57

55. escape

Continue....

"In your dreams, Mr. Corvo," she said, each word dipped in frost. "Because as long as I'm breathing, you won't even get close enough to touch him."

Arav blinked once, then smirked—slow, amused, almost fascinated.
"Fiesty," huu? he murmured, delight curling around his tongue. "Even after hearing everything, you're still defending him."
His smirk widened into something darker.
"I must say... you've fallen for him. Just like I fell for Nisha crazily."

Aanya's jaw tightened, but she didn't look away.

Arav leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a venomous whisper.
"We both know they're not ours... not truly. But we love them anyway. Madly. Irrationally. To the point it ruins us."
His eyes flickered with a twisted nostalgia.
"My Nisha was just like you—bold, sharp, full of fire."

Then he suddenly chuckled, a harsh, broken sound.
He lifted a hand and pointed toward a wodden door on the far side of the room.
"But look where she is now," he said. "Caged."
He laughed louder, echoing against the concrete walls like a nightmare too alive to escape.

Aanya's eyes followed the direction of his finger.

Her blood ran cold.

The room he pointed at... that's where Nisha di was being held.

Her breath hitched for a second—not in fear of Arav, but in fear for her sister-in-law. A beat later, she forced herself to scan the room around her, noticing something she hadn't before.

Every guard she had knocked unconscious earlier—every man she had fought with raw desperation—
was now on his feet again.

Standing perfectly still.
Perfectly alert.
Perfectly obedient.

As if nothing had happened.

No complaints, no anger, no hesitation.

Just discipline.

Just loyalty.

Just... programmed obedience.

Aanya's stomach twisted.
"Pets," she muttered under her breath—soft, disgusted, but full of contempt. They were acting like trained dogs, conditioned to stand even with broken ribs and bleeding arms.

She knew then: she was surrounded, and alone.

Her mind raced.

Dii is here.
I have to reach her.
No matter what happens, I have to get to her.

Aanya drew in a deep breath, steady and deliberate.
Fear tried to crawl back into her chest, but she pushed it down, replacing it with something stronger—pure determination.

This wasn't about Ishaan anymore.
This wasn't about herself.

This was about saving Nisha.

Aanya's eyes flicked around the warehouse, taking in every detail—

Arav's manic grin stretching wider as he watched her.

He thought he had her cornered.
He thought she would break.

He was wrong.

Aanya lowered her gaze for just a fraction of a second.
A calculated surrender.
A silent deception.

Arav chuckled, misreading the shift instantly.
"Finally," he sneered, "you know your place."

But Aanya was already moving.

Fast.
Silent.
Precise.

She pivoted sharply, her foot hooking behind a metal crate. With one swift kick, she sent it crashing to the ground.
The sound boomed through the room—loud enough to make every guard flinch toward the noise.

Exactly what she wanted.

In that heartbeat of distraction, she sprinted—darting behind stacked boxes, slipping between shadows, her breath held tight in her lungs. Arav's voice roared behind her, sudden and enraged:

"AANYA! STOP!"

She didn't.

She ran harder.
Her pulse thundered.
Her legs burned.
But nothing—nothing—was going to keep her from that door.

A guard stepped into her path, but she slid low beneath his arm, using her momentum to sweep his feet. He crashed to the floor with a grunt. She didn't even look back.

Arav's men scrambled, shouting orders to each other, boots pounding against the concrete as they chased her.
But she was faster.
Desperation made her unstoppable.

She reached the hallway—narrow, dimly lit, suffocatingly silent.
At the very end... the door Arav had pointed to.

Nisha.

Aanya pushed harder, lungs burning, heart convulsing in her chest.

She reached the door just as Arav turned the corner behind her.

"AANYA!" he bellowed. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

She didn't think.
She didn't hesitate.

She slammed into the door with her shoulder—luckily the door was not lock.

She slipped inside.

And before Arav could reach her, before his fingers could brush the frame—

Bang.

She slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.
Her breath came in harsh gasps as she stumbled backward, her spine hitting the cold wall.

Outside, Arav pounded the door with raw fury.

