Dinner Table – Rathoure Mansion 🍽️

The grand chandelier bathed the hall in a warm golden hue. Laughter, teasing, and clinking of spoons filled the air as the Rathoure boys chatted endlessly after dinner.
Innaya sat quietly among them, her plate half-finished, eyes drifting over her phone — scrolling absentmindedly, lost in her own calm silence.

Kabir, ever the dramatic spark of the table, leaned forward with a grin.
Kabir (excitedly):
"You all know na—Eshan bhai is finally getting engaged to Natasha bhabhi!"

The table burst into light teasing. Aayan whistled. Rudra smirked. Zayan shook his head, laughing.
Innaya looked up instantly, surprise flickering in her wide eyes.
Innaya (softly, smiling):
"Congratulations, Eshan bhai... when's the date?"

Kabir chuckled, shaking his head.
Kabir (playfully):
"First engagement, then marriage, silly Innaya!"

She frowned slightly, her voice small but firm.
Innaya:
"Just tell me the date, Kabirrr."

Kabir threw his hands up dramatically.
Kabir (grinning):
"Okay okay! Today's the 4th... so engagement is on 11th October!"

The moment the word October fell into the air—everything shifted.

The smile on Innaya's face froze. Her eyes widened, distant. Her lips parted but no sound came out.
She sat motionless, the world fading around her.

Innaya (barely whispering):
"Oc...tober?"

Kabir laughed, still unaware.
Kabir (teasing):
"Yes! Octoberrr—what's with that face?"

But by then, Innaya's hand trembled as she pushed back her chair. Her breath quickened.
Her voice broke softly—
Innaya (shaky, forcing a smile):
"G-good night..."

The boys went silent, their laughter dying down instantly.
Eshan's brows furrowed. Rudra's smirk vanished. Zayan leaned forward, confused.

Their eyes followed her as she walked toward the staircase, her shoulders tense, her steps uneven.

Eshan's thoughts (uneasy, confused):
October? Why did she react like that? What happened in that month?

She reached the stairs, one trembling hand clutching the railing, her breathing shallow.

🌑 Scene – Midnight, Rathoure Mansion

The mansion was asleep. Chandeliers were shadows, hallways cold as stone.
But one room pulsed with restless energy — Innaya's.

She sat on the edge of her bed, trembling, phone in her hand.
Her lips barely moved, but the words slipped out like broken glass:

"My legs... they're turning to jelly. I... can't breathe..."

Her breath hitched. The walls seemed to close in, the ceiling pressing down. She stumbled to the door, locking it with a sharp click. The sound echoed like the sealing of a tomb.

As she turned, her elbow brushed a vase on the table. It crashed to the marble floor, shattering into jagged pieces. She didn't even flinch. A shard slid into her foot, slicing deep. Warm blood spread out in dark ribbons, staining the moonlit floor.

Her phone trembled in her hands as she dialed Ved's number. Once. Twice. Seven times.
Nothing. No answer. Only ringing and silence.

"Pick up, Ved... please... please..."

Her voice cracked, a single tear cutting down her cheek.
The clock on the wall glowed 12:00 AM. Midnight.

She lurched to the drawer and fumbled it open. Hands shaking, she pulled out the sleeping injections. Three at once.
She injected herself quickly, her eyes desperate, heart hammering.
Nothing. No relief.
Two more. Nothing.
Her body felt heavier, but her mind stayed awake, trapped, frantic.

She clawed at the drawer again for the last ampoules. Empty.
The room around her blurred — shadows grew longer, the moonlight silver and cruel.
And then, in the shimmering light, she saw it.
A shape.
A shadow moving toward her across the floor.

Her breath became shallow, eyes wide.

"No... no... please..."

She tried to move but her legs wouldn't listen. Blood still pooled from her foot. The floor felt ice-cold. Her head spun, eyes clouding. Darkness wrapped around her as she slumped sideways on the bed.

The last thing she felt was the coldness of the moonlight on her skin.

🌓 Scene – Ved's POV (Jaipur Airport)

Ved walked briskly through the terminal, rolling his sleeves, his phone in his hand. He'd just finished all his work. A rare free moment. He was planning to surprise Innaya — to come back quietly and watch her smile.

His PA's voice broke through the line, trembling:
"Sir... Miss Innaya... she called you seven times tonight..."

Ved froze mid-step, his stomach dropping. "Seven times?"

The PA's voice cracked even more, words stumbling out:
"And... sir... the doctor from London... he says her pulse... it's going down..."

Ved's heart punched against his ribs. His jaw clenched.

No. No, not her. Not like this.

He didn't even respond — he just ended the call and sprinted to his car. His keys shook in his hands as he started the engine.

"Hold on, Innaya. I'm coming. Please... please hold on."

He drove like a man possessed, knuckles white on the steering wheel, eyes burning with fear. The city blurred past him — red lights, shadows, night air tearing through the open window. Every breath felt like fire in his chest.

Inside his mind, her voice echoed: "Pick up, Ved... please..."
His heart cracked with every echo.

He pressed the accelerator harder.
This wasn't just speed — this was desperation.

🌌 Rathoure Mansion – Midnight Rescue

The night air outside the mansion was heavy, still, and almost suffocating. Ved's car skidded into the driveway, PA rushing beside him, urgency in every step. The mansion loomed silent and cold, the shadows stretching long over the marble floors.

