THE CLUB.

The moment Maya fled, the woman beneath the man yanked him off her with a scoff.

The man let out a low chuckle as he ripped the mask off his face and expensive wig, tossing them onto the bed like discarded lies.

"Finally," he smirked, stretching as if shedding an uncomfortable skin. His mask.

He stood up, lazily buttoning his shirt while the woman beside him did the same.

"Will this really work, Sharvari?" he asked, seeking reassurance.

Sharvari, her eyes alight with triumph, smirked. "It has to, Siddharth. I've cleared my path. Now, I need to go to my love."

Without another glance, she turned on her heels and walked out, her purpose clear.

Siddharth watched her retreating figure and collapsed back onto the bed, a dreamy smile curling his lips.

"Finally, she's mine," he murmured before sleep claimed him.

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A sharp pulse pounded in Adranksh's head as consciousness clawed its way back. His body felt sluggish, the remnants of the drug still lingering, but his mind snapped awake the moment he took in his surroundings.

Where the hell am I?

The luxurious yet unfamiliar room reeked of something sinister.

His sharp instincts kicked in, and with a swift motion, he tapped his ring twice-an emergency distress signal straight to Dhruv.

Footsteps echoed.

He forced his eyes shut, steadying his breathing, pretending to be unconscious.

Then-a laugh.

Low. Sweet. Laced with poison.

Sharvari.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this moment, Adranksh," she cooed, slipping onto the bed beside him, her fingers ghosting over his bare chest.

His muscles tensed beneath her touch, rage simmering just beneath the surface.

"I've completely cleared my path now," she purred, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "All thanks to that asshole Oberoi."

Adranksh's jaw clenched.

"Maya is finally out of the way."

She laughed.

That was it.

His control snapped.

In one brutal motion, his fist collided with her face.

A sharp crack echoed through the room as Sharvari screamed, clutching her cheek.

Before she could react, the door burst open.

Dhruv stormed in with bodyguards, guns drawn.

"H-How?" she stammered, eyes darting between Adranksh and the men restraining her. This can't be happening.

Adranksh stood, towering over her, buttoning his shirt with lethal precision. His voice was cold, deadly.

"Who the hell are you?"

Dhruv stepped forward. "Sir, according to our sources, she's Sharvari Shekhawat. Daughter of Ranvijay Shekhawat."

Adranksh exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "So that's what this was?" His gaze hardened.

"Let's reward her, then."

Sharvari's eyes flickered with hope-until he continued.

"Take her to where her father is. But keep her locked away until I come."

Her hope shattered.

"W-What? Where are you taking me? LET ME GO!" she shrieked, thrashing against the guards.

But her fate had already been sealed.

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The Rajput mansion stood empty.

Something felt off.

As soon as Adranksh stepped inside, a suffocating emptiness clawed at his chest. The warmth, the familiarity-gone.

He sprinted up the stairs, heart hammering.

Throwing open the door to their room, he halted.

A graveyard of memories lay before him.

Everything was... empty.

No scent of her lingering in the air. No clothes in the closet. No traces of her presence.

She was gone.

His breath hitched, disbelief sinking into his bones.

His knees buckled, and for the first time in years, Adranksh collapsed.

Fingers digging into the carpet, he whispered, "She left me."

And then, something darker took its place.

Rage.

He stood, jaw clenched, fists curled.

They would pay.

Every single one of them.

Without another thought, he stormed out.

To the old building.

To where it all began.

To where it would all end.
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A splash of icy water shattered the silence.

Ranvijay jerked awake, gasping, his body stiff from being bound to the chair for hours. Water dripped from his grizzled beard as his furious eyes snapped up at the figure standing before him.

Adranksh.

Leaning against the table, Adranksh smirked, the kind of smirk that promised pain.

"I have a surprise for you," he mused, voice eerily calm. "Don't you want to see it?"

Before Ranvijay could respond, Adranksh turned to his men.

"Bring her."

The heavy door creaked open.

A guard stepped in, dragging a figure behind him.

Sharvari.

Her once-proud stance was now reduced to a trembling mess. Her face was swollen, her lip split, and bruises bloomed across her skin. Yet, even through her pain, her terrified eyes sought out the man before her-her father.

Ranvijay's face darkened.

"Sharvari?" he rasped, unable to hide his shock.

The guard shoved her onto a chair beside him, tying her up.

Her breath hitched as she looked at Adranksh.

"Please," she whispered, desperation lacing her voice. "Let him go. I beg you."

She turned to her father, tears slipping down her face. "Please... don't hurt him."

But Adranksh had no sympathy left.

He turned to Thar, who nodded and pulled out two thick wires attached to a circuit.

Ranvijay stiffened.

The moment the wires touched the chair, electricity surged through him.

He screamed. His body convulsed, jerking violently against the restraints. The sound of crackling electricity filled the room.

Sharvari's screams echoed louder.

"STOP! STOP! I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!" she sobbed.

Adranksh lifted a hand, and Thar immediately lowered the intensity.

"Speak." Adranksh's voice was cold, void of any patience.

Sharvari sniffled, her voice breaking as she began, "It wasn't just me and my father... It's my grandfather, Shekhar Shekhawat."

Adranksh narrowed his eyes.

