Maya had slowly ascended to a position of power in the corporate world by building her own empire. Meanwhile, Malhotra Industries had been suffering significant losses over the past few years and was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Unbeknownst to Aarav, Maya had carefully orchestrated his isolation, preventing him from maintaining any contact with the office or the outside world. She cunningly secured his signatures to transfer every asset of Malhotra Industries to her newly formed business. With the support of Sumitra, Aarav's stepmother, Maya successfully seized the legacy from Aarav. As a result, his father's years of hard work and dedication were erased in an instant.

The little girl was just a month old when Aarav approached Maya, who was lounging on the couch, enjoying a moment of relaxation. "Maya, mujhe wo kuch baat karni thi tumse," he said.

"Kaho," she replied, flipping a page of her magazine.

"Hamari beti ka naamkaran ki rasam karna chahta hun main agar tum ijajat do toh," he requested.

Maya smiled and rose from the couch. She took the little girl in her arms and gently caressed her head. "Beta, der se sahi tumhare papa samajh gaye ki unhe har cheez ke liye mujhse ijajat leni padegi.."

Aarav looked at her with hope. Maya smiled warmly. "Of course sweetheart! Hum hamari beti ka naamkaran zaroor karenge."

He thanked her, and Maya carried the little girl into the room. Aarav followed and stood at the door, feeling anxious and worried about his daughter, as Maya's possessiveness sometimes became extreme. He sighed with relief when the little one fell asleep in her mother's lap. Despite everything, Maya never failed as a mother. Maya kissed her daughter's forehead and lay down beside her. Aarav admired the two and smiled, holding onto the hope that one day his daughter would change Maya's heart.

As Aarav stood there, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. He watched Maya's tenderness with their daughter, contrasting sharply with her often domineering nature. This gave him a glimmer of hope. Perhaps the innocence and unconditional love of their child would be the key to softening Maya's heart. Aarav prayed silently, wishing for a future where their family could be united not just by duty, but by genuine affection and understanding.

A few days later, as promised, Maya organized the naming ceremony for their child. Aarav emerged from the bathroom after his bath and glanced at his daughter, who was crying. He immediately lifted her into his arms and played with her. Within seconds, she calmed down, and her smile soothed him.

Maya entered the room and snatched the girl from his arms. "Get ready! Sab mehmaan aa gaye hai aur suno agar maine tumhe yahan wahan kisise bhi baat karte dekha toh..." she warned him.

"Don't worry, Maya, aaj tumhe shikayat ka koi mauka nahi dunga main," he assured her.

Maya left the room with the child. Aarav took a deep breath and donned his sherwani. He glanced at a photo frame of his parents and missed their presence. "Maa, papa, aaj aap hote toh yeh din aur bhi zyada khaas hota mere liye. Meri beti ko aapka aashirwad chahiye. Usey aap har dukh takleef se bachake rakhna," he prayed.

The ceremony proceeded with a blend of joy and tension. Aarav stepped out of the room and joined Maya for the ritual. The priest asked for the name of the child. Taking advantage of the crowd, Aarav quickly said, "Khushi Malhotra, pandit ji."

Maya gave him a sharp look, but Aarav ignored it, holding his daughter close. "Iske aane se meri zindagi mein khushiyan aayi hai isliye iska naam Khushi," he explained, his eyes moist with emotion.

Maya nodded in agreement. "Jee pandit ji, Khushi Malhotra."

After the naming ceremony, as the guests greeted the couple and began to depart, Aarav gently placed Khushi into her cradle, feeling exhausted yet hopeful for their family's future. He watched her sleep peacefully, hoping this moment of unity could be a step towards a better life together.

However, Maya's sudden aggression shattered this fragile peace. She forcefully pulled Aarav out of the room, pushing him against the wall with a violent force that caused his head to hit the hard surface. Aarav's shock was evident as he looked at Maya with fear in his eyes, uttering her name softly, "Maya..."

Her eyes blazed with anger as she confronted him, "Kya karne ki koshish kar rahe they tum?"