"AANYA! OPEN IT! DO YOU HEAR ME? OPEN IT NOW!"

But the door held.
And inside... she finally allowed herself to breathe.

Because for the first time since this nightmare began—

She was one step closer to saving Nisha.

Aanya pressed her back against the door, chest rising and falling rapidly.
Outside, Arav's furious pounding rattled the hinges, but she didn't move.
She couldn't—her body was shaking too violently.

Then she heard it.

A soft, weak breath from somewhere in the darkness.

Aanya lifted her head.

"N... Nisha dii?" her voice cracked, breaking around the edges.

There was no answer—only the faint rustle of fabric.

Aanya pushed herself off the door, each step heavy with dread. The room was dimly lit by a small bulb in the corner—barely bright enough to paint the outlines of the space.

But it was enough.

Her heart stopped.

Because there—sitting on the bed, hair tangled, her face pale—
was Nisha.

Aanya's breath punched out of her chest.

"Dii..."
Her voice came out as nothing more than a trembling whisper.

Nisha's head jerked up at the sound.
For a second, she blinked as if she didn't believe what she was seeing.

"A-Aanya?" she wisper slowly.

Aanya look surprised.
"you know me" she asked. 

"Of course I know you Aransh always talks about you i've seen you in picture." she said with low chukkle.

Then her eyes widened—glazed with tears.
"But what are doing here. no-no you have to go from here, he will hurt you aanya she said with sacred tone.

Aanya dropped to her knees so fast it hurt.
Nothing going to happen to me nor you, I'am here i will save you. she said

Nisha stared in disbelief, tears sliding down her bruised cheeks.
"Aanya... don't... don't come close. He'll hurt you. He'll kill you."

Aanya reached forward, gently touching Nisha's face, her thumb trembling as it brushed a fading bruise.
"No one is hurt me," she whispered fiercely.
"And no one is hurting you ever again."

Outside, Arav roared Nisha's name, banging violently on the door.

But inside—there was only the two of them.

Nisha collapsed against Aanya, sobbing into her shoulder, her body shaking from exhaustion and fear.
Aanya wrapped her arms around her sister, pulling her close, protective, unyielding.

She wiped her tears with the back of her trembling hand, her breathing finally steadying.
But confusion clouded her eyes as she looked at Aanya.

"But Aanya... how did you even get here?" she asked softly, her voice still shaking.

Aanya exhaled slowly. "They kidnapped me, Dii."

Nisha froze.
Her eyes widened, horror creeping over her face.

"He—he kidnapped you too?" she whispered, disbelief turning into dread. "That means... the person he was talking about yesterday... it was you."

Aanya frowned, not understanding.
"What are you talking about?"

Nisha swallowed hard, her voice thick with fear and revulsion.

"Yesterday... when I refused to eat anything from his men, Arav came himself."
She looked down, her fingers tightening around Aanya's hand.
"He told me... if I wouldn't eat from his people, he would bring someone else. Someone Ishaan was getting close to... and someone Aransh cared about deeply."

Aanya's breath hitched.

Nisha continued, her voice breaking.
"At that moment I didn't understand who he meant. But now... now seeing you here... I know he was talking about you."

She looked up, confusion and pain swirling in her gaze.
"You are very close to Aransh... but Ishaan being close to you—this part I still don't understand."

Aanya looked away for a moment, jaw tight, gathering herself. Then she met her sister's eyes again.

"You'll learn everything, Dii," she whispered.
"But first... we need to get out of here."

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped Nisha.

"No, Aanya. It's not that easy."
Her voice trembled with memories that still burned.
"I tried. I tried so many times. Every attempt ended in failure."

She swallowed, pain tightening her throat.

"Bella tried too... she tried to escape with me. But we were caught. And that monster... he drug me."
Her voice cracked.
"He injected me with a higher dose. It nearly killed me."

Aanya's eyes flooded with horror.

Nisha continued, tears spilling again.

"If Bella hadn't been there that day... if she hadn't fought for me... I wouldn't be alive right now."
Her voice softened into something fragile.
"She took care of me from the first day. When I was slipping, when my mind was breaking... she held me together."

