Shivanya's Pov
The moment I heard the name Zorvik Rawat, a chill ran down my spine.
He was the reason I had run away.
The only person I was trying to escape from.
Two Days Earlier - Kashi
It was around seven in the evening when I returned home after another exhausting day at the hospital.
Yes, I'm a doctor.
Not just any doctor-a heart surgeon, a cardiologist.
Becoming one wasn't easy. I wasn't born with endless privileges or shortcuts waiting for me. Every step of my journey was built with sleepless nights, sacrifices, and years of hard work. Medicine wasn't just my profession; it was the dream I had fought for my entire life.
As I entered the house, I found Baba sitting quietly on the living room couch.
Something felt... off.
He wasn't watching television or reading the newspaper like he usually did. Instead, he sat motionless, staring at the floor as though a thousand thoughts were weighing him down.
He looked worried.
Different.
"Baba?" I called softly, trying to get his attention.
He blinked, almost as if he had forgotten where he was.
"Oh... beta, you're home."
A faint smile appeared on his face, though it never reached his eyes.
"How was your day?"
"The same as always," I replied with a small smile. "Busy."
Then I looked at him carefully.
"What about you? You seem really tense today."
He immediately looked away.
"Kuch nahi, beta."
Then, forcing another smile, he said,
"Come. Let's have dinner first. We'll talk later. You must be tired."
I didn't argue.
Baba had always cared for me.
He wasn't my biological father.
He was my stepfather.
But never-not even for a single day-had he made me feel like I wasn't his daughter. I loved him with all my heart, and seeing him so troubled made me uneasy.
After changing my clothes and freshening up, I came downstairs and helped him set the dinner table.
Usually, dinner was filled with conversations, laughter, and Baba's terrible jokes.
Tonight...
Silence sat between us.
The only sounds were the clinking of spoons against plates and the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall.
I knew something was wrong.
After dinner, Baba quietly washed his hands, returned to the dining table, and cleared his throat.
"Shivanya beta..."
I looked up.
"You trust me, don't you?"
I chuckled softly.
"Of course I do. But why are you asking me that?"
His expression didn't change.
The smile on my face slowly faded.
"Baba... please tell me what's bothering you."
He took a deep breath before speaking.
"Shivanya... you know I only want what's best for you."
I nodded.
"And that's why..."
He paused.
"I want you to get married."
For a second...
Everything around me stopped.
"What?"
I stared at him in complete disbelief.
"Baba... aap kya keh rahe hain?"
"You know I don't want to get married. Aur agar kabhi shaadi karungi, toh sirf pyaar ke liye."
I shook my head.
"And tell me one thing... yeh achanak aaj shaadi ki baat kahan se aa gayi? Aaj tak toh aapne kabhi iska zikr bhi nahi kiya."
Without saying anything, Baba stood up.
He slowly held both of my hands.
His palms were trembling.
"I know, beta."
His voice was heavy.
"But please... meri majboori samajhne ki koshish karo."
"I only want your happiness."
"And you trust me... don't you?"
I looked into his eyes.
For the first time...
I saw fear.
Real fear.
"Your marriage has been proposed."
He continued,
"And I'm sure... this marriage will solve every problem."
I immediately pulled my hands back.
"But how can you be so sure?"
"Shaadi kaise sab kuch theek kar degi?"
I stood up from my chair.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"You know I'm not ready."
"So please... just stop."
I turned toward the staircase.
Before I could take another step-
"You don't have a choice."
His voice echoed across the room.
It was loud.
Firm.
Final.
I froze.
In all these years...
Baba had never raised his voice at me.
I slowly turned around.
Tears had already begun rolling down my cheeks.
"Baba..."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Main kisi anjaan insaan se shaadi kaise kar loon?"
"I don't even know his name."
"I don't know what he does."
"I don't know his family."
"I know nothing."
"Please... I can't do this."
Baba closed his eyes for a brief moment before answering.
"His name..."
He paused.
"...is Zorvik Rawat."
"That's all you need to know for now."
My heart sank.
"No..."
I whispered.
"This isn't fair."
