Location: Paris, France
Next day -
Ivikaa sat quietly in her office, a mug of strong black coffee warming her hands. The Paris sky outside was still draped in soft shades of dawn, but her mind was already racing. Her sleepless night clung to her skin like perfume - subtle but present.
She stared at the empty space across her desk, waiting. A low instrumental playlist played in the background, but her thoughts drowned it out. Punctuality mattered to her - Maya was never late.
Right on cue, the door creaked open.
Maya stepped in, her heels soft against the wooden floor. "Morning," she said, holding out a sleek, navy-blue folder.
Ivikaa took it, her brow arching skeptically. "That's it?"
Maya hesitated. "It's only partial, Ivikaa. Raha and Devaki Agnivanshi. I'm still working on the rest. The family's a bit... guarded."
Ivikaa took the file with deliberate calm, flipping open the first page. "The fashion ones," she murmured, scanning quickly.
"Yes," Maya confirmed. "Devaki is the daughter-in-law of the Agnivanshi family and runs Agnivanshi Fashions. Raha - the youngest - just graduated in fashion and is stepping into modeling."
Ivikaa closed the file, unimpressed. "Still not enough. This doesn't tell me who they really are."
Maya hesitated for a beat before replying, "They're royalty, Ivikaa. Untouchable. Like you. The kind of people who move in silence and make noise only when they choose to."
Ivikaa's expression didn't shift, but her fingers tapped once against the file. "No one is untouchable. You know how I work, Maya."
Ivikaa leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing as she looked at Maya. Her voice dropped a note - cold, clear, and commanding.
"I need the rest of the Agnivanshi information by end of day," she said sharply. "I don't like repeating myself, Maya. You know that."
Maya gave a quick, understanding nod. "Got it. I'll make the calls."
"Do whatever you have to," Ivikaa added, sipping her coffee. "Yes, Iva," Maya replied, already halfway to the door.
As the door clicked shut, she exhaled sharply. Maya knew one thing for certain - it was always better to drown in work than face Ivikaa's wrath.
By evening, the door to Ivikaa's office creaked open quietly. The sky outside had begun to burn orange, casting long shadows across her sleek office. Ivikaa was still at her desk, black coffee now cold, fingers tapping rhythmically against the surface. Maya walked in, a thick beige folder in hand - crisp, organised, and sealed with a red tag.
"Everything you asked for - and more," Maya said, placing the file gently on Ivikaa's desk.
Ivikaa opened it slowly, eyes scanning the first few pages. Property maps. Offshore holdings. A leaked document. Old press clippings. A blurry photograph from a private party. And most interestingly - handwritten notes about each family member, including whispered rumors and cross-verified truths.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Ivikaa looked up, her gaze sharper than ever. "How did you get this?"
Maya blinked. "I have my ways."
Ivikaa closed the file and leaned forward, eyes never leaving Maya. "No assistant I've hired has ever been this resourceful. Tell me something, Maya... who are you really?"
Maya smiled faintly, almost unreadable. "Just someone who hates being underestimated." Then after a pregnant pause she smirked, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. " Yaa shayad Main kissi ki Maya hoon." she replied smoothly in fluent Hindi.
[Or probably I am someone's illusion.]
Ivikaa raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed. "And how exactly did you find them?"
"I followed the money," Maya replied coolly. "And the shadows. Royals leave both."
Ivikaa let out a low, amused hum and leaned back.
Ivikaa sat back in her chair, flipping through the pages of the Agnivanshi family file with keen focus. She ran her fingers over the details, letting the wealth of information settle into her mind. Each name, each lineage, each trait of the Agnivanshi family seemed to paint a distinct picture. She absorbed every word, every nuance with sharp precision.
She began reading aloud, her voice steady but filled with a quiet power:
Late Samrat Pratap Agnivanshi - Grandfather
A royal patriarch with deep ancestral roots, Samrat Agnivanshi was the custodian of vast lands, majestic palaces, and immense generational wealth. Revered as a symbol of legacy and tradition, he lived a long, regal life before passing away peacefully at an old age, leaving behind a dynasty wrapped in power and pride.
Image attached.
Meera Samrat Agnivanshi - Grandmother
The gentle matriarch of the Agnivanshi family, Meera is soft-spoken, nurturing, and deeply respected by all. She inherited Samrat's wealth and continues to be the emotional anchor of the family, showering love.
Image attached.