Aanya slid closer and wrapped her arms around Nisha's shoulders, hugging her gently.

"Dii... I promise you. Everything will be okay. I'm here now," she whispered, steady and fierce.
"But why... why did he kidnap Bella?"

Nisha's expression twisted in pain.

"Because she was close to the Mehras. She was close to Ishaan."
Her voice shook with anger.
"And second... because she's a doctor."

Aanya felt her stomach drop.

"When Arav brought me here, I was... collapsing. My body wasn't reacting well. I needed medical care."
Nisha squeezed her eyes shut.
"So he kidnapped Bella. He used her to treat me... while breaking Ishaan at the same time."

Her voice lowered into a bitter whisper.
"He destroyed me... and he destroyed them."

Aanya's hands folded into fists.

"He's truly a monster," she muttered darkly.

"He is," Nisha replied, her teeth clenched, hatred burning through every syllable.
"He is the kind of monster who doesn't deserve to breathe."

" bella is  bella would be okay." She muttered panicly.

Aanya just look at her.

Bella left three days ago," Nisha whispered, her voice fragile as thin glass. "She promised me she would come back... she promised she would take me out of here. But at this point... even if I don't make it... it doesn't matter. I just hope..."
Her voice wavered.
"I just hope she escaped safely."

Then her eyes snapped toward Aanya—wide, desperate, trembling.

"Aanya... you— do you know Bella,?" she asked in a panic. "Did she meet Aransh? Or Ishaan? Did she make it out? Do you know anything—anything at all?"

Aanya held her sister's shoulders gently.
"Relax, Dii. Yes... Bella is safe."
She gave a small, reassuring nod.
"She met Ishaan. She told him everything. And I'm sure Ishaan is already on his way to get you out of here."

Her voice dropped into a murmur meant only for herself.
"And to get me..."

The two women sat together in heavy silence for nearly an hour as the banging on the door faded into absolute stillness.
____

Ishaan drove like a man possessed, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles had turned white. His phone buzzed, cutting through the storm of thoughts in his head.
He answered immediately.

Before he could speak, Karan's urgent voice came through:

"Bhai, we've reached the Divalo cottage. We're executing the plan in a few minutes. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Ishaan replied, eyes locked on the outline of Corvo Mansion in the distance. "I'm close. Just inform me the moment you start the fire."

"Okay. Come from the other side," Karan said, then cut the call.

Ishaan immediately dialed the next number.
"Vitel, are you ready? We're going inside in a few minutes."

"Yes, boss. Just give the signal."

Ishaan exhaled deeply and ended the call.
He parked his car in a shadowy, secluded spot a short distance from the mansion where the massive iron gates loomed. Behind his car, a second vehicle came to a halt—his men's car.

Bella leaned forward, looking out the back window, then turned to Ishaan.

" Did Aanya knows?" she asked quietly.

Ishaan frowned. "Huh?"

"I mean..." Bella inhaled sharply. "Does she know that you're the leader of Black Crown?"

Ishaan looked away, jaw tightening.
"No."

"Why not?" Bella's voice softened, gentle but firm. "You should have told her the truth, Ishaan. She'll be hurt if she learns it from someone else."

Ishaan's expression cracked, revealing the fear beneath.

"Once all this ends... I'll tell her everything," he said quietly. "I don't want to hide anything from her. But Bella... I'm scared of her reaction. If she leaves me... I won't survive it. I already lost once. I can't handle losing someone else."

Bella felt something inside her crumble hearing him talk like that—about another girl, not her.
But she hid the ache behind a small, hollow smile.

"Okay," she whispered. But Ishaan... tell her the truth soon. Don't let misunderstandings grow between you. They ruin relationships."

Ishaan heard the sadness woven into her voice.
He understood she wasn't just giving advice—she was speaking from the wounds between them.

He simply nodded.
___

Arav sat on the couch like a king waiting for his prey to beg. He could have broken the door easily, but why bother?
Nisha and Aanya were trapped inside the mansion—his domain.
Let them hide. Let them cry.
They wouldn't get far.
The thought made a cruel smirk tug at his lips.

