Isha walked into the palace with a smile still lingering on her face. The happiness she carried from work vanished the very next moment.

Her smile was instantly replaced by fear when she saw her mother-in-law hurrying towards her, panic clearly written across her face.

"Isha, beta! Where were you?" Amrita asked anxiously. "I didn't even have your number to call you... You're late."

"I'm sorry, Ma. Work got delayed," Isha replied apologetically before asking in a small voice, "Is... Maharaj home?"

Amrita nodded.

"Yes. He returned almost two hours ago and went straight to his office."

Isha swallowed nervously.

"D-Did... did he ask about me?"

"No, Isha." Amrita gently held her hands. "But I know my son. He definitely noticed your absence." She looked towards Abhyansh's office before turning back to Isha. "Go to him immediately. Apologise before he points it out. Go."

"Okay... I'll keep these bags in my room and then—"

"No." Amrita interrupted her immediately. "Go right now. I'll keep these bags with me until you return." Her eyes then fell on the shopping bags. "You went shopping?"

A bright smile unknowingly appeared on Isha's face.

"No, Ma... My boss gifted me these casual clothes she designed." She smiled excitedly. "And... I even got a bonus of twenty thousand rupees! Can you believe it? I designed a saree, and everyone liked it so much..."

For a brief moment... she completely forgot about the fear that had gripped her just seconds ago.

Amrita nodded nervously and nudged Isha

"Very nice beta... Now go."

Isha nodded. The excitement on her face slowly faded as she turned towards her husband's office. With every step she took... her heartbeat grew louder.

Before she could even enter the room... his voice reached her.

"Come, Maharani."

The sarcasm dripping from his tone sent a chill down her spine. Fear instantly returned. She frowned in confusion. He couldn't even see her from inside. Then how did he know she was standing outside?

Little did she know... the faint sound of her anklets was enough for Abhyansh Singh Ranawat to recognise her presence, even from deep inside his office.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped inside.

"I-I'm sorry..." she stammered, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. "Work got delayed... I won't repeat it. Please forgive me."

"Close the door."

His cold command echoed through the room. Her eyes widened.

Without daring to look at him, she quietly walked towards the massive wooden doors and closed them.

"Lock it."

Her heart skipped a beat. Silently praying to every God she knew to keep her safe... she locked the door. The click of the lock echoed loudly in the otherwise silent room.

Abhyansh slowly began walking towards her. Each measured step... felt like the approach of a predator towards its prey.

Her heartbeat became so loud that she could hear it herself.

"M... Maharaj..." she sobbed softly. "I'm sorry... Please forgive me... Please..."

She didn't know why she was so terrified of him. He hadn't even raised his voice yet. But his mere presence... his aura... was enough to scare the living daylights out of her.

He stopped right in front of her.

"Where were you?"

His voice was low. Dangerously cold.

"I... I was at the office." She spoke in a trembling voice, still staring at the floor. "I promise... I'm not lying."

"You defied my orders." The words fell heavily between them. "You deserve a punishment."

The moment she heard that... her heart sank. The first thought that crossed her mind wasn't about the punishment itself. It was that... he would never allow her to go to work again. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"M... Maharaj..." Isha pleaded through her tears. "I want to work... please." She folded her trembling hands before him. "I won't repeat this again...Please... forgive me."

Not even an ounce of her pleading melted him.

"Bring that."

He pointed towards a file resting on the shelf. Isha immediately nodded and stepped forward to retrieve it. The moment she took a step... Abhyansh deliberately stretched his foot into her path. She lost her balance and fell hard onto the floor.

A sharp cry escaped her lips as both her palms landed on the broken shards of glass scattered across the marble floor. The jagged pieces pierced deep into her skin. Blood immediately oozed from both her palms. Ignoring her cries of pain, Abhyansh bent down until he was at her level. 

His rough fingers gripped her face mercilessly, his nails digging painfully into her cheeks.

