Devendra Pratap stood firm and still, gazing distantly out of his window. His gaze was fixed somewhere beyond the courtyard, but his mind was far from the present moment.
The soft creak of the door broke his concentration.
He did not turn immediately.
Kaamini Rani stepped inside. Her presence filled the room with an unspoken tension.
“I warned you—you’re taking a huge risk. Every single day feels like a narrow escape.”
She let out a long breath she had been holding for quite some time.
“How long can we keep Rithanya uninformed about the situation?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Devendra’s jaw tightened slightly.
“Rithanya should not know anything about Officer Uncle,” Devendra Pratap said in a hushed tone.
He stepped away from the window now, folding his hands behind his back.
“She has no way of finding out. Just make sure we’re not caught off guard. Keep her occupied with other things—kitchen tasks, preparations, anything.”
Kaamini’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Fine… but how will you handle the business deal you promised?
That jewellery business of yours has already brought enough tension—and it will ruin us one day,” she said, her jaw clenched, her tone harsh despite her whisper.
A faint silence followed.
Devendra inhaled slowly.
“Trust me. This is the last deal I’ll complete. After that, I’ll shut down the jewellery business altogether,” he replied reassuringly.
Kaamini Rani remained unconvinced. She grimaced, clearly not believing his words.
“Look… I’ve successfully managed the wedding ornaments deal with the Aranthads.
There’s no issue there.
The partnership they offered will come after Rithanya’s marriage. I’ll find a reasonable excuse to step away from the business,” he tried again.
Kaamini folded her arms tightly across her chest, her frustration growing from repeated assurances that never turned into reality.
Her silence said more than her words.
Devendra could feel it—her lack of trust, her exhaustion, her fear.
Devendra drew a deep breath and stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“The business is already beyond recovery,” he said calmly. “But that doesn’t need to be known yet.”
Silence lingered between them.
Devendra finally broke it.
“After the wedding,” he said, “we will leave. Quietly. No attention, no trace.”
Kaamini looked up sharply.
“Leave?”
“Yes. To a distant town. Somewhere no one will look for us. We will start over.”
“The Aranthads will be busy with ceremonies, traditions, rituals… they are from an orthodox, remote village. They will not question our absence immediately. Not for some time.”
His voice lowered further.
“That will give us enough time to disappear.”
Kaamini’s expression tightened.
“And Rithanya?” she asked, her voice quieter now, but sharper.
Devendra’s tone remained firm.
“She must not know any of this. If she suspects even a little, she’ll call off the wedding and choose to stay with us. Even if she understands, she can’t pretend.
Eventually, everything will come out. We can’t take her along. She’s not a child anymore—she’s a young woman. Traveling with her would be too risky… like walking on thin ice.”
He paused briefly.
“Just a few days. Stay calm. Act normal—especially in front of her,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Devendra’s words seemed to ease her slightly. A faint wave of relief passed over her face. She nodded and left the room, wearing a carefully constructed façade.
Outside, in the garden, Rithanya sat quietly, absentmindedly running her fingers over the plants she had nurtured for years.
Their silent companionship had always given her a sense of belonging—one she would soon have to leave behind.
She could barely recall Raghav’s face—only a fleeting glance, not enough to truly register his features.
She had never expected the proposal to actually lead to marriage.
Unaware of everything unfolding around her, she continued to ponder her fate.
The preparations progressed smoothly. Nothing seemed unusual—except for the unrest in her mind.
Was it possible to expect a new beginning—a sense of belonging and warmth from someone she barely remembered?
Peace seemed so close… almost within reach.
Yet something deep within her refused to settle.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and a fleeting memory surfaced in her mind.
A presence.
Her fingers brushed against something beneath the soil.
She opened her eyes instantly.
A golden ring.
Partially buried in the mud.
At once, she recalled her stepmother frantically searching for a lost ring earlier.
Rithanya picked it up carefully and rose to wash it.
But just as she was about to pour water over it, Kaamini Rani came rushing toward her, almost out of breath.
Rithanya was startled by the sudden sight of her.
“Oh! The ring—” Kaamini Rani exclaimed, quickly snatching it from her hand.
Rithanya stood frozen, taken aback by her reaction.
What was so special about such a tiny ring?
And how did Kaamini Rani know she had found it?
Had she been watching her all this time...
—or was there something far more unsettling behind it?
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Author's Note:
Every vote, comment, every bit of support gives life to Rithanya's world. 🤍
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