Hai ....

Hello ...

Happy reading .....

****************

Isha sat quietly in the back seat of the car, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the dupatta that once gave her a sense of belonging. The car sped past the narrow lanes, leaving behind the only home she had ever known… and the very place that had felt like a cage for most of her life.

Tears welled in her eyes as memories surged like a storm she couldn't hold back anymore.

A dark, suffocating room…

The stench of damp walls…

The sound of a heavy bolt being locked from the outside.

Her young self sat huddled in the corner, her stomach growling in protest from days without food. Water had been a luxury. Even crying had seemed useless because no one came not for days. Amma ji would punish her b because she was too stubborn because she had dreams in her eyes that Amma ji hated.

She remembered fainting out of hunger once, only to wake up hours later, lying on the cold floor… alone.

But then , some warmth.

Sonali and Mayuri. The only two souls in that entire mansion who saw her pain. Who would secretly bring her a glass of warm milk, sometimes sneak in roti when Amma ji wasn’t watching. They weren’t family, but they treated her better than blood.

And then came Shivaksh.

His entry into her life was like a sudden breeze on a scorching afternoon. He didn't just speak for her - he silenced Amma ji. He was the only one who knocked on that forbidden door at 9 PM, every single night, asking gently:

"Isha ji, kya mein ander aa sakta hunn ?"

But he never waited for permission. He never crossed the line. Instead, he’d leave a handwritten note outside the door, every morning , something sweet, something caring.

And sometimes, when she would cautiously turned a side … she’d find him standing there with that stupid boyish smile, playfully holding the end of her dupatta like a shy thief caught in the act.

Those days were gone.

Now, all that remained was silence and regrets.

Tears began streaming down her face.

“I’ll never get that back… never again,” she whispered.

Suddenly, her gaze locked on the rearview mirror.

A black car was following. Her eyes widened. She recognized it instantly.

Nelson.

If Nelson was there, that meant only one thing Shivaksh still had someone watching over her.

Her gut twisted in discomfort. Not fear—but guilt. She had left him for Sugandha, the woman Shivaksh was set to marry. What right did she have to be watched, protected? Why couldn’t he just let her go?

“Driver… stop the car,” she said firmly.

The driver glanced back, a little unsure, but obeyed. The car pulled over, and Isha stepped out, standing by the roadside, deep in thought.

"Even if I ask… Nelson bhai  won’t stop. Shivaksh won’t listen. No one will let me go."

She sighed, her heart aching with helplessness.

And yet, she climbed back into the car. Pulled out her phone. Her fingers trembled as she dialed a number.

Two rings later, the voice on the other end was crisp and sarcastic.

"Change of plans? Cancelling the Delhi trip? " It was Shivendra.

Isha’s voice cracked, hoarse from the crying.

“So, you’re following me too?”

Shivendra chuckled lightly on the other end, still driving.

“Obviously. How can I leave my friend alone in this situation?”

“I’m not your friend,” she snapped.

There was a beat of silence.

Then he asked, coolly,

“Strange. You told Shivaksh something else… didn’t you? Why are you so confused, Isha?”

“Shut up.” Her voice was sharp, but laced with defeat. “I need help.”

His tone changed instantly.

“What kind of help?”

“I want to disappear for a while… somewhere Shivaksh can’t reach me. Can you… do you have such a place?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Then came his voice, calm and careful.

“I have a farmhouse. Fifty kilometers outside the city. Private, quiet. No one will reach you there.”

There was silence from Isha’s end.

She stared out the window - memories flickering like film reels. The last time she had trusted someone, she was locked in Amma ji’s basement. Starved. Humiliated. Broken.

And now Shivendra was offering help, but why? Could she trust him?

Sensing her hesitation, he added gently,

“This isn’t like last time. No male staff. No judgment. Just peace. You can rest there. And for what it’s worth… I’ve never taken any girl there before. You’d be the first.”

She closed her eyes. And whispered,

“Okay.”

His voice was teasing again.

“Oh, so you can trust me? But I thought I wasn’t your friend?”

She gritted her teeth.

“I shouldn’t have asked for your help. That was my mistake.”

And with that, she hung up.

A few minutes later, the car pulled into Mumbai Railway Station.

She walked in, her steps heavy but determined. Boarded the train with the weight of her past, trying to leave it behind.

