“But—” she begins, but I don’t let her finish.
“No, you are going home, and I am going to bring back Shivani. Nothing is going to happen to anyone. I won’t let it happen.” I assure her despite the nasty churning of my guts.
My phone buzzes, making me pull away from her. It’s Siddhant.
“We’ve got the footage. Sending it to you now. We identified the van, and now we’re tracking it.”
Hope. Just a flicker, but it’s there.
“Keep me updated. I’m heading to their location.”
“Raksh,” Aryan cuts in, “I know it’s hard for you to control yourself right now, but take some of your men with you. We don’t know who’s behind this—or how dangerous they are.”
“No, I don’t have time. You send a team. I’ll go ahead.” My voice is steely, unwavering. “And yes… it’s definitely Ranveer. I know he’s behind this.” I know I’m being reckless. But my mind is fixated on one thing—finding Shivani. If I die, I will be happy I died saving my wife.
I end the call and climb back into my car, pushing the engine harder than ever. The city blurs past as I weave through traffic. Quickly, I open the location they sent me, and I see them heading to the outskirts. I slam my foot down on the accelerator, willing the car to go faster.
Finally, I reach the location—a run-down bungalow, its walls stained with neglect. I park a few yards away, pull out my jacket from the dashboard, and move quietly toward it, my heart pounding in my chest. The place reeks of danger. But I don’t care. All that matters is my wife. Fear of losing her crawls back tome, and I exhale a breath heavily. No, this isn't the time to give in to my fear.
I inch closer, listening at the entrance. Faint voices filter through the door. Skillfully, I pull out my gun, check it, and push the door open slowly. The interior is dim and damp. My eyes scan every shadow, every room for any sign of her.
Then I hear her. A soft whimper, and my heart clenches at the sound. I move forward, each step calculated and silent, as I follow the sound until I reach the farthest room. And I see her. Shivani is tied to a chair, tears streaming down her face. My breath catches in my throat and my vision blurs with fury as I take in her condition.
From the corner of my eye, I see a shadow. Ranveer. He’s leaning against the wall, a smug grin plastered on his face.
“I knew you’d come, lover boy,” he sneers.
“Good,” I reply coldly, stepping into the room. “Because this lover boy will finish you this time.” He steps closer, revealing a scar across his cheek—the one I gave him.
“Beautiful scar,” I smirk. “You remember the fire I set, right?” I tut. “You haven’t changed,” I state, my voice ice-cold as I shake my head at him in disappointment. “Still a coward. Hiding behind kidnappings and threats.”
He laughs—a harsh, mocking sound. “And you’re still predictable. Always running after your precious Shivani.”
I clench my jaw, and my fingers tighten on the gun. “Let her go, Ranveer. Redeem yourself. She’s your daughter.”
Every cell in my body wants to rush to Shivani to tear her away from this nightmare. But I need to stay sharp and alert. I can’t take any reckless steps; it's too dangerous.
Ranveer laughs, shaking his head. “And why would I do that? She took everything from me! She was a mistake. A weakness. And she became a liability when she chose you over her own father.” He steps toward her, his face contorted with rage. His body is charged as he moves near her, and Shivani cowers back in fear.
“I told her not to snitch, but this bitch—” He slaps Shivani hard across the face, making her fall sideways. Rage explodes inside me, and I feel the heat of it engulfing me.
“Don’t touch my wife!” I roar, fury crackling in my voice.
Ranveer sneers. “Why? What will you do? I’m going to kill you both.”
He signals to his man, and a gunshot rings out.
The impact hits me square in the chest. I stumble—but I don’t fall as I grin through the dull pain. Thanks for the bulletproof jacket, which was kept in my car.
“You think I’m a fool?” I question him, taking a step forward slowly, like a predator surrounding his prey. “You think I came without protection? You don’t scare me, Ranveer. But if you touch my wife again—you’ll wish you never crawled out of hell.” I glance at his henchman.
“Varun,” I call the man calmly, “don’t you think it’s a mistake to go against Atharva’s orders? He’ll kill you.”
They laugh, throwing their heads back. But before they can reply, the door behind me bursts open. Aryan and Siddhant storm in with their men—guns raised.
Chaos erupts. Bullets fly, people yell, and the air is thick with smoke and noise. But I see only one person—Shivani. And the gun Ranveer is pointing at her head.
“Ranveer, no!” I shout, and before he can shoot, I raise my gun at him and aim a shot. My bullet hits his hand, throwing off his aim.
