chapter 60
Author's POV
The doctors quickly wheeled Rudra inside the operating room, the doors shutting with a heavy sound that echoed in Ishni's chest.
For a moment, she just stood there staring at the red light outside the door, her hands still trembling, her fingers stained with Rudra's blood.
Her breathing felt uneven.
She quickly pulled out her phone and called Vipul.
"Vipul..." her voice cracked the moment he picked up.
Within minutes, Vipul rushed into the hospital corridor. His usually calm face was tense with worry as he looked around.
"Ma'am," he called softly.
Ishni looked up.
"Vipul..."
But before she could say anything else, another voice came from behind him.
"Didi!!"
Tara ran toward her, her face pale with fear. The moment Ishni saw her, the strength she had been holding onto shattered. She immediately stepped forward and hugged Tara tightly.
Tara wrapped her arms around her as Ishni broke down, crying against her shoulder.
"Didi... it's okay... it's okay," Tara whispered, gently rubbing her back, though her own eyes were filling with tears.
Vipul stood beside them, his jaw clenched as he looked toward the operating room door where the red light was still on.
His fists slowly tightened.
Someone had dared to shoot Rudra Singh Rajput.
And whoever it was... had just declared war.
"Ma'am... please calm down. Boss will be fine," Vipul said gently, trying to steady the situation.
But even as he spoke, his eyes were sharp with concern. "But how did this happen? And where were the guards?"
Ishni wiped her tears with trembling hands, trying to collect herself enough to speak.
"We didn't take any guards with us," she said quietly.
Vipul's brows instantly furrowed.
"We were just coming out of the temple when two men suddenly attacked us," she continued, her voice shaking as the memories replayed in her mind. "Rudra fought them... he handled them easily..."
She paused for a moment, her fingers tightening together.
"But then... from somewhere far... someone fired a bullet."
Her voice cracked.
"Rudra pushed me away... and the bullet hit his arm."
Tara gasped softly beside her, covering her mouth with her hand.
Vipul's expression darkened instantly. His mind was already connecting pieces.
"Ma'am... did you see who fired the shot?" Vipul asked carefully.
Ishni slowly shook her head.
"No... there was just a shadow behind a tree... before I could see properly, that person disappeared."
Vipul looked toward the operating room door again, his eyes turning cold.
Whoever had planned this attack clearly knew what they were doing.
And now... they had just made the biggest mistake of their life.
Just then, the operating room doors finally opened.
Ishni instantly stood up, her heart racing as the doctor stepped out, removing his gloves.
"Doctor...?" she asked anxiously.
The doctor gave a small reassuring nod. "He is fine. The bullet only hit his arm. We have removed it successfully. He has lost some blood, but there is nothing life-threatening. Right now he is resting."
For a moment, Ishni just stood there, processing his words.
Then a deep breath escaped her lips.
She closed her eyes and sighed in relief, as if the weight crushing her chest had finally lifted.
"Thank God..." she whispered softly.
Tara also let out a relieved breath and held Ishni's hand. "See didi... jiju is strong. Nothing can happen to him."
Vipul slightly nodded as well, though his face was still serious. His eyes briefly glanced toward the corridor, already thinking about the attackers.
Meanwhile, Ishni looked toward the room where Rudra was resting, her eyes still moist.
"He scared me..." she murmured quietly.
Ishni slowly pushed the hospital room door open.
The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of the monitor beside the bed.
Rudra was lying there, his arm wrapped in thick bandages, an IV connected to his hand. His face looked pale, but he was breathing steadily.
The moment Ishni saw him like that, her chest tightened again.
She walked slowly toward the bed and sat beside him.
Carefully, she took his hand in hers, as if afraid even the slightest pressure might hurt him. Her fingers trembled slightly.
She lowered her head and gently kissed his hand.
Tears rolled down her cheeks again.
"Why do you always do this..." she whispered softly, her voice full of pain and love. "Why do you always protect me like this..."
Her thumb slowly brushed over his knuckles.
"You pushed me away... without even thinking about yourself."
Her voice broke.
"Do you know how scared I was, Rudra?" she whispered. "For a second... I thought..."
She couldn't finish the sentence.
Instead, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his hand, holding it close to her heart.
