Sekhawat Palace
Ranvijay
I was gulping down the alcohol while sitting in my room. I have never felt my room or bed that much empty the way I am feeling right now. Every day I came back to my room to welcome myself with emptiness. I haven't removed her leftover dresses from my closet since she left. Those bangles are still left in front of the mirror where she used to sit to get ready. The same nuptial chain was left by her. The only thing of mine that she had with me was the pendant. I don't know whether she had thrown it away or not. I haven't removed mine. Every night I toss and turn to get accustomed to the sudden rush of being left alone. I try to sniff the bed sheet or the pillow of her to get her smell. How could she just forget everything that happened in between us? Since she had left I became more ruthless according to Randhir. I looked at the picture kept on the wall in front of my eyes. Our wedding picture. She looked angry but we were looking made for each other in that picture. I opened the contact list. It's been one fucking year, and neither she, nor me, no one had called each other. Sometimes I used to trail my fingers over her picture to touch her. Sometimes my fingers hover over her cell number to press the dial button. But every time I stop myself with the guilt of being a big failure. I failed miserably when it came down to protect her from my own enemies. I couldn't save her when she got abducted. I couldn't stop her when she was taken aback by her brother. I couldn't oppose my father when the divorce paper was made. How could I? She got married to save Solankis whereas her own mother was betrayed by her own biological father. None of our family members had ever married a mafia girl but I did unknowingly. Of course keeping her could bring more enmity towards my family and my gang as per father's thought. And it's true somewhere. Just for my sake I couldn't be that much selfish to put everyone's life at stake. I can't deny my responsibility and duty towards the Takht and our people. But should I sacrifice that much? What about leaving Takht and making Randhir the power in charge? Maybe that's a way me and Myra could live a different life away from all these Mafia businesses.
Randhir was right. I should have at least tried once. Maybe we both could be strong enough together to protect each other's loved ones. As the thoughts were creating their own story my finger slipped to the dial button. A part of me stopped my hand to disconnect the call. I knew that she wouldn't pick it up. But to my surprise someone picked up the call. I looked at the screen. The timer was showing the seconds as the call was being picked up.
"Jay.....” The same Italian accent with a calm tone reached my ears as I held the cell phone close to my ear. I wanted to speak but more precisely I wanted to listen.
Sicily, Italy
Myra
I looked at the calendar when I woke up in the morning. Tomorrow is my anniversary. I couldn't believe my sudden decision to get married a year ago. The heart breaking part of this marriage was nothing but our ups and downs. We hated each other in the earlier days of our marriage. We doubted each other, fought with each other and eventually when we fell in love but fate played a different game. We were forced to part our ways. I kept the divorce paper intact just to listen directly from Ranvijay at least for once. But with time I understand that I am dragging an already dead relationship. I don't know how his days are going on. I kept mine blocked with numerous works, business deals, fighting and killing. Sometimes Arthur used to come to my room to ask me if I wanted some rest or a day off. The more I am becoming ruthless the more he is feeling guilty. But I am failing to make him understand the depth of the situation. No matter what today or tomorrow I have to take up this thing. Anyhow I am already in the hit list of our rivals. Especially Xavier whose father was killed by mother. He was involved with human trafficking and women prostitution which my mom hated most. Somehow he got to know that I am still alive.
The day went well. I did my best to avoid my wedding memories. I remember how I said "I don't" vow after that marriage. Maybe God had heard that very carefully. But I don't have that much regret. Every time I touch the pendant I feel his touch on me. Our memories kept flooding in my mind throughout the day. Finishing my meetings I sat inside my cabin when I heard Arthur's knock on my door. 
"Hey..." Arthur spoke in a little shaky tone. I understood his clumsiness.
"Hi... You want to talk about a new shipment?" I made his work easy. I knew he got to know my wedding date.
"Hmm yeah. Just checked that. Any news of Xavier?"
"That bastard is currently in Poland with some hot chicks. But we have blocked his weapon deal."
"Nice. Well... I was thinking...." Arthur stopped midway and stood up to leave.
"You were thinking to console me." I looked at him and spoke in a calm tone.
Arthur stopped in his tracks and came near me. I was still seated on my chair. He stood in front of me. 
"I didn't know you had grown up so much. Come on, give me a hug." 
I walked towards him hearing his sentence and ended up being in a bone crushing hug. 
"Yes. I have grown up long back, just sometimes the heart doesn't grow up. But in our world the heart doesn't have such values." I kept my head buried in his big chest like a small child.
"You can talk to him if you want. But sending you there is like putting you in a lion's den. Don't ask me to do that. You are an adult but I can't keep you there with those bastards." 
"You don't need to, brother." I didn't have any intention to move my head from his chest holding and crushing his expensive suit. I remember my high school days. One boy from my class bullied me and I was on the verge of crying while sitting on a bench in the ground. Arthur came towards me and saw my gloomy face. I cried so much that he was totally confused. He was struggling to console me and today I wasn't crying but I was sure that he was struggling too.