"I'll see..." His cold voice echoed through the room. "...how you design clothes with these palms."

He glanced at her bleeding hands before releasing her face. Tears streamed silently down Isha's cheeks as she kept her gaze lowered.

Without another word, he straightened himself and walked back to his chair.

"Clean the mess." He resumed his work as though nothing had happened. "And get out."

He knew she had gotten late because of work. As punishment, he wanted to make sure she couldn't design for at least a few days. Every time she looked at the injuries on her palms, she would remember to return home on time.

Suppressing her sobs, Isha slowly pulled the glass shards out of her palms one by one.

She then tore a strip from her dupatta and wrapped it tightly around both hands to stop the bleeding. Ignoring the excruciating pain shooting through her injured palms, she carefully cleaned every piece of broken glass from the floor. Only after ensuring the room was spotless did she quietly leave.

The moment she reached their chamber, she rushed into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed behind her, her strength gave way. She collapsed onto the bathroom floor and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. For nearly five minutes... she simply cried. Eventually, she gathered herself.

Wiping away her tears, she slowly began cleaning the wounds on her palms. Since both hands were injured, even the simplest task became painfully difficult. Every touch made her flinch. Yet, she patiently cleaned the cuts, applied medicine, and wrapped fresh bandages around them.

When she finally looked at her injured hands... a faint smile appeared on her lips. At least... he hadn't stopped her from going to work. That thought alone gave her enough strength to push aside the pain.

Encouraging herself, she freshened up, changed her clothes, and headed downstairs to help Amrita.

The moment Amrita noticed the white bandages wrapped around both of Isha's palms, worry clouded her face.

"Isha..." She hurried towards her. "What happened to your hands?"

Isha instinctively looked away.

"I... fell." She forced a soft smile. "I didn't notice the broken glass pieces, so..."

Her voice trailed off. Amrita looked at her silently. She understood exactly what had happened. Unable to hold herself back, she pulled Isha into a tight embrace.

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Isha." Her voice quivered with guilt. "Please forgive him."

Isha immediately shook her head.

"No, Ma." She gently held Amrita's hands. "Please don't say that." A smile appeared on her face despite everything she had endured. "I'm just glad... He didn't take away my freedom. I can still go to work."

Amrita looked down at the bandaged palms and gave her a sorrowful smile.

"But you can't work."

She gently held Isha's injured hands. The words made Isha's smile falter for a brief moment. Her eyes instinctively dropped to her bandaged palms. But only for a second. The disappointment vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

She smiled again with the same unwavering optimism.

"I can explain the designs to Reetu. They can work on them. and Oh!" she said suddenly, her eyes brightening. "I didn't tell you about Reetu, did I? Come, Ma... I'll tell you all about her while we cook."

Amrita nodded with a smile, though her eyes remained moist. Watching Isha smile so effortlessly after enduring so much pain made her heart ache even more. Silently, she thanked God for sending Isha into her son's life. She only prayed... that her son realised Isha's worth... before it was too late.

"You can't cook with those hands," Amrita said gently. "I'll prepare dinner today."

"But, Ma..." Isha looked at her innocently. "It's my duty, isn't it?"

Amrita smiled and shook her head.

"No worries." A faint sigh escaped her lips. "He's the one who gave you those injuries. He deliberately made sure you couldn't work. So he already knows you won't be able to cook either." She gently squeezed Isha's shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

With that, Amrita began preparing dinner while Isha happily stood beside her, enthusiastically narrating everything that had happened at the boutique.

She spoke about Ragini... about Reetu... about the saree she had designed... about her first customer... and about the bonus she had received.

Amrita quietly listened with a smile. She knew her son was cruel. But she knew he wasn't cruel enough to expect Isha to work with the very hands he had injured himself. Abhyansh had never been empathetic towards anyone's pain. But he was proud—far too proud to undermine the punishments he chose to inflict. If he had injured Isha's hands to stop her from working, he certainly wouldn't expect her to cook as well.

