Shadows of the Heart
---intro---
Author
Well… I know the previous story was not that good, and you felt bored....
Author
But this time I have something crazy
Author
I hope you will love this story
Author
And I actually appreciate those who supported me till end 😁
Author
So let's introduce you all to our new ML and FL
FL (Assassin for Hire + Protector of Women)
Secretly owns a hidden mansion (nobody in her family knows).
That mansion is a safe haven for girls and women who were abandoned, abused, or rejected by their families.
She rescues them during her missions, gives them shelter, education, training, and helps them rebuild their lives.
~To the world she’s “weak, useless, trash.”
But in reality, she’s a shadow warrior and guardian angel for the helpless.~
Some of these rescued women even become her trusted allies in missions—like her own secret sisterhood army 💥.
ML (Mafia King with Justice Code)
Runs his empire with strict rules—he never harms innocents.
Unknown to many, he secretly funds orphanages and shelters (but never shows it).
His way of giving justice is brutal, but his heart is not black—it just carries scars.
"never thought to be with you instead of killing you..." ~ Aarvi Mehta
"never thought of falling for you but you attracted" ~ Reyan Malhotra
Author
Well this time I will try my best to engage you till the end...
Author
The story will end in less than 120 episodes..
Author
(according to my weird calculation 😅)
Author
one more thing this time I am changing my writing style too... I hope you will find it better than the previous one...
~ "Let the shadow be our sunlight" ~
~Mask of night~
Author
So let's start with this a new world
Author
the first story was about legal justice but this time it's different
Author
So let's dive in to know what happens in this story....
Chains in Daylight, Wings in Darkness
"Queen of Hills" because of its breathtaking scenic beauty and magnificent environment.
The narrow corridor echoes with a shrill voice. A girl walks out, braided messy, her eyes red from lack of sleep.
Sumitra Devi (FL aunt)
*snapping* “Wake up, useless girl! Sun’s already high and you’re still dragging your feet!”
Rhea Mehta (FL cousin)
*smirking as she throws clothes* “Here. Wash these. And don’t mess up my dress this time, Aarvi. Or I’ll make you regret it.”
Rameshwar Mehta
*mocking, sipping tea* “Pathetic. Still living off us. If your parents hadn’t cursed us with that contract, you’d be rotting on the streets.”
Aarvi bows her head, her grip tightening on the bundle of clothes.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
*quietly* “Yes, Uncle.”
The contract… her parents’ last safeguard. She would inherit the family empire and property at 27, but only if she got married before then. Until that day, her greedy relatives kept her under their roof—treating her like trash but never letting her go, because her inheritance meant the power and wealth they wanted to control.
Sumitra Devi (FL aunt)
*gloating* “Yes, Uncle. Yes, Aunt. That’s all you’re good for.”
She turns away, but her eyes harden. Her thoughts are a fire.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
💭 Two more years… just two more years, and I’ll watch you crawl.
The iron gates open. A black shadow step in, her posture shifting. Not weak—but the strong one.
There were hundreds of bedrooms. Each lavishing with white pastel walls - Each bed is as soft as cotton... like sleeping on clouds...
But only one bed was there which was different... big more like a mansion on its own....
The kitchen too speaks for luxury... The mansion was situated in the middle of the forest... Away from the world...
The mansion was itself a world - world of women. No men ever entered there...
the garden speaks nature - the one that is undisturbed... The one we imagine in novels.
The world was so beautiful there. Like a novel world - everything - describe the word "perfect"
Meera (10 years old)
*running, hugging her* “Didi!”
Aarvi’s body softened as the ten-year-old clung to her waist.
Sia (14 years old)
*grinning, arms crossed* “You’re late again. If you keep this up, Meera’s going to eat your dessert next time.”
Meera (10 years old)
*gasping* “I would never!” *looked up proudly* “I saved your kheer, Didi.”
From the corner, Ananya peeked out, shy eyes peering from behind the doorframe. Aarvi crouched, gathering all three girls into her arms.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
*warmly* “Did you eat?”
Ananya (8 years old)
*nodding quickly* “Yes! But I saved yours.”
Sia (14 years old)
*rolling her eyes dramatically* “She didn’t save it. I made her. You would’ve gone hungry otherwise.”
Aarvi chuckled, stroking Sia’s hair.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
“My little protector. What would I do without you?”
Sia’s face lit up, proud and glowing.
The room was filled with the smell of hardwork
but all these are overpowered by the one thing the laughing faces of each person
The clang of metal filled the underground hall. Women and older girls stood with trembling hands, knives catching the light. Aarvi circled them like a shadow, calm but commanding.
(woman)
*dropping her knife, panicked* “I… I can’t. My hands won’t stop shaking.”
Aarvi bent down, picking up the blade, and pressed it gently into the woman’s palm.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
*firm, steady* “They broke you once. But not here. Here, you rise. Every scar, every tear is proof of survival. That makes you stronger than the monsters who hurt you.”
