LAST EPISODE ## Aaryan's Tragic Story: Episode 5 – "The Hollow Crown"
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the city of Mumbai as the skyline stretched across the darkening sky. Aaryan sat alone in his high-rise apartment, the distant hum of traffic and life below echoing in his ears. The once-luxurious surroundings that symbolized his success now felt like a cage—a gilded prison trapping him with his own thoughts.
In the weeks since the fire, Aaryan had carried the weight of his actions like a stone in his chest. The revenge he had sought—his moment of triumph—had brought him no peace. The silence of his apartment was suffocating, filled only with the ghostly whispers of the darkness that now lived within him. He had destroyed Meera and her family, reduced them to ashes in an act of cold, calculated vengeance, but as the flames devoured their home, they had also consumed something inside of him.
The void was unbearable.
For the first time since he had started down this path, Aaryan felt something more than rage or emptiness. He felt regret. The nights after the fire had been the hardest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Meera's face—her fear, her pain, the betrayal in her eyes. He had become the monster he once swore he would never be. He had done the unthinkable. But worst of all, he had felt nothing as he had done it.
Now, he wished he could undo it all. He wished he could go back to the Aaryan he had once been—the man who still believed in love, in happiness, in hope. But that man was gone, swallowed by the darkness that had consumed him.
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#### The Next Target: Kiara
Yet, even as regret gnawed at him, another desire burned within him—a desire for redemption, for a chance to be someone different. And that chance had a name: Kiara.
Kiara had entered Aaryan's life like a breath of fresh air, long before Meera's betrayal had poisoned his heart. She was everything he had once wanted in a partner—strong, independent, kind, and with a smile that could light up even his darkest days. Aaryan had always admired her from afar, never daring to hope that she might feel something for him in return. But now, with everything he had done, Kiara had become more than just a passing thought. She was his last hope.
He wanted to marry her, to make her happy. He wanted to prove to her—and to himself—that he could be someone worthy of love. But deep down, Aaryan knew that this desire was tainted, born not from love, but from desperation. He had lost everything else—his family, his friends, his morals. Now, Kiara was the last thing standing between him and total oblivion.
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#### The Plan
Aaryan's mind began to spin, formulating a plan. He would win Kiara's heart, and he would do it the way he had always done things—through careful manipulation, control, and power. He would shower her with affection, protect her from the dangers of the world, and in time, she would come to see him as the perfect partner.
But even as he thought this, the darkness whispered in his ear, reminding him of the other things he could do—the darker ways he could ensure Kiara would be his. He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. He didn't want to hurt Kiara. He wanted to be better, to change. But the shadow that had taken root in his soul had other plans. It fed on his fear, his insecurity, his loneliness, twisting his good intentions into something far more sinister.
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#### First Steps
The next day, Aaryan put his plan into action. He began by reaching out to Kiara in small ways—an innocent text message here, a thoughtful gesture there. At first, Kiara was surprised by his attention. They had always been friendly, but never close. She remembered the kind, charming Aaryan she had once known, and slowly, she let him into her life.
Aaryan played the part of the perfect suitor. He listened when Kiara talked about her dreams, her fears, her hopes for the future. He offered support when she needed it and gave her space when she asked for it. On the surface, he was everything she could ever want. But underneath, the darkness festered, feeding on the lies he told himself.
As the days passed, Aaryan found himself becoming more obsessed with Kiara. She was the key to his salvation, the only thing that could fill the emptiness inside him. But no matter how much he tried to be the man she deserved, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough. He wasn't enough. The more he pushed, the more he began to realize that Kiara was not someone he could simply possess. She was independent, with a strong sense of self, and that scared him.
The darkness inside him began to whisper again, louder this time. *She'll never love you as you are,* it said. *You need to make her yours.*
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#### The Descent
Aaryan began to lose control. The subtle manipulations he had used to win Kiara's affection became more aggressive. He started showing up unannounced at her apartment, calling her late at night, asking for more of her time. At first, Kiara was patient. She understood that Aaryan had been through a lot, and she wanted to help him. But as his behavior grew more erratic, she began to pull away.
Aaryan noticed the change immediately. The distance between them felt like a knife in his chest. He had worked so hard, given so much, and now she was slipping away from him. The thought of losing her—of losing the only person who could save him—drove him to the brink.
One evening, after a particularly tense conversation, Kiara told Aaryan that she needed space. The words hit him like a sledgehammer. Space? After everything he had done for her, after all the sacrifices he had made? It felt like Meera all over again. The betrayal, the abandonment.
The darkness roared inside him, feeding on his fear and anger. He couldn't let this happen. Not again. Kiara was his, and he would make sure she stayed that way.
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#### The Breaking Point
Aaryan's plan had been to win Kiara's love through charm and affection, but now that plan had changed. The darkness inside him had taken over completely, and it demanded something more. He would make Kiara his, by any means necessary.
That night, Aaryan stood outside Kiara's apartment, his hands shaking as he stared at the door. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he knew he couldn't leave without her. He knocked, his heart pounding in his chest.
When Kiara opened the door, the look on her face told him everything. She was afraid of him. The realization hit him like a tidal wave, and for a brief moment, the darkness inside him faltered. He saw himself through her eyes—broken, desperate, dangerous.
"Aaryan, you need to leave," Kiara said softly, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "This isn't healthy. You're not yourself."
Her words cut through him like a knife. She was right. He wasn't himself. He hadn't been himself for a long time.
In that moment, Aaryan felt something he hadn't felt in months—shame. The weight of everything he had done came crashing down on him all at once. The fire, the deaths, the lies, the manipulation. He had become a monster, and now the one person who could have saved him was terrified of him.
Tears filled his eyes as he stepped back from the door. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Kiara."
Without another word, Aaryan turned and walked away, leaving behind the last hope he had for redemption.
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#### The Final Fall
As Aaryan wandered the streets of Mumbai that night, the darkness inside him grew quiet. It had won. He had lost everything—his family, his friends, the woman he loved, and most of all, himself. There was no going back now. He was too far gone.
Aaryan knew what he had to do. He had wanted the world to remember his name, to leave behind a legacy that would make him immortal. But now, he realized that the only legacy he would leave behind was one of pain and destruction.
He was nothing more than a hollow crown—a king of ashes, ruling over a kingdom of ruin.
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