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??.....In this world, a mother is the greatest warrior..... ??

The cry of the baby filled the room Reena and Amulya was.

"It's a girl." Reena said with a happy smile and cleaned up the baby before giving her to Amulya waiting arms. Her smile widened when she saw the affection Amulya was showing on her child. "Do you have a name for the baby?" She asked.

Amulya nodded her head slowly, "Zoya." She said. "Zoya Bairya."

Reena smiled widely, Bairya was her last name.

______

Two Shadows in all blacks were seen entering through the house of Reena, they were so quiet as they tip toe into the room Amulya was in surprising Amulya who was awake and breastfeeding her child.

From their attire, Amulya knew who they were.

"Please....."

"Sshh, be quiet if you value your life." One threatened and that shut up Amulya.

The second one forcefully took the baby from her arms to verify something. Once he was satisfied with his findings.

"It's a girl." He told the other one before he faced Amulya. "Just thank your stars you birthed a female if not you would have been the mother of a dead child." He told her and he flung the child back to Amulya without a care and they left as quietly as they came.

As soon as they were gone, Amulya rose from the bed like a bolting light and lock her room door. She hoped their voices didn't wake up the old lady, she doesn't want to put the old woman in danger.

_____

9 Years Later....

Zoya grew up to be a very intelligent, smart and handwork girl who always helped her mother and grandmother at any slightest chance.

Amulya helps most of the villagers do their laundry and get paid for it. With the money she realizes from it, she divides it into two and uses half to stock foodstuffs in the house and the other half to send Zoya to school.

One day towards evening, Amulya was coming back from the market with the things she brought and it was raining heavily, she was soaked from head to toe, she saw a little girl sitting on the ground in the pouring rain. She ran to meet her.

"Why are you sitting down there, don't you know you will get cold? Where are you living, won't your parents be waiting for you?"

"I have no one ma'am." The little girl responded with a shivering voice.

"Okay, follow me." Amulya told the girl who stood up still shivering. Amulya went down on her knees. "Hop on." She told the little girl who quickly climbed Amulya back.

Amulya ran with the little girl on her back towards her home.

Soon she was at her room and Reena with her daughter welcomed her. One look on the little girl on Amulya's back melted the heart of Reena who took the girl from Amulya and went to bring one of Zoya clothes for her to wear even though it wasn't her size, and cover her with some wrappers.

"Who is she mama?" Zoya asked as she helped her mother in the kitchen.

"Someone who is like us." Amulya responded with a smile.

Food was ready and served and the little girl ate to her satisfaction.

"So what's your name?" Amulya asked once the four of them had finished eating.

"My name is Aishwarya."

"Where are you from?" Reena asked.

"I can't remember, my mother left me in a shed to go and buy something she forgot but didn't return. I went back home but found the place empty, she left me and I have been wandering on my own since. That was five years ago."

"How old are you?" Zoya demanded.

"12."

"I will be 10 soon." Zoya said. "From now henceforth, you are my big sister."

The friendship between Zoya and Aishwarya grew strong.

Amulya registered Aishwarya in the local school in the village where Zoya went and tried to make ends meet, one night she called both girls into her room. Reena has gone to sleep in her room. Her house consists of three rooms and a parlour. Reena stayed in one room, Amulya stayed in the second room while Zoya and Aishwarya stayed in the third room which was the room that Reena used for delivery, but since she was getting old, she converted the room into Zoya's room.

"There is something important I would love to talk to both of you." Amulya began. "Both of you are intelligent but...one of you will stop school and allow the other one to continue, the burden is too much for me."

"Let me stop my school mother and let Zoya continue." Aishwarya said.

"No, let me stop and you continue your school, you are my big sister and the senior, it won't make any sense if I continue to go to school and you stay at home." Zoya told Aishwarya. "Let me stop my school and let Aishwarya continue, there is no argument."

