Shocking truth #2
I calmly pulled another chair and sat directly in front of him.
Crossing one leg over the other, I rested my elbows on my knees.
For a long moment...
I simply looked at him.
No anger.
No shouting.
Just silence.
People often feared silence more than threats.
Finally, I smiled.
A calm...
Almost innocent smile.
The kind that usually made people lower their guard.
Arav looked even more nervous.
"I never thought..." he murmured.
"...I'd see you holding a gun."
I lightly tapped the pistol with one finger.
A soft metallic sound echoed through the room.
"I've changed."
My voice was steady.
"I'm no longer the girl you once knew."
His throat bobbed.
"Ma'am..."
I tilted my head.
"You still call me that?"
He answered without hesitation.
"You'll always be my ma'am."
For a fraction of a second, something flickered in my eyes.
Then it disappeared.
I leaned back in the chair.
"I could ask you politely."
"I could even offer you coffee."
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
"But we both know neither of us has time for that."
Arav gave a small, helpless smile.
"And we both know I won't betray sir."
"I know."
I nodded.
"You're loyal."
"That's exactly why you're still sitting comfortably on that chair."
His brows furrowed in confusion.
"If this had been someone else..."
I drummed my fingers lightly on the table.
"...they would've started talking the moment they saw the room."
Silence settled between us again.
Then I folded my hands.
"So let's make a deal."
"I won't ask you to betray him."
"I'll only ask you questions."
"You can decide whether to answer."
Arav looked into my eyes for a long moment.
Then let out a slow breath.
"You've changed a lot, Ma'am."
A faint smile crossed my face.
"So has your boss."
"And that's exactly why..."
I leaned forward slightly, my voice quiet but unwavering.
"...I need the truth."
I stared at him for a long second.
He was tied to a chair.
His wrists were restrained.
His legs couldn't even move properly.
Yet somehow...
He looked like the one in control.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I rested my elbow on the armrest and supported my chin on my palm.
"So..."
I smiled politely.
"First question."
Before I could continue, he cut me off.
"And why exactly do you think I'll answer you, Ma'am?"
Ma'am.
He still called me that.
Even after everything.
Even after standing on opposite sides.
I let out a quiet laugh.
"Indeed..."
I murmured.
"Mr. Thakur's right hand."
He didn't react.
Not even a blink.
I nodded to myself.
Expected.
"I think you'll answer..."
I said calmly.
"...because you don't really have another option."
A smile slowly spread across his face.
Not mocking.
Not nervous.
Just... confident.
"Really?"
He leaned back against the chair as much as the ropes allowed.
"I don't see any reason to share information with you."
"My loyalty isn't that cheap."
I observed him quietly.
Most people would've been sweating by now.
He wasn't.
His breathing was normal.
His heartbeat wasn't racing.
His eyes never left mine.
Loyal.
Dangerously loyal.
I reached for the file lying beside me.
"Fine."
"You need a reason."
I flipped it open lazily.
"Shanaya."
His expression didn't change.
"Twenty-three years old."
"Final-year law student."
"Currently performing a family pooja at the Hanuman temple."
I closed the file with a soft thud.
"Two of my men are keeping an eye on her."
I looked directly into his eyes.
"I wonder what'll happen in the next few seconds if I simply give them one phone call."
Honestly...
I expected something.
A flicker of fear.
Anger.
Panic.
Anything.
Instead...
He smiled.
Actually smiled.
I frowned.
"Shanaya isn't some random girl, Ma'am."
His voice remained unbelievably calm.
"You didn't get the full information."
He shook his head almost sympathetically.
"I'm sorry..."
"...but whoever gathered your intelligence isn't very good at his job."
My fingers tightened around the file.
That confidence...
It wasn't fake.
Beside me, Zaid finally lost his patience.
He stepped forward, folding his arms.
"We're wasting time."
His voice turned cold.
"One phone call."
"That's all it'll take."
"Get rid of the girl."
I remained silent.
My eyes stayed on Arav.
I wanted to see his reaction.
There wasn't one.
Not even a slight change.
Instead, he looked at Zaid and smiled.
"Go ahead."
His words were almost casual.
"Try."
"I'm quite sure..."
"...your men won't be able to call you back."
Something inside me stilled.
The room suddenly felt quieter.
Too quiet.
I slowly turned my head toward Zaid.
His jaw had tightened.
Without saying a word, he pulled out his phone and dialed one of his men.
The call rang.
No answer.
He immediately dialed the second one.
Again...
Nothing.
I felt my heartbeat slow.
Not because I was scared.
Because I had just understood something.
This wasn't confidence.
