❣ Hey dear readers ❣

first of all thank you for choosing this story, all this work is fictional...I wrote it wildly so please excuse the mistakes...

  chaliye toh suru karte hai....

  ✿✿

Author's P.O.V....

The room was suffocatingly dark -just a faint, flickering light leaking through a cracked window, casting long shadows that danced like silent specters on the cold, grimy walls. The air was thick with the faint, metallic sting of blood. A heavy silence pressed down, broken only by the occasional distant drip of water echoing like a slow heartbeat.

In the center of the room, chained to a wooden chair, sat a man. His face was a brutal canvas of fresh wounds -cuts, bruises, and a swollen eye that had nearly shut. His clothes were torn and stained, and his hand trembled weakly at his sides. He was barely conscious, drifting in and out of a haze between pain and despair.

Suddenly

SPLASH! of cold water hit his face, sharp hit his face, sharp and biting. His eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking against the harshness.

He tried to focus, but all he could make out were dark shapes surrounding him figures in black suits, standing stiffly in a circle like sentinels of death. Their faces were unreadable, hidden beneath shadows.

Then his gaze landed straight ahead and fear swallowed him whole.

A figure carved from darkness himself -jet-black hair slicked back, sharp cheekbones, a jawline so perfectly it could cut glass. His eye -ice-grey, sharp like blades pierced into the soul, flickering with a deadly calm that promised ruin.

Kartik Aaryansh, CEO of Aaryansh Industrial. The cold sovereign of the Crowned Ashes -a ruthless mafia empire whose name was whispered in fear across the city. A man who killed without hesitation, who crushed betrayal with merciless precision. The world trembled at the mention of his name.

The chained man's breath hitched, tears pricking his swollen eyes. " P-p-please.... don't kill me," he stammered, voice cracking with terror. " P-please... I'm begging you."

Kartik's gaze didn't waver. His voice was cold, calm, like the inevitable coming of winter. " Hmm...You want to live?"

The man nodded desperately.

" Okay," Kartik said slowly. " I'll let you live....but first, tell me -who is he? Where is he?"

The man's voice trembled. " W-who"

" Fourteen years ago," Kartik said coldly, his voice like ice, " three men were involved in murder case of a husband, his wife and their little daughter. One of them is already dead. And now, you're here. If you want to live...tell me who the last one is."

Kartik, playing with the cold barrel of a gun pressed to his own temple, didn't even look at him.

" I...I don't know," the man whispered. " It's been a long time...I don't remember."

BANG!

A gunshot rang out.

The man screamed his right leg now bleeding profusely from a clean bullet hole. Kartik hadn't even looked directly at him. He'd shot with lazy precision, still spinning the gun in his hand, eyes half lidded with boredom.

The guards flicked but remained still, their jaws clenched. None dared move.

Kartik's voice dropped lower, dangerous as the snake ready to strike." Still don't remember? Then I'll ask you again -who is he? Where is he now?"

The man broke down, tears streaming down his face. " H-his name is Manav Vedaant....we found him in a hospital, desperate for money to save his daughter. We took advantage of that...he joined us. I only told him the location -I did nothing else.... trust me please."

" Where is he now?" Kartik demanded.

" He lives in R-Rishikesh..."

Kartik says. " Aksh."

One of his most trusted men, Aksh, immediately steps forward and hands him a tab. Kartik takes it without a word.

He flips the screen toward the man, and begins swiping through a set of images.

" Who?" Kartik asks, his voice low and deadly.

The man stares, trembling, eyes, scanning the faces. After a few tense seconds, his shaking hand slowly lifts hovering then finally points at one of the pictures.

" H-he's the one," he stammers.

Kartik's jaw tightens. His eyes didn't blink. " Send the pic and name to Darsh." he says to Aksh.

The man's voice cracked as he begged, " N-now..... please let me go. I've told you what you wanted."

Kartik stood slowly, the shadows stretching long behind him. " You deserve to live."

The man's face relaxed, hope flickering for a moment.