At least... that was what Amrita believed. But this time... she was wrong. When it came to Isha... her son's cruelty surpassed every limit she had ever imagined.

"Ma!" Isha suddenly exclaimed, remembering something. "I forgot to tell you. Today, Avyan dropped me at the office."

"Avyan?" Amrita looked at her in surprise.

Not only had Isha addressed her younger son by his name instead of calling him Devar sa, as she addressed everyone else by their traditional relations... 

but Avyan himself had clearly said he wouldn't drop her.

"How?"

"Yes, Ma." A smile spread across Isha's face. "He asked me to call him by his name. And do you know what happened after that?"

Excitedly, she narrated everything that had happened on the way to the office... carefully leaving out only one part— the truth about being confined within the Rajput Palace for more than fifteen years. When she finished, Amrita frowned slightly.

"If you didn't have money, you should have asked me."

There was a hint of reprimand in her voice.

"Ma, I did." Isha hesitated before continuing. "Actually... Maharaj gave me some money. I just forgot to take it with me."

It was only half the truth.

"Abhyansh gave you money for your expenses?" Amrita asked, visibly surprised.

Isha nodded with a small smile.

"Yes. I asked him... And he gave it to me."

She conveniently hid the part where he had thrown the bundle of cash at her face. Amrita looked at her thoughtfully but chose not to ask any further questions.

Just then, one of the staff informed them that dinner was ready. A few minutes later, the entire family gathered in the dining hall. As always, everyone waited quietly. Soon... Abhyansh walked in. The moment he entered, everyone rose to their feet. He took his seat at the head of the table. Only then... did everyone else sit down.

Amrita took her usual place beside Abhyansh to serve him. The moment everyone's eyes fell on the white bandages wrapped around Isha's palms...they understood what had happened. No one asked her to serve him dinner that night. Amrita quietly picked up the serving spoon instead. But the moment she did... Abhyansh shot her a sharp look. He didn't utter a single word. Yet, even without meeting his eyes, Amrita felt the weight of her son's furious glare.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"A-Abhyansh..." She struggled to find her voice. "Her hands are injured... I'll serve you just for today."

"Everyone..." His cold voice echoed across the dining hall. "Do your own duties. Not someone else's."

The command left no room for argument. Amrita's shoulders slumped. Silently, she stepped aside. Isha immediately took her place. Every movement of her injured hands made her wince. Amrita's eyes filled with tears as she watched Isha struggle to hold the heavy silver serving spoon. The heat from the freshly prepared food seeped through the metal, making it even more painful for her wounded palms to bear.

Rajmata Devyani Devi... Avyan... Even Pratap... watched the scene with heavy hearts. They all knew one thing about Abhyansh. He never punished a person over his punishment. Once he decided upon a punishment... it ended there. But today... he himself had injured Isha's hands. And now... he was forcing her to work with those very injuries he gave her.

Even they hadn't expected this from him.

"Maharaj..." Rajmata Devyani Devi finally spoke. "Please allow your mother to serve dinner today."

Her eyes lingered on Isha's blood-stained bandages. The sight alone was enough to distress everyone present. And the pain... was every bit as unbearable as it looked.

Every time Isha tightened her grip around the heavy silver spoon, it felt as though the wounds on her palms were being torn open all over again. Tears streamed silently down her face. She couldn't even wipe them away. Both her injured hands were occupied... struggling just to lift the heavy utensil without putting too much pressure on the cuts.

"Enough."

Abhyansh's voice sliced through the room. Instantly... silence descended upon the dining hall. No one dared utter another word. 

As though nothing had happened, he looked towards his younger brother.

"Why were you late today, Avyan?"

His wife continued serving him in silence while he waited for the answer.

"I..." Avyan swallowed nervously. "Bhai sa... I'm sorry... I..."

