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As soon as Jhankar noticed the people around her, she immediately stood up and began searching for her parents. She was certain that if she agreed to everything Vikrant said, he would at least let her see them once. But she found nothing. No trace of them. And as her anxiety began to spike, she was suddenly grabbed roughly by the arm. The man holding her began to drag her away, his grip painful and cruel.

“I want to meet my parents. I don’t want to hear anything else.”

She said firmly, trying to resist. But the man ignored her completely and kept dragging her forward. A black car pulled up beside them. The man yanked the door open and pushed her inside. Jhankar had no choice but to accept the force. She didn’t scream or struggle anymore. All she wanted now was to meet her parents, to confirm they were alive, and to know they weresafe. Her thoughts briefly went to Vyom, but her biggest fear was what this man, this monster, would do if he ever found her brother. She knew Vikrant wouldn’t spare Vyom easily.

After a long, silent drive, the car finally stopped outside a massive bungalow. She looked at it, her eyes scanning the imposing structure. Just then, the door opened and another man appeared. He grabbed her arm even tighter than the first and shoved her forward. She stumbled and fell, landing with a painful thud on the ground. Her gaze dropped to the shiny black shoes in front of her, she recognized these shoes. She didn’t even look up before saying, her voice cracking with emotion:

“I did what you asked. You asked me to sit in the wedding pavilion, to pretend to be that man’s daughter, and I did it. I married you quietly. Now I need to meet my parents. I don’t care about anything else.”

Vikrant, who had been trying for hours to keep his fury in check, felt something inside him snap. He grabbed her arm and forced her to stand, his eyes ablaze with a fire that could burn down empires.

“Do you think the situation is some kind of joke?” he hissed, voice low and deadly. “Do you think this is a Hollywood film where everything ends happily? Your brother ran away with my bride. He thought I wouldn’t find them. Let me tell you something, pray that they aren’t found. Because if Sonakshi’s father gets to them first, God help them. And if I get to your brother first, he won’t live, and he won’t die. He’ll beg for death, but I won’t give him that luxury.”

Jhankar stood frozen. She knew now, beyond any doubt, that this man had no humanity left. He was a storm waiting to destroy everything in his path. Still, she gathered her courage and spoke again, her voice trembling.

“I want to meet my parents. They weren’t well... I’m begging you, please let me know how they are. I just want to see them once.”

Vikrant looked at her. Her plea, her helplessness, everything about her ignited a strange frustration inside him. He was unable to tolerate opposition, especially after a group of ordinary people had completely upended his world. He felt anger towards himself, frustration with the situation, and even greater confusion because he couldn't fully comprehend his emotions. He gave her a twisted smile and said,

“How about you meet your parents tomorrow… in hell?”

The thought of her parents being harmed sent a shockwave through Jhankar. Rage overtook her. Without hesitation, she grabbed his collar and shouted,

“If you even think of touching my parents, I swear I will kill you.”

For Vikrant, this was the final straw. A girl, an ordinary girl, dared to touch him, dared to threaten him? He wanted to hit her. He had never raised a hand against a woman, not even the ones who were part of rival mafia families. But this… this was too much.

Still, he remembered Sharda. She had always told him, Never harm an innocent person, and never use your strength against someone weaker. He clenched his fist and raised his hand, but before the slap could land, he saw her—Sharda—standing there, her eyes brimming with silent tears. His hand froze mid-air. He shut his eyes tightly, ashamed.

But Jhankar had already seen everything. She realized he was going to hit her. And before he could recover from his hesitation, she tore her hand from his grip and slapped him across the face with all her strength. Stunned, Vikrant slowly turned toward her, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word,he grabbed her wrist, digging his nails into her skin, and began dragging her away. Sharda just stood there, watching in silence. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t stop him. She only watched Vikrant disappear from her sight. Vikrant dragged Jhankar across the garden to a secluded area. Her voice echoed through the air.

“Leave me, you bastard… Let go of me, you monster!”

With a violent kick, he opened a small room’s door, shoved her inside, and slammed it shut. The room was pitch dark. Jhankar’s fear consumed her. She screamed, banging her fists against the door.

“Let me out! I want to meet my parents! Please open the door!”

But Vikrant had no patience left to hear anything. His rage was overflowing, and the only person who could calm him, Sharda, was waiting for him. He turned back and walked toward the garden where she stood. Behind her, Ravindra was quietly watching everything unfold. For Ravindra, this wedding was nothing more than a public farce. He was angry with himself; he had forced Vikrant into marriage even though he wasn’t ready. And now, Sonakshi had run away. The shame of it all burned him from within. Vikrant approached and stood before his father, saying nothing. Ravindra, understanding everything in his silence, sighed deeply and spoke.

“When she went to the parlor, she had already fled. We found out almost six hours later that she hadn’t returned. Everyone assumed she came back with the driver and was resting. She was always so fussy about her makeup; she wanted everything perfect. But the truth is, she played us all. Her father is searching everywhere, but she has vanished. And the boy she ran away with… he must have planned everything. Anyway, I’m certainthat once they run out of money, they’ll be forced to come out of hiding.”

Vikrant, furious, smashed a nearby statue and ran his hand through his hair. His voice was low but laced with fury.

“It’s very hard…”

CHAPTER 7

DARKNESS

"She won't run out of money because I transferred nearly one crore rupees from my account to hers yesterday so she could buy the jewelry she wanted. I assumed she’d be making the payment, which is why I didn’t question her... especially since you wanted me to treat her with special consideration."

Ravindra, filled with seething anger, clenches his jaw tightly and fixes a piercing gaze on Sharda, who stands calmly before him. Vikrant may be indifferent to the money itself, but his fury stems from the public insult Sonakshi inflicted upon him. She tried to humiliate him in front of the entire world, and that’s something his ego and authority simply cannot tolerate. Vikrant walks over and silently hugs Sharda, holding onto her as if grounding his emotions through her. But even as he embraces her, his voice reveals the storm within.

"Maa, don’t worry about anything. Just go inside and get some rest... All women are betrayed... I will come soon."

Sharda gently but firmly pulls away from his arms and speaks in a trembling yet determined voice.

"Please refrain from calling me Maa from now on."