"You can't force me into this."
"I don't want this marriage."
Without waiting for another word, I ran upstairs.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
By the time I reached my room, my vision had blurred with tears.
I locked the door behind me and collapsed onto my bed.
Why?
Why was Baba doing this?
I was earning well.
I had already started paying off every debt we had.
Then why?
What had suddenly changed?
And why did everything seem connected to one name...
Zorvik Rawat.
---
Only a few minutes had passed since Shivanya locked herself inside her room.
The silence downstairs was broken by the sound of the doorbell.
Anirudh wiped his hands on a towel before walking toward the main door.
As soon as he opened it...
His face went pale.
Standing before him was an elderly man, dressed in an immaculate black bandhgala. His silver hair reflected his age, but there was nothing fragile about him.
His sharp eyes carried authority.
His posture radiated power.
Several men in black suits stood behind him, forming a silent wall of security.
Anirudh instinctively lowered his gaze.
"S-Sir..."
He stammered.
"Aap... yahan?"
The elderly man looked at him with a faint smile.
"Mujhe bhool toh nahi gaye, Anirudh?"
Anirudh immediately shook his head.
"Nahi, sir."
"Main aapko kaise bhool sakta hoon?"
"You are..."
He swallowed nervously.
"... The Sarthak Rawat."
Without sparing Anirudh another glance, Sarthak Rawat walked into the house as though it already belonged to him. His measured footsteps echoed through the silent living room before he settled onto the sofa with effortless authority. His posture carried the confidence of a man accustomed to being obeyed rather than questioned.
He crossed one leg over the other and looked at Anirudh.
"So," he asked calmly, "has she agreed?"
Anirudh's throat tightened.
He lowered his eyes.
"No... sir."
For a brief second, silence filled the room.
Then, to Anirudh's surprise, Sarthak smiled.
It wasn't a warm smile.
It was the smile of someone who had expected this answer all along.
"I knew it," he said, leaning back against the sofa. "Tumse kuch nahi hoga."
He rose to his feet.
"That's exactly why I came here. Main usse khud hi baat kar leta hoon."
The words sent panic racing through Anirudh.
"No, sir... please!"
He hurriedly stepped in front of him.
"I didn't tell her about the deal."
"I've spoken to her. She just needs some time."
"I promise... she'll agree."
"She has never gone against me."
"It's just..."
He paused, struggling to find the right words.
"The topic of marriage is... sensitive for her."
Sarthak studied him for a long moment.
His sharp eyes seemed to weigh every word Anirudh spoke.
Finally, he nodded.
"Theek hai."
"But don't mistake my patience for weakness."
His voice became colder.
"Just because of your loyalty to the Realm... I'm giving you this chance."
He took another step closer.
"And because the future Queen of the Black Throne deserves to enter willingly."
"If you fail..."
He let the sentence hang in the air.
"You already know the consequences."
Anirudh's face lost what little colour it still had.
"Don't worry, sir."
He folded his hands almost instinctively.
"I won't fail."
"As soon as Shivanya agrees, I'll inform you personally."
A faint smile returned to Sarthak's lips.
"Good."
He walked toward the door before stopping one last time.
"And Anirudh..."
Without turning around, he added,
"Do remember..."
"The Realm is waiting for its Queen."
The main door closed with a soft thud.
Silence settled over the house.
Anirudh remained standing in the middle of the living room, staring blankly at the door through which Sarthak Rawat had just left. His shoulders felt heavier than ever, and his heart was filled with guilt.
He had never imagined that the day would come when he would have to choose between his daughter's happiness and something far bigger than himself.
He let out a long, trembling sigh and slowly turned around.
The moment he did...
His heart stopped.
Standing on the staircase was Shivanya.
She stood frozen, one hand tightly gripping the wooden railing as though it was the only thing keeping her from collapsing. Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from crying.
She had heard everything.
Every single word.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Anirudh could only stare at her in horror.
"Shivanya..."
His voice came out as nothing more than a whisper.
She let out a broken laugh, one that carried more pain than amusement.
"So..."
she said between sobs,
"Kar diya mera sauda?"
