Chapter 55

Hellooo sohneyooo….❤️
Ki hall chall ….
Thand to bache oo??
Its cold outside now, take care of yourself… Don’t get sick….
So am here with a new update and yeah.. happy new year in advance… 🥳🎉
May this year will be the happiest for you❤️
And yeah.. do votes and comments.. ab apka jada samya na lete huye….

Enjoy 🌼

4k+ words

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“ is he really dead navver?” uncle’s voice echoed in his head, he looked into his eyes, but didn’t answer

“ navver…” His tone carries warning

He gave a half shake of my head

“ take me there. ”

I’ll show him exactly what are the consequences are for fucking with me.

“ but vani?” nav asked

“ she is under heavy dose of medication, she won’t wake up , moreover vikram will be here.”
Ranvijay said and nav nodded

✧

They entered a warehouse.
Old
Rusty
Dirty

As they walked, they see a Man whose both hands are tied to a rode

Paras

He stood naked, blood tickling from his skull, half concious

His whole face swollen, dust on his body..

His body carries purple marks
Like someone have beaten him with a heavy thing maybe like a rod

Ranvijay narrow his eyes on him and smirk

“ where does his penis go?” ranvijay asked while smirking

“ aur jinda rh skte hai kya uske bina?” nav smirks

( And can we live without it?)

“ surgery uncle surgery…. Bichare ko bhout dard hua tha.. jis cheez ka ghamand tha.. woh hi nahi  ab iske pass ”

( Surgery uncle surgery…. He was in lot of pain… The thing he was so proud of, is not with him anymore)

“ to is liye tum gyab the?” ranvijay asked looking at the condition of paras. It wasn’t a question, it was more like a answer

((So this is why you disappeared.))

“ itni asani se thodi marta.” he mumbled

( I wouldn’t have killed him so easily)

“Meri beti ICU mein leti hai,” Ranvijay continued.
“Aur tum… yahan saans le rahe ho.”

( My daughter is there in the ICU, and you are breathing.. here?)

“ jagao re isko… Baap ka hotel hai jo itne aram so rha hai… ”  nav said

( Wake him up, it isn’t his father’s hotel, why he is sleeping so peacefully?”)

His men worked first and throw bucket of water at him.

Boiling water

He screamed getting fully conscious, screaming top of his lungs, then his eyes landed to ranvijay’s,

“ uncle look what he is doing to me, i…i am vani’s –” before he could finish ranvijay throw a glass bottle which landed on his face.. pieces his eyes…

He cried cause of the pain

“ DON’T YOU FUCKING TAKE A NAME OF MY DAUGHTER FROM YOUR FILTHY MOUTH.” Ranvijay roared

“ woahhhhhhh … Kya nishana tha…” nav said and ranvijay glare at him…

( Wow, what a shot)

“ continue ” nav smiled awkwardly

Till now the room was filled with his screams,

His face was covered with blood.

Ranvijay stepped forward. He wasn’t carrying a weapon, but a heavy, thick iron bar, the tip of which had been heated until it glowed a dull, menacing red

Vani,” Ranvijay said, his voice low and unbelievably calm. “She looked at me from that hospital bed, and she asked, ‘Papa, did I ruin your reputation?’ She was worried about me.”

He huffed.. trying to hide his tears…

“ because of you …. YOUU!!” he hit paras with rod

He looked at paras who was whimpering

Ranvijay didn’t rush. He used the glowing iron to carefully press small, circular burns onto Paras’s chest and arms-mimicking the exact pattern of the cigarette burns Paras had inflicted on Vani.

Ranvijay pressed the iron onto Paras’s forearm. The flesh sizzled, and Paras screamed, a high, thin sound.

This one is for the pain. For the fever she had. For every night she couldn’t sleep because her skin hurt.”
Ranvijay moved to his chest, pressing the iron near his heart.

“This one is for the shame. For the moment she looked at the marks and thought she deserved them. You told her she wasn’t worth it. You made her believe that.”

