Kaala Darbar’s base was shrouded in an unsettling silence. The air was thick with tension, the kind that wrapped around the walls like an unseen force, suffocating yet electrifying. In the dim glow of the overhead lights, Shaurya sat in his chair, his elbows resting on the table, face buried in his palms.
The storm inside him was relentless. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, not from fear, but from the sheer weight of the rage simmering beneath his skin. When he finally exhaled and lifted his face, his dark, piercing eyes met the three figures standing before him—Siya, Veer, and Ryan.
Shaurya leaned back, pressing his fingers together. “Ask.”
Veer was the first to break the silence. “Who is she?”
Siya followed instantly, her voice softer but urgent. “Where did you find her?”
Shaurya’s gaze shifted to Ryan, the only one who hadn’t spoken. He stood with his usual blank expression, arms crossed, his sharp jawline tense but unreadable. Shaurya knew him too well—Ryan never asked questions. He simply listened, observed, and then executed the plan.
Shaurya took a deep breath.
“I don’t know who she is. I don’t know her name. I don’t know anything about her.” His voice was calm, but the undercurrent of controlled fury was evident. “When I saw her… the only thing I knew was that I had to save her. At any cost.”
His fingers curled into fists against the table. “And about where I found her… I found her near the forest. In a state no one should ever be in.”
A heavy silence followed his words. Siya lowered her eyes, gripping the hem of her jacket.
“We don’t know anything about her,” Shaurya continued, his voice colder now. “And we can’t ask her directly when she wakes up. But we also can’t delay justice.”
The weight of his words settled on them. There were four culprits. They knew that much. The doctor had confirmed it.
Shaurya’s eyes landed on Siya. “You have to check the footage near the forest. And dig into missing complaints—anything that can help us.”
Siya gave a sharp nod, her face hardening with determination.
Then his gaze flickered to Ryan. “You know what you have to do.”
Ryan’s lips twitched slightly, a smirk playing there. “Already on it.”
Without another word, Siya and Ryan turned and left the room.
Shaurya exhaled and ran a hand down his face. Veer was still standing there.
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Shaurya’s POV
I felt the weight of Veer’s gaze before he even spoke. He didn’t need words—I already knew what he was thinking. He could see through me, past the poker face I wore, straight into the storm raging inside me.
Veer had been with me through everything—my first friend, my closest confidant. He had seen me rise, seen me fall, and never once wavered. And today, without saying a word, he knew. Knew that I was exhausted, that the weight of everything was pressing down harder than usual.
He didn’t ask anything. He didn’t push. He just sat beside me in silence. And that was enough.
I exhaled, my hands pressing into my temples.
I didn’t even know what I was doing anymore.
Politics. The never-ending cases. And now, this girl.
“What happened to her was inhuman. But the cruelest truth? It wasn’t the first time. And it won’t be the last.”
The thought made my jaw tighten.
I had power, but was it ever enough?
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, gathering my thoughts. I had to divide them properly, had to act accordingly. No distractions.
After some time, I was the one to break the silence. “The elections,” I said, shifting gears back to reality. “We need to finalize the next step”.
Veer nodded, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just sat with me through a storm without a single word. And that was the thing about him—he understood me, even when I didn’t say a damn thing.
And right now, that was enough.
“My party already dominates the MLA seats,” I murmured, tapping my fingers rhythmically against the table. My voice was calm, but my mind was razor-sharp "I’ve spent years listening to them, respecting their opinions, letting them do as they pleased—playing the role of the young, obedient leader. But now… it’s time they start paying back."
Veer leaned back in his chair, watching me closely. “And those who refuse?”
A slow smirk tugged at my lips. “We find their weaknesses,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “And we use them. I don’t care if it involves their families. This time, loyalty isn’t a choice—it’s a necessity.”
Veer chuckled darkly. “No more playing nice?”
I shook my head. “No more compromises. This election will decide everything. I want every seat in my pocket, every state under my influence. And after that…” I paused, letting the weight of my words sink in.
Veer’s smirk widened knowingly. “Prime Minister.”
I nodded. “By hook or by crook. I need absolute power to change the system. And I will take it.”
A moment of silence settled between us, thick with understanding.
Veer suddenly leaned forward. “By the way, did you hear the news?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”
He scoffed. “wahi ameer baap ki aulad ne college ki lardki ko molest krne ki koshish ki lekin court ‘it's not attempt to rape’ keh kar chhordiya usse.”(That rich brat tried to molest a college girl, but the court let him go, saying ‘it’s not an attempt to rape’.)
I smirk “ it's nice… waise bhi kafi din ho gaye kaala darbar mai kissi ki bali chadhaye huwe.(That’s good… it’s been a while since Kaala Darbar has sacrificed someone.)
Veer laughed “Ryan will be the happiest person after hearing this.
Veer nodded, clearly impressed. “You should comment on this—it’ll keep you in the public eye.”
I gave him a sharp look. “Mujhe aisi limelight nahi chahiye.”
(I don’t need such limelight.)
Veer smirked but didn’t argue.
I continued, “Media definitely aayegi hamari party se reaction lene. Wasim sambhalega—I trust him.”
(The media will definitely come to take our party’s reaction. Wasim will handle it—I trust him.)
Veer nodded in agreement, a glint of approval in his eyes.
The game had already begun. And this time, I wasn’t waiting for my turn—I was taking the board.
A knock on the door broke our conversation.
Siya and Ryan entered, their heads bowed slightly. I already knew the answer from their body language, but I still asked.
“What did you find?”
Siya was the first to break the silence. “I’m sorry, Sarkar…”
Ah. Sarkar. That meant she was disappointed with herself. She only called me that when she thought she had failed. When she found something useful, she called me bhai.
“There’s no footage near the forest,” she continued, her voice strained. “And after some distance, there’s a highway with too many passing vehicles. I don’t know which one we’re looking for.”
She swallowed hard. “We found some missing complaints—but none match her.”Siya hesitated."It’s as if she never existed. No one is looking for her."
She didn’t lift her head once.
I turned to Ryan.
He spoke in his usual deep, emotionless tone. “We’ve already shut down many human trafficking routes, but I’ve tried everything to trace her. Every contact I have says there was no such girl.” His jaw tightened. “Still, I’ve asked our men to search further.”
I sighed. “I should have known. This isn’t going to be easy.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, already thinking of the next step.
Then my phone rang.
“Sarkar,” a voice said on the other end. “She’s waking up.”
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