" But..." Kartik paused, the chill returning in his voice. " I changed my mind."

The man's terror exploded anew. " N-no! Please! I'm begging! I'll do anything! Please don't kill me!"

From the darkness behind Kartik, a low, menacing growl began to rise. A massive creature stepped forward, fluid and deadly.

Raven ( Panther)

Not a beast but a predator forged in darkness. His glossy black fur swallowed light, his amber eyes burning with cold fury. Every muscle was coiled for the kill, a perfect storm and raw power.

Where Kartik was the cold steel mind, Raven was the primal fury lurking beneath the kind that turned silent threats into Swift death.

His companion, his executioner. A predator raised in darkness just like him.

Kartik didn't need to speak. He turned away slowly and nodded once to his men. " Untie him."

The guards obeyed. The rope dropped. The man collapsed to the floor, groaning, crawling in panic.

Raven stepped forward. Each step was slow, deliberate, like a predator savoring the moment.

The man backed away, crawling, his back scraping against the wall. " No... please, no! Save me! Save me! I told you everything please!"

Kartik walked out, his coat brushing against the doorframe. His men followed in silence.

And just as the steel door swung shut

The screams began.

Blood curdling. Agonizing. The kind of sound that stays in your bones.

Kartik didn't look back.

_____

The Aaryansh mansion stood like a forgotten relic on the edge of the city an estate of decaying grandeur, swallowed slowly by shadows.

The towering gates had long stopped welcoming anyone, rust gathering at their joints like the silence gathering within. No laughter echoed in the hallways. No warmth lived in its rooms. Only darkness thick, cold, and unmoving.

Inside, the grand drawing room had been stripped of life. The curtains were always drawn, allowing no light to disturb the grief soaked into its walls.

Kartik stood alone in one of the rooms. His black shirt clung to him like a second skin, collar loose, sleeves rolled up as if he'd fought ghosts all night.

He stood still-unnervingly still facing a large portrait framed in dark mahogany. It was the only thing in the room untouched by time.

The photo showed five smiling faces. A younger Kartik, standing tall with innocent eyes. A beautiful woman with kind features his mother ( Isha Aaryansh). Beside her, a strong man with proud eyes and a protective arm around her his father. ( Vidyut Aaryansh).

In front stood a tiny girl, with pigtails and mischief in her smile his lil sister ( Priya Aaryansh). And a small boy his lil brother ( Ahaan Aaryansh) clinging to Kartik's side.

Kartik's eyes didn't blink as he stared at it, his face unreadable.

His voice broke the silence, cold but flat like a man who had forgotten how to feel. " Maa...Papa...Pri..."

He paused. His jaw clenched. " Two more," he whispered, eyes still locked on the photo. " Finished."

A deep silence followed. " Now... it's time, Each and every one who was responsible for your death... will die. Brutally."

His voice didn't rise, didn't shake. It was calm. Terrifying calm. He stood there, breathing quietly. But his eyes they were dead. Lifeless pools that held no tears. Only the haunting stillness of a man who had already died once inside .

Suddenly, his eyes closed. A darkness swallowed him whole.

Flashback starts : 14 Years ago....

Screams. Fire. Shattered glass. The night air was thick with smoke and gunpowder.

" KARTIK, RUN, BETA!"

His mother's voice rang through the chaos raw, desperate.

A teenage kartik stood frozen in the hallway, tears streaming down his face. " No! I won't leave you!" he sobbed, reaching for her bloodied hands. " I won't!"

" Please, kartik," his father's voice came, sharp and trembling. " Take your brother and run! NOW!"

From behind him, little Ahaan sobbed uncontrollably clinging to Kartik's shirt. " Bhaiya! No! We won't leave them!"

They were all bleeding. His mother's saree was soaked red, her shoulder torn open. His father's side was gushing blood. Pri...his lil sister..lay lifeless on the floor, her eyes still open.

Kartik collapsed beside her. " PRI!" he screamed. " " NO! wake up bacche, Pri... please!"