Then his phone rang sharply.

He answered it with icy irritation.
"What?"

"Boss—there's fire!" one of his men shouted frantically. "The cottage... someone set it on fire! Our entire stock is burning!"

Arav shot to his feet.

"What? How the hell can there be a fire there?" he roared.

"Boss, someone did this! There are fewer guards here and we're struggling to put it out. You have to come, boss!"

Arav's fury exploded.
He ended the call and hurled the phone across the room.

"Who the hell dared to do this!?!" he bellowed.

All the guards flinched, instantly alert.

Arav marched toward the exit, fury radiating off him like wildfire.

"Let's go to the main cottage. Only six guards stay here," he barked.
"And make sure neither of them leaves this mansion—

Then he stormed out, his guards scrambling behind him.
____

Aanya and Nisha also heard the shouting, the hurried footsteps, the door slamming.

Aanya instantly stood up.

Nisha rose behind her. "Aanya... please don't—there could be danger out there."

"Nothing will happen, Dii," Aanya said firmly. "Let me check what's happening. Stay behind me."

"But Aanya—what if they're right outside?"

"I'll handle them," Aanya said, though fear twisted in her stomach.

She stepped to the door, took a deep, shaky breath, and slowly cracked it open.

Her eyes darted around.

Every guard was rushing outside.
Arav was nowhere in sight.

Inside the mansion... only three guards remained.

She exhaled in relief and shut the door again.

She turned to Nisha with a small, daring smile.

"Dii... are you ready to go back to Aransh bhai?" she teased.

Nisha stared at her in shock.
"What?"

"There are only three guards inside. Maybe one or two more outside—but the rest are gone. Arav isn't here either."
Aanya's eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
"This is our chance. Our only chance."

Nisha's voice trembled as she whispered, "But Aanya... this is risky. There are guards outside. How will we get past them?"

Aanya gave her a confident smile.
"Don't worry, Dii. I'll handle them. All of them. Alone."

Nisha blinked in disbelief.
"Handle them? Alone? Aanya, they are trained bodyguards. How are you going to fight them?"

Aanya lifted her chin with proud amusement.
"If they're trained bodyguards, then I am a trained karate fighter."

Nisha stared at her as if she had misheard.
"Karate fighter? You know karate?"

"Yes," Aanya answered casually.

"But... why?" Nisha asked, baffled and curious.

Aanya shrugged lightly.
"Because I wanted to. It's fun, Dii. You should also learn."

"Oh... okay," Nisha muttered sheepishly.

Aanya squeezed her hand.
"So you just stay behind me. I'll handle everything, okay?"

Nisha hesitated, then exhaled.
"Hm... it's risky but... fine. Let's try. Worst case? They catch us and lock us up again."
She gave a nervous chuckle.

Aanya smiled at her bravery and slowly opened the door.

Three guards were at the entrance.
Two by the gate.
One standing near their room, his back turned.

Aanya gestured silently for Nisha to follow.

She pushed the door open wider—just enough to slip out.
The guard near the room turned the instant he heard the sound.

But before he could even lift his hand, Aanya moved first.

A sharp pivot.
A precise strike.
A blow straight to his jaw.

He collapsed instantly.

The other two guards jerked forward in shock.
They had seen the condition of their comrades earlier—broken, unconscious, lying in their own defeat. They remembered the girl who did that.

Fear flickered in their eyes.
____

Outside the Mansion

Ishaan's phone buzzed again.

"Yes, Karan," he answered quickly.

"Bhai, it's done."

Ishaan looked toward the mansion gate—cars were beginning to roll out.

"They're leaving," he muttered. "Good."

"Alright," Karan said, and the call ended.

Ishaan immediately called another number.

"Vitel, be ready. The moment I open my car door and close it, that's your signal. When the last car leaves, we go in."

"Yes, boss."

Ishaan watched silently as one car after another exited the mansion grounds.
Six cars.
Then the last one—Arav's car—its windows so tinted he couldn't see inside.

