It was midnight. Inside the private penthouse of Raichand Mansion, only two sounds echoed , the expensive scotch pouring into a glass, and the heavy rain falling outside.
Clad in a dark charcoal suit, Advait Raichand stood near the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. His broad back, sharp jawline, and deep, dark eyes carried a demonic coldness that could terrify anyone at a single glance.
The door opened, and Ramesh stepped inside. His face showed not a single trace of desperation or fear. His eyes reflected only one thing sheer greed for money.
"Mr. Raichand!" Ramesh smiled shamelessly, joining his hands together. "Is it even possible that you call and I don't show up?"
Advait turned around. Taking a sip of his scotch, his deep, dangerous gaze locked onto Ramesh.
"Ramesh..." Advait’s voice held a heavy, intense gravity that instantly silenced the room. "You owe 50 crores in debt. The bank is about to seize your properties. You're going to end up on the streets."
Ramesh stepped forward slightly, a cunning smirk playing on his lips. "So what, Mr. Raichand? The debt might be mine, but you hold the solution, don't you? I know you want something related to Pakhi. If you want, you can marry her."
A dark, predatory smile appeared on Advait’s lips. Setting his glass down on the side table, he stepped closer to Ramesh.
"You're trading your own biological daughter, Ramesh? As a father, don't you feel any shame?" Advait asked, testing him.
Ramesh laughed aloud. "Shame? Mr. Raichand, what is there to be ashamed of? My daughter becoming your wife is a wonderful thing, a matter of pride! And truthfully, Mr. Raichand, you won't find a daughter like mine in this entire city."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ramesh began parading Pakhi’s beauty, as if auctioning off his most valuable possession in a marketplace.
Ramesh continued, "Give me 100 crores... clear my 50-crore debt, and give me 50 crores in cash. I will happily hand Pakhi over to you. On the wedding altar, you will find her bowed before you."
Advait looked closely at Ramesh's face. The fire inside him to possess Pakhi burned even hotter.
"100 crores?" Advait said in a cold voice. He picked up the chequebook from the table, signed it, and tossed the cheque straight at Ramesh’s face.
The cheque fluttered through the air and fell at Ramesh’s feet. Devoid of any self-respect, Ramesh bent down to pick it up. His eyes sparkled as he counted the zeroes written on it.
"100 crores..." Greed dripped from Ramesh's tongue. "Thank you, Mr. Raichand! Thank you! The altar will be decorated tomorrow itself. Pakhi is yours!"
Advait grabbed Ramesh by the collar and yanked him close. His dark eyes flared with obsessive brutality.
"Listen to me, Ramesh..." Advait growled, leaning in close to his ear. "You got your money. But if Pakhi gets so much as a scratch on her body, or if she fails to reach the wedding altar... I will bury you alive. Tomorrow night... she must be with me."
Ramesh nodded enthusiastically. "Don't you worry at all! From tomorrow, Pakhi is entirely your property."
Clutching the money, Ramesh walked out laughing.
Advait returned to the window. He pulled out his phone and stared at a secret photo of Pakhi set on his screen.
Advait ran his finger over Pakhi's lips on the phone screen. His voice carried a lethal obsession:
"Your father sold you, Pakhi... and I bought you. Tomorrow night... you will be in my bed. From tomorrow onward, this innocent body and soul of yours will belong solely to Advait Raichand. You love rebelling, don't you? It's going to be very interesting to see how you rebel in my bed tomorrow..."
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The Next Morning
Soft rays of sunlight filtered through the window into Pakhi’s room. After wrestling all night with the humiliation inflicted by Advait, the burning pain on her lips, and Ramesh’s bitterness, Pakhi had somehow composed herself. She put on jeans and a top, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out of the room to leave for college.
As she descended the stairs, the cold, poisonous voice of Ramesh ,sitting on the living room sofa, echoed through the house.
"Where do you think you're going, Pakhi?"
Pakhi froze in her tracks. Rolling her eyes indifferently, she cast a sharp glance at Ramesh and spoke dryly:
"Where I go every day. College."
Ramesh said sternly, "There's no need to go anywhere today. Sit down quietly right here."
Pakhi narrowed her eyes, but without starting an argument, she walked over and stood in front of the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest.
Taking a sip of his tea, Ramesh said in a deadpan tone
"Your college ends today. You are getting married today... to Advait Raichand. I have finalized the match."
It felt as though the air in the room stopped moving. Pakhi’s entire being trembled. Her eyes widened in rage and shock.
Pakhi roared, "What nonsense are you talking about?! Marriage?! And that too to that vile, ruthless monster Advait Raichand?! Have you lost your mind?!"
Sitting nearby on the sofa, her stepmother Sushma made a face and snapped maliciously:
"Look at this girl's attitude! A motherless child whom we raised and nurtured, and now when such a rich, noble, and handsome boy is available, she's throwing tantrums! Advait Raichand is a million times better than that penniless Armaan!"
Sparks of hatred flared in Pakhi’s eyes. Pointing a finger at Sushma, she screamed:
"You're comparing that monster to my Armaan?! In front of Armaan’s simplicity and humanity, Advait Raichand is worth nothing! Listen to me clearly, all of you... if I marry anyone, it will be Armaan and Armaan alone! I would rather take my own life than marry that beast!"
Ramesh stood up abruptly and bellowed
"Mind your tongue, Pakhi! A 100-crore deal... I mean, this marriage to Advait Raichand will happen! I know very well how to crush your rebellion!"
Pakhi defied him fiercely. "I'd like to see who forces me into this marriage!"
Turning sharply, Pakhi bolted toward the exit gate.
Ramesh shouted, "Vicky! Grab her! Lock her in her room!"
At Ramesh's command, her stepbrother Vicky rushed forward to tackle Pakhi. Just as he reached out to grab her arm, Pakhi didn't waste a second ,she threw a powerful punch right into Vicky’s face with all her strength!
Clutching his nose in agony, Vicky fell backward onto the floor, blood streaming from his nostrils.
Pakhi roared, "Stay away from me, all of you! If anyone dares to touch me, I’ll kill you!"
Grabbing a small showpiece from the hall, Pakhi pointed it threateningly at her family and began backing away toward the gate. She was just about to reach the door when her stepsister, Riya, sneaked up behind her.
Riya picked up a heavy mud flowerpot nearby and, without a second thought, slammed it onto the back of Pakhi’s head!
The pot shattered into pieces upon impact. Deep darkness surged before Pakhi’s eyes. Her head spun, her legs buckled, and she collapsed lifelessly onto the cold floor.
Ramesh panicked at the sight. Glaring at Riya in terror, he yelled
"What have you done, Riya?! Have you gone insane?!"
Pretending to be innocent, Riya dusted her hands and said, "dad... I was just trying to stop her from running away! What if she had hit Vicky and escaped?!"
Trembling with rage and fear, Ramesh barked, "Shut up! Do you have any idea what Advait Raichand said?! He explicitly warned that Pakhi shouldn't have a single scratch on her body!"
A dead silence descended upon the entire house. The mere fear of Advait's name drained the color from everyone's faces.
Panting, Ramesh turned to Vicky and the others.
"What are you standing around staring for?! Pick her up! Lift her, lock her in her room upstairs, and bolt it from the outside! Call a doctor ,her wound needs to heal before the wedding!"
With trembling hands, Vicky and the family members picked up the unconscious Pakhi, dragging her upstairs to her room. Pakhi lay motionless, and the blood trickling from her forehead bore witness to the horrific storm that was about to unfold.
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