His mother pulled him close, whispering through her pain, " k-kartik...listen to me. Look at me. You my strong son na? ... please. Protect Ahaan. Don't let him die here. You have to live. For us. Please..."

Kartik cried uncontrollably, clutching his mother's blood - stained hands. " Maa, please... don't...I can't..."

His father crawled closer, putting his phone in Kartik's hand. " Call Arvind Uncle. He'll protect you both. Kartik -go to the study room... behind the bookshelf....you know the secret passage. Take it. Go. Now...isse pehle voh log vapis aaye."

" I....I won't leave you -" Kartik choked.

" You have to, " his mother whispered, her voice fading. She pulled both Kartik and Ahaan into a final embrace, tears escaping her eyes, kissing their foreheads, trembling and bleeding.

" You must live, Kartik. You must protect Ahaan...for us, you know na...maa, papa, pri always loves you both ...so please live. Promise me."

Kartik looked into her dying eyes -and something inside him Shattered. He finally nodded, broken and crying.

" I promise," he whispered. With a final look at his parents, kartik grabbed Ahaan his baby brother who wouldn't stop crying -and dragged him down the hallway towards the study room. The house behind them was collapsing in fire and gunfire and screams.

He found the study room. The secret passage. And as he closed the hidden door behind them, Kartik turned one last time. " Maa...Papa...."

Then darkness took them both.

Flashback Ends ...

Darkness still lingered in the air like it belonged here.

Kartik stood motionless, his eyes closed haunted by memories that refused to die.

Suddenly, a sharp buzz shattered the silence. His phone vibrated, its screen glowing faintly. His eyes fluttered open -slowly, Emotionless.

He picked up the phone with practiced ease and put it to his ear, saying nothing.

On the other side, a voice spoke -low. Unfazed, Kartik's voice emerged calm, steady, and chilling.

" Prepare the jet, we're leaving for Rishikesh. Tomorrow." A pause, his eyes narrowed slightly, gaze darkening.

" He's there... it's time for him to pay for his sins..."

His voice dropped an octave -quieter, but more dangerous.

" Aksh already sent you the pic and name...now find his location..even if you have to dig it out of hell."

He ended the call with a single tap -decisive. The phone screen went black.

Kartik stood there, motionless, eyes on the family portrait again. The ghost of his sister's smile. His mother's warm gaze. His father's proud stance. His younger self, unknowingly staring into a doomed future.

No flicker of emotions crossed this face. Then slowly, he turned around and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

Kartik steps out of the dark room, the door slowly shutting behind him silently locking away the haunting portrait of his family. His footsteps echo through the lonely corridor as he descends the marble stairs.

At the base of the staircase stand Ahaan, his younger brother, already aware of Kartik's next move.

" Bhai.... everything is ready. We'll leave tomorrow," Ahaan says quietly.

Kartik simply nods, his expression unreadable.

Just then, Vansh Oberoi ( his best friend) walks in, dressed in black, his eyes sharp.

" I'm coming with you both," he declares without hesitation.

Before Kartik can respond, a graceful but firm voice interrupts from the other side of the room. " Kartik beta...."

It's Risha Oberoi -Vansh's mother and the woman who raised both Kartik and Ahaan after the tragedy. Her husband, Arvind Oberoi, stands beside her in quiet support.

" If you're going to Rishikesh....I want you to attend the shanti pooja for your parents and Pri, at Triveni Ghat," she says gently. " Tomorrow is Mahashivratri. A sacred day. There couldn't be a better time to pray for peace -for their souls."

Kartik's gaze hardens. He clenched his jaw, voice flat and cold.

" Choti maa...you know I don't believe in any of this. Not yet. Not until every single person who was behind their deaths pays for it... painfully."

Risha looks at him, her eyes soft but firm, " I know, Kartik. I know the fire you carry. But beta, you're the eldest son. If you don't do it, who will? Don't think of it for yourself...do it for them."

She steps forward and gently places a hand on his arm. " And this is a request... please...your choti maa begging from you."

