Prologue

— 𖤐 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐇𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕 :

Escape.

Many say cowards are the ones who escape from situations, but I am anything but a coward.

I tried. I tried so fucking hard to fight this head on. I fought tooth and nail.

Every ounce of my being has been dedicated to resisting, to avoiding a marriage with a stupid mafia prince who will rule on me like I'm his fucking property.

When all strategies fail, escape becomes the only viable option.

I am Mirha Ivanov, the only daughter of Mikhail Ivanov and Mehreen Ivanov.

Mikhail Ivanov is the ruthless mafia boss. He is strict, unfeeling and cold. My dad is Russian meanwhile my mom is Indian— Mehreen Izhaar.

My parents had the cliché mafia love story which you read in fictional Novels.

Dad was on a mission in India, where he met mom and became downright obsessed with her. And like any other mafia bosses who gets what's they want by will or force, my dad forced my mom into marriage.

And of course mom accepted her fate and fell in love with him eventually.

She believes he's not entirely unfeeling and has a heart but I disagree.

When his only daughter literally begged him not to marry her off, he didn't care, he remained unmoved.

Mikhail Ivanov has indeed provided for all my needs and protected me. However, there's one thing I've craved for my entire life till now—the warmth and affection.

Mom is nice. But she has obligations as a mafia wife, which lead her to be neglectful at times.

For 22 years of my existence, I've been following his rules, but now I've had enough. I'll escape this.

Today is my marriage with a mafia heir because it's expected for a mafia princess to marry another mafia heir

However, I refuse to succumb to this fate. I will defy the predetermined path.

I. will. Escape.

I lift up my heavy, intricately embroidered golden lengha, revealing my jeans underneath.

I bend down to tighten the shoe lace of my white knickers.

My dark brown hair is styled in a messy yet neat bun adorned with delicate white flowers.

A silver veil gracefully drapes over my hair, secured in place by carefully placed pins that shimmer in the light and a white earpiece is nestled into my ear

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the preparations, I've sent all my stylists away, saying I need a moment alone to gather my thoughts and emotions and prepare myself for marriage.

"Everything clear?" I land a gentle tap at my earpiece.

"Yess." The voice of my guard—Amir—greets me from the other side of the earpiece.

Amir Ahmed, my loyal and reliable guard from a long time is in his early thirties, he is my confidant, who stands by my side, Always.

He's helping me escape.

I know I'm risking his life too by doing this, but right now, I'm being a selfish bitch.

Besides no one will suspect him because he's assigned with wedding preparation's work and the tougher guards are now on duty for protection.

Initially Amir was unsure about helping me because if my dad finds out, it will be real bad.

Loyalty is crucial in the mafia world, and betrayal is a cardinal sin.

Amir said he is my guard and thus his loyalty lies with me.

Even though my dad is ruthless and would kill Amir without any second thoughts, I also know my dad trusts him a lot, So he assigned Amir for my protection and thus him doubting Amir is quite not possible.

Despite knowing that betrayal is unforgivable and is punishable by unimaginable means, I'm escaping.

Alongside him stands my dearest friend, my precious gem, Zara Malik.

Zara is Indian and her family moved to New York for business purposes.

We met in Highschool and instantly became best friends. We were inseparable until her

family had to return to India.

Despite the miles that separated us, our connection only grew stronger. Through countless video calls, audio chats, and endless texts, we bridged the gap, sharing every moment, every thought.

She, like Amir, understands me like no other.

And so she is helping me escape too.

I zip up my vibrant yellow backpack, and slung it up to one of my shoulder blades.

I had taken all my necessities and some cash because I can't use cards. Any excess to cards will immediately alert my father.

I double-check my gun that's nestled into the back pocket of my jeans and hidden by countless folds of my lengha.

"I'm heading out." I whisper into my earpiece.

"All clear, just be quick."

Stepping outside, I find the corridor deserted, the silence echoing in the grand mansion.