The moment it passed the bend, Ishaan opened the door of his car and shut it firmly.

His men straightened behind him.

He started the engine.

From one side, Arav's car sped away.
From the other, Ishaan's car slid through the mansion gates like a silent shadow.

---

Inside the Mansion —

Aanya had already taken down the first guard.

The second lunged at her with a roar, but she ducked under his arm and drove her elbow into his ribs. The crack echoed sharply.
He fell to his knees, gasping.

The third guard ran toward her, but Aanya moved faster.
She spun, her leg slicing through the air, delivering a clean roundhouse kick that sent him crashing into the wall behind him.

Nisha stood behind her gripping a heavy showpiece—ready to defend herself if needed.

The noise drew the attention of three more guards outside, who rushed in.

Within moments, two more fell under Aanya's swift, precise hits—one flipped over the couch, another slammed into a pillar.

Soon, the entire room was chaos.

Five men lay scattered—one twisted over the sofa, another slumped against the wall, one face-down on the floor, one unconscious near the doorway.

Aanya was fighting the last one.

She grabbed him by the collar, punched him hard in the jaw, and prepared for the second strike—

And then—

THE MANSION GATES BURST OPEN.

Everyone froze.

____

"Oh my god... did an earthquake hit this place?" Mattio whispered, stunned behind Ishaan.

Ishaan and Bella stood at the entrance, frozen in absolute shock.

They had prepared for the worst—chains, traps, beaten captives, unconscious victims.

But this?

A room filled with defeated guards.
Aanya standing in the center, breathless, fierce, powerful.
Nisha beside her, holding a heavy showpiece like it was a weapon.

No one expected this.

Not even Aanya.

She stood frozen, staring at Ishaan—eyes wide, breath caught in her throat.

Nisha, too, stiffened.
Her gaze locked on her brother—ishaan—standing right in front of her.
Her eyes filled instantly, her breath stuttering.

As both women stared at ishaan.

The guard in Aanya's grip saw the distraction and tried to attack her again.

But before he could move—

CRACK.

Nisha swung the showpiece with all her strength.
It collided with the guard's skull, and he dropped to the floor in one instant.

Aanya turned in shock.

Nisha gave a breathless, savage little smile.

Everyone at the gate stared, speechless.

Was this... real?
Were they dreaming?

Ishaan and his men had come fully prepared to rescue Aanya and Nisha.

But looking at the state of the room—

It was clear the women's didn't need rescuing.

Not even a little.

For a moment, the mansion fell into a strange, suspended silence.

And then—
Ishaan ran.

He ran toward the two women who meant more to him than his own life—
His sister.
His wife.
Both standing in the center of the ruined hall like warriors who had survived a battlefield.

His breath broke.
His chest tightened.

"Nisha... Dii—" His voice cracked as he reached them.

With one hand, he caught Aanya's wrist; with the other, he pulled Nisha into his chest.
Nisha collapsed against him the instant she felt his touch.
Her fingers clutched the back of his shirt desperately, as if confirming he was real—not another hallucination brought by pain and drugs.

She sobbed into him, trembling uncontrollably.

"Ishaan... Ishaan... you're here—my brother... you're really here..."
Her voice shook with months of terror, loneliness, and silent prayers.

Ishaan's arms tightened around her.

"Oh God, Dii... Dii, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Are you in pain?"
His voice broke like a mother scolding her child for nearly dying.

Nisha cried harder, burying her face in the crook of her brother's neck.

"I thought... I thought I would never see you again."
"I thought... I thought I would die here..."

He kissed the top of her head, his own tears falling freely.

"I'm here now. I'm here. And no one—no one—will ever touch you again."

Nisha hid her face in his neck like she had as a child afraid of thunder.

And Ishaan held her like she was made of porcelain—
like she was the most precious part of his existence—
like losing her would have ended him.

For a moment, the world outside didn't matter.

Not the bruises.
Not the mansion.
Not Arav.
Not the danger.

Just a brother holding the sister he almost lost.
Just a broken girl finally safe in the arms of the person she trusted most.

And in that moment—
the nightmare of the last five months finally began to melt away.