Kartik stares at her for a moment -his eyes hollow, silent. Then his gaze shifts slightly as Ahaan whispers, " Please...Bhai..."

A long pause. Kartik finally nods. " Okay... I'll do it."

Risha breathes a silent sigh of relief. A soft smile tugs at her lips. " Thank you, " she says, voice barely above whisper.

And for a fleeting moment...the storm in the mansion stills.

❣ ❣ ❣

Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh

The sky blushes in saffron hues as the sacred Ganga flows silently, reflecting the flickering lamps and chants that echo through the dusk.

Amidst the rising smoke of incense and temple bells, she stood.

Garima.

She looked like she didn't belong to this world -not entirely, at least. Draped in a soft yellow kurta, her presence felt like that of a quiet flame calm, unwavering, scared.

Her skin glowed like moonlight touching still water...there was no need for adornment her smile was enough to make the river pause.

If the gods ever sculpted compassion into form, it was her. There was something in the way she folded her hands in prayer, not out of ritual but from devotion.

Even the evening light seemed to soften around her. As if the air itself chose to protect her purity.

She stands surrounded by the children of the Anath Ashram she visits often six kids, laughter in their eyes. Neha, her best friend, is beside her, and Dev Uncle, the gentle caretaker, watches over the group with warm authority.

Garima claps her hands softly, gathering everyone's attention. " Chalo , sab diya le lo....aur ganga maiya mein chhodo. Har ek diya ke sath ek wish maang lo. But no cheating -sirf ek wish each, remember lalach buri bala hai!"

Translation : come on, take a diya each...and set it afloat in mother Ganga. Make one wish with every diya. But no cheating...only one wish per diya, remember?greed is a bad thing.

The kids giggle, clutching their small diyas like a secret treasure. Together, they step down towards the river's edge, hands cupped around flickering flames. One by one, the diyas float into the water carrying their silent wishes into the glowing stream.

Garima watches with a soft smile, her heart full.

Dev. " Chalo, ab bas. Bahut der ho gayi hai. Kal mahashivratri hai tayyari bhi karni hai ya nahi?"

Translation: alright, that's enough. It's quite late, and we need to get ready for Maha Shivratri tomorrow.

Everyone chuckles. The kids nod and start gathering near the steps.

As the group begins to walk back, Garima lingers -one diya still in her hand. She kneels, whispers a wish, and lets it go.

Suddenly, a strange hush falls over the moment. The chants fade. The air stills.

As she turns to leave, a voice -deep, hoarse -emerges from behind her.

" Tum kisi ka aarambh nahi...tum ant ho."

Translation: You're not someone's beginning... you are the end.

Startled, Garima spins around.

Standing just a few feet away -partially hidden behind a tall trident and a marigold -laden pillar is a mysterious Aghori. Ash-smeared skin, long matted hair, eyes like burning coal. His presence feels ancient.

Garima, breath caught, takes a tentative step forward. Aghori lifts a hand, pointing to her.

" Aur aisa ant, jisse shuruwat hogi ek naye.... aarambh ki....Jo mahagauri ka apmaan kare, Mahadev uska mahakaal ban jaate hain. Jab shakti ke aansoo dharti par girte hai... mahadev tandav par utarte hai. Uske baad sirf ek cheez bachi rehti hai -Pralaya... aur tum...usi Shiv ke Pralaya ki Shakti banogi."

Garima's lips part. " What...? Aap kya bol rahe hai baba?"

But the Aghori says nothing more. He smiles -a haunting curve of cracked lips -then walks backward into the crowd, vanishing behind waves of incense and chanting priests.

Neha clutches her hand. " Garima, are you okay ? And kya bol rahe the voh Aghori?"

Translation: What was Aghori saying?

Garima. " Pata nahi...theek se smjh nahi aaya." her eyes remain fixed on the spot he stood.

Translation: i don't know....i didn't quite understand it.

Dev gently ushers the children forward. " Come, let's not linger. Kaafi der ho gyi hai chalo sab."