"Please... don't scare me like that again..." she murmured, her tears falling silently onto his fingers.
--------------
Two days had passed since the attack.
Rudra's arm had almost recovered now. The doctors had warned him to rest for a few more days, but knowing Rudra, sitting idle was nearly impossible.
Throughout those two days, Ishni hadn't left his side even once. She stayed with him every moment-making sure he took his medicines, changing his bandages, and watching him like a hawk as if he might disappear the second she looked away.
That night, the mansion was quiet.
It was late, and Ishni was in the bedroom, softly preparing the bed. She adjusted the pillows and spread the blanket neatly, her movements calm but careful, still carrying the lingering fear from what had happened.
Meanwhile, Rudra stood near the balcony door, speaking on the phone.
"Alright... keep them there," he said in a low, firm voice.
On the other end, Vipul hesitated. "Boss... are you coming?"
Rudra's eyes shifted toward Ishni. She was still busy fixing the bedsheet, completely unaware of the conversation happening behind her.
"Yes," Rudra replied quietly.
There was a brief silence on the call before Vipul spoke again.
"But... ma'am?"
Rudra's jaw tightened slightly as he looked at Ishni, who was now fluffing the pillow, humming softly to herself.
"I'll handle it," he said.
And with that, he ended the call.
For a moment he just stood there, watching her.
She had spent two days worrying about him... barely sleeping... barely eating.
And now he was about to walk straight into danger again.
Rudra exhaled slowly.
This was not going to be an easy conversation.
"Rudra, come and sleep," Ishni said softly while adjusting the blanket.
Rudra walked toward the bed, but the moment he came closer, Ishni stopped and looked at him carefully.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"What?" she asked slowly. "Are you planning to go somewhere?"
Rudra's expression stayed calm.
"No. I'm not," he said casually.
But Ishni knew him too well.
For two seconds she simply stared at him, as if trying to read every thought behind his eyes.
Rudra quietly moved toward the bed and sat down, pretending nothing was wrong. Because he knew one thing very clearly-
If he told her the truth... she would never allow him to leave.
Ishni slowly crossed her arms.
"Hmm," she murmured suspiciously.
Rudra lay back on the bed like everything was perfectly normal.
But inside his mind, he was already planning how to leave later without waking her.
Across from him, Ishni continued staring.
"Jaan... stop staring at me," Rudra said, raising an eyebrow as he noticed Ishni still looking at him without blinking.
"Kyuu?" she asked innocently. "Are you getting shy?"
Rudra let out a soft scoff.
"Ji haan," he replied dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "Meri patni mujhe aise ghoor rahi hai jaise main koi khana hoon... aur woh mujhe abhi kha jaayegi."
Ishni rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the small smile forming on her lips.
"Oh please," she said, sitting beside him on the bed. "Don't flatter yourself."
Rudra leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice.
"Flatter? Jaan, you've been staring at me for the past five minutes. Either you're planning something... or you're admiring how handsome your husband is."
Ishni narrowed her eyes at him.
She shook her head but gently pushed him toward the pillow.
"Bas... now sleep. Doctor said you need rest."
Rudra laid down obediently, though the corner of his lips still carried that mischievous smile.
Ishni switched off the lamp and lay down beside him.
Within minutes, her breathing slowly softened as sleep took over.
At midnight
But Rudra's eyes opened again in the darkness.
He carefully turned his head and looked at her sleeping face.
His expression softened for a moment.
Then slowly... very carefully... he began moving, planning to slip out without waking her.
Rudra slowly turned his head and looked at Ishni.
She was fast asleep, her face calm, her breathing soft and steady. A few strands of hair had fallen across her forehead, moving slightly with every breath she took.
For a moment, Rudra just watched her.
The hardness in his eyes melted into something gentle... something only she could bring out of him.
He slowly leaned closer.
"Sorry... jaan," he whispered quietly. "Forgive me for not listening to you."
Carefully, he moved the loose strands of hair away from her forehead, his fingers brushing her skin softly. Then he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, lingering there for a second longer than necessary.
His eyes stayed on her face, as if memorizing it.
Then he slowly got up from the bed, making sure not to make the slightest sound.
