"I don't want it... I told you, I won't take anything from you! Kill me, Rajveer... that would be more merciful than this slow torture you're putting me through!"
Her voice was a fragile whisper, yet it carried a weight of defiance that Rajveer hadn't expected. As he pushed the plate of food toward her with a cold, mechanical motion, Savandi gathered every ounce of strength left in her trembling body and shoved it aside. The ceramic plate clattered against the floor, food spilling out—a silent protest against the man who had stolen her freedom. She looked at him with eyes filled with deep, unadulterated loathing.
"Savandi! Don't test my patience. You have no idea how thin it is right now."
Rajveer's voice was like low thunder before a storm. He lunged forward, grabbing her wrists with such force that she gasped. His grip was like iron shackles, and his eyes, dark and piercing, seemed to burn with an inner fire. To him, her defiance wasn't bravery; it was an insult to the vengeance he had carefully cultivated for years.
"Brother... let go of her hand! You're hurting her!"
The intervention came from Aryan. He stepped into the room, his face masked with a mixture of pity and frustration. Unlike Rajveer, whose presence always felt like a suffocating shadow, Aryan brought a sense of grounded calm. He ignored Rajveer's murderous glare and knelt on the dusty floor beside Savandi, who was shivering under Rajveer's touch.
"If you want revenge, take it from me, brother. I am a Gajaweera too. If someone has to pay for the sins of the past, let it be someone who can stand against you. But don't torture this innocent girl. You're punishing her simply because I showed her a shred of humanity by bringing her a meal. Is this what our family has become?"
Aryan spoke with a terrifying calmness that seemed to cut through Rajveer's rage. He reached out and firmly but gently took the plate from near Rajveer's feet.
Rajveer stood frozen. For the first time in his life, his younger brother was looking him in the eye and challenging his authority. The silence in the room was heavy, thick with the scent of old dust and unspoken resentment. Rajveer's jaw tightened, his muscles rippling under his shirt, but he didn't pull her hand again. He couldn't believe his own blood was shielding his enemy's daughter.
"Eat, child... ignore him for a moment," Aryan said softly. His voice was a stark contrast to the violence that had just filled the room. He took a small portion of the food and held it near Savandi's parched lips.
Tears, hot and stinging, began to stream down Savandi's cheeks. She had expected blows, chains, and starvation in this house of horrors, but she never expected a hand to be reached out in kindness. She looked at Aryan, then glanced at Rajveer, who stood like a dark statue, his furious gaze fixed on her every move. Despite the terror radiating from the man standing over them, Savandi found a flicker of trust in Aryan's eyes. She slowly opened her mouth, accepting the food, her tears mixing with the rice.
As Aryan fed her the first bite, the atmosphere in the room shifted from cold to volatile. Rajveer's eyes turned a shade of blood-red. A foreign, agonizing sensation began to claw at his chest. It wasn't just anger. It was something he refused to name: jealousy. He couldn't bear the sight of another man—even his own brother—offering comfort to his prisoner. She was his slave, his tool for revenge, and yet, in this moment, she looked at Aryan with a gratitude she had never shown him.
"Do you think you're some kind of hero, Aryan? A knight in shining armor?" Rajveer stepped forward, his voice a lethal hiss. He grabbed Aryan's shoulder, forcing him to stand, and shoved him toward the door. "Get out! I didn't bring her here for you to play house. This is my revenge, my cross to bear. Get out of here before I forget you're my brother!"
"I'm not leaving, brother!" Aryan stood his ground, his voice rising. "Look at her! She's a human being, not a piece of property. Your eyes are so blinded by hate that you can't see how helpless she is. I am staying right here until she finishes this meal, and there is nothing you can do to stop me unless you plan on killing me too."
"Shut up!" Rajveer roared, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. The two brothers stood face-to-face, a mirror image of strength and stubbornness. It felt like a fatal battle was about to erupt, a bond of years ready to snap over a girl who had no place in their world.
Savandi watched the confrontation with wide, terrified eyes. She felt a crushing guilt; the very foundations of this family were cracking because of her presence. She noticed Rajveer's hands trembling—not just with rage, but with a hidden, agonizing pain he tried so hard to mask behind his rough exterior.
"Fine... if you want to play the savior, then do it. But don't think this changes anything." Rajveer turned abruptly and stormed out of the room.
However, he didn't go far. He stopped just outside the door, leaning against the cold stone wall in the shadows. He pulled out a cigar, lighting it with shaky hands. As the thick, grey smoke swirled around him like a protective mist, he stayed there, listening. Through the half-open door, he watched in silence as Aryan continued to feed Savandi. Every gentle word Aryan spoke felt like a needle in Rajveer's heart. He was the master of this house, yet he felt like an outsider in his own kingdom of vengeance.