As the train whistle blew, Shivendra’s men created a diversion at the station. Nelson and his team were temporarily distracted, and in that sliver of chaos ...

Isha disappeared.

Not just from the station.

But from the grip of everything that once held her captive.

**********************

Present.

Suryawanshi Corporation Emergency Control Room

Time: 8:43 PM

The atmosphere in the Suryawanshi Corporation’s control wing was stifling, even with the hum of air conditioning and the cold professionalism of monitors flickering with real-time data. Tension gripped the room like iron shackles.

Standing in the center of it all - still dressed in his ceremonial sherwani, but with eyes that had shed every trace of celebration , was Shivaksh Suryawanshi, Hukum Sa of Udaipur.

His wedding mandap lay abandoned behind him, the empire didn’t matter, the title didn’t matter, only one thing mattered.

Isha.

Nelson stood across from him, phone still clutched tightly in hand. His voice was calm, but he wasn’t prepared for what came next.

“Sir… we followed her to Mumbai Central. Her name was on the boarding list, but… she never entered the train. Every coach was checked. She’s not there.”

A heavy silence followed.

And then, Shivaksh spoke - his voice quiet, but carrying the weight of command sharpened with centuries of legacy.

“Seal the city.”

Heads snapped. Officers froze mid-movement. It took a second for the words to register.

“ complete lockdown,” he continued, his tone never rising. “Close all major highways, shut down the coastlines, and ground every flight scheduled to leave the city tonight. No vehicle, vessel, or aircraft exits Mumbai until I give the order.”

A few officers exchanged hesitant glances. This wasn’t a standard order. This was warfare-level protocol.

Karthik  stepped forward cautiously.

" Hukum sa… that’s going to affect thousands...... "

Shivaksh turned to face him, and the look in his eyes made every man in the room step back.

“She’s out there alone. Scared. Running from me… thinking she’s saving me.”

He exhaled sharply, fingers brushing over his pocket as he pulled out a photograph - the one of Isha, laughing in the middle of a storm, hair drenched and eyes dancing. A memory. A lifeline.

He placed the photo gently on the control table.

“This woman is the reason I breathe. If it takes halting the world to bring her back… then let the world stop spinning.”

His voice was not laced with fury. It was conviction.

Deadly. Certain. Absolute.

**************

10:00 PM

Mumbai Lockdown Activated

The effects were immediate.

Toll booths across Western Express Highway, Eastern Freeway, and Mumbai-Goa Expressway were barricaded. Every vehicle was stopped. IDs scanned. Luggage opened. Faces checked.

At Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, flights were grounded. Panic spread through terminals as announcements buzzed overhead, citing “unusual technical delay.” Passengers grumbled. Airline staff scrambled. But the security stood firm.

Private helipads and airstrips were sealed under direct command.

Marine Drive, Gateway, and Versova jetties were locked under supervision of Coast Guard units, who received the orders directly from the royal crest.

Mumbai had never seen anything like it.

The city that never sleeps… was finally brought to its knees.

******************

Back in the Command Room

Shivaksh stood unmoving, his sherwani now wrinkled and dusted with traces of the day’s chaos. The ruby brooch on his chest gleamed under white-blue emergency lights. But his gaze… it was fixed on the large screen where dozens of CCTV windows blinked.

“Facial recognition,” he said. “Use this image. Cross-check every public camera in a ten-kilometer radius from her last sighting.”

One officer whispered, “If she changed disguises, sir…”

“Her name may change. Her clothes may change. But not her eyes. And not her soul. I’ll find her.”

A silence fell again. Rudraksh entered, out of breath. He had witnessed the announcement, seen the lockdown begin. He looked around in disbelief.

“Bhai… you shut down Mumbai?”

Shivaksh didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he finally turned away from the screen. His voice, when it came, was painfully raw.

“She left me, thinking it was for my good. Thinking she was a burden.But what she doesn’t know… is that her absence is the only thing that can destroy me.”

He walked to the glass window, the night city stretching before him, now dimmed under his order. Rain fell softly, like a whisper of sorrow.

“This is not about power. This is not about revenge. This is about love. Mine.”

“And I will not let it go without a fight.”

---

Outside,

Thousands of vehicles lined highways.

Pilots stood idle on runways.

Trains delayed. Sea routes frozen. Security levels raised across every transit point.

And at the center of it all…

A man who had everything.

But would give it all away…

For the woman who once wore his jacket and left with his soul.