He grabbed his jacket from the chair and wore it quickly. Before leaving, he turned back once more, his gaze falling on Ishni again.
For a moment... he hesitated.
But then the cold determination returned to his eyes.
Quietly, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Inside the room, Ishni slept peacefully... completely unaware that Rudra had just stepped out into the darkness alone.
Rudra stepped out of the mansion quietly, the night air cool and still around him. The entire place was silent, as if the world itself was asleep.
But Rudra wasn't.
Within a few minutes, he reached the basement of one of his private buildings. The place was dimly lit, the yellow lights casting long shadows across the concrete floor.
His footsteps echoed as he walked in.
His jaw was clenched tightly.
Vipul and a few of his men were already waiting.
The moment they saw Rudra enter, they straightened.
"Boss," Vipul said respectfully.
In the middle of the basement, two men were tied to chairs, their faces bruised and terrified. Their heads were lowered, but the moment they heard Rudra's footsteps approaching, they looked up.
Fear immediately spread across their faces.
Rudra stopped right in front of them, his eyes cold and unreadable.
For a few seconds... he said nothing.
The silence itself felt suffocating.
Then slowly, he tilted his head slightly.
"Either tell me yourselves..." Rudra said slowly, his voice dangerously calm, "or I have my own ways of making people talk."
As he spoke, he lazily played with the sharp silver ring on his thumb, twisting it back and forth. Under the dim basement lights, the pointed edge of the ring gleamed faintly.
The two men tied to the chairs looked at him in pure horror.
They had heard stories about Rudra Singh Rajput.
But standing in front of him now... was far worse.
"W-we... we..." one of them tried to speak, his voice trembling.
Before the sentence could even form-
Thud.
Rudra's fist crashed into his face so hard that the chair scraped loudly against the concrete floor.
"Don't stutter!" Rudra yelled, his voice suddenly echoing through the basement.
The other man flinched violently.
Rudra stood there breathing heavily for a second, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
Slowly, he rolled his shoulders and wiped the blood from his knuckles with a handkerchief.
Then he crouched down in front of them, his eyes dark and merciless.
"Let's try this again," he said quietly, his voice even more terrifying now because of how calm it was.
"Who sent you?"
"W-we... we didn't see him..." one of the men stammered, his whole body shaking. "We just got a call... th-they told us to attack you... and they paid us..."
Rudra's expression didn't change.
He slowly straightened his back and looked at Vipul.
Vipul understood immediately and stepped forward. "From where did the call come?" he asked sharply.
The man shook his head quickly. "Unknown number... we swear! We don't know anything else!"
Rudra's jaw tightened.
He slowly began pacing around them, his heavy footsteps echoing in the basement. The tension in the room thickened with every second.
"So..." Rudra said quietly, his voice cold like ice, "someone paid you... to attack me."
The men nodded frantically.
"Yes! Yes! That's all we know!"
Rudra stopped walking.
For a few seconds he just stared at them, his dark eyes studying every movement, every breath.
Then he gave a faint, humorless chuckle.
He looked at Vipul again.
"Phone," Rudra said.
Vipul immediately handed it to him.
Rudra dialed a number calmly and waited.
The two men watched him like prisoners waiting for their final verdict.
After a moment someone answered.
"Track every unknown call made in the last forty-eight hours around the temple area," Rudra said coldly. "I want the number... the location... and the owner."
He paused.
"And I want it now."
He ended the call and slowly turned back toward the two trembling men.
His eyes had turned even darker.
"Because if I find out you're lying..." he said quietly.
His thumb brushed against the sharp edge of his ring again.
"You'll beg for death before morning."
"Boss... what should we do with them?" Vipul asked, glancing toward the two terrified men tied to the chairs.
The basement had gone completely silent.
Rudra slowly turned his head and looked at them.
The moment his gaze landed on them, both men froze. Their breathing grew uneven, their eyes wide with fear.
For a few seconds, Rudra didn't say anything.
Then he spoke.
"What else?" he said coldly. "Finish them."
The words fell into the room like a final verdict.
"Because of them... my wife shed tears," Rudra continued, his voice dangerously calm. "And I don't show mercy to people who make her cry."
The two men immediately started panicking.
