15. Assassination and Revenge

Warning- Mention of bloodshed

Author's POV

Ishqi was standing on the terrace. She still had the mangalsutra hanging on her neck and vermillion filled partition.

When Maanveer and Raghav came there. " Bhabhi, you called. "

Maanveer asked her. She looked at him. " I want revenge. I want revenge for my husband. " She said.

Maanveer and Raghav looked at each other. " How Choti Thakurain?" asked Raghav. Ishqi looked at him and then smiled.

" Tell me the name of the person who killed my husband?" asked Ishqi, " Armaan. Armaan Siddiqui. " said Raghav.

Ishqi picked the gun that was kept near her. She loaded that gun and then looked at them. " Let's give it the taste of what they did to us. They might be thinking that the Thakurs are crying, but they have forgotten that we are the Thakurs. " said Ishqi.

Maanveer and Raghav smiled. " Sure Bhabhi. All my men are yours. They will do what you say." said Maanveer. Ishqi smiled.

Siddiqui house, everyone was sleeping. Everyone had a nice day as they got the news of Abhimaan's death.

Bodyguards were awake and protecting the Siddiqui house. Suddenly a bodyguard fell down. A guard looked at that guard and then came to edge and that man also got pulled.

A person in full black clothes came on the terrace. 2 more came. They removed their masks. They were Ishqi, Maanveer and Raghav.

Other bodyguards of the Thakur family also came on the terrace. Some guards of the Siddiqui house ran towards them. Ishqi and Maanveer shot them with their guns.

There was no sound because of the silencer that they had put on their guns. Ishqi looked at Maanveer. " I want Armaan and Aasim Siddiqui." said Ishqi. Maanveer nodded.

Ishqi and Raghav continued killing the guards. Maanveer came inside a room and saw a lady sleeping on the floor. She had a baby bump. Maanveer got very angry.

" This could be Armaan. Who treats his wife like this that too when she is pregnant. " said Maanveer in his mind. Maanveer came inside.

He came to the bed and held Armaan's hair. " Ahh. Who the fuck is it?" asked Armaan while shouting. " Your death." said Maanveer and pulled Armaan down the bed.

Because of being drunk, Armaan wasn't able to proect himself. Aasma, Armaan's wife looked at Maanveer and got scared.

" Ahhh." she shouted. Maanveer looked at her. " Don't scream. We will not do anything to you." said Maanveer. Aasma nodded. Maanveer got Armaan out. Aasim was already tied on the chair.

Maanveer threw Armaan from the first floor straight on the glass. " Armaan." shouted Aasim. Aasim looked at Maanveer. " Maanveer, you will pay for this." said Aasim.

Maanveer laughed.

" Aasim, aaj na tere ghar mein durga aayi hai. Tujhe maar kar hi jayegi."

" Aasim, today Durga has come to in your house. She will kill you and go."

Aasim was shocked to listen to it. " What do you mean? Who is it?" asked Aasim. " Ishqi Abhimaan Singh Thakur." said Ishqi while coming forward. She stood in front of Maanveer and Raghav.

Aasim looked at her. " Bitch, if anything happens to my son then I will kill you. " said Aasim. Ishqi laughed. " Oh really? Then see this." said Ishqi and came to Armaan.

Her bodyguards had held Armaan. Ishqi sat near him and then punched his face. Blood came out of Armaan's mouth. " Ishqi." shouted Aasim.

" What?" Ishqi shouted with more force. Aasim got scared for a second. " You killed my husband. The whole Thakur family is in grief only because of this man and now you will also feel the same. " said Ishqi.

Ishqi came to Aasim. " Aasim Siddiqui, now you feel the same pain that everyone is feeling. The new headlines for tomorrow. Armaan Siddiqui is dead." said Ishqi, " No." said Aasim.

A guard forcibly put a handkerchief into his mouth. Ishqi came to Armaan and then held his neck. " Please, please Ishqi. Let him go." Aasma begged him while sitting on Ishqi's feet.

Ishqi looked at Aasma. " Aasma, tell me that does this man love, respect and care for you the way you do to him. " said Ishqi. Aasma didn't say anything. " Then what is all needed. " said Ishqi, " But my child?" she said.

Ishqi looked at her. " Don't worry. You and your child is my responsibility." said Ishqi. Aasma looked down. Ishqi looked at Armaan and then picked the knife. " With this tongue you ordered to kill my husband right." said Ishqi.

Ishqi held Armaan's neck. Armaan opened his mouth and Ishqi held his tongue and then chopped it with the knife. Armaan screamed in pain. Everyone was looking at them. Aasim sat helpless and his wife Ayat were also standing helpless.

Ishqi looked at Armaan and smiled. Ishqi picked the gun and looked at it. Armaan and kept that gun on his forehead. " Bye bye." said ishqi and then shot Armaan dead. Armaan died and all over there was blood.

" Armaan." Aayat cried over the death of her only son. Ishqi cleaned her hand and looked at Aasim. She pulled out the handkerchief. " Ishqi, do whatever you want but you don't know that someone from the Thakur family is also included with us in this plan of killing your husband." said Aasim.

Ishqi held Aasma. " Come Aasma. " said Ishqi and then walked out of the house along with Maanveer and Raghav. Then they sat on the jeep and then started the jeep.

Ishqi drove the jeep towards the Thakur haveli. Ishqi stopped the jeep. Aasma looked at her. " Where will I stay?" asked Aasma. Ishqi looked at Aasma. " Aasma, you will go Banaras along with my father. You will be safe there. Till then you will stay in my room." said Ishqi.