"Maine kya kiya, Maya?" Aarav asked, bewildered by her sudden outburst.

"Kya kiya! Tumne hamari beti ka naam mujhse bina puche kaise rakha?" she shouted furiously.

"I am sorry, Maya, lekin main hamesha se apni beti ka naam Khushi rakhna chahta tha," Aarav tried to explain calmly.

"Tum kya chahte ho yeh matter nahi karta!" Maya's voice rose sharply.

"Maya, meri icha matter karti hai. Tumhari har baat main nahi..." Aarav began, but Maya cut him off, gripping his neck firmly between her palms.

"Meri har baat manni hogi tumhe, Aarav. Samjhe tum! Agar tumne Khushi ke liye mujhse behes ki toh tumhare liye acha nahi hoga... Itna door kar dungi tumhe usse ki tadapte rahoge zindagi bhar uske liye!" Maya threatened, releasing him with a jerk before storming away.

Aarav coughed violently, struggling to catch his breath after Maya's physical assault and threatening words. He leaned against the wall, feeling both physically and emotionally battered. The realization of Maya's escalating possessiveness and control over every aspect of their lives left him feeling trapped and helpless.

As he stood there, Aarav knew he needed to find a way to protect himself and Khushi from Maya's volatile behavior. The fear of what she might do next weighed heavily on him, but he also felt a growing determination to seek help and find a way out of this toxic situation for the sake of his daughter and himself.

The atmosphere in the house was tense and filled with the sound of Khushi's persistent cries. Sharda, her face etched with concern, tried desperately to soothe the restless infant, gently rocking her in her arms. Aarav, sensing his daughter's hunger, quickly intervened, his voice filled with urgency as he addressed Sharda.

"Kaki, isey bhook lagi hai. Main abhi iska dudh garam karke laata hun. Aap iske paas hi rehna," Aarav said, his tone decisive yet concerned.

"Thik hai baba," Sharda nodded in agreement, her own worry mirrored in her eyes.

Aarav hurried to the kitchen, his steps quickening as he found both stoves occupied. With a quick decision, he turned off a pan and began to warm Khushi's milk. However, his focus was interrupted as Sumitra entered the kitchen, her presence immediately casting a shadow over the room. She glanced at Aarav's actions with disdain, her voice sharp and accusatory.

"Tumne mera keto diet ka khana gas se kaise utara?" Sumitra's voice sliced through the air, her displeasure evident.

Aarav shot her a look, his frustration evident as he responded, "Meri beti bhooki hai. 5 minute ruk jayie."

"Tumhari beti ke liye main kyun intezar karun?" Sumitra retorted, her own impatience and disregard clear as she threw away the milk Aarav had just warmed.

Aarav, now visibly angry and feeling the weight of his daughter's cries echoing through the house, couldn't contain his emotions any longer. He raised his voice in defiance, addressing Sumitra directly with a forcefulness rarely seen from him.

"Sumitra!! Nanhi si bachi hai wo. Maine apne upar har vaar sahan kiya, apni beti ke upar nahi karunga," Aarav warned, his voice laced with anger and protectiveness for his child.

Sumitra, taken aback by Aarav's sudden outburst, stood momentarily stunned. Anger flared in her eyes as she processed the challenge to her authority. In that tense moment, she made a chilling decision to assert her dominance and remind Aarav of his place in the hierarchy of the household.

Meanwhile, Aarav, still focused on the task of warming milk amidst the turmoil, could hear Khushi's cries growing louder and more desperate. He searched frantically for her bottle, his mind racing with worry and determination to calm his daughter.

He rushed to the room to get her milk bottle but couldn't find it. He searched in the kitchen but it disappeared. "are bottle kaha gayi?" he muttered under his breath in frustration.

Suddenly, he heard the sinister voice of his stepmother echoing down the hall. Aarav sighed deeply, steeling himself for what he might face. He headed out to the hall, realizing with a sinking feeling that Sumitra had likely hidden Khushi's milk bottle.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit room, Khushi's cries pierced the silence, her tiny voice pleading for the milk bottle that Sumitra had cruelly hidden away.