"Please! Please sir we didn't know-"
"Please let us go-"
But Rudra didn't even look at them again.
He had already turned away.
Vipul watched his boss for a moment. Even he could feel the storm brewing behind Rudra's silence.
Rudra's eyes were dark... colder than before.
A dangerous storm lived in them now.
The kind of storm that could make even the bravest man tremble.
In center of the basement, his posture relaxed but his presence terrifying. His fingers rested on the armrest as he silently watched the chaols unfolding in front of him.
The room was filled with screams... cries... desperate pleas for mercy.
But Rudra's face remained completely expressionless.
His eyes were cold, distant, as if none of it affected him at all.
To anyone watching, it would feel as if the devil himself was calmly observing the consequences of someone's mistake.
After a few minutes, the heavy door opened and Vipul walked back inside.
"Boss," he said respectfully.
Rudra slowly lifted his eyes toward him.
"What about those men?" Vipul asked quietly.
Rudra tilted his head slightly.
"Where are they?" he asked in a calm voice.
"Under the basement," Vipul replied.
Then he nodded toward one of the guards standing nearby.
Immediately, the man pressed a hidden switch. With a low mechanical sound, a section of the basement floor began to slide open.
Concrete panels moved apart, revealing another level below darker, colder... far more sinister.
It looked almost like a cage area... iron bars separating sections like small cells.
Inside two of those cells, the men had been thrown in.
Both of them looked terrified, gripping the bars as they noticed Rudra standing above them.
"Did they open their mouth?" Rudra asked in a dangerously calm voice.
Vipul shook his head. "No, boss... they didn't. But it's confirmed... they're not Italian."
Rudra's expression didn't change. Not even a slight movement crossed his face. His eyes slowly shifted toward the men trapped in the basement chamber below.
For a moment, the entire room went silent.
Then Rudra spoke.
"Do it."
The word was quiet... but it carried the weight of death.
One of the guards immediately pressed the control switch. A loud metallic sound echoed through the basement as a large wall opposite the chamber slowly started moving downward.
The two men inside looked up in confusion.
Then their faces drained of color.
From the upper wall above them, rows of long, sharp steel needles began sliding out slowly... hundreds of them. The metal gleamed under the dim lights as the entire structure started descending toward the men.
Their eyes widened in horror.
"N-no... no please!"
"PLEASE SIR! PLEASE!"
They started screaming, banging their fists against the bars, desperately trying to move away, but there was nowhere to run.
Above them, Rudra stood still, watching everything unfold as if he was observing a simple experiment.
The needles kept descending slowly... inch by inch... the sharp tips now dangerously close to their skin.
The screams grew louder, more desperate.
One of the men fell to his knees, crying uncontrollably.
"PLEASE! WE'LL TALK! WE'LL TALK!"
The needles suddenly stopped.
Just inches above their heads.
The men froze completely, terrified to even breathe.
Rudra looked down at them, his dark eyes colder than ice.
"Then talk," he said quietly.
But even now, there was something far more terrifying than the needles above them.
It was the fact that Rudra Singh Rajput had not shown even a trace of emotion while watching them beg for their lives.
"We... we were asked to keep an eye on you.
.. and your wife," one of the men stuttered, his voice cracking with pure terror.
Sweat dripped from his face as he looked up at Rudra like a man staring at death itself.
"T-that person told us to... to put this Italian tattoo.
.. so people would think we belong to them. .. please... please trust us..."
His breathing turned uneven.
"W-we didn't see him... we swear... we don't know who he is..."
The entire basement fell silent.
The kind of silence that makes a man hear his own heartbeat.
Rudra slowly walked toward the edge of the opening and looked down at them. His dark eyes moved to the tattoo on the man's arm.
For a few seconds... he said nothing.
Then a slow smile appeared on his face.
The kind of smile that makes grown men lose the strength in their legs.
"So..." Rudra murmured, his voice dangerously soft. "Someone is trying to play games with me."
The men below started shaking their heads violently.
"NO SIR! WE SWEAR!"
"We were just paid to watch you!"
Rudra leaned slightly forward, resting his hands behind his back as he observed them the way a predator studies injured prey.
"You watched my wife," he said quietly.