The mansion I live in is castle-like. Each family member occupies a separate floor.

I gather the billowing folds of my voluminous lengha in one hand, and move forward.

My steps are quite yet quick. I have to move to the backdoor then down the secluded stairs, and finally, to the waiting car at the backyard gate, arranged by Amir.

My heart drums a wild rhythm in my chest, and my breathing turns heavy.

It's okay, Mirha. You are doing this for yourself. Remember this is about your dream. You can't just let others dictate your life. It's your life and you deserve freedom. It's for yourself.

The words echo in my mind like a mantra, guiding me as I step closer to my escape.

Just as I approach the back door, a voice pierces the silence, sending a jolt of fear through me.

"Miss?"

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐳'𝐦𝐢.

[ dammit ]

I shut my eyes, and release a huff from my mouth.

Time for some action I guess!

I turn around and face him.

"What are you trying to do, miss?" The tall guard in a sharp black suit queries me in his thick Russian accent.

I silently dig into my yellow backpack, retrieving the pepper spray.

"Escaping, can't you see?" I swiftly raise the sprinkler of the spray to his eyes and press it with all might.

I do it all so smoothly yet swiftly, the stupid guard has no time to defend himself.

His screams reverberate through the hall as I quickly grab my lengha and bolt.

Without looking back, I run and run until I spot Amir by the car, dressed in the same black sharp suit.

"I was caught by a guard, but I managed it. I'll keep you informed. Just stay under the radar. Don't ever let them suspect you. And please...stay alive." I say, hurriedly slipping into the large black car with tinted windows.

"Be cautious with every step, take care of yourself! I'll do my utmost to shield you." he reassures before closing the door.

"Thank you." lowering the window, I offer a grateful smile to which he shakes his head, signaling me to roll up the window and quickly move.

Amir is like the elder brother I didn't think I needed.

As the car starts, Zara sends me the address and password of the mansion where I'm going to stay.

It's a little away from the main city, nestled slightly into the woods.

Zara has an elder brother— Zayran Malik. He's so fucking mysterious I tell you.

Despite being one of the top businessmen and the youngest billionaire in New York, he remains elusive, rarely appearing in the public eye.

I have seen his few pictures in the business magazines and that's all. His name holds real power tho.

He leads the Malik family business established by his father, and lives all alone here in the New York, whereas his whole family lives in India.

So Zara suggested that I can stay at her brother's place for a night as it's in the woods slightly and no one will find me.

I can't even go to any hotel room because the moment I'll check in, my father would know.

Zara often speaks fondly of her brother, highlighting his caring nature and the deep bond they share.

So I can trust him that he won't try anything funny with me, or else I have my stock of pepper spray and gun too.

I transfer the address and password Zara provided to my new phone, discarding the old one out of the window to ensure no traces are left behind.

Amir—who already has my new number and was the one who kept the replacement phone ready in the car—is one of the only two contacts saved in the new device, the other being Zara.

I tell chauffeur the address and decide to video call Zara from my new number.

She picks up after a few rings.

"Oh god! Oh.my.god! I can't believe this. Bitch! I can't believe you actually did it." Zara's pretty face lighten up with excitement comes to view on the screen, her ocean eyes sparkling with joy, complemented by her light-colored hair and soft features.

"Told ya." I do act of flipping the imaginary hair.

''Okay, tell me how you're feeling. It must be so much exciting and fun, right?"

"Fun? You gotta be kidding me, my heart is still pounding like crazy and I was this close to piss in my pants." She laughs loudly.

"Did you inform your brother that I'll be staying at his place for the night?" I inquire.

Her laughter fades, and she freezes momentarily.

"Ah, I told you, my brother is a complete sweetheart, don't worry."

"𝐃𝐚𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐤𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐤𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐢 𝐦𝐮𝐣𝐡𝐞!" I squint my eyes at her.

