"You both can do whatever you want," Mr. Oberoi said, rising from his seat. "Just be on time for tomorrow's meeting. It's important."

Nitin's smile widened. "Don't worry, uncle. Now, if you could give us some time alone..."

"Sure, son." Mr. Oberoi paused at the door. "Adyasha, behave."

She answered with another eye roll as he left. The moment the door closed, the atmosphere shifted. Nitin stood slowly, like a predator preparing to strike.

Adyasha moved to leave, but his hand shot out, catching her wrist. The touch was both gentle and threatening.

"Don't dare touch me," she hissed. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

His eyes darkened with desire. "So much anger... You look hot when you're angry." With a swift movement, he pulled her down beside him on the couch.

"I don't have time for your nonsense," Adyasha said, her voice cold as ice.

Nitin leaned in close, his face hovering near her neck. She could feel his breath on her skin as he breathed in her perfume. His hand slid onto her thigh, making her tense.

"How much longer will you make me wait, baby?" His voice was thick with desire. "Why are you so stubborn? You know how much I want you." His grip tightened slightly. "We have barely a month left before our wedding. If you keep acting like this then..." He paused, his threat hanging in the air. "I swear, I won't listen to a word from you. You don't know how crazy I am for you."

Adyasha grabbed his hand, yanking it off her thigh. Her eyes blazed with fury, but before she could speak, he cut her off.

"I love you, darling," he whispered, his words a sharp contrast to his controlling behavior. "What's the problem? Why do you resist me so much?"

Adyasha's laugh was sharp and bitter. "Yes, you love me like you were loving those girls in France."

The color drained from Nitin's face. "How do you know?" he asked, his confidence cracking.

"Does it matter?" Her eyes were cold. "I have my ways. Don't take me for an innocent or emotional person anymore."

"Baby, there's nothing like that," Nitin scrambled to explain. "It's just... you're not letting me touch you. Don't worry, after our marriage, I'll never touch another girl. It was just timepass, nothing serious."

"I don't care about you and your timepass, Nitin." Ice dripped from every word. "Do whatever you want. This marriage is just a deal for me, so don't raise your hopes."

Something dark flashed in Nitin's eyes. He grabbed her face roughly, fingers digging into her skin. "We'll see, darling. Let the marriage happen first. I gave up the king's power and that aura in front of everyone just for you. You have no idea what I've sacrificed to win you. You know how long I've been crazy for you, and you think it's just a deal? Wait and watch, darling."

Adyasha knocked his hand away, her fury finally breaking free. "You're not crazy for me - you just want my body. It's a convenient way to cover your failures."

Her voice rose with each word. "You haven't given up anything for me. You know who's really worthy of power."

She stood, towering over him, years of buried rage pouring out. "I'm the one who sacrificed sleep, worked day and night, gave blood, sweat, and tears for this seat. When I was practicing in the ring, you were comfortably sleeping with someone else."

Her words cut like knives. "I managed both studies and practice. I gave up all enjoyment to focus solely on my goals. While you partied with friends, I was taking exams after brutal training sessions. I know every struggle, every sacrifice. So don't you dare say you've done anything for me. I'm self-made, and who I am today is because of my hard work. You? You only made things worse."

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "And sacrifices for me? Nitin, you could never give me anything. You only know how to take. So stop putting on this show of love and sacrifice. I punished myself my whole life, and you're one of the reasons why."

She straightened up, her final words dripping with contempt. "So go to hell, Mr. Nitin Raichand. I don't care about your love drama!"

Nitin watched her storm out, a dark smile spreading across his face. "Oh, how poisonous she looks when she's angry," he murmured "I like this fierce side of my queen."

His fingers traced the edge of his glass. "Do whatever you want, my darling. In the end, you are mine." His smile turned predatory. "Once I like something, it's already mine!"

Adyasha stormed out of the restaurant, her anger radiating with each step. She pulled out her phone, her voice sharp as she called her assistant.

"Mr. Jha, send my car outside Miraaz restaurant. Two minutes."

Like clockwork, a sleek black Jaguar pulled up exactly two minutes later. The driver emerged quickly, bowing respectfully before her.

"Keys, Mr. Jha," she commanded, holding out her bike keys. "Deliver these to my penthouse."

Mr. Jha nodded silently, exchanging the car keys for her bike keys before disappearing into the night. Adyasha slid into the driver's seat and gunned the engine, leaving tire marks on the pavement as she sped away.

