Longggg Chapter Ahead. enjoy and maybe lil bit cry hehehe.

Aanya had never imagined-not even in the darkest twist of a tragic novel-that her life would flip like this. She used to believe in the stories she read. She believed that love, no matter how broken, would always find its way. That even the cruelest male leads would soften for their heroines.

She'd read of girls who were punished by fate. But never thought one day she would become the girl whose life became the casualty of someone else's revenge.

Ishaan's voice still echoed in her ears like a curse:
"She is the new maid of this mansion."

She stood frozen in place, watching his broad figure retreat down the hallway, his back straight, posture regal-like a king who had just issued a royal decree, destroying someone's world with a single breath.

For the first time since last night, Aanya let the tears fall.
Not for Ishaan.
Not for her family.
But for the girl inside her who had once dared to dream... of love.

The workers left quietly. No one dared speak. Only the head maid lingered beside her, her face pulled in pity and confusion.

"Come, beta," she said gently. "Let me show you your room."

Aanya followed her like a ghost-no expression, no words, no resistance.

They walked past shining chandeliers and velvet curtains... into the back quarters of the house, where the walls turned gray, the air turned cold, and dreams came to die.

The room was bare. A single bed. A small cabinet. No hint of bridal joy. Just concrete silence.

"You should rest for a while," the maid offered kindly. "I'll explain your duties later."

But Aanya shook her head.

"No," she said, her voice dry, but determined. "I want to talk to Ishaan."

The maid hesitated. "Beta... sir is very angry right now. I don't know what happened between you two, or why he did this... but when he's like this, he doesn't listen to anyone. Not even the elder madam."

Aanya stepped forward. "I don't care. I need to talk to him. He can't do this to me."

The maid started to protest. "But-"

"Please," Aanya said, voice rising. "Just tell me where he is."

Sighing, the maid finally nodded. "He's in his home office. Corner of the corridor."

"Thank you," Aanya whispered, and turned away.

She reached the door.

Her heartbeat thundered in her chest.
The pain. The humiliation. The confusion. All bubbling inside like a volcano.

Without knocking, she opened the door.

Ishaan sat behind a massive mahogany desk, typing calmly into his laptop. He didn't look up. Didn't flinch. Didn't acknowledge her presence.

His voice was ice.

"Leave."

The word sliced her chest open.

But she didn't move.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said, her voice trembling with fury. "I need answers. You don't get to destroy someone's life and then hide behind silence."

His hands stilled, but he still didn't meet her eyes.

"I said," he repeated, "Leave."

"No!" she shouted, stepping closer. "What are you doing, Ishaan?! Why?! What did I ever do to you?" do to you hell, i don't even know you.

He finally looked up.

His eyes were like glass.
Unfeeling. Cold. Merciless.

"You want to know why?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
"You want the truth?"

She nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks.

He stood slowly, walked around the desk, and leaned in close enough for her to feel the storm in his breath.

"This," he whispered, "is the consequence of what your brother and your father did to my family."

"You're not my wife."

"You're my punishment."

The words hit harder than any slap.

Aanya staggered back, breath caught in her throat. Her lips parted.

"Brother...? What did my brother and father do? What are you talking about?"

Ishaan gave a cold, bitter laugh.

"And that-" he said, "is your punishment. That you'll never know what crime you're paying for."

"Just remember this: you were born in that family. And that is enough."

And now you'll live like my sister lived after what your brother did to her-stripped of dignity, silenced, humiliated."

Her heart dropped.

She gasped, "You're punishing me for something I didn't do?"

Ishaan's jaw clenched. "Then consider it bad luck you carry his blood."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"No," she whispered, voice shaky but stronger now. "No. You don't get to do this. You don't get to marry me, abandon me on our wedding night, and then stand here-like a king-declaring me your maid."

Her voice rose. "I'm not your servant! I'm not your revenge plan! I am a human being!"

Her voice echoed in the vastness of the room.

Ishaan stared at her-but this time, something flickered behind his eyes. Briefly. A crack in the armor.

But it vanished in a second.

