《 3 》

ANVITHA

The pill bottle rattled faintly on the desk. Transparent. Unlabeled. A mocking reminder that even her medicine was a mystery.

I stared at it with a clenched jaw, my fingers hovering but not touching. I'd taken one that morning-like I always did-but a question refused to leave my mind.

Why? , that's the word which always hunt my thoughts.

Why did I take them daily? No prescription. No memory of any diagnosis. But skipping even one left me nauseous, disoriented, and aching-especially in my lower back and skull. And sometimes... when I didn't take them... images flickered. A metallic room. Screaming. Blood. Girl .

I swallowed hard, glancing down at my forearm.

Scars. Some faint. Some not. A pale crescent near my elbow. A small, discolored patch near my hipbone that never faded, no matter how many dermatologists I'd seen.

My hand slid under my blouse slightly. My back was a canvas of memories I didn't have-thin lines, burns, jagged textures. Not from accidents. Not from childhood stumbles. Something intentional.

But no one ever talked about them. Not even my father.

Devraj Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy is his mother last name , yes he choose his mother last name over his father . He choose Ramaswamy over Rana . His mother , Asha Ramaswamy was mistress of Devanand Rana . Devanand wife was unable for him both emotionally and physically as after diagnosis with Uterine cancer she got hospitalized. And that when Asha came in his life but Devanand never married Asha , As Asha was over heel for him ,she is okay with it- silly women , right. And after few year Devraj born , aside from Devraj , Devanand had two son and a mother .

But Devanand's wife died after few yr and he started give his time to Asha , bought her house, food , luxury. Everything a person could be desire of .

But he can't give her a title of a wife which every woman desired of . But when Asha discovered that Devanand had more affairs aside from her , she could take it and poison him and later consumed it to out of guilt. And Devraj left alone in this world. As his half brother good for nothing, they all were clever baster.

I should asked him again. He do tell me .

Maybe Appa had told me the reason and I am the one who failed to remember that as I have had some gap in my memories. But I remember that he mentioned accident one time , may I should asked him one more time .

She glanced at the tall glass window that overlooked the city from her cabin. He owned this skyline. He built empires. Hotels. Pharmaceuticals. Construction. Shipping. But beneath all that shimmer was something darker.

Everyone in the Ramaswamy household knew about the unspoken layers of Devraj's power-how he crushed opposition before they could blink, how politicians made house visits to earn his favor, and how "loyalty" meant disappearing when required. He didn't got this in legacy , he earned them with years of hard work .

He ran his legitimate businesses with an iron fist. But his real empire was buried deep, in whispers and shadows. Arms. Illegal pharma trials. And some other to which only few people know, i didn't know them too . That's think about appa. You can't tell what he is doing or how until unless he want you to know them . And that Why Nothing proven. Nothing admitted.

I didn't ask. And he never explained.

But the silence around it said enough.

As later that evening, when I was passing i saw Rhea in the eastern wing of our mention estate, and she is staring at the life-sized portrait that dominated the corridor wall.

Avantika Ramaswamy.

Our mother.

Draped in a violet silk saree with silver threadwork, Avantika's image looked almost regal-her posture elegant, chin tilted slightly, arms adorned in bangles that glimmered like stars. Her eyes were serene. Detached. Untouchable.

And I join her too

Rhea clutched my fingers and said with love and softness which can melt everyone heart . "She's so pretty, no?"

Still adoring the portrait.

We have had a lot of them in our mansion, Appa want her in everyplace of our mansion , Everywhere. He worship her . His love for her was not something we could explain in word . Even after her death he didn't married some other women because he said 'she is still alive in my heart' that was exactly his word.

I nodded slowly. "She was a classical dancer. Trained in Bharatanatyam and Odissi." I said.

"Did she perform?"

"Once. Before she... left."

Rhea blinked up at her. "Do you miss her?" she asked , if someone asked her the question 'do you miss her' she do say

immediately yes but for me .

The question froze me and i think about it , i did't know why .

Do I?

Miss her .

I should. She was my mother, wasn't she?

But there was no warmth in my memory. No scent of jasmine hair oil. No lullabies. Only the vague image of Avantika's closed door and the haunting sound of her ghungroos in the night.