"Stop spoiling my expensive suit. By the way, it is a gift from my girlfriend." He chuckled while saying that.
"Which one? Your 30th girlfriend?" I raised my head to look at him.
"Oh. Dad.... He can't keep a single information to himself."
"When are you getting married?" My question made him startled a bit.
"Only when you will be happily leading a secured and settled life. Have you talked to Ronan?"
"Yes."
"Thank god. I thought you would be mad at him. Can you keep a small secret?"
"Yes."
I was mad at him for hiding his connection with you. "Yes, tell me the secret." I added it again.
"He loves you. He has loved you since he saw you."
I slapped my forehead with my palm. 
"Arthur............." 
"It's ok. He was afraid to accept that because of my fear. But you can think of it." Saying that Arthur ruffled my hair and left me with a large no of questions. It's true that Ronan was the first person with whom I had spent a lot of time in Italy. I remembered when I left for India I felt a sudden rush of pain in my heart for him. But my few months of relationship with Ranvijay turned the table. It's true Love and Hate both are equally intense feelings. No one knows when they can interchange their places.
I was already submerged with one love and now Ronan's feelings towards me created another turmoil. Should I just give it a thought? Maybe people would call me a bitch. But sometimes we are not lucky enough to have our one love by our side. 
"Love happens only once, rest is just life" - anonymous
I am getting that bit by bit. For me the love had already happened, now I just need to accept life. I saw guilt in Arthur's eyes for bringing me here. Yes he had threatened them but they had also decided to stay back. 
It was 7:30 p.m. when I was going through some documents after dinner. My phone started buzzing and when I noticed the caller ID my eyes widened like never before. Am I dreaming? It couldn't be him. In all this fucking year he had never called me. Now all of a sudden he was calling me. I was pissed off enough to disconnect the call but something stopped my hand. I tapped the answer button and replied,
"Jay......." 
Both of us were silent. Only our breathing was heard by each other. It felt like an eternity for both of us. I could hear the silence around him but the storm inside him was making me mad. Was it the same as me? Why did he call me? Should I ask? Or I should to wait for him to speak?
"Hey...." We both spoke together like rehearsed prose. We both became silent for seconds then the actual content hit me harder.
"Happy anniversary." One word from Ranvijay's mouth made me run away from everything. But the restraints around me were too strong to let me go. I have my responsibility towards my family. Not every time Arthur would be put under pressure because of protecting me. 
"I thought you had signed the divorce paper. So the wish doesn't hold any validity." I told him the fact knowing that it would hurt him. But my anger and my ego overpowers everything.
"And I believe you haven't signed those papers. So you are still my wife."
"Wrong. You have signed them. You are still my husband but I am no longer your wife." I knew that I spoke the dumbest word out of blue. A divorce can't be decided like this but do we ever have a choice? 
"Come back Myra. I promise I will protect you like anything. It won't take a minute to declare a war against your Moretti family. I would ask Arthur if he doesn't agree I won't mind taking you out without his permission. But will you agree? I can't force you. You know that." He spoke all this in one go. 
"And that's why you have signed the papers without discussing with me?" I found his raging voice but I was angrier than him.
"Have you discussed earlier also? Since you left , have you ever taken a chance to know what I felt?"
"Did I have the chance? How would you feel Jay if you get to know you have lived your 22 years of your life with a lie? How would you feel if you got to know that the thing you hated most is the past, present and future of yourself?"
"I know things were not easy. I was blinded by my ego and anger too but...
"But what about Jay?? Tell me. What can we both do? Remarry again? Or just shred the divorce paper?"
"Do anything. But let's just start together Myra. For us."
"Do you understand the meaning of starting together? Forget about your enmities, I have my own enmities. They would be mad at you and they won't mind hurting you or your family. Do you think it's a wise decision to just think of us? Our fight would never end as long as we are alive. We can't be together at least for both of our sake. I can't risk your life."
"We can fight together. We can die together."
"And in this process our loved ones would suffer. It's not a romantic story to draw a perfect happy ending Jay. It's a harsh reality. We have nothing in common except our Mafia business."
"If I drop my throne and pass it to Randhir and then if I ask you to do so? Can we run away to a faraway private Island? To spend the rest of our life together. There will be no Mafia business, no enmity, nothing."
"We both have responsibilities towards our family. Running is not a solution. And when we both will be done with our responsibilities trust me we will be old enough. We won't have that strength to run."
"Let's get old together Myra." His pleading voice pierced through my heart.
"You are too consumed with love. I believe you are drunk enough. Let's accept this harsh reality. We can't be together."
"You can't do this Myra. You are a heartless woman."
"I know. Happy Anniversary Jay. You need to sleep now. Stop drinking that much." I disconnected the call after saying that. I was not able to have that conversation anymore. I was hurt by his words. He called me a heartless woman. I wish he could have seen how much my heart bleeds everyday just for him. But I am bound. How can I forget the call from Xavier?