The air in the Khanna mansion was thick with the scent of lilies and the metallic tang of chilled champagne. This was the "New India" business gala, an event Esha had organized to announce a major rebranding of the firm. But underneath the corporate facade, a psychological storm was brewing.
Shagun's Jealousy
Shagun stood in the corner of the grand hall, her knuckles white as she gripped her crystal flute. For years, she had been the only woman of consequence in the Khanna household. She had tolerated Esha's return because she assumed Esha would be her ally against the "boring, middle-class" Ishita.
But seeing Esha's attention shift was like a knife to her pride. At the gala, she watched as Esha spent more time whispering to Mihika and casting long, lingering glances at Ishita than she did acknowledging Shagun.
She was supposed to be mine, Shagun thought bitterly. She remembered the heat of Esha's hand on her neck at the previous party. She had felt special—chosen. Now, seeing Ishita Iyer, her eternal rival, being brought into Esha's inner circle felt like a double betrayal. To Shagun, Ishita was a "goody-two-shoes" who didn't deserve Esha's dark, sophisticated world.
"Be careful, Shagun," a voice hissed in her ear. It was Ashok, looking disheveled and vengeful. "My sister is replacing you. She's moving on to fresher blood. Unless, of course, you help me stop her tonight."
Shagun looked at Ashok, then at Esha, who was currently laughing at something Mihika said. The jealousy won. "What do you want me to do?"
The Public Confrontation
The gala reached its peak as Esha took the stage. She looked magnificent in a structured black gown that looked like armor.
"Tonight, we don't just celebrate profit," Esha announced, her voice commanding the room. "We celebrate the expansion of the Khanna family. I am proud to announce that Mihika Iyer will not only be our Lead Consultant but will be moving into the Khanna estate to head our 24-hour global outreach program."
A collective gasp went through the crowd. In Delhi, a young, unmarried woman moving into the home of her employers—especially the Khannas—was a scandal in the making.
Raman Bhalla, who had arrived late, stepped forward, his face contorted with rage. "What kind of game is this, Esha? Mihika is a daughter of the Iyer family. You can't just 'buy' people and put them in your house!"
This was the opening Ashok needed. He stepped onto the stage, a microphone in hand. "My sister has a habit of 'collecting' women, Raman. Haven't you noticed? First Shagun, then your wife's sister... and if the rumors are true, your own wife is next on her list for a 'private consultation'."
The room went deathly silent. Ishita, standing near the back, felt the blood drain from her face. The conservative eyes of Delhi society were suddenly fixed on her. The whispers began—vicious, sharp, and judgmental.
Esha's Counter-Move
Esha didn't flinch. She didn't look at Ashok. She looked directly at Mihika.
"Mihika," Esha said, her voice dropping to a level that was dangerously intimate despite the microphone. "They think you are a child who cannot choose. They think women are property to be traded between fathers, brothers, and husbands. Tell them. Is this your choice?"
Mihika, swept up in the glamour and the feeling of being "chosen" by someone as powerful as Esha, stepped onto the stage. She looked at her sister, Ishita, whose eyes were pleading. She looked at Raman, who was shouting. Then she looked at Esha, who was offering her a world of freedom.
"It is my choice," Mihika said clearly. "I am tired of living by the rules of men who only know how to fight. Esha offers me a future. I am moving in tonight."
The Aftermath: The Shattered Mirror
The gala collapsed into chaos. Raman dragged a weeping Ishita away, while the Iyer parents were left in a state of shock and disgrace.
Back at the mansion, after the guests had fled, the real drama began. Shagun approached Esha in the darkened lounge, her eyes red with tears.
"Was I not enough?" Shagun demanded, her voice trembling. "You promised me the world, Esha. Now you bring that girl here? And you chase after Ishita?"
Esha walked toward Shagun, her footsteps silent on the Persian rug. She didn't stop until she was inches away. The tension between them was different now—it was fueled by Shagun's desperation.
"You are a diamond, Shagun," Esha whispered, her hand sliding into Shagun's hair, pulling her head back slightly. "But why settle for one jewel when I can have a crown? You will always be my first... but don't ever mistake my ambition for a lack of desire."
She leaned in, her lips grazing Shagun's jawline. "Tonight, you will show Mihika how we live. You will be her mentor. If you want to stay in my light, you will help me bring Ishita here. Do you understand?"
Shagun's breath hitched. The humiliation of being "one of many" was balanced by the intoxicating power of Esha's touch. She nodded slowly, her moral compass officially shattered.
The Broken Link
In the Bhalla household, the fallout was catastrophic. Raman was pacing the room, hurling insults at the Khanna name.
"She's a deviant, Ishita! Can't you see? She's corrupted Mihika, and she's trying to do the same to you!"
Ishita sat on the edge of the bed, her heart heavy. She thought of Mihika—her sweet, innocent sister—now living under the same roof as that dangerous woman. She felt a surge of protective maternal instinct, but underneath it, a darker, more terrifying thought.
She did it for me, Ishita realized with a shiver. Esha took Mihika to force me to come to her.
The "Debt of Honor" had just become a "Ransom of the Soul." Ishita knew that if she wanted to "save" Mihika, she would have to enter the lion's den herself. And that was exactly what Esha Khanna had planned from the very beginning.