Dev stared at the sleeping Princess, she looked calm and peaceful. As if sleeping leaving all her worries aside, he sighed and sat next to her, his palm caressed her face gently as he whispered, ''Forgive me!'' 

Dev lifted Rolli up walking out of the old building, it was time to move to the hideout. Once there, he had plans to demand his brother and sister but no plans of returning the girl he held closed to his chest. he was ready to die of her hands but not to let her go.

Rolli had a hard time keeping the facade of being unconscious, she had the urge to punch the man on face for apologising for something which could never be changed. Her patience was thinning out. She let out a fake groan and Dev was on his feet, ''Do you need something?'' Hearing his voice laden with care soared her anger. As their eyes met and he smiled, she lost her control punching him straight on his nose. Dev groaned holding his nose as it bled while his men pointed their guns to her, she smirked, ''Ask me again how I feel and I will answer, just amazing.''

''If I was you, I would not do anything stupid.'' Dev warned

She laughed, ''You can never be me, because I am not a coward. '' She heard the loading of a gun and turned her eyes to face the man, ''One bullet have left half of your side destroyed and the man you shot at is still breathing. I am his blood, it will take you a life to shoot a me.'' The man's hands trembled and Dev knew she was upto something. He grabbed her arms, twisted them behind her back tying them firmly. She smiled, ''See , your boss knows what I can do.''

Dev pressed a wet cloth over his bleeding nose, ''I don't want to fight you.''

''I don't want you alive.'' Came the answer of proud Princess. She knew Hansa would be mad at her for pulling the stunt but she didn't regret, it felt lot better after punching the man.

***

Dipika moved into her old room and sat their switching on all the screens which would give her give all about things happening in the Palace. She smiled hearing a gagging sound behind her. Rotating her chair she came face to face with her mother tied and gagged to chair , ''How does it feel coming back home after so long mother?''

The old scion could do nothing but twist tied to her chair. Dipika smiled, she walked to her mother and leaned closer, her palms on the armrest, ''Ever wondered why Granny named me as the successor? Because all others were incapable and today I will show you how. Years back, Ananya gave your grandson a chance to live and make a choice. He made it and now you will see what choice I have made for you.''

It felt calm to see fear in Vasudha's eyes, Dipika turned her eyes away. ''In few minutes, your precious Netra will walk into my trap not aware that we are waiting for her here.'' With that she jerked her mother's chair in the direction of the back door. Vasudha's eyes went wide looking at young man leaned against the door. ''That's my son, Vikramjeet Singh Rathore. He witnessed my pain even before coming in this world and Vikram, meet your good for nothing grand mother.''

''She will die first or last.''

''Keep her for last, I want her to know how pain feels.'' Vikram nodded and walked back into the dark room where he came for  but not before giving Vasudha's a piercing gaze. The old Queen knew she saw another version of her late husband.''

Dipika moved to the screen when she heard few sounds, she smiled. The game was on

***

oRlli cursed her impatience to attack Dev when he tied her to the chair blindfolding her. She tried with all her might to get free but he failed her attempts. She took a deep breath and focused on her active senses on the soundings. She could hear whispers, people walking in and out of the room. She could figure out it was a large room with less of furniture as the footsteps echoed. relaxing her mind, she started working on the rope that held her hands. When a voice made her jump

''I wanted to skin you alive as a baby. Good, I didn't do it then. Your family will feel it more when I peel that beautiful skin off your body.'' Netra maniacally said brushing her fingers through Rolli's face as the Princess sat blind folded her hands tied behind her back.

''My son did an awesome job bringing you here, now I will have my revenge.''  Netra gloated, her back to Rolli. Dev had warned against stepping into the room as he knew the Princess was way too smart for any of them. The only way to keep her control was keeping her tied. Rolli smiled, the woman was definitely a fool . She had already worked on the knot long before, something taught to her by Hemant. She went slow about untying the knot as Netra kept gloating about her plans to kill her . Rolli exhaled making Netra turn, before Netra could understand, Rolli stood closer to her, binding her hands in death grip.

''You really thought I was that easy. Don't you remember who am I?'' She mocked Netra holding latter's gun on her head

''Don't you dare Princess, she is my mother.'' Dev warned her, pointing his gun towards her. She smirked, ''Those 10 guns couldn't stop me, you think yours can. Before your bullet reaches me, mine will split her brain.''

''Don't make me do it Rolli.''

''You should have thought that before.....'' Her words died as came another voice, ''Touch my sister and yours dies.'' Vikram walked in with Sonakshi squirming in his grip. Dev's eyes pained to look at his baby sister who looked weak and ill.'' The way Vikram held her was making Dev all the way more angry. Sona stared at her bother and then her husband, ''Never thought you would do this to me.''

Vikram just smirked twisting her arm. She yelped making Dev take a step forward

''Let her die Dev, she is no one to us.'' Netra growled , that surprised Vikram an Rolli

''Let her go, she has nothing to do with all this.'' Dev warned Vikram ignoring his mother's words. Dev could sense the madness in Vikrm's eyes. he had seen it before when he took a shot at Sona. He knew the man would not hesitate before pulling the trigger.

''Fight me like a man.Let her go, she has nothing to do with all this.'' Dev's pleads made Vikram laugh, a laugh that surprised and scared Sona but fear had taken a different form for the night and next voice which answered Dev crashed Netra's dreams of revenge.

''let my sister go. I am repeating she had nothing to do with this''

''Oh she does, you used her as a spy , we as a bait.'' All eyes  turned towards the source of voice. Nethra's eyes turned murderous as her eyes met with the Queen of Jaigarh. Ananya's eyes held anger as her lips lifted up in a smirk.