When Ishaan finally loosened his grip around Nisha, his teary gaze flickered sideways—
and landed on Aanya.

She stood there frozen, breath caught in her throat, eyes wide, hands half-raised as if unsure whether she was allowed to exist in this moment or not.

Dust clung to her hair.
Bruises painted her arms.
Her heartbeat was still running like a trapped bird.

But Ishaan didn't see the bruises.
He didn't see the dust.
He saw her.

His wife.
His Rose.

Before she could process anything, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

No hesitation.
No second thoughts.
Just raw, unfiltered emotion.

Aanya gasped softly, taken by surprise, her hands suspended awkwardly in the air.
She didn't hug him back.
She couldn't.
Her body was too numb, her mind too overwhelmed.

Ishaan held her like a mother clutches a lost, frightened child.

Aanya felt her eyes burn.

All of Arav's poisonous words suddenly echoed in her mind:

He didn't come for you.
He never loved you.
You're nothing but a third wheel

But Ishaan's voice shattered all of it.

"A-Are you okay, Rose?"
His voice shook against her hair.
"Did they hurt you? God—please tell me they didn't hurt you." Please are you okay right?. I was s-sacred that I will lose you.

He didn't even breathe between questions.
His hands were trembling against her back, sliding upward, checking, reassuring himself that she was really there, really alive, really safe.

He tightened his arms around her.

So tight she could barely breathe.
So desperate it felt like he was holding the last living piece of himself.

His chin came to rest on her shoulder, and she felt the slight tremor in his breath.

Slowly—very slowly—her hands lowered from the air.
They trembled as they touched his back.
And then she gave in.

She hugged him back.

Her head dropped against his chest, fitting perfectly in the place she belonged.
The moment she did, Ishaan's breath hitched—like he'd been waiting for that tiny movement to survive.

She closed her eyes tightly.

He came.
Not just for Dii.
He came for me too...

The world around them faded.

The mansion.
The broken guards.
Bella.
Nisha.
The chaos.

Gone.

It felt like the universe had shrunk to just the two of them
two souls clinging to each other in the ruins of a nightmare.

Behind them, Nisha watched in stunned silence.

She couldn't understand why Ishaan was holding Aanya the way a drowning man clings to air—
Why he looked at her like she was equally precious... equally essential.

It looked like Ishaan was afraid that if he let go of Aanya even for a second, she would vanish into thin air.

If he didn't feel her heartbeat, he himself wouldn't be able to breathe.

Aanya, still pressed against him, finally exhaled a shaky breath.
His warmth seeped into her bones, melting the last remnants of Arav's words.

For the first time since the night she was taken, she felt safe.
Wanted.
Claimed.

Held.

And neither of them moved—
as if breaking the embrace would shatter something fragile between them.

It wasn't just a hug.

It was relief.
It was apology.
It was fear.
It was love—raw and unspoken.

It was a reunion of two hearts that had almost lost each other forever.

But it's all for a moment only, he is not aware that the upcoming storm is going to break him."

The tender reunion broke when a trembling voice cut in.

"Aanya!! Nisha dii!!"

Bella rushed forward, breathless, panic-stricken.

"Oh God—are you okay dii? Are you hurt? I'm so sorry... I came late. I should've brought Ishaan sooner—I should've—"
Her words tangled into frantic apologies.

"Bella... Bella, its okay relax."
Nisha cupped her face gently, calming her.
"You didn't come late. You kept your promise. You came back for me. You survived and returned. I'm proud of you."

Bella broke into tears and hugged her.

Aanya blinked, shocked.

This... this is Bella?
He came with her?
Arav was right... they where together...

Aanya slowly pulled out of Ishaan's embrace.

He immediately looked at her—concern flooding his eyes.

"Are you... are you alright?" he asked again softly.

Aanya looked away.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."

Ishaan exhaled shakily and nodded, though he clearly didn't believe her.

Bella stepped in front of Aanya next, her expression gentle.

"Aanya... are you okay? 

Aanya froze at the softness of her tone.

She had expected bitterness—anger—resentment.
After all, Ishaan was married to her now.

