"Robin, wait!" Priya's voice cut through the drizzle, sharp and urgent. She dashed out of the villa, her simple white top and jeans clinging lightly to her frame, catching the glow of the gate's floodlights. Her face was flushed, her eyes pleading as she grabbed his arm. "Please, don't go. Meera's just Ignorant—I'll handle her. Stay, for Tara's sake. Her voice softened, trembling. Robin paused, his smartwatch buzzing, Tara's tear-streaked face flashed in his mind, his five-year-old anchor, the reason he'd left His Previous Life. "Ok," he said, his voice Calm. Priya's was relieved "Sorry again," she said, stepping back inside the house .
The Lakeside Villas in Banjara Hills glowed under Hyderabad's monsoon drizzle, their glass facades shimmering like Tollywood sets awaiting a showdown. The air was thick with jasmine and wet earth, the tension crackling as Meera Reddy's voice echoed through Priya's villa, sharp as a Charminar blade. "You're not staying here, Robin Seth!" she snapped, her vibrant dress a burst of color against the marble floors. "A divorced nobody in my sister's home? You'll ruin her!"
Meera's eyes blazed, her beauty a youthful echo of Priya's, but her words carried a fierce protectiveness. Priya was Hyderabad's jewel, a woman whose charm drew suitors from Gachibowli to London. Meera had sworn to Naga's heir—the underworld's golden boy, whispered to rule Banjara Hills' shadows—that she'd guard Priya's reputation. Robin, a washed-up ex-husband, was beneath her sister, a toad daring to touch a swan.
"Meera, enough!" Priya's voice was ice, her simple white top and jeans catching the villa's soft lights. Her face darkened, a rare fury surfacing. "Robin's divorced, and he's staying here. Apologize—now!" Her loyalty to Robin, forged when he saved her from a trafficking ring a decade ago, burned fierce. She'd waited years for this chance, and no one—not even her sister—would derail it.
Meera's jaw dropped. "Apologize? For him?" Her voice rose, defiant. "Priya di, you've got men Rich heirs chasing you—Hyderabad's top dogs! Why this loser? His wife kicked him out for a reason. He's probably scheming to leech off you!" She turned to Robin, eyes flashing. "What's your game, Seth? Seduced my sister with some cheap trick?"
Robin stood calm, his smartwatch buzzing as his AI-driven Ayurvedic app tracked his steady pulse, a mark of his Master level control. His Fighting Style instincts hummed, but he kept them leashed. "I'm here because Priya offered," he said, his voice cool as a Hussain Sagar breeze. "I don't need to justify myself to you."
Meera's face twisted, but before she could retort, slap! Priya's hand met her cheek, sharp and sudden. "Apologize, Meera!" Priya ordered, her eyes blazing. She'd doted on Meera, her rebellious younger sister, making up for their rough past, but this crossed a line. Robin was her anchor, her savior—she wouldn't let him be slandered.
Meera's eyes welled up, her hand on her stinging cheek. "You hit me? For him?" she choked, disbelief shaking her voice. "You've never raised a hand to me, Priya di! This man's poison!" She glared at Robin, tears streaming, then bolted upstairs, slamming her third-floor door.
Robin sighed, turning to leave. "I'll find another place, Priya."
"No, Robin, please!" Priya grabbed his arm, her voice trembling with urgency. "Meera's just confused. I'll talk to her. Don't go." Her eyes were earnest, pleading. "Stay—for Tara. You'll be closer to her here. If she's in trouble, you'll know first. And…" She hesitated, her voice softening. "I owe you, Robin. Let me repay you by helping you rebuild. Please."
Robin's gaze softened, Tara's tear-streaked face flashing in his mind. His daughter was his north star, the reason he'd left the underworld as Don Robin. Staying near her mattered more than Meera's tantrum. "Fine," he said, nodding. "For Tara."
Priya's face lit up, and she hugged him tightly, her warmth catching him off guard. "Thank you, Robin!" she said, then stepped back, her grin playful. "My room's third floor, first on the left—door's always open." Her tone was teasing, but her eyes held a spark of hope, tempered by respect for his boundaries.
Robin coughed, shifting his gaze. Priya's charm was undeniable, her beauty honed to rival Aisha's, but his heart, bruised from a decade with Aisha, wasn't ready. "Goodnight, Priya," he said, heading to the second-floor room she'd assigned.
Inside, he paused, stunned. The room was a mirror of his tastes—minimalist bed, sleek desk, even a cricket-themed speaker system tied to his X account. Priya had crafted this space for him, a silent testament to her devotion. A warmth stirred in his chest, but he pushed it down, sitting cross-legged on the floor. His breathing deepened, a rhythm honed by his Fighting Style. Ten years ago, he'd been a Siddhi-level master, unmatched in Hyderabad's underworld. Now, a new breakthrough stirred—black flames flickered in his mind's eye, his energy surging past Siddhi into something mythic. The divorce, painful as it was, had unshackled him.
Across the villas, Aisha sat by Tara's bed, her daughter's soft snores mingling with the patter of rain. "I'm not wrong," she whispered, her resolve hardening. "Tara's mine. I'll build her an empire, not let her wander with Robin." But Anna's words—you don't see how incredible he is—gnawed at her.
The next morning, Priya's villa buzzed with tension. Meera, in a silky suspender dress that hugged her curves, sashayed past Robin at breakfast, her eyes glinting with mischief. "I'm watching you, Seth," she said, waving a fist. "One wrong move, and I'll call in favors to bury you. I know people—big people." Her plan was set: seduce Robin, expose him as a creep, and save Priya. It was a game, and she loved the thrill.
Robin, eating dosa with a steady hand, didn't look up. "Save your energy, Meera," he said, his tone dry. "I'm not here for drama."
Priya, in a sky-blue floral dress that turned heads, laughed. "Meera, behave. Robin's a guest." She shot him an admiring glance. "You look ready for the marriage office. Let's not let Aisha outshine us."
Meera rolled her eyes. "Priya di, you're stunning, but him? Aisha dumped him for a reason. She's one of Hyderabad's top beauties, like you. Ten years with him? She's a saint."
"Meera!" Priya snapped, her glare sharp. "Eat your breakfast."
Outside, Vikram waited by Aisha's villa, his suit crisp, hair slicked back, ego inflated. Seeing Priya and Robin emerge, his eyes lingered on Priya's elegance. She's into me, he thought, misreading her playful glance as flirtation. She's using Seth to make me jealous. His ambition surged—to claim Aisha, her empire, and now Priya, stealing everything from Robin.
Aisha stepped out in a sleek black dress, her beauty cold and commanding. Anna trailed behind, her voice urgent. "Aisha di, think twice. Ten years with Robin—does that mean nothing? You're making a mistake!"
Vikram's face darkened. "Enough, Anna. Let's go, Aisha." He steered her toward his car, glaring at Robin.
Aisha faced Robin, her voice clipped. "Got your documents?"
Robin nodded. "All here."
"Good," Aisha said, her tone icy. "I thought you'd beg or dodge the registry office. At least you've got some dignity left."
"You're overthinking it," Robin said, his voice flat, his app pinging a stress alert he ignored.
Aisha's eyes narrowed. "This marriage was a mistake from the start. Today, it ends."