On the plane, the women were chatting and giggling about the wedding.
Lilith and Mila were asleep.
Nikolai had read four books for Mila before she finally fell asleep in his arms.
Vishal, however, was on his phone reading when a text message came in.
He opened it and read.
Dear Vishal,
I hope this message reaches you. Your brother is getting married, and I hope you will show up. I really miss you, my dear child. At least put the past behind you for once and come home. We know you missed her a lot after she left you. You didn't marry anybody else, but please come home.
Sign,
Your Mother
He read the message again.
Then the memories hit him.
Sixteen years earlier, he had been married to a half-Russian, half-Pakistani girl named Ramira.
It had been an arranged marriage.
For four years, they had lived together.
He had no feelings for her, but she had been hopelessly in love with him.
Then she became pregnant.
Instead of celebrating with his wife, Vishal had been sleeping with his secretary.
Ramira heard them making love.
She had confronted him, heartbroken and trembling, only for him to tell her to abort the baby because he had no feelings for her.
Her heart had shattered.
When she went into deep labor, she called him more than six times.
He was at a party with his mistress.
He ignored every call.
By the time he finally came home, he found Ramira on the stairs, bleeding.
He carried her in his arms and rushed her to the hospital.
They lost their baby.
Before leaving him, Ramira had cursed him never to be happy in his life.
She had told him that his life would become miserable, just as he had made hers.
Then she disappeared.
She had left him alone for sixteen years because of the loss of their baby.
The curse seemed to follow him.
He was rich, yes.
But he was incredibly lonely.
Vishal looked toward the window as the plane moved through the air.
Four hours later, they all arrived in Pakistan.
Muzaffarabad.
Hammed was walking while Farhid was still mad at him about the bullet.
"I said sorry, jaan (love)," he said.
She pouted.
Her ash niqab covered her face.
"Humph," she pouted even more.
Mila sucked on her pacifier.
They got into the cars and drove off.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the mansion.
The Grand Mughal Kashmiri Palace Estate rose majestically beside a large crystal-clear river in the mountains of Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir.
It was an enormous royal residence containing over 200 lavishly decorated rooms, surrounded by a vast breathtaking garden stretching across acres of perfectly landscaped grounds.
The estate was designed in the style of a magnificent Mughal imperial palace, featuring towering sandstone gateways, enormous domes, grand marble courtyards, intricate Islamic geometric patterns, carved stone pillars, ornate jharokha balconies, elegant fountains, endless reflecting pools, and beautifully decorated arches.
The palace was built from white marble, red sandstone, carved Kashmiri cedar wood, and luxurious polished stone.
Enormous windows overlooked the mountains and river.
The estate contained hundreds of royal bedrooms, luxurious guest suites, grand reception halls, private royal apartments, massive dining halls, banquet rooms, libraries, private offices, prayer halls, entertainment salons, underground chambers, servants' quarters, and magnificent family living spaces.
The central courtyard was surrounded by elegant arcades and decorated fountains.
The enormous Mughal garden was filled with roses, jasmine, lavender, cypress trees, pine trees, fruit orchards, colorful flowers, marble pathways, ornamental ponds, waterfalls, fountains, and countless shaded pavilions.
The crystal-clear river flowed directly beside the palace, with elegant stone bridges connecting the gardens to private riverside terraces and royal viewing platforms.
The nearby mountains rose dramatically behind the estate, creating a breathtaking natural backdrop.
The palace had several grand entrances guarded by enormous decorative gates, long ceremonial driveways, private courtyards, royal stables, luxury vehicle garages, and a magnificent riverside pavilion.
The interior was filled with enormous crystal chandeliers, Persian and Kashmiri carpets, golden detailing, carved wooden ceilings, marble floors, silk curtains, handcrafted furniture, priceless artwork, and intricate Mughal decorations.
The main throne hall was enormous, with towering ceilings, massive marble columns, golden accents, and a grand ceremonial staircase leading toward the royal apartments.
The palace also included indoor pools, private spas, Turkish baths, cinema halls, music rooms, galleries, museums, libraries, children's wings, guest wings, staff residences, and luxurious entertainment halls.
The surrounding estate included private orchards, botanical gardens, rose gardens, a grand Mughal charbagh garden, several fountains, large lakes, walking trails, and secluded garden courtyards.
At sunset, the palace glowed beneath warm golden lights while the clear river reflected the magnificent architecture and surrounding mountains, creating the appearance of an immense forgotten Mughal royal kingdom hidden within the Kashmiri landscape.
"Beautiful," Lily said.
Mila waddled in.
"Wawwwww! For Hani?" Mila asked.
"Yes, baby," Hammed said.
"It pwetty," Olga said.
The toddlers waddled toward the glass window.
The workers were already decorating the mansion for the ceremonies.
