"Yes, Amma! We're coming!" Two small figures, full of energy, came racing down the stairs, their giggles echoing through the house.

Maya smiled as her four-year-old twins clambered onto their chairs at the dining table. She gently ruffled their hair as she placed their plates in front of them.

"My babies, what were you both up to upstairs?" she asked, her voice laced with warmth.

"Mayank Anna and I were playing a racing game!" Adhya chirped, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Oh really?" Maya chuckled. "And will you let Amma play with you next time?" she asked, pressing a soft kiss on their foreheads.

"Yes!" "Yesss!" Mayank and Adhya answered in unison, their innocent faces lighting up.

Before Maya could say anything else, a voice interrupted from the kitchen.

"Madam?"

She turned to see one of the house staff standing hesitantly by the door.

Maya gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes?"

"I've finished all my work. May I take my leave now?" the woman asked hesitantly.

Maya nodded. "Of course. Thank you."

The woman murmured her gratitude and left, leaving Maya alone with her children.

Her eyes softened as she gazed at them. Every single day, they reminded her of him-the man she had loved, the man who had shattered her.

Mayank was growing into his father's mirror image-same sharp jawline, same dark, piercing eyes. It was uncanny, almost painful. Adhya, on the other hand, was her reflection in every way... except for her eyes. Those belonged to him.

The man she had spent years trying to forget.

The man who could never know about them.

FLASHBACK

The night Maya landed in London, she felt like a ghost drifting through the city, completely lost.

She booked herself into the first hotel she found, locked the door behind her, and pulled out her phone.

Dialling the one person she could trust, she waited.

"Ma'am?" Louis, her assistant, answered immediately.

"Erase me." Her voice was cold, sharp, leaving no room for argument. "Hide my tracks. I don't exist anymore. No one should find out where I am or how I got here. Bury the name Maya Adranksh Singh Rajput so deep that even God himself won't be able to unearth it."

Louis didn't hesitate. "Understood, ma'am."

"And one more thing," she added. "Find me a quiet place to stay-a secure neighbourhood, away from prying eyes. Send me the address soon."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll handle it right after covering your trail."

Maya ended the call and turned to her laptop. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, hacking into the surveillance system, searching for the footage she knew would prove Ishani's innocence. Within minutes, she found it.

She sent it to Ishani anonymously, closed her laptop, and collapsed onto the bed.

But sleep didn't come.

Betrayal tore her chest.

The memory of him-his touch, his words, the love she had believed in-shattered all over again in her mind.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she clenched her fists. Enough, Maya. No more.

Pushing herself up, she walked to the bathroom, determined to wash away the remnants of the past.

Weeks Later:

Maya had settled into a routine. Work, eat, sleep, repeat.

Until one morning, her world tilted again.

A sudden nausea hit her out of nowhere. She barely made it to the sink before emptying her stomach.

Her mind went blank.

No.

No. No. No.

Her heart pounded as realization sank in. She quickly did the math in her head.

Her period-it never came.

At first, she had dismissed it as stress. Now, panic took over.

With shaking hands, she grabbed a wig, contact lenses, and a mask, disguising herself before slipping out unnoticed. She walked into the nearest pharmacy, bought the test kit, and rushed back home.

Minutes later, she stared at the result.

Two pink lines.

Positive.

A strangled gasp left her lips as she sank onto the floor.

She was pregnant.
Her fingers instinctively moved to her stomach, a storm of emotions crashing over her.

His child.

Adranksh's child.
She couldn't even divorce him. Stupid contract. Even though they never needed it, it still was valid.
UGH.

The man who had shattered her heart. The man she had sworn to erase from her life.

Her knees gave out, and she sank onto the cold bathroom floor, pressing a hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs threatening to break free.

What was she supposed to do now?

She could never let him find out.

Not after everything.

She was Maya.

She would stand tall. She would raise this child alone.

And Adranksh Singh Rajput would never know unless she wanted him too.

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"Amma, I give up! I just can't beat you," Mayank groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration. He hated losing.