Ranvijay paused, stepping back. The smell of burnt flesh hung thick in the air.

Nav’s rage was personal. He was suffering after knowing Vani had suffered so much. He was going to make sure Paras felt the crushing helplessness Vani endured.

Nav picked up a heavy, rusty wrench and a pair of industrial pliers.

Nav grabbed Paras’s hand. “You used these to beat her. You used these to touch her without her permission. Huh? These same hands made my vani die many deaths.she Endured so much… FUCKING ENDURED SO MUCH…”

Nav started crushing the small bones in Paras’s fingers with the pliers, slowly, deliberately. He focused on the joints, making sure the bones splintered but didn’t break off completely. The sound was sickening, like stepping on dry twigs.

“Vani had fractures. Do you know how much that hurts? Do you know what it feels like to have your body betray you? You broke her ankle. And lied about that tooo. Huh?? Infront of us?? You threaten her? ”

Nav moved towards his legs. He used the heavy wrench to smash Paras’s kneecaps. Not hard enough to sever the leg, but hard enough to shatter the bone into sharp, useless fragments.

He cried

“You took her ability to fight back. You took her strength. But she was still standing but look at you…Now you can’t even stand up. You are garbage. You are helpless.”

Nav finished, dropping the wrench.

Paras was screaming, but the sound was muffled, ragged, choked by his own fear.

Ranvijay returned, holding a small, sharp knife.

Ranvijay didn’t want a quick cut. He wanted Paras to watch his life drain out, drop by drop.

Ranvijay made a series of shallow, cuts along the inside of Paras’s wrists and ankles. They were just deep enough to bleed heavily, but not deep enough to cause a fast death. He placed a metal bucket beside him

“Look, Paras. Every drop of blood that falls into that bucket is a tear Vani cried. Your blood can’t undo that but You are going to watch your life pour out, slowly, drop by drop, until you have nothing left.”

Nav, holding a bag of  industrial salt, sprinkled it liberally into the open cuts and the deeper wounds left by the iron and the wrench. The salt burned, causing a fresh wave of pain that forced Paras back into full consciousness.

“ JUSTT KILLL ME.. PLEASE ” paras screamed

“Stay awake. Til til mari hai woh… Aur Tujhe asani se maut dedege hum? You don’t get to pass out. You have to see the end. ”

Nav and Ranvijay untied Paras. He couldn’t move. They dragged his broken body across the concrete floor to a huge, empty steel drum. The bottom of the drum was filled with thick, industrial cement mix that was starting to set.

They forced Paras into the drum. The cold, heavy mix immediately started covering his legs.

He kept screaming, but it of was of no use.

Ranvijay (leaning over the drum, his voice a final, terrifying whisper) “Vani felt like she was suffocating under the guilt you gave her. She felt trapped. You are going to feel that too.”

The cement rose past Paras’s waist, then his chest. He tried to scream, but the effort was too much for his broken body.

“You told her she wasn’t worth it. You told her she was nothing. Now you are literally going to become nothing. Mai to puchna hi bul geya… Kesa laag rha hai??”

“ please please i beg you.. please leave me.. please stop…..I’ll sit in her feet and ask for forgiveness.”

He begged…
Like the audacity
The expections that I’ll leave him

“ maybe vani screamed like this… She begged you… Didn’t she? DIDN’T SHE??” i grabbed his hair and yanked it back just the way he did it with vani, but with more force..
“ huh??? Did you stopped.??? You blackmailed her… About her videos??” nav huffed..

Paras was crying and begging

Nav and ranvijay stare at him, they didn’t kept a track of time, the cement slowly started to harden at his waist, grabbing his skin, he started to suffer, his skin turning purple

In both of their mind, vani’s words were roaming

” You watched… Did i ruin your reputation? I am not worth you…” Her blood, her screaming, everything still haunts them

“ uncle….” nav said with mischief

“ kabhi apne jungli kutto ko dekha hai jo kaffi dink se bhukhe ho, and they’ll eat anything?” nav asked, with this paras panick was rising

( Did you see wild dogs, who are hungry from many days, and they’ll eat anything?)

