Chapter 8: Turned Into Ashes

Two Days Later

The day had been nothing short of a nightmare. Ishika sat in her office, her fingers clutching the armrest of her chair as she stared at the laptop screen. The numbers glared back at her-a steady decline in Sehgal Enterprises' stocks. A notification pinged, and she clicked on it only to see another email from an investor.

"Due to recent developments, we regret to inform you that we are withdrawing our support."

Her jaw clenched as she slammed the laptop shut, the sound echoing in the room. She leaned back, her eyes stinging with unshed tears, and rubbed her temples.

"Tara!" she called sharply.

Tara, her loyal assistant, rushed in, concern etched across her face. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Get me the reports on today's stock movement. I want to see exactly how much we've lost," Ishika said, her voice a mix of authority and frustration.

Tara hesitated before speaking. "Ma'am, I think we should also discuss a strategy to deal with the investors who are backing out. They're losing faith-"

"They're cowards," Ishika snapped, cutting her off. "Running at the first sign of trouble. We've handled worse before."

Tara hesitated again, then sat across from her boss, concern softening her tone. "Ishika, this isn't like before. The leaked pictures, the constant media scrutiny, the rumors... they've damaged your image. That's why the investors are pulling out."

Ishika let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "So this is what it takes? A few pictures and rumors, and suddenly I'm incapable of running a company?!"

Her fists clenched, and her nails dug into her palms. "I won't let this break me. We'll fight back, Tara. We'll find a way."

Later that evening, as she stared at the stock reports, her phone buzzed. Ishika glanced at the screen and saw Yash Singhania's name flashing.

With a resigned sigh, she answered. "What do you want, Yash?"

His laughter rang through the line, mocking and sharp. "Oh, Ishika, you sound... stressed. Is it because your beloved Sehgal Enterprises is falling apart?"

She gritted her teeth. "You called just to gloat?"

"Of course," Yash said, his tone dripping with condescension. "I couldn't resist. Watching you squirm is oddly satisfying. And let's face it, you've proven you're incapable of handling this storm."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she hissed.

"Don't I?" His tone grew colder, more calculated. "Face it, Ishika. You can't do anything-nothing you do will ever trigger me or affect me. You're powerless."

Her grip on the phone tightened as her heart pounded with rage. "I'll show you, Yash," she spat.

He chuckled darkly. "I'm waiting."

Before he could say another word, Ishika hurled her phone across the room, watching as it shattered against the wall.

That night, Ishika couldn't sleep. Her mind replayed Yash's mocking words over and over, the disdain in his voice like a dagger to her pride. She got out of bed, her frustration boiling over into an uncontrollable urge to act.

"Fine, Yash. You want to see what I'm capable of?" she muttered to herself.

She grabbed her coat and car keys, driving through the empty streets with a single destination in mind-Singhania Mansion.

SINGHANIA MANSION

The mansion was eerily quiet as Ishika slipped inside, her heart pounding. She knew where to go-she'd heard enough about Yash's personal library, the one place he cherished above all else.

She found it easily, a room filled with towering bookshelves, rare manuscripts, and a sense of peace she couldn't stand to let him have.

Ishika grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid she'd brought and began dousing the shelves, her movements frantic and precise. When she was done, she struck a match and watched as the flames roared to life.

The fire spread quickly, devouring the room in a blaze of heat and light. Ishika stood there for a moment, watching it burn, a twisted sense of satisfaction coursing through her.

"Let's see how peaceful you feel now, Singhania," she muttered before slipping out of the mansion.

The fire alarm blared, and security guards rushed to extinguish the flames. One of them immediately called Yash.

"Sir, there's been a fire in the library," the guard reported.

Yash bolted upright in his chair, his heart sinking. "What?! How?!"

"We're investigating, sir, but it looks deliberate."

Yash clenched his phone so tightly it nearly cracked. He didn't need to investigate further. There was only one person bold enough to do this.

