to laugh. So we gave you one reason to cry. Our boss just wanted to have some fun.” The whole family's face fell. Shocked. Someone was killing them just because he wanted to have some fun!!! He was a psychopath. A devil in disguise. A monster in human skin.

He signalled his men something, standing beside him, looking at the dark sky. "Slice his skin, the man who screamed, into small equal pieces. Just remember .....slowly. Accuracy matters." The man who was given the order, his right-hand man, Zaroon, declared looking at the prisoners. The glass of wine, still resting in his hand. His men started their work, not even glancing at the souls shivering and crying for what they were witnessing.

Suddenly the forest was filled with the screams tearing through the darkness of the night. His men slicing his skin in front of his family. His flesh scattered on the wet earth.

The man who was the boss, closed his eyes for a few seconds and stood with his commanding posture. His physique was built like a beast. The shirt clinging to his body tightened around his massive biceps, the moment he took another sip. He went straight to the family kneeling in front of him in a line.

One of his men was standing holding 2 wine bottles in his hands permanently. He raised his empty glass, directing to fill it again. The moment his glass was filled again, he started sipping like he couldn't think straight without it.

“AV what should we do with both of them?”, one of the men spoke. Holding his breath. Doubting his decision of asking. Contemplating the consequences. AV— the name was enough for the world to tremble. Another bullet cut the air, hitting directly the man on head, who questioned. His body fell lifeless on the ground.

“How many times do I need to instruct you to keep your mouth shut until the chief gives the command?” Zaroon roared at the gang. They knelt on the floor keeping their heads down. The boy came out of the hold of the men and went to him, limping on his foot, “If you want to kill someone kill me. My mother is so pure. She has never hurt anyone. She is an angel. Please leave her.” He said in his courageous tone, which seemed like a plea.

AV looked at the boy who was scared enough to hide behind the trees, but brave enough to stand for his mother. He looked at him so intensely. The boy touched his feet demanding something so normal, the life of his mother. But known to the reality about who has the power in that fragile moment.

AV stood up and without looking once, sat in his car. Zaroon commanded, “Kill them. Do the same. Slice the skin. Burn their flesh.Cut this boy's tongue first and then feed their body to stray dogs. Keep in mind, they should be alive to tolerate every single torture.” He continued. "Make sure you also kill the idiot whose palm slipped and the one who couldn't even handle a child. " He said and went behind his boss sitting in the same car.

The little boy roared— “One day you'll have someone you'll love more than yourself. You will beg. Cry. Ask for their life. But nothing will be in your control. I curse you. You will never have a family.” The boy's scream echoed in the whole forest. The engine roared to life and the car went off in the stillness of the night.

The family's cries were silenced. No one knew what happened to them. To their bodies. A family was murdered just because they were laughing together. The only mistake they made was to show their happiness at the wrong time when the devil's car was passing from the road in front of their house. How could someone be so brutal? Ruthless. He was a psychopath.

AV— the name known for death only. Carved in people's minds for his ruthlessness. The only name the world was scared of.

A R O H I ' S    P O V

The moment I entered the house, my mother, Gayatri Raichand, spoke in her usual cold tone, “Kaha se aa rhi ho itni subah?”

[Where are you coming from so early in the morning?]

My steps halted at the entrance. My eyes went to the dining hall where my brother, Anirudh Raichand, was sitting with my mother having their breakfast. “Mne pucha kha se aa rhi ho?” Her cold voice again reached my ears. I hesitated for a minute and tried to speak.

[ I am asking, where are you coming from?]

But before I could say something, Anirudh Bhaiya uttered, “Kya maa aap subah-subah uske peeche pad gyi h. Apko uske mathe ka tilak nhi dikhai de rha. Mandir gyi hogi.” He spoke in his usual calm voice.

[Mom, why are you after her so early in the morning! Can't you see tilak on her forehead. She must have gone to the temple.]

“Tumne tilak dekhke maan liya ki ye mandir gyi thi? Aaj bina bataye jaa rhi h..kal bina bataye kya karegi kuch socha h!” Her harsh tone entered my ears. I looked at her once, trying to predict what she wanted to display. I tried… I tried to say something, anything. But I couldn't utter a single word. Like my mouth was sealed. Words couldn’t come out.

[You saw the tilak on her forehead and assumed she had gone to the temple? Today she is going without informing… What she might do tomorrow without telling anyone, Have you thought about it?]

Her harsh tone ripped something inside me which I couldn’t decipher.

Slow but painful.

Brutally painful.

Creating a void so deep, I didn't know I could fill. She has always been like that towards me. She doesn't abuse me physically but her words, her behaviour, her taunts, the way she looks at me like I am a disgusting part of her life she couldn't get rid of, makes my skin feel shivers. Something in the way she pretends in front of everyone how much she loves me. But everyone is unaware about the stories hidden behind the doors of this mansion.