As Garima walks away, one diya in the water drifts near her feet...it's flame refusing to die.

Her mind echoes with Aghori's words.

_____

Next Day.....

The sun dipped low over at Triveni Ghat, casting a molten orange glow upon the sacred river. The air vibrated with devotion conch shells blew in the distance, priests chanted ancient hymns, and temple bells echoed like a divine heartbeat. Devotees flocked in white and saffron, the scent of camphor, marigolds and burning incense weaving through the air like threads of prayer.

Mahashivratri

The night of the cosmic union -when shiv met shakti.

One the car end of the ghat, amidst the rising hum of shlokas and the flicker of thousands of diyas, stood Kartik.

Draped in a pure white dhoti and a silk angavastram, his look was sharp, traditional yet commanding. His face was calm., but his eyes stormy, unreadable. He stood by the water, performing the shanti pooja with silent reverence, hands folded for the parents and sister he'd lost.

Behind him, Ahaan stood in silence, and to the side, Vansh watched over everything, jaw clenched, eyes alert

But on the other side of the ghat -something ethereal was taking place.

Garima, moved through the crowd with a grace that didn't belong to the world. Clad in a white lehenga with soft gold border, her long duppata veiled her hair like a crown of purity.

" Aaj ke din shiv aapni shakti se mile the," she told the children softly, crouching to light their diyas. " This is a night of the cosmic union....aaj ke din jo koi kuch bhi sache man se maange unko voh milta hai."

Translation: this is the day when lord Shiva United with his divine shakti. Whatever a person sincerely asks for from their heart on this day is granted to them.

One of the children. " Didi phir aap..aapne liye thora dimag maang lo."

Translation:  sister, then you should ask for a little of brains for yourself.

Everyone chuckle, " Hww...aaj na hum thode ache mood mein hai, isiliye bakash rahe tumhe nahi toh...batate ache se." Garima gasped.

Diyas were released into the river, floating away like tiny stars. Then, Garima's gaze shifted..

Her eyes locked on a tall man across the ghat standing with lots of men in black-his back slightly turned, dressed in white, his posture regal, solitary. There was something hauntingly silent about him. Something that pulled at her heart.

Garima, asks a nearby standing priest. " Pandit ji, what's happening over there?"

The priest replies. " That's a Shanti Pooja being performed. Years ago, the two brothers tragically lost their parents and sister...after a full 14 years since the ashes were immersed, they've finally returned here."

Garima's heart felt heavy, " Jinke liye bhi yeh pooja hai.. Mahadev unki aatma ko shanti de." she whispered.

The peace was short-lived. Her eyes caught a glint of something metal. Far above, on a narrow temple roof, a man stood. Cloaked in shadows, a rifle in his hands and the barrel pointed directly at the man doing the puja.

For a second, Garima's breath caught. Her body froze- but only for a heartbeat. Then she moved. She ran. Not knowing why. Not thinking. Just running.

" Arey, Garima kaha bhaag Rahi?" Neha asks.

Translation: Garima where are you running?

But she didn't stop, her feet flew over the stone steps. The sounds of chanting are blurred,heart pounding in her ears. Time slowed.

Her lehenga fluttered like white flames in the wind as she darted through the crowd, her anklets ringing like alarms in the divine hush.

As kartik bent toward the river to release the diya, he suddenly heard it -the soft chime of anklets, a sound so delicate, so honey -sweet, it struck something deep within him, racing his heartbeat for reasons, unknown.

He turned instinctively, as if drawn -but before he could see the source, a sudden force collided into him.

A gunshot cracked through the air.

People screamed. Chaos ripped. But before the bullet could find its mark - Garima crashed into Kartik, grabbing his shoulders forcing him back -they tumbled. Into the river.

Water exploded around them. Cold. Loud. Swallowing every sound. The sacred Ganga took them in.

The waters of the Ganga rippled gently as Kartik slowly emerged, his talk frame rising from the river -only his head and shoulders above the surface. He stood still, droplets tracing down his sharp jawline, breaths deep and slow.