"Salam (Greetings), Mr. Hafeezur and Mrs. Qamar," they said.
"Well, bye guys. I'm heading home," Hammed said.
"See you soon, my bride," he said as he winked at Farhid.
She blushed.
Him, Jaxon, David, and Brandon left.
Marco kissed Sabrina while Emil held Palmo closer.
Sergei smiled at Raisa.
She clapped his face playfully.
Adrian bumped his nose with Diya.
Soon, they all took their rooms and rested.
Mila was sitting in the garden, picking flowers.
Nikolai was on the hammock while Lily lay on his chest.
They both kissed as Mila waved at them.
"This is very peaceful, Nikki. Watching our daughter growing up," Lilith said.
"Me too. It's so wonderful. Very soon she will be going to preschool. I'm not ready for that. I will cry my eyes out," Nikolai said.
She giggled at him.
Meanwhile, Vishal sat in the forest smoking while he was on a tree.
Suddenly, he saw a lady running.
Several men were chasing her.
He looked down and fired his weapon, forcing the men to stop.
The woman gasped.
"You're fine now. They won't chase you anymore," he said, still smoking.
"It can't be," she whispered.
She looked up.
"Vishal ji?" she said.
Vishal froze.
"That voice..."
"Mira?" he whispered.
He looked down and saw her staring at him with tears filling her eyes.
"Catch her!" a man shouted.
She gasped.
Vishal took his gun and fired again, stopping the men from coming closer.
He jumped down.
She watched him.
Memories flooded through her mind.
The abuse.
The loss of their baby.
The woman he had slept with.
The man standing before her looked different now.
He was taller than she remembered, and his hair was longer.
She looked at his back and saw scars and old marks.
He finished dealing with the men and turned to face her.
Ramira.
His wife.
She stepped backward.
"W…what are you doing here?" she asked.
"A wedding. The boss's wedding is in two weeks," he said.
"B…boss? You got in?" she asked, her body trembling.
"Why are they chasing you?" Vishal asked.
"I…I don't owe you an explanation," Ramira said.
He struck the tree beside him.
His bag came down.
He opened it and handed her water.
She took it quickly and drank.
Vishal stared at her.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
She ignored him.
One of the injured men groaned.
"Go back to the bar number four or the boss will kill you. She will get you," he said.
"Number four of what?" Vishal asked.
"She was sold to us. She is one of the best dancers we have," the man said.
Vishal's expression darkened.
"Bastard," he muttered.
He turned toward Ramira.
"Come on. There's a mansion up ahead. We're having a wedding there. You can stay there," he said.
"No," she said.
He sighed.
Then, without giving her much opportunity to argue, he lifted her and carried her over his shoulder.
"HEY!!" Ramira shouted.
Vishal carried her back toward the mansion while she kicked and screamed.
Back at the mansion, Riyana came home.
Sohan immediately put her to sleep.
"Nobody should disturb her," he ordered.
"Baba, the cars are here," Nihal said.
"Uncle, we brought all the items," Lajjan said.
A lady walked in.
"Who the fuck made Riyana cry!?" she demanded.
Sakshi was still young when she entered behind her.
Sohan walked toward the woman.
"Thank God you came," he said.
He explained everything that had happened.
"The only person who gets to make her cry is me. Besides me—mehhh, I don't like her."
"Yeah, but nobody makes the Flower cry in such a manner," she said.
"Baba, we checked Mumma's phone, and this is what's been making her restless," Karim said.
They gathered around and read the messages.
They were from Dayan.
The messages threatened Riyana and demanded that she call off the wedding if she did not prove the dowry list.
Sakshi was furious.
She took her phone, found Nikolai's number, and dialed it.
Meanwhile, Nikolai was having lunch when his phone rang.
"Hello?" he said.
"Nikolai, it's Sakshi, Mhaira's rude-ass aunt. Remember me?" she said.
"Oh yeah, batty aunty. I remember. Greetings," he said.
She chuckled.
Sohan gave her a sign not to say anything.
"Nikolai, Riyana passed out due to stress on the wedding," she said.
"Oh. But I sent workers there, and she's not well and needs rest. I tripled the workers too," Nikolai said while eating.
"What if that stress is from your India family, Nikolai?" she asked.
"I will handle it. Please tell me, is everything okay? Why is everybody sounding dull?" he said.
"I can't say until the wedding. Just know our Flower of the Muard Empire has been deeply insulted," she said.
The call ended.
Nikolai blinked at his phone.
He stopped eating.
"Who would do that…..?" he said.
"Dammy!" Nikolai called.
"Yes, boss?" Damian said.
"Find out who insulted the Flower of the Muard Empire, and also find out everything you can. Pay anyone necessary to dig up the information there. Understood?" he whispered.
"Yes, boss," Damian said.
Meanwhile—
"LET ME GO!" Ramira shouted as Vishal walked into the mansion.