He mentally cursed himself for stammering.

"The truth." Abhyansh's voice remained low. Calm. Deadly.

Avyan knew that tone.

His brother was only a heartbeat away from exploding.

"I... went to drop Bhabhi sa." He quickly corrected himself. "She lost her way, Bhai sa."

Despite the throbbing pain in her palms, Isha felt bad for her brother-in-law. He had only helped her. But what came next... hurt her far more than that.

"Bhabhi sa?" Abhyansh's eyes turned ice cold. "Who the hell asked you to address her like that?" His voice thundered across the hall. "I haven't accepted her as my wife. And I never will. To me... She is nothing more than a maid." His gaze remained fixed on Avyan. "Do. Not. Address. Her. As Bhabhi sa. Again. If I hear that word from your mouth one more time... I'll cut off your tongue."

The roar made everyone at the dining table shudder. Isha's vision blurred. A sob escaped her lips. She immediately lowered her head further, desperately trying to muffle her cries before anyone could hear them. Without another glance at anyone... Abhyansh resumed his dinner.

The moment Isha finished serving him, he picked up a morsel and placed it in his mouth. The very next second... he hurled the plate onto the floor. The loud crash echoed through the dining hall. Everyone flinched. Silence gripped the room once again. No one knew what had gone wrong now.

Abhyansh slowly looked around the table.

"Whose duty was it to prepare the food?" His voice was terrifyingly quiet. 

The question itself was enough to send fear through everyone present.

"M... Mine," Isha answered, her voice trembling with fear.

"I... I asked her not to cook. Her hands are—" Amrita hurriedly tried to explain, but before she could finish... Abhyansh cut her off.

"You will prepare dinner again in thirty minutes." His voice was low and Cold.

Isha immediately nodded.

"Y-Yes, Maharaj."

Without wasting another second, she hurried towards the kitchen. Inside, she took the first-aid box from one of the cabinets. She carefully wrapped another layer of white bandage around her injured palms before pulling on a pair of kitchen gloves. The slightest movement sent waves of unbearable pain shooting through her hands. But she ignored every bit of it.

She couldn't bear another punishment today. She couldn't afford to be late again. Working as quickly as her injured hands allowed, she prepared fresh parathas... rice... dal... and curry.

Once everything was ready, she asked the servants to carry the dishes to the dining hall. Before anyone could question the food... she served herself a small portion from every dish and tasted each one. Only after making sure everything was perfect... did she serve Abhyansh. Five minutes later... everyone resumed dinner. Abhyansh ate in complete silence. The rest of the family followed.

The food was delicious. Perfectly seasoned. Yet... except for Abhyansh... no one could truly eat. Knowing the condition in which Isha had prepared the meal stole away every bit of their appetite.

After finishing his dinner, Abhyansh calmly placed his glass back on the table.

"You will not have dinner tonight." His gaze shifted towards Isha. "As punishment for delaying it by thirty minutes."

Without waiting for a response... he rose from his chair and walked away. The moment he disappeared from the dining hall... Amrita rushed towards Isha.

"Isha..."

She gently held her hands, her eyes immediately filling with tears.

Pratap let out a weary sigh before silently leaving the dining hall.

"Call the doctor immediately" Rajmata Devyani Devi looked at one of the servants.

The servant hurried away. Rajmata then turned towards Isha.

"From next time..." Her tone remained firm. "Think twice before defying the King's orders."

With that, she quietly left the dining hall. Within a couple of minutes, the family doctor arrived. He carefully removed the bandages and examined both of Isha's palms. The wounds had deepened from all the work she had done. After thoroughly cleaning them, he applied fresh dressings, checked for signs of infection, administered a tetanus injection, prescribed a few medicines, and finally took his leave.

Even after everyone else began dispersing... Amrita refused to leave Isha's side.

She looked towards her daughter-in-law with moist eyes.