And then she rose.

From the water just ahead of him. It wasn't just a woman rising from the holy river.

Clad in a flowing white lehenga that now clung gracefully to her silhouette, her hair damp and cascading like ink over marble, her skin glowing against the shimmer of the morning light she looked like a vision. A divine one. As if Maa Gauri had stepped into mortal form.

Water dripped from her thick lashes as her eyes fluttered open, meeting Kartik's.

And he froze. Time....ceased. The clamor at the ghat, the priest chanting, the rising wind, the frantic footsteps from the earlier gunshot -it all disappeared. There was only her eyes. His silence. The moment.

A thousand things stirred inside him - rage, purpose, scars. But now, none of them mattered.

Just her. Garima blinked first, instinct snapping her back. She looked towards the ghat where chaos had begun to ripple from the gunfire.

Turning back to Kartik, she said, her voice gentle, fluid -like a sacred hymns in the temple air.

" Arey...aap bahar kyu aa gye? Koi aapki jaan ke piche pada hai...aapko anadar thori der chipke rahna chahiye."

Translation: Why did you come out ? Someone just tried to kill you. You could've stayed hidden inside the water, safe.

She looked so ethereal, speaking with a concern that wrapped around him like a prayer.

Kartik still didn't respond. He wasn't cold. He wasn't smiling. He was just...lost.

Like he had just witnessed something not of this world. Something unreal. And now he couldn't look away.

Garima tilted her head, lips pressing together. " Are you even listening?" she asked, waving a hand faintly near his face.

Still, silence. She let out a soft huff, turning once again to glance at the growing unrest on the ghat. Then, without hesitation, she lifted her duppata -the soft, soaked white fabric of her lehenga and wrapped it over Kartik's head and part of his face.

" Here...isko phen ke nikl jaiyega..jo bhi aapki jaan ke piche pada hai voh pehchaan nahi payega.. just leave safely okay?"

Translation : Here...wear this. Whoever is after you won't recognize you like this. Just leave okay?

And with that, she turned and began walking away - each step echoing like a bell over water.

Kartik remained still. His fingers slowly lifted, brushing the edge of the duppata from his face. He stared down at it -white, soaked, fragrant with sandalwood and lotus. Hers.

His eyes followed her retreating form, the sway of her steps, the way her presence left a trail behind her like a celestial imprint.

Then -" Bhaiiii!" Ahaan's voice broke the spell.

Kartik's gaze snapped towards the direction, Ahaan and Vansh were there, along with two of their men. They had caught the shooter.

Kartik walked out of the water now, silent, controlled but dangerous, as he ascended the ghat steps, his eyes briefly glanced at the side where the old iron trishul rested. Without even looking properly, his hand reached out.

He picked it up. The white duppata now wrapped tightly around it like a sacred flag. The trident rested against his shoulder as he approached the man. His steps slow. Deliberate. Heavy with purpose.

But his eyes? Still searching the crowd. Still looking in the direction...she went.

And then -just as he spotted her disappearing figure. He didn't even glance at the man. He simply raised the trishul -and drove it through.

From afar. " Shakti jahan hoti hai...Shiv khinchhe chale aate hain. Shiv, aapni shakti ko lene aaye hain...voh shakti, jiske bina shiv adhure the...ab unhe poora karegi." says the same Aghori, who had met garima, sitting in a circle of fire, gazing toward the third eye.

Translation : where there is shakti, Shiva is drawn. Shiva has come to reclaim his shakti -the one without whom he was incomplete. Now, she will make him whole.

Kartik's eyes fixed, not on vengeance, but on the soft, trailing silhouette of a woman in white.

********************************

How was it ?

What do you think about their first meet?

Maine ye aisi hi Josh Josh mein likh di...🥲thora upar niche zyada ho jaaye toh tum log bus ignore kr dena i already know... I'm embarassed okay.

Please vote and do lots of comments....if you enjoyed it...

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