The luxury black SUV tore through the darkened road like a silent predator. Inside, a deathly silence hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Although Rajveer's eyes were fixed on the road ahead, his jaw was clenched so tight that the muscles pulsed with suppressed fury. Beside him, Savandi stared out the window, her silent tears blurring the passing trees. Her father's desperate, trembling words still echoed in her ears like a haunting melody.
She felt as if the world she loved—her freedom, her hard-earned university dreams—were being crushed under the heavy rotating wheels of this very car
Crying won't help you, Savandi," Rajveer's voice sliced through the silence, cold and rasping. "Do you think your tears will melt my heart? Do you think the great Rajveer feels pity for a girl like you? No. My thirst for revenge is far more ruthless than you can imagine. From today, your life is a living hell. You are the price for your father's sins.
Savandi closed her eyes, refusing to utter a word. After nearly an hour, the car pulled up before massive iron gates. It wasn't just a house; it looked like a fortress. Armed guards stood at the entrance, their presence making Savandi feel like a prisoner being delivered to a high-security jail.
Rajveer stepped out and rounded the car, wrenching Savandi's door open with such force that she jumped in terror. "Get out!" he barked.
With trembling legs and no other choice, she stepped out. Even though the mansion was lit with expensive lamps, it felt shrouded in a gloomy, ominous aura. A group of people—Rajveer's family—were gathered at the entrance. Their eyes didn't hold a shard of sympathy; only cold hatred and disgust directed at her. Savandi felt like a fish out of water, gasping for breath in a sea of enemies.
A woman stepped forward from the crowd. It was Rajveer's aunt, Monica. Draped in a long black shawl, her eyes were as sharp and lethal as a dagger.
"Rajveer! What is this madness?" she shrieked. "Have you forgotten? How could you bring a girl from the family that sucked our blood into this sacred house?"
Rajveer grabbed Savandi's wrist, his grip like a shackle, and dragged her toward the door. "She didn't come here to claim this house, Aunt. She came here to pay back every drop of blood my mother shed. From today, she is nothing but a servant in this house."
"A servant?" Monica stepped closer, leaning into Savandi's face. "Can a Barbie doll like this even work? She probably only knows how to enjoy luxuries."
She grabbed Savandi's chin, forcing her head up. "Listen to me, girl... I can smell the filth of your family in your blood. Not a single inch of this house belongs to you. Your place is in the corner of the kitchen... or some dark room. You are our slave now."
Savandi couldn't take it anymore. She pushed Monica's hand away and stepped back, her voice trembling but firm. "I don't want to stay in this cursed house! I only came to save my father. Kill me if you want, but do not insult me like this!
Rajveer's eyes turned a dangerous shade of crimson. He lunged forward, grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her face inches from his. "Don't you dare be disobedient, Savandi! If you raise your voice again, I will have your father's corpse delivered to this doorstep by tomorrow morning. Do you understand?"
The threat acted like a cold bucket of water. Savandi's tears flowed freely as she fell silent. Rajveer dragged her down to the ground floor and threw her into a cramped, lightless room like she was trash.
"This is your life now. You wake up at 4:00 AM. You clean the entire house and prepare food for everyone. If you make even one mistake..." he whispered harshly into her ear, "...your father will pay the price."
He slammed the door and locked it from the outside. Savandi collapsed onto the floor in the pitch blackness, her sobs racking her fragile frame. As she fell, the university books she had been clutching—her only treasures—scattered across the floor.
Still holding onto these useless books?" Rajveer's voice boomed as he re-entered.
He stepped on one of the books with his heavy leather boot, crushing the pages. Savandi's heart shattered. "Do you think you're going to university while living here? From now on, there are no books for you. Only the kitchen and this dark room belong to you."
"Please... just let me keep these books," she begged, kneeling at his feet. "I'll do any work you want. These are my life!"
Rajveer let out a dark, hollow laugh. He gathered the remaining books and threw them out into the hallway. "Life? Your father took my mother's life without a shred of mercy, Savandi. So today, I kill every single one of your dreams."
He locked the door again, leaving her in total darkness. Savandi wept on the cold floor, but her hand went to her waist. Hidden beneath her dress was a small notebook he hadn't seen—her last shred of hope.