“ nooo noooo please….!!!”

“ tsk.” Ranvijay said

“ dekhna chaho ge?” Nav asked again

( Want to see?)

“ neki aur puch puch…” ranvijay said and nav smirked

( Idiom:- doing a good deed and asking around)

He signaled victor

Victor dropped fish oil on paras, and open the dogs who were hungry from months,

Paras wounds ,blood, and fish oil smell, attracted them and they all latch out at paras

He screamed, he begged
But nav and ranvijay didn’t even flinch

They stood, hands in their pockets, still in the grief what vani endured,

“ vani should never know this. ” ranvijay said still staring at the scene

“ she never will.” nav replied

✧

The warehouse had gone unnaturally still.

Ranvijay stood facing forward, hands in his pockets
He didn’t look at Nav when he spoke.

“I’m taking Vani back.”

Nav’s head snapped toward him.

“What?”

Ranvijay didn’t turn.
His eyes stayed fixed on the space ahead.

“We both know,” he said quietly,
“she needs care, Nav.”

Nav took a step forward instinctively.

“I can take care of her.”

Ranvijay finally exhaled.

A long, tired breath.

“This isn’t about capability,” he said.
“It’s about space.”

He turned now—slowly.

His face wasn’t angry.
It was worn down.

“She needs doctors she already trusts.
A home that doesn’t remind her of what happened.
Her mother.”

His jaw tightened.

“And right now,” he added, softer,
“she needs a father who can sit beside her all night without falling apart.”

The words landed hard.

Nav swallowed.

“I won’t hurt her, i can sit with her. …” he said.
Not defensive.
Almost pleading.

“I know,” Ranvijay replied immediately.
“That’s why this is difficult.”

A pause.

Then, quietly:

“If you stay too close right now, she’ll try to be strong for you.”
“And she shouldn’t have to… She doesn’t need to surpress her emotions… ”

Nav’s shoulders dropped slightly.

The fight left him.

He nodded once.

Slow.

“I understand.”

Ranvijay inclined his head, not victory, not gratitude.

Just acceptance.

“Come,” he said.
“We should go to the hospital.”

Nav hesitated.

“I’ll come,” he said, then stopped himself.
“No… you go ahead.”

Ranvijay studied him for a moment.

Ranvijay didn’t argue.

He simply nodded and walked away.

Nav leaned against his car the moment Ranvijay disappeared from view.
The metal was cold through his clothes.

He stared at the ground, jaw clenched so tight it ached.

This was the right decision.

He knew that.

She needed calm.
Familiarity.
Peace.
And his presence will hurt her, make her remember the cliff night…

Still

his chest hurt like something had been torn out.

He pictured her hospital bed.

The machines.
Her shallow breathing.

The way she looked at him, like she was afraid to ask something.

He closed his eyes.

If I stay…
I become another weight she carries.

That thought destroyed him.

He dragged a hand down his face and laughed once under his breath.

A broken sound.

“I promised I’d protect you,” he whispered.
“And the first thing I had to do… was step away.”

His phone buzzed.

He didn’t check it.

He stayed there, leaning against the car,
Because walking away from distruction was easy.

But Walking away from her

It took everything he had.

✧

It had been weeks.

The IV stand was gone now.
The monitors were silent.
Only the faint smell of antiseptic
and the weight of everything that had happened.

Vani was still on the hospital bed, legs folded slightly,
She looked better.

Not healed.

“Papa, main theek hoon,” she said gently.
(Papa, I’m fine.)
“I want to stay here.”

She tilted her head, eyes softening deliberately.

“Aur itna kaam kaun karega?”
(And who will handle so much work?)

The puppy eyes followed.

Ranvijay watched her quietly.

Didn’t smile.

Didn’t give in.

“Gudiya… bas,” he said calmly.
(Enough.)

He moved to the couch and sat down across from her, leaning forward slightly.

Maintaining eye contact.

Not stern.

