Tashyam stared at Shaurya with cold eyes. Shaurya signaled something to him with a subtle movement of his eyes.
Letting out a deep breath, Tashyam closed his eyes. He knew it well, if he didn't listen to Shaurya, Shaurya would keep pestering him nonstop.
Tashyam looked at Raya and said,
"Raya…"
Raya lifted her head and looked at him.
"Yes?"
Pointing toward Shaurya, Tashyam said,
"Meet him. He's my cousin and my legal advisor… Shaurya."
Raya looked at Shaurya, who was staring at her intently.
Raya knew who Shaurya was.
He was a Supreme Court lawyer.
Famous across the country for his sharp eyes and sharper tongue, Shaurya had never lost a case in his life. Yet, for some reason, when it came to Raya, something felt off.
Despite trying hard, Shaurya couldn't understand Raya. Or perhaps… he didn't want to.
Raya greeted him politely.
"Hello."
Shaurya replied with a forced smile.
"Hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine," Raya replied softly.
Shaurya asked again,
"So… what do you do in the Netherlands?"
"I own a café there. Most of my time goes into managing it."
"And the rest of the time?" Shaurya pressed.
"The rest of the time… other things."
Shaurya said,
"It must be difficult living alone there. I've heard people in the Netherlands are quite detached."
"Not everyone," Raya replied calmly.
Nodding in agreement, Shaurya said,
"Yes, that's true."
Raya said nothing more.
Shaurya wanted to continue the conversation.
In truth, he was trying to assess her through words. But Raya had no particular interest in talking to him.
He tried once or twice to start a conversation again, but seeing her cold responses, he eventually fell silent, reluctantly.
After breakfast, Tashyam, Raya, and Shaurya were seated in the living area.
Raya said to Tashyam,
"I'll be leaving in the afternoon."
"Alright. Should I have the preparations made?" Tashyam asked.
"No. I already have my ticket booked."
Tashyam reached into his pocket, took something out, and held it out toward her.
"You can use this for your expenses."
Both Raya's and Shaurya's gazes fell on Tashyam's hand.
It was a credit card.
The moment Shaurya saw it, his eyes narrowed, it was a limitless credit card.
Internally, Shaurya exclaimed in shock,
"Brother, why are you giving this witch a credit card? She'll bankrupt you in a single day!"
Raya refused politely.
"There's no need. I have plenty of money."
Hearing this, Shaurya looked at her strangely.
He had already looked into Raya's background.
According to his information, Raya owned a café in Amsterdam, which she had started with great difficulty after taking out a loan.
Curling his lips, Shaurya muttered to himself,
"What a drama queen. She can't even properly pay off her loan, and she says she has plenty of money. Witch."
Tashyam placed the credit card on the tea table and pushed it toward Raya.
"Our divorce isn't finalized yet. You are still my wife. And it's my responsibility to take care of your expenses."
Raya looked at the credit card… then at Tashyam.
In the last eighteen years, this was the first time someone had claimed a right over her in the name of a relationship.
She thought for a moment, then extended her hand to take the card,
But Shaurya moved faster and picked up the credit card before her.
Raya was confused.
Tashyam glared at Shaurya with a warning look.
"Shaurya, behave."
Feigning innocence, Shaurya replied,
"Behave? What did I do? I thought she wasn't going to take it."
Raya said calmly,
"I wasn't going to. But now I will."
Tashyam looked at her, while Shaurya was left completely speechless.
Shaurya had thought that by interrupting, Raya would feel embarrassed and refuse the card.
Instead, she was openly asking for it, without shame.
Deliberately, Shaurya asked,
"Did you say something?"
"Yes," Raya replied. "The credit card. I want it now."
Shaurya had no words left.
Unwillingly, suppressing his frustration, he handed the card to her.
Raya took it and carefully put it away.
Tashyam watched her closely.
Throughout it all, Raya's expression remained calm. It was impossible to tell whether she had understood Shaurya's little schemes or if she was simply acting.
Standing up, Raya said,
"I'm going to pack my things."
"Why would you do that? The staff will handle it," Tashyam said.
"No. I'll do it myself."
Tashyam didn't press the issue. In any case, Raya didn't have much luggage.
She walked toward Tashyam's room.
Watching her retreating figure, Shaurya said quietly to Tashyam,
"Bro, don't you find this girl strange? Girls aren't usually like this. I've had many girlfriends, speaking from experience, girls love drama. They turn small things into huge issues. But she's doing none of that. Brother… what if she's actually a guy?"
Tashyam stood up from the couch and walked toward his study, replying coldly,
"Don't think so much, you'll end up with knee pain."
Shaurya was confused at first.
But then he understood what Tashyam meant And he was thoroughly annoyed.
