I arrived home to the familiar sight of my aunt Seema glaring at me from where she sat with the neighborhood women. Her disdain was palpable, but I ignored her, focusing instead on Anaya, who ran to me with open arms.

"Aaru di!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with a smile. "I missed you so much!"

I scooped her up, hugging her tightly. "I missed you too, Anaya. How was your trip?"

"Long and boring," she said with a pout, but her eyes sparkled with happiness.

Seema's voice cut through our reunion like a knife, dripping with false sweetness. "Back from another 'business trip,' Aarohi? How convenient. Who was it this time? Another handsome colleague?"

I set Anaya down and faced Seema, my expression neutral. "Yes, Auntie. Another successful trip," I replied, ignoring her last question.

Her smile faltered. "Is that so? You know, Aarohi, people are starting to talk. A young woman like you, always traveling with different men... It's not proper. It taints our family's name."

One of the women, Mrs. Sharma, chimed in. "Yes, Aarohi. It's not respectable. What will people think?"

I met her gaze, my voice cold. "Well, Mrs. Sharma, people will think what they want to think. It's amusing, really, how some have so much time to worry about my life instead of their own."

The women gasped, shocked by my boldness. Seema's face turned red with anger. "How dare you speak like that! We have a reputation to uphold. But to whom am I saying this? You're just like your mother. She, too, was classless, mannerless—"

"Enough!" My voice thundered, silencing everyone out of fear. I was seeing red, barely contained by my sister's hand holding mine tightly. I didn't want to frighten her further. This was precisely why I hated leaving her here during my missions, with no assurance of when—or if—I'd return.

I took a step closer to Auntie, my voice dropping to a calm, icy tone. "This is the last time I'm warning you, Auntie. Don't ever say a single word against my mother or father." I emphasized each word. "Don't forget, you have a roof over your head because I pitied you all those years ago, after your husband lost everything gambling. It won't take me a second to throw you and your family out. So, think before speaking against my family. It won't end well for you." I turned to address all the gossiping women present. "And you all, this is my last warning to you too. Mind your own business. If this happens again, it won't end nicely for any of you."

I turned to Anaya, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. "Come on, Anaya. Let's go unpack your things."

As we walked away, I felt Seema's eyes boring into my back. But I didn't care. I had more pressing concerns—like finding my parents' killer.

I was playing with Anaya in her room when I heard Auntie shouting in the living room. It had been a week since the last drama where I'd threatened the women of society, including my aunt, and the tension in the household had only grown. She wouldn't miss a chance to insult me or my sister. I tried my best to shield Anaya from all this and not let her be affected by Auntie's venomous words, but I could sense that something was brewing in Auntie's mind.

"Aarohi, come out this instant!" Uncle's shout from the living room interrupted my thoughts. They both sounded furious. I wondered what new grievance Auntie had concocted today.

"Anaya, sweetheart, stay here, okay? I'll be back in a few," I said to Anaya. She looked frightened, which I didn't want.

"Will Aunty scold you again? I'm scared, di. Aunty scares me," she whispered softly. Her fearful expression angered me.

"Why are you scared? You're my brave little girl, right?" She nodded. "Then remember what Papa used to say—we're his lionesses. You don't have to be afraid of anyone. No one, I repeat, no one can harm you while I'm here. Okay?" She nodded and gave me a small smile. Her smile meant everything to me. After kissing her forehead and engaging her with the puzzle we were solving, I went out to find Uncle, Auntie, and Priya in the living room.

"And here comes the queen," Auntie said sarcastically, her voice still loud and grating.

"Lower your voice, Auntie. My sister's upstairs. If she gets frightened one more time because of your yelling, it won't be good for you," I threatened. She glared at me murderously but kept quiet, knowing full well what I meant.

"How dare you talk to my mom like that? Don't forget she's your aunt," Priya yelled. I looked at her, surprised.

"I didn't know you had a voice. I thought you were just her puppet," I smirked.

"Don't you dare insult my daughter, you slut!" Auntie yelled. I heard gasps from the door. The neighborhood women, who had gathered at the commotion, whispered among themselves. So Auntie had left the door open for everyone to listen. I clenched my fist to control my anger.

"What did you just call me?" I asked in a cold voice. She gulped, looking at my face, but then braved herself to speak.

"A slut! Yes, you are a slut who roams with different boys and goes along with them out of town. Until now, Rajeev used to tell me to stop saying these things to you because you go on business trips. But today, I have proof that what I said was right. You don't go on business trips. You go to have 'fun' with all those boys," she said, smirking. The whispers grew louder.

"What proof, Seema?" Uncle asked while I was still confused about what evidence she could be referring to.

"Look at these!" She shrieked, throwing the pictures onto the coffee table. "Look at what your precious Aarohi has been up to!"

These were photographs of me and Kunal, another RAW agent. They captured our private moments that spoke of more than just a professional relationship. The problem was, they were true. We did share a more intimate relationship, but that was it. We weren't together in a committed relationship. It was just a physical needs arrangement. When we both went on long missions together, it happened. It wasn't regular—it had only occurred three times during missions. But nobody knew about it. Who had captured these pictures, and how? Did somebody know about us? Or had Kunal done this? But why would he? All these questions raced through my mind.

"This is unacceptable!" Uncle thundered. "You have brought shame to our family, Aarohi!"

Auntie smirked, enjoying the chaos she had unleashed. "I have a solution for this," she declared.

"What?" Uncle asked. I remained silent and calm, but my mind was racing. I needed to figure out how and who gave these pictures to Auntie. It was a question of national security as well because if someone had been following us, they might have also overheard us talking about the mission.

"We need to marry her off immediately. This disgrace cannot continue," she proposed. The gathered women started to whisper among themselves, but I could hear them. They agreed with Auntie.

I looked at Auntie, my eyes cold. "Auntie, I will not be married off like some pawn in your game. These photos are a violation of my privacy and have no bearing on my abilities or character."

She sneered, "Oh, really? And what do you call this behavior then? Proper?"

I stepped forward and said with a steady voice, "I call it a private matter that should not concern you. I am a woman who makes her own choices. I will not be judged by baseless accusations and stolen moments. But the real question is, who sent these photos to you? And why?"

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed my words. I could see doubt flickering in their eyes, the realization that someone was trying to manipulate the situation. My mind was already working on the next steps. I needed to find out who was behind this and why they were targeting me. Could it be someone who knew my true identity as a RAW agent? If so, this was more dangerous than I had anticipated.

For now, I had to play it cool and maintain my focus. "Auntie, Uncle," I said, my voice firm. "I will handle this. I will find out who is behind these photos and why. Until then, I expect my privacy to be respected." With that, I turned around and walked away, clutching the photographs in my hand.

My first step would be to inform Kishore sir. Damn! He would be so disappointed that I had been intimate with a fellow RAW agent. I hoped this was just a hoax in the name of a threat, that it was just Auntie's new trick to throw me out of this house, that no one knew my true identity. Because otherwise, I knew that the consequences would not be good, neither for me nor for Kunal.

__________________________

So, here's the next chapter.

Please do tell me how's it.

Please vote, comment and share