"Ishika" he growled, his voice trembling with rage.

In one swift motion, he hurled his phone across the room, the device shattering against the wall. His breathing was ragged, his fists shaking as he shouted her name like a curse.

"Ishika!"

━━༻❁༺━━

The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air as Yash sat in his study, his hands steepled under his chin. His eyes flickered toward the empty bookshelf, its once-pristine oak now charred. The sight should have stirred sadness, but all he felt was cold, unrelenting fury.

It wasn't just a library. It wasn't just a room. Inside one of those now-destroyed books were the rough pages of stories he'd scribbled as a child. They were fragments of a life before power and success consumed him-a part of him he had never shared with anyone. Now, they were ashes.

"Singhania, you don't lose control," he murmured to himself, standing abruptly. "You take action."

NEXT DAY

Yash entered the conference room of Singhania Corps with an aura so imposing that everyone fell silent. His team, used to his sharp demeanor, could tell today was different. This wasn't business; this was personal.

"I want every detail on Sehgal Enterprises," Yash announced, his voice cold and sharp. "Financials, debts, past scandals, investor ties-everything."

One of his senior analysts cleared his throat nervously. "Sir, Sehgal Enterprises is already in a fragile state after the recent scandal-"

"I don't care," Yash interrupted, his voice icy. "I need the full picture, and I need it on my desk in an hour. I don't care how you get it-just get it done."

The room buzzed with activity as his team scrambled to fulfill his order. Yash stood still, his mind replaying the moment he had been informed about the fire. It wasn't the loss of the library that burned in his chest-it was the memories tied to it. Those rough pages held dreams, ambitions, and innocence that he hadn't let himself feel in years.

And now, because of her, they were gone.

1 HOUR LATER

Within hours, Yash's team presented the full report. His eyes scanned the documents with laser focus, noting every weak spot in Ishika's empire. Stocks plummeting, investor trust dwindling, media sentiment turning against her-she was already on shaky ground.

"She's hanging by a thread," one of his assistants remarked.

"Then let's cut the thread," Yash replied, his tone devoid of emotion.

He picked up his phone and began scheduling meetings with her investors. It didn't take much convincing-his reputation alone was enough.

"I'll offer you deals she can't dream of," he promised each one, his voice smooth and confident. "The future is with Singhania Corps, not Sehgal Enterprises."

By the end of the day, several investors had publicly announced their decision to pull out of Ishika's company and partner with Yash. The news spread like wildfire.

"Breaking News: Singhania Corps' stocks surge as Sehgal Enterprises faces massive investor withdrawals."

"Yash Singhania once again proves why he's the king of the corporate world."

"Ishika Sehgal's empire crumbles-has the queen finally fallen?"

The headlines blared across every news channel and social media platform. Yash watched from his office, his lips curling into a satisfied smirk.

He didn't care for the accolades. He cared that Ishika was watching this too, that she was seething, helpless to stop what he had set in motion.

━━༻❁༺━━

WITH ISHIKA

Ishika sat in her office, her hands clutching the edge of her desk as she watched the news reports. Her vision blurred with tears, but she refused to let them fall.

"How?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "How does he always win?"

Tara entered cautiously, her face filled with worry. "Ishika, we just lost three more investors. The accounts department says we might not be able to cover payroll next month."

Ishika turned to her assistant, her expression one of pure frustration. "What do they expect me to do, Tara? Beg? Apologize for something I didn't do?"

Tara hesitated. "We need a plan."

Ishika slammed her hand on the desk. "I had a plan! I was fixing everything, and now this-this man has decided to ruin everything just because he can!" Her voice cracked, and she collapsed into her chair, her hands covering her face.

WITH YASH

Back at his mansion, Yash poured himself a drink, staring out at the city skyline. His mind replayed the moment he'd seen the headlines confirming Ishika's downfall.

"You'll regret crossing me, Ishika," he whispered to himself. "I'll break you in ways you never imagined."