Abhay Samrat Agnivanshi - Elder Son
Heir to the Agnivanshi empire, Abhay is a shrewd and power-driven businessman. Possessive of his legacy, he places wealth and control above all. His love for his son, Rudra, is unwavering. For Abhay, business is not just work-it's war. Greed drives him.
Image attached.
Divya Mehta Agnivanshi - Elder Daughter in Law
A former Bollywood starlet, Divya still clings to the glamour of her prime. With her stunning looks and powerful connections through the Agnivanshi name, she continues to bag roles despite fading fame. Her obsession with beauty and public image often takes precedence over family. Beauty is her currency.
Image attached and Instagram handle link attached.
Raghav Samrat Agnivanshi - Second Son
Unlike his brother, Raghav is composed, grounded, and content. Serving as CFO of the Agnivanshi Empire, he prefers quiet stability over the pursuit of power. While he plays a key role in the business, he avoids internal family politics. Peace and contentment are his prized possessions.
Image attached.
Devaki Deora Agnivanshi - Second Daughter in Law
Devaki is a symbol of grace, intellect, and quiet rebellion. Entrusted with a modest fashion house and heirloom royal jewelry by her father-in-law, she transformed it into Agnivanshi Fashions-a powerful brand of heritage and couture. For her, freedom and creative independence are non-negotiable. Well known ethnic brand owner in Bollywood.
Image attached and Instagram handle link attached.
Rudra Abhay Agnivanshi - Son of Abhay & Divya Agnivanshi
The crown prince of the Agnivanshi empire, Rudra is CEO and one of Asia's youngest billionaires. Charismatic in appearance but cold in demeanor, he rules the boardroom with an iron fist. Arrogant, assertive, and unyielding, Rudra mirrors his father's ruthlessness. For him, power is purpose. Business is blood.
Images attached and Instagram handle link attached.
Raha Raghav Agnivanshi - Only Child of Raghav and Devaki Agnivanshi
The youngest gem of the family, Raha is adored by all. Enthralled by fashion like her mother. she's fresh out of fashion school and dreams of conquering the world as a model and designer. Innocent, idealistic, and full of promise, she stands on the edge of a new beginning.
Images attached and Instagram handle link attached.
Adwait V. - Insignificant Family Member. No information Available. No photograph available.
Ivikaa flipped through the final page of the file, her sharp eyes scanning the attached photographs-portraits from public events, candid moments, news clippings. She closed the file with a soft thud, her fingers tapping thoughtfully on its cover.
She glanced up at Maya, who stood attentively across the desk.
Without emotion, Ivikaa asked,"What's missing, Maya?" It's very rare that Maya couldn't get her hands on.
Maya smirked and leaned slightly forward, tapping the closed file with her index finger.
"Everything's there. Rudra... is looking fucking ravishing, no lies there. I also went through his Instagram profile." She shrugged casually, then added with more weight,
"Devika Agnivanshi. She's the one you're looking for."
"It's Devaki Agnivanshi not Devika.", Iva corrected in her sharp tone.
Maya placed another file on the table, neatly labeled "Ethnic Fashion Week - Mumbai Chapter."
Ivikaa, already sipping her second black coffee, glanced at the cover with mild curiosity.
"What's in this?" she asked.
Maya opened it carefully, revealing photographs of dazzling couture-hand-embroidered lehengas, intricately draped sarees, temple-style jewelry, and runway shots capturing the regality of each ensemble.
"Devaki Agnivanshi's work," Maya explained, eyes flicking across the pages. "Every single creation was top notch. You can feel the royalty. And Raha... well, she stole the show. She looked stunning in everything. Crowd loved her."
Ivikaa scanned the photos silently-Raha walking the ramp with effortless grace, draped in her mother's revived vintage designs, shining like the princess of a forgotten empire.
"We don't do this," Ivikaa said coldly, her gaze sharp. "Why doesn't Iva Fashion House have collections like these?"
Maya leaned back and replied with calm clarity:
"Because this is pure Indian. Traditional. Rooted in culture. Iva Fashion House was built on Indo-Western and global styles. Minimalist silhouettes, fusion lines-your vision."
She flipped another page-gold-polished waistbands, vintage silk threads, real rubies stitched into fabric.
"Also, the Agnivanshis aren't just designers, Iva. They're royalty. They didn't just create this-they inherited it. These pieces are legacy. We can't replicate that unless we dig deep into tradition."
