AUTHOR'S POV:

1997

It was a dark, rainy night. Thunder rolled across the sky and lightning lit up the palace of Udaipur again and again. The wind howled as if it already knew what was about to happen.

That night, the death of Raja Sujamal Ranawat was announced to the public.

Soon, the kingdom had to choose its next king.

King Sujamal had two sons, both excellent in every way, which made it difficult to choose one as the future ruler. But an incident that occurred within the palace changed everything. It made the choice easier—because in the royal family, nothing was ever as it seemed.

Vikram Ranawat, the elder son, was found killing his father, who was none other than Raja Sujamal.
And the one who saw it with her own eyes was his own mother, Rani Revati.

A mother saw her son commit a terrible crime.
But the truth never left the palace because a mother never wants to lose her child, even if he is the worst.

What Vikram did was never told to the people. Instead, it was announced that Raja Sujamal died of a heart attack. The real story was locked inside the royal family forever.

Rani Revati decided to hide her son's sins, but as his punishment, the crown was given to Rajendra Ranawat, the younger son, and Vikram had to leave the palace and all the royal rights, because she could never forgive the murderer of her husband.

Vikram chose to accept every consequence and submit to Rani-sa's command—but not without a condition that he would return after twenty-eight(28) years, not alone, but with his family. And his son would stand with equal claim to the throne.

Rani- sa accepted the condition as the small child had no hand in the bad deed of his father.

To satisfy the public, another story was told. It was said that Vikram did not want the throne. He had decided to leave the palace, give up his royal life, and go far away to build his own business.

The people didn't accept this story; they asked numerous questions, but in the end, they were all silenced.

Vikram's name was never removed from history, but his life was pushed into the shadows. His family existed, yet no one knew about them. The royal family chose silence over truth.

And somewhere beyond Udaipur, the storm that night, which had been silenced, was not over yet.

---------------------------------------------------------------

2025

Udaipur—a prosperous city steeped in history, rich in culture, and standing as a timeless symbol of royalty. The kingdom was ruled by the Ranawats, a royal lineage forged by warriors, whose legacy was written in valor and bloodshed on the battlefield.

The people loved their rulers, but they feared them even more. That fear kept the kingdom rich and free from crime. No one dared to break the rules or question the laws. Every order given by the royal family was followed without a word, heads bowed and hearts heavy with silent fear.

Then there was Shivansh Ranawat, the next heir to the crown. He had a charming personality, a sharp mind, and every decision he made brought profit to the kingdom. Handsome beyond measure, which made him the most desired man in the country. Yet beneath all that perfection was a ruthless and merciless soul. The people feared him more than the king himself. He was the very definition of a true devil.

SHIVANSH'S POV:

It was 7:00 in the morning when my alarm rang. I woke up at once. I never liked wasting time.

After finishing my morning routine, I changed into my gym clothes and went to the palace garden. The garden was huge and silent, filled with fresh morning air.

I started with a slow jog along the long paths to warm up my body. The cold air filled my lungs, and I welcomed the feeling.

After the jog, I went to the palace gym. It was large and well-equipped. I trained hard, pushing myself without stopping. Pain never bothered me—it reminded me of control and strength.

Once I was done, I went to the kitchen and drank a glass of milk.

"Good morning, Shiv," my mother said.

My mother, Meera—the Queen of Udaipur—was nothing like my father or me. She was sweet, caring, and kind toward people. She runs many NGOs across Rajasthan and is mostly busy with social work and helping those in need.

Her sweet voice always washed away the stress from my mind. She wakes up early every day, bathes, and prepares my milk herself. There are workers for everything, but she always says she likes doing it for me. After that, she does her pooja and then scolds me for not taking a shower yet, because I had missed the aarti again.

"Morning, Mom," I replied and started walking back to my chambers.

"Shiv!" she called.

I turned back.

"Your dad asked me to tell you to meet him in his office chamber before breakfast," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He has something to tell you," she replied with a bright smile—happier than usual. That smile made me uneasy, as if something was going on behind my back, plus she didn't even scold me for not showering early today.

"Okay," I said and went back to my chambers.

I took a cold shower, washing away the sweat. Then I changed into my office clothes—neat, sharp, and perfect.

I walked straight toward my father's office chamber, just as Mom had told me he wanted to speak with me.

I knocked on the door, and a voice came from inside.

"Come in," my father said.

My father—Rajendra Ranawat, the King of Udaipur—always wakes up early with Mom. Every morning, they do yoga together in the backyard of their chambers, followed by aarti with Mom. He is always a true gentleman with Mom.

After the aarti, he goes straight to his office chamber. There, he reviews important files that need his approval before being sent to the Royal Command Office, which oversees the application of passed commands in the entire kingdom—its cities, districts, and even the smallest villages.

Once that work was done, he heads to the Royal Court, where every matter is discussed. Strategies were planned, future deals are reviewed, and decisions for the kingdom's development are made. As even in modern India, the jurisdiction of Udaipur remained in our hands.
(This is a fictional setup showing how the royal family still holds authority in their kingdom.)

I opened the door and sat in front of him, nodding without a word. "Good morning, Dad."

"I have something important to talk to you," he said, without wasting a second. I admired that about him—always straight to the point, no unnecessary words, no wasted time.