The words themselves didn't sound loud.
But the air in the room suddenly turned heavy.
"You followed her..."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"And because of this little game... my wife cried."
The two men instantly collapsed to their knees.
"PLEASE! PLEASE FORGIVE US!"
Rudra slowly turned the sharp ring on his thumb.
The faint metallic sound echoed in the silent basement.
He looked at Vipul.
"Did you hear them?" Rudra asked calmly.
Vipul nodded.
"Yes, boss."
Rudra's eyes returned to the men.
"Good," he said.
Then his voice dropped lower.
"Because I want the last sound they hear to be their own screaming."
Vipul understood immediately.
He gave a small signal.
The machinery roared alive again.
The massive steel structure above the men began descending.
Hundreds of razor-sharp needles moved downward slowly... deliberately.
The men looked up.
Their eyes widened in absolute horror.
"NO- NO PLEASE!"
They started screaming, clawing at the walls, trying to escape like trapped animals.
Above them, Rudra stood watching.
Completely still.
His expression empty, His eyes darker than the storm. The needles moved closer... closer... until their sharp tips were just inches from the men's skin.
Their screams filled the basement.
But Rudra Singh Rajput didn't blink.
Because in that moment... he wasn't acting like a man seeking answers.
He was a king delivering punishment.
"Y-you can meet him!" one of the men suddenly screamed, his voice cracking in desperation. "PLEASE STOP!"
The entire basement echoed with his terrified shout.
Vipul's hand paused over the control.
The descending metal structure froze mid-air.
Hundreds of razor-sharp needles hung just inches above their heads.
One wrong movement... and their skulls would be pierced like paper.
The man collapsed to his knees, gasping like a dying animal.
"Tom... tomorrow..." he choked, his voice trembling as if every word might be his last. "T-that person... is keeping a private party... everyone will be there..."
His hands folded together desperately.
"Please... please... we swear... that's all we know..."
Rudra didn't move. He slowly walked closer to the opening and looked down at them.
The dim light above cast a shadow across his face, making his eyes look darker... colder.
"A party?" Rudra repeated quietly.
The man nodded frantically.
"Y-yes... tomorrow night..."
Rudra tilted his head slightly.
For a moment, it looked like he was thinking.
Then suddenly-
He grabbed the iron railing with one hand and leaned forward, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper.
"And you expect me to believe that you two idiots were trusted with information like that?"
The man's face turned pale.
"N-no... we heard it from the call... we swear!"
Silence fell again.
Rudra stared at them for a long moment.
Then he slowly straightened.
His thumb rotated the sharp ring on his finger.
A faint metallic click echoed through the room.
He glanced at Vipul.
"Lock them," Rudra said coldly.
The men froze in fear.
"Boss?" Vipul asked.
Rudra's eyes returned to the trembling figures below.
"If they lied..." he said calmly,
"...tomorrow they die slowly."
His gaze darkened.
"And if they told the truth..."
He gave a faint, dangerous smile.
"...then tomorrow someone else dies."
Rudra gave his final words and turned away.
Without another glance... without another second wasted... he started walking toward the exit.
His footsteps echoed through the silent basement.
Just before leaving, he slightly turned his head and gave Vipul a look.
A small look.
But for the people who worked under Rudra Singh Rajput... that look was more than enough.
Vipul understood immediately.
Behind them, the two men inside the chamber slowly looked at each other.
For a moment... neither of them spoke.
Then one of them let out a shaky breath.
"We... we are safe..." he whispered.
Both of them collapsed onto the floor in relief, their bodies still trembling.
"Thank god... thank god..."
They wiped their tears, thinking the nightmare had ended.
But above them, Vipul quietly pressed the switch.
For a split second... nothing happened.
Then-
CLANG!
The metal structure dropped.
Hundreds of razor-sharp needles came crashing down at terrifying speed.
The men didn't even get time to react.
Their eyes widened.
Their mouths opened to scream, But the sound never fully came out.
The needles pierced through their bodies.
Through every part Blood splattered across the metal floor.
Their bodies jerked violently before going completely still.
Silence swallowed the basement again.
Above, Vipul stared down coldly at the lifeless bodies.
Then he turned and walked away.