The city lights blurred past her windows as she pushed the car to its limits. Her thoughts, like dangerous whispers, filled the silence of her luxury car.

How do I tell Maa the truth?" she whispered, her voice soft but laden with pain. "How do I explain that the crown I'm about to wear comes with chains disguised as wedding rings?"

Time was running out. She had bargained with Mr. Raichand, asking for time until she completed her master's degree. Now, with her studies finished, she had barely a month left before the wedding she dreaded.

A deadly smile played on her lips as she accelerated. "Oh, Nitin," she breathed, her voice dripping with quiet venom.

"You think you're claiming a prize, but you're welcoming a hurricane into your life." Her laugh was as sharp as broken glass.

"You saw my silence as weakness, my patience as surrender. But darling, I was just perfecting my strike."

Her eyes glinted in the darkness. "When the mafia world witnesses my face, when they bow before their new queen..." She paused, savoring the thought.

"That's when you'll understand - the girl you tried to break has become the woman who will break you. I'm not just your enemy, Nitin..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm your worst nightmare come to life."

The sharp ring of her phone pierced through her venomous thoughts, pulling her back to the present moment. She glanced at the screen.

"Ishaan."

Just that one name on her phone screen melted away her fury like snow in sunlight. The roaring Jaguar gentled to a purr as she eased off the accelerator, her heart softening as she answered the call.

"Hello, di!" Her brother's voice bubbled with enthusiasm. "How are you? And how was your last exam today? How's mom?"

A genuine smile touched her lips - the first real one that day. "Oh, slow down with all these questions," she teased. "Your sister is fine, and so is mom." The lie tasted bitter, but she swallowed it for him. "My exam went well. Now tell me, how are you? Where have you been hiding?"

"You know, becoming a doctor isn't easy, di." She could hear him dramatically sigh. "These books! God!" He paused. "Wait, are you driving?"

"Yes."

"Di!" His voice turned stern, so unlike his usual playful tone. "How many times have I told you not to talk while driving? You never listen to me."

Her laugh was soft, indulgent. "Oh, Ishu, I'm driving slowly. And it's your call - how could I not answer?"

"Okay, di, I just remembered something. I'll call you later." His words rushed together. "Take care of yourself and mom, okay? Love you, di. Bye."

"Love you too, Ishu." Her voice carried all the tenderness she never showed the world. "Take care, and if you have any problems, call me instantly, okay?"

"Okay, my mother," he teased before hanging up.

Adyasha stared at the dark road ahead, her smile turning bittersweet. "Oh, Ishu,"

she whispered to the empty car. "You don't like breaking rules, but your sister?" She let out a hollow laugh. "Your sister is the biggest rule-breaker of them all. A villain in your innocent world."

The sad smile hadn't faded when her phone rang again. 'Gauri calling' flashed on the screen.

"Adyasha," Gauri's voice was tense. "How soon will you be home? Auntie's reports have arrived."

Her heart stumbled in its rhythm, the brief peace from Ishaan's call shattering like glass. "Ten minutes," she managed, her queenly composure cracking slightly. "What's in the reports?"

Come home first. Then we'll talk."

"Okay." Adyasha was about to end the call when an unexpected sound made her freeze. Her breath caught as she listened intently, every muscle tensing...

The voice she heard would change everything.

The phone trembled in Adyasha's hand as the forgotten call continued. Her mother's words drifted through the speaker, each one a dagger to her heart.

Whatever illness I have, please don't tell Adyasha anything about it," Kirti's voice crackled through the line, unaware her daughter was listening.

Gauri's voice broke as she responded, "Aunty, I know you're strong. You've faced so much... but how can I lie to her?, and according to your health rate its---"

"She will shatter," Chaaya's voice quivered. "You're everything to her. How will she survive without you?"

Rocco's worried bark pierced the silence, as if the loyal dog sensed the weight of the moment.

"Aunty," Gauri's voice was barely a whisper, "it's pancreatic cancer... and there's no cure now as you ignored all the signs..." She choked on her words. "The doctor said... the doctor said..."

"That I don't have much time left." Kirti finished, her voice steady despite the words that shook Adyasha's world. "I'm not afraid of dying, dear. I'm terrified of leaving my daughter and son. What will happen to my daughter without me?"

The world tilted on its axis. Adyasha's vision blurred, the road before her becoming a smear of lights and shadows. Her foot pressed harder on the accelerator, as if she could outrun the truth she'd just heard.

