K.R Industries

“Boss… boss…”

The man called out again, trying to pull Krevansh’s attention back, but Krevansh remained still, his gaze fixed somewhere distant, completely lost in his own thoughts. It wasn’t like him to lose focus, yet today his mind refused to stay where it was supposed to.

“Wha—yes… yes,” Krevansh finally said, blinking as he snapped out of it, his eyes scanning the room only to realize every employee was already looking at him. A brief silence followed, one that made his jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.

“Boss, are you okay? I’ve been calling you for a while,” the man said carefully, concern visible in his tone as he observed Krevansh’s unusual behavior. It wasn’t something they were used to.

Krevansh straightened slightly, clearing his throat as his expression settled back into its usual composed state. “Yes… what were you saying?” he replied, his voice steady, as if nothing had happened, though a faint irritation lingered beneath the surface.

The man nodded quickly and resumed the presentation, his voice regaining rhythm as the meeting continued. Slowly, the room returned to normal, employees focusing back on their work but not everyone.

Across the table, Rajveer Rathore watched in silence, his eyes fixed on Krevansh with quiet intensity. He didn’t miss details, and what he saw today was not something he liked.

---

The meeting ended, chairs shifting softly as people gathered their files and began to leave. Krevansh stood up immediately, ready to walk out without wasting time, his expression already distant again as if his mind had somewhere else to be.

“Krevansh.”

Rajveer’s voice cut through the space, calm yet firm enough to stop him mid-step. “I want you in my cabin. Now. There’s something we need to talk about.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, didn’t even look back as he walked out, his authority evident in the way he didn’t need confirmation. Krevansh closed his eyes briefly, irritation flashing across his face before disappearing just as quickly.

He already knew what this was about.

His jaw clenched as he exhaled slowly, then turned and walked toward Rajveer’s cabin without another word, his steps controlled but carrying a quiet tension beneath.

Before he could knock, Rajveer’s voice came from inside, calm and direct. “Come in.”

Krevansh pushed the door open and stepped inside, his gaze immediately landing on Rajveer, who sat on his chair with his back turned, facing the window. His posture was still, unreadable, but the silence in the room already felt heavy.

“You called me, chachu?” Krevansh said as he took a seat in front of the desk, leaning back slightly, his posture relaxed in a way that bordered on deliberate indifference.

There was a brief pause before Rajveer spoke again. “What was that, Krevansh?” His voice was calm, but it carried weight controlled, measured, and far from casual.

“What?” Krevansh replied, his tone almost lazy as he leaned further back, spreading his legs slightly, his gaze steady but unapologetic. It wasn’t confusion—it was deflection.

“Krevansh, that’s not how I trained you.” Rajveer’s voice echoed through the cabin, controlled yet firm, carrying an authority that filled the entire space. He got up from his seat and faced Krevansh, eyes fixed on him, expecting a reaction—but Krevansh remained still, lost somewhere far from the present moment.

“This is your first day in the office, and God knows in whose thoughts you’re zoning out,” Rajveer continued, his tone tightening slightly with each word. “That girl will only bring distraction to your life. Why can’t you understand? She will destroy you.” His voice didn’t rise, yet it carried enough weight to settle heavily in the room.

For a few seconds, Krevansh didn’t respond. Then slowly, he stood up from his chair, his movements calm but deliberate, as if he had been holding back his words for too long. “First her name is Ishvika. Call her that,” he said quietly, his voice low but firm, leaving no space for argument.

He turned away after speaking, walking toward the large glass window behind him, his back now facing Rajveer. The reflection of the city blurred against the glass, but his focus remained distant, as though the past had already pulled him away from the present. “And how will she destroy my life?” he continued, a hollow edge creeping into his tone. “It is already destroyed, chachu.”

The words didn’t come out in anger they settled slowly, carrying years of something buried too deep to be expressed easily. “All my life, you trained me… for what?” he said, his voice tightening slightly. “To take revenge for your brother and sister-in-law?” A pause followed, quieter, heavier. “When all I wanted was to cry in your arms… to have someone console me.”

Rajveer’s expression shifted, but he didn’t interrupt. Krevansh’s voice softened, yet it carried more weight than before. “But what did you do?” he added. “You sent me away… alone.” The silence that followed wasn’t empty it was filled with things that had never been said before.

“My life was already destroyed long ago,” Krevansh continued, his voice distant now, almost detached. “She can’t destroy anything. The only thing she has given me… is peace.” His fingers curled slightly against the glass, as if grounding himself. “After Maa’s death, I never felt anything like that again… but with her, I do. I found my Maa in her.”