''You really thought you could abduct my daughter from my Palace? Have you forgotten who we are?'' She circled Netra like a predator does with a prey coming face to face with the arch enemy she added, ''All this was a trap, and you fell into it so easily.''

''You witch?'' Netra growled to be slapped hard, she fell on the earth, her cheek stinging with pain. Dev leaped at Ananya to be kicked off by Vikram. 

''Do you both realise where you are?'' She flicked her fingers and room turned bright. ''Suryagarh...!'' Netra whispered shocked, still unable to process how they were being led here.

''Yup and now you will bow to the queen of this Palace.'' Dipika walked in without a trace of fear and Netra knew, this wasn't the same woman she knew or could  terrify like  years before.

''High Netra and hello to you Nephew! By the way, I have a wonderful gift wrapped for you.'' 

''Grandma!'' Dev wailed when Vsudha was being pushed into the room , her arms and legs bandaged, it wasn't difficult to realise that she had been tortured. He helped his grandmother up, ''You guys are monsters.''

''Actually , we developed that skill to teach you all a lesson.'' Ananya replied mockingly. Moving to Netra she grabbed her by hair, ''I gave you chance years back. A chance to give your son a safe and good life but you used it feed him with hatred.'' She shoved Netra hard again on the floor her eyes emitting fire.

Netra laughed, ''Even if I die, I would be peaceful that my husband's murderer died of my son's hand.'' that earned her another slap. The mention of Ranvijay turned Ananya mad, her fingers tighten around Netra's neck.

Dev charged to help his mother but was blocked by Vikram, ''You still need to answer for my Rolli's pain.'' When Vikram's punched Dev face , latter felt his cheek wet. Vikram caressed his knuckle rings, a smirk on his face, ''I never expected you to play fair.'' Dev taunted

''You shouldn't have, after you shot my uncle hiding in the corner. Now, I don't care for anything.'' Ananya held Netra by hair making her look at her son, ''that's what you left with and you don't understand that I am going to take that away from you.''

Netra's eyes widen realising Vikram was like a monster unleashed, he used all to hurt Dev. 

''please don't hurt my brother.'' Sona pleaded to be pushed away. Netra couldn't understand why there was no help. Ananya shook her head hard,pulling her hair back, ''No help is coming, because those who helped you were working for me. I am your death.'' 

Netra paled, ''let my son go.''

''Out with the truth Netra!'' Dipika warned. ''Tell him the truth.'' But she refused to relent.

Netra winced when another punch from Vikram landed on her son's face, ''he is your nephew.'' Vasudha pleaded.

''I was your daughter. '' She screamed bringing everything to halt. ''I was your daughter, you bought me in this world to let your son and husband torture me. You allowed your husband to sell me off to that Brijesh so that he could have all the wealth. You didn't stop him when he whipped me day in and out. And that brother, where was he when my own father had send a man to prey on me so that he could have a heir. Did you tell Dev all this?'' She asked

''I had left all, this place , you all to have a life with my Veer. Your husband couldn't stand that so he decided to kill my husband. Are you aware of this Dev?'' She asked. Vikram was left stunned and so was Dev. Dipika met Dev's eyes, ''Your grandfather and father were monsters, criminals who used people and lives like commodity. He used his own daughter's honour. If not for Bhai, I would have been dead and my son would have been a monster like them.''

''This is not true?'' Dev replied calm

''You are so naive Dev, couldn't you just research a bit before drawing conclusions? Your father was killed by my guard to save my life, so that your family doesn't treat me like a breeding ground. About your grandfather, ''he shot himself. ''

''Why should I believe you?''

''Believe your mother then.'' Turning to Netra she commanded, ''This is your last chance Netra. I never wanted this...none of this. I waited for Dev to grow up and take all of this. My son never had touched or claimed any right  on this wealth. Tell the truth and you live or we kill all of you.''

''You are lying.'' Dev refused to believe. He couldn't understand why a family do such terrible things to their own daughter. 

''She isn't lying.'' Vasudha gave in, the accusation Dipika's eyes held broke the hard shell, her heart turned heavy with guilt realising she could never stand for her daughter. She let her own child get abused over the years without having the courage of helping her. ''What she said is all true. My husband and your Grandfather was a monster, he never respected anyone but him. He poison his own mother killing her slowly to get all this wealth but she chose Dipika as her heir and her child after that. He threatened her to kill her family and she came back, he hired a man to get her pregnant but Sitara killed the man. If not for Sitara, neither Dipika would have been alive nor her son would have known of his family.'' She confessed breaking down. 

***

The man who once sided with Mahendra Singh  sat in one of the dungeons recalling all the crimes he committed for Mahendra Singh. He knew, if he wouldn't have relented that man would have murdered his family. His eyes went to the big cat in the cage, 'Someone is definitely die today.' 

***

Dev stepped back, his feet stumbled. Rolli's leg moved but she stepped back realising he was the enemy zone. Sona too was left shocked , she moved to offer her brother support. 

there was a silence, and then a laugh. Netra laughed like a maniac, ''Whatever the truth is, Ranvijay still dies and that gives me peace.''

Ananya pulled out the gun she had kept away for so long, holding it on Netra's head she said, ''Ranvijay made a mistake, I won't.''  Netra was still smiling, Ananya smirked her hand moved pointing the gun on Dev, ''You don't know what limit I can touch for my Ranvijay.''

''you won't.''

''I would...without a hitch.'' Next moment the room turned dark, there was a gun shot and a scream.

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Next will open the suspense.