Certain.

“Bachha,” he said slowly,
“mujhe pata hai tum capable ho.”
(I know you’re capable.)

“You proved that long ago.”

His voice softened, but didn’t weaken.

“I never doubted you.”
“Not even for a second.”

Vani’s breath caught.

“This company—”
He gestured lightly.
“—is yours.”

“It will be divided equally.
Half yours.
Half Ayanshi’s.”

He paused, letting that sink in.

“But right now,” he continued,
“this is not about the company.”

He straightened slightly.

“It’s about you.”

Vani looked down at her hands.

“I know you can take care of everything,” Ranvijay said.
“I always have.”

“But I need my daughter to come back home.”

The words were heavy

“I listened to you last time,” he said.
“And I trusted your strength.”

He held her gaze again.

“but this time… I need you to listen to me.”

“Please.”

Vani’s eyes glistened.

She blinked once.

Twice.

Then nodded.

Small.
Silent.

Ranvijay stood up immediately and walked to her.

Wrapped his arms around her carefully.

His hand rested on her head, fingers combing through her hair slowly.

“I’m proud of you,” he murmured.
“Par ghar wapas aana zaroori hai.”
(But coming home is necessary.)

“Papa…” she whispered.

“Hm?”

She hesitated.

“Nav?”
Her voice dropped.
“Where is he?”
“Will he not come to meet me?”

“He’ll come,” he said at last.
“Jaipur mein.”
(In Jaipur.)

Vani looked up at him.

Something in her chest eased.

She nodded.

Ranvijay kissed her forehead softly.

“Ab ghar chalte hain,” he said.
(Now let’s go home.)

And for the first time in weeks

Vani didn’t argue.

✧

Divya had been standing near the gate for more than an hour.

Adjusted the pallu of her dupatta.
Straightened the small plate in her hands.
Checked the diya again, though it was already lit.

The aarti thali trembled slightly.

Her hands were trembling but she acted if it was just the wind

Every few minutes, she walked a few steps forward.
Then stopped.
Then walked back.

Her eyes kept darting toward the gate

Bas aa hi rahe honge.
(They must be arriving any moment.)

Her heart refused to slow down.

The sound of the car finally reached her ears.

She froze.

Then rushed forward.

The gate opened.

Ranvijay stepped out first.

And then

Vani.

Divya’s breath hitched.

There she was.

Thinner.
Paler.

But standing.
The thali trembled in Divya’s hands as tears spilled instantly.

“Vani—”Her voice broke on the name.

Eyes already wet.

“ mummaa…” vani ran towards divya…

She shoved the thali into the helper’s hands without even looking and rushed forward.

Divya wrapped her arms around her daughter like she was afraid the world might steal her again.

“ meriii bachii… ” She kissed Vani’s head again and again, her hands trembling as they held her.

( My child)

“ tu theek hai meri jaan?” divya said, vani nodded, both of them tried hard not to cru but their tears were flowing out of control

(You’re okay, my life?)

Vani nodded.

Once.

Then again.

Neither of them could stop crying.

They tried.

Failed.

Their tears soaked into each other’s shoulders.

Ranvijay watched silently.

Didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t move.

But he couldn’t see them crying

“ par apne to kaha tha mai apki jaan hu… Yeh cheating hai…” ranvijay said casually

Divya froze.

Vani sniffed.

Both looked at him.

( But you said i am your life.)

For half a second, there was silence.

Then Vani chuckled weakly.

“Haan, mummy,” she said, wiping her tears,
“yeh cheating hai.”

(Yes, mom, this is cheating.)

She pulled back slightly and looked at Divya with mock seriousness.

“Aap papa ke saath aisi cheating nahi kar sakti.”
(You can’t cheat on dad like this.)

Divya laughed through her tears.

Vani tilted her head.

“Mujhe choti jaan ka title de do.”
(Just give me the ‘small life’ title.)

“Main usmein santusht hoon.”
( I am happy in that too)

She turned toward Ranvijay.
“Woh theek hai na, papa?”
( That is okay, Papa?)