Her words echoed through the silent house.
Each one struck Anirudh harder than any accusation ever could.
"Beta, meri baat-"
She immediately raised her hand, stopping him.
"No."
Her voice trembled, but the hurt in it was unmistakable.
"Bas, Baba."
"Mujhe aapki koi baat nahi sunni."
"Koi explanation nahi chahiye."
"Bahut ho gaya."
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at the man she had loved and trusted all her life.
Her Baba.
The man who had taught her to stand on her own feet.
The man who had celebrated every achievement of hers.
The man who had always promised to protect her.
Today...
He felt like a complete stranger.
Her lips quivered.
"Yahi tha aapka pyaar mere liye?"
She shook her head in disbelief.
"Main hamesha sochti thi ki duniya mere khilaaf ho sakti hai..."
"...lekin aap kabhi nahi."
Another sob escaped her.
"But I was wrong."
"So wrong."
Anirudh took a hesitant step towards her.
Every instinct in him wanted to wipe away her tears, just as he had done ever since she was a little girl.
"Shivanya, please... meri baat ek baar toh sun lo."
"I can explain everything."
She instinctively stepped back.
"No."
This time her voice was firmer.
"You don't have to explain anything."
"I heard enough."
"I heard you talking about a deal."
"I heard you promising my marriage."
"And I heard you choosing someone else over me."
There was a long silence.
The kind of silence that only exists when two hearts break at the same time.
"I never thought..."
she whispered,
"...that one day I'd feel like a burden in my own home."
The words shattered whatever little strength Anirudh had left.
His eyes filled with tears.
"You are not a burden, beta."
"You are my entire world."
"But I..."
He couldn't finish his sentence.
Because no explanation sounded worthy anymore.
Shivanya gave him one last look.
Not of anger.
Not of hatred.
But of disappointment.
The kind that leaves wounds far deeper than rage ever could.
Without saying another word, she turned around and ran upstairs.
"Shivanya!"
Anirudh called after her.
She didn't stop.
She didn't look back.
A loud bang echoed through the house as she locked her bedroom door.
On the other side of the door, she slid down onto the floor, wrapping her arms around herself as uncontrollable sobs escaped her lips.
Outside, Anirudh kept knocking.
"Beta... please."
"Just open the door."
"I know you're hurt."
"But please let me explain."
His voice cracked with every word.
Shivanya heard every knock.
Every plea.
Every apology.
She pressed both her hands against her ears and buried her face in her knees.
If she listened any longer...
She knew she would open the door.
And tonight...
She wasn't ready to forgive him.
She cried until her eyes burned, until there were no tears left to fall, and sometime before dawn, exhaustion finally pulled her into a restless sleep.
But even in her sleep...
The words refused to leave her mind.
"I didn't tell her about the deal."
That single sentence kept echoing inside her heart, breaking it over and over again.
The first rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, but they brought no warmth.
Shivanya slowly opened her eyes.
A sharp headache pulsed through her temples. Her eyes felt swollen and heavy from crying through the night. For a few moments, she simply stared at the ceiling, hoping everything that had happened the previous evening had been nothing more than a nightmare.
It wasn't.
The conversation she had overheard replayed in her mind, every word as clear as if it had been spoken only seconds ago.
"I didn't tell her about the deal..."
"She'll marry your son."
"The Black Throne is waiting for its Queen."
She shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the memories, but they refused to leave.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself out of bed.
Life hadn't stopped.
She was still Dr. Shivanya Mehra.
And patients would be waiting for her.
After a quick shower, she changed into a simple blue Anarkali suit.

Usually, she took pride in looking neat and cheerful before leaving for the hospital, but today she barely glanced at herself in the mirror. She tied her hair into a loose ponytail, picked up her bag, and quietly walked downstairs.
The dining table had already been set.
Breakfast was ready.
Anirudh was sitting there, waiting for her.
The moment he saw her, hope flickered across his face.
"Beta..."
He stood up.
"I made your favourite breakfast."
Shivanya didn't even look at the table.