Rajveer stood frozen, the weight of those words settling deeper than he expected. For the first time, he realized how much he had overlooked, how much Krevansh had carried silently all these years. “So don’t talk about her like that,” Krevansh finished, his tone steady now. “Because she is the only reason I still feel alive.”

“Krevansh—” Rajveer tried to speak, but Krevansh turned before he could finish, his expression now sharper, more controlled, yet carrying something dangerous beneath it. “But that doesn’t mean I will forget my revenge,” he said, his voice firm, leaving no room for doubt.

“I will make Arvind pay for everything he has done,” he continued, stepping slightly closer. “Even if I have to do anything.” His gaze hardened as he spoke. “He didn’t just destroy my life… he destroyed his own daughter’s life too.” The words carried both anger and something else—something more personal.

“And for that, I need your support, chachu,” Krevansh said, his tone quieter but unwavering. “Tell me what happened twenty-five years ago.” A brief pause followed before he added, “Who is Ishvika? I tried to find everything about her… but there was nothing. It’s like she doesn’t exist.”

His eyes remained fixed on Rajveer. “How is that possible? And how do you know about her?” The questions weren’t just curiosity anymore—they carried urgency, something that had been building inside him for days.

Rajveer held his gaze, but something in his expression faltered. “The questions you are asking…” he said slowly, his voice heavier now. “They are buried too deep. If you dig them out, they will only bring pain.” His eyes glistened slightly, something Krevansh had never seen before.

Krevansh froze for a moment, shock flickering across his face as he noticed it. “Why?” he asked, his voice no longer steady. “Why can’t you just tell me?” He stepped forward, his breathing uneven now. “I don’t know why, but it feels like you’re hiding something… is it because of us that Arvind has been punishing Ishvika all her life?”

Silence filled the room again, heavier this time. “Am I right?” he asked again, softer now, but more desperate. “Is it because of us that he caged her all her life?” His heartbeat seemed louder than his own voice. “Please… tell me.”

Rajveer closed his eyes briefly before turning away, unable to face him. “Don’t ask me anything after this,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “And yes… Arvind Thakur has been punishing his own daughter since the day she was born.” A pause followed, heavier than the last. “Because of us. Because of the Rathores.”

The words settled like something irreversible. “And you…” Rajveer continued, still not turning back. “You are trying to protect her… while you are the very reason she is in that condition.” His voice lowered, but it carried enough force to shake everything.

Krevansh’s breath hitched as the meaning sank in, his chest rising and falling unevenly. It felt as if the ground beneath him had disappeared, leaving him suspended in a reality he wasn’t prepared to face. The girl he was trying to protect… was suffering because of him.

He stood there, unable to speak, his mind filled with questions yet completely silenced by the truth.

“Krevansh, I have already told you… but you don’t understand,” Rajveer said slowly as he turned to face him, his voice heavy with something unspoken. “She is not what you think. The day she comes to know about all this… do you have any idea what will happen? Do you think she will still look at you as her protector?”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before finishing quietly, “She will hate you… to her core.” His eyes remained fixed on Krevansh, but there was a strange stillness in them—unclear whether he didn’t realize how deeply his words would cut… or if he knew it too well.

Krevansh didn’t move.

“H-hate me…? No… how can it…” he murmured under his breath, his voice almost lost in the silence of the cabin. For the first time, there was something unfamiliar in him—not anger, not control, but fear. The kind of fear he had never allowed himself to feel.

He had always believed he had nothing left to lose.

But now

There was someone.

Someone who had entered his life unexpectedly, and within days, had become important enough that the thought of losing her… unsettled him in ways he didn’t understand.

Before Rajveer could say anything further, a sharp ringtone cut through the heavy silence of the cabin, breaking the tension instantly. Krevansh blinked out of his thoughts and pulled his phone out of his pocket, his eyes falling on the screen.

Anvaya.

His grip tightened slightly.

He glanced once at Rajveer, then answered the call without another thought, bringing the phone to his ear. His heartbeat picked up without reason, his mind already racing ahead—one name echoing louder than anything else.

Ishvika.

“Bhaiya—bhaiya… she—she… please come fast home…” Anvaya’s voice came through, broken, rushed, almost panicked. Her words stumbled over each other, making it hard to understand, but the urgency in her tone was enough.

Something was wrong.

“I’m coming,” Krevansh said immediately, his voice low but firm, leaving no room for delay.

He didn’t wait.

Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he turned and walked out of the cabin in quick strides that turned into a near run. He didn’t look back, didn’t say anything further, his focus already gone, his mind consumed by a single thought.