"I don't think she wanted me," I whispered before I could stop myself. "She wanted to go international. Be a legend. Maybe... I ruined it. Maybe I was an accident."

Rhea frowned. "That's stupid." and look up at me .

I blinked at her.

"If she didn't want you, she was the stupid one." She said to cheer me up , she always do thing like this .

A broken laugh escaped my lips. "Thanks, little sis ."

We stayed a moment longer. Two sisters. One haunted by a past she didn't remember, the other too young to carry those ghosts.

And looking the portrait ahead of us . Our mother , right ?

But why did the thought came as a question not as a answer.

Did I need a therapist or may be I should speak to Appa about this . He understands me more and give me a proper answer than a therapist. Taking a therapy is waste of time, atleast for me .

And I better be ready for what's coming because in evening all the devils are going to be under one roof .

---

Later, at dinner, the presence of Devraj's extended family turned the air brittle.

Yes we are having a family dinner like a good and happy family we pretended to be . And I know as I entered the Buisness today topic is going to be around me .

The long teakwood table hosted too many smiles too many facade and too many secrets.

At the head, Devraj sat silently, flanked by Vikram Rana-his half-brother-and Vikram's wife, Alka, draped in gaudy gold and judgment . Their son Rajveer scrolled on his phone, unbothered. Their daughter, Tanishkha, sat opposite me , eyes darting nervously between conversations.

I kept her gaze cool. I didn't trust any of them.

Vikram's eyes were always sharp, scanning every word, every move of Devraj's. He had ambition in his blood and greed in his breath. Ever since Devraj's father died, Vikram had circled the empire like a vulture, claiming to want "unity" but whispering betrayal with every toast.

Alka, his wife, was worse. Passive-aggressive, always poking at me with underhanded compliments. That her hobby, that what she love to do , pock her nose in my Buisness. And pretending to be a good person who is good for nothing.

"Anvi, darling, you do such a good job pretending to be powerful. A real Rana . It's adorable." She said , as venom coming out from her mouth like a snack she is .

Pretending?

" First of all is Ramaswamy not Rana and second of all we all know who's good at pretending, Alka" I said "Auntie " I added after a second, calling her a Auntie is insult for other Auntie who genuinely love there niece.

"Just because Devraj choose to be take her mother last name that doesn't mean you are not a RANA". I see the way she put unnecessary pressure on Rana .

" Are not you suppose to be happy about that it's not like you consider us your family." I said straight forwardly and grab my glass of wine and take a sip and keep my eyes on Alka.

On the other said of the table her expression changed and I can see the hint of anger as she grab the fork in her hand tightly, she didn't expect that from me . " what do you mean , dear "

" You know what I exactly mean, and do not dear me". She clenched teeth and murmured something under her breath may be disappointment, that what she thought I am an disappointment.

And then there was Tanishkha.

Twenty-two . Wide-eyed. Always dressed modestly, her notebooks filled with poetry, and dreams of studying English literature. She often approached me for her poetry, even send them to me on WhatsApp, i don't why she love them but she does . She even left a sketch of me once on my desk-pencil shaded, delicately done , on my birthday day . Even tho she is irritating but she is friendly person I have.

"You drew this?" Anvitha had asked.

Tanishkha had nodded. "yeah , you don't need to thank and your welcome ."

I hadn't known how to respond. I simply said, "Thank you," and returned to her files. But that's really made day and I had that sketch, safe in my wardrobe.

She is the one who always approach me .

But no matter how kind Tanishkha seemed, I kept my walls up. In this house, innocence could be a trap. And love was a weapon.

Still, something about that sketch lingered.

The silence broke with a sigh. Alka's.

"So quiet tonight," she said, swirling her wine. "I suppose the girl isn't much of a conversationalist today ."

I didn't lift my head. I sliced through my grilled paneer with quiet elegance. Dig my fork in it , bring it to my mouth and eat it . Talking to her is waste of time. Even a therapy have more worth than this family dinner.

"She's not a girl," Rhea said suddenly. "She's the one who makes sure you get your imported wines on time."

Alka blinked, clearly startled by the child's sharp tongue.

