55
I was deep into the meeting with the village officers, nodding at some engineer talking about the new drainage pipeline, but my mind-my entire soul-wasn't there.
Uneasy.
A strange, hollow ache had been sitting in my chest the moment Katha left.
I had texted her hours ago-
"Reached firm safely, sunshine?"
No reply. Even though I dropped her I still wanted to know if she is in her cabin SAFE.
I frowned, tapped my phone again.
Still no reply.
And just then-Lana called.
My brows knitted tight, and I stood up abruptly, stopping the discussion.
"Meeting's over. Leave."
"Sir? But-"
"LEAVE!" I growled, voice echoing like a whip crack.
I picked up the call.
"Lana?"
"Sir-sir it's Katha Ma'am!" she was crying, panting. "She-someone stabbed her at the firm-she's-she's bleeding-sir we brought her to City Medico, emergency-"
The world tilted.
My hand gripped the chair beside me so hard it cracked.
"WHAT?!" I bellowed, voice shaking the walls.
"She's in surgery-she protected a client-she-she fainted-"
I didn't wait to hear more. I stormed out, my heart pounding like a war drum, and jumped into the car, yelling at the driver-
"GET OUT. I'M DRIVING."
I slammed the door, engine roaring as I tore through Jaipur's streets, like a madman possessed.
I dialed Bhairava.
"Dattatriya?"
"Hospital. City Medico. Katha's stabbed. Come now. Bring Gyan, Dyan. I don't care how."
"WHAT?! WHO-"
"JUST COME!"
I threw my phone aside and pressed the accelerator harder.
By the time I screeched into the hospital driveway, the car tires smoked.
Guards tried to stop me-
"Sir you can't-"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I growled, storming into the Emergency Ward, eyes searching, rage boiling beneath my skin.
Lana spotted me, eyes swollen, hands shaking.
"Where is she?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
"Surgery. Sir...she lost a lot of blood. It was deep. But doctors...they're trying-"
I didn't hear the rest.
I just stared at the red "OT - Operation In Progress" board that glared at me like a curse.
Behind that door was my Katha. My firestorm. My sunshine.
And someone dared to put a knife in her.
The cold bench beneath me didn't even register anymore.
I was just... sitting. Eyes blank. No breath. No sound. Just that void of dread eating me alive.
And then-
"BHAI!" Utsav's voice cracked as he ran in, followed by Bhairava, Gyan, Adya, Dyan, and Swarna. All panic. All rage. Their eyes scanned the corridor wildly until they saw me, sitting like a statue.
"Where is she?" Bhairava rushed to me, voice strained.
"What happened, Datta?" Adya's eyes were glassy already.
"Who the fuck touched our Katha?!" Gyan's fists clenched.
"She's okay, right? She's okay, right?
" Dyan asked, unusually quiet, jaw tight.
"Arya is home. I told her to stay with the baby," Swarna whispered as she came and sat beside me. "Tell us everything."
Lana, hands trembling, stood and spoke-
"Sir... she tried saving a client... the man attacked his wife inside the firm. We all tried to stop him but he was furious. When she stepped in to protect the woman, he stabbed her."
Everyone was silent.
I slowly stood up, my body trembling with barely-contained fury.
"I want that bastard."
My voice was ice. Dead calm.
I pulled out my phone and called Ojhal.
"I want him in my dungeon within the hour. Alive. But broken."
"Understood." Ojhal replied without hesitation.
Gyan cracked his knuckles.
"We'll help. That fucker's death will be slow."
Dyan just muttered, "I'll bring my tools."
Swarna looked worried. "Dyan... don't go too far-"
"Not far enough." he snapped.
Just then-the door opened.
The doctor walked out in green scrubs, pulling off his gloves.
We all jumped up instantly.
"Doctor! My sunshine-Katha-how is she?!" I said, voice nearly cracking.
He gave a small nod.
"She's stable. Out of danger."
We all exhaled in unison. Adya sank into a chair. Swarna clutched Dyan's hand.
But then-
"However..." the doctor added, hesitating.
My heart dropped.
Swarna stepped forward. "But what, doctor?" she asked gently, voice unreadable.
The doctor took a breath.
"The knife pierced her lower abdomen. We managed to stop the bleeding and save her life-but... the internal injuries... may have damaged her reproductive system."
Everyone froze.
"What do you mean?" Bhairava asked sharply.
The doctor looked down.
"There's a high chance she might not be able to conceive in the future. We'll have to monitor and run further tests. But... we want to be honest."
And just like that... my entire world tilted.
I sat down-hard-on the bench behind me, unable to breathe.
Not because I cared about having children.
But because Katha would.
Because this would break her.
Swarna walked to me, placed a hand on my shoulder.
I didn't look up.
I clenched my fists, holding back everything threatening to explode inside me.
My voice came out as a whisper-
"She doesn't know yet, does she?"
The doctor shook his head.
"No, sir. She's unconscious. We'll inform her when she wakes up."
And for the first time in years-
I was terrified.
Not of losing her life.