But did he had any idea that the girl he was trying to break was already broken into fragments too small she herself couldn't count them.

━━༻❁༺━━

NIGHT TIME

SEHGAL MANSION

The air in the Sehgal Mansion felt suffocating. Ishika sat slumped in her once-commanding office chair, the pile of rejection letters from investors stacked neatly on her desk like a mockery of her efforts. The numbers on her screen were blaring warnings-falling stocks, canceled deals, and mounting debts. Her empire, once a symbol of her pride and resilience, was slipping through her fingers.

Her hands trembled as she reached for the glass of water beside her, but the weight of it felt unbearable. She set it back down and buried her face in her hands, fighting the tears threatening to spill.

"I can fix this," she whispered to herself, but even her voice sounded unsure. The words felt like a hollow echo in the cavern of her crumbling confidence.

Her father's portrait hung on the wall behind her, his stern yet encouraging eyes staring down at her. "A Sehgal never gives up," his voice echoed in her mind. She clenched her fists, determination flickering like a dying candle.

But then, the headlines flashed on her phone screen:
"Singhania Corp Rises as Sehgal Enterprises Faces Its Worst Decline."
"Yash Singhania's Strategic Moves Dominate the Market."

She swiped at the screen angrily, but the damage was done. Yash's face on the news, his smirk, and the world's applause for him felt like daggers to her heart.

"This is all his doing," she spat, her voice breaking. "He's trying to destroy me, and he's enjoying every second of it."

She stood abruptly, pacing the room, trying to think of solutions. But every idea felt futile. Investors wouldn't listen. Her funds were tied up. Her reputation was in shreds.

The walls of her once-proud office now felt like they were closing in on her. She sank to her knees, clutching her father's photo from the desk. "I'm trying, dad," she choked out, tears finally spilling. "But I'm losing. I'm losing everything."

The weight of her failure bore down on her as she sobbed, alone and vulnerable, in the place where she once felt invincible.

Meanwhile

Yash sat in his expansive office, leaning back in his chair, a glass of whiskey in hand. His team had delivered the report on Sehgal Enterprises' vulnerabilities. Every debt, every weak point, every crack in the empire-it was all laid bare before him.

A satisfied smirk spread across his face as he read through the final report. "She really thought she could challenge me" he mused, his voice dripping with contempt.

The news on the television in the corner of his office played clips of his rising stocks and growing dominance in the market. The media hailed him as a genius, a visionary.

He raised his glass in a mock toast to the screen. "To you, Ishika," he murmured, his tone laced with sarcasm. "For giving me the most entertaining victory of my career."

He didn't regret a single action he'd taken. Why should he? She was his rival, his enemy. She'd dared to challenge him, and now she was paying the price.

But it wasn't just about business-it was personal. She had burned down the one place that mattered to him. Her audacity fueled his determination to break her completely.

"She'll fall," he said, setting the glass down with a decisive thud. "And I'll make sure she never gets back up."

As he stared out of the window at the city skyline, his mind was already calculating his next move. For Yash Singhania, this wasn't just a victory-it was a declaration of war.

━━༻❁༺━━

2 WEEKS LATER

The once-bustling corridors of Sehgal Enterprises were now eerily quiet. The energy that had defined Ishika Sehgal's empire was replaced by an oppressive tension, as if the walls themselves were suffocating under the weight of impending doom.

Ishika sat in her office, the dark circles under her eyes a testament to her sleepless nights. Her reflection in the glass window was almost unrecognizable-disheveled hair, a pale face, and eyes that carried the burden of failure. She had spent every waking moment trying to strategize, to save her company from complete collapse.

Today, however, hope flickered faintly in the form of a crucial investor meeting. 100 crores. It was a lifeline, a chance to stabilize the rapidly sinking ship. If this deal went through, she could keep the company afloat. But she knew the stakes were high-one misstep and everything would shatter.