"You'll follow the rules of this house, Aanya," he said, turning away from her. "Or I'll show you what real consequences feel like."

And don't called me by my name, its sir for you too like other worker's.

His voice lowered to a deadly hush.

He turned away.

Conversation over.

World shattered.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Aanya stood in the corridor, numb.

His words rang in her head on a cruel loop:
"You're not my wife. You're my punishment."

It wasn't just heartbreak anymore-it was something deeper. Something colder. A grief that had no name.

She stumbled back to her assigned room-if that bare space could even be called that. Each step felt heavier, as if her own body was rejecting the reality she'd been forced into.

She sat on the edge of the hard mattress, her bridal bangles still clinking faintly on her wrists.
She looked down at them-red, gold... colors of celebration.
And now, they mocked her.

She tore them off slowly, one by one. Her hands trembled, but her eyes stayed dry now. She had no more tears left. Not yet.

She touched her forehead, where the sindoor had been applied just hours ago. She rubbed it harshly. Over and over. Until her skin reddened.

"You're my punishment."

What had her family done? What crime could be so great that she, an innocent girl, would be reduced to this?

She had begged for this marriage.

Fought for it.

And now... she was the only one who didn't know the reason behind her destruction.

In the afternoon Aanya wandered out of her room in silence. She couldn't stay locked up anymore. The mansion's hallways felt colder now-less royal, more haunting.

She didn't know where she was going. She just needed to move. To breathe. To find something-anything-that would anchor her.

As she passed by one of the corridors near the old library, she heard two maids whispering in the shadows.

"Why did sir do that to her?" Who is she to him.
"Shhh... don't speak loudly. But did you know? They say the verma family was behind that scandal month ago." Maybe she is related to that.

"Scandal?"
"Hmm... the one where sir's elder sister... died."
ohh god... you think it's connected?"
"They say vermas,  were involved in something. Something that destroyed the Mehra's name for a while. But no one really knows the full truth."

Aanya froze.

Her father? Her brother?
A scandal?

She had never heard anything like this. Her father... a respected businessman. Her brother... quiet, distant, but never cruel.

Could they... have done something so monstrous?

Or was Ishaan twisting the truth in his hatred?

She stepped back into the shadows before the maids could see her.

Suddenly, her grief turned into doubt.
Her fear became curiosity.
Her brokenness... started whispering resistance.

Aanya was sitting down on the corner of the room when faint voices drifted through the corridor.

She stood still, alert.

Curious, she stepped out quietly. From the end of the hallway, she saw a young girl-maybe eighteen-entering the mansion. There was a tired grace in her steps, like someone used to hospitals, not homes. Aanya tilted her head slightly, observing.

"Who is she?" Aanya wondered.

As the girl entered, a few of the older staff-those rare loyal workers who hadn't been dismissed-rushed to greet her. The head maid, Nita, approached the girl warmly.

"Jiya beta... how's Mrs. Mehra today?"

The girl gave a tired but polite smile. "She's the same, aunty. No change."

Nita sighed deeply. "Did the doctors say anything? Will she ever recover?"

Jiya looked away for a moment before replying. "Physically... she's stable. But mentally... they said there's no timeline. It could take days... or months... or maybe-" She didn't finish. She didn't need to.

From her corner, hidden in the shadows of the hallway, Aanya listened in silence.

Mrs. Mehra?
Coma?
Who were they talking about?
And who was this girl?

Jiya walked into the living room, and a maid handed her a glass of water. Aanya, instinctively drawn by the conversation, stepped closer.

Their eyes met.

Jiya paused mid-sip, glancing at Aanya with a soft frown. "Who's she?" she asked.

Before anyone could speak, a familiar cold voice echoed behind them-sharp, controlled.

"She's the new maid, Jiya."

Aanya flinched at the label.

Jiya turned to see her elder brother standing at the threshold, dressed formally, as always-his expression unreadable.

"Oh... bhai, you're home today? No office?"

"I have some work elsewhere. I'm leaving now. You stay home and rest today-no hospital. I'll check on mom myself."

"But bhai-"

"No buts, Jiya. I said what I said. You're not going today."