"He's the mastermind," she admitted, voice trembling. "He's looking for a document that Vikram Kshatriya hid a long time ago. He's obsessed with finding it."

At the mention of that name, Adranksh's jaw clenched.

Vikram Kshatriya.

The name carried weight-a name intertwined with secrets and power.

Adranksh nodded toward Thar.

The wires were removed. The torture stopped.

Ranvijay coughed, his body barely able to hold itself upright.

For a brief moment, Sharvari's shoulders slumped in relief.

But it lasted only a second.

"You useless child."

The words came sharp, venomous.

Sharvari's breath caught as she turned to look at her father.

His expression was filled with hatred.

"I knew I should have killed you when you were in your mother's womb."

Sharvari froze.

The betrayal cut deeper than any wound.

Adranksh let out a low, mocking laugh.

"How touching."

Without hesitation, he pulled out his gun.

Sharvari barely had time to react.

A single gunshot echoed through the room.

Ranvijay's head snapped back. Blood sprayed across the cold concrete.

The body slumped forward.

Lifeless.

Sharvari's scream tore through the air.

Adranksh didn't flinch. He simply tucked his gun away, turning his back to her.

"Your services," he muttered, "are no longer needed."

As Adranksh walked toward the door, he paused. His hand clenched into a fist at his side. This wasn't enough.

He turned back, his gaze settling on Sharvari, who was still sobbing, her father's blood staining her trembling hands.

A slow, cruel smirk curved his lips.

Death was too easy for her.

"Keep her alive," he ordered, voice steady, chilling. "I want my Maya to kill her."

Sharvari's breath hitched.

Her head snapped up, fear gleaming in her tear-filled eyes.

Maya.

The name sent a shiver down her spine.

Adranksh didn't spare her another glance.

He turned and walked out, the heavy door slamming shut behind him.

Leaving her trapped. Helpless. Awaiting a fate worse than death.
Adranksh didn't spare her another glance. His eyes had gone dark, hollow with fury.

"Dhruv," his voice was a low, barely controlled, "lock down the city. Every single airport, train station, bus stop. No one leaves Jaipur. Not without me knowing."

Dhruv faltered. "Sir-"

"I don't care how you do it. I want every exit sealed. Public transport, private cars, goddamn bicycles-I want the streets crawling with our men. Shut it down. Quietly."

His hands trembled as he ran them through his hair, dragging his nails against his scalp.

"And call Aadrik," he hissed. "Tell him to find her phone. I want her location. I want my wife. Now."

"But sir, ma'am's phone's switched off-"

"Then find her another way. Track her fucking shadow if you have to."

He turned on his heel, stalking toward the door, his footsteps echoing like gunshots across the marble floor. Before Dhruv could say another word, the heavy doors slammed shut behind him.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

And she-she was gone.

Hours bled into days. Every lead crumbled in his hands like dust. Every corner of the city was turned inside out-yet no one had seen her, no one spoke her name.

She vanished like smoke, slipping through fingers that had always controlled everything.

He couldn't sleep. Couldn't eat. Her absence was a scream inside his skull, relentless and cold.

Walls of his study were now covered with maps, photographs, travel routes, security footage frozen mid-frame. Red strings connected nothing to nowhere.

And still, she wasn't there.

He pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, breathing in the silence, the rage.

"Where are you?" he whispered to no one, his voice cracking.

He didn't want her hurt.

He just wanted her back.

To look her in the eyes and demand why she left.
Why she walked away like he meant nothing.
Why she didn't trust him-after everything.

But the silence she left behind answered nothing. It only echoed louder with every passing day.

He spent the rest of his days chasing shadows. Searching for her in the depths of the internet, in old contacts, in the blurred background of photos.
And when the screen offered no answers, he drove. Around the city. Through alleys, old haunts, rooftops they used to sneak off to.
Each turn, a prayer. Each dead end, another crack in him.

He flew to London. Straight to her old apartment.
But the space was cold now. Empty. Stripped of her. Not even a strand of her hair left behind.

No trace. No hope. Only a single dry rose covered in dust.

Still, he stayed. For months.

He searched the streets like a madman.

Every woman with dark hair made his heart stop-just for a second-until they turned and reminded him he was chasing ghosts.

Eventually, his father came. Not with fury, but pity in his eyes.

"Your people need you, Adranksh. Your kingdom cannot wait forever."

And so, he returned. Forced to put the crown back on his head.
But every time he sat on that throne, he felt hollow.

Because the only thing that ever felt like home... had disappeared without a trace.
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To all the beautiful souls who read quietly,
I see you. I feel your presence in every read count, every moment you linger on my words. I know you're out there, flipping through the chapters, riding the emotional rollercoaster with my characters-even if you never leave a vote, a comment, or a trace behind.

And I want to say... thank you. 🫶🏼

But also-hey, don't be a stranger! 🥺 A tiny vote, a single emoji, a simple "I'm here"-means the world to me. It's the fuel that keeps this heart writing at 3 a.m., dreaming up more pain, love, angst, and healing.

You don't have to leave essays (though I adore those too)-just let me know you felt something. Because this isn't just my story-it's ours. And every time you show up, silently or loudly, it means everything.

Forever grateful,
Leela<3
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authorleela
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