The next day, Ishqi came down the stairs when suddenly someone slapped her and she fell down. Ishqi looked up and saw Uday standing there. Ishqi had got a cut on her cheeks because of Uday's ring.

" You idiot. how dare you kill Armaan Siddiqui?" he shouted, " What happened?" asked Aradhya. Uday looked at her. " This stupid girl killed Armaan Siddiqui and now the Siddiqui's will not leave us. I had finished the enmity with so much effort that is now gone in veil." said Uday.

Ishqi slowly rose to her feet, her hand tenderly touching the cut on her cheek, she met Uday's accusing gaze with a steady one of her own. "He was the one who killed your son."

Aradhya's eyes widened in shock, her hand instinctively reaching out to grasp Ishqi's shoulder in support. "What? What do you mean, Ishqi?" she gasped, disbelief evident in her tone.

Ishqi nodded solemnly, her gaze never wavering. "It's true, Maa. Armaan was behind everything. He took your son from you, and he would've taken more if I hadn't stopped him."

Maanveer stepped forward, his expression grave. Aradhya fell down with a thud. She looked ayt Uday. " I trhought that you didn't care about me but you loved your sons. After Abhi's death, you are trying to protect his murderer. How can you, Uday?" shouted Aradhya.

Uday's expressions hardened. " Aradhya, you are not understanding. This act of Ishqi might lead to communal rights between hindus and muslims. " said Uday. " I will handle them." said Maanveer.

Aradhya stood her ground, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Ishqi did what she believed was right, Uday. She protected us," she insisted, her voice firm despite the tremor of fear.

Maanveer nodded in agreement, his stance unwavering. "We cannot ignore the truth, Papa. Armaan was a threat to us all, and Bhabhi took action to eliminate that threat," he stated, his voice calm yet resolute.

But Uday's anger only intensified at their words. "You're both blind fools!" he bellowed, his fists clenched at his sides. "This act will only bring chaos and destruction upon us!" he said and then walked out of the haveli.

Ishqi looked at Ratan. " Ratan, get some food for Aasma and take care of her till she doesn't go to Banaras along with my Baba." said Ishqi and turned. She walked upstairs towards her room.

She came inside and saw Aasma doing her namaz. Ishqi sat down on the sofa and then picked her phone. She had got many messages from her relatives and friends.

She didn't want to see anyone's message and just shut her phone. She closed her eyes and kept her head on the sofa.

" Ishqi, are you okay?" asked Aasma. Ishqi took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside her.

She opened her eyes and met Aasma's concerned gaze. "I'm fine, Aasma. Just a little shaken up," she replied, forcing a small smile.

Aasma nodded, her eyes reflecting understanding. "I can't imagine what you must be going through. But remember, you did what you thought was right," she said softly, her voice filled with empathy.

" I just feel a little guilty by making you a widow. " said Ishqi. Aasma sat down near Ishqi. " Ishqi, you asked me about one thing last night before killing Armaan. And you were right. He didn't care of me and look at me, in this condition when I need a lot of care he made me sleep on the cold floor. And I still remember when was just a week pregnant and then he still used to have sex with me. I couldn't even go to my father and tell him how he treats me. I didn't even want to get married to him but I married him only because of my father." said Aasma

" You are right. Living in a marriage in which you don't get love and respect isn't good. It is toxic marriage and nothing else." said Ishqi. Ishqi and Aasma sat there while being lost somewhere.

When Ratan came there with the food. " Thakurain, the food. " said Ratan, " Hmm, keep it here. " said Ishqi. Ratan kept the food on the table. The food was healthy. " Get a glass of milk for Aasma. " said Ishqi, " Sure." said Ratan and then went form there.

Aasma picked the food and then started to have the food. Ishqi picked the glass of juice and then started to have it. " I still wished that I shouldn't have left Abhimaan go alone." said Ishqi in her mind.

Ishqi's POV

Next 11 days weren't easy for me. I lost my husband with 2 weeks of marriage. Today was the Terahvin of Abhimaan. Everyone was there. Baba and Bade Thakur also.

I had told Baba about Aasma and he had agreed to take Aasma along with him. I was happy that Aasma will be safe now. I knew that Aasim might try to harm her but I wanted to her to safe.

I sat in front of the mirror in the white saree. My partition was still red as the vermillion didn't leave the redness.

" Choti Thakurain, it is time for the pooja."

Ratan said while coming inside. I looked at her and then nodded. I got up and then walked down in the hall. Maa was there.

She came to me.

" Ishqi, I think you should get married again."

She said. I didn't know what to say.

" Maa, let's talk later."

As I stepped outside, the weight of Maa's words lingered in my mind like an unwelcome shadow. Get married again? The thought seemed almost inconceivable after everything I had been through. Yet, I knew she spoke from a place of concern and love.

Maa approached me, her expression soft with empathy.

"Ishqi, beta, I know this must be difficult for you," she said gently, her eyes reflecting the pain I felt inside.

I nodded, grateful for her understanding.

"It's been a challenging time, Maa," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

"But right now, I just need to focus on getting through today."

Maa reached out and clasped my hand in hers, offering silent support.

"Of course, beta. Take all the time you need," she said, her voice filled with warmth.

I squeezed her hand gratefully, drawing strength from her comforting presence.

"Thank you, Maa."

I said softly, a flicker of gratitude illuminating the darkness that threatened to engulf me.