Dedicated to ElaineCastello, Thank you for that long review:)

Nivin.

I whistled as I walked downstairs. Everything looked bright, In fact, my mood never has been this pleasant in all of my stay here.

I have a reason to hang on now.

I have Riya!

Even though grandpa wanted to humiliate me by marrying the lower status-according to him, Riya is the best thing I have hoped for.

I know I have to get married since it's a written rule in our family business, now that I have accepted it, I couldn't even think of anyone else rather than Riya to spend the rest of my life with.

Spend the rest of my life with!?

That inner voice echoed inside my head.

Okay, I care about her too much, so what?

I accepted it too, the fact that I am in love with her, more than my control, unlike my plans.

I never thought I would feel like this about anyone, especially not after Nirosha and the funny fact is, I didn't feel this even for Nirosha, the feeling for her was comfortable but the feelings for Riya is surprising, out of my control and almost fierce! shocking myself to the core.

I still can't believe it's our marriage within weeks! I would have freaked out and run the other way if it was before. Marrying Riya doesn't feel like it, It's almost like I am looking forward to it!

You should as well admit that you are hopeless Nivin!

That voice reminded me again.

"Where's Riya?" I asked. Auntie Alice was preparing the breakfast table with Kamala.

"Oh, she said she has something urgent to do, she left early," Auntie Alice said.

"What?" I frowned, I don't recall anything.

"It must be really urgent because she asked me to postpone the dress fitting," Auntie Alice said, not too happy.

I could say she was looking forward to it. she always wanted a girl to dress up and to roam around for shopping.

What's so urgent that she even skipped breakfast for?

I dialled Riya's number, but her phone was off.

That girl! she knows how to make me worried!

Riya.

"I want to see her, now," I said.

The nurse considered me for a moment.

"It's urgent," I said, stressing my point.

"She's sleeping, she was not since the past week"

"What happened to her? why didn't you tell me!?"

"It's just mild fever, not dangerous"

"I want to see her, now"

"This way," she said, probably not wanting to put up with me.

Five minutes later I was in her room. she was still sleeping peacefully.

I missed her so much!

It was because of her I survived the orphanage. She was the only one permanent for me, no one else remained beside me for long.

I kissed her forehead softly. "I miss you, Mamma" I whispered.

She looked pale, but she was still beautiful without any makeup and fancy clothes.

I looked over at the corner where she had her box with her belongings from the orphanage.

My heart started to beat faster. I never tried to open that box before. I never had to worry about it.

Things are different now! I have to confirm it before deciding what to do.

I walked near, my heart was hammering in my chest, but I have to know.

I touched it slowly, taking a deep breath, I lifted up the top.

There was an envelope inside, I opened it with shaking hands and slowly pulled out the photos inside it.

My heart stopped.

It's them!

Julia, James and a five-year-old cute boy.

Neev!

There was no mistaking it, I have seen the old portraits in the family. I know James from the photos.

I couldn't believe this innocent, cheerful boy is Neev! with no idea of his dangerous future.

I shivered.

What's going on? they said Julia ran away, that she's living abroad!

I looked at her pale face, my heart constricted in pain.

Oh God! She has been imprisoned here all these time! for 20 long years! I can't believe Joseph Aldrick could be so cruel!

Yes, I know it's him, I know only he is capable of doing something so evil like this!

My eyes were stinging, Tears flowed down as I opened a box to find her wedding ring that she hides all these years.

Then there was this small toy metal bike, I have a very good idea to whom it belongs to, then there was another album with lot and lots of pictures of the baby boy in various stages of his life.

She had collected up to his 7th birthday pictures, but there was nothing after that.

The death of James must have had such an impact on her! Any sane person would go crazy if they are locked up too.

It was pure injustice! I cannot allow this, no, Iam going to reveal everything, I am going to tell Neev that his mother is still in India, locked up all these years.

I took the envelope and kept it in my bag.

I am going to show this to Nivin. I can't keep his mother from him.

I looked one last time to the tired and sleeping Mamma.

I will get you out of here, I promise!

I turned to the door and gasped.

"Hand me that bag," the security guard was in the way. I gripped my bag tightly.

"She...she's my Mamma, I am-"

"Can't you hear me? Give it to me, NOW" he sounded dangerous.

"You are not...you are not...a...hospital staff, you are new"

"That's right, I am here on special duty, now that we are clear about these, hand me your bag and you can go"

I know it's the only thing that I can show Neev, I have no other evidence with me, on the other hand, I know that I can't beat him.

I raised up the bag and slowly walked to the door near him. I placed the bag in his outstretched hand and the moment he eased a little, I grabbed it and ran out.