Maya chuckled, pulling him closer. "You shouldn't give up so easily, baby. Come on, think. What do you do when someone keeps using the same move to beat you?"

Mayank scrunched his face in concentration before his eyes lit up. "Think outside the box?" he asked hesitantly.

Maya smiled. "Exactly! Now, let's go again." She restarted the game, watching as Mayank applied her advice.

This time, he adjusted his strategy, staying patient until the final lap. In a smooth, calculated move, he overtook her at the last second-crossing the finish line first.

"YES! I won!" he cheered, jumping excitedly before wrapping his small arms around her. "Thank you, Amma!"

Maya held him close, pressing a kiss onto his head. "Remember, sweetheart-whenever you feel like you're losing, think outside the box. There is a loophole, always."

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The next afternoon,
The steady rhythm of raindrops drummed against the windows, filling the house with a peaceful silence. Adhya sat curled up on the couch, her head resting against Maya's shoulder as she kept typing something on the keyboard. Mayank, on the other hand, sat on the floor, organizing his toy cars with a focused expression.

Maya stroked Adhya's hair absentmindedly. "Do you two want to do something fun?" she asked softly.

Mayank looked up immediately. "Like what?"

Maya smiled mischievously. "How about making some hot chocolate and watching the rain from the porch?"

Adhya perked up, closing her book. "With extra marshmallows?"

"Of course," Maya chuckled, ruffling her daughter's hair.

Within minutes, the three of them were sitting on the porch, wrapped in soft blankets with steaming mugs in their hands. The rain poured down in a calming rhythm, the air carrying the fresh scent of earth and flowers.

Mayank took a slow sip of his drink and leaned against Maya's side. "Amma, do you like the rain?"

Maya exhaled, gazing at the stormy sky. "I used to hate it," she admitted. "But now... I don't mind it so much."

"Why did you hate it?" Adhya asked, tilting her head.

Maya paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Because rain always reminded me of sadness, of things I lost." She then turned to them with a warm smile. "But now, it reminds me of the two of you, of warm evenings like this. It reminds me that even in storms, there's peace."

Mayank and Adhya exchanged a look before snuggling closer to her. "Then from now on, we'll always sit with you in the rain," Adhya whispered.

Maya's heart swelled. She kissed the tops of their heads, holding them a little closer. "And that, my loves, makes the rain beautiful."

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"You think I fucking care about that right now? Keep searching for my wife until you find her! I don't care how impossible it seems!" Adranksh's roar echoed through the room, his frustration crackling like wildfire. His hands clenched into fists, veins prominent against his skin, as his men stood before him, nervous yet determined.

Abhimaan stepped forward cautiously. "Adranksh, calm down. They're doing their best. But... maybe-" he hesitated before forcing the words out, "Maybe she's no longer in this world."

Silence.

Adranksh's head snapped toward him, his sleep-deprived eyes darkening with fury. The air between them grew suffocating, the tension thick enough to choke on.

"What the fuck did you just say?" His voice was deadly quiet, far more terrifying than his shouts. His muscles tensed, and before Abhimaan could react, Adranksh lunged forward, his fist ready to strike-

"Sir, we found a signal!"

The words cut through the air like a gunshot, halting Adranksh in his tracks.

His chest rose and fell sharply as he turned toward the trembling man holding a device. "Play it," he ordered.

A crackle filled the room before a voice emerged-deep, familiar, commanding.

"Maya, it's time. Come back to India."

Adranksh's breath hitched. His entire world stilled.

And then-

"You're right, Appa. It's time to burn them all together."

Her voice.

Maya.

Alive.

The blood roared in his ears, his heart slamming against his ribs. He had spent years clawing through darkness, suffocated by regret, haunted by her absence. And now, she was coming back. Not as the woman who once loved him, but as a storm ready to burn everything in her path.

A slow, dangerous smile curled his lips.

He would face her.

And he would win her back-no matter the cost.
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Hey, my lovely readers, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Remember, Maya is stronger than you all think so, no matter how powerful Adranksh is, he couldn't find her.
Anyways, be sure to vote.
Thank you<3
Yours truly,
Leela.