But Bella's eyes held no hatred.
Only concern.

Aanya nodded quietly.

Bella exhaled with visible relief.
"Thank God. And thank you so much You saved Nisha dii... what I couldn't do in five months, you did in a few hours. We came here to rescue both of you, but it doesn't seem like you needed us at all." she chukkle.

Aanya smiled faintly, and Ishaan's jaw tightened with pride.

He glanced at the defeated guards scattered across the hall—one slumped over a sofa, another unconscious against the wall, others sprawled on the floor groaning.

A slow, incredulous smile spread across his face.

"Don't tell me you did all this... Rose?"

"Oh, sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Mehra," Aanya smirked.
"But yes. I did."

A collective, stunned chuckle rose from his men.

Mattio stared like he'd seen a goddess descend.

"I... I just want to meet my new boss," he whispered dramatically.

Grace blinked. "What do you mean? We meet the boss every day."

Mattio shook his head.
"Not Dante.
My new cyber boss."

Grace narrowed her eyes. "And who exactly is your new boss?"

"Follow my gaze," he said.

Grace followed it—and found Aanya.

"...Mrs Mehra?" Grace muttered.

"Yes!" Mattio declared proudly. Mrs aanya mehra."
"My hacker queen. My mentor. My guru."

"You're insane," Grace scoffed.

Mattio egnor her continue looking at his guru.

Nisha stared at Ishaan and Aanya, utterly confused, silently asking Bella: What did I miss?

Bella chuckled.
"You'll find out soon."

Vitele stepped forward.
"Sir, we should leave. Before more of Corvo's men arrive. We'll handle the guards. You take the ladies."

"You're right," Ishaan nodded.

He looked at the three women.
"Let's go."

Nisha nodded slowly—still unable to believe she was free.
Truly free.

Aanya and Bella followed him outside.

Inside the car, Nisha sat between the two women, gripping both their hands, as if afraid to lose them now.

Ishaan started the engine and drove out.

Once the mansion was out of sight, he dialed a number.

This time, Aransh picked up instantly.

Before Ishaan could speak, Aransh's frantic voice spilled through the speaker:

"Ishaan?! Did you find them? Are they safe? Is Nisha okay? And Aanya—she's fine, right?"

Hearing his voice, Nisha gasped and covered her mouth as fresh tears rushed out.

Aanya froze as well.

Of course, she thought.
bhai must have known I was missing. And he would never sit still knowing i was gone.

She pulled Nisha closer while Bella wrapped her arms around Nisha from the other side—both girls steadying her trembling form.

Ishaan finally spoke.

"Yes, Aransh. They're safe. Both of them. I'm taking them home now.
you also come at the Mehra mansion."

He cut the call.

___

Aransh's breath hitched when he heard Ishaan's words.

Safe.
Both safe.

A single tear slid down his cheek—one he didn't bother hiding.

Karan, sitting beside him, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's over,  Aransh Bhai. Everything's okay now."

Aransh nodded—slowly—but then straightened, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"Karan... fasten your seatbelt."

"What? Why—"

Before Karan could finish, Aransh slammed down the accelerator.

The car shot forward with such speed that Karan nearly stopped breathing.

"Oh God—Aransh Bhai! Calm down! We have to reach the mansion, not heaven!"

"Calm down? You're telling me to calm down?!"
Aransh's voice cracked with overflowing emotion.
"You have no idea what I'm feeling, Karan! —my Nisha—my love... she is coming back to me. Do you understand? I have to see her—I have to see her as soon as possible other wise i will lose my mind!"

And he pressed the accelerator even harder, the engine roaring like a beast finally unleashed.

They all headed toward their destinations, unaware that today someone will find their love… while someone lose theirs.”

Thank you for your reading
Please drop your thoughts about this chapter, and hit that star.
Bye bye take care 👋🫀✨


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iinnha

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To write stories that make people feel seen — the broken, the brave, the believers. To turn emotions into art, pain into power, and dreams into chapters that never fade.

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iinnha

𝑆𝑜𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑝 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 — 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑤𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑚.✨🫀