Ivikaa didn't respond immediately. She stared at a photo of Devaki, poised and composed beside Raha, both exuding elegance and command. Just as Ivikaa closed the file, her fingers resting on the photograph of Devaki and Raha, Maya's voice sliced through the silence.
"Guess what I found?" She turned the screen towards Ivikaa.
On it was a week ago post-Raha, radiant in an effortlessly chic Indo-Western ensemble, blending regal embroidery with modern tailoring. Her expression was soft but confident, her stance mirroring Ivikaa's signature pose from a magazine feature years ago
The caption read:
#BiggestInspiration #IvaFashionHouse #MyIdol #Iva #BiggestFan #AgnivanshiFashions
Ivikaa blinked once, her expression unreadable.
"Well... that's unexpected. Send me her Instagram handle link along with her mother's" she said, her voice cool as steel. But her eyes lingered on the screen a second longer than they should have.
Maya smirked.
"Seems like the crown she 'snatched' was in your name all along."
Ivikaa didn't smile-but the corner of her mouth twitched, just faintly.
A flicker of something sharp passed through Ivikaa's eyes. Thoughtful. Precise. Dangerous.
She picked up her phone, unlocked it swiftly, and navigated to the Iva Fashion House offical Instagram handle. With the grace of a seasoned player making her first move on a chessboard, she went to Raha's latest post-the one celebrating her Ethnic Fashion Week win.
The screen glowed as she typed:
@Agnivanshi_Raha Congratulations, Raha!
-Posted via @IvaFashionHouse
She hit post, locked the phone, and leaned back in her chair with a slow, sinister smirk.
Maya's eyes widened. She gasped, practically squealing:
"No way, Iva. You didn't just do that."
Ivikaa didn't look at her. Still staring at the now-public comment, she sipped her black coffee and said coldly:
"Let the game begin."
Ivikaa smirked, feeling satisfied with her little move. She sat back, sipping her black coffee, when suddenly, her phone pinged. A notification popped up-Raha had tagged her in a story. Intrigued, Ivikaa opened it.
"My idol just noticed me!!! šš @ivafashionhouse @ivikaavirenambani_
#DreamComeTrue #BiggestInspiration #RahaManifestedIt"
The story spread like wildfire.
Maya raised an eyebrow, her voice tinged with concern. "So, you're really going to compromise your morals and use an innocent child?"
Ivikaa took a slow sip of her black coffee, her eyes narrowing slightly. "No, Maya. Raha follows me, and she takes me as her idol. She wants this. It's not manipulation-it's just influence."
She leaned back in her chair, her smirk never fading. "Anyways, we're not working in the Indian market. Let's just drop it. We got what we wanted."
Maya still looked skeptical but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But what now?"
Ivikaa looked at her phone, then typed a quick message. "Just drop her a DM that if she ever wants any help, she can email us at maya@ivafashionhouse.com."
Ivikaa's phone buzzed, pulling her attention away from her thoughts. It was a message in the family WhatsApp group. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the image attached-Virya had hurt his hand. The wound didn't look like an accident; it seemed deliberate, and the blood was enough to make her frown in concern.
Without wasting a second, she dialed Virya's number, but it went straight to voicemail. Panic began to rise within her, and she quickly called Vayu instead. The phone rang a few times before he finally picked up.
"Vayu! What happened to Virya?" she demanded, her voice edged with anxiety.
"He got into an accident while racing," Vayu replied, his tone distant but concerned. "Lost control of the bike and ended up hurting his hand pretty badly."
"Racing? What the hell were you all thinking?" Ivikaa's frustration bubbled up. She could already feel her temper rising.
"He'll be fine, but there's more. He got into a fight with someone at the track..", Vayu continued, his voice strained.
Ivikaa's chest tightened. "A fight? What happened?"
Vayu hesitated before answering. "It wasn't anything major, just a bad argument. Virya's been under a lot of pressure lately, with the project loss and everything, and then this. He's... he's in a bad place right now."
Ivikaa's heart sank. She had always prided herself on being a strong, independent force-someone who moved through the world with her eyes on the prize. But this-this was different. Her younger brother, the one she'd always protected, had been falling apart without her. She had been so focused on her work, on her own goals, that she hadn't noticed the cracks forming in her family.
Her eyes narrowed with resolve. "I'll handle this. I'll talk to him once he's sober."