"Rhea," I murmured, placing a calming hand on the her arm. But I love it .

But Alka wasn't finished. She never does , don't know what kind of urgency she had that she always have to say last word .

"Oh, I didn't mean offense. But let's not pretend she fits here. She's... what, an outsider playing dress-up in a dead woman's house?"

Aditya chuckled. "It's true. Some people confuse inheritance with legitimacy."

The asshole is like her mother and father too .I set my knife down with a soft click.

"I'm not playing anything," I said evenly. "I'm here because Appa chose to keep me here. He want me to take over Buisness. Did I just smell jealously ,big bro ." I said with sarcasm. As he know we are nothing like brother-sister.

Rhea said slowly and low so only we can hear " I think he is , look at his face ."

Which made me smile but it goes as fast it came .

"Of course," Alka smiled. "And we all know how Devraj makes decisions-silent and final. But even so, just because someone's kept doesn't mean they're... meant to rule."

"Rule?" My voice echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You speak as if we're monarchs." I should stop replying her but this women love fueling my anger.

Alka leaned forward, her bangles chiming like chains. "This empire isn't built for women to manage. Your soft hands don't know the weight of blood money, dear. This house, this business-it eats delicate things like you."

"I wouldn't call myself delicate," I replied smoothly and leaned forwardand look into her eyes and she does the same . "And I've never been afraid of getting blood on my hands."

"Spoken like someone who's never had to clean it up after," Aditya sneered.

"You think power comes from birth?" I looked directly at him. "No. It comes from surviving. From being thrown into hell and learning to decorate it."

"You speak well," Alka said, lips tight. "Too well, for someone who didn't even know who she truly was until a few days ago. Or shall we talk about that?"

Anvitha's jaw stiffened. Devraj still didn't speak.

Rhea's fork dropped. "She's more family to me than you ever were. I see her every day. I've never seen you hug anyone but your mirror."

"You little-" Alka hissed, but Tanishkha cut in, voice quiet but piercing.

"Maybe Rhea's right."

All eyes turned to the girl.

"I mean... Masi was never cruel. Not like this. She taught me to stand on my toes and speak clearly and never judge anyone who didn't have the same privileges I did."

"Avantika wasn't some saint," Aditya muttered.

"No," Tanishkha said softly, "but she wasn't threatened by other women. She didn't need to mock them to feel powerful."

Alka flushed. "This is not a women's support group. This is a legacy discussion. And women were never meant to lead it."

Can some one believe that she is talking about her sister. Yes Devraj married Alka sister for which Alka still hate Avantika. It was a love marriage.

Devraj's eyes flicked up. "Is that so?"

Alka paled, but Aditya doubled down. "You know what she means. The men built this. Grand father, you, Vikram. Let's not pretend the crown fits better on a woman's head."

"And yet here you are," Anvitha said quietly, "gathered at a table where the loudest voice belongs to a girl you keep trying to silence."

Alka stood halfway, voice rising. "You're a shadow. You're not even blood. You're just a reminder that this empire once belonged to someone who danced for stages instead of running boardrooms!"

She said think like this in anger and a few minutes before she said we are a family, crazy women .

"She danced," I said, voice rising for the first time, "because she could. And you'll never understand what it means to be so powerful that the world begs to watch you."

A long pause. The chandelier above them swayed slightly, a soft creak the only sound in the room.

Devraj finally stood.

"If any of you believe this empire isn't for women, feel free to leave its table." He said finally because we are talking about his wife .

No one moved.

Vikram's eyes narrowed , look he is done with this dinner but he stayed seated.

I took a breath, then turned to Rhea. "What do we say to people who underestimate us?"

Rhea grinned. "That they should've tried harder to kill us the first time."

Tanishkha laughed quietly. "Or at least practiced silence. It's free and painless."

Devraj looked at Anvitha, something unreadable in his gaze. Approval? Respect? Maybe the ghost of a long-dead emotion.

"She'll be working," he said. "And if anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with the grave."

The table went silent.

May be mumma is smiling, somewhere-whether in memory or in spirit-Avantika smiled.

Because the war for her legacy wasn't over.

And her daughters were winning.

