The prank that broke him
519 Words
ð Chapter 13: The Prank That Broke Him
The Raichand mansion had seen many storms.
Gunfights. Betrayals. Enemies kneeling in fear.
But today, it witnessed something differentâsomething colder than bullets and sharper than knives.
The silence of a man who had just lost his world.
---
Dev Raichandâs phone rang in the middle of a high-stakes meeting.
Normally, he never picked up during these.
But this callâĶ it was from his sister.
He answered. Calmly. Coldly.
âWhat is it?â
But her voice was shaking.
âBhaiâĶ AanyaâĶâ
His fingers tightened around the phone.
âWhat about her?â he asked, voice razor-sharp.
A pause. Then a whisper.
âSheâs goneâĶ the car explodedâĶ I-Iâm sorry bhaiâĶâ
---
The world tilted.
Dev didnât breathe.
Didnât blink.
Didnât speak.
He just stood.
Then walked out of the room in utter silence â the kind that terrified everyone.
The kind that came before a m******e.
---
His guards followed him.
His enemies forgot how to breathe.
Even his most trusted man asked, âBossâĶ should we confirmââ
âNo,â he said. âTake me to her. Now.â
His voice was so broken, it didnât sound like Dev Raichand anymore.
---
When the car screeched to a halt outside the house, he stormed inside like a man possessed.
And there she was.
Alive. Smiling. Sitting on the couch. Watching Doraemon.
âAanya?â he whispered.
She turned. Lit up.
âDev! Youâre home earlyââ
She didnât finish.
He crossed the room in three steps, grabbed her tightly, and buried his face into her neck like a child clinging to safety.
âYouâre okayâĶ Youâre okayâĶâ
His voice broke. His breath shivered.
---
She was stunned.
âIâIâm fineâĶ What happened?â
He pulled back. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with unshed tears and the fury of a thousand wars.
âWho told me you were gone?â he asked darkly.
She blinked. âDiâĶ it was just a prankâshe didnât meanââ
His jaw clenched.
He turned.
Walked straight to his sister, who had peeked in with a sheepish smile.
âBhai, sorry! It was just aââ
SLAM.
His fist hit the table beside her.
âYou call that a prank?â
---
His voice echoed through the mansion.
Everyone froze.
He wasnât Dev Raichand, the Mafia King, right now.
He was justâĶ a husband.
A man.
A man who had imagined a life without her for two terrifying minutes.
And that was enough to break him.
---
Later that night, Aanya crept into their room.
He was sitting on the floor, shirt off, head resting on his arms.
She knelt in front of him. Touched his cheek.
âIâm here,â she whispered. âIâm not going anywhere.â
He didnât say anything.
Just pulled her into his lap and held her like he never wanted to let go again.
---
And in that silence, she heard it.
His heartbeat.
Faster than usual.
Like even now, he couldnât believe she was real.
- Writer