[ I'm feeling like there's something fishy going on ]

"eeehhh—c'mon." She laughs loudly almost unnecessarily and hesitantly too.

"Babe, first Spill all the details about how you pulled off the escape." She smoothly changes the topic and me being a talkative fool, I start sharing every little detail eagerly, completely diverted from the earlier topic.

                                    — ☆

By the time I reach the mansion, it's almost evening, and the sun has set. After ending the call with Zara, I spend the whole ride overthinking, imagining the chaos that may have erupted in the mansion, picturing how angry Dad would be at me and how disappointed Mom would feel.

The pain in my chest lingers, even though I keep reminding myself that I did right.

Stepping out of the car, the mansion in front of me leaves me breathless.

I've seen many beautiful mansions, but what stands before me now is truly exquisite.

It's a single floor structure made entirely of glass, the curtains currently are drawn shut restricting the inside view.

The place is eerily silent, with only the gentle sounds of a nearby lake and birds filling the air. Not a single vehicle horn disrupts the peace.

It's so weird, I mean why would Zara's brother build such a stunning mansion in such a creepy location?

But it works in my favour anyway, as my father could never even imagine me staying in place like this.

I punch in the code sent by Zara and enter. It's pitch dark inside, so I turn on the flashlight on my phone.

My stomach growls loudly as I make my way through the living room.

The stress, anxiety, and overthinking have kept me from eating, and now I'm miss food badly.

I'm a huge foodie; it's impossible to keep me away from food.

Hastily, I head towards the kitchen and flick on the lights.

The kitchen is so neatly organised, as if it's never been used.

I know it's rude to sneak into someone's house like a fucking creep but Zara mentioned her brother works late, leaving me no other choice.

And I also know that it's not right to eat without the owner's permission, but my poor stomach can't wait.

I'll apologise for my actions later.

Opening the refrigerator, I search for any leftover pizzas slices, but all I find are cold, translucent water bottles, milk cartons, eggs, and fresh veggies.

I can't cook.

I release a huff out of my mouth.

I scan the countertops for an instant ramen packet, but there's no unhealthy junk in sight—only healthy nuts and spices.

Is Zara's brother a health freak or something? I shrug and place my yellow backpack on the kitchen slab and unzip it, pulling out a large dark chocolate bar.

No worries as long as I have my trusty Dora the Explorer backpack, which is basically a treasure trove of everything, especially food.

I tear open the wrapper and settle on the long stool, struggling with the damn lengha and start devouring the rich chocolate.

Lost in the delicious moment, I don't hear the front door opening, until a a deep, menacing growl startles me.

"What the actual fuck?"

I lift my head from the chocolate, licking my lips, only to meet a pair of icy, marble grey eyes, directing glares at me.

He's a tall man with lean physique in a sharp office suit that seems like it's stitched onto his body, fitting perfectly around his biceps.

His features are rugged and his sharp jaw clenched in a firm line.

This must be Zara's brother, Zayran Malik.

"Who the fuck are you?" He growls again.

Quickly wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I hop off the stool, placing the half-eaten chocolate on the clean kitchen slab.

"Um, hey, I'm Mirha! Mirha Ivonov...Zara's best friend." I stammer slightly because the man's intense gaze feels like fire draggers thrown my way, as my skin heats up.

I extend my hand for a shake.

"You may be my sister's best friend or whatever, but what in the world are you doing in my house? How dare you break in here? I'm calling the cops." He takes out his phone, dialing.

While my jaw hangs in disbelief.

What the brownie fudge??????

Zaraaa I swear, I'm going to strangle you to death.

                     ✧———————-——✧

Thank you for reading<3 Drop a comment and vote, it motivates me to write further.

I know I said I'll start 'escaping the veil' after my exams but i couldn't help my excitement. I enjoy writing them sm, they are going to be my most chaotic couple. 

So what are your thoughts? How was the prologue? Want me to update chapter one?? Then give me atleast 50  comments and 70 votes.