Episode 1: Legacy of Blood

The weight of a shroud is a silence that screams. For young Ranvijay, standing frozen amidst the hushed whispers and rhythmic sobbing of mourners, the world had shrunk to the sight of his father’s lifeless body. Hakeem was gone, and as Ranvijay stared at the man who had been his sun and his shadow, he felt a vital piece of his own soul tear away, leaving behind a deafening, hollow ache.

Present Day – Sharda University

The afternoon sun streamed into the lecture hall, but the warmth felt misplaced against Ranvijay’s cold nerves. Up at the podium, students were delivering heartfelt tributes to their fathers. Laughter and lighthearted applause rippled through the room as memories of childhood fishing trips and bedtime stories were shared.

It was Shaina’s turn. She stood with an easy confidence that seemed to radiate from her very pores. “The bottom line is,” she concluded, her smile bright enough to reach the back row, “my father is the best in the world.”

The class erupted in warm appreciation. Amidst the smiling faces, however, sat Mahika—Shaina’s adoptive sister. Her expression remained a fixed mask, a shadow of envy flickering behind her eyes like a guttering candle.

“Thank you, Shaina,” Miss Riya said, noting a grade on her sheet. “Next, we have... Ranvijay Singh.”

Ranvijay rose slowly. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird, and a cold, nervous sweat slicked his palms. As he walked toward the front, the present began to blur, overtaken by the jagged edges of the past.

“Mum, stop lying to me,” his younger self had pleaded, voice trembling with a terrifying realization. “I saw Dad... I saw him kill someone last night. In the guest room.”

His mother had simply stared, her face draining of color, stunned into a silence that confirmed his worst fears.

“My father,” Ranvijay began, his voice dropping into the quiet room with the weight of a stone. “Was a notorious underworld figure.”

The transition was instantaneous. The lighthearted atmosphere vanished, replaced by a stunned, suffocating stillness. Students exchanged uneasy glances; some leaned forward with morbid curiosity, while others recoiled with visible discomfort. Ranvijay did not flinch.

“My mum encouraged me never to be ashamed of my father. So I’m not. He’s the best man in my world.” He paused, letting the confession hang in the air. “Thank you.”

He turned and walked out of the classroom with a quiet, lonely dignity, leaving a trail of unspoken thoughts and wide-eyed stares in his wake.

Tension brewed within the mahogany-lined walls of the Khan estate. Tariq and Zoya were locked in a familiar dance of friction, the subject—as always—the widening rift between Mahika and Shaina.

“You and I are the only parents she knows!” Zoya snapped, her nerves frayed to a breaking point.

“Zoya, stop defending her blindly,” Tariq countered, his frustration mounting. “She’s the one always picking fights with Mahika.”

“So what?” Zoya’s voice rose, sharp and defensive. “Shaina is my daughter. Her parents entrusted her to me—she is under my care.”

Tariq’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing to slits. “She’s not even your blood. Stop pushing Mahika aside for an outsider.”

The words struck Zoya with the force of a physical blow. Her face fell, the cruelty of the distinction cutting deeper than Tariq could likely imagine. He let out a long, weary sigh.

“Stop dragging Mahika into your obsession with playing savior,” he muttered. He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Zoya alone in the silence, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over.

The flashback hit Ranvijay like a fever dream. It was Hakeem’s birthday, and a ten-year-old Ranvijay had stayed up late, huddled in the dark, still mansion. The house felt like a tomb, the loud ticking of the clock marking the slow passage of time.

Then came the heavy, rhythmic echo of footsteps. Hakeem had arrived.

“Happy birthday, Dad,” Ranvijay had whispered, stepping into the light with hesitant, hopeful eyes.

But Hakeem was a storm of unchanneled rage. He didn’t want birthday wishes; he wanted a target. He glared at his son, his presence looming and predatory. “Where’s your mother? Why are you so stupid?” he snapped. “Go to your room—NOW!”

Ranvijay flinched, fear crawling up his spine, but for once, he didn't run. “Dad… yesterday, I saw you,” he breathed. “I saw you kill that man.”

The air in the room froze. Hakeem paused, the anger momentarily eclipsed by shock. Then, slowly, a wicked, dark smile spread across his face. He let out a low, chilling laugh.

“Really?” Hakeem said, his voice terrifyingly calm. “That’s great. Do you know why I killed him?”

Ranvijay stood paralyzed by confusion and terror.

“Because,” Hakeem said coldly, “I’m taking my revenge.”