The car shot forward like a bullet, carrying her broken heart into the night. A massive tree loomed ahead, its branches reaching like dark fingers. There was no time to swerve.

The impact was deafening. Metal screamed against wood, and Adyasha's head snapped forward, then back. Warm blood trickled down her temple, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in her heart.

As consciousness slipped away, a single tear mixed with the blood on her cheek - the first crack in the queen's armor.

________

The black SUV trailing Adyasha's car screeched to a halt. Four shadows emerged, moving with practiced precision - her guards, always watching, always protecting. Their faces, usually stoic, showed rare glimpses of concern as they rushed toward the wreckage.

"Madam!" The first guard's voice barely contained panic.

Two guards worked in perfect sync, gently extracting their unconscious queen from the mangled car. Blood trickled down her temple, her face unnaturally peaceful despite the chaos. Another guard was already on the phone, his voice clipped and professional.

"Doctor Shah, emergency at the penthouse. Yes,. Immediate attention is required."

The fourth guard slid into the driver's seat of their backup vehicle, the engine already purring to life. "The route's clear. We are moving now."

"Sir, the doctor's been informed," the third guard reported, his voice tight with urgency. "Everything's arranged at the penthouse."

They moved like a well-oiled machine, carefully transferring Adyasha into their vehicle. Within minutes, they were cutting through Mumbai's night traffic, carrying their precious cargo home.

At the penthouse, Mr. Jha paced the marble floors, his usual composed demeanor cracking with each step. When the elevator doors opened, his face darkened at the sight of Adyasha's limp form.

"How?" His voice could have frozen fire. "How did this happen? Where were you all?"

The first guard stepped forward, shoulders tense. "Sir, we were maintaining distance as protocol dictates. Madam's car suddenly accelerated and..." He swallowed hard. "The impact was unavoidable."

"She was driving extremely fast, sir," another addition quietly. "And there was a call... from Kirti Madam on her phone."

Mr. Jha's expression shifted subtly at this information. The mention of Kirti's name seemed to explain everything and nothing at once.

The doctor worked efficiently, cleaning and bandaging Adyasha's head wound. "She's fortunate," he announced finally. "The injury isn't severe. She should regain consciousness soon."

Just then, Adyasha's phone rang again. Mr. Jha answered, his voice smoothing into professional calm.

"Hello, Madam."

"Where is Adyasha?" Kirti's voice carried maternal steel.

"She's in an urgent meeting, Madam. She'll call once she's free." The lie tasted bitter, but necessary.

"Still in meetings?" Frustration colored Kirti's voice. "She promised to be home in ten minutes."

"Some clients arrived unexpectedly. I apologize for the inconvenience."

After Kirti hung up, Mr. Jha stared at the phone, knowing the storm that would come when she discovered the truth.

An hour crawled by before Adyasha stirred. Consciousness returned slowly, bringing with it the memory of that devastating phone call. Her hand found the bandage on her head, a dull throb reminding her of reality.

Her phone lit up again - "Kirti Maa 📱" - and suddenly the weight of everything crashed back. Tears welled up, but she forced them down, answering with carefully controlled composure.

"Yes, Maa." Her voice betrayed her despite her best efforts.

"What happened, Adyasha?" Maternal concern flowed through the line. "Where are you?"

"Nothing, Maa. Just... caught in a deal." The lie felt like ground glass in her throat.

"I can hear it in your voice. What's wrong? I'm asking for the last time." Kirti's tone held no room for evasion.

Adyasha manufactured a weak laugh. "Oh Maa, you worry too much. Just had a drink, my throat's sore. I'll be home by morning. How's Rocco?"

"He's here, waiting for you. Not sleeping either." The unspoken understanding in Kirti's voice nearly broke Adyasha's composure.

"Maa, I..." She swallowed hard. "I'm at the penthouse. Both of you should sleep. I'm really tired."

"Alright, my child." Kirti's voice softened thinking there must be something important or else she wouldn't talk like this "My child is very strong, Don't stress about work anymore. Sleep well. Good night."

As Rocco's soft bark came through the line, Adyasha's carefully constructed walls began to crumble. The call ended, and with it, her last thread of control.

Later, alone in her penthouse, Adyasha collapsed by the window. The mask of the powerful queen shattered completely, leaving only a daughter's raw pain.