(woman)
*tears spilling* “Stronger…”
From the back, a trembling voice whispered.
Ananya (8 years old)
“But, Didi… how do you survive? Living with people who hate you every day—doesn’t it… doesn’t it break you?”
Aarvi’s jaw clenched. She let out a cold, bitter laugh.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
“They think they’re using me. But the truth? I’m using them. I stay because the contract ties me down. But at night, I build this." * gestured at the women, the mansion, the safety they’d found* “By day, they call me trash. By night, I make them insignificant. And when the time comes…” *Her lips curved into a dangerous smile* “They’ll crawl.”
The women looked at one another—some crying, others with renewed fire in their eyes.
(a mother)
*hugging her toddler* “You saved us, Didi. You gave us life again. To us… you’re not just RAVEN. You’re family.”
Aarvi softened, gently brushing away the woman’s tears.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
*softly* “And you’re mine.”
Later, laughter filled the mansion as the girls chatted over dinner. Aarvi stood by the window, bathed in moonlight, her arms crossed.
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
*whispering to herself* “Two more years. Just two more years, and the world will know who I am.”
Far away, under the same sky, another shadow watched the world in silence. The Mafia King—Reyan. His empire breathing power, his secrets buried deep.
~ soon… the two shadows would collide. ~
Author
Hope you like the start of the story
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
Please subscribe our story
Aarvi Mehta (FL)
And like too... This will encourage me to save more girls..
~ The King In The Darkness ~
The heavy oak doors swung open. Silence thickened as men in black suits bowed deeply. Every head lowered at once, as if the very air demanded obedience.
guards
*trembling* “B-Boss… the politician who ran the child trafficking ring has been… taken care of. Just as you ordered.”
Reyan Malhotra, twenty-eight, stepped into the room. His sharp jaw caught the light, his cold eyes unreadable. Each stride felt like a storm closing in.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
*flat, commanding* “And the children?”
guards
*swallowing hard* “They were… freed, Boss.”
Reyan’s gaze cut through him like steel.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
*dangerous calm* “Freed isn’t enough. I said—safe hands. If I hear one is left behind… you won’t live long enough to apologize.”
guards
*bowing quickly, terrified* “Y-Yes, Boss! They’re being transferred to shelters under Kabir’s men. I’ll double-check myself.”
Reyan gave a short nod, the room releasing its held breath. The Mafia King was feared for his ruthlessness—but his rules were what made him terrifying. He killed, yes, but never without reason.
Hours later, Reyan sat in his private study. City lights glittered against the glass wall behind him. A glass of whiskey swirled in his hand, untouched.
The door opened quietly. Kabir, his most trusted man, stepped inside.
Kabir (Ml trusted man)
*cautious* “Sir… the media is calling you the devil again. They say you own the police, the politicians… the city itself.”
Reyan smirked faintly, a cold edge in his voice.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
“Good. Fear keeps the rats underground.”
Kabir (Ml trusted man)
*shifted uncomfortably, then dared to ask* “But… don’t you ever want them to know the truth? That you’re not the monster they think you are?”
Reyan’s gaze hardened, eyes like black ice.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
*quiet, firm* “The truth doesn’t matter. If they see me as a monster, let them. At least my monsters scare away the real demons.”
Kabir lowered his head. There was no arguing with the King of Darkness.
When the mansion had fallen silent, Reyan walked alone through a biometric lock, entering a chamber no one else dared step into. The air was laced with incense, faint roses, and silence thick with memories.
Photographs lined the walls—his mother, his father, his younger sister, all frozen in happier times. Their belongings sat untouched, as though waiting for their return. At the center stood three glass cases, each holding ashes.
Reyan closed the door, shoulders dropping as the mask slipped away.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
*softly, setting a rose before a photograph* “Hello, Maa. The city calls me a devil again. You’d laugh at that, wouldn’t you?”
He touched the glass case gently, his cold eyes softening.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
“Baba, I destroyed another corrupt dog today. I think… you’d have been proud.”
He turned to a sketchbook, pages yellowed with time. His voice cracked faintly.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
“Anika… you would’ve been twenty-two this year. You wanted to see Paris, remember? I’ll take you there. I promise.”
Silence pressed against him. He gave a short, bitter laugh, one that didn’t reach his eyes.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
*whispering* “Strange, isn’t it? The whole world fears me… yet the only people I want to protect are shadows now.”
In that room, the Mafia King wasn’t a king. He was a son. A brother. A boy who had lost everything. The man the world never saw.
Reyan stood, his fingers lingering on the sketchbook one last time. His voice was softer now, almost a prayer.
Reyan Malhotra (ML)
“I’ll keep fighting. Even if the world hates me. Even if I’m alone.”
Outside, the city roared with life. Somewhere within it, a woman—Aarvi, known to the underworld as Raven—was building her own sanctuary of survivors. Both shadows. Both saviors. Both broken in silence.
~Neither knew the other existed. But fate was already moving its pieces.~
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