CHAPTER 40 （ARYAN）
I checked the time again.
A small smile appeared on my face.
Same time.
Same place.
Same routine.
Every day after her shift ended, I waited outside the hospital to pick her up.
Not because she needed me to.
Because I wanted to.
And honestly...
I had started liking this little habit of ours.
Waiting for Mahi.
Listening to her complain about her tiring day.
Watching her come out of the hospital with that tired face and still somehow find the energy to argue with me.
I looked towards the entrance.
"Late today, huh?"
I smiled to myself.
I could already imagine her excuse.
Probably something like, "Patients don't wait according to your schedule, Aryan."
I waited.
Five minutes.
Then ten.
Then fifteen.
The smile slowly disappeared.
This was not like her.
Mahi could be late.
She could forget things.
She could get distracted.
But she always told me.
Always.
I took out my phone and called her.
The call rang.
No answer.
I frowned.
"Come on, Mahi..."
I tried again.
Still nothing.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
I walked inside the hospital.
Maybe she was still finishing something.
Maybe her phone was on silent.
I reached the reception.
"Excuse me, is Mahi still here?"
The receptionist looked up.
"Mahi?"
"Yes. She works here."
She checked something.
Then looked back at me.
"She left a few hours ago."
I froze.
"What?"
"Yes. Her shift ended earlier."
I stared at her.
A few hours ago?
No.
That didn't make sense.
I looked at my phone.
Maybe I misunderstood.
Maybe she called me.
Maybe there was some explanation.
But there was nothing.
Only my unanswered calls.
"When did she leave exactly?"
The receptionist told me the time.
And my heart dropped.
That was not long after her shift ended.
Something was wrong.
"Mahi wouldn't leave without telling me."
I said it more to myself than to her.
The receptionist looked confused.
I was already walking out.
I called her again.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Nothing.
My hands started feeling cold.
"Mahi, pick up..."
I didn't even realize I was whispering.
I reached the parking area.
And then I noticed something.
A phone lying near the road.
My steps stopped.
I knew that phone.
No.
No, no, no.
I walked closer slowly.
My heart was already telling me the answer before my mind accepted it.
I picked it up.
Mahi's phone.
The screen was still on.
My name was there.
The last call.
My fingers tightened around it.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
Because Mahi never left her phone.
Never.
And suddenly every small thing started feeling wrong.
The waiting.
The unanswered calls.
Her missing phone.
The empty space where she should have been.
I looked around desperately.
"Mahi..."
My voice came out broken.
Where are you?
For the first time in a long time...
I wasn't scared of losing an argument with her.
I wasn't scared of her anger.
I wasn't scared of anything.
I was scared because I couldn't find her.
And somewhere deep inside...
I knew this wasn't just her being late.
I can't stay here doing nothing.
My grip tightened around her phone.
My breathing was uneven now, but I forced myself to think.
Not panic.
Think.
I immediately called Ekaansh.
He picked up almost instantly.
"Hello, Aryan?"
My eyes scanned the road while I spoke.
"Ekaansh... listen to me carefully."
My voice came out sharper than I intended.
There was a pause on the other side.
"What happened?"
I swallowed hard.
"I need all the CCTV footage near Mahi's hospital. Every camera. Every angle. I don't care how you get it—just get it."
Silence.
Then his tone changed immediately.
"Done."
No questions.
No delay.
That's what I needed.
I ended the call and looked around again.
My eyes moved quickly, scanning every pole, every shop, every corner.
And then I saw them.
Cameras.
A few mounted near the street entrance.
A few facing the parking area.
Good.
That's good.
I walked closer, my steps fast now.
Mahi's phone was still in my hand, like it was the only proof she had even been here a few minutes ago.
My jaw tightened.
Something inside me was slowly turning into something dangerous.
Not anger.
Not confusion.
Fear.
Pure fear.
Because Mahi didn't just disappear.
Someone made her disappear.
I looked at the hospital again.
People were still walking in and out like everything was normal.
Like nothing had happened.
But for me...
Everything had already changed.
I pulled my phone again and opened her last known location details, my fingers moving fast, trying to find anything.
Anything at all.
But all I could think was—
She was supposed to be here.
Waiting for me.
Like every other day.
And she wasn't.
I closed my eyes for a second, forcing myself to breathe.
No panic.
Not yet.
First find her.
Then deal with everything else.
My eyes snapped open again.
"Mahi..." I whispered, firmer this time.
"I'm coming."
I sat in the car and started driving.
I didn't even know where I was going.
My hands were on the steering wheel, but my mind wasn't fully there.
Every second, her face kept flashing in front of me.
The way she smiled this morning.
The way she argued with me over tea.
The way she finally, finally let herself trust me.
And now—
She was gone.
My grip tightened on the wheel.
"Think, Aryan..." I muttered under my breath.
Think.
But there was nothing clear in my head.