---

Otherside

Suryawanshi Mansion, Udaipur.

After abounding the wedding venue , suryawanshi reached udaipur from Mumbai ..

The palace-like halls of the Suryawanshi Mansion, hours ago filled with the sound of Shehnai, laughter, and wedding chants… now stood silent.

Heavy. Unsettling.

As the news spread like wildfire  -  that Sugandha had called off the wedding and the projector had played Isha’s private confession of love for Shivaksh  -  the royal living hall erupted with a storm of clashing emotions.

Madhavi Ji clutched the backrest of the velvet sofa. Her bangles jingled as her hands trembled slightly, eyes still fixed on the blank projector 

She had tears in her eyes.

But not of shame.

Of fear... of relief… of the mess that was to follow.

“Woh ladki… sach mein Shivaksh se  pyaar karti hai,” she whispered to herself.

Just then, Suhani Devi, Shivaksh’s paternal bua, stood up with the thud of her heavy embroidered lehenga brushing the floor. Her face contorted in disbelief, her kohl-lined eyes sharp as blades.

“This is outrageous!” she thundered.

“He humiliated us in front of hundreds! Royals from Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur were here… and you let this wedding turn into a circus for some… middle-class girl?”

Her voice echoed off the marble walls.

Rishab chachu, the calmest of the elders, removed his glasses and sighed heavily.

“Suhani, it’s not about class. The girl loves him......”

“Love?!” Suhani scoffed, her voice shrill. “Pyaar se riyasatein nahi chalti, Rishab bhai sa. Reputations do! Unka baap kon tha! Unka past kisi ko nahi pata! Kal woh ladki kuch galat  kardiya toh?! Kya hoga tab?”

Richa  chachi, Rishab’s wife, stood protectively behind Madhavi Ji, glancing nervously at the tension building.

Shirisha  chachi, Gaurav's wife trying to control the situation, softly added

“Suhani di, please… not here. The kids are watching ..”

But Suhani was fuming.

“Shivaksh has lost his mind! Pehle shadi ke din mandap chhod diya… ab usi ladki ke liye Mumbai ko bandh kar diya?! He’s a king, not some Bollywood hero!”

At that very moment, Gaurav chachu, the eldest, stepped forward. His voice was low but firm , cutting through the chaos like a sword.

“Enough, Suhani.”

“You too, Gaurav bhai sa?” Suhani snapped, stunned. “You support this madness?”

Gaurav looked toward his bhabhi sa Madhavi Ji, whose eyes silently begged him to stay strong.

“Yes,” he said calmly. “Because for the first time… I saw Shivaksh choosing something for himself. He’s always lived for this family. This empire. This burden of the surname.”

“And if that girl gives him the courage to live for love… then I’ll welcome her myself.”

Suhani gasped as if she’d been slapped.

“How can you say that bhai sa ? That girl.....”

“That girl,” Madhavi Ji interrupted gently but powerfully, stepping forward with folded hands and tears in her eyes, “is the only one who saw the boy behind the crown.”

Everyone fell silent.

“We gave him a throne,” Madhavi continued, “but she gave him warmth. We gave him responsibility. But she gave him a reason to smile.

And I will not let the world , or this family , snatch that away from him.”

She turned to Suhani Devi, voice unwavering.

“If you can’t accept her, Suhani ji, then don’t. But don’t you dare question her worth in front of me. Because I, Madhavi singh Suryawanshi, am ready to call her my daughter-in-law, no am ready to accept as my daughter , my Shivaksh wife and Hukum rani sa of Udaipur .”

Suhani staggered back, speechless for the first time.

Even Ruhi and Rohan, standing by the pillar, looked on , surprised at the powerful unity forming in the room.

Just then, Rudraksh entered , he came back from Mumbai only to support madhavi ji , Shivaksh sent him .

“Bhai is gone. Mumbai’s shut down. Every route locked. He's searching for her like a madman.”

Everyone stared at him.

“ Bua You still think it’s some childish obsession?” he added, glaring at Suhani.

“He loves her. And if we can’t see it… maybe we’re the problem.”

Madhavi Ji placed a hand on her heart.

“Come back safe, Shivaksh… and bring our bahu home safely .”

The palace might have trembled that night…

But so did generations of pride, because for once, the heir wasn’t saving the kingdom.

He was fighting for his queen.