"Hey! stop right there!" he shouted after me. I didn't stop, I could still hear him chasing after me.

"Aaah" I was suddenly pushed to the wall, both of my hands were forcefully opened as the bag was taken away.

"No!" I shouted.

"Riya Mehra" The familiar voice sent chills down my spine.

"Philip!" I gasped.

"That's right, you are to follow me now, chairman wants to see you"

Anger bubbled inside me. I was so mad, In fact, I had never been this mad before.

People were giving me terrified looks, I can't blame them since one of the security guards from mental health was chasing me.

"Fine, I want to see him too," I said angrily.

Joseph Aldrick.

I never thought this will happen when it's only a few days from the wedding.

Everything was going as planned until this, she has to find out now!

Good thing I placed a guard in the hospital.

I heard the door being pushed open and a very angry looking Riya entered.

"I am going to tell him! you kept his mother away and locked up for the past 20 years!" she said acidly.

"You don't know what exactly happened-"

"I don't want to know anything, you can just explain to him, you-"

"I am afraid you wouldn't like to know the story, Riya Mehra, If Nivin where to find out about his mother, you will be more affected"

"I don't care anything, whatever you are going to do, you can't stop me" she looked mad.

Well...It's time to take the most important card.

"I have been through similar situations a lot before reaching here, Do you think a little girl like you can stop me?" I glared at her. "And the one who's going to be in trouble is not me, It's you!"

"What do you mean!? I am close to her, she is as good as my mother, but that doesn't mean I knew who she really was!" she exclaimed.

I laughed. "Yes, I suppose you didn't know, but your father did girl, It was him who took Julia away from his best friend," I said pleasantly, enjoying the shocked look on her face when I mentioned her father.

"Yes, you heard it right, your father is Anil ragunad, you are not Mehra, your father changed your name to keep you out of trouble"

"I...I don't believe this!" she whispered, her face pale.

"And do you want to know the most interesting thing? Anil Ragunad is none other than your most trusted person in this world, your guardian, your Uncle Ananth" I laughed.

"No!" She shook her head, denying it. "Don't lie to me!"

I laughed again. "From the moment I knew about you until now, I have been collecting information and I was right, I have solid evidence that you are ragunad's daughter," I said.

I opened the locker and threw her all the papers I have been working on, Including the DNA report.

Yes, I was preparing for it for a long time, To be more specific, I had been preparing for it from the moment I know he hid his daughter to protect her!

The director of the city hospital helped me to get his DNA when Anil died there.

I wanted to save him at all costs first because I wanted to torture him myself, but when he died, I had no way but find his daughter.

I was searching for her the past years but I found her after his death, I would've found her sooner if it was not for Anil who hid her in my own orphanage.

He's clever, yes, he's very clever, but I did find her at last, And the first thing I confirmed when Riya come to stay at Aldricks was this DNA test, It was easy to get a strand of her hair.

"See...you can confirm it," I said smugly. "And what happened to Julia was his fault, he ran away with her!"

She was still looking shaken, but she raised her head at my words, her eyes filled and red.

"This is fake, I don't trust you, you can't manipulate me anymore!" she said fiercely.

"Why do you think I took all the pain to bring you here? why do you think I was following you all these time? Do you really think I'm someone who might have time to do all of these if you were just anyone? No, you are his daughter and now that he's gone, you are going to suffer for him!" I narrowed my eyes at her.

"James died because of your father and I am going to destroy you now"

"Uncle Ananth would never do that" She whispered.

"Everyone knows that your father did that, In Fact, for someone who abandoned his daughter in an orphanage all these time, It's quite possible," I said.

Yes, I did it, she is looking shaken, she was now going through the papers with shaking hands.

"You are the most cunning and manipulating person I have ever seen, just wait, I know Uncle Ananth, he's not such a person, I will bring everything out, I will prove you wrong," she said firmly.

I noticed that she's still refusing to acknowledge the fact that Uncle Ananth is Anil Ragunad, her biological father.

Instead, she's challenging me.

The nerve of this girl!

I controlled my anger. I am going to teach her a lesson.

"Do whatever you want, the moment you tell Nivin about his mother, she is going to disappear forever"

She looked at me incredulously. "Are...are you threatening me?"

"I don't make empty threats Ms.Ragunad, now decide what you want to do, you have no choice but marry that boy quietly"

"Why do you want us to get married?  you want to emotionally ruin him, you are such a coward" she said, glaring at me

"I'm not going to do it, I'm not getting married and I am not coming back here!" she said firmly before running out.

"Sir," Philip, who has been in the shadow stepped forward. "I will take care of her"

"No, let her be, I'm sure she will come back," I said smugly.

"Why did you disclose her about her true identity?"