"Maybe..." She hesitated. "Maybe I should stay with you tonight. We both will sleep here..."

She simply couldn't bring herself to leave Isha alone with her BEAST of a son after everything that had happened that day.

"Don't be crazy, Ma." Avyan immediately objected. "Bhai sa will kill you if he finds out."

"I don't want to leave her like this." Amrita's voice trembled. "She's in so much pain."

"Ma..." Isha smiled gently despite her exhaustion. "I'm okay now. Please don't worry." She then turned towards Avyan. "I'm sorry, Devar sa." A trace of guilt appeared on her face. "You got scolded by your brother because of me."

Avyan simply shook his head. He didn't trust himself to speak. Not after everything he had witnessed that day.

After a great deal of persuasion from both Avyan and Isha, Amrita finally agreed to let her daughter-in-law return to her room. Avyan escorted his mother to her chamber before quietly making his way towards his own. A part of him wanted to check on his sister-in-law once more. But the thought of his elder brother finding out was enough to stop him.

Without wasting another moment, he hurried back to his chamber. Isha entered her room, changed into something comfortable, and quietly spread her bedding on the floor.

The moment she lay down... the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her. Within minutes, she drifted into a deep sleep. It was well past midnight when Abhyansh entered the chamber. His eyes instinctively fell on Isha. She was fast asleep. His gaze shifted to her palms.

Seeing the fresh bandages wrapped neatly around them, he let out a faint sigh. He didn't want her wounds to get infected. Nor did he want her to surrender after enduring something so insignificant. There was far greater suffering awaiting her. And he intended to make sure she was capable of bearing every bit of it.

Without another glance, he walked towards his own room. For the briefest moment... seeing her sleeping on the floor with both her hands bandaged stirred something within him. A slight pinch. Barely there. The feeling lasted only a second before it was consumed by the hatred... the disgust... and the contempt that flooded his mind the moment he remembered what her father had done.

For an instant... his conscience questioned him. Was he right in punishing her for her father's sins? The thought vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. 'If she could inherit her father's wealth...then she could inherit his sins and their consequences as well. And it wasn't just for her father's mistakes. She was being punished for her own as well.'

That thought settled the conflict within him. Without another thought, he went to sleep.

------------

The next morning, Isha woke up before sunrise and quietly resumed her daily routine. Her palms throbbed with pain with every movement. She ignored it. She completed all her chores before making her way to the dining hall. As usual, she served breakfast to Abhyansh. Before he could point it out... she first tasted every dish herself. Only then did she serve him.

Once everyone had finished breakfast, Isha was about to leave to get ready for work when Amrita gently stopped her.

"Sit." 

Before Isha could protest, Amrita lovingly fed her breakfast with her own hands. A grateful smile spread across Isha's face. After finishing, she hugged her mother-in-law briefly.

"Thank you, Ma."

She then changed into the casual clothes Ragini had gifted her and left for work. As she stepped outside the palace gates... she noticed Avyan waiting beside his car.

She smiled politely and was about to continue walking when he called out to her.

"Bhabhi sa..." He immediately caught himself. "I mean..." He quickly glanced around to make sure no one had heard him. "Mrs. Ranawat."

Only after finding no one nearby did he let out a sigh of relief.

"Avyan..." Isha smiled softly.

"I'll drop you." He opened the passenger-side door. He had no idea that she now had enough money for her daily commute.

Isha shook her head gently.

"No, Avyan. I don't want your brother reprimanding you again. Thank you for offering. And don't worry... I have money now."

Avyan frowned.

"But you won't get a cab until you're at least fifteen kilometres away from the palace." He looked at her expectantly. "Let me drop you there."

After a brief hesitation... Isha nodded.

"Okay."

She got into the car. The journey began in silence. Avyan focused on the road, saying almost nothing. Isha, on the other hand, happily kept talking about one thing after another.

