~Author's Pov~
Five years away in London had polished her name, sharpened her presence, and built her walls.
But the moment Kiara Simha stepped back into Mumbai, all the pieces of her past waited at the door.
The gates of the Simha estate opened like the pages of an unfinished story. The house was still warm with chaos and comfort - the only kind of mafia family where the word family still meant something.
"Kiara!"
Her mother, Maya Simha, ran down the steps barefoot, arms outstretched, her voice soaked in joy.
Wrapped in a soft cotton saree and love, she embraced Kiara as if seven years hadn't passed. "Meri jaan... I told your father, she'd come back before the monsoon!"
"I missed you so much, Ma," Kiara murmured, inhaling the scent of sandalwood and turmeric that always meant home.
Inside, her brothers were waiting - Sahil with his usual teasing smirk, and Kartik practically tackling her for the London chocolates. Her father, Sunil Simha, stood quietly behind them, holding her favorite coffee. No lectures, just pride in his eyes.
"I hope Mumbai's big enough for a superstar," he said gently.
"Let's find out," Kiara smiled, stepping inside.
Everything felt right.
Almost everything.
By evening, her room was a mess of laughter, hugs, and bags of snacks. Tara Arora, Myra Sharma, and Divya Roy - her soul sisters - had shown up like they always did: loud, loyal, and loaded with gossip.
"We're planning a party," Divya said. "Kiara's back and single - the world should know."
"Oh god," Kiara groaned. "Please don't set me up again."
"You might like him," Tara teased. "Unless you're still secretly not over-"
"Don't," Kiara warned.
The name they didn't say filled the room anyway.
Ishaan.
The man she once loved more than breathing.
The man she caught in a betrayal that shattered her.
The man she hadn't seen - or spoken to - in seven years.
"No one's seen him much lately," Myra said quietly. "He's changed. Rumors say he's more dangerous than before."
Kiara looked away. "Good. I'm not here for him."
And she meant it.
She had returned for a film shoot, a new campaign, and maybe a little bit of healing. What she didn't know was that the world she thought she'd left behind... hadn't left her.
Somewhere else in the city, in a darker part of town, Ishaan Malhotra read her name on a file his men had just dropped on his desk.
She was back.
And so was the danger.
Write a comment ...