Chapter Sixty Six.
The sounds of the assault were sickening, the heavy thud of boots against ribs and the wet, spray of blood hitting the pavement.
Advik was barely a man anymore, he was broken, his jaw shattered and his eyes swollen, shut into dark, purplish slits, his lips slit. He was almost drifting into the silence of unconsciousness when a deafening gunshot tore through the air.
One of Samar's goons jerked, as a bullet found its mark. The others froze, their grins vanishing, the sudden scent of gunpowder overriding the smell of blood.
They scrambled into their SUVs, the tires screaming against the asphalt as they fled.
RV stepped into the clearing, his weapon still raised, smoke curling from the barrel. His usual stoic mask had shattered into panicked grit.
He sprinted toward the crumpled, barely conscious form of Advik.
"Advik!" RV gritted his teeth, shaking him, but Advik's head just lolled back... limp, broken, and dangerously still.
"IT'S MR. MALHOTRA!" RV yelled at his men as they spilled out of the backup vehicles "MOVE! GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL!"
Two men rushed forward, lifting Advik's limp body. Blood trailed from his split lip and dripped from a gash on his temple, spotting the asphalt.
RV watched them carry him away, his mind racing.
He was about to turn away when something caught the corner of his eye.
A bag. A familiar, oversized work bag lay abandoned near the curb, its strap twisted. RV's blood turned to ice.
He walked over and snatched it up, his eyes widening as he recognized the bag.
"FUCK!" he screamed, the realization hitting him.
Ira was gone. Under his watch. Under the Rathore's protection.
He spun around, his gaze frantically scanning the surrounding buildings until it locked onto a grainy CCTV camera mounted on a nearby storefront. It was distant, but it was enough.
"If so much as a hair is harmed on Ms. Ira's head.." RV whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of his own death warrant, "I might as well breathe my last breath."
He didn't wait and bolted toward the store.
~??~
"Ira... please, just pick up. I don't know how much longer I can breathe like this." he whispered, he paced the length of his office, his hands, now trembling as they gripped his phone.
It had been forty eight hours since he'd watched her walk into her house.
He knew she was physically safe, RV's dry, professional reports were the only thing keeping him calm..
But the silence was a different kind of violence.
Was she punishing him? Had he pushed too hard? He was ready to crawl, to beg, to burn every bridge he'd ever built just to hear her voice.
He had stayed away from her doorstep only because he feared that one more uninvited appearance would turn her cold indifference into permanent hatred. He doesn't want that.
He was trying to be the man she deserved...patient, respectful, restrained..but the restraint was an agony that felt like slow burning acid in his veins.
"Please, Ira... please.." he breathed, the words caught in his throat. "This is torture. You're killing me."
His legs finally gave out, and he collapsed onto the leather sofa in the center of the room.
He dropped the phone beside him and buried his face in his hands, his fingers digging into his hair as he replayed every word, every look, searching for the moment he had said or so something she might not like.
Suddenly, the phone erupted into a loud ring.
Devraj jolted, his heart leaping into his throat with desperate hope. He lunged for the phone, his thumb hovering over the screen, praying to see her name, her face, anything.
But as his eyes locked onto the caller ID, the spark of life inside him vanished instantly.
It wasn't Ira. It was RV.
A bitter sigh escaped his lips. He didn't want a status report. He didn't want to hear that she was still at home, still silent, still out of reach. He wanted her.
He swiped to answer, his voice flat "Wha-"
"Sir! W-we h-have a..problem."
RV's voice cracked, and the interruption hit Devraj. A cold leaden weight dropped in his stomach, and the hair on the back of his neck stood. RV didn't hesitate, and he didn't stutter. If RV was shaking, something was wrong.
"What is the problem?" Devraj asked, his voice deceptively quiet.
The silence on the other end was annoying to Devraj. He could feel RV's terror vibrating through the line, and it snapped the last thread of his composure.
"What the fuck is the problem?!" Devraj yelled, lunging to his feet, the leather of the sofa groaning under the sudden movement. "You better start talking before I come down there and tear the words out of your throat!"
