Chapter 2 : Ashwath Aryan

**Late Night, Mumbai**

The stranger sitting beside Tiya in the car kept staring at her with a strange look. She was unconscious, slumped on the seat. As the convoy of cars sliced through the city's traffic, racing toward its destination, this man was lost in deep thought.

This man was no ordinary individual; he was the richest person in the city. His primary business was manufacturing and selling weapons. He supplied weapons to the Indian government and also sold them internationally for hefty sums. The demand for the weapons produced by his company was enormous worldwide.

Foreign governments were willing to spend any amount of money to acquire his company's weapons. Apart from the weapons business, he also owned a construction empire and several other diverse ventures. He was so rich and powerful that it wouldn't be wrong to call him a king.

The convoy came to a halt in the parking lot of a lavish mansion. This 33-year-old man was incredibly handsome and charming. Whether it was an ordinary girl or the daughter of a wealthy family, everyone was enamored with him. His name created a frenzy in every girl's heart; every girl dreamed of marrying him. However, rumors circulated that he wasn't into women—that he was gay, though that wasn't the case.

He was a man, but he just kept his distance from women. In the world of business, this weapons king had earned a title: "The Lord of Death." And he truly was. If his temper got the best of him, he would crush everything in his path. He possessed the latest technology in dangerous weapons and devices, meaning he was not only a hacker but also India's weapon king.

He was Ashwath Ihit Aryan, the eldest grandson of Ihit Aryan, the head of the Aryan clan—the most respected family in the city. Ashwath had a younger brother named Adit Ihit Aryan, eight years his junior. Accompanying them were their manager Pratyush, personal assistant Ohas, secretary Rachit, and a close friend, Abram, along with other bodyguards. Ashwath's associates were also exceptionally handsome.

The group got out of the cars in the parking lot of Ashwath's home, Aryan Palace. Ashwath picked up the unconscious Tiya in his arms and started walking inside. Concerned, Adit said, "Brother, think about it. Grandfather will have a lot of questions if he sees this girl. He won't be happy that you've brought her here without informing anyone."

Ashwath shot him a sharp look, and Abram chimed in, "Your grandfather wants you to marry soon, and now you've brought this girl home like this. Adit is right, he'll make a fuss. I'm not staying for this; I'm heading straight home."

Abram left quickly, but Ashwath, paying no attention, walked inside with Tiya in his arms.

Ashwath's grandfather, Ihit Aryan, the most respected man in the city, had one dream before he died—to see his great-grandchild. But Ashwath had never shown any interest in getting married. Now, as Ashwath was about to enter the house with an unconscious girl in his arms, it was inevitable that there would be chaos.

Grandfather cared deeply for his grandsons and always waited for them to come home. Tonight was no different; he was waiting for them in the living room. When he saw his eldest grandson carrying a girl inside, he was taken aback. He had never seen Ashwath with a woman before; Ashwath had always kept his distance from girls. Adit and the others followed, nervous and unsure.

Adit, trying to avoid his grandfather's gaze, hid behind Pratyush, feeling guilty. The truth was, Adit had had a little to drink, and if his grandfather found out, he would be furious. Grandfather looked at his grandsons and asked, "Who is this girl? Why have you brought her here, and why is she unconscious?"

Adit quickly responded, "Grandfather, I was telling brother that bringing her here wasn't a good idea, but he didn't listen and brought her anyway. See, I told you, brother! Now you'll have to deal with grandfather's anger."

Ashwath looked up, meeting his grandfather's gaze. He was about to reply when Grandfather, misunderstanding Adit's words, asked mischievously, "Oh, so this girl is the reason you won't marry Charvi. Is she your girlfriend?"

Everyone was shocked. Calmly, Ashwath said, "Yes."

The moment Ashwath said yes, Adit's mind went into a tailspin. He couldn't comprehend what his brother was up to. Even he had always thought his brother was gay. Everyone was stunned by Ashwath's admission.

Grandfather, now speaking more gently, said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why hide it? If you like her, then you'll marry her. I don't care if she's rich or not. I just want to see my great-grandchild."

Adit's mind filled with questions, "What's going on? The situation is so serious, and all grandfather can think about is having a great-grandchild? Brother, what are you doing? I thought you were gay, or maybe you're just saying this to make grandfather happy. I know you don't like Charvi, nor do you like any girl. So what's so special about this girl? Has my brother gone mad?"