MEETING

Dressed in a crisp black suit, Ishika walked into the boardroom, her back straight and her expression composed, masking the storm raging within. Mr. Mehta, the investor, sat across from her, his demeanor calm but calculating.

"Ms. Sehgal," he began, glancing through the proposal. "This is impressive work. Your projections look solid, and I appreciate your transparency about the company's current challenges. It's risky, but I believe in your vision."

Relief washed over Ishika, and for the first time in weeks, she felt the faintest glimmer of hope. The deal was within reach. But then...

A small mishap. A staff member entered the boardroom without knocking, breaking the flower vase while fumbling nervously as they handed Ishika a file. Mr. Mehta's eyebrows furrowed in irritation at the disruption.

"I apologize for the interruption" Ishika said quickly, shooting a warning glance at the employee.

But the damage was done. Mr. Mehta closed the file and stood up, his expression now cold. "Ms. Sehgal, I expect professionalism in such high-stakes meetings. If this is how things are run here, I'm afraid I must reconsider."

"Mr. Mehta, please" Ishika pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice. "This was a minor oversight. I assure you-"

"Good day, Ms. Sehgal." He walked out without a backward glance.

The deal was gone. The lifeline she had clung to vanished in an instant.

━━༻❁༺━━

The rejection weighed heavily on Ishika as she returned to her office. But she couldn't let herself fall apart. There was still one last thread of hope-she had to pay her employees, even if it meant using her personal savings.

She opened her banking app, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She knew she had five crores in her account-enough to keep things running for a while. But when she checked the balance, the screen displayed:
₹2,00,000.

Her hands froze. Her breath hitched. She refreshed the page, hoping it was a glitch. It wasn't. The rest of the money-her safety net, her last resort-was gone.

"Gone..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "Where...?"

Her mind spun, the walls of her office blurring as panic set in. Her breathing became shallow, and her chest felt tight. "This can't be happening," she muttered, clutching her desk for support.

The walls of Ishika's office felt like they were closing in, their weight pressing down on her shoulders. She sat slumped on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest, staring blankly at the screen of her phone. Her mind was a chaotic storm, thoughts colliding and tearing through her with relentless force.

"Five crores. I had five crores. Where did it go? How is this even possible?"

She tried to piece it together, but her mind was too clouded with panic. The numbers didn't make sense. The money she had saved so carefully, the last safety net she had clung to with desperation, was gone in an instant.

"Am I cursed? Why does everything I touch turn to ash? The company is crumbling, the employees are losing faith, and now this."

Her trembling hands clutched at her head, fingers tangling in her hair as the weight of it all threatened to crush her. Tears burned her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, hot and unrelenting, but she didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Why is this happening to me? I've worked so hard, fought so many battles. Haven't I suffered enough already? I've rebuilt this empire from the ground up, bled for it, sacrificed my peace, my life... for what? To watch it fall apart in front of me?"

The image of her employees came to mind-their hopeful faces, the trust in their eyes as they looked to her for stability, for answers. The weight of their expectations was suffocating.

"How am I going to face them? How am I going to tell them there's no money left to pay their salaries? They trusted me, believed in me... and I've failed them."

Her chest tightened painfully, and a sob escaped her lips as the thought clawed at her heart. She felt like a fraud-a failure masquerading as a leader.

"And Yash..." His name surfaced in her mind like poison, filling her with a searing rage that momentarily eclipsed her despair. She could almost hear his mocking voice, taunting her, belittling her. His words echoed in her mind: 'You can't do anything that will affect me.'

Her teeth clenched, and her nails dug into her palms as anger coursed through her veins. "Is this your doing, Yash?" she whispered to the empty room, her voice trembling with fury. "Did you do this to me? Did you take my money? Is this another one of your games to see me fall?"

The thought made her stomach churn. He had already humiliated her, destroyed her deals, and tarnished her reputation. But if he had truly gone so far as to take the last of her savings...