Sharda University – The Present

Ranvijay stood in the courtyard, leaning against a stone pillar. The October breeze rustled the nearby trees, but his mind remained anchored in the past. He tapped aimlessly at his phone, a solitary figure in a crowded world.

The peace was shattered by a group of boys from his class. They approached with the practiced, smug grins of predators who had found a new plaything.

“Hey Aryan, isn’t that the madman’s boy?” one of them jeered.

Aryan reached out and snatched the phone from Ranvijay’s hand. “You’re the madman’s son, right?”

Ranvijay’s stomach dropped. “Please... give it back,” he said, his voice level despite the rising panic.

Yug stepped forward, smirking. “Thug or what, huh?”

As Ranvijay reached for his property, they shoved him back. The confrontation turned physical—the dull thud of blows and the harsh sound of mocking laughter echoing through the garden.

From a distance, Shaina saw the commotion. Her expression shifted from casual to fierce in a heartbeat. “Hey! Leave him alone!” she shouted, charging toward the group without a second thought.

Aryan sneered, sensing the shift in the social tide. “See you around, loser,” he muttered, signaling for Yug to follow as they sauntered away.

Shaina knelt beside Ranvijay, offering a steady hand. “You okay?”

Ranvijay looked up, his eyes meeting hers. In that brief, bruised moment, he felt a flicker of something he hadn't known in years: comfort.

Hallways and Heartache

Nearby, Amit leaned against his locker, sharing a low-voiced confession with his friend Avik. “Dude, at first I thought Shaina was just my rival,” he admitted, a sheepish, vulnerable smile tugging at his mouth. “But now... it’s real. It’s true love.”

Avik barked out a laugh. “The arrogant queen of the school? That Shaina?”

Amit’s smile vanished. “She’s not arrogant. She just doesn’t know you that well.”

“No, Amit. She is arrogant,” Avik countered, his amusement turning to irritation. “It’s in her blood. Her dad’s rich and powerful... she walks around like the world owes her everything.”

Their debate was cut short as Shaina walked past. She wasn't alone. She was flanked by her friend Nithya and the new boy—Ranvijay. Amit’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of jealousy sparking. “What’s she doing with the new guy?”

Back at the Khan mansion, Zoya sat by the window. The afternoon sun cast long, tired shadows across her face. Her friend Ananya sat across from her, having arrived to offer a listening ear.

Zoya sighed, a sound heavy with guilt. “It’s like… I’m starting to lose interest in Mahika,” she confessed.

Ananya’s eyes widened. “Zoya, she’s twenty. You’re the only mother she’s ever known. You adopted her when she was barely five. That’s fifteen years of your life.”

Zoya took a slow sip of water, her gaze fixed on something far away. “I know… I just can’t keep defending her. I find myself always siding with Shaina. And I hate myself for it.”

In the Gardens

“I was like—what the hell are you doing?” Nithya exclaimed as she and Shaina walked through the manicured school gardens.

Shaina’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. “I just feel really sorry for him… about his dad. Even though his father was a thug, he’s still holding himself together. That’s not easy.”

Nithya scoffed, stopping in her tracks and grabbing Shaina’s wrist. Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Wait… are you in love with him? Don’t tell me yes!”

Shaina burst into a genuine laugh, shaking her head. “You silly girl, no! Of course not.”

Nithya clutched her chest dramatically. “Phew! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

As they resumed their walk, however, Shaina’s laughter faded into a pensive, nervous smile. She couldn't ignore the pull—the way Ranvijay wore his silence like armor, and the haunting pain she had seen in his eyes.

In a sleek black car parked at the curb, Arjun gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Beside him, his girlfriend Neekah was buried in her phone, radiating cold indifference.

“I just wanted to talk about your tuition fees,” Arjun began, his voice pleading.

Neekah rolled her eyes. “I don’t care how you spin it, Arjun. If you can’t even take care of me, what’s the point of being my boyfriend?”

Arjun was stunned. “Neeks… you know I love you. Sharda University is just... it's ridiculously expensive. I’m trying, but I can’t afford it right now.”

Neekah’s eyes welled with tears of pure frustration. “Don’t ever talk to me again. Lose my number.”

She threw the door open and stormed toward her building. Arjun sat frozen, watching her silhouette disappear, his calls echoing into a street that offered no answers.

The memory returned to the dim corridor of the mansion. Ranvijay, his fists clenched, looked up at his father's trusted guard. The grief had finally sharpened into a cold, hard edge of rage.

“Who killed my dad?” he demanded.

The guard looked down at the boy, the silence stretching thin before he finally spoke the name that would define Ranvijay’s future:

“Raj Vikram.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***