Though Avyan barely responded... she didn't mind. Not even a little. She continued smiling throughout the drive. The kindness and concern he had shown her over the past day had quietly earned him a special place in her heart.

After her mother-in-law... Avyan had become her second favourite person in the palace.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you..." Isha said excitedly. "I got a bonus yesterday."

She smiled brightly.

"I designed a saree, and the customer liked it so much that she paid for it on the spot. Ragini, my boss, gave me ten percent of the sale as a reward." She paused before asking curiously, "By the way, why don't cabs come all the way to the palace? Ragini gave me a smartphone and even taught me how to book cabs, but none of them are available here."

"Bhai sa's orders," Avyan replied simply.

"Oh..." Isha nodded, understanding no further explanation was needed.

Avyan dropped her at the main road where cabs were readily available before driving towards his office, making sure he wasn't late. Unlike Isha, he knew exactly what awaited anyone who tested his elder brother's patience, and he had no desire to face Abhyansh's wrath.

The moment Isha reached the boutique, Ragini and Reetu were shocked to see the condition of her hands. Both of them immediately insisted that she take a few days off until her wounds healed. But Isha refused. She wanted to work.

Seeing her determination, Ragini assigned another designer to complete the saree while Isha guided the work.

-------------

Days passed. More than two months had gone by since Isha had married Abhyansh. Surprisingly... she rarely came face to face with her BEAST husband. She followed every rule he had laid down and carried out all her responsibilities without complaint. The only time she saw him was during breakfast and dinner. She silently served him. He silently signalled what he wanted—or what he didn't. That was the extent of their interaction. 

Not a single unnecessary word was exchanged. Amrita felt deeply disappointed watching her son not even spare a glance for his wife. Ironically... Isha was grateful for it.

Over the past two months, the bond between Amrita and Isha had grown so strong that they had truly become like mother and daughter. Every evening, Isha happily shared stories from her day at work. In return, Amrita entertained her with memories from her own childhood. They could spend hours talking. 

Yet... there was one topic Isha never brought up. Her brother. She didn't want to talk about him. She still couldn't believe he had given up on her so easily. The thought alone continued to break her heart.

Every morning, Avyan dropped Isha at the main road from where she could easily book a cab. In the evenings, however, the cab driver always dropped her right at the palace gate, just as she requested. Isha never questioned why every driver readily agreed. She had no idea... that they were simply following the King's orders.

Every day between five and six in the evening—the time Isha usually returned home—cab drivers were permitted to enter the palace grounds. It was Abhyansh's order. A measure taken solely for her safety. One she knew nothing about.

During those daily drives, Isha did most of the talking. Avyan rarely responded with more than a few words. But that never discouraged her. She continued talking with the same cheerful enthusiasm every single day. Slowly... almost without realizing it... Avyan had grown accustomed to his sister-in-law's endless chatter... her innocence... and her unwavering kindness.

He never expressed it. But he no longer found her presence bothersome.

Life had settled into a routine. And strangely... that frightened Isha. Her life had never remained peaceful for long. Somewhere deep inside, she kept waiting for the calm to shatter. Although her husband continued punishing her every few days, she had begun considering those punishments a part of her routine.

Sometimes... it was because he found a thin layer of dust in his gym. Sometimes... because the wardrobe door had been left ever so slightly open—a gap so tiny she hadn't even noticed until he pointed it out. Sometimes... because a painting on the wall was tilted by barely a fraction from its original position.

For such mistakes, he punished her by denying her food for a day... sometimes two. He never conveyed those punishments in person. Instead... he simply texted her. Apart from breakfast and dinner, he had no desire to see her face. Gradually, Isha grew accustomed to it all.

To her... life was finally moving smoothly. And perhaps...that was exactly why she feared it. Because peace had never stayed with her for long. Soon enough... something unexpected happened. Something that shattered the fragile routine she had begun to call peaceful.

Precap - An intruder in Ranawat palace, and Isha is shocked to see him...