1700+ words

Jo Badal Jaye
 Woh Yaar kaisa?
 Jo chor jaye
 Woh Saath kaisa?
Log kehte hain
Tujhe phir se pyaar hojaega,
Par jo phir se hojae
Woh pyaar kaisa?...

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Author's Pov:

HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT MY SISTER LIKE THAT? Ashwin's voice thundered, cutting through the tense atmosphere in the meeting hall as he glared at one of his business partners, Mr. Rohan Malhotra. The room was silent, everyone frozen in fear, knowing full well Ashwin's wrath was nothing to be trifled with.

"Bhai, please don't do this," Noha, his younger sister, pleaded, her voice shaky as she stepped forward.

"Noha, leave. Now," Viyaan said firmly, pulling her gently into a calming embrace. His voice, though steady, had a protective edge.

"But—" she began to protest, her concern evident.

"Noha, go," Viyaan interrupted, pushing her gently but firmly toward the door.

As the door clicked shut behind her, the meeting hall felt colder, darker. The tension hung thick in the air, every eye focused on Ashwin's enraged figure. Everyone knew this wasn't the first time Ashwin had defended his family with such fury, and it wouldn't be the last. Some of the employees exchanged nervous glances, already aware of what was about to unfold.

"Everyone out," Viyaan's voice broke the silence, his tone calm but commanding. "Mr. Malhotra, you stay."

The employees didn't need to be told twice. They hurriedly filed out, leaving Mr. Malhotra standing alone, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Basement," Ashwin's voice was low, barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of an inevitable doom.

Viyaan nodded silently and signaled to Varun, who managed the darker, more clandestine aspects of the Singhania family's affairs. They all knew what "the basement" meant.

Mr. Malhotra panicked. Falling to his knees, he crawled towards Ashwin, clasping his hands together in desperation. "Please, I'm sorry. I never meant any harm, Mr. Singhania. It was a misunderstanding, please, forgive me!" he begged, tears streaming down his face.

Ashwin stared down at him, his face a cold mask of fury. "You don't deserve forgiveness, Malhotra. You know exactly what I hate most," Ashwin replied, his voice cutting like ice.

With a sinister smirk, Viyaan added, "You should've known better than to cross us, especially when it comes to our sister."

Ashwin grabbed Malhotra by the collar, yanking him up. "Let's take this to the basement. I want to deal with you personally." His voice was a low, menacing growl.

As they dragged Malhotra to the basement, the employees outside remained in their offices, pretending not to hear the muffled pleas and the violence that was sure to follow. They knew better than to intervene.

In the basement, Malhotra's sobs echoed against the cold stone walls. "Please, have mercy, I beg you!"

Ashwin, unimpressed, picked up a baseball bat and swung it directly at Malhotra's thigh, the sickening crack of bone shattering echoed through the room. Malhotra screamed in agony, writhing on the ground.

"I told you," Ashwin muttered, swinging the bat again, this time hitting his back. "There's no mercy for you."

When Ashwin finally drew his gun, Malhotra's eyes widened in terror. "N-no, please, I—"

Before he could finish, a single gunshot rang out, the bullet piercing directly between his eyes. The room went silent, except for the faint smirk that played on Viyaan's lips.

"You deserved that, you bastard," Viyaan muttered under his breath as Varun came in to clean up the mess.

As Ashwin and Viyaan walked back to their offices, their faces betrayed nothing of what had just transpired. They lived by a simple creed—family came first, and they would do anything, even kill, to protect them. Noha was their pride, and they would ensure no one ever dared harm her.

...

Back in his office, Viyaan found Noha sitting at his desk, scrolling through her Instagram feed, checking her likes on her latest photography post.

"What are you up to, lizard?" Viyaan teased, tugging playfully at her hair.

"Shut up, dog. And why did you tell Ashwin? I told you not to," Noha replied, annoyed but not entirely serious.

"It was necessary," Viyaan said, shrugging. "That guy crossed the line. Bhai noticed him staring at you for a while. He didn't need me to tell him."

"You two are crazy," Noha muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Anything for you, my little lizard," Viyaan teased again, earning a playful punch from her.

"By the way, Dad wants Ashwin home. Dadu and Dad have something important to talk about," Noha said, shifting the mood slightly.

"Something important? Is everything alright?" Viyaan asked, concerned.

"They're fine. It's just... something about Ashwin. Let's go tell him," she replied.

They both headed towards Ashwin's office.

In Ashwin's office, things weren't much different. He was barking orders at Aryan, his personal assistant.

"What is this?" Ashwin glared at the cup in Aryan's hand. "I asked for boba, not coffee! Get out and bring me my schedule," he snapped.

"S-sorry, sir," Aryan stammered, rushing out.

"Bhai," Noha called, her voice hesitant as she stepped into the office with Viyaan behind her.

"Hmm? What is it, Noha?" Ashwin asked, his eyes still focused on the documents in front of him.

"Dadu and Dad are calling you. Noha came to tell you... something urgent," Viyaan interjected.

Ashwin glanced up. "She can speak for herself, you know, Viyaan."

Noha sighed, "You scare everyone too much to even talk, bhai."