While wrestling with these questions, Adit's gaze shifted to the unconscious girl in his brother's arms. Changing the subject, he blurted out, "Grandfather, isn't my sister-in-law beautiful?"

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. Up until now, Grandfather's focus had been on his grandsons, but for the first time, he looked closely at Tiya, who was lying in Ashwath's arms, looking as innocent as a child. Grandfather, noticing her delicate features, said, "She's very pretty, but she seems much younger than Ashwath."

Before Ashwath could respond, Adit jumped in, "Oh, what does age matter these days? Look at Priyanka Chopra—she married a guy 10 years younger than her. Brother is 33, and my sister-in-law must be, what, 21, 22, or 23? You should be happy, Grandfather; brother brought home a daughter-in-law for you!"

Grandfather chuckled, "That's true, but what do you mean 21, 22, or 23? Don't you even know her exact age?"

Adit replied, "What does it matter to me? Ask brother; he must know her exact age."

Everyone turned to look at Ashwath.

Standing calmly with Tiya in his arms, Ashwath, unfazed, looked at his grandfather and said, "I know you have many questions. I'll answer them all, but for now, she's unconscious. Let's talk later."

Grandfather, seeing Ashwath's composed demeanor, smiled and said, "Alright, I'm very happy. We'll talk tomorrow—about your wedding."

Adit stumbled in disbelief, but Ashwath's expression remained unchanged as he carried Tiya to his room. Grandfather, still smiling, retired to his own room, leaving Adit standing alone in the living room, utterly bewildered.

Once in his room, Ashwath called the servant, Ishna, over the intercom and instructed her, "Change this girl's clothes." Then he retreated to his attached study. A few moments later, Ishna, looking troubled, entered the study.

Noticing her expression, Ashwath asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Ishna hesitated before speaking, her voice filled with concern, "Big boss, the thing is…"

Ashwath, sensing something serious, asked again, "What happened?"

With pain in her eyes, Ishna said, "Big boss, it looks like this girl has been through a lot of torture. Her body is covered with fresh wounds. It seems like she's been brutally beaten just a day or two ago."

Anger flared in Ashwath's eyes as he rushed to the bedroom and saw Tiya lying face down, covered with a blanket. He gently pulled the blanket back and saw fresh wounds on her back. Her arms were also bruised.

His eyes burning with rage, Ashwath said, "I'll call the doctor."

Although it was late at night, Adit was still pacing the living room, troubled by everything that had transpired. Just then, he noticed their family doctor, Dr. Naina, arriving at the house. Confused, Adit thought, "What is Dr. Naina doing here at this hour? Who called her?"

He blocked her path and asked, "Dr. Naina, you? At this time of night?"

Dr. Naina replied, "Your brother called me for an emergency."

This left Adit even more bewildered as Dr. Naina continued toward Ashwath's room.

When she entered Ashwath's room, she was shocked to see a girl in his bedroom. "A girl? In Ashwath's bedroom?"

Astonished, she said, "What's going on? Everyone thinks you're gay. Even I thought that, but…"

Before she could finish, Ashwath cut her off and said, "Dr. Naina, I called you here to treat her, not to figure out whether I'm gay or not. Please focus on your job."

Saying this, Ashwath went into the bar attached to his bedroom and poured himself a glass of wine. His mind was already formulating a new plan, an idea to avoid marrying Charvi Sahay.

There was a significant reason why Ashwath didn't want to marry Charvi Sahay. As beautiful as Charvi appeared on the outside, she wasn't as good-hearted on the inside. Ashwath had a keen ability to read people's true intentions, and Charvi hadn't escaped his perceptive gaze. But Charvi had managed to win his grandfather's heart, which made things complicated. The only reason his grandfather would accept Ashwath not marrying Charvi would be if Ashwath wanted to marry someone else.

He had already taken a photo of Tiya and, just a while ago, had instructed his detective, Victor, to gather information about her. For now, Tiya was Ashwath's weapon to shield himself from Charvi and the unwanted marriage.

But what kind of game was Tiya unknowingly getting caught up in? Why was Ashwath digging up information about her? What would happen when she regained consciousness? And how would the innocent Tiya escape the clutches of the most powerful man in the city?