"Sumitra, please, Khushi ki bottle wapas dedo. She's hungry," Aarav pleaded desperately, his voice strained with emotion as he knelt before her, his heart breaking at his daughter's distress.

Sumitra's lips curled into a cold smile as she watched Aarav's anguish unfold. "On your knees," she commanded icily, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

With a heavy heart and a sense of defeat, Aarav complied, sinking to his knees before Sumitra, his pride shattering under the weight of his daughter's need and Sumitra's cruel authority.

Aarav clenched his jaw, his fists trembling with a mixture of rage and helplessness as Sumitra delivered blow after agonizing blow, each strike a painful reminder of his daughter's suffering.

Sumitra's eyes gleamed with a mixture of malice and satisfaction. "Yaad rahe Aarav, aajke baad chillana mat mujhpe warna tumhari beti issi tarah bhuki royegi ghanto," she taunted, her voice laced with sadistic pleasure.

Meanwhile, Sharda stood helplessly nearby, her heart breaking at the sight of Aarav's torment and Khushi's incessant cries that seemed to reverberate through the house.

Aarav swallowed his pride, folding his hands in front of Sumitra. "I am sorry.. please, bottle wapas kardo," he pleaded softly, his voice choked with tears.

Sumitra remained unmoved, her eyes cold and calculating as she turned away dismissively. Aarav couldn't bear to see his daughter suffer any longer.

"Sumitra please.. meri bachi bhooki hai," Aarav pleaded once more, desperation evident in his voice as he implored her to relent.

Sumitra paused, contemplating her next move. "Thik hai, main bottle wapas karungi! Pehle khudko thappad maaro," she demanded, her voice dripping with cruel satisfaction.

Aarav's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at Sumitra, torn between his love for his daughter and the indignity he was forced to endure. Sumitra's demand was humiliating, but he had no choice.

"Haan! Aur bolo, aajke baad main aap par kabhi nahi chillunga," Sumitra added, her tone cutting through the air like a knife.

Without hesitation, Aarav obeyed, his heart breaking with every slap he delivered to his own face. The sound of each self-inflicted blow reverberated in the room, a painful testament to his anguish and Sumitra's ruthless dominance.

As the ordeal finally came to an end, Sumitra callously tossed the milk bottle at Aarav's feet, her laughter ringing in his ears as she reveled in her victory over him.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Sharda rushed to Aarav's side, cradling Khushi in her arms as she whispered words of comfort and reassurance to both father and daughter.

Aarav wiped the tears from his eyes, his hands shaking as he quickly poured the warm milk into the bottle and gently placed it to Khushi's lips.

"I am sorry, bache... Meri wajah se tumhe itni der rona pada," he murmured softly, his voice filled with remorse and love for his daughter, who finally found solace in the nourishment she so desperately needed.

Sharda quietly observed Aarav as he gently cradled Khushi in his arms, his face etched with a mixture of exhaustion, pain, and unwavering love. Despite the torment he had endured at Sumitra's hands, Aarav's focus remained solely on comforting and soothing his daughter.

Khushi, nestled against her father's chest, seemed to sense his tenderness despite her young age. Her cries had subsided, replaced by tiny sighs as she began to drift into a peaceful slumber, her small fingers curling around Aarav's shirt.

The room, once fraught with tension and echoed with the sound of Sumitra's cruel demands, now filled with a quiet serenity. Aarav's eyes, heavy with weariness but also filled with a profound sense of protection and love, never wavered from Khushi's face.

Sharda, standing at the doorway, felt a surge of admiration and heartache for Aarav. She had witnessed his struggles firsthand, seen his spirit crushed under Sumitra's tyranny, yet here he was, a beacon of resilience and paternal devotion.