*****************

Shivendra's Private Farmhouse Outskirts of Mumbai

The grand living room was dimly lit. The walls were high, the curtains heavy, and the silence oppressive. Despite the luxury around her , the marble flooring, antique décor, and flickering fireplace , Isha sat curled into herself on the cold marble floor ..

Her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.

She hadn’t blinked in minutes.

The maids tiptoed in and out of the room, hesitating at the entrance each time. One brought a tray of tea. Another offered water. A third dared a whispered, “Ma’am, please…”

But Isha didn’t move.

Not a glance. Not a breath deeper than the last. She looked like a painting ,  but not one made of colors. One painted in pain and silence.

Upstairs, Shivendra leaned against the glass railing, arms folded, jaw tight. Beside him stood Daksh, his expression more unsettled than ever. A news channel on mute played on the corner screen, showing scrolling headlines:

“Mumbai lockdown enters 6th hour.”

“All exits sealed under private directive.”

“Hukum Sa of Udaipur allegedly behind high-level closure.”

" Still we don't know the reason behind this sudden lockdown "

Daksh didn’t take his eyes off the girl below ,  the girl who looked like she had left her soul somewhere she couldn’t return to.

“Now what, Shiva?” Daksh asked, voice low. “She’s sinking in front of us. She hasn’t eaten. Not sipped water. Just… sat there. Like she’s waiting to disappear.”

There was no answer.

So Daksh continued, sharper now. “You know she’s not built for this kind of grief. She’s breaking, yaar. If you don’t stop her from drowning ”

“Hmmm.”

That was all Shivendra said before descending the grand staircase.

The staff stilled, the air changed.

Even the rain outside paused, as if sensing that the beast had risen ,  not to destroy… but to kneel.

Shivendra singh Suryavanshi ,  the man who was feared in boardrooms and back alleys alike ,  walked past the staff and sat down on the floor beside Isha. On the marble. Unbothered. Unapologetic.

The maids exchanged shocked glances.

Their ruthless boss. On the ground. Beside a woman who hadn’t spoken in hours.

He didn’t touch her.

He didn’t force a single word.

Just leaned slightly and murmured,

“Isha…”

No reaction.

So he said what would finally break her.

“Shivaksh’s wedding is over.”

Isha’s body twitched slightly.

“He left with Sugandha. Back to Udaipur. The royal announcement was made… It’s done, Isha. He won’t chase you anymore.”

And just like that

She broke.

Not softly. Not quietly.

She collapsed from the couch onto the floor with a choked sob that didn’t sound human. It was raw. Wild. Like her soul was tearing open and pouring out.

“Uhhhaaahhh… haaahhh!”

A guttural, ugly cry escaped from her mouth ,  sounds like she’s been holding it in for too long and is now collapsing emotionally.

She clutched her stomach, her chest, her mangalsutra-less wrist… searching for something  anything  to hold onto.

But there was nothing left, Just grief,h ours passed, no one dared to interrupt. Not even Shivendra.

He simply sat beside her , in silence - occasionally pushing her hair back when she trembled too much. When he tried to touch her forehead, she jolted, as if his touch burned.

Then suddenly

She shot up.

Like something inside her snapped.

Before anyone could react, Isha ran out the front door, barefoot, into the pouring monsoon rain.

The staff gasped.

Shivendra followed - not shouting, not calling - just following, like a quiet shadow.

In the Garden

The rain lashed down mercilessly, soaking every inch of earth, but Isha didn’t care. She collapsed onto the grass, in the far corner of the massive garden, her clothes clinging to her like the past she couldn’t shed.

She screamed, into the wind, into the storm.

“ i want you Shivaksh, please wapas ajayiye "

Her voice cracked and dissolved.

She hugged herself, shivering, as memories attacked her , Shivaksh’s jacket around her shoulders, his voice teasing her over chai, the way he used to whisper her name like it was the only word that mattered.

Now he was gone.

Married.

And she was still here -  loving him in secret.

Shivendra stood at a distance. Watching. Soaking. Not stepping forward.

Because even his arrogance knew - this moment didn’t belong to him.

It belonged to a girl mourning the man she sent away… to protect him.

The rain poured harder… but it still couldn’t hide her tears.

Isha was drenched not just by the storm around her, but by the storm inside her. She dropped to her knees in the muddy garden, the cold earth clinging to her clothes, her hair plastered to her face. Her body trembled uncontrollably, like something inside her was collapsing one piece at a time.