"It was going to be revealed in a couple of days anyway," I said. "when everyone knows about her true identity after their marriage, all the directors and shareholders will refuse to work with Neev since they all know the story of 20 years ago," I said.

Everyone knows it was Anil Ragunad who caused James's death.

I will never forgive him, I will get my revenge!

"Nivin will never be able to get up again from this betrayal," I said confidently.

I turned to the envelope that Philip brought back.

I pulled out the photos, I stilled for a moment when I watched it.

These photos! she was collecting it!? why would Julia collect the pictures of her family that she abandoned?

Riya.

I was still unaware of my surroundings, I just kept on going forward.

Uncle Ananth is my real father?

Uncle Ananth is Anil Ragunad? James uncle's best friend?

I heard the loud horns and people shouting at me when I crossed the road, but I was still not aware of my surroundings.

By the time I reached the church, I was sweating and panting.

I walked through the headstones and reached there at last.

"Ananth" I read the name engraved on the stone.

My tears started to fall and I collapsed in front of it.

"Uncle?... Are...are you my dad? Is it real?" I trembled as I talked to him. "Why did you hide your identity? Is it...for me? why did you tell me to abandon you in that hospital? why did you do that?" I sobbed.

The first and last time I met him was on his deathbed when he asked me to take Priya to another hospital and get out of there.

I had thought those people were trying to kill Priya then, I had no idea that he was trying to hide my identity until the end.

"Even...even in your death, you wanted...to be...someone else?" I trembled as I read his name again.

My heart wrenched in pain.

He was fighting all these time, He couldn't even reveal his identity in front of me!

I understand so many things now. why he was not ready to show himself, he had promised to meet me on my 25th birthday, he must have planned to reveal everything by then, but fate was too cruel because he was on his deathbed when I saw him.

I know he's not a person who would betray his best friend, I know it! my Mamma too, she will never do that!

And now, It's my duty to expose it, I'm going to reveal everything, I want to protect my Mamma, I want to protect Neev and I want to protect what my Dad was fighting for, even sacrificing his life.

I have to make sure that my dad's death is not in vain.

"Dad...I...I promise...I will...be safe... I will protect...my loved ones...I promise, I...I will...be strong and I will not allow...all of your...efforts to go waste" I wiped my eyes.

"I know...I know it's not you, It's not you or...Auntie Julia, I trust you...you are not..mthat kind of a person.."

"Dad...stay..stay with me, I am going to fight him back...help me protect Neev and Mamma" I whispered.

Nivin.

'The number you are calling is switched off-"

I slammed the receiver down. I was in my office and in the middle of important work, but something keeps bothering me.

I cannot still reach her, I was trying to call her since morning but her phone is switched off!

"Anything wrong?" Sachin asked.

"It's nothing," I said, turning back to work.

We have started working together now, we have our own little team, which included Sachin, Rohan and another three newbies.

I was actually lucky to get Sachin Dixit and Rohan as they were really good and already have a lot of connections.

"You better take care of Riya, you know how grandpa play games," Sachin said.

I didn't reply, I am already tensed about her.

Where's she?

"She has poor eyes for guys, Anyway I respect her decision, I want her to be happy too," Sachin said slowly.

I stilled.

"Respect her decision? what do you mean? you confessed to her?" I asked.

My heart was beating fast.

"No, " Sachin said. "she said she likes some looser" he added while typing busily. "she missed a great guy like me, what can I say, her loss!" he shrugged.

Riya told him that she likes me!?

My mood elevated a bit. I know that she likes me, but I am still glad to hear this.

I looked at Sachin.

I know it must've been difficult for him because I know he had sincerely liked her too.

"Sachin..."

"You better treat her good, Nivin, don't let me regret this," he said. "And where's Rohan? he is too busy these days" he added, changing the subject.

He doesn't want to talk about it.

I nodded. "I know, he seemed to be on some secret mission," I said. "I don't know what exactly is going on, but I think it's something to do with Naina," I said.

"Right, Nirosha told him about visiting Naina as his fiancée, I thought Rohan is too quiet after that, he must be planning something," Sachin said.

I sighed.

"Whatever it is, I hope he won't get into trouble"

My phone started to ring again, It was Auntie Alice.

It's unusual for her to call me!

"Hello?"

"Neev, Do you know where Riya is? we were supposed to meet by evening in the cake shop but she's not here yet" Auntie Alice said.

"She's not back yet?" I asked, I am uneasy about this! It's not like Riya to be irresponsible like this!

"No, I couldn't reach her and I thought you would know," she said slowly.

"I will call you back," I said as I disconnected the call.

Riya is missing?

Her phone is switched off!

Is it Grandpa again?

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