CHHAVI'S POV

Wonder if you're falling for the devil or if you've been one all along.

The car jerked to a sudden halt, jolting me from the abyss. The abrupt shakiness made my body  leaned forward, slightly.

"We're here!"

Aahana cheered from the back of the car, piercing the fog clouding my mind.

I turned to the window. My gaze felt on the enormous building that stretched across the horizon like a fortress in front of the mountains. It was an old missionary school surrounded by a well- manicured, lush green lawn and now, Aahana will become a part of it. 

I heard the click of her seatbelt as she unbuckled herself, nearly bouncing in her seat with excitement. Before she could open the door, Drishye was already at it to do it for her. 

"Welcome to your new school, young lady."

He cheered in glee.

I still couldn't comprehend how he'd managed to convince her. Just yesterday, she'd been adamantly clinging to her dreams of the Ladakh trip and obsessing over her father's absence. Yet today, she seemed to have forgotten it all.

When we returned from the garden, from that strange and unsettling interaction, Aahana ran toward me and hopped into my arms.

Wrapping her little arms around my neck tightly, she exclaimed.

"Iyes uncle said I'll join a new school!"

Her voice bubbled with excitement.

"Eyes uncle?"

I question in confusion.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, as if I were the slowest person in the world.

"Oh-ho, Mumma! Drishye uncle. Drishye means eyes, na? So I gave him a nickname."

"A nickname…" 

I repeated in disbelief.

"Yes. He calls me Hana and I call him Iyes. I. Y. E. S."

She declared proudly with a wide grin.

"Ayeee, Hana cannot spell 'eyes'!"

Drishye teased from behind, mischievously.  I whipped my head toward him instinctively holding Aahana in my arms.

Aahana jumped down from my embrace and planted her tiny hands on her hips. With a pout, she scoffed.

"I. Y. E. S. Because it's cool, ok?!"

Drishye chuckled, leaning casually against the doorframe.

How beautiful he looks with a smile like that...unlike the terrifying one back in the garden.

As if you weren't feelings things. My conscience mocked me.

"Not as cool as 'Hana'."

He quipped effortlessly.

Aahana’s pout melted into a shy grin and replied.

"Yes! Hana is the coolest."

I couldn’t help but smile at her confidence, but my eyes drifted back to Drishye. There he was, smiling back at Aahana with that same sly charm.

Ahana, turned to me, all pride and joy.

"You know, mumma? Iyes uncle said I've the coolest name."

"Is it so?"

 I tilted my head, waiting for her explanation.

 "Yes, mumma. It means 'inner light'."

"Inner light?"

I raised a brow.

"Yes, mumma. He said I'm your inner light. I'm the one who motivates you to walk forward in life."

I don't think she really understood the importance of what he said but she's definitely my inner light- my reason to stay alive and go through everything. Had she not been here, I might have not even tried to save myself. 

I dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms tightly around her, feeling overwhelmed. The warmth of her small body in my embrace was the only thing harboring me in this moment. 

But the ache in my chest deepened as a fear clouded my mind. What if one day, Vinesh came back? What if he showed up, claiming his rights as her father, and she...without a second thought...chose him? 

My arms tightened around her. She loves him so much. He’s her hero, as she calls him. She idolizes him with so much love, unaware of the pain he’s caused me, of the terrible person he's.

But the end of the day, he's her father and I won't lie. He has been a good father.

And if she chose him, where would that leave me? Alone. Empty. With no reason to live.

"She's all yours." 

I heard Drishye whisper. 

He stood by our side with his hands in his pockets, watching us with a calm expression and soft eyes- eyes of understanding. I gave him a small nod and a weak smile. His words gave me a sense of calm. Maybe I didn’t have to let my fears consume me. I’d protect my daughter no matter what. She was my everything.

The click of the passenger door opening pulled me back to the present, once again. I turned to my left and saw Drishye standing there, holding the door open for me, for me to step out. His calm gaze met mine and he gave me a subtle smile.

I climbed down, letting the cool, crisp winds along with the warm glory of the morning sun caress my skin. My eyes traveled to the massive school before us. Its architecture mimicked that of ancient European fortresses. 

The three of us walked down the cobblestone pavement leading to the grand iron-fenced swing gates. A nun stood waiting for us, her hands neatly clasped behind her back. Her presence was visibly commanding, like that of a headmistress. Even from a distance, her aura was striking.

She looked like she might be in her fifties but her athletic, firm body frame said otherwise. As we got closer, I noticed how well-maintained she seemed.

