The marriage registration office in Banjara Hills stood sleek and modern, its glass walls reflecting Hyderabad's monsoon drizzle like a Tollywood drama set for a climactic twist. The air carried the tang of wet pavement and filter coffee from a nearby café, mingling with the electric tension among Aisha Seth, Robin Seth, Priya Reddy, and Vikram Malhotra. The hum of traffic and the distant pulse of Gachibowli's nightlife underscored the moment, a city poised for secrets to unravel.
Aisha's laugh was light, almost carefree, as she stepped out of her car, her black dress hugging her curves with icy elegance. "Why should I care who Robin's with?" she murmured to herself, her confidence a polished blade. Today, she'd shed the weight of a decade-long marriage, reclaiming her freedom. Robin's cozy act with Priya? Pathetic. A desperate ploy to cling to her shadow. Her heart, she told herself, was done with him.
Priya, in a sky-blue floral dress that caught the office's fluorescent glow, smirked beside Robin, her arm brushing his. "Aisha di's in high spirits," she teased, her voice dripping with Hyderabad sass. "Guess freedom suits her. Too bad it's wasted on Vikram." Her loyalty to Robin, forged when he saved her from a trafficking ring, burned bright, her playful jabs masking a deeper hope.
Robin's face was unreadable, his smartwatch buzzing, his app tracked his steady pulse, a mark of his control. His instincts—honed, ready but restrained. "Let's get this done," he said, his voice as cool as Sea breeze, avoiding Aisha's gaze.
Inside, Aisha and Robin faced the clerk, their documents sliding across the counter with clinical precision. "Divorce filed," the clerk said, stamping the forms. "One-month cooling-off period begins today. Return then for the certificate." The words landed like monsoon rain, final yet lingering.
Outside, Vikram seized his moment alone with Priya, his suit crisp, his grin oily. "Priya, Aisha's over Seth," he said, leaning closer. "Your little act with him? It's not fazing her. You're wasting your time." His eyes roamed her dress, misreading her confidence as interest. "Pick the right guy to make her jealous, you know? Someone like me."
Priya's laugh was sharp, a velvet blade. "Oh, Vikram, you think I'm playing for Aisha's attention?" she said, her eyes glinting. "I'm with Robin because I choose to be. But nice try—your ego's almost cute." Her thoughts churned—how could Aisha fall for this sleaze? Vikram was no First Love; he was a walking red flag.
Vikram's heart raced, misinterpreting her tease as a green light. "Let's exchange numbers," he pressed, his voice low. "Keep it quiet from Aisha. I'll smooth things over between you two later." His mind spun with fantasies—Priya and Aisha, both his, a double conquest to crush Robin.
Priya smirked, adding his contact. Idiot, she thought. Vikram's intel could keep her ahead of Aisha's moves, ensuring Robin stayed hers. "I'll think about kicking Robin out," she said, dodging his question about her and Aisha's rift. "But you and Aisha—how's that going?"
Vikram's face tightened, his charm faltering. He hadn't even held Aisha's hand, her cool distance a wall he couldn't breach. "We're… progressing," he lied, his voice strained. "Once she's free of Seth, we'll be official." His real plan? Pivot to Priya if Aisha stayed cold. She seemed more… attainable.
"Best of luck, hero," Priya said, her tone mocking, her eyes catching Robin and Aisha emerging.
Aisha nodded at Vikram. "It's done. One month, then the certificate."
Vikram exhaled, his grin smug. "Good. Too long, but we'll manage. Just watch out for Seth—he's slippery." He glared at Robin. "Don't ghost us this month, Seth. I'm watching you."
Robin ignored him, his gaze drifting to the rain-slicked horizon. Memories of Aisha—her laugh, their early days—flashed and faded, dust in the wind. His heart, once tethered to her, was free, his focus now on Tara and a new path.
"Robin, wait!" Aisha called, her voice sharp. She pulled a check from her purse, 10 Crore rupees, and thrust it at him. "You refused 5 Crore, so take this. It's my last gesture—you're Tara's father. Leave Hyderabad. This is enough for a new life, a new woman. Don't go back to your old ways."
Robin met her eyes, his stare piercing. Aisha shifted, uncomfortable under his gaze. "Stop being stubborn," she pressed. "This isn't humiliation. I want you to be okay, not scraping by in some underworld gutter."
Robin's laugh was low, bitter. The Aisha he'd loved, the one he'd sworn to protect, was gone. This woman—cold, condescending—was a stranger. "You don't get it, Aisha," he said, his voice steady. "From today, we're nothing to each other. Keep your money. But when your empire crumbles, and you're begging, I'll toss you 10 Crores—as thanks for this moment."
Aisha's face flushed, fury sparking. "You? Bankrupt me?" she scoffed. "You think you can outdo my wealth in a year? Or steal Tara's custody? Wake up, Robin. This isn't your fantasy world."
Vikram jumped in, his voice venomous. "Exactly! Don't give him a paisa, Aisha. He's after Tara to bleed you dry with child support. He's a leech, using her as a golden ticket. Shameless!" His veins bulged, his outrage half performance, half fear of Robin's resolve.
Aisha's eyes narrowed, buying Vikram's lie. "Tara's a pawn to you, isn't she?" she hissed. "She cried for you all night, and you'd use her like that? You're no father."
Robin's gaze darkened, his calm cracking. "Believe what you want," he said, his voice low, lethal. "But hear this, Aisha: if Tara suffers—if anyone in your family dares harm her—I'll tear your world apart. That's a promise."
Aisha laughed, cold and sharp. "You're delusional. And since you're so confident, let's make it official." She pulled a notepad from her purse, scribbling furiously. "A bet. One year. If your assets don't surpass mine, you forfeit Tara's custody—no contest. If you lose, you leave Hyderabad for good. Sign it."
Robin's eyes flicked to the paper, a spark of his Don Robin fire flaring. "And if I win?" he asked, his tone deceptively calm.
Aisha smirked. "You won't. But name your terms."
"You'll beg me to take Tara," Robin said, signing the paper with a flourish. "And you'll admit you were wrong—about everything."
Priya's grin was electric. "That's my Robin," she said, her voice a mix of pride and mischief. "Aisha di, you're in for a rude awakening."