"He wants to break me," she realized, the thought chilling her to the bone. "He won't stop until I'm completely destroyed. Until there's nothing left of me or Sehgal Enterprises."

Her gaze shifted to the framed photo of her parents on her desk-their smiling faces staring back at her, full of pride. The sight twisted the knife in her heart.

"I promised them I'd protect this legacy. That I'd carry their dreams forward. And now I'm losing everything. I've failed them."

She pressed her forehead against her knees, her body shaking with silent sobs. Despair and rage intertwined, choking her, drowning her. Her mind screamed at her to fight back, to do something, but she felt paralyzed, trapped in the quicksand of her own failures.

"I can't let this be the end," she thought, desperation clawing its way to the surface. "I have to find a way out. There has to be a way."

But even as the thought crossed her mind, a small, insidious voice whispered back: What's the point? He's already won.

Her tears fell harder at the realization. The fight that had burned so brightly within her was beginning to dim, and for the first time, Ishika wondered if she truly had the strength to keep going.

━━༻❁༺━━

WITH YASH

In the quiet of his office, Yash leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes fixed on his laptop screen. The transfer was complete. The funds from Ishika's account were now sitting comfortably in his side account, untraceable and secure.

He stared at the screen, watching the balance increase, but his focus wasn't on the money-it was on the woman who had dared to cross him.

"You burned that one last memory I had of her" he murmured, his voice low and venomous. His jaw clenched as a flicker of pain crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a cruel smirk. "You have to pay for this, Ishika. And you already are."

He closed his laptop, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. As he swirled the amber liquid, he imagined her reaction-the panic, the desperation, the heartbreak. It was exactly what he wanted.

"This is just the beginning" he muttered, taking a slow sip. His gaze shifted to the city lights outside his window. The game wasn't over. Not until she was completely shattered.

And yet, as he sat in the darkness of his office, a small, unacknowledged weight settled in his chest. But he pushed it aside. Regret had no place in his plans. Not now. Not ever.

━━༻❁༺━━

SEHGAL MANSION

The night had wrapped the world in a blanket of darkness, but inside Sehgal Mansion, there was no comfort to be found. Ishika entered the grand but empty halls, her shoulders slumped, her spirit shattered. The mansion, once a symbol of her power and legacy, now felt like a hollow, mocking reminder of all she had lost. Her footsteps echoed through the silence, her heels clicking against the marble floor as if announcing her arrival to ghosts of her past victories.

She went straight to the bar. The polished bottles stared back at her, their amber contents offering a cruel, temporary escape. She reached for one, her hands trembling, and poured herself a glass of whiskey. One sip turned into another, and soon, she stopped bothering with the glass, drinking straight from the bottle.

Tears blurred her vision as she clutched the bottle tighter, her fingers digging into the glass. "Why? Why me?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and breaking. She sank into the nearest chair, her head thrown back, staring at the chandelier that seemed to mock her despair.

The memories of the day replayed in her mind like a cruel, unending film. The cancelled deal. The investors backing out. Her empty bank account. And now, this suffocating silence that felt louder than any noise. She was trying, wasn't she? She was fighting to keep the empire alive. But no matter how hard she tried, the world kept pushing her further down.

Her tears turned into broken sobs as she slurred, "I did everything for this. My life... my soul. And what did I get? Nothing. Nothing but ashes."

With unsteady legs, she stumbled to her room, the half-empty bottle still in her grip. She tripped over a step and laughed bitterly, tears streaming down her face. "Even walking is a struggle now," she muttered, dragging herself up. By the time she reached her room, her limbs felt like lead, and her vision swirled. She collapsed onto the bed, the bottle rolling out of her hand, spilling the remaining whiskey onto the floor.

Before the haze of alcohol pulled her into unconsciousness, she whispered, "I can't anymore... I just can't."

She truly did not had any idea the next morning was about to take everything away from her. Everything.