The dining table had emptied, but its poison lingered like perfume on skin.

Servants cleared the crystal and bone-china dishes in strained silence. Somewhere behind them, Alka's voice echoed faintly-sharp, grating, dismissive. And I stop .

"She's not even our blood!"

"Devraj never had the right to keep her like a hidden trump card!"

"That girl will ruin everything we've built!"

I paused as i crossed the hallway, lips drawn tight. I had heard those words before-always from Alka. At age eighteen, at Twenty, again at Twenty-two. Every time when Appa try to do something for me ,The tone never changed. It was always acidic. Like Alka wasn't simply angry-she was scared.

Of what, though?

I didn't stop to think. I had mastered the art of letting poison slide without swallowing it. Should we normal for people who live in family like this .

Until Aditya cornered me.

I hadn't noticed him behind the column until he stepped out of the shadows.

"You think you're something now, don't you?" he said, blocking my path.

I exhaled, exasperated. "Not now, Aditya." I had enough shit for a weak.

"If you weren't here," he said, stepping closer, "I would've been the heir. This empire would've been mine. But no. They brought you back. The lost little princess. The secret daughter. The fragile girl with scars and mystery."

His gaze fell to her arm-where a faint mark, healed but still visible, curved like a snake. She pulled her shawl tighter.

"You want truth, Aditya?" she said softly, her voice silked in steel. "You were never meant to rule. Not because of me. But because you confuse cruelty with strength. And that's not power. That's insecurity wearing your father's cologne."

He bristled. "You're just a girl."

She smiled darkly. "And yet here you are. Cornering me like I'm the biggest threat in the room."

But before leaving I said " he choose me because I am more man then you , you better sit down and take some lesson big bro rather than being a girl and demand everything like a princes."

I walked past him without waiting for a response.

And a sound of glass shattering on the floor follow. And I smirk.

He should know with whom he is dealing with .

I am Anvitha Ramaswamy.

And no one is allow to disrespect me.

As I headed towards the garden, I need fresh air since this one is polluted because of specific presence. I don't even under why we are having this family dinner with his so called family.

The garden was hauntingly quiet-white lilies glowing under moonlight like ghost-lanterns. The fountain gurgled softly, its stone angels cracked with time.

I leaned on the balustrade, watching the stars like they owed me answers.

I had come here to breathe. But breathing wasn't enough. Not tonight. Not after Alka. Not after Aditya. Not after being called a mistake wearing someone else's legacy.

Not your blood.

Not your empire.

Just a girl.

"Is this seat taken?" came a voice behind me. My thoughts interpreted by Tanishkha.

I turned.

Tanishkha held a half-empty bottle of wine in one hand, two glasses dangling between her fingers.

Anvitha's brow lifted. "Trying to bribe me into silence?"

"Trying to drown mine," Tanishkha said with a crooked grin, stepping beside me and sitting cross-legged on the marble bench. "Or maybe trying to earn a place on the winning side."

She handed me a glass. I took it silently. And she fill the glass .

"What did you think of the show?" I asked, sipping slowly.

Tanishkha tilted her head. "We've seen worse. Mumma has always been... like that. Claws dipped in honey. And Aditya? He's a spoiled firework. Makes a lot of noise, burns too fast."

"And your thoughts about me ruling this empire?" I asked suddenly, not looking at her.

There was a pause. Then

"I think it's already yours," Tanishkha said softly. "You just haven't put on the crown yet."

I turned my gaze. "You always agree with me. Are you trying to flatter me, Tanishkha?"

"Maybe yes. Maybe no." She sipped. "But if I wanted something, I wouldn't waste time with flattery."

True , she snatch it.

The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It was loaded.

I turned slightly to study her. There was something in Tanishkha's voice tonight. Something softer. Warmer. Was it... attraction?

No. That wasn't possible. Was it?

Anvitha wasn't sure. But the air felt heavy. Her skin prickled.

"Tell me something," I said. "What was she like?"

Tanishkha blinked. "Who?"

"Avantika. What kind of bond did you have with her?"

Tanishkha's expression shifted. Her gaze dropped to her wine glass, then lifted again to the moonlit sky.