Bhaiya ignored her words. He looked at me lovingly and said, “Come bachaa. Let's eat something. You must be hungry.” I went near the dining table and muttered, “Bhaiya, I am gonna meet Kayra at her house. So I'll eat something with her. I just came to get my phone.”

I tried my best to sound casual. Like nothing happened. But deep inside me, I knew that my own mother has been breaking something inside me which will never heal. Maybe… maybe she is unaware of what her actions are implementing. What her words are breaking. Bit by Bit.

He looked at me with his stern eyes and asked, “You went without your phone! How many times do I need to tell you to be careful. What if something would have happened to you? How would you call me for help?” His concern could be seen in his eyes which he was trying to mask behind the facade of anger.

I looked at him and spoke in a pleading tone, “I am sorry. I forgot. Next time, I'll remember it.” The moment he heard my low voice, his stern eyes melted. He looked at me with concerned eyes and ordered in a playful tone— “I am leaving you this time only. Don't forget it again.”

I nodded while mom looked at me with a disgusting look. Bhaiya gestured to me to go to my room and I went away without looking back. I could hear the cruel things she was talking about me to my brother and he was eating his food ignoring her.

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I reached my room and found my mobile on the night stand. Six missed calls from Kayra. I dialled her number. She picked the call and yelled, “What the hell Ruhi! Where were you all the time? I was calling you again, and again, and again. I am waiting for you here and you are not even picking my calls. Don't tell me you went to the temple again and forgot your mobile. I am gonna kill you this time for sure.” I put the phone away from my ear and got ready for all the tantrums she is gonna pull the whole day.

“Yes, I forgot my phone on the nightstand.  Don't worry. I am coming in just 20 minutes.” I spoke in my usual calm voice and cut the call. I couldn’t listen to her yelling for an hour. I hurried and took my purse. Adjusting the dupatta, I came outside of the house and drove away to her home.

A U T H O R ' S    P O V

R.S. RATHORE BHAVAN

Arohi entered the Rathore Bhavan. The mansion was so huge that its tall walls could be seen from a very long distance. Rathore Bhavan rose like a sentinel of history atop a hill. Its sandstone walls glowing faintly in the daylight. Every arch and jharokhe spoke of centuries— Rathore's grandeur, battle scenes and family crests. The towering domes crowned the mansion like a crown on a king's head, visible for miles across the rolling hills.

The whole mansion was surrounded by guards shielding their legacy. The entrance boasted a carved wooden door, studded with iron spikes, behind which the interior unfolded like a palace frozen in time—marble floors, ornate pillars, and sprawling halls adorned with tapestries depicting Rathore valor and legacy. Flickering lanterns cast a golden glow, revealing hidden alcoves, secret staircases, and balconies overlooking the forests.

The air smelled of sandalwood, ancient stone, and rain-soaked earth, blending tradition with the raw, untamed energy of the surrounding wilderness. Rathore Bhavan was not just a mansion—it was a mahal of kings, a fortress of pride, and a throne of power, where every shadow could hide loyalty, betrayal, or forbidden desire.

The moment she reached the hall, her steps halted. The hall was filled with servants doing their chores. Some women sitting on the floor whispering to each other, talking about the hidden stories of the Rathore walls. It was a normal thing for Arohi to grasp. The voice of Kayra fell into her ear and she looked at her best friend.

“Meri Maa ab vhi khadi rhegi ya aayegi bhi. Dekh kitna Kaam pada hua hai. M to thak gyi.” Kayra spoke in her usual fast-paced sound.

[My dear mother, are you just gonna stand there or gonna come. See how much work is pending. I am already so tired.]

Arohi looked at her with her ‘I am done’ eyes. “Why are you exaggerating things? We will do everything together. Don't worry. The celebration is on the day after tomorrow.” She spoke in her usual soft tone. Both of them went away to help everyone in doing the preparations.

The whole day went away so fast in their bickering and fights that they didn't even realise the time. At night, the whole mansion was immersed in finishing the preparations. Both of them were busy in helping in the arrangements of the celebration organised in Rathore Bhavan.

Out of nowhere, everyone in the hall stopped working. All of them were looking at the entrance. Arohi and Kayra were making garlands of marigold flowers. Arohi was so occupied in it that she forgot about her surroundings. Suddenly someone's voice fell in Arohi's ears—

“He is back.”

And everything in her stilled.

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So here is the first chapter.

I am so excited to know about your opinions.

What were your thoughts on the first chapter?

What did you think about Arohi's character?

Who do you think AV is?

Let me know all your opinions.

And if you any ideas regarding the chapter or the book,

Then don't hesitate to share it.

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