The grand Kapoor mansion was always filled with laughter, music, and the scent of freshly bloomed jasmine from the garden. Anaya, a little girl with wide, curious eyes and an infectious smile, would run through the hallways, her mother's soft voice calling after her.
"Anu, come back! You'll trip!" Aarohi Kapoor's laughter rang like a melody, warm and comforting.
Anaya giggled, clutching a small teddy bear against her chest. She was only six, but she believed she was fast enough to outrun the world. Her father, Raghav Kapoor, would often scoop her into his arms and toss her in the air, calling her his little princess. "My Anu will rule the world one day," he used to say.
Those were the golden days—before the shadows crept in.
---
One summer evening, Anaya sat curled on the balcony with her childhood friends, Aryan and Abhay. The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink, the sun sinking into the horizon.
"I'll be a superhero when I grow up," Aryan declared, crossing his arms.
Anaya frowned. "No, I will. I'll save people!"
"You can't be a superhero, Anu. You're a girl," Abhay teased.
Anaya huffed, standing up. "Then I'll be something even stronger. Mamma says I can do anything!"
Aryan grinned, ruffling her hair. "Okay, then. If you ever need saving, I'll be there."
Abhay nodded. "Me too!"
Anaya beamed, unaware that promises made in childhood often fade like forgotten dreams.
---
But not all memories were happy.
She remembered the first time she saw her mother cry. It was late at night, and Anaya had woken up thirsty. She tiptoed toward the study, hearing muffled voices. Peeking through the door, she saw her father—his face tense, his voice low.
"You have to let this go, Aarohi. It's dangerous."
Her mother's eyes were red-rimmed. "I can't. Raghav, they—" She stopped, her gaze flickering toward the door where Anaya stood.
"Anu, sweetheart, what are you doing awake?" Aarohi's voice was soft, but Anaya saw the sadness behind her smile.
Years later, she would realize that was the night her mother started fearing for her life.
---
Then came the day everything changed.
Anaya remembered the blood. The shattered glass. The sound of sirens in the distance.
She was only ten when her world collapsed. Her mother was gone. Her father… different. Cold. Distant. He no longer called her his little princess. He barely looked at her.
And Meera Kapoor took her mother's place.
Anaya sat in the corner of her dark room, hugging her teddy bear, the same one she had carried as a child. She wasn't the little girl who laughed in the garden anymore. That girl was gone, just like her mother.
But one thing remained—her mother's last words before everything fell apart.
"Never forget who you are, Anaya. One day, you'll have to fight for the truth."
And so, she would.
---
The next morning, Anaya stepped into the grand lobby of Kapoor Industries. The towering glass structure loomed over the city, a testament to the empire her mother had built—an empire that now belonged to her.
The moment she walked in, heads turned. Employees exchanged curious glances, whispers spreading like wildfire. She knew what they were thinking—*She's back.*
A man in his mid-forties approached her, his expression unreadable. "Miss Kapoor, welcome back. I'm Mr. Sharma, your father's senior advisor."
"Thank you, Mr. Sharma," Anaya said coolly. "I'd like a full report on the company's financials and pending projects. Also, I expect an updated list of board members."
Sharma blinked, clearly taken aback. "Of course, I'll have it sent to your office."
She nodded and strode toward the elevators, her heels clicking against the polished marble floors. When the doors slid open, she stepped inside, pressing the button for the top floor—her mother's old office.
As the doors closed, she took a deep breath.
---
The morning sun cast long shadows over Kapoor Industries as Anaya sat in her office, sifting through a pile of invitations and documents. She had been back for only a few days, yet every moment felt like a battlefield, every interaction a carefully veiled power play.
Her fingers stilled when she picked up a delicate, gold-embossed envelope. The elegant script read: *The Engagement of Avni Kapoor & Abhay Sharma.*
Anaya's breath hitched.
The words blurred as she stared at them, a slow, numbing sensation spreading through her chest. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. *Abhay. Engaged. To Avni.*
She gripped the card tightly, memories rushing back like a tidal wave—
Abhay had been her friend, her confidant, her first love. When Aryan had left years ago, it was Abhay who had been by her side. He had filled the silence Aryan's absence left, helped her through the darkest days when she had no one else.
And then Avni came.
Everything changed.
Anaya swallowed hard, her nails digging into the thick paper. She should have expected this. She had seen it coming, but a small part of her—the foolish, naive part—had clung to the hope that Abhay would never truly betray her.
But here it was. In black and white.
A knock on the door jolted her back to reality. She hastily placed the invitation aside, composing herself before calling out, "Come in."
Her assistant, Priya, stepped in with a stack of files, pausing when she noticed Anaya's rigid posture. "Ma'am, are you alright?"
Anaya forced a small smile. "Yes. Just... old memories."
Priya hesitated but nodded, placing the files on the desk. "You have a board meeting in an hour."
"I'll be there," Anaya assured, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.
As Priya left, Anaya turned back to the invitation. She exhaled sharply and picked up her phone, dialing a number she never thought she'd call again.
Abhay answered on the second ring. "Anaya?"
The warmth in his voice stung more than it should.
"I got the invitation," she said flatly, wasting no time.
A pause. "Anaya, I—"
"Why?"
A deep sigh. "It's complicated."
"No," she snapped. "It's simple. You're marrying Avni. *Avni*, Abhay."
"I didn't plan this," he admitted, voice laced with guilt. "It just... happened."
Anaya closed her eyes, gripping the edge of her desk. "You were supposed to be my friend."
"I was," he murmured. "I still am."
She let out a bitter chuckle. "No, Abhay. Friends don't betray each other like this."
A tense silence stretched between them.
"I never wanted to hurt you, Anaya," he said finally. "But things are different now."
"Yes," she whispered. "They are."
Without another word, she ended the call, staring blankly at the invitation.
Her heart ached, but she pushed the pain down. She had bigger battles to fight.
And if Abhay had chosen his side, then so be it.
She would face this war alone.