 “Good morning. I'm Sister Jade Wilson, the principal of the St. Vincent Missionary School.” 

She greeted us and we wished her back.

"I had a word with Mr. Drishye, madam. We can continue the rest of the conversation in my head office."

I nodded, following her as she led the way through a long corridor. 

A tension crept into me. Wasn't everything moving too fast? Just last night, I was trying to make sense of my life and now, this morning, I'm here, at an outskirt of Dehradun, getting my daughter admitted into a school. Was I really planning to stay here?

I glanced over at Drishye, who walked beside us in silence. He seemed at ease but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling bubbling inside me. What was I even doing? Am I even deciding for myself?

We finally entered her office and she took her seat behind an elegant mahogany desk. My eyes caught the golden nameplate resting on the desk: Sister Jade Wilson.

"Hello, madam. And, hello Aahana." 

She greeted us with a kind smile.

"Good morning, Sister." 

Aahana chirped, settling into the chair to the right. Drishye and I took the seats directly in front of her.

Sister Jade began in a politely. 

"We didn’t really have a vacancy for your daughter, Mrs. Joshi. It was-"

"Ms. Sharma, sister." 

I interrupted. I no longer belong to that family!

"Apologies. It was thanks to Mr. Rajeshwari Drishye that I decided to make an exception. Fortunately, as it’s the beginning of the session, I don’t believe she’ll face much academic hardship."

Rajeshwari Drishye...the name echoed in my mind, pulling at threads of memories I hadn’t touched in years. 

Drishye loved his mother deeply- almost obsessively. Even after her passing, he couldn’t let go of her. That’s why he had attached her name to his own. Rajlakshmi Drishye.

My eyes traveled to Drishye's, and I couldn’t help but give him an awkward smile. He was doing so much for us...for me. Yet...

"You may fill out the admission form and then I'll take you on a tour of the school." 

Sister Jade's voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the moment.

"Miss Rosy," Drishye suggested, "you may go ahead and take the tour. I’ll handle the paperwork."

With a small nod, I agreed, standing up and following Sister Wilson out of the office while Aahana remained with Drishye.

While Sister Wilson briefed me about the school's legacy, I couldn't help but notice her strong demeanor. She carried herself with the poise of a much younger woman. Most women her age wouldn’t walk with such energy. Her broad back and toned arms were evident even under the flowing black georgette tunic. And not to mention, her looks! The kind of beauty that could turn heads effortlessly, regardless of age. Young men, older men- anyone would be captivated by her.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a nearby window and sighed inwardly. I looked older than her.

Her tone carried an air of class and regality, the kind you’d expect from someone incredibly learned and experienced- an intellectual in every sense. There was unwavering confidence in every word she spoke and every step she took. Even the way her eyes moved felt deliberate, controlled, and perfectly timed.

Eventually, we wrapped up the formalities, and Aahana was set to join classes the very next day. Drishye handed me the filled-out admission form, asking me to review the details. As I went through it, I was surprised by how accurate everything was. When I asked how he managed it, he casually explained that he had gotten most of the information directly from Aahana and the rest from the identity proofs I’d left behind before heading out for the school tour.

We left Sister Wilson's office and drove back to Drishye's country house. On the way, he insisted we stop to shop for clothes. I tried using my cards but to my dismay, they were all frozen. Of course, I knew exactly who was behind it. Anger bubbled up, threatening to overwhelm me but before I could spiral into another breakdown, Drishye stepped in. He didn’t hesitate to pay for everything and what surprised me most was how genuinely excited he seemed to do it.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. I mean I'm being utterly dependent on him, pennilessly and vulnerablely. But he tried his best to soften my pride with his sweet assurances. 

"You can always pay me back, later madam. In a much engaging manner."

He said looking into my eyes. By now, I'm pretty used to his way of talking- pretty unreal. So, I didn't give much thought to it and moved past it, thanking him for his gestures. 

We stopped for lunch at a quiet café. Watching Aahana with Drishye, I noticed how much her demeanor toward him had changed. Just yesterday, she’d been wary, even scared of him. Now, she seemed completely at ease, laughing at his jokes and clinging to him all the time. I had no idea how he managed to win her over so quickly but it filled me with a quiet sense of relief. As long as she she's happy, I'm good.

As I sat there, lost in thought, it struck me that enrolling Aahana in school here might not have been a bad idea after all. No matter what I was going through, I couldn’t let her education suffer. At the moment, I had no alternative, no place to go, no plans to settle elsewhere. Staying at Drishye’s, at least for now, seemed like the only viable option. And the more I thought about it, the more it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe, just maybe, this was one of those situations where things happened for a reason.