"M-Ms. Ira... she has been... kidnapped."
Devraj's entire body went rigid, his blood turning to cold in his veins.
Kidnapped. The word echoed in the hollow spaces of his mind, bouncing off the walls of his sanity.
"We managed to pull the CCTV footage.." RV continued, his voice hurried and thin. "It... it was your old friend, Sir. It was Samar."
If it was possible, Devraj's body tightened further, his muscles bulging against the fabric of his white shirt until the seams threatened to snap.
A terrifying pulsing began in his jaw as he clenched his teeth, veins corded across his jawline, surged in his neck, and mapped the back of his hands in lines of fury.
His amber eyes didn't just burn, they ignited, glowing with a incandescent light.
"Advik tried to intervene.." RV added, his voice nearly a whisper now. "But they broke him. He's been taken to the Rathore Hospital in critical condition."
Devraj didn't yell, he didn't smash the glass on his desk, infact he simply ended the call. The silence that followed was more terrifying than any rampage from him.
He began to walk, his movements stiff, his entire frame vibrating with a slight tremor of rage.
He didn't look like Devraj anymore.
~??~
Advik lay propped up against the pillows, a map of stitches and bandages covering his battered frame.
His arm was encased in a cast, and his face was a swollen mosaic of purple and black.
He had finally drifted into a hazy pain filled consciousness, but the strength hadn't yet returned to his limbs.
RV stood by, his gaze fixed on the floor, until the door didn't just open, it practically buckled.
Devraj stepped into the room.
The temperature seemed to drop. His face had hardened, his features so rigid they looked carved from obsidian.
He was still trembling, a fine high frequency vibration of a man holding back an explosion. The doctor didn't even wait for a command, he gathered his things and fled, the air of the room becoming too heavy to breathe.
RV opened his mouth, his voice trembling. "I'm... I'm so sorry, S-"
He never finished the sentence. Devraj moved, his fist collided with RV's jaw with a sickening sound, sending the guard flying back until he crashed into the wall.
Before RV could even slump to the floor, Devraj was on him, his hand locking around RV's throat and pinning him against the concrete.
RV's feet dangled inches from the ground as his face turned a desperate shade of blue, his fingers clawing uselessly at Devraj's strong grip.
"Devraj! Stop! You're going to kill him!" Advik called out, his voice weak and raspy.
Devraj didn't move, he didn't even blink. He only tightened his hold, his knuckles turning a ghostly white as he stared into RV's bulging eyes.
"At least... listen to what we found!" Advik choked out, trying to push himself upright.
He hissed as the movement sent a flare of agony through his broken ribs, but he forced himself to stay upright.
"Listen to us!"
Devraj's jaw was clamped so tight the bone looked ready to snap.
After a heartbeat of agonizing silence, he released his grip. RV collapsed to the floor in a heap, gasping and coughing uncontrollably as he fought to pull air back into his lungs.
Devraj turned his head slowly toward Advik.
"What happened?" When he spoke, his voice was no longer a human sound, it seemed to come from the very depths of the earth.
Advik felt a cold sweat break across his skin. He had known Devraj for years, grew businesses together, but he had never seen this man. This wasn't the friend he knew. He looked scary.
"Listen... it's not on RV.." Advik rasped, his voice strained as he tried to bridge the gap between Devraj's rage and the truth. "You know how stubborn your woman is. She ordered him to stand down, gave him a direct command not to follow her. He was just doing what she asked."
Devraj's darkened eyes shifted slowly to RV, who remained slumped against the wall.
The silence lasted a heartbeat too long before Devraj turned his gaze back to Advik, the air in the room feeling like it was being sucked out of a vacuum.
Advik took a shaky breath. "Samar took her.
You already know that. But he said something.
.. something that doesn't add up." He paused, watching Devraj's expression remain a mask of terrifying stillness.
"He said a woman, paid for Ira's death. He told me he's taking her for himself instead. Owning her, he called it."