Ranvijay raised an eyebrow.
“Haan…” he said thoughtfully.
“Dekha jaa sakta hai.”

( We can think about that)

Then his lips twitched.

“Par main toh soch raha hoon,” he continued,
“tumhe phir se laddu bulaana shuru kar doon.”
(I was thinking of calling you ‘laddu’ again.)

Vani’s eyes widened in horror.

“Kitne pasand the na tumhe?” he added smugly.
“Kisi ko khaane nahi deti thi.”
(You loved them so much. Never let anyone else eat them.)

“PAPAA—NAHIIIIII!”
The protest came instantly.

Loud.
Dramatic.

Divya laughed properly now.

Ranvijay smiled.

The helpers smiled.

And for the first time since everything had gone wrong
The house sounded like home again.

“ laddu nahi papa… Aur koch bhi bula lo…. Dekho gudiya kitna acha name hai….”  she made a puppy face

(Not Laddu. Call me anything else look Gudiya is such a nice name)

“ achaaa??” ranvijay said amaze by her skills,

(Oh really?)

“ haan.. dekho ese bachoo ko tang ni krte….”She sounded like a professional motivational speaker.

(You don’t trouble children like this.)

Ranvijay shook his head.

“ mai to ab laddu hi bulaunga…” ranvijay said and vani’s eyes widened in horror

( I will call you laddu)

“ mai bhi…” divya said and done

( Me too)

She pointed at her father.
Then her mother.
Then back at her father.

“ app dono pati patni.. bhout tang krte ho mujhe…. ”

(You both, husband and wife…)(Trouble me a lot.)

“ achaaa laduuu??” Both said together, barely controlling their laughter.
Vani stared at them, betrayed.

( Oh really laddu?)

“ lagee raho dono..mai jaa rahi hu….”
(You both continue.)

And with that
she turned and walked toward her room.

Ranvijay and Divya watched her go.
Then looked at each other.
And laughed.

I closed the door behind me

Softly.

Like the sound might disturb the laughter still echoing outside.

I looked around my room
The room looked the same.
Bed made.
Curtains half-open.
Familiar.

Too familiar.

I leaned her back against the door and slid down slowly until I was sitting on the floor.

My smile faded.

My chest tightened suddenly.

I hugged my knees instinctively.

It’s over.
You’re home.
You’re safe.vani…

He was won’t come back…
That’s what I was keep telling myself…

And then

the memory came which i am trying hard to bury but it came Uninvited.

A voice too close.
Her wrists burning.
The smell.
The weight.

“You watched…”

My own voice echoed in my head.

He saw it… He saw me…. He disgust me
My hands started shaking.

“No—” I whispered to the empty room, thinking it’ll change the truth.

I pressed my palms against my ears.

Maybe the sounds will stop….

Please stop..

It Didn’t help. I felt something warm flowing my cheeks.

My heart was racing, i was trying not to panic but i wasn’t getting a control on it

“I’m home,” I told myself out loud.
“Papa’s here.”
“Mumma’s here.”

Her voice cracked.

“ i shouldn’t feel this .. but..but… Where is nav…. He hate me that much?? He didn’t come… He didn’t visited… Why he hate me… ?? ”

Tears came suddenly, hard, uncontrollable.

I buried my face into my knees and sobbed.

My body curled in on itself as if trying to disappear.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I  whispered.
“I didn’t.”

But the shame didn’t listen.

It never did

I  rocked slightly, holding myself

“I’m still me,” she cried.
“I’m still me…”

My breathing finally broke into harsh sobs.

And for the first time since coming home

I let herself fall apart.

✧

Divya stood in the hallway long after Vani had gone inside.

She had laughed.
She had played along.

But now

the silence felt different.

She looked at Ranvijay.

He was smiling.

Still trying.

Divya turned away and walked quietly toward Vani’s door.

She didn’t knock.

She just rested her palm against the wood.

And listened.

At first

nothing.

Then

a sound.