As Aarav continued to sway gently, murmuring soft words of comfort to Khushi, Sharda's eyes filled with tears. She knew that despite the pain inflicted upon him, Aarav's love for his daughter remained unyielding. It was a love that transcended the physical and emotional scars, a love that held the promise of a better future.

In that quiet moment, Sharda vowed silently to herself to support Aarav in whatever way she could, to be a pillar of strength against the storm that was Sumitra's cruelty. She knew that together, they would find a way to shield Khushi from harm and create a haven of love and happiness for her.

And as Khushi finally succumbed to sleep in her father's arms, a small smile gracing her innocent face, Aarav's heart swelled with hope. He knew that despite the darkness of their current reality, there was light ahead. Someday, somehow, he would break free from the chains that bound them, and Khushi would know nothing but the warmth and love of a father who would move mountains to protect her.

Maya's return brought a storm of accusations and judgment upon Aarav's already burdened shoulders. Sumitra's false narrative painted a damning picture, one that Maya, in her fury and concern for Khushi's well-being, readily accepted.

"Aarav!" Maya's voice sliced through the air, sharp with disbelief and anger. She turned to face him, her eyes ablaze with accusation. "How dare you let our daughter cry for hours? tumhari laparwahi ki wajah se meri bachi ko suffer karna pada.. You are forbidden from seeing her."

Aarav's heart sank at Maya's words, his chest tightening with a mixture of guilt and despair. "lekin Maya maine jaanbujhke" he began, his voice choked with emotion.

But Maya cut him off with a wave of her hand, her eyes cold and unforgiving. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Aarav. tumne sabit kar diya ki tum ache baap nahi ho.. Khushi deserves better than you"

Desperation clawed at Aarav's chest as he pleaded with Maya, his voice cracking with sorrow. "Please, Maya, don't do this. Khushi ko meri zaroorat hai, I promise ainda meri wajah se meri beti kabhi nahi royegi"

But Maya remained resolute, her decision final and unbending. "Tum Khushi ke aas paas bhi nahi jaoge Aarav jabtak tum sabit nahi karte ki tum uske pyaar ke layak ho.. samjhe!"

Defeated, Aarav bowed his head, his heart breaking at the loss of being with his daughter. The weight of Maya's judgment bore down on him heavily, leaving him feeling powerless and bereft.

In the shadows, Sumitra watched with satisfaction, her smile a twisted reflection of victory as Maya's decision played out exactly as she had planned.

It had been two agonizing days since Maya had banished Aarav from Khushi's presence. He wandered through the house like a ghost, his heart heavy with the absence of his daughter's laughter and cries. Every sound that resembled Khushi's voice pierced through his soul, a constant reminder of the void in his life.

In those quiet moments, as he lingered outside the room where Khushi was kept away from him, Aarav strained to catch the faintest echoes of her voice. Each cry, each coo, felt like a knife twisting deeper into his heart. He pressed his ear against the door, hoping against hope to hear her, to feel some connection with the little girl he loved more than life itself.

"Khushi," he whispered, his voice barely audible, filled with longing and sorrow. "Bete, papa yahan hai... papa tumhe bahut miss kar rahe hai..."

But all he received in return were the distant murmurs of conversations and the occasional sounds of Khushi's cries, muffled and faint. Maya's decree had cast a shadow over his paternal bond, denying him the right to comfort and care for his daughter.

Aarav's desperation reached its peak as he rushed into the bedroom where Maya stood, her demeanor unwavering in its cold resolve. 

"Maya please mujhe meri beti se milne do.. main nahi rah sakta uske bina ek bhi din" Aarav pleaded, his voice trembling with a mix of anguish and urgency.

Maya's eyes glinted with an unsettling determination as she turned to face him, her tone cutting like a knife through the charged atmosphere. "Aarav, thik hai apni beti ko phirse dekhna chahte ho toh saabit karo apna pyaar," she declared sharply. "Terrace se khud jao."

Aarav's heart sank, disbelief and fear gripping him tightly. "Maya, you can't be serious," he protested, his voice thick with emotion.