"It's time to get you married." There was no question in his tone, only an order.

I already knew. It was the right time. Vikram uncle would be back soon, bringing Yuvraj to claim the throne. Twenty-eight years had passed, and the game was about to change.

Dad had always told me to be perfect in every way—no mistakes, no weak points, no background that could be used against me. I would not be the only one fighting for the crown. Yuvraj's arrival meant a challenge, and a strong marriage with a male heir would strengthen my position—make my claim unshakable.

I knew it was coming, and I was already prepared. Marriage had never been about love, feelings, or choice. For me, it was always strategy—a tool. A deal.

"And for you, I have found a match. She is the daughter of Yashvardhan Kapoor of Ranakpur, an old associate of the kingdom. He is the highest taxpayer in the region and the biggest landlord in Ranakpur.

I've gone through all the details about his daughter. She is beautiful, well-mannered, and her family background is perfectly suited to your image—and to you." he continued.

"Okay," I replied. He didn't need to ask—he knew I had no questions. I had been prepared for this my entire life.

"We will go to Ranakpur this evening to confirm the marriage and hold the engagement," he said. "There will be no delays. You will be married tomorrow at our palace. All the muhurats have been fixed, and the decorations and shopping are already being handled by the workers and event managers there."

I nodded as okay in answer.

"Come on, let's go have breakfast. I have a very busy schedule today," he said, rising from his seat. I followed him silently as he led the way to the dining hall.

We had breakfast, and I headed to the office.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Knock knock.

"Come in," I said.

Jay, my assistant, walked in carrying a stack of files.

"What is this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Boss, these are all the files you need to sign. I've checked everything twice—it's all correct. I'll leave them on the table. But I have something more important to tell you," he said, his tone serious.

I leaned back, curious.

"I got all the information about Vivek," he continued. "He works at RNT Medical College Hospital as a doctor."

Vivek Bhati—he used to work as a field doctor at our mine site, but he left a few months ago. During a recent audit of the medical department, a major discrepancy appeared in the finances—expenses had been five times higher than normal for six months of the financial year.

When people looked deeper, the truth came out: Vivek had been using the supply of chemicals—meant for legitimate work under our name—to buy materials for producing heroin. He was selling it to a major drug gang. But a month ago, the gang was caught and arrested.

Vivek had left his job to ensure no one could trace the crime back to him. I dug into the matter thoroughly and discovered all the details, but I didn't inform the police because he had made a mistake doing everything under my company's name, and that was enough to make him pay also, I want to find other drug dealers and gangs involved.

Before going to look for him, I completed all the office work, and it was almost 3 pm, and I had to go back to the palace by 4 pm and leave for Ranakpur, so it was the time I settled the matter with that Vivek.

"Prepare the car. We're leaving right now," I ordered, making my way to the parking lot.

I got into the car and drove straight to RNT Medical College Hospital.

Once there, I instructed my men to bring Vivek to a quieter, more discreet location nearby.

---------------------------------------------------------

They brought him. I was already standing there, watching his face closely.

He was forced to kneel, hands raised, with a gag in his mouth. Every detail of his expression was clear to me—fear, desperation, and the faint hope that he could still talk his way out.

Before I got infront of his face I put on my mask. I never left any evidence behind—no one could ever connect anything to me.

I walked towards him.

I knelt in front of him and pulled the gag from his mouth. He was breathing fast, eyes wide with fear.

"Tell me," I said, my voice cold, "how long have you been doing this? Who else is involved? Every detail—now."

He hesitated for a moment. Then suddenly, 

he jumped up. A scalpel flashed in his hand, and he slashed my arm. Blood began to flow.

I didn't step back. If anything, it made me angrier.

My guards grabbed him immediately. I took the same scalpel from his hand and walked toward him. I placed the blade against his throat, close enough for him to feel the cold steel.

Just then, a sound came from behind.

I turned—and saw a girl standing there.

I saw her face clearly. She was scared, her body frozen, but there was something unreal about her. She was beautiful in a way I couldn't explain. Her eyes spoke more than her face ever could. Before I could react, she turned and ran.

It was good that I was wearing a mask, but I never leave loose ends.

We cleared the place at once. I ordered my guards to lock Vivek in the garage and not give him even a drop of water.

Then I went back, this time without the mask, to find the girl and see if she recognized me. But I couldn't find her in the college or anywhere near the  hospital.

Then I went to that discreet location, and what I saw was different from what I had seen!

She hadn't run away.

She had returned to the same place with security guards.

She was brave enough to come back.

I didn't approach her. Instead, I clicked her photo from a distance. From that moment on, she would be watched closely by my men—until I knew exactly how much she had seen.

Vibrate.

My phone buzzed. It was my father.

I stepped away and answered the call.

"Come back to the palace immediately," he ordered. "It's time to leave for Ranakpur. I won't tolerate any excuses. I want you here in fifteen minutes."

The call ended.

I looked at my watch, and it was 4:25 already, and I realised why dad was so strict on the phone.

I couldn't approach her because of that call, but before leaving, I called Jay. I told him to find out everything about the girl. As a reference, I sent him her photo.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I hope you are liking it. Keep reading.

Please vote, share, comment, and follow me for updates!

Thank you!