"Did you think you could escape me by hiding behind my brother? No, Savandi... I am the one who owns your fate. You will suffer, and it will be by my hand alone," he whispered to the darkness, the embers of his cigar glowing like his eyes.
The next morning, the estate was swallowed by a thick, suffocating mist that clung to the trees like a shroud. By 6:30 AM, the air was freezing. Savandi had managed to sleep fitfully, her body feeling slightly stronger thanks to the food Aryan had given her, but her soul was heavier than ever. She tried to straighten her simple, dirt-stained clothes, trying to maintain a shred of dignity before she stepped into the lion's den.
When she entered the grand living room, Rajveer was already waiting. He was dressed in a sharp black shirt and a heavy coat, looking every bit the powerful, terrifying patriarch. But his eyes were bloodshot, telltale signs that he hadn't slept a wink. He looked at her not with pity, but with a calculated sternness.
"A minute early. Good. It seems even the most stubborn animals can be disciplined under the fear of death," he said, his voice devoid of any warmth. He didn't wait for a response. He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her bruised skin, and dragged her toward the entrance.
"Where... where are you taking me? Aryan said I needed to rest..." she stammered, her heart hammering against her ribs.
At the mention of Aryan's name, a spark of madness flared in Rajveer's eyes. He spun her around, pinning her against the doorframe. "Don't you dare let my brother's name pass through your mouth again. Your lips are too filthy for his name. I don't need permission from him, or anyone else, to deal with you. Today, I'm going to show you the true cost of the blood your father spilled."
He threw her into the car and drove like a man possessed. The engine roared as they sped through winding mountain roads, the tires screeching at every turn. Savandi sat in the passenger seat, clutching the door handle, her eyes fixed on the blurred landscape outside. Rajveer didn't say a single word for the entire hour. His silence was more terrifying than his shouting.
Finally, the car came to a jarring halt. They were at a deserted stone quarry, a desolate place of jagged rocks and scorching heat. The sun was already starting to bake the earth.
"This is your world for today." Rajveer reached into the back and threw a heavy, rusted sledgehammer at her feet. The metal thudded into the dust. "The car that killed my mother weighed tons. I want you to feel every ounce of that weight on your shoulders today. This pile of rocks must be crushed into gravel by 4 PM. If even one stone remains unbroken... your father won't live to see the sunset tomorrow. Remember that."
"Rajveer... please... this is inhuman. I can't do this! Look at me, I don't have the strength," Savandi sobbed, falling to her knees.
Rajveer knelt down until his face was inches from hers. His breath smelled of expensive tobacco and cold anger. "Inhuman? Was it human to leave my mother dying in the street? Was it human to run away like a coward? No one talked about fairness then, Savandi. Now, pick up that hammer. I want to see your pride turn into dust, just like these stones."
He walked over to a high, shaded ledge and sat down, lighting another cigarette. He watched her like a heartless overseer watching a slave.
Savandi stood in the center of that furnace, the sun beating down on her back. With trembling hands, she lifted the sledgehammer. It felt like it was made of lead. Her first swing barely chipped the stone. Her second swing sent a shockwave of pain through her arms. But every time she thought of giving up, she saw her father's face in her mind.
Hours passed. Her hands, once soft and delicate, began to blister. The blisters popped, and red blood began to smear the wooden handle of the hammer. High above, Rajveer watched through the haze of smoke. He saw her stumble, saw her fall, and saw her get back up. He felt a twisted sense of satisfaction, yet a strange, uncomfortable knot was tightening in his stomach.
Rajveer, at thirty-seven, was a man of immense power and iron will. To the world, he was an unbreakable fortress. But looking at this girl, broken and bleeding in the dirt, he felt a flicker of something he had buried long ago. He shook it off, focusing on his hate. He wanted her to break. He needed her to be as empty as he felt.
Suddenly, the roar of a second engine broke the silence. A jeep skidded to a halt, and Aryan jumped out, followed closely by Shevin.
"Brother! Is this what you call being a man?" Aryan's voice was a scream of pure rage. He didn't even wait for the jeep to stop fully. He ran into the quarry, his eyes fixed on Savandi, who was currently slumped over a rock, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"I haven't had a moment to breathe since you brought this girl home, but this is the limit, Rajveer! Punishing a daughter for the sins of a father is the act of a coward, not a Gajaweera! I went to the town, I went to the office looking for you after Aunt Monica's message, but you were gone. Even Shevin didn't know where you'd taken her. My gut told me you'd be here, at this godforsaken place. Stop this now!"
