''Do you have any objection to my decision?'' Ananya asked Rolli, her face devoid of any expression.

Rolli didn't know how to react or say. her eyes met that of her uncle who looked equally shocked. Veer looked mad,  his mother looked lost. It was just Giriraj Singh who decided to support his daughter in law, ''I am with Ananya.''

''Dad! This is not Ananya's life, This is Rolli's life and I am not going to let this happen.'' Veer declared. Ananya sat unfazed , her eyes on Rolli, ''I am waiting for your answer Princess Aahana Rathore.''

Rolli felt shiver run down her spine, her mother looked mad at her. Veer reached her before she could open her mouth, ''You don't have to o this.'' His heart pained to find his niece in pain. There never had been a single moment the family allowed her to cry. She was their Princess and Veer couldn't stand it. ''This isn't just your decision. She belongs to all of us.'' He looked towards Vikram but he lowered his eyes. Advay wanted to intervene but Ananya stopped the flow of his words with the lift of her palm.  Vansh was of no help as he had decided to side with his mother.

''Rolli , you are getting engaged in a week.'' Ananya closed the decision walking out. The emotions she blocked up for so longs started pouring her eyes. She made her way to Ranvijay and broke down, curling her body she sobbed for long.

She controlled her sobs crawling near to Ranvijay, ''you must be angry with me for putting your darling daughter in this condition. I had no other way. If you want me to stop, please do it yourself.'' He didn't respond. She sat besides him for sometime before walking out of the room. She didn't notice the his heart picking up.

***

  Vikram dashed into his suite with maddening rage. He grabbed Sona by arm pulling her body up, ''because of you and your family, my sister is going through shit. I will make sure you feel her pain.'' He pushed her back on the bed.

Sona stared at him, ''you get what you deserve''

''Really, then your brother and your step mother deserve death for giving my mother the scars for life. I promise, I will deliver everything with interest.''

She stared at him with tear filled eyes. "I don't know what got into me that I trusted you.''

He stepped back, her pain was affecting him now but he was hurting just like her. ''Yes, it was a mistake standing up for you that day. I gave life to my family's enemy.'' 

''I bet you would have enjoyed if those men would have toyed  me. I am sure you would have bought the tickets to the show.'' She flunked words at him .His fingers curled, the mere thought of of other men touching her. 

''Glad to know your views about me. Once this is over, I am not going to see your face.''

''And I want to get rid of you now. What now, the moment I got to know about you being Rathore, I wanted to leave.'' She screamed

''Yet you slept with me.'' He taunted. her shocked face made him smirk, ''I am sure the emotions you displayed then were fake. It was just a way to get my family's secret through...you know.''

SHe lost it , ''Are accusing me of being a lose girl.''

He smirked, "no! I am calling you a back stabber'' He turned away and didn't notice her picking the metal vase to hit him. Chitra did, She never stopped him from going in, but protecting him was her job. Vikram turned surprised when he found Chitra running past him and then collapsing holding her head. Vikram gathered her before she could touch the floor. Sona dropped the vase horrified.

Vikram glared at her, ''You are a bloody bad luck.'' He helped Chitra up and walked her to the other room to tend her wound. ''Sorry, you got hurt.''

She stared at him, he had been her mother's favorite and she considered him like a big brother, ''Can I say something.'' He smiled and nodded. She took a deep breath and then added, ''There is a long gap between you 2. You both are unaware of each others truth. Talk it out, it might help.''

Vikrm frowned, Chitra was exact opposite of of her mother yet they were similar. He smiled, the little girl had grown up, he patted her cheek, ''Go and rest.''

''I am fine.''

''Chitra, I don't like to repeat.'' He warned

''For now, I will have to disobey you. I can't leave my place.''

He stared at her for a minute, ''when did you grow up so much my little girl. Fine, I know you are bounded by orders too but then promise not to shield me.''

She didn't, he knew it. There was a reason that Chitra made a place in heart of everyone a reason was her fierce loyalty and calmness. He smiled, pecked her forehead and left the room.

Chitra lifted her eyes and found Sona staring at her from the door. ''I never wanted you hurt.''

''I don't have anything against you, but I don't promise to protect you if you try and hurt anyone again.'' Chitra replied firm

''Your loyalty is towards the wrong people.'' Sona mocked

Chitra took a step forward, ''its isn't loyalty. It's the love we all have for this family, but you won't understand.'' Chitra replied and gestured Sona to move back into the room.

***

''What the hell?'' Dev banged his phone on the floor. He couldn't believe that Rathore Princess was getting engaged. He grabbed his hair with both hands screaming loud. All the moments he had spent with her started flashing in his minds like a cinema reel. He shook his head in disagreement, she belonged to him and he would have her come what may.

He dialled his man in the Rathore Palace, ''get me an invite and soon.''

''Its on the way and will reach you end of the day today.'' Replied the mole. When he disconnected, he found the Queen smiling at him devilishly. He started shivering, stepped back but was pushed to the floor by Hemant.