"She was... unlike anyone else. Elegant but not unreachable. Kind, but never a pushover. She once told me a dancer's feet never stop bleeding, but they still smile through the pain. She said that's what power looks like."

I swallowed, my throat dry.

"She used to call me 'Tan-tan,'" Tanishkha whispered, her voice almost breaking. "She braided my hair before every dance competition. I... I think she saw more of me than my own mother ever did."

I looked down. "And yet she left me nothing."

"Maybe she left you everything," Tanishkha said gently. "Her silence. Her legacy. Her scars."

I stared at the deep red wine in my glass, then at my own reflection in it. Her eyes looked tired. But alive.

She didn't know yet if Tanishkha was friend, ally... or something more.

But for tonight, the garden was quiet.

And the war was paused.

Only paused.

---

I stepped back inside from the garden-the scent of white lilies still clinging to my shawl like a memory. The hallway was quieter now, but not empty.

"Anvitha," came the honey-dipped voice she loathed the most.

Vikram.

He stood beside the staircase, leaning casually against the railing like he hadn't once tried to manipulate Devraj's entire board into overturning her claim.

"Rough night?" he asked, offering a charming smile. "You wear exhaustion like royalty. Makes me nostalgic."

"For what?" I asked flatly. "When people actually believed your fake concern?"

He laughed softly. "Your tongue's awfully sharp for a girl who hasn't earned her throne yet."

I stepped closer, my heels a steady rhythm against marble.

"My throne isn't up for discussion," i replied coldly. "And your expiration date passed years ago. You're just the can left on the shelf-dented, rusted, and irrelevant."

He raised an eyebrow. "Still the same fire. No wonder Devraj choose you for his legacy."

"Still the same lines," i snapped. "Your script's older than your ambition."

His smile faltered for just a second. Then came the venom.

"You know, the empire used to be led by men who earned their place. Who fought wars. Not... women playing queen dress-up in their father's palace."

I didn't blink. "You mean men like you? Who used manipulation instead of merit? Who never fought a real battle but hid behind their father's shadow and pretended it was armor?"

He scowled slightly, but i didn't give him room to recover.

"Funny how the idea of a woman ruling makes all the 'strong men' start sweating," she said, folding her arms. "Why is that, Uncle Vikram? Is it the throne you fear losing-or the mirror we hold up to your failures?"

He chuckled darkly. "Careful. This empire isn't kind to girls who act like kings."

"And men who act like termites usually end up buried beneath the walls they chew through," she shot back. "I'm not acting like a king. I am the storm they tried to abort."

He stepped forward now, voice low. "I'll admit, you've grown teeth. But don't forget-you're still a girl in a world built by men."

"And yet none of the men have built anything worth keeping," i said, voice sharp as glass. "This empire was my mother's art, my father's crime, and now-it's my war."

He shook his head. "You'll regret this arrogance."

"Maybe," i whispered, eyes gleaming, "but I'll regret it from the top."

He leaned close, voice like a dagger. "The board won't accept a woman. The investors don't trust softness. And they don't trust you."

"I'm not here to be trusted," i said. "I'm here to be remembered."

He finally broke eye contact, face tight with fury masked as patience.

"You've made enemies, child."

"And you've made history forget you."

Vikram left after that . My mind is so fucked up , this family first Alka than Aditya and Vikram too , they are really a perfect family . Do they consumed poison for dessert. The amount of venom they pour in my life is undebatable .

That night, i stood on the balcony of my room, wind brushing my hair, and lit a candle beside Avantika's photograph. The same one from the corridor. I stared into those painted eyes, hoping for something.

Anything.

But all I felt was distance.

"Who were you?" I whispered.

Not just a dancer. Not just Devraj's wife.

And who am I?

My fingers touched the scar beneath her collarbone. It was old. Rough. Healed-but not forgotten.

When did I get this?

A chill crawled up my spine.

In the darkness, my reflection stared back at my through the glass-a stranger in a silk nightgown.

I didn't know where I came from.

But something told me ... I wasn't meant to stay hidden forever.

And one day I find the truth, which I always deserve to know.



Hey readers thanks for giving your time , I hope you enjoyed it .

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Thank you.

Kelly