She ended the call with Vayu, but her thoughts were still swirling. Ivikaa looked out the window, her gaze distant. "I've neglected them, Maya. I've let this obsession with work take over. And now my brother's hurt. He needed me, and I wasn't there."
Ivikaa's gaze lingered on Maya, and she could see the disapproval in her eyes. It was subtle, but the weight of it was undeniable. Maya was looking at her as though she had just crossed a line. Ivikaa's mind raced, and a sense of unease crept up her spine, confirming the gnawing feeling of guilt she had been trying to suppress.
Before she could speak, Maya silently stood up and began closing the files, methodically removing everything from the table and placing the papers in neat stacks. The once chaotic mess of information was now perfectly ordered, a sharp contrast to the chaos brewing inside Ivikaa.
She watched in silence, the room growing heavy with unspoken words. When Maya finished, she placed the last of the files neatly in a drawer, the sound of the drawer sliding shut cutting through the stillness.
"Can I say something to you?" Maya asked in soft tone. Ivikaa nodded her head now absent mindedly playing with paper weight.
Ivikaa looked up slowly, the weight of Maya's words settling in her mind. She stopped fiddling with the paperweight, her fingers frozen mid-motion. There was something in Maya's tone that resonated deeper than any business deal or empire-building speech she had ever heard.
"Jab ghar apna hota hai na toh deewar pe lagi silane bhi apni hoti hai aur chhat se tapakta paani bhi," Maya said, her voice low and gentle. "Aur agar waqt rehte marammat na karao na toh ghar purana ho jata hai. Aur purani chize dhire dhire zindagi se nikal jati hai."
[When the house is truly yours, even the cracks on the walls are your own, and the water that drips from the roof is part of your life," Maya said, her voice low and gentle. "And if you don't fix it in time, the house becomes old. And slowly, those old things start fading away from your life.]
Ivikaa's gaze dropped to the paperweight again, her mind processing Maya's words. Her fingers tightened around it, a mix of emotions rising within her.
After saying this, Maya turned to leave, but Ivikaa's voice stopped her.
"You spoke in Hindi twice," Ivikaa said, her voice sharp, her eyes fixed on Maya in an almost interrogative manner.
Maya paused, realizing what Ivikaa meant. A playful grin spread across her face as she shrugged nonchalantly. "It's just one of my many Mayas," she joked, her tone light.
Ivikaa's lips curled into a small smirk, but her eyes were more observant than before. She knew Maya had her layers, and she wasn't so easily fooled.
Ivikaa leaned back, her gaze playful but sharp. "And Maya, don't try to fucking act all smart now. You still haven't answered my question," she teased, her tone laced with mock frustration.
Maya raised an eyebrow, confused by the shift in Ivikaa's demeanor. Before she could respond, Ivikaa tossed the file at her with a flourish. "There is no fucking detail about Adwait V.," she declared, her tone more serious now.
Maya caught the file, her confusion deepening. "Adwait V.?" she repeated, still not entirely sure why Ivikaa was so focused on him. "But he's not exactly... a key player in the family. You want details on him?" she asked, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in priorities.
Maya furiously sifted through the papers, her fingers flipping through each one as she searched for any clue on Advait. But after a few minutes, she threw her hands up in exasperation. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she muttered, frustrated.
Ivikaa couldn't hide the teasing smirk that played on her lips. "So, there's something even you can't get your hands on, Maya?" she said, her voice dripping with amusement.
Maya rolled her eyes, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "Probably it's Adwait ki maya," she replied, her tone light, as if mocking the elusive nature of the man in question.
Maya let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I'll find it myself," she muttered, determination in her voice. She grabbed her phone and began typing away furiously, searching through every corner of the internet. But as the minutes passed, the results remained the same-nothing. No information, no photos, not a single trace of Adwait V.
Her frustration built up with each failed search. "What the hell?!" Maya snapped, tossing her phone down onto the desk. "This guy's like a ghost! How does someone like him not exist anywhere online?"
Maya leaned back in her chair with a teasing smirk, her arms crossed. "Well, even my private detective couldn't dig up anything on him. So, there is something even you can't get your hands on, Iva," she said, her tone dripping with playful mockery.
"Jokes apart, he is really insignificant one. Just like Smoke to Silk"
With this Laughter echoed in the office.
ā§ ā¦ ā§
Author's Note:
If this story moved you, even just a little - please don't forget to vote, comment, and share!
Your support means the world and helps this story reach more hearts. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments - even a single word makes my day. š¬āØ
Write a comment ...