"I don't live in darkness, darkness lives in me."

"Gosh, I really need a drink to continue the day" Anya mumbled to herself after disconnecting the call. She really needed to drink something strong to go through the rest of the day, she didn't catch even a wink of sleep last night and she wasn't hopeful that she could sleep anytime today. There was so much to do and so little time. The only thing keeping her going was the excitement of Viaan's arrival and then they will take a long break, hide in some homey cottage in some remote place away from all the flashes, scams and behind the scene schemes, maybe they'll go searching imaginary ghosts or burying ghosts of the past. She mused totally unaware of the effect, her avatar had on the people around her. She didn't notice how her father's jaw almost touched the floor and his eyes were as wide as a saucer, her mother's condition wasn't any better from his father, most of the members of OM were gaping at her not believing their ears and eyes but there were traces of fear in someone's eyes as he looked at the girl whose face was blank again devoid of any emotions, her thoughts weren't reflecting on her face and an aura of pure ruthlessness still surrounded her, sending chills down his spine.

He never thought there will be a player in this family, a player good at internal politics, shrewd, calm and equally manipulative. A player who won't wear his emotions on sleeves, a player he knew nothing about, a player who is ruthless, fearsome,cold,composed,calm, beautiful and an unknown variable in the game. She can't be manipulated, she can't be read, she can't be touched and she can't be lost........She is valuable and if anything happens to her, there will be serious consequences. You can't kill her nor can you let her live as both ways will at the end destroy him. She'll destroy him. She is the person who can change the game, a person whose presence itself changed the game. He decided things in this house, he didn't speak but he decides everyone's fate. His decision always had been final. Everything always happen accordance to his planning, everything happened as he wished it to be but this girl's mere presence was crumbling all his plans, she was destroying all his plans by just being there. Her mother was an unknown variable too but her mother had been naive and wild with too much goodness in her and too easy to manipulate. She believed what she thought was good and condemned whatever she thought bad and oh, what an easy feet it was too manipulate her beliefs and show her things from his eyes. She thought she was doing the right thing when she didn't even know what the right thing to do was. Shivaaye was even easier to hold on leverage and manipulate to do his bidding, just drop some hints and whispers of the family being in danger and you've got him where you want him to be. Reputation, Name, Family, Love, Lies, Fame he knew weakness of each of them yet here she stood apart from all of them not giving him a single leverage. She wasn't good, her eyes swirled with darkness; her tone suggested she knew death and she changed colours faster than a chameleon and she was an unknown variable.

She was supposed to be another Priyanka Oberoi, a girl afraid of even her shadow. She was supposed to be another Jhanvi a woman lost in her drinks. She was supposed to be a girl drowning in guilt and self loathing, a girl not even to stand her own reflection. She was supposed to be a girl hating herself and being hated by everyone else. She was supposed to be a sacrificial goat not a player of this game but maybe she could be still played with after all she is inexperienced, he thought gleefully as he looked at the people around him getting back their senses.

"Why did you slap, Omav??" Gauri questioned fury in her eyes and a blatant angry edge in her tone as he looked her with a solemn face and laughing eyes hiding behind other's voice as always. He was sure the little love craving girl with bow down her head and say nothing to her Gauri Ma but she proved him wrong again along with how dangerous of a player she is as a sweet smile lit on her face and her eyes turned so deep and frosty that he knew one should be really wary of her this smile, nothing good ever come after such smiles

"Why don't you ask your "oh so good son" about his "oh so good deeds", Mrs Gauri Oberoi. I'm sure he will be delighted to tell you about his good deeds." There was frost in her tone even though her tone was soft and melodious like before never touching the loud notes, her tone was pleasant to hear her words not so much there was a challenge in her eyes and he didn't like where this was going, this wasn't going to end well for his future plans.

"SHIVANYA OBEROI, don't talk to me in riddles tell me what my son did and whatever he did, you didn't have any right to slap him" Gauri was so angry, it could be seen in her eyes losing her composure and calm, she was so hurt watching her son's broken form and tears strained cheeks and mother's love for their children never cease to amaze him. Oh, how easily Gauri had fallen in his traps along with Anika as he guided them just where he wanted them to be as he had guided Jhanvi and Pinky before Anika wasn't his bride of choice but she turned out to be the perfect pawn with all her goodness and Gauri was chosen by him for the same reason too much goodness and naivety, never guessing the ulterior motives but Anya was unpredictable Gauri's outburst wasn't having the desired effect on her. She was Shivaye and Anika's daughter yet she wasn't sparing her family pain. Why so?????