But of watching the fire in her spirit be crushed.
My sunshine...
How do I protect you from this?
The dungeon door creaked open.
The thick stench of blood hit us like a wall.
I walked in, followed by Gyan, Dyan, Swarna, and Adya-each with dead silence and murder written in their eyes.
And there he sat.
The bastard.
Drenched in blood.
His face was swollen, teeth missing, shirt ripped apart. His wrists were tied to the bloodied chair, and deep gashes decorated every inch of his skin.
"Look who's here, the lion's pride," Gyan muttered coldly.
Dyan cracked his neck slowly, stepping forward. "He screamed for three hours straight. Then stopped. Now he just sobs. Like a coward."
I stared at the man.
He looked up-barely conscious-and muttered, "P-please... no more..."
I knelt down in front of him, my face inches from his.
"You stabbed my sunshine."
He flinched.
"You dared to take a knife to my wife."
He started crying again, blood mixing with tears.
Swarna's voice was steel. "You touched Katha. You sealed your fate."
Adya whispered, "Your screams were satisfying. But your death will be art."
And then-I turned and whistled.
From the dark, Sheraa walked in.
The dungeon lights glinted off his snow-white fur, now larger, stronger-deadly.
He looked like a creature carved from nightmares.
But his golden eyes immediately softened when he saw me.
"Come here, baby," I said softly.
He padded up to me, brushed his head gently on my hand.
I stroked his neck.
"That man hurt Mama, Sheraa." I said quietly.
His ears twitched.
"He tried to kill her."
Sheraa growled-deep and primal.
The man screamed. "NO-PLEASE! NO-NO-"
But Sheraa leapt-fast, silent, deadly.
His jaws clamped onto the man's neck.
One snap. One rip. One scream cut short.
Silence.
I walked over, knelt beside Sheraa and gently wiped the blood off his mouth.
"Good boy. Mama needs you now."
He nuzzled into my coat, calming immediately.
We all stood.
Dyan looked at the mangled corpse and muttered, "Should've died slower."
Adya whispered, "Let the rats take care of the rest."
Gyan simply said, "Let's go."
I led Sheraa out of the dungeon, his fur clean again. He trotted beside me like a tame pup-but we all knew what he really was.
And right now-Katha needed him.
She needed me.
We stepped into the car.
"To the hospital," I said.
"Drive like hell. My sunshine waits."
I walked in, Sheraa padding silently beside me like a guardian angel in the form of a beast.
We entered the VIP ward.
And there she was-my sunshine.
Sitting upright in the hospital bed, dressed in that pale blue gown, her hair slightly messy, her face ghostly pale... eyes hollow.
She didn't even look at me.
She just stared out of the window like the world outside didn't exist anymore.
Utsav came to me quietly.
"Jiju... doctor told Di everything," he whispered.
And my heart cracked.
This-this-was what I feared most.
Not the blood. Not the knife.
But this silence in her.
I walked to her. Slowly.
Sat beside her without saying a word.
She didn't turn. Not even a flinch.
Just that blank, broken stare.
"...Sunshine," I whispered gently.
Still nothing.
So I touched her hand.
Her fingers flinched-then curled slowly around mine.
"You scared me, you know," I whispered with a shaky breath, trying to smile.
"The moment Lana called, my world stopped."
Still no reaction.
I leaned closer. "I was ready to burn the city down if anything happened to you."
And finally-
A sob.
She turned. Face crumpled.
And she fell into my chest, fists clutching my shirt tightly, body trembling with muffled cries.
"Datta..." she sobbed.
I wrapped my arms around her instantly.
"I'm here... I'm right here, my sunshine," I whispered, kissing her head.
Her voice was broken, but sharp.
"Why me...? Why does the world keep taking things from me?"
"It hasn't taken me. And never will," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, but my chest hurt like hell.
"I never even... got pregnant once, Datta. And now this?" she sobbed again.
"Now I can never..."
She choked, burying herself deeper into me.
And then-
Sheraa jumped onto the bed.
He climbed carefully beside her, resting his head on her lap and licking her tear-stained cheek.
Katha looked at him, touched his head... and broke again.
"Even my baby is growing up... and I-what am I even now?" she whispered.
"You're my wife. You're Katha. You're everything." I said firmly.
She shook her head violently.
"No, you deserve better. A family. A child. You should leave me."
"Don't-" I said sharply, cupping her face.
"Don't you dare say that again."
She tried to pull away, but I held her face gently.
"You think I love you because I wanted a child? Sunshine, I love you because you're you. You're fire, you're fight, you're pain and strength all in one."
Her lips trembled.
"Even if the world collapses, I'll still choose you. Over and over. I don't need anyone else. I need you."
Tears streamed down her cheeks again, but this time slower.
Sheraa whined softly and cuddled her.
She hugged him tightly.
"I'm broken, Datta..."
"No. You're still the strongest woman I know. And you're not alone in this. Not now. Not ever."
She leaned her head against my shoulder, tired... silent again, but no longer hollow.
And for now... that was enough.
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