Maya remained unmoved, her gaze piercing. "I am deadly serious, Aarav. If you truly want to see Khushi, then prove your love for her by risking your life," she insisted coldly.

Tears welled up in Aarav's eyes, his mind swirling with the enormity of Maya's demand. "Lekin Maya, I can't... I won't..." he stammered, his voice faltering in the face of such a cruel ultimatum.

Maya's patience wore thin, her expression hardening into a sneer. "Phir mujhe lagta hai ki tumhe apni beti ki parwah hai hi nahi.. tum bas darpok insaan ho! aur kuch nahi," she taunted, her words a painful indictment.

Aarav's chest tightened with anguish at Maya's words, his mind spinning with turmoil as he grappled with the impossible choice before him. With a heavy heart, he knew that whatever decision he made would come with dire consequences, leaving him to wonder if he would ever be reunited with his beloved daughter again. 

Aarav stood before Maya, his entire being weighed down by the torment of Maya's ruthless ultimatum. His heart pulsed with the ache of separation from Khushi, his daughter whose cries echoed hauntingly in his mind.

"Maya, please," Aarav's voice trembled with raw emotion, his eyes pleading desperately. "Tum jaanti ho main Khushi se bahut pyaar karta hun.. Meri jaan."

Maya's face remained an icy mask of determination, unmoved by Aarav's heartfelt plea. "If you can't prove your love for Khushi, then you don't deserve to see her," she retorted sharply, each word laced with cold disdain.

Aarav's mind raced, grappling with the impossible choice Maya had thrust upon him. The vision of Khushi, hungry and crying, tormented him. "Lekin Maya, tum jaanti ho main kuch bhi karunga hamari beti ke liye," he implored, his voice cracking with desperation.

Maya's eyes narrowed, her resolve unyielding as she delivered her chilling demand. "Toh sabit karo tum kuch bhi kar sakte ho," she insisted coldly, her words cutting through Aarav's resolve like a blade. "Go to the terrace and show me that you're willing to risk everything for her."

Aarav stood paralyzed by conflicting emotions. Every fiber of his being screamed to defy Maya, to reclaim his right to be with Khushi. Yet, fear gripped him—fear of the height, fear of the unknown, and fear of losing the chance to hold Khushi again.

"Maya, please ek baar phir soch lo," Aarav pleaded once more, his voice quivering with anguish. "Koi aur rasta?"

Maya's expression remained unyielding, her stance unwavering. "No, Aarav. This is the only way you can prove yourself to me," she reiterated coldly, her voice leaving no room for negotiation.

Aarav's heart sank deeper into despair. He felt trapped, torn between the love for his daughter and the terror of Maya's cruel challenge. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized the enormity of the decision before him, a decision that would decide his fate with Khushi.

In the deafening silence of the night, Aarav found himself on the terrace, the wind whipping around him like a chilling embrace. Maya's cold gaze bore into him, her expression unyielding as she watched him teetering on the edge.

"Aarav, sabit karo apna pyaar," Maya's voice sliced through the air like a dagger, devoid of any hint of mercy. "Jump from the terrace, shayad main tumhe Khushi se phir milne dun."

Aarav's breath caught in his throat as he stared into the darkness below, his mind a tumultuous storm of love and fear. With one last, agonizing look at Maya, he closed his eyes and took a leap of faith, his heart screaming for Khushi, for redemption, for a chance to prove himself.

As Aarav disappeared from Maya's sight, her lips curled into a triumphant smile, a sense of power coursing through her veins. "Foolish man," she muttered to herself, reveling in her dominance over Aarav's shattered spirit.

Yet, despite her victory, a shadow of doubt flickered within Maya's heart—a small whisper of guilt reminding her of the cruelty she had inflicted upon Aarav and Khushi. But she brushed it aside, burying it beneath the satisfaction of control, relishing in her triumph over their lives.

Outside, the night enveloped Aarav's figure as he fell, his heart and soul entwined with Khushi's memory, his sacrifice a testament to the depths of paternal love, even in the face of unbearable anguish.