"Don't talk to my daughter like that Gauri" He never in a million years thought Anika will defend Anya after everything he told her about her, after those costly psychologist visits and making sure a deep hate will reside in her heart for her daughter after making sure Anika thinks she could lose her mental balance if she was near Anya and hurt her very badly, after making sure even the psychologists told Anika to avoid Anya and dot on Shivika to stay stable, he was sure to whisper all hate filled comments in Anika's ears, fill her heart with poison against Anya and here she was shouting at her sister for the girl he made sure she will always hate. How this even possible, how could all those session disappear like this. This girl is really messing up everything.

" I can stand up for myself Mrs Oberoi and Gauri ji as I said don't you dare scream at me like you've any right on me. You say how I dare slap Omav as his sister I could but you've never given me that right so obviously I didn't slap him as his sister, I slapped him as someone else's sister and he bloody well deserved that slap and thank god, I didn't inform anyone else or you would've found your oh so dear son in ICU. I still think he deserved that and I thought as his cousin for a moment but thanks for reminding me I'm not so I'll go with my original plan and make sure he is doomed forever." Her words were sharp and doubled edged making it impossible for anyone to retort anything without making the situation tenser than before and he didn't know how she could keep that innocent smile on her face as she uttered these vile words. He heard the loud gasp of the ladies around him as they looked at her with wide eyes and he knew an expression of total shock was plastered on his face too.

"How..." Gauri began but Omav cut his mom in between and he couldn't phantom why was Om silent in the whole matter, shouldn't he be shouting at Anya too, blaming her as he always did for his dear brother and sister-in-law's condition, won't he blame her for his son's condition and name her evil after listening to her words as the likes of her mother and aunt could never use such words or even think like this but what surprised him most was Omav's words.

"I deserve that ma......Anya have every right to be angry at me. In college, I...I did a very disgusting thing...there was a bet, a bet to sleep with this girl...a bet I went forward with and broke her heart. Someone from my friends made a video of the whole thing and" Omav couldn't continue anymore he wouldn't meet anyone's gaze while confessing all this but his confession was met with an uproar as both Gauri and Anika fell on their knees their eyes wide and full of disbelief. He could see the tears streak down their eyes and both Shivaaye and Om looked enraged, furious and he didn't know what was there to be so angry about. Omav was young and it's fine to have his share of fun, he has two or three mistress at the present and so there was no need of making such a big deal of this thing.

"HOW COULD YOU" Om screamed his anger clear in her eyes and Shivaaye looked like he totally agreed with his brother and he wanted to scream at both of them simply stating they were being just fools but his eyes wandered again to her as she stood there in midst of all these chaos looking bored and unscathed as if whatever happened around her didn't affect her a bit, as if she didn't give birth to this storm and he so wanted to know what could startle her. What will gain him a reaction out of her?? What could surprise her??

"I'm sorry" Omav uttered back looking totally ashamed of himself as he couldn't still meet anyone's eyes and he so wanted to scream at him "I taught you better than this" you shouldn't be affected by this. Girls were just pawns to achieve what they wanted to; they were just pawns in the greater scheme. This shouldn't make you feel ashamed, what's wrong with you but he can't, not now in front of everyone giving away his internal thoughts like this, he always used others to say what he wanted to say so he couldn't let his mask slip not at all because of this girl, he thought would be a perfect pawn. A girl he can't even recognize now.

"You'll apologize to her and her family and marry her" Shivaaye said as the final edict as Om nodded his wholeheartedly supporting his brother and he wanted to scream at both of them "Oh, you honourable fools" you won't destroy my beautiful woven plans from ages just like that, no you wouldn't but no words escaped his lips but Pinky come to his support and he couldn't be more glad for her presence.