The mighty queen finally broke.Adyasha's tears fell like rain, each drop carrying years of buried pain. Her fists struck the floor again and again, the sound echoing through empty rooms.

"Why?" The word tore from her throat. "Why again?"

Her staff and guards stood frozen outside of her room in the shadows, hearing their fierce leader crumble. They'd seen her command rooms with a glance, bringing powerful men to their knees with a word. But this was different. This was their queen with her crown removed, her armor shattered.

Blood dripped from her knuckles as she pounded the floor, but she couldn't feel the pain. Not when her heart hurts so much more.

She stumbled to the window, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. Her reflection showed a stranger - eyes red with pain and tears.

"Mumma," she whispered to the night sky. "Are you watching me from up there? Can you see your daughter now?"

Her words were a heart-wrenching plea for comfort from an unseen force.

Her fist struck the window, making the glass shudder. The glass shook with impact, symbolizing the shattered pieces of her soul. Blood smeared across the pristine surface, dropping to the floor like crimson tears.

"Mumma, I'm so alone," she sobbed, as her emotions overtook her. Aap Bhagwan ji ko boliye na, ke aapki ladoo Kirti Maa k bina akeli ho jaayegi."

["Tell God that your little ladoo will be lost without Kirti Maa."]

Her voice softened as memories washed over her. "After you left us, Mumma, Kirti Maa took me in. She showered the orphans with a mother's love that I didn't even deserve," A broken laugh escaped her. "Till now, she takes care of my hair just as you wanted."The nostalgia in her voice was tinged with sadness.

Blood and tears mixed on the floor at her feet. The mighty queen of the underworld had disappeared, leaving behind just a daughter desperate for her mothers.

A sob escaped, and a tear dropped to the floor, blurring her vision again.

She glanced at the floor, where her blood mixed with tears, a poignant symbol of her anguish.

"You know, Mumma, now I can't live without her. There's her and Ishu , for whom I've been living all this time. I might have died long ago; I was just holding myself together for them."she admitted, her voice breaking.

She thudded near the window with a shaking body and wept like a lost and broken child. In the midst of her pain, Adyasha affirmed,

"I won't let anything happen to her. I'll get her the best treatment from the world's finest doctors."The determination in her voice cut through the sorrow.

As her broken soul spilled out in words, the penthouse absorbed the weight of her emotions, witnessing a side of Adyasha that no-one had seen before..

Sitting by the window, tears streaming down her cheeks, Adyasha looks around. Her gaze falls upon her phone, and with hands tinted in crimson, she picks it up. Navigating her music playlist, she finds the one titled "Mumma-" and plays the song "Aise kyu Maa."

Adyasha wiped away tears while lying down near the window, gazing at the sky, attempting to spot the brightest star, which symbolizes her mother.

The room is filled with poignant melodies, and Adyasha gazes at the sky with tearful eyes,

As the lyrics play, she recalls how her mother used to call her "*Ladoo*." The words echo in her mind,

"**Ka Kha Ga Gha Da Ch Chh Ja Jha Ta Tha Da Dha Da Te Tha Da Dha Na Pa Pha Ba Bha Mai Ya Ra La Va Laado! (Baby Girl!)"

She chuckles amidst sobs, remembering the tender moments when her mother would affectionately address her as "Laado" with so much love.

The lyrics continue

**Ungli Pakad Ke Phir Se Sikha De Godi Uthale Na Maa.**

( Teach me to walk again, lift me in your arms, mom!)

A bittersweet smile graces her lips as she recalls these cherished memories.

"**Aanchal Se Mera Moohn Ponch Dena Maila Sa Laage Jahan,"** (Wipe my face with your dupatta, wherever you spot some dirt." )

"she murmurs, raising her blood-stained hand towards the sky, attempting to touch the star, representing her mother's celestial presence.

**Aankhein Dikhaye Mujhe Jab Zindagi**

(When life stares at me with anger,)

**Yaad Mujhe Aati Hai Tere Gusse Ki**

(It reminds me of your anger.)

She reminisces about moments when her mother used to look at her sternly when she would sneak away after stealing chocolate.

She forced a small laugh, even though her head throbbed with pain, yet she brushed it off. In her current state, physical distress meant little compared to the anguish in her heart, which seemed to bleed.

**Daata Bhi Toh Tune Mujhe Phoolon Ki Tarah**

(You scolded me but very gently.)