The Next Morning
At 4:00 AM, Monica's shrill voice jolted Savandi awake. "Girl! Get up! The house needs cleaning and breakfast must be ready. We have a guest coming today. One mistake, and you'll regret being born!"
Savandi entered the kitchen with shaking hands. She washed massive pots and scrubbed the floors until her back ached. While working, she saw a man enter the house—Shevin, Rajveer's best friend.
Shevin stopped in his tracks, watching the young woman kneeling on the floor, her hands covered in soap suds, sweat beading on her forehead. She looked noble, yet like a beautiful flower that was being trampled before its time.
Who is this girl? Did Raj really do this?" Shevin muttered to himself.
He stormed upstairs and threw open Rajveer's bedroom door. The room smelled of expensive cigars and aged scotch. Rajveer, thirty-seven years old and built like a mountain, stood by the window in a black shirt. His beard gave him an air of dangerous authority.
"Couldn't you even call me, you bastard?" Shevin yelled. "I expected you to meet me straight from the airport!"
Rajveer didn't even turn around. He set his glass down heavily. "Why are you here? If you're done looking, leave, Shevin. I want to be alone."
"Is that how you treat a friend? Who is that girl downstairs... that Barbie doll? Why did you bring an innocent soul into this hell?"
Rajveer turned slowly, his eyes bloodshot. "Innocent? Do you know the scent of blood behind that innocent face? She is the daughter of my mother's murderer! Her father destroyed my world. Now, I destroy hers. That is Rajveer's law!
Shevin swung his hand, landing a sharp blow across Rajveer's cheek. Rajveer's face turned, but he simply smirked. "You're still a monster, Raj. You're thirty-seven, a powerful businessman the whole country knows. Why turn your life into this misery? I can't stand watching you suffer like this anymore!"
Rajveer laughed loudly, a sound devoid of joy. "Suffer? I'm happy, Shevin! I'm the happiest man alive!"
Shevin sighed. "I know your 'happiness', Raj. I came to remind you about the new business project agreement tomorrow. You've already signed it. I'll pick you up for the office in the morning."
He paused at the door. "Raj... you always say Sharu left you. But she didn't die. She married another man and is happy. Is it right to take revenge on this innocent girl for that too?"
Rajveer lunged, grabbing Shevin by the collar. "Why did she leave? The day that girl's father killed my mother and threw me onto the streets, Sharu left me because I became a beggar! He is the root of everything!" He shoved Shevin away. "If my mother were alive, Sharu would never have left. That man loved his daughter more than his life... so making her my slave is only fair!"
Outside the door, Savandi had heard everything. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out. She hurried back downstairs, tears streaming down her face. Oh, Father... why did you do this? Am I paying for your sins?
She went back to the kitchen, but her eyes held a new, cold spark of determination. If Rajveer wants to break me, I will not break
Later, Rajveer and Shevin walked downstairs. Rajveer stopped beside her, his heavy boots echoing against the floor. "Be ready by 7:00 AM tomorrow. You're coming to the office with me."
Savandi looked up in surprise. "Why should I come to the office?"
Rajveer leaned down, his eyes boring into hers. "I need a servant to cook for my staff and clean my cabin. I thought you'd be perfect for the job. I want the whole world to see who is cleaning my shoes!"
Savandi's face flushed with anger and humiliation. She clenched her teeth. "I won't come!"
Rajveer grabbed her chin, lifting her off her feet. "You don't have a choice. Either you come with me, or by tomorrow afternoon, I tell the police exactly where your father is hiding. Understood?"
He dropped her and walked out with Shevin following. The room fell silent. Savandi touched her chin, where his finger marks were turning red on her fair skin.
"What are you staring at? Finish that pile of laundry in the corner!" Monica barked, a venomous smile on her face.
Savandi walked to the backyard without a word. As she scrubbed the clothes, she thought of tomorrow. Rajveer's luxury office... hundreds of employees... he was going to brand her a servant in front of everyone
You destroyed my books, Rajveer, but I won't let you destroy my soul," she whispered to herself, her grip tightening on the fabric.