"Let's not jump to important decisions like this son's let's sat calmly and discuss about the whole matter. We don't even know the girl and the video didn't go viral right. Anya stopped it before anything disastrous could take place so no need to make such hasty decisions" Pinky said calmly acting as a person with head having some brains between all these brainless people and he could kiss her than for saving his grand schemes from falling

"How could you say like this Ma, Omav played with a girl's dignity and he should take responsibility for his actions" this time it was Gauri who stood before her mother-in-law's decision and he couldn't understand why all of them were like this honourable fools, never realizing the big picture and grand schemes. Omav was the heir of their fortune, they couldn't just marry him of too anyone.

"And the girl wouldn't be married to Omav. It's not Omav's decision it is the girl's and she doesn't want to marry him" The bickering people were silenced by her cold words and he wanted to know the girl's identity, know why this cold devil was speaking in her favour and who was this girl who didn't want to marry an Oberoi and as always someone else asked the question he wanted to know.

"Who is this girl? Who doesn't want to marry the heir of Oberoi's" Pinky spoke with enough scorn in her voice to make it apparent that she already disliked whoever this girl was and he couldn't agree more with her. They needed to get rid of that girl and this cold devil too but the problem was he couldn't without consequences and his empire being in danger. The girl's smile widened and he felt more threatened, her smile was so chilly, it made people cold and uncomfortable.

"Well, the girl is Panchi Rastogi and she is an heiress. So, she doesn't want an heir and I'm sure Ansh is the Oberoi heir or is he still dead for you Pinky ji" the words again so harsh and again another girl he couldn't get rid of without having consequences why on the whole planet Omav had to sleep with that girl but she could be used in the grand scheme, an heir and heiress marrying only means more property and money to the heir. Hmm, there..there what an idea but then again Shivaansh being alive is what spoiled most of his plans, now there is two people before Omav in the line of succession, two people he couldn't get rid of as easily as he could when they were just children. They had a certain name and people attached to them which will give rise to investigation and investigation won't rest until they have got him. So, he had to find different way to make his plan succeed by the way whether it's Omav or Ansh what's the matter. He just needs to get them married to his daughter and then everything will play out as planned or he could get both of them married to his daughters. What an idea, oh what a wonderful idea but he really need to deal with this girl maybe break her soul to extinguish her fire and will to live but she is all icy so maybe he needs to melt her.

He watched as Anika and Shivaaye glared at Pinky fire in their eyes totally contrasting with the ice in her eyes and he didn't know like whom she was her father or mother as both of them were easy to figure out and she wasn't but why wasn't he aware of this video and who had the video??

"Who sent the video to you?" Omav's tone was yet full of guilt and he couldn't think that his heir the boy he fought so hard to make the heir of the empire by making sure there were no other boys in the family is affected like this by a girl. He needed to teach him himself to make him like him.

"oh, why don't I show you after all it's her who is in the headlines" again there was the predatory glint in her eyes as she switched on an random news channel and he couldn't believe his eyes at what he saw, the headlines were "Maya in rave parties", "Maya's wild fantasies", "the most sanskari actress not at all sanskari" as they showed different blurred photos of her in rave parties or in compromising acts with different men. He knew his face displayed his shock quite plainly he never thought Shivika's daughter will be this vengeance full, he can't ever imagine Shivaaye or Anika doing something like this, stooping so low for revenge but there she was standing there without any trace of regret or shame on her face. She stood as if she didn't do anything wrong as if she didn't spoil her image and career somewhat with these leaked photos and when he heard her whisper "tit for tat" with a sardonic smile. He knew she wasn't the one to go down easily as she seemed to tread on the fine line between good and evil. There was pure maliciousness in her eyes and he could see his fine plans built over years crumbling around him just like that and he hated her for having the capability of destroying his hard laid plans but at the same time admired her ability to act as if she trusted you when she didn't. he admired her ruthlessness and her colorful mind. she was beautiful and chaotic and a perfect mixture of the devil and goddess.He could see in her eyes how well she played people and sent them to hell. Oh, how worthy heir she would have make only if she was born a son. he wouldn't have asked for anything else.

Nobody stopped her this time as she slipped out of the house, everyone were too lost in the shocking images to notice her absence as she drove to her next destination. A slum area where she walked emotionlessly not paying any heed to anyone, her eyes fixed on her destination as always as she knocked on the door of the house she was guided too as the door open an all predatory smile lit up her face as she greeted the person in her melodious tone "hello, Jasmine"

...To be continued...