"He drugged her before he put her in the car." Advik continued, his voice growing urgent. "We know how wide Samar's wings spread when he wants to vanish. We need to move, Devraj..."
Devraj watched his best friend struggle against the pain.
"I'll take it from here. But first... I have to see her parents.." he said..
"Wait.." Advik grunted, trying to shift his weight. "Let me help. I can still-"
"You're broken, Advik." Devraj flatly interrupted.
Advik let out a humorless chuckle that ended in a wince.
"Fucker.." he muttered, though there was no heat in it.
Devraj didn't smile, the capacity for humor had been scorched out of him.
"I'll need your connections outside the borders.." Devraj said, his eyes fixed on the door. "If you want to be useful, start making calls. I want every port, every private airstrip, and every shadow network watched."
Advik nodded, a grim smile touching his bruised lips. "Anything you need. Consider it done."
"I will put a call to Arjun." Devraj turned to leave.
"One more thing, Devraj.." Advik called out, his voice hardening. "Make that bastard pay for breaking my bones. I want his head for this."
Devraj paused at the threshold. He didn't look back, but the coldness radiating from his silhouette was answer enough.
He stepped out into the hall, the door swinging shut behind him.
Advik watched the empty doorway, his hand moving to scratch at the edge of his bandage.
He looked over at RV, who was only just starting to find his feet, his face still pale with the lingering shock of Devraj's grip.
"Samar is a dead man.." Advik whispered.
~??~
Devraj walked toward Ira's parent door, each footstep heavy with the weight of the news he carried.
He knocked, three raps that seemed to echo through the entire block.
The door creaked open, and Raghav stood there. His face was already etched with worry, but the moment his eyes landed on Devraj, his expression shifted into loath.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Rathore?" Raghav spat, his voice trembling. "Did you come to inspect the property? Checking to see if our home is the next thing you're going to demolish?"
Devraj amber eyes remained fixed on the boy, cold and unreadable.
"Where are your parent?"
Raghav's scowl deepened. "As if I'd ever let you anywhere near them." he snapped, throwing his weight against the door to slam it shut.
Devraj's hand shot out, his fingers gripping the edge of the wood with a strength that made the frame groan.
Raghav stared at those knuckles, white, corded, and pulsing with a terrifying energy. With a slow, irresistible force, Devraj pushed the door back open and stepped inside.
"Don't ever try that again." Devraj rumbled.
Raghav took an involuntary step back, a shiver racing down his spine. Up close, Devraj was a mountain of dark intent, his presence so intimidating it felt like he was sucking the oxygen out of the room.
Just then, Ira's mother and father walked into the hall, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of the man they feared standing in their home.
"Devraj?" Mrs. Verma whisper, her eyes sweeping over his hardened features.
"What brings you here, Mr. Rathore?" The father asked, his voice steady but laced with a deep seated caution. He gestured toward the sofa. "Please, sit."
Devraj's frown deepened, "I'm not here for a long conversation." he said. "I don't have much time."
The parents shared a quick, unsettled look. Raghav moved closer to them, his confusion mounting.
"Okay? Then tell us, what is the matter?" the mother asked, her hand moving to her chest as if to steady her heart.
Devraj felt a rare, bitter sensation in his throat. He hesitated.
For the first time in his life, the words felt stuck. How could he tell them the truth?
How could he look into the eyes of the people who raised her and explain that because of his world, because of him, their daughter had been kidnapped?
He saw the love and the worry etched into their faces, and he knew the truth would destroy them.
So, he did the only thing he knew how to do... He lied.
"Ira will be staying with me for a while." he stated.
The room went deathly silent. They stared at him, paralyzed by the audacity of the claim.
"What? No! The fuck are you talking about?" Raghav exploded, stepping forward. "My sister isn't some-"
"Raghav, be quiet!" his mother snapped, silencing him with a glare before turning back to Devraj.
"Devraj, I know you and Ira have... a history. But you cannot simply keep her against her will. Did she actually agree to this?"
