Published on:- 5/5/25 [Monday]
....

"You can marry again, Nilay.
But remember;
no matter who stands beside you, your soul already belongs to me.
And if I can't have you in this life,
I'll wait for you in the next...
and the next...
until your heart forgets every name but mine".

SUNAINA

...

Tarana slowly opened her eyes. Everything felt heavy. Her body ached, but the fear in her heart ached more.

But the first thing she saw was her husband standing beside her.

With a weak voice, she whispered, "Avyaan..."

"I'm here", Avyaan said. His eyes were full of fear and hope.

Her lips were parted, dry and trembling.

"Baby? Is our baby okay?", she whispered and her eyes were desperately searching for an answer.

Avyaan gripped her hand tightly as his eyes were glistening with unshed tears. He leaned closer, his forehead brushing hers.

"Yes, Tara. Our baby is safe... You both are safe now but you have to stay in the hospital for some few days".

Her eyes closed in relief as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

"I was scared", She whispered and Avyaan held her hand a little tighter now, as if he was still afraid she'd slip away again.

"I thought I lost you...", he whispered.

He remembered standing outside the operation theatre, the smell of antiseptic stinging his nose, time refusing to move. His heart thudded painfully with every beep of the monitor he could hear through the door.

He had paced the corridor like a madman, fists clenched.

He had never prayed before. But that night, he did. To every god he never believed in.

"Two days. I am listening to your voice after two days. You scared the hell out of me, Tara. I'm the king of a thousand weapons, but I was powerless when you closed your eyes", Avyaan's voice cracked.

Tears slid down Tarana's cheeks as she whispered, "I held on... for you and our baby".

"How's that boy?", Tarana asked him.

The boy who had jumped in between. The boy who saved the queen and the heir of the Scorpion Satan.

Avyaan sat beside her, gently holding her hand.

"He's still under observation" he said softly.

Tarana closed her eyes for a moment, pain flickering in them.

"He took the bullet without a second thought. For me. For our child," she whispered.

Avyaan nodded but his eyes had a storm in it. "I've already ordered full protection for him. Once he's stable, I want every detail about who he is and why he did this.".

"Take rest. I'm sending your parents inside", Avyaan said gently.

Tarana looked at him with concern. "Are you going somewhere?".

"No, I'm here... within your reach", he replied, brushing her hair back softly.

She nodded slowly. "Naina? Is she well?".

Avyaan hesitated for a moment but then answered calmly, "I talked to her. She's doing fine now".

But he didn't tell her the full truth. Both the women he loved; his sister and his wife were in danger.

While Tarana was fighting her way back from death, Sunaina was walking toward it slowly. Her risky pregnancy was no less than a slow death, and that truth was eating Avyaan from the inside.

....

In the private ward, Avyaan stepped in quietly. His eyes immediately fell on the boy lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The surgery had gone well; the bullet had been removed but the boy still looked pale and fragile. He needed rest, care, and answers no one was ready to give yet.

"I am Satan; the Mafia King of Scorpion Satan. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I want nothing but the truth" Avyaan said in a commanding tone.

The boy didn't flinch. His eyes remained fixed on Avyaan.

Avyaan leaned in closer, his gaze was sharp. "You're not afraid of me?" he asked coldly but the boy's silence only intrigued him further.

"I've seen worse," the boy replied quietly.

Avyaan's gaze darkened as he leaned in closer and asked in a low and piercing voice.

"Why did you take the bullet for my wife? You didn't know her. You didn't owe her anything", He asked, his eyes locking onto the boy's.

The boy's eyes flickered, but he didn't answer immediately. Avyaan pressed on, his voice was growing more intense.

"Who are you really? What's your connection to all of this? Why protect her, knowing it would put your life in danger?"

Avyaan paused, studying the boy's expression.

"And don't give me any of that nonsense about 'doing the right thing.' What is it that you want from us?".

Avyaan's last question hung in the air as Avyaan waited for the boy to speak.

The boy looked at Avyaan and said, "I did it for money, but I didn't know your wife was pregnant. I can't hurt a woman, especially one who is carrying a child".

Avyaan's jaw tightened, and his fists clenched. His anger was clear, though he kept his fury steady. The boy also had an idea of just how serious things had gotten.

"Elaborate," Avyaan said, his voice was like steel.

The boy met his gaze without fear.

"I'm not innocent, but I'm not heartless either. A few weeks ago, i found some men and heard their talk. They were watching scorpion Satan movements... watching the Queen. They said if Queen was taken out, the Scorpion Satan would crumble".

The boy paused before adding, "I had no idea about their plan. They found me, set up a vermillion staller and told me to inform them whenever I saw your wife around the area. They gave me money for this task and I took it because I needed it for my younger brother's medicine who was sick".

