The rain lashed against the window as Aarav stood in the dimly lit room, his fingers tracing the edges of an old photograph. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on the walls, dancing over the sorrow in his eyes. Outside, the city bustled with life, but inside, time had frozen.

He pressed the picture against his chest—a woman’s face smiling back at him from another time, another life. A knock on the door startled him. He quickly placed the photograph into a locked briefcase and turned to face the intruder.

It was time to move on. Or so everyone believed.

The night was thick with the scent of impending rain, the sky cloaked in restless clouds. A soft breeze rustled the sheer curtains of the dimly lit study, where a single lamp cast an eerie glow over the wooden desk. The air inside was heavy, carrying the weight of secrets left unspoken.

Aarav sat in his leather chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface. His dark eyes, sharp and calculating, were locked onto a photograph—a wedding picture. In it, he stood beside a woman draped in a crimson bridal saree, her face partially veiled, concealing the emotions in her eyes. It should have been the happiest day of his life.

But it wasn’t.

A sudden knock at the door made him flinch. He hesitated before calling out, "Come in."

A middle-aged man stepped inside, his expression grim. He placed a thick envelope on the table. "The report, sir. It’s worse than we thought."

Aarav picked up the envelope, his pulse quickening. He flipped through the papers, his jaw tightening with each passing line. Hidden transactions. Discreet meetings. A name that kept appearing, a ghost from a past he thought had been buried. A name that tied back to his wife.

He exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers against his temples. "Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes," the man said without hesitation. "She’s connected to everything. And sir…there’s more."

Aarav lifted his gaze. "What more?"

The man hesitated before sliding a small USB drive across the table. "This was found in her belongings. We’re still decrypting the files, but from what we’ve managed to recover—it’s dangerous."

Aarav stared at the drive as if it held the answers to questions he never wanted to ask. A slow, sinking feeling settled in his chest. His marriage had been arranged by their families, a bond built on trust and tradition. But now, he was beginning to wonder if his wife had married him for reasons far more sinister.

He clenched his fists, his mind racing. If what the reports suggested was true, then the woman he had vowed to protect was the very reason his life was now in danger. The pieces were falling into place, but one question loomed above all.

Who really was Riya?

And what deadly secret was she hiding beneath that innocent smile?