Broken.

Her breath hitched.

Divya’s hand flew to her mouth.

“Meri bachhi…”
(My child…)

She leaned her forehead against the door.

Her knees trembled.

Her daughter was breaking

“I should’ve held you tighter,” Divya whispered.
“I should’ve seen it sooner.”

Tears slipped down her face silently.

She didn’t go in.

Didn’t interrupt.

Because sometimes

a child needs to break alone before being held.

Divya slid down and sat outside the door.

Back against the wall.

✧

The laughter had faded.

The house felt… uneven again.

He followed

And stopped when he saw her sitting outside Vani’s room.

Crying silently.

His chest tightened.

He didn’t ask.

He already knew.

He walked over and sat beside her slowly.

Didn’t speak.

Just sat.

“She’s crying,” Divya whispered.

Ranvijay closed his eyes.

For a moment

the image of the ICU returned.

Machines.
Fear.

He swallowed hard.

“I know,” he said quietly.

He leaned his head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling.

“You know what she said,” he continued, voice low.
“The first words after she woke up.”

Divya didn’t respond.

He didn’t need her to.

“‘You watched.’”
A pause.
Then, softer
“‘Did I ruin your reputation?’”

His voice cracked.

“My daughter…”
He laughed once, hollow.
“She was lying there, broken—and she was worried about me.”

He pressed his fingers into his palms.

“I failed,” he said.
“I failed as a father.”

Divya turned fully toward him now.

“I couldn’t protect her.”
“My child grew up so much…”
“That she hid her pain because she didn’t want to stain her father’s name.”

His jaw tightened.

“What kind of father lets his child carry that?”

Divya reached for his hand.

Held it firmly.

“You didn’t fail,” she said softly.
“She’s just like her father.”

Ranvijay didn’t look at her.

“She wants to endure everything alone,” Divya continued.
“Sab kuch khud jhelna hai use ….”
(She wants to carry everything by herself.)

Ranvijay exhaled sharply.

“But that is my fault,” she said.
“Jahan mujhe uske saath baithna chahiye tha—”
“—maine uske dimaag mein bhar diya ke tum apne baap ki reputation bigaad rahi ho.”

Ranvijay stiffened.

He turned his head sharply.

“What do you mean?”
His eyes searched her face.
“Did you know all this?”

Divya shook her head quickly.

“No.”
Then hesitated.

Ranvijay’s eyes darkened.

“Divya.”

Her voice trembled now.

“Inayat ki shaadi ke waqt…”
“I saw Nav and Vani together. They were talking, laughing together…”

Ranvijay went still.

“I thought they were in a relationship,” she admitted.
“And I scolded her.”

His chest tightened.

“I told her…”
Her voice broke.
“…that being in a relationship would ruin her father’s reputation.”

Silence.

Heavy.
Unforgiving.

“That’s why she tried to take her life,” Divya whispered.
“I thought she’d make a mistake she’d regret… that’s why i arranged an engagement for her”

Her eyes filled.

“But I didn’t know,” she said brokenly,
“that by doing that—”
“I was pushing her straight into …..” a lump formed in Divya’s throat

Ranvijay didn’t react immediately.

Didn’t shout.
Didn’t explode.

That was worse.

He stared ahead, jaw clenched, breathing measured with effort.

“ agar… Nav na atta… To vani ki shadi us se jo jatti …. Agar woh na rokta …. Agar woh yeh misunderstanding clear na krta ….You know…. Fir kya hota…. Divyaaa ji!!!!! Apse yeh umeed nahi thi … ” ranvijay stood up and went towards his study.

(If… Nav hadn’t come… then Vani would’ve been married off to him.
If he hadn’t stopped it… if he hadn’t cleared this misunderstanding… you know…
Then what would have happened… Divya ji!! I didn’t expect this from you…)
______________________________________

So hereee ia anotherr update… What do you think of this chapter.. do tell me in the comment section.. don’t be shy.. your comments means a lot to me … See you in next chapter sweeties ❤️