Only one thing.
Find her.
My phone suddenly buzzed.
Once.
Then again.
I glanced at it quickly.
Ekansh.
I pressed my foot on the brake immediately.
The car jerked forward slightly before stopping with a sharp screech.
I didn't even care.
My heart was already somewhere else.
I picked up the phone with shaking fingers.
Opened the message.
And froze.
My entire body went still.
The world outside the car suddenly felt distant.
The message was short.
Too short.
But enough to break everything I was holding together.
"Aryan... all the CCTV footage near Mahi's hospital is gone. Either deleted... or it was never recorded."
For a few seconds, I just stared at the screen.
Blinking.
Once.
Twice.
Like maybe the words would change if I looked at them differently.
But they didn't.
Gone.
Deleted.
Or never recorded.
My throat went dry.
"No..." I whispered.
My fingers tightened around the phone until it almost hurt.
That's not normal.
That's not random.
That's planned.
My breathing got heavier.
Someone didn't just take her.
They erased her.
I slammed my hand lightly on the steering wheel, jaw tightening.
"Who the hell are you..." I muttered.
My eyes flicked up to the road again, but nothing made sense anymore.
Every direction looked wrong.
Every second felt heavier.
And for the first time since this started...
I wasn't just searching for Mahi.
I was chasing someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
And I had no idea how far they had already taken her.
I texted him back.
"Meet me in the mansion right now."
I didn't wait.
I didn't think.
I just needed answers.
My phone buzzed almost immediately.
"On my way."
Short.
Direct.
No questions.
That was enough.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator.
The car moved fast.
Too fast.
But I didn't care.
Every red light, every turn, every second felt like it was mocking me.
Because somewhere out there...
Mahi wasn't safe.
And I was sitting here driving instead of holding her hand.
My jaw clenched.
"Stay calm, Aryan..." I muttered.
But my hands were shaking.
I had never felt this kind of fear before.
Not for exams.
Not for fights.
Not even for myself.
This was different.
This was losing her.
And the worst part?
I didn't even know who I was losing her to.
My mind kept replaying everything.
The empty hospital entrance.
Her phone on the road.
The deleted CCTV.
Each piece didn't make sense alone...
But together?
It screamed one thing.
Planned.
Controlled.
Intentional.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Don't worry snowflake..." I said under my breath.
My throat felt tight.
I reached the mansion gates within minutes.
The guard opened them quickly as I rushed inside, not even bothering to slow down.
The mansion felt too big suddenly.
Too quiet.
I stepped inside and immediately pulled out my phone again.
Nothing from Mahi.
Still nothing.
My chest tightened.
"No, no, no..." I whispered.
I walked toward the living room, pacing now.
Waiting.
Every second stretched.
Every sound made me turn.
And for the first time...
I wasn't angry.
I wasn't confused.
I was terrified of what I might hear next.
Because whatever Ekansh and I would find...
It would decide everything.
And I already knew one thing clearly.
This wasn't a coincidence.
This was a message.
And Mahi was the price.
I opened the door of my study with a loud thud.
The sound echoed through the room.
Ekansh stood up immediately.
His eyes widened.
"Aryan... what happened?"
I didn't answer.
Not at first.
My chest felt like it was burning from the inside.
I walked straight to the table.
And slammed my hand against it.
The impact made the objects on top shift violently—some falling, some cracking slightly against the edge.
Ekansh flinched.
But I didn't care.
My breathing was heavy now.
"She's kidnapped."
Silence.
The room went still.
I looked at him, my voice lower this time—but sharper.
"Mahi is kidnapped."
His expression changed instantly.
"And it was planned."
That last part made his face tighten.
He slowly sat back down, processing it.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he said carefully,
"Tell me everything."
I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair.
Hospital.
Phone.
CCTV.
Deleted footage.
The road.
Every detail came out in fragments, like my mind was struggling to keep up with my own words.
When I finished, the silence returned again—but heavier this time.
Ekansh leaned forward.
"This wasn't random," he said firmly. "This is clean. Too clean."
I gave a short, humorless laugh.
"Yeah," I said, voice breaking slightly at the edge. "I figured that out."
My fingers curled into a fist.
"I will burn the whole world if something happens to her."
The words came out before I could stop them.
Raw.
Honest.
Dangerous.
Ekansh didn't react like I expected.
He didn't panic.
He didn't try to calm me down in a fake way.
He just looked at me and said,
"Then we don't let anything happen to her."
A pause.
His voice softened slightly.
"We find her first."
I stared at him.
My chest still felt tight.
But somewhere in the chaos...
That steadiness pulled me back just enough to think.
Not break.
Not yet.
I nodded slowly.
"Find her," I repeated, voice low. "Before I do something I can't undo."
Ekansh nodded once.
And just like that...
The room stopped being just a study.
It became a war room.
And Mahi wasn't just missing anymore.
She was running out of time.