Ishvika.

Rajveer remained where he stood, watching Krevansh disappear from his sight. For a moment, the cabin returned to silence, but this time it carried something different, something colder.

He exhaled slowly.

And then

A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

“You don’t know her, Krevansh… Ishvika Thakur,” he whispered under his breath, his voice low, almost thoughtful. “But one day, you will.”

He paused, his gaze turning distant.

“After all… bloodline—”

The word remained incomplete.

Left hanging.

Like a truth waiting for its moment.

_______________________________________

Krevansh POV

I stepped out of the cabin without looking back, my pace faster than usual, my thoughts completely out of control. Anvaya’s broken voice kept repeating in my head, but all I could think about was one thing–Ishvika. Something felt wrong, and I couldn’t shake off this uneasiness sitting heavy in my chest.

By the time I reached the parking, my jaw was tight, my hands already moving before my mind could catch up. I got into the car and drove off instantly, not caring about anything around me. My heartbeat was louder than the engine, every second making it worse.

She will hate you.

Chachu’s words hit again, and I clenched the steering harder. “No…” I muttered under my breath, but the denial didn’t feel strong enough. For the first time, I didn’t know if I was right… or just hoping I was.

I never feared losing anything.

But now

The thought of losing her was enough to mess with my head in ways I didn’t understand. The way she looked at me, the way she trusted me without knowing anything… I wasn’t used to that. And I didn’t want that to change.

“I’m coming…” I whispered, pressing the accelerator harder, as if speed could fix whatever was wrong.

The moment I reached the mansion, I didn’t wait. I stepped out and walked straight inside, my eyes scanning everything quickly. Something felt off… too quiet, too tense.

“Anvaya!” I called out, my voice sharper than I intended, but there was no reply.

My chest tightened.

“Ishvika…” I said again, quieter this time, but heavier.

I moved ahead without stopping, my steps faster now. I didn’t know what I was about to see but I knew one thing.

I want my baccha safe. The thought burned through me, sharp and uncontrollable, leaving no space for logic. Whoever dared to hurt her… would have to face a side of me I don’t even trust myself with. There was no sign of anyone around, and that silence only made everything worse.

Without thinking, I rushed toward the stairs, my steps fast, uneven, almost reckless. I didn’t realize when I started running like a madman, like someone who had only one purpose left to see her, to make sure she was safe. My heartbeat was loud, my breathing heavy, but I didn’t slow down.

By the time I reached the door, sweat clung to me, my body strained from running, but none of it mattered. Just as I was about to open it, a sound reached me from inside. Laughter. Soft, real… hers.

I pushed the door open and froze in my place.

The first thing I saw was her—laughing, completely lost in that moment, without fear, without hesitation. For a second, everything inside me went quiet. The panic, the rush, the anger… all of it disappeared just by looking at her.

That’s why I said… she gives me peace.

She’s my sukoon.

“Bhaiya, you’re here,” Anvaya’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back. I shifted my gaze slightly, noticing her sitting beside Ishvika on the bed, holding her hand, while Rishvik stood in front of her braiding her hair.

But my eyes went back to her.

She was still smiling… until she saw me. The moment her eyes met mine, the laughter stopped. Just like that. My chest tightened slightly, a strange thought crossing my mind did I come at the wrong time? Or… did I scare her?

Before I could think further, something else caught my attention.

The marks.

A clear handprint on her cheek, red and fresh. A cut near her lips. Bruises on her forehead. The calm inside me shattered instantly, replaced by something darker, something dangerous.

Someone was about to die.

I moved toward her without thinking, pushing Rishvik aside and holding her face in my hands. Her grey eyes widened in shock as she looked at me, but instead of reacting, she glanced behind me—at Rishvik with concern.

My jaw clenched.

“Look at me,” I said, my voice low but firm, forcing her attention back to me. “Only at me, Ishvika.” My grip softened slightly, but the anger remained, barely controlled beneath the surface.

“Who did this to you?” I asked, my voice dropping, each word laced with restrained fury. “I swear, I’m not going to leave that person.” I tried to keep my tone steady, not wanting to scare her but it was getting harder.

“Why are you asking? W-why are you a-asking…?”

Her voice came out distant, uneven, nothing like her usual softness, and it made my brows furrow instantly. I kept looking at her face, trying to understand what had changed, what had happened behind my back that I didn’t see.

“What…? Baccha, I—” I started in a low voice, my eyes still scanning every bruise, every mark, searching for answers in silence. But before I could complete my words, she cut me off again, not giving me a chance to reach her.