Aryan reached Savandi and practically ripped the sledgehammer from her bloody hands, hurling it across the quarry. It hit a rock with a loud, metallic clang that echoed through the hills.
"Aryan... I warned you about crossing my boundaries!" Rajveer roared, standing up, his tall frame casting a long, dark shadow over them.
"Boundaries?" Aryan laughed, a bitter, jagged sound. He walked up the incline and stood directly in front of Rajveer, chest to chest. "Did you think you were the only 'man' in this family? The same blood flows through my veins, brother. You can order the servants, you can run the business, but I will not stand by while you butcher an innocent girl in the name of a dead past!"
"Both of you, drop it! Now!" Shevin stepped between them, his hands out. He was the only one who could even attempt to talk sense into Rajveer.
Shevin looked at Rajveer, his voice low and serious. "Raj, look at yourself. You've pushed your own brother to the point of rebellion. This isn't justice anymore; it's a sickness. You think breaking her hands will heal your heart? You think this will bring your mother back? It won't. It's just making you a monster."
Rajveer's chest heaved as he stared at his best friend. "Shevin, you didn't hold her hand while she died. You didn't see the blood. As long as her father breathes free air, I will not have peace!"
"Then find the man! Don't kill the girl!" Shevin shouted, pointing toward Savandi. "Look at her hands, Raj. Look at the blood! Are you so far gone that you can't even see that?"
Rajveer's gaze finally shifted to Savandi. She was leaning against Aryan, her face pale, her hands a mess of raw flesh and crimson blood. For a split second, the mask of the monster slipped, and a look of genuine shock crossed his face. But the darkness returned just as quickly.
"Aryan, take her and get out of my sight," Rajveer said, his voice cracking slightly. "But know this—by tomorrow, there will be a price to pay for this interference. And you, Savandi... don't think you've won. This was just the beginning of your penance."
Rajveer didn't wait. He jumped into his car and drove off, the dust cloud hiding his departure. As Aryan and Shevin helped Savandi to the jeep, she stared at the trail of dust, her eyes vacant and haunted.
As Rajveer drove, his mind was a battlefield. The image of her bleeding hands was burned into his retinas. He hated her for making him feel, and he hated his brother for being the one to save her.
"I will not lose," he growled to himself, his grip tightening on the steering wheel until it creaked. "I will keep you in my shadow until there is nothing left of you but me."
Back at the mansion, the air was thick with tension. When Aryan and Shevin carried a nearly unconscious Savandi through the front doors, Monica was waiting at the top of the stairs, a cruel, satisfied smirk on her face.
"Oh, look at our little princess. Is the slave feeling unwell?" she mocked. "Aryan, if Rajveer finds out you brought her back early, he'll have your head. Put that girl in the storehouse and lock the door. She doesn't belong in the main house."
"Aunt Monica, shut up!" Aryan snapped, his voice echoing through the hall. "Brother is losing his mind, and you're just feeding the fire. This girl needs a doctor!"
Just then, the front door slammed open. Rajveer walked in, his face a mask of cold fury. He threw his coat onto the sofa and walked straight toward them. The entire room went silent. He stopped in front of Aryan, who was still holding Savandi.
"Let her go," Rajveer commanded.
"Brother, she's hurt—"
"I said, let her go!" Rajveer's voice was a thunderclap. Before Aryan could react, Rajveer stepped forward, shoved him aside, and scooped Savandi up into his massive arms. She felt like a feather against his powerful chest.
Savandi fluttered her eyes open, looking up at the sharp jawline of her captor. "Rajveer... please... just let me go... let me die..." she whispered, her voice fading.
Rajveer looked down at her, his eyes cold as a winter night. "I didn't go through all this to let you die, Savandi. You aren't going to the storehouse, and you aren't going to the cellar. From today, you are a prisoner of my room. You will stay where I can see you, every second of every day."
Monica's face turned pale with shock and jealousy. Aryan and Shevin watched in stunned silence as Rajveer began to climb the stairs, carrying the girl whose life he was determined to ruin.
He moved fast, his boots heavy on the wooden steps. Savandi's head rested against his shoulder, and the blood from her hands began to seep into his white shirt, creating jagged red stains over his heart. He didn't seem to notice, or perhaps, he didn't care.
"Brother, let us call a doctor at least!" Aryan called out from below.
Rajveer didn't even look back. "No doctor! I know exactly how to handle her. None of you—not a single soul—is to enter my room. She is mine now."
He reached the top floor, kicked his bedroom door open, and stepped inside, slamming it shut behind him. The sound of the lock clicking echoed through the entire mansion, signaling the start of a new, even darker chapter.