''You really thought its that easy to be in my home and deceive me?'' The man shivered. The way Ananya had retaliated after the attack was giving him jitters. She smirked at the fear, ''The reason you were being kept alive for is done. Get rid of him Hemant.''

''I have a family. Please!'' He begged

''You should have thought before siding the ones looking to harm mine. '' She left the place and heard a shot after a minute. 'Wake up Ranvijay before I turn into a devil.'

''Hukum!'' Hemant stopped her tracks. She looked over her shoulder. He asked worried, ''Will you still force Princess to marry against her wish?'' Ananya huffed She knew what Rolli meant to all of them, she had always been like her father. She had treated all guards with respect and Hemant had been one of teachers. She knew he was equally worried. She turned and stood facing him, ''For now yes.''

His shoulder slumped. Ananya closed her eyes once, ''Its just few days, till we end this.''

''I am ready Mom.'' Rolli said interrupting the conversation. Hemant decided to leave the two alone. Ananya stayed quite, her eyes locked with her daughter. Rolli smiled, ''I am sorry, I didn't understand the reason then but now I know.''

Ananya took a deep breath lowering her eyes. When she lifted them, they were wet , ''I have to Do it. I am sorry I am using you as a bait to eliminate the danger on the family.'' Ananya confessed

Rolli threw her arms around her mother, ''I would do the same.'' Ananya held her daughter close, ''this stays between you and me. No one else should know. Neither your brothers nor  even Veer.''

''I promise.''  Ananya knew her daughter's determination but did her enemies knew she was going to nail them for ever.

***

''You will pay for this.'' Vasudha warned , she was locked inside the cage as Rani circled her while Dipika  watched unaffected seated on a grand chair.

''You are one paying here. By the way, could you recall where you are right now?'' Dipika asked 

Vasudha looked around, still she couldn't recall. It was like a dungeon. ''What place is it?''

''Was expected out of you. You never bothered to check how was your daughter being tortured. You never cared how your husband punished your innocent child. You never cared that your son took all his frustration out in whipping me. Your husband was ready to throw me to wolves and you did nothing. '' Dipika was huffing in anger as tears rolled down in her eyes.  She wiped it off. 

''I have spend days in these dungeon, locked in cages with hounds around me and many times with rotting bodies. Don't you think you should be repenting for that.''

''At least you are alive , what about my son.'' Dipika felt her heart breaking again. A word of repentance would have healed her heart but her own mother just scratched it rather bad. 

''You miss your son a lot, its time I send you there.''

''Dev will avenge us.'' Vasudha challenged . Dipika smiled, ''I will wait for that and let my son handle him. For now, I have someone who would want to meet you. She gestured the trainer to take Rani away and let Vasudha free.

Vasudha was about to open her mouth when her eyes widen in shock. Death took long steps at her in form of Sitara, the girl who created rampage in Suryagrah 2 decades back. ''All yours Sitara. I am not coming back.'' Dipika said, she still didn't had the heart to see her mother die.  

Sitara nodded, her eyes on Vasudha. She recalled Ranvijay's lifeless form. ''He spared you, Netra and that boy and you dared to harm him. How did you forget me and what I did with your family.'' The wooden rod in her hand made a hard strike on Vasudha's arm, she yelped. ''It was me who killed your son not my Hukum. Your husband shot himself, scared of being killed by the law. If it wasn't for Ranvijay Hukum, you wouldn't be alive and you dared to harm him.'' With that her stick made another contact with Vasudha's body.

''I could have killed you with a single  slash of my sword or a bullet. But now its time you know what pain means.'' Sitara  took a 360 degree turn , came on her knees as her double sticks made contact with Vasudha's legs and she fell on her back screaming loud. Vasudha crawled back, she never thought Dipika could go hard on her. 

Sitara gave time so that pain lowers, she wanted to inflict the next one harder and she did hitting on Vashudha's legs. She was about to make a fatal contact but Ananya's words echoed her ears, 'Come what may , she is Dipika's mother. And our motive is to bring the truth out first. '

Sitara closed her eyes once, grabbed Vasudha's neck ad pressed a nerve stealing her consciousness.  She stared at the old limp figure, ''You will admit to all the crimes to your own.''

***

''What's wrong Raksha?'' Adi asked reading the worry line on his wife's face

''Rolli is getting engaged in a week, with Siddhant.''

''Why would Ananya do that? And in absence of Ranvijay.'' Adi was thoughtful but Raksha knew her childhood friend too well. She took a deep breath, ''Íf she has taken the decision there must be a reason for it. I will leave now, you join after a week.''

''How do we handle Raina?'' Adi asked. His daughter was madly in love with Siddhant , who never reciprocated her feelings.

''She will have to understand. For now, we keep it a secret. I don't want Raina's stubbornness to cause any harm. Adi nodded, they both knew Ananya did things for a reason. All they wished currently was speedy recovery of Ranvijay.

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