Jiya sighed. "Okay... fine."

Ishaan stepped forward, briefly ruffling her hair in a rare gesture of affection, before turning on his heel and leaving without another word.

A heavy silence followed in his absence. Jiya looked around the large, quiet mansion and asked, "Aunty... where is everyone? The other workers?"

Nita hesitated, then answered softly, "Sir... let them all go, Jiya beta. Only a few of us remain-those your mother trusted and personally appointed."

Jiya frowned. "But why?"

"He never explained. Just... replaced them. And hired new one. Oh-you haven't met her yet."

Nita guided Jiya toward Aanya, gently placing a hand on Aanya's shoulder.

"This is Aanya. The new maid. Aanya, this is Jiya... sir's younger sister."

Their eyes met again.

Aanya lowered her gaze and turned away, choosing silence. Something about the way she was introduced, the casual dismissal in Ishaan's voice-it stung. She scoffed lightly and spoke, her tone clipped.

"Nita aunty, just tell me what work I have to do."

Jiya stared at her for a second longer, then walked away to her room.

Aanya wanted to stop her. To ask the hundred questions circling in her mind. But something held her back.

Not yet.

Later, in the kitchen, Nita showed Aanya where things were kept-the old stove, the pantry inventory, the schedule for meals. But Aanya was distracted, her thoughts echoing louder than the clattering of dishes.

After some hesitation, she finally asked, "Nita aunty... can I ask you something?"

"Of course, beta. Ask anything. Don't hesitate."

"Sir's family... where are they? I mean, other than Jiya, I haven't seen anyone. And earlier, you and Jiya were talking about... someone in the hospital?"

Nita paused, her face changing. The air grew heavier.

"Sir had a family, beta. A big, beautiful family. This mansion wasn't always this silent. It used to echo with laughter."

Aanya listened, heart slowing.

"Mrs. Ishwari Mehra... the lady of this house... is in a coma. She has been for a month now."

Aanya's lips parted in shock. "A coma? What... what happened?"

Nita looked down, voice thick with emotion. "A storm hit this house a month ago, child. And left nothing standing."

"What kind of storm...?"

"Nisha Mehra, Ishaan sir's elder sister, died by suicide."

The words hit like thunder.

"Why...?" Aanya asked, barely able to whisper.

"No one knows for sure. Some say the man she loved betrayed her. Maybe there was a scandal. Whatever it was... she couldn't bear it. , Mrs Mehra could not see her like that, she had A heart attack. And since then... she's been unconscious."

Nita's eyes welled up as she continued.

"This house used to glow, beta. Nisha madam was the soul of it. Always smiling, kind to every staff member. Everyone loved her. Her death... broke something in everyone. Especially Ishaan sir."

Aanya felt her throat tighten. She whispered, "And Ishaan's father...?"

"Passed away when sir was just fifteen. Ishwari mam raised her children alone. Took over the business. Later, both Nisha madam and Ishaan sir helped her run it."

"And Jiya?"

Nita smiled faintly. "She's the youngest. Has a twin brother, Jay. He's studying in London. Jiya mostly stays at the hospital these days, ever since the incident."

Aanya leaned against the kitchen counter, overwhelmed. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

So much grief. So much loss. And it all happened just a month ago...

Exactly a month ago.

A memory surfaced-of the maid whispering about a scandal.

Could it be connected? Was her family involved? What had her father and brother done?

Everything in her life had turned upside down overnight. But now, she was starting to see-she wasn't the only one shattered. This house... this family... had already been burning long before she stepped inside.

And she had just walked straight into the ashes.

So many truths lie buried beneath the silence of the Mehra mansion.
Aanya walked in as a stranger, but unknowingly, she's now standing at the center of a storm that began long before her.
What secrets are still locked behind these closed doors?
Why did Nisha Mehra really take her life?
And how is Aanya's own family connected to this shattered legacy?

The answers won't come easy.
But every step Aanya takes will pull her deeper into a web of heartbreak, betrayal... and something she never expected-love.

Stay with the story.
Because the past is not finished yet.
And neither is the pain.

Thank you <3