“No—no… y-you don’t care… you p-promised me no one will harm me…” she stammered, her voice breaking as she suddenly got on her knees on the bed to match my height. Her eyes filled with tears she was trying to hold back, but they slipped anyway. “H-he did… I-I called you… so many times… ev-even then you didn’t come… y-you also abandoned me…”

Her hands clutched my collar tightly, trembling yet desperate, and her words hit deeper than anything else. She called me… and I wasn’t there. While they were hurting her, while she needed me I wasn’t there.

“Ishvika… baccha, shh… I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice rough as my hands moved to her shoulders, trying to steady her. “I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have left you alone… tell me what happened… who did this… I won’t leave him…”

But suddenly

She pushed me.

Hard enough to make me stumble back in shock, my balance shifting as I looked at her, unable to process it for a second.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

Her scream echoed in the room as she clutched her stomach and fell forward onto the mattress, her body shaking violently as sobs broke out of her. It wasn’t just crying it was something deeper, something that made even breathing sound painful.

“Don’t touch me… I’m impure…” she cried, her voice cracking between hiccups. “He said impure… he touched me… again… again… no one saved me… no one punished him… everyone beat me… h-he touched me… it’s paining… it hurts… I can’t bear it… leave me…”

For a moment

Everything inside me went still.

My mind refused to accept what I was hearing, as if denying it would somehow undo it. But she was right there, breaking in front of me, and that truth hit harder than anything.

I moved toward her again, faster this time, pulling her into my arms and holding her face, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were red, swollen, her face flushed from crying, and it did something unbearable to my chest.

“Hey… baccha… who was that?” I asked, my voice unsteady despite trying to control it. “Who touched you? Tell me… who said that?”

She didn’t look at me.

Didn’t answer.

And something inside me snapped.

“Answer me!” I shouted, my voice louder than I intended, my whole body tense with something I couldn’t control anymore.

“YES!” she screamed suddenly, grabbing my collar again, her fingers trembling but tight. “Yes! He touched me… here… here… here…” she pointed at herself, her voice breaking with each word. “It’s paining… my body is burning… evan you stay away from me… I’m impure!”

Her nails dug into my skin, but I didn’t feel it.

Everything inside me had gone numb.

“No… no, baccha… it’s not…” I mumbled, my voice low, almost lost, as if I was trying to convince myself more than her. I couldn’t understand how someone could be this cruel… how she endured all of this alone.

“Yes… this is the truth…” she said, her voice quieter now but just as broken. “You can’t change it… so stay away from me… I’m impure.”

She pushed me again.

Behind me, Rishvik and Anvaya stood frozen, unable to react, the room heavy with something none of us could process. But something inside me finally broke completely.

“DON’T YOU DARE CALL YOURSELF THAT! You’re the purest, strongest woman I know… you’re a warrior.”

The words came out of me like a command, rough and unfiltered, as I pulled her into my arms and held her tightly. I didn’t leave any space between us, as if even a little distance would let her break further. She struggled instantly—pushing, hitting, kicking but I didn’t move, didn’t loosen my hold.

“No… no… leave me… leave me… leave me…” she screamed, her voice cracking as she tried to get free. I didn’t argue this time, I didn't stop her with force, I just pressed a soft kiss to her head, my hand moving slowly over her back, trying to calm her shaking body.

“W-why did you leave me…?” she cried, her voice trembling uncontrollably. “He… he slapped me… kicked me… told me no one will save me… I was calling you… but you didn’t come… why… why didn’t you come…?” Her words came out broken, uneven, each one cutting deeper than the last.

And then suddenly

She hugged me back.

Her arms wrapped tightly around me, as if I was the only thing she had left to hold onto. Her cries grew louder, more painful, and every word she spoke didn’t accuse me it shattered something inside me.

“Sorry… baccha… I’m so bad… so bad,” I whispered into her hair, my voice unsteady, breaking without control. “I shouldn’t have left you alone… I’m sorry… hit me, shout at me… but please… don’t call yourself bad…”

I didn’t even realize when my vision blurred, when my throat tightened, or when the wetness on my face wasn’t hers but mine. I never cried when my parents died, never cried when I was sent away alone, never cried even when I missed them.

But right now

I was.

And I didn’t even understand why.

Across the room, Rishvik and Anvaya stood frozen, their eyes wide as they watched us. Neither of them spoke, neither of them moved; they just stood there, witnessing something raw, something they had never seen before.

Two broken souls

Holding onto each other.

Trying to find peace in a world that had given them none.

Happy reading 💗