"Bro, what the hell? Did you kidnap someone!?" Valerio said.
Vishal put her down.
He turned her around.
Olivia, Addison, Rima, Kenan, Hassan, and Nirma all stood up.
"Ramira!!?" they said.
She froze.
Lily was eating.
She looked at them.
Rima walked toward Ramira.
"How did you…?" she asked.
"Some men were chasing her in the forest. We bumped into each other," Vishal said.
"Then he kidnapped me and brought me here. I want to go far away from here," Ramira said.
Vishal blew out the cigarette and threw it away.
"Yeah," he mumbled.
He started walking away.
"Stop," Lily said.
He stopped.
"Go back and stand beside her," she said.
"I…I…" he began.
"Go back," she said.
He walked back to Ramira.
Lily walked toward her.
"Oh dear. What happened to you, hm?" Lilith said while cupping her face.
Ramira broke into tears.
"They sold me for ten years after I left him. He physically abused me, slept with another woman while I was pregnant with his baby. I lost my baby all because of him and his ruthless father," Ramira said, crying.
Lilith pulled her into a hug.
Vishal looked away.
"Vishal, is this true? Yes or no," Lily said.
"I…I… I… Uhmm," he said.
"ANSWER ME!!!" Lilith shouted.
Everyone flinched.
"No way she made you scared!?" Abellona said.
"Yes," he said.
"Zorina!" she called.
"Yes, Boss!" Zorina said.
"Take him away from Ramira and make sure he cannot approach her again," Lily ordered.
Vishal did not fight back.
He dared not speak or move.
"Uhmm, Bambi—" Nikolai began.
She gave him a deep death stare.
"Never mind. Carry on, your majesty," Nikolai said.
"Tf…." Owen said.
"She even scared the king of kings," he whispered.
"Ramires," Lilith said.
Ramira looked at her.
Lily took her to the other hall.
Vishal followed them.
"Kneel," she said.
Vishal fell to his knees.
The Dominion Apex watched.
"Oh shit…," Caspian said.
"W…what are you doing, Madam?" Ramira asked.
"You lost your baby and suffered physical and mental abuse. So now he will face consequences for what he did to you," Lily said.
"B…But who are you?" Ramira asked.
"This is Mrs. Lilith. She's the Queen and the Lady of the House. Her rules stand. We dare not disobey her orders. She's the leader of the Nocturne Matriarch Group, the Gem of the Obsidian Trail, and the Muards Empire," Urlima said.
Ramira looked at Lily.
Lily held a plate of food.
"Break his fingers," she ordered.
Xandra stepped forward with her brown hammer.
"Open," Lily said as she fed Ramira Shahi Qorma, Chicken Pulao, and Bihari Kebab.
The others moved forward to restrain Vishal.
"AHHHH!!!" he screamed.
"Shut up. Hold those screams, or else," Lily said.
Ramira looked at Vishal.
He covered his mouth.
Emilia, Erisa, and Tatevik wore gloves.
"Enough," Lily ordered.
They bowed.
"Yes, Boss!" they said.
The punishment continued under Lily's orders, but she made sure it did not go beyond what was necessary to confront Vishal with the consequences of his actions.
Ramira continued eating as Lily fed her.
At first, Ramira had wanted revenge.
But as she watched Vishal suffer, her anger began mixing with grief.
"Stop," she whispered.
Lily looked at her.
"He hurt you," Lily said.
"I know," Ramira whispered. "But I don't want to become like him."
The room fell silent.
Vishal lowered his head.
Still break his bones and lock him up for 15 days no light nothing Lily ordered Yes boss.
For the first time in sixteen years, he finally understood that the pain he had caused could never be erased by money, power, apologies, or time.
Ramira wiped her tears.
"I lost my child," she whispered. "Nothing will bring my baby back."
Lily placed the plate down.
"No one can change the past," she said quietly. "But you can decide what happens to the rest of your life."
Ramira looked at her.
Vishal finally raised his eyes.
Their gazes met.
Sixteen years of anger, grief, guilt, loneliness, and regret stood between them.
Neither of them spoke.
As they dragged Vishal away and locked him up.
Outside, the palace continued preparing for the wedding.
Music echoed faintly through the gardens.
Workers carried flowers through the enormous halls.
The river flowed peacefully beside the estate.
And beneath the magnificent Mughal palace, two people who had once loved each other in completely different ways stood face-to-face with the ruins of their past.
For Ramira, the wedding season had brought back memories she had spent sixteen years trying to bury.
For Vishal, his mother's message had brought him back to the woman he had destroyed.
And for Lilith, the situation had become another reminder that behind every powerful family, every enormous mansion, every wedding, and every celebration, there were wounds that money could never heal.
The Muard Empire was preparing for a wedding.
But beneath the celebration, another story had just begun.