Devraj's fist clenched at his side. "Yes.." he lied, "She agreed. It's for her-"
"I don't agree."
The father spoke up, his voice ringing with a sudden authority. His eyes burning with a defiance.
"I want my daughter home, Mr. Rathore." The father said, "I know my Ira.
She would never make a decision this reckless.
Stay with you? She is too stubborn to even accept a hand to hold, you think she'd just pack her life and move into your world?
Even when she loved Kunal, she refused to stay under his roof, unmarried.
Ira would never accept this. Not in a thousand lifetimes. "
Devraj's throat felt tight ache making it hard to swallow. The man was right. Every word was a strike against the lie Devraj was trying to build.
But the truth, that she was currently in the hands of an enemy, was a death sentence he couldn't deliver to them.
The mother placed a calming hand on her husband's shoulder, her eyes never leaving Devraj's face.
"You have to understand." she said softly. "Ira hasn't come home, and we have been out of our minds with worry. You claim she is with you, but we need to hear it from her. We need her to tell us she chose this."
"I don't care what she chose!" her husband erupted, shaking off his wife's hand.
"I don't agree. Bring her home. I don't know what kind of game you're playing or what you've done to her, but I want her here!
you all have given her nothing but a hard time.
I might not have your power, Mr. Rathore, but I am ready to fight you for my daughter. You have done enough damage."
"I'm sorry."
The words were quiet..
The Vermas froze, their eyes widening. Devraj Singh Rathore did not apologize. It wasn't in his vocabulary.
"I am sorry for the wreckage I've caused your family.
For the stress, the fear... all of it." Devraj genuinely said.
He looked at them, his amber eyes clouded with a dark obsessive light.
"But I love Ira. I love her to the point of a madness I can't control.
I need her. My actions before... the threats, the pressure.
.. it was all the desperate, unstable lashing out of a man who didn't know how else to get her attention. I just wanted her to be mine."
He paused, his jaw tightening as he forced out the final lie to protect them.
"Now that she's finally agreed to give me a chance... I am terrified that if she leaves my side for even a second, she'll realize she wants nothing to do with me anymore. I can't lose her. Not now."
"I grew envious of the love she poured into this family and people around her, the love i want her give me, and even more.." Devraj admitted, his voice thick with a vulnerability.. "I am... ashamed of my actions. Truly. I'm asking for your forgiveness. Please."
He let his head fall, his gaze hitting the floor. It was a surrender, but the failure to protect her made the shame feel real.
Mrs. Verma's expression softened. The maternal instinct she held for her own children suddenly extended toward the broken man standing in her living room. she stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his jaw, tilting his face up so he was forced to meet her eyes.
"I have already forgiven you, Beta.." she said softly, her voice filled with a grace he didn't think he earned. Devraj's lips twitched into a faint smile.
He turned his gaze toward Mr. Verma. The older man was still glaring, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, but as his wife caught his eye with a meaningful, pleading look, his resolve finally cracked. He let out a sigh.
"I will only truly approve when I see my daughter standing in front of me.." Mr. Verma stated firmly.
"Thank you... Pitaji." he said. The title made Mr. Verma scoff and turn his head, though the edge of his anger had dulled.
"I have to go now.." Devraj said, his mind already racing back to the war waiting for him outside. He looked at Mrs. Verma with a final, reassuring nod. "Do not worry. Ira is safe with me. I will bring her back to see you soon."
He offered them a curt Goodnight and walked out, his stride regaining its purpose the moment he crossed the threshold.
"I don't trust him for a second.." Raghav mumbled, watching the door close.
Mrs. Verma simply smiled, a strange sense of peace settling over her, but her husband remained staring at the door..
"I don't care about his apologies.." he grumbled, walking away toward the kitchen. "I just want my daughter home. And he better not lay a single finger on her."
Meanwhile, as Devraj reached his car, the silence of the night was shattered by the vibration of his phone.
He glanced at the screen..ARJUN.
He swiped to answer before he even opened the car door. He didn't wait for a greeting.
"Samar took her."
?????