She felt as if her heart shattered into countless pieces, recalling how her mother used to laugh with her and offer chocolates when she apologized.

**Kyun Nahi Maa Saari Duniya Teri Tarah**

(Why isn't the whole world like you, mom?)

Kirti maa, she is just like you and now you want to take her with you. She said innocently as tears dropped from her eyes, looking at the stars.

**Tune Kuch Khaaya Der Se Kyun Aayi Koi Na Poochhe Yahan**

(Have you eaten yet? Why are you late at home? No one here asks me all these questions, Mother.)

**Heera Kaha Kabhi Nagina Kaha Mujhe Kyun Aise Paala Tha Maa**

(Often you called me 'Shiner' and 'diamond.' Why did you raise me with so much affection and so much care, Mother?)

She recalls how her mother used to protect her when her father would get angry with her.

**Teri Nazar Se Mujhe Dekhe Na Jahan**

(The world doesn't see me from the same perspective as yours.)

She keeps looking at that one star with hope that her mumma is still looking at her with the same love.

**Duniya Ko Toh Daantegi Na Daantegi Na Maa**

(You're going to scold the people, right, O' mother!)

She remembers how her mother used to stand up for her.

"Look, mom, what they have made of me. The girl who used to get scared at the sight of a small injury is now playing with blood. She chuckled bitterly.

**Mujhko Shikayat Karni Hai Sabki Mujhko Sataate Hai Maa**

(I want to complain about everybody, they trouble me, mom.)

I want to complain about everyone, Mumma," she whispered, her voice fragile, like a child lost in a storm. "Nitin touched me in ways he shouldn't have, and no one-no one-punished him." Her nails dug into her palm, grounding herself in the sting.

Her breath shuddered. "Your husband, Mumma... the man you loved, he threw me into darkness. But it was Kirti Maa who held me when I cried for you in the dead of night."

A sob escaped her lips, her vision blurred.

"Ab Tu Chhupa Le, Paas Bula Le, Mann Hai Akela Yahan..."

(Call me, Mumma. Hide me somewhere. I feel so alone.)

Her hands fisted the fabric of her clothes as she curled in on herself. "Call me, Mumma. Take me with you. Please."

But then, she gasped, shaking her head violently. "No-no, don't. If you take me, what will happen to my Ishu? He needs me. I promised I'd take care of him. I'm doing it, Mumma, I swear."

A broken smile cracked through her sobs, but the ache in her chest only deepened.

"But who will take care of me now, Mumma?" she whispered. "I have no one."

A voice-soft, distant.

"Laado!"

(Deary!)

Her entire body still. The warmth of that one word clashed against the cold reality swallowing her whole.

Her fingers gripped the floor beneath her as she let out a strangled breath. "You lied to me, Mumma. You promised you'd never leave me. But you did. You left me here with monsters."

Her voice rose, trembling. "I hate you for that-I hate myself for still breathing in this hell!"

Her body shuddered violently, but the pain in her chest refused to settle.

"But I love you more, Mumma." Her words came out broken. "I miss you every single day. And I-I'm falling apart, bit by bit, and no one even sees it."

She inhaled sharply, desperation lacing her words. "But I can't lose Kirti Maa too. I won't. If you're with God now, Mumma, please-tell him to save her. Make her okay. Don't let him take her away from me."

The air around her shifted. The wind outside howled, rattling the windows, making the curtains twist like ghosts in the night.

Adyasha barely noticed.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, her lips parted as silent prayers slipped into the void. As the song playing in the background came to an end, a knock echoed through her room.

She didn't move.

She didn't acknowledge it.

She lay there-curled up, hollow, her body lifeless except for the slow, uneven rise and fall of her chest.

"It was one of those dark days again, Mumma," she murmured, a bitter smile ghosting her lips. "Will these nights of despair ever end?"

But even as the question left her mouth, she already knew the answer.

NO

No more tears left to shed.

No more strength left to fight.

Her body gave in, and sleep pulled her under-not the peaceful kind, but the one that felt like drowning in an abyss with no way out.

Adyasha-the queen of the world by day, a ghost of her own suffering by night-had perfected the art of hiding. She no longer screamed for help, no longer allowed herself to cry in front of others. She had become an injured lioness, walking among people with wounds no one could see.

But at night...

She was just a lost girl, reaching for a mother who would never come back.

________________________

And that's a wrap for Chapter 3.🧍🏻