Malhotra Palace,
Ridhima woke up to unbearable pain spreading through her entire body.
She pulled the sheet aside and looked at herself.
Ridhima was naked. Her body was covered with marks.
Some were bite marks. Some looked like burn marks. Others were scratches.
She immediately covered herself with the sheet.
There were strange marks on both her wrists.
It seemed as though her wrists had been tightly bound with a belt or a thick rope.
Ridhima covered her face with her palms.
For a few moments, the room remained silent.
Then suddenly, she broke down and started sobbing.
Pain, anger, helplessness, hatred… everything reflected in her tears all at once.
All of a sudden, Ridhima got out of bed and rushed to the bedside table, pulling open the drawer.
Inside lay a sharp knife.
She picked it up and placed it against her wrist. Tears streamed continuously from her eyes.
Pressing the blade into her skin, she whispered,
"If only they had pushed me away from themselves… just like they did to Raya. Living here is worse than dying."
It was already afternoon.
A black sports car pulled to a stop outside Delhi Airport.
Tashyam stepped out of the driver's seat and walked around to open the passenger door.
Not many people recognized him by face, but his commanding presence and charming looks drew attention, especially from girls.
Raya stepped out of the passenger seat.
The girls who had been admiring Tashyam instantly grew disappointed.
One of them sighed softly.
"Why are handsome men never single?"
Another girl tried to console her.
"Why are you thinking so negatively? Maybe she's his sister."
The third girl made a face.
"Nonsense. They're clearly a couple. Probably newly married."
Hearing this, the first two girls shot her murderous looks.
Startled, the third girl hurriedly said,
"Don't glare at me like that. I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, look closely, both of them are wearing identical engagement rings."
The other two girls looked at Tashyam's and Raya's fingers.
Indeed, they were wearing the same engagement ring… one Tashyam had given Raya just that morning.
The third girl continued,
"Look at the mehndi (Traditional bridal henna) on her hands. Mehndi hardly glows like that after five days. And look at their behavior… so unfamiliar, so cautious. Only newly married couples act like that."
Hearing this, the other two girls' faces fell.
When they looked more closely, they also noticed Raya's mangalsutra (A sacred necklace worn by married women).
Their doubt turned into certainty.
The two girls stomped away in frustration.
The third girl followed them, laughing.
Tashyam walked with Raya into the boarding area.
The airport belonged to Tashyam himself, so no one stopped him.
He said to Raya,
"Show me your ticket."
Raya tapped on her phone and handed it to him.
The ticket was stored digitally.
Tashyam examined it carefully, then got up and walked away.
Raya's phone remained with him.
She watched him go but said nothing.
After a while, Tashyam returned with a new boarding pass in his hand.
He handed both the phone and the boarding pass to Raya.
She accepted them without saying a word.
Perhaps she already knew what he had gone to do.
She checked the boarding pass and her phone.
Her ticket had been upgraded to first class, and even the aircraft had been changed.
Standing up, Raya said,
"The boarding area has changed."
Tashyam took her hand.
"Yes. Come with me."
As she walked with him, Raya asked,
"My luggage?"
"It'll reach as well," Tashyam replied without slowing down.
After a brief pause, Raya said,
"There's a gun in it."
Tashyam stopped mid-step and turned to look at her.
Raya looked back at him calmly, blinking slowly.
"It's fine," Tashyam said evenly. "Every single one of your belongings will reach safely."
"Thank you," Raya replied.
Tashyam escorted her through a special area onto the runway, where a massive aircraft stood waiting.
Raya was about to walk toward the plane when Tashyam suddenly grabbed her wrist.
She stopped and turned to face him.
He asked,
"Are you in a relationship with someone?"
"Yes," Raya replied.
Tashyam's grip tightened slightly.
He hadn't expected that answer.
Emotionlessly, he asked,
"With whom?"
"With you."
Hearing this, Tashyam loosened his grip.
For a moment, he couldn't say a word.
Then Raya asked,
"Do you currently have a girlfriend or a partner?"
"Yes," Tashyam answered.
Raya's brows furrowed. She looked visibly displeased and made no attempt to hide it.
"Who is she?" Raya asked.
"You," Tashyam replied.
A faint smile appeared on Raya's lips.
She hadn't expected Tashyam to give her a taste of her own medicine.
Watching her smile, an unconscious smile appeared on Tashyam's face as well.
A staff member approached.
"Sir, it's time for takeoff."
Tashyam nodded lightly and gestured for him to leave.
The staff member walked away.
Raya and Tashyam looked at each other.
At the same time, they both said,
"It would be wiser if we stayed out of other relationships until the divorce is over."
After speaking, they fell silent for a moment. And then burst out laughing together.