This was certainty.
Arav looked at both of us before letting out a small chuckle.
"You people made one mistake."
He met my eyes.
"You assumed only you knew how to watch people."
His smile widened ever so slightly.
"You captured me..."
"...but you forgot whose man I am."
For the first time since walking into this room...
I realized something that made my stomach tighten.
Capturing Arav had been easy.
Getting information out of a man who belonged to RIVAN Thakur...
That was going to be a completely different battle.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, already feeling a headache coming.
"Look, Arav," I said, exhaling slowly. "I seriously don't have time for your games."
He smiled as if we were having a casual conversation over coffee instead of sitting inside an interrogation room.
"Neither do I, Ma'am."
He shrugged as much as the ropes allowed.
"Sir must be waiting for me."
My eyebrows pulled together.
"Waiting?"
He nodded innocently.
"He gave me some work before I disappeared."
"What work?"
I asked immediately.
Without missing a beat, he replied,
"The ice cream parlour you and Sir Zaid visited yesterday."
I frowned.
"What about it?"
"Sir told me to buy it."
Silence.
I blinked.
"...What?"
He nodded seriously.
"Buy it."
"The entire shop."
"He said if I don't get the papers signed before tonight..."
Arav sighed dramatically.
"...he'll kill me."
For a solid three seconds...
I simply stared at him.
Then I looked at Zaid.
Then back at Arav.
"Are you serious?"
I asked flatly.
"In this situation..."
"...you're talking about buying an ice cream parlour?"
Arav looked offended.
"I'm completely serious, Ma'am."
"You don't know Sir."
"If he says he'll kill me..."
"He'll at least make my life miserable."
I closed my eyes.
Unbelievable.
Absolutely unbelievable.
I rubbed my forehead.
"If you don't answer my questions..."
I said, my patience finally disappearing,
"...I'll kill you myself."
Arav looked at me for a long moment.
Then...
He laughed.
A genuine laugh.
"Hehe..."
"No, Ma'am."
His eyes softened slightly.
"I know you."
"You won't kill innocent people."
That familiar sheepish smile appeared on his face.
For one tiny second...
The room almost felt normal.
Then
BANG!
The deafening gunshot exploded through the room.
My entire body jerked violently.
The sound echoed off the concrete walls, making my ears ring.
Arav's smile disappeared instantly.
A strangled groan escaped his lips.
Blood splattered across the floor.
The bullet had torn straight through his shoulder.
"Ahhh...!"
He clenched his teeth, breathing heavily as crimson soaked through his shirt.
I froze.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
I turned my head.
Zaid was still standing exactly where he had been.
His arm remained extended.
Smoke curled lazily from the barrel of the pistol in his hand.
His expression hadn't changed.
Not even slightly.
The warmth from earlier...
The teasing smile...
The gentle man who had taken me for ice cream...
Had vanished.
In his place stood someone cold.
Calculated.
Merciless.
He lowered the gun and looked directly at Arav.
"I don't repeat myself."
His voice was frighteningly calm.
"You'll answer."
"Or the next bullet won't miss anything important."
A chill crawled down my spine.
I had come here expecting answers.
I hadn't expected this.
Not like this.
I looked at the little blood slowly dripping down his arm. His shoulder was soaked crimson, yet not once had he asked for help.
Not once had he begged.
Not once had he cursed.
He simply sat there, breathing through the pain.
I sighed quietly before pulling another chair closer to him.
"Arav..."
My voice was much softer this time.
"I am genuinely requesting you."
He didn't respond.
His gaze remained fixed on the floor.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
"I don't want business secrets."
"I don't want company information."
"I don't even want anything related to his empire."
My throat tightened.
"I just..."
I swallowed.
"I just need to know..."
"...what happened that year."
Silence.
The room became painfully still.
Even Zaid didn't interrupt.
Arav closed his eyes for a long moment.
His breathing grew heavier.
Finally...
He opened his eyes.
There was no anger in them anymore.
Only exhaustion.
He let out a long breath.
"Darr gaya hoon aur bata raha hoon..."
He paused before looking directly into my eyes.
"...ye mat samajhiye."
(Don't think I'm speaking because I'm scared.)
Another pause.
His jaw tightened.
"Aapka jaana zaroori hai..."
"...isiliye bata raha hoon."
(I'm telling you because you deserve to know.)
My fingers instinctively curled together.
For the first time...
He had agreed.
Not because of the ropes.
Not because of the gun.
Not because of the bullet.
Because of me.
Arav looked away, his expression growing distant.
"As much as Sir trusts me..."
He spoke slowly.
"...there are some memories..."