Ved's heart pounded violently. He didn't wait. He sprinted to Innaya's chamber, fear driving every step. The door was locked, a faint chill running down his spine at the familiar click. He knew this pin. Her little habit of locking the door when angered or scared—he had memorized it long ago.

With shaking hands, Ved entered the code. The lock clicked, and the door swung open.

The sight that met him stopped him in his tracks.

Innaya lay on the floor, pale and weak, eyes fluttering open slowly. Blood stained the sheets beneath her feet, her hair matted to her cheeks. Her chest heaved faintly, every breath shallow and trembling.

Her gaze met his, wide and winded, and for a moment the world froze.

Ved's voice broke, hoarse and trembling with relief:

"Innu... wake up... naa... don't haunt me like this again."

He knelt beside her, hands gently cupping her face. His eyes searched hers, desperate.

"I promise... I will not go. Please... just wake up for me."

She let out a faint shiver, barely audible, as if her body recognized him but refused to cooperate. Ved's chest tightened painfully. There was no time for hesitation.

With all his strength, he lifted her into his arms, umbrella-style, careful yet frantic, feeling the fragility of her form like a trembling porcelain doll.

"Hold on, Innu... we're going to be alright. You hear me? I'm right here."

The PA followed closely, opening the car doors. Ved gently placed her in the backseat, his hands never leaving her trembling form. Every second was a heartbeat of terror, a flash of fear that she might slip away before help could reach her.

As the car roared toward the hospital, Ved's knuckles were white around her arm, every muscle tense with anxiety and protectiveness. Outside, the night was a blur, the lights flashing past like streaks of silver, mirroring the storm in his heart.

Inside the car, the faint warmth of her presence mixed with the icy fear that clung to him. He whispered again, soft and hoarse:

"Stay with me, Innu... please... just stay with me..."

The world outside ceased to exist, only the sound of her shallow breaths and the engine thrumming beneath them. Every second felt eternal as they raced through the night toward safety, toward the hospital, toward hope.

The corridors were silent except for the faint hum of fluorescent lights and the rhythmic beep... beep... beep of distant machines.
The world outside was asleep — but Ved wasn't.

He sat beside Innaya, his eyes fixed on her pale face as she lay on the hospital bed, IV lines attached to her wrist. The soft glow from the monitor cast light over her features — fragile yet calm, like moonlight resting on still water.

He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, whispering under his breath,

Ved (softly): "You shouldn't have stayed up that late, Innu... you scared me."

He exhaled, the weight of exhaustion pressing heavy on his shoulders. His phone buzzed. The name flashed across the screen — Rudra Rathoure.

Ved hesitated for a moment, then picked it up.

Ved (steady tone): "Rudra."
Rudra (tense): "Ved... where the hell are you? And where's Innaya?"

There was a pause — a long, careful silence. Ved glanced at Innaya, then replied, voice calm but measured.

Ved: "Relax. She's with me... at the hospital."
Kabir (in background, shocked): "Hospital?! What happened?"
Ved (lying smoothly): "When I reached the mansion last night, I thought I'd check on her. Her room lights were on. When I entered... she was lying unconscious on the floor."
Eshan (serious, his voice breaking through): "What? Was she hurt?"
Ved: "No injuries... just exhaustion. The doctor said it might be stress or lack of rest. I brought her here right away. She's stable now."

A collective sigh came from the other side. You could almost hear the tension ease — but only a little.

Zayan (quietly): "You did the right thing, Ved. We'll come soon."
Ved (quickly): "No need. Let her rest. I'll bring her back in the morning."

Another pause. Ved could sense it — the curiosity in their silence. They trusted him... but something didn't sit right.

Aayan (carefully): "You sure you're telling us everything, Ved?"
Ved (forcing a soft chuckle): "Of course. What else would there be? You think I kidnapped her or something?"

The brothers exchanged glances. Rudra's tone softened but carried a strange undercurrent.

Rudra (low): "No... but next time, just wake us. We worry too much for our own good."
Ved: "I know. I promise, she's fine."

He ended the call and placed the phone down slowly.

The silence returned, thick and humming with guilt. Ved leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

His gaze drifted back to Innaya — her breathing steady, her lashes fluttering slightly as if caught in a dream. The faintest frown crossed her face, and Ved's chest tightened.

Ved (whispering, guilt in his tone): "I'm sorry I lied to them... but they wouldn't understand. Not yet."

He closed his eyes for a second, hearing only the monitor's rhythm.

Outside, rain began to fall softly against the glass, washing the city in silver streaks. 🌧️

He reached for her hand — cold but steady — and whispered again, voice trembling like a secret too heavy to hold,

Ved: "I'll protect you, Innu... no matter what I have to hide from them."

At that same moment, back in Rathoure Mansion, the brothers sat in silence.
The phone lay on the table, Ved's voice still echoing faintly in their minds.

Kabir (uneasy): "He sounded... too calm."
Zayan (muttering): "And too quick with answers."
Eshan (sighing): "Still... he took care of her. That's what matters."
Rudra (quiet, eyes distant): "Maybe. But something tells me... this isn't the full story."

Outside, the cold morning wind swept through the garden, rattling the old chimes.
Something in the air had changed — like the calm before a storm no one was ready for.

and then?????????????????????

byeeeeee