"Continued", Avyaan growled.

"When i saw your wife, i formed them but when I saw her, standing there in danger, holding her stomach... I couldn't let it happen. So I jumped in", He finished speaking and Avyaan's jaw was clenched, his fury rising in his eyes.

The boy looked down, guilt flickering in his eyes.

Avyaan's chest heaved up and down, his jaw tightening as he took a deep breath to control the storm inside him.

"You thought wrong. You let them point a gun at my wife... and my child", he said coldly, in a low and dangerous voice.

The silence in the room turned heavy.

"I never thought they wanted to kill your wife," the boy said quietly and his voice was trembling under the weight of guilt.

Avyaan stood still, but his chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to contain the storm building inside him. His jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He wanted to kill him but was controlling his Satan not to chop the body of this boy.

"How much money did you get?" he asked, his tone flat but dangerous.

The boy lowered his head, unable to meet the Mafia King's eyes.

"₹500," boy whispered.

Just ₹500; for betrayal, for blood, for the life of a Queen and an unborn heir.

Rage flickered in Avyaan's eyes, but it was not loud. It was silent, deadly, and cold.

"Five hundred rupees", Avyaan repeated slowly, disbelief thick in his voice.

"The value of my wife and child's life is ₹500?".

The boy didn't meet his eyes.

Avyaan turned and punched the wall behind the boy. The impact echoed through the room. Blood trickled down his knuckles, but he didn't flinch.

The boy jumped slightly, a flicker of fear in his eyes now.

"Do you know which gang they are from? And Why did you go against them?" Avyaan asked furiously.

The boy swallowed hard and replied, "I only know that they are bad people and.... and.... I got the money late. My younger brother died waiting for medicine".

Avyaan's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, his eyes were burning with rage.

Suddenly, Avyaan's phone rang and attended it.

"King! They are local vultures. Wanted to destroy us. Their gang leader already sent a message that he has no connection with them", Kian said.

"Good. Serve him in Satan style", Avyaan said and Kian understood clearly.

The call disconnected and Avyaan looked at the boy.

"Your brother died and then you decided to take a bullet for my wife, huh? Do you think targeting my wife and child is a joke? You don't know me but you will remember me; the SATAN in your every birth. Because you don't deserve to live. Satan don't spare anyone who plots against his family" he hissed, stepping closer.

The boy flinched, guilt and fear clashing in his eyes, but he didn't look away. His lips trembled, but he held his ground.

Avyaan raised his gun in a swift, cold motion and shoved the barrel into the boy's mouth.

"You won't feel anything. No pain at all. Now, rest in peace" he said with a chilling calm, his finger tightening on the trigger.

The boy's eyes widened in terror, tears pricking at the corners, but he didn't move.

His breath hitched, body was trembling; yet something in his gaze held a strange acceptance, as if he'd already given up on life.

And then Avyaan pulled the trigger and ended his life; the boy who took a bullet for his wife and child.

....

In Khanna Mansion, Nilay was feeding Sunaina who forgot to blink.

Nilay looked at her and Sunaina's eyes softened, and she stared at him lovingly.

Her gaze was steady and warm, filled with a quiet affection that spoke more than words ever could.

Despite the silence, there was a gentle connection between them, a shared understanding that only the two of them could feel.

Nilay noticed the way she looked at him, and for a moment, the world outside seemed to fade away.

"What's running in your mind?", Nilay asked her.

Sunaina's gaze remained fixed on him as she said, "I have chosen our daughter's name."

Nilay raised an eyebrow, "What's it?"

"Raina and Aashmaan," she replied with a gentle smile and her eyes were shining with a quiet excitement.

Nilay frowned slightly. He hadn't expected this.

"Raina and Aashmaan," he repeated.

Sunaina nodded her head, "I love our mother's name. They are sweet and sound gentle and It feels right... like a part of them will always be with us.

"Do as you wish," he said quietly, his voice calm but distant.

"Nilay! I have a wish", Sunaina called softly.

He looked at her, curiously, "What is it?"

She smiled, "Paint me".

Nilay blinked, "Paint you?"

"Yes! I want to see how you see me", she replied and then added, "Pain me, Naked. Like Jack drew Rose in titanic".

Nilay's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by her bold request. He searched her face, trying to read her expression, but Sunaina remained calm, her gaze steady and full of trust.

"You want me to draw you... naked?" he asked quietly.

Sunaina nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "Yes. I want you to capture me; not just how I look, but how you feel when you see me."

There was no shame in her voice, only honesty and a quiet desire to be seen; completely, deeply, truly.

The silence between them grew thick again, but this time it carried heat, emotion, and something deeper... something unspoken.

....

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ShineeSunshine ♥️