The silence in the study felt suffocating.
Ekansh was about to say something—
when my phone suddenly rang.
Once.
Then again.
Unknown number.
My jaw tightened instantly.
I didn't even hesitate.
I picked it up.
"Who is this?" I snapped.
A low laugh came from the other side.
That laugh...
I didn't recognize it immediately.
But I hated it already.
"Relax, Aryan."
My body went still.
"Raj."
The name left my mouth like poison.
Ekansh's eyes narrowed instantly.
On the other side, Raj chuckled again.
"You've always been quick."
My grip tightened around the phone.
"What do you want?"
A pause.
Then—
"Something you care about."
My stomach dropped slightly.
Before I could respond, the screen on my phone flickered.
A video call request.
Same number.
I didn't move for half a second.
Then I accepted.
The screen loaded slowly.
Too slowly.
And then—
My breath stopped.
Mahi.
She was there.
Unconscious.
Her head tilted slightly to one side, hair messy, face pale.
Her hands weren't moving.
She wasn't waking up.
For a second, my entire world went silent.
My fingers tightened so hard around the phone it almost cracked.
"...Mahi," I whispered.
My voice came out broken.
On the other side of the screen, Raj leaned into view.
Smiling.
Like he had won something.
"See her?" he said casually.
Something inside me snapped.
I stood up so fast the chair behind me hit the floor.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER LIKE THAT," I roared.
Ekansh immediately stood too, alarm flashing in his eyes.
But I wasn't looking at him.
I was staring at that screen.
At her.
Unconscious.
Helpless.
And not responding.
Raj tilted his head slightly.
"She's fine... for now," he said slowly.
My breathing got heavier.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"
A pause.
Then Raj's smile faded just a little.
"You should ask yourself that, Aryan."
My hand shook.
Not from fear now.
From rage.
Pure, uncontrollable rage.
"Bring her back," I said lowly. "Right now."
Raj laughed softly.
"No."
The word hit harder than anything else.
My eyes darkened.
Something dangerous settled inside my chest.
"If anything happens to her," I said slowly, voice deadly calm now, "I will end you."
Raj stared at me through the screen.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he leaned back slightly.
"Good," he said.
And the call ended.
Silence exploded in the room.
I stood there frozen for half a second.
Then I slammed my fist onto the table.
Hard.
Ekansh rushed forward.
"Aryan—listen—"
But I wasn't listening.
My eyes were still fixed on the blank screen.
My voice dropped into something darker than anger.
"That was my limit."
I looked up slowly.
And Ekansh finally saw it.
Not panic.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Determination mixed with rage.
"I'm going to bring her back," I said.
"And when I do..."
My jaw clenched.
"Raj is not surviving what comes next."
Mahi's face kept flashing in my mind.
Unconscious.
Helpless.
Taken.
My jaw tightened so hard it hurt.
"Ekansh," I said sharply.
He was already moving before I finished.
"I know," he replied. "We track him. Now."
I didn't waste another second.
I opened my laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard.
IP tracing.
Call logs.
Network ping.
Anything.
Everything.
My breathing was heavy, but my focus was sharper than ever.
"Come on..." I muttered under my breath.
Lines of data started loading on the screen.
Numbers.
Routes.
Signals.
For a second—
Something flickered.
A location ping.
My eyes locked instantly.
"There," I said quickly.
Ekansh leaned closer.
But then—
The signal dropped.
Gone.
My brows furrowed.
I tried again.
Another trace.
Nothing.
"Blocked," Ekansh said immediately, his tone tight now.
I clenched my fist.
"No," I snapped. "It can't just be blocked. There has to be a back route."
My fingers moved faster.
Bypassing.
Re-routing.
Forcing access.
I refused to stop.
Not now.
Not when I had just seen her like that.
Minutes passed.
The screen kept refusing me.
Every attempt came back empty.
No stable signal.
No fixed location.
Just fragments.
Like he was moving constantly... or hiding behind something designed to erase him completely.
I slammed my hand on the desk.
"WHERE IS HE HIDING HER?" I growled.
Ekansh stayed silent for a second, watching the screen.
Then he said slowly,
"This isn't just blocking tracking."
I looked at him sharply.
He continued,
"This is professional level ghosting. Whoever did this... knows how to disappear from every system."
My chest tightened.
So it wasn't just Raj.
Someone helped him.
Or trained him.
I leaned back slightly, staring at the blank screen like it had betrayed me.
My voice dropped lower.
"She's out there..." I said quietly.
Then my eyes darkened again.
"And I can't even reach her."
A heavy silence filled the room.
For the first time since this started...
My anger didn't have a target.
Only frustration.
Only fear.
Only time running out.
But I wasn't stopping.
I stood up slowly.
And looked at Ekansh.
"Then we don't track him like this," I said.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"We find him the old way."
My voice hardened.
"Piece by piece."