But my cynical conscience challenged my thought. 

Does everything really happen for good? 

I chose not to dwell on it further. For now, I let myself bask in the warmth of the moment, the delicious meal and of course, Aahana’s silly giggles at every joke Drishye cracked. Honestly, I wasn’t even paying attention to his jokes. It was the cozy atmosphere they had created around me that made me smile. And not just any smile but one that felt genuine, one I hadn’t felt for long.

It hit me then, this 'long' wasn’t just from yesterday or the past few days. It had been years since I’d smiled so contently.

And in that moment, I realized how simple it is to please a woman. All she truly needs is time- time to spend with the ones she loves, time to cherish the little joys she holds close to her heart.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, we were back at Drishye’s place. 

VINESH'S POV

My head rested lazily against the back of the armchair while my fingers tapped on the leather armrest, when Misha entered my chamber. Her heels clicked against the floor, disturbing the stability of the room's atmosphere. She carried a stack of papers and photographs in her hand. Her forehead was creased, probably due to the lingering tension. 

"Take a look at these."

She said, tossing the items onto the table in front of me.

I sat upright as my curiosity piqued, and reached for the photographs first.  The moment my eyes landed on them, my blood began to boil. Chhavi and Aahana. My lovely wife and my daughter. Sitting at some cozy cafe, along with a man, laughing as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. The next few pictures were even more damning- they were at a school. A school. Chhavi was standing by a nun and my daughter was no where around. Probably with that man.

My sweet wife and daughter were taking shelter under another man’s roof. Another man.

“She has some nerve.” 

I hissed under my breath.

Misha leaned against the desk, arms crossed, her lips curving into a sly smile. 

“She didn’t even try to hide it.” 

She taunted. 

I didn’t respond. My mind was too consumed with her dare staring back at me. Firstly, fleeing from my house. With my god damn daughter! Now, she's all set to begin a new fucking life? Oh Chhavi! Is it that easy? 

My hand slid to the papers beneath the photographs, scanning them quickly. Admission forms. Receipts. All proof that Chhavi had enrolled my daughter in that school in some fucking village of Dehradun.

Oh sweetheart! You thought you could get away so easily. God, such a stupid woman you're, love!

“Who is he?” 

I growled, my voice dangerously low.

“R. Drishye,” Misha replied, her voice dripping with disdain. “A businessman in the tech field. Not married. Lives alone, now-"

"Now, bedding my wife."

I completed her sentence.

Of course. Some gallant knight swooping in to save her. To save them. My fist slammed against the desk, rattling the glass of whiskey beside me.

“She thinks she can get away so easily, hmm?” 

I spat venomously.

“Let him play the hero for now. It won’t last.”

Misha tilted her head, watching me with an amused expression.

"Why're you so obsessed with her, Vee? You've the papers, now let her go. Already. C'mon! We've a life to grow ahead."

I forced myself to take a deep breath, the rage simmering beneath the surface. I wouldn’t let her get away with this. She could try to run but there was no escaping me. Aahana is mine. And I am not about to let anyone take what belongs to me. That bitch can go to hell.

“Patience.” 

I muttered, curling my lips into a wide smile. 

Misha chuckled softly, straightening up.

"You're crazy, Vee! What's your plan?"

I didn’t reply. My mind was already working through the possibilities. Chhavi wanted to play house with another man? Fine. But she cannot have Aahana. She's my daughter. And, I'll father her not some Drishye or whatever.  

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OK! I SAID I'D PUBLISH FIRST ON STCK BUT I'M WAY TOO LATE. SO I HTOUGHT TLET'S NOT MAKE YOU ALL WAIT ANY LONGER. HOWEVER, FROM NEXT TIME, I WILL FIRST UPDATE ON STCK AND THEN HERE.  OKAY, NOW LET ME TALK ABOUT YOU GUYS.

I'M SO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU ALL IN MY LIFE AS MY READERS. YOU'RE SO SO SO MUCH UNDERSTANDING. I KNOW HOW YOU EXCITEDLY WAIT FOR THE UPDATES WITH PATIENCE. IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL SO RESTLESS WHEN I'M RUNNING BEHIND TIME TO UPDATE. BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTION EITHER. I'VE TO TAKE CARE OF MY BODY MORE ATTENTIVELY NOW. 

BUT, YES, AS I RECOVER, THE SPEED OF THE UPDATES WILL ALSO INCREASE. 

KEEP LOVING CHHAVI AND DRISHYE.

<3 <3 <3