And then came the scream.

“Aaaaahhhhhh—haaahhhh!!”

Her voice cracked, raw and agonizing.. She wasn’t just crying she was breaking.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Shivaksh!” she cried out, her voice choking between sobs.“Galti ho gayi mujhse… aapko chot pahunchayi… sab kuch tod diya…”

(I made a mistake… I hurt you… I broke everything…)

“Please… please wapas aa jaiye , Maine jo bhi kaha… jo bhi kiya… sab galat tha… Mujhe samaj aa raha hai ab, Shivaksh… main kitni galat thi… kitna zyada aapko chot di maine…”

(Everything I said… everything I did… it was wrong. Now I understand… how much I hurt you…)

She gasped for breath - like her own body was punishing her for the things she let go, for the love she didn’t protect.

“Aapke bina… Isha mar jaayegi…” she whispered,   Her voice cracked as she repeated it louder,

“Isha mar jaayegi!! , Please ek baar… ek baar wapas aa jaiye…”

(Just once… come back to me, just once…)

“Main har roz jeeti hoon… par bina aapke, woh jeena bhi kya jeena hai…”

(I live every day… but without you, it’s not life at all…)

Shivendra stood frozen under the veranda, his body soaked in rain too - but it wasn’t the cold that numbed him.

It was her words.

Her pain

Her voice echoed across the field like a dying song  raw, real, and unforgettable.

The thunder still growled, and the rain still fell -  but to Isha, everything felt… quiet.

Because suddenly, the rain wasn’t hitting her anymore.

Her shivering skin, once soaked and trembling under the open sky, now felt shielded - safe.

Slowly, she lifted her face.

Her blurred vision cleared just enough to see the silhouette holding the umbrella above her , she blinked her eyes it was him.

Shivaksh.

Drenched. Breathing hard. Eyes burning with pain.

He didn’t care about the storm. The winds. The world watching.

He only saw her -  his Isha.

Tears burst from her eyes again, heavier, louder, wrecking her soul.

“Aap mere saath aise kaise kar sakte ho, Isha?” he asked, voice trembling, but stern -  broken and burning in equal parts. “Aap mujhe chod ke kaise jaa sakti hain?”

(How could you do this to me, Isha? How could you leave me?)

Isha clutched her chest as her sobs turned violent again. Her voice cracked.

“Sug… Sughandha ke… ke saath aapki shaadi......”

(Your wedding with Sughandha)

He interrupted sharply, stepping closer, his tone slicing through the rain:

“Humari shaadi aapse hui hai, Main kisi aur se kaise shaadi kar sakta hoon, Isha?”

(How could I ever marry someone else?)

And that broke her completely.

She cried like a child ,  like a woman who had loved in silence for too long, who had tried to walk away for everyone’s happiness… and lost her own in the process.

She threw herself into his arms.

Her arms wrapped around his chest, and her body clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her alive.

“Aap mujhe chod ke mat jaayiye…”

(Please don’t leave me again…)

“Main mar jaungi…”

(I’ll die… I really will…)

She pressed her lips to his cheek. Then to his forehead. Then to his wet jaw. One kiss after another - desperate, scattered, trembling. Like her soul was trying to memorize every inch of him in that moment.

He let go of the umbrella.

It fell to the mud with a soft thud - forgotten.

And then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. So tight, it felt like he wanted to hide her inside him - protect her from every storm the world dared to send her way.

His lips found her hair, and he whispered:

“I love you, Rani Sa…”

“I really, really love you…”

The storm had finally found its silence.

And two broken hearts, who once chose duty and distance, finally chose each other.

To be continued...

*************************

So… that’s it for today!

I hope you felt every heartbeat, every tear, and every emotion in this chapter as much as I did while writing it.

Now tell me

Are you ready to witness the powerful, passionate journey of Shivisha?

But wait…

How did Shivaksh find Isha in the first place?

Is this really the end of Shivendra’s love story… or is destiny still writing his next chapter?

And what happens when the Suryawanshi family learns where Isha comes from?

To find out everything, you know the rule

Hit the star. Vote. And drop your thoughts in the comments.

When we hit 100 votes, your next update will be waiting * Hehe *

Till then—

Take care, keep smiling, and keep believi

ng in love that finds its way… no matter what. 💞

Bye bye, dher saara pyaar from my side!