She picked up her car keys, then remembered she wasn't in the state to drive. Silently, she put them back, called for a cab on her phone, and walked towards the main door.
"Shivanya, please... just listen to me for five minutes."
She paused for a fraction of a second.
Anirudh's heart skipped a beat.
Maybe she was willing to listen.
But without turning around, she quietly said,
"I'm getting late for the hospital."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
It hurt more than if she had shouted.
The front door closed.
Anirudh stood frozen in the silent house, staring at the door long after she had gone.
---
The hospital was as busy as ever.

Doctors hurried through the corridors. Nurses rushed from one ward to another. The constant rhythm of footsteps, emergency announcements, and beeping monitors filled the building.
Normally, this chaos gave Shivanya purpose.
Today...
It only made her feel more lost.
"Good morning, Doctor," a nurse greeted with a smile.
She returned a faint nod before continuing down the corridor.
She tried to immerse herself in work, but her mind refused to cooperate.
While reviewing a patient's file, she caught herself reading the same page three times without understanding a single word.
During rounds, one of the junior doctors had to repeat a patient's update before she finally realized she hadn't been listening.
Even in the operating theatre, she found herself distracted for a brief second.
That frightened her.
She had spent years building her career.
One careless mistake could cost someone their life.
As soon as the procedure was over, she quietly stepped out of the operating room and leaned against the corridor wall, taking a long, steadying breath.
"Dr. Shivanya?"
She looked up.
One of her colleagues stood beside her, concern evident on his face.
"Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself today."
She forced a small smile.
"I'm fine."
He studied her for a moment.
It was obvious he didn't believe her.
"If you need a break, you should take one," he said gently. "Even doctors aren't machines."
She thanked him with a slight nod, but his words lingered in her mind long after he had walked away.
A break...
Maybe that was exactly what she needed.
Not from medicine.
Not from her patients.
But from everything else.
From the questions.
From the betrayal.
From the suffocating feeling that her life was no longer her own.
That evening, after her shift ended, she didn't go home immediately.
She sat alone on a bench outside the hospital, watching the sun disappear beyond the city skyline.
People came and went.
Families reunited.
Friends laughed together.
Life moved on.
But hers felt as though it had come to a standstill.
For the first time, a single thought settled firmly in her heart.
I need to leave.
Not forever.
Just long enough to breathe again.
By the time she reached home, the decision had already been made.
The house was quiet.
Anirudh had fallen asleep on the living room sofa, still waiting for her.
She stood there for several moments, looking at the man who had once been her greatest source of comfort.
A part of her wanted to wake him.
To ask him why.
To hear the truth.
But another part knew she wasn't ready for the answer.
Silently, she walked to her room.
She packed only a few pairs of clothes, her passport, some essentials, and the savings she had carefully set aside over the years.
Her eyes fell on a framed photograph of her and Anirudh, smiling together during her graduation.
She picked it up.
For a moment, she considered taking it with her.
Instead, she gently placed it back where it belonged.
Before leaving, she wrote a short note.
"I'm safe. Please don't worry about me. I just need some time. I'll come back when I'm ready."
She placed the note on the dining table, picked up her suitcase, and quietly opened the front door.
Just before stepping out, she turned around one last time.
The house had witnessed her happiest memories.
Tonight...
It watched her leave with her heart in pieces.
Without making a sound, Shivanya Mehra walked away from the only home she had ever known.
A few hours later...
She was sitting inside a cab, watching the rain-soaked streets of Kashi disappear behind her.
The destination displayed on her flight ticket read only one word-
Bali.
--------------------------------------------------
Author's Note:
Oh my God... I actually wrote 3,000 words for this chapter! It felt so long while I was writing it, even though I know it probably doesn't feel that long when you're reading it. Still, I'm really proud of this little milestone-it feels like progress!
I'm working hard to make future chapters even longer so you can stay immersed in the story and have an even better reading experience. Thank you so much for all your support. It truly means a lot to me, and I hope you'll stick around to see what's coming next.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please vote and leave a comment with your thoughts or recommendations-I love reading your feedback! 💖
Bye! 🖤
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