Ashwin chuckled, "Me? Scary? Really?"

"Rakshas (Monster)," Noha muttered under her breath, teasing him.

"Hey, speak politely. Only I get to tease him," Viyaan joked.

"Yeah, right," Noha shot back, rolling her eyes.

"None of you can tease me. Now go do your work, both of you," Ashwin retorted with a smirk.

"I can," they both replied in unison.

Ignoring their playful banter, Ashwin grabbed his blazer. "Viyaan, take care of the office. I'll be back after I meet with Dad and Dadu."

"Sure, boss," Viyaan replied with a grin.

"I am coming with you Bhai" Noha said while following him like a pup.

"Don't you have your car chudel(witch)"Ashwin said while teasing her.

Noha replied irriatingly. "Of course I do and who will sit in your car after all"

Ashwin rose from his chair, took his blazer, and started heading out. Aryan, his personal assistant, rushed into the office, but collided with Ashwin and fell to the floor. Ashwin, though momentarily startled, was not angry. Aryan, flustered, continued to apologize profusely. Noha and Viyaan, meanwhile, watched the scene with amused smiles. Ignoring the commotion, Ashwin left the office, heading to his car and driving back to the mansion.

At Home:

"Mumma, I'm home," Ashwin announced as he placed his blazer on the couch.

Seema Singhania, his mother, looked up with a teasing smile. "Oh, you're home early today. Did the sun rise from the west?" she remarked, noting his unusual early arrival.

"Dadu and Dad called me. They have something important to discuss," Ashwin replied, sidestepping her playful jab.

"Alright, go upstairs. They're waiting in Dadu's room," his mother instructed.

Ashwin nodded and made his way upstairs. He knocked on the door and entered the room to find his grandfather and father engaged in conversation. Both men looked up as he entered, sharing a brief glance before inviting him to sit beside them.

"Ashwin beta, it's good to see you finally here," said Abhiraj Singhania, his grandfather, with a warm smile.

Ashwin returned the smile, greeting them before taking a seat next to his grandfather, facing his father who was lounging on the couch.

"You wanted to discuss something important? Noha mentioned it, so I came as quickly as I could," Ashwin said with a courteous tone.

"EARLY!? YOU'RE TWO HOURS LATE!!" Abhinav Singhania, his father, retorted, his irritation evident.

"I had some work to finish up," Ashwin responded, a hint of discomfort in his voice.

"Abhinav, it's alright. He's young, after all. You used to be late all the time too," his grandfather interjected, defending Ashwin.

"Sure, sure," his father muttered in agreement.

"So, Ashwin beta, we have something significant to discuss regarding your future. It concerns an important aspect of your life," his grandfather began, attempting to broach the subject delicately.

"Hmmm, what is it?" Ashwin asked, puzzled.

"Take a guess," his father challenged.

"Another branch of the Singhania empire? Or a new building?" Ashwin ventured, clearly confused.

"You're really into business, aren't you?" his grandfather chuckled at the response.

"Very funny, Dad. Can we get to the point?" Abhinav said, clearly growing impatient.

"Why don't you go ahead? It's not that simple," his grandfather suggested, glancing at his son.

"You're the elder; it's best you address it," his father insisted, clearly reluctant.

"Shall I leave then?" Ashwin asked, glancing at his watch.

"STAY HERE!" both his grandfather and father commanded in unison.

"Speak up already," Ashwin said, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Alright, let's get to the point. You're getting older, and both your father and I are too. It's about marriage," his grandfather said, trying to address the issue straightforwardly.

"Are you guys getting married?" Ashwin asked in shock.

"Absolutely not! It's about your marriage," his grandfather clarified.

"What the—no! I'm not interested in marriage. I've had my share of bad experiences with women and their manipulative ways. The one I cared about left me for someone else, and I have no intention of trusting or marrying anyone else. I'm done with this discussion. My answer is final," Ashwin responded defiantly, his frustration clear.

"What do you mean? Not all women are like that. You were just a child back then, and the girl was even younger. If you oppose my choice, let me be clear—either you marry this girl, or you'll be disowned from both our family and the business," his grandfather said sternly.

"But, Dadu—" Ashwin began, but his grandfather cut him off.

"No more arguments. You're getting married. We've chosen someone for you. It's your choice: marry her and stay within the family and business, or leave both," his grandfather declared firmly.

"Are you really forcing me to choose between the family and my personal freedom just for this one girl who isn't even here yet? You're already taking her side, Dadu," Ashwin retorted, feeling betrayed.

"You will marry her, and that's final," his father added firmly.

"Of course, he will. He won't dare oppose his Dadu," his grandfather said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

"Yes, of course," Ashwin replied with a forced smile.

After the confrontation, Ashwin left the house and drove away.

"Just to appease the family and business, I agreed. I don't want to marry anyone. I'm content without a partner. Why is it so necessary to marry and have children? I'll make it clear to her on our wedding day that she shouldn't expect anything from this union. I don't care about her reaction or if she causes drama. Why am I even stressing about this?" Ashwin muttered to himself, turning on the radio only to be met with the song "Kaho Na Pyaar Hai." He switched off the radio in frustration.

"Even the radio is against me," Ashwin grumbled.