"Okay." Amulya said kissing both girls on their forehead tenderly.

Aishwarya continues her school while Zoya helps her mother in the laundry.

A month later, Aishwarya fell sick.

"I and Aishwarya are going out to get some drugs, we will be back soon." Amulya told Reena and Zoya.

"Be back soon Amulya, it's almost 7pm." Reena said.

"We will return soon mother." She said and kissed Zoya and left with Aishwarya.

But they didn't return as promised instead the news of their deaths.

A villager came to report their deaths to Reena. An unknown speeding truck had crushed Amulya and Aishwarya and ran away.

Their burial rites were performed and they were burnt and their ashes were given to Zoya who poured them into the village river.

Zoya remembered the conversation she had with her mother.

"How deep is the ocean? Without knowing the depths you can't rule over it. That is how you should be Zoya. Be like the ocean no one can rule." Amulya told her daughter. "People like us have no one to call our own, people like us live for alms. I won't always be with you forever my child, but promise me, I don't know how you are going to do it but you should become wealthy and help the likes of us. Be dominant and strong so that when you come to face your father one day, he will be scared of you. Others are scared of him, but you, let him be scared of you, promise me Zoya."

"I promise you mother." Zoya promised. "But tell me, who is my father?"

"Once you see him, you will know. He is feared all over India and a powerful man. I can't tell you his name, they might be watching my every move to end our lives." Amulya told her child looking around her in fear. "But don't worry my child, I will be alive till I have to hold your hand in the dark and make you walk through it even when you are scared of the dark, then I will teach you to even leave my hand and stand strong against others and walk through the darkness without fear."

"Of course mother, I will be strong and handworking for you, grandma and Aishwarya."

"Some people read history and some teach it, but you, I want you to create your own history my child." Amulya said and continued. "In this world there are two types of people, winners and losers, but life definitely gives every loser that one chance in which he or she can become a winner, always be a winner Zoya, promise me."

"I promise mother."

Zoya could remember the conversation like the back of her hand and she made up her mind to fulfill her late mother promise.

One week after the burial of Amulya and Aishwarya, Zoya went to meet Reena at night.

"Grandma, I will be leaving tomorrow morning."

"Why?"

"To find my father." Zoya answered. "Mother told me he is a powerful man, I need to find him."

"But you are too young to go out there and face the world alone."

"I am not alone grandma, I have you." Zoya said. "Tomorrow I will be gone before the morning sun comes out."

*******

Bombay City:

Raja Rajasthan was one of the biggest and feared Don in the whole Bombay. He has lot of gang all over Bombay and a dealer of guns and girls and boys prostitution. He was well respected and feared in the whole of Bombay. Bombay police have tried to apprehend him but no one has evidence to put Raja Rajasthan to prison.

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Anant Desai who lives in Bangalore in India was one of the biggest and feared Don in the whole Bangalore but mostly he has businesses all over Bombay. He goes to small villages, forces the people out and uses their lands for his own business, brothels, hotels. Police dare not question him, they all turn blind eyes to his business.

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Raveena kaali nickname Demon was the most dangerous of all Don's. He controls all Don's all over India. He is into all sorts of evil. The girls and boys Raja and Anant used for their brothels are from Raveena. He has 200 acres where he built a strong fortress and placed it with strong guards. He has slaves that dig out gold from his land. He was well feared and respected all over India. He calls for a meeting every five years for every Don's all over India to come to his fortress and give account of their business and give him 40% shares of their profit. No government dares enter his fortress. Rumour has it that Raveena Kaali is from the lineage of a Demon god called Kaali Yuga.

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Raja Rajasthan and Anant Desai don't cross each other's paths. Anant Desai is the right hand man of Raveena then Raja Rajasthan follows. Both Don's were always at war with each other and would do anything to eliminate the other from the surface of the earth.

In this war, Zoya entered, even though her worn out slippers were small, but the path where she laid her footsteps was big.