Chapter 28
Sidharth
I rest my head against the cool hospital wall outside Sunita Aunty’s room.
It’s been twenty-four agonising hours since the attack, and she’s still unconscious.
But that’s not what’s tearing me apart. It’s Nisha.
She hasn’t left her side for a single minute.
The fear in her eyes, the way her hands shake as she silently pleads for Sunita Aunty to wake up, guts me.
Leaving her in that room to take Viraj’s call wasn’t easy, but I had to. If I’m going to give my woman the peace she deserves, I need to stay focused and vigilant. Lock into detective mode and handle this like the man she needs me to be.
But the second Viraj said there’s still nothing—no progress, no leads, no phone tracking, no ATM withdrawals, it pissed the hell out of me.
You don’t need to be a genius to figure out that they’re moving with cash, using burner phones, maybe even hiding behind fake identities.
The bastards are making damn sure they leave no trail.
We’ve put out a BOLO statewide, flagged Prakash at every airport, bus terminal, highway checkpoint, and even private charters. But he’s gone on full ghost mode. Every second he and his partner are out there is a second too damn long.
I take a deep breath as my fists curl at my sides. Hell, I’ll rip him out of whatever goddamn hole he and his partner are hiding in. I’ve got enough fucking rage in me to tear them apart, and I swear to God, I will.
A throat clears, breaking through the storm raging in my head. I lift my gaze from the wall and find Deepak standing a few feet away, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jeans.
“How’s Sunita Aunty doing?” he asks cautiously.
My brows pull together, then my eyes narrow into hard slits. “How do you know?”
“I was here yesterday for a routine check-up. Saw you and Nisha rush in. You both looked tense.” His gaze holds mine for a moment too long before continuing, “I asked the receptionist. She told me what happened.”
I push off the wall and take a step towards him. “They just give out patient information to anyone who asks?”
He lifts one shoulder in a shrug, trying to appear normal. “Guess being a regular here comes with certain privileges.”
My jaw ticks. That’s bullshit. No hospital in their right mind spills out patient details, not even to their so-called ‘privileged’ clients.
And even if they did, why the hell does he care?
As far as I know, he barely knows Sunita Aunty.
Definitely not enough to show concern, let alone inquire about her health. So why the sudden interest?
He clears his throat again, trying to steady whatever nerves he’s hiding. “I… I feel terrible about what happened. With Kavya not here, I felt it was important to check on Sunita Aunty. She means a lot to Kavya. And I also wanted to see how Nisha is coping.”
“She doesn’t need to see you,” I say, my voice low but lethal. The kind of tone that doesn’t need volume to make its message clear.
“I’m just trying to be supportive. Nisha’s been through a lot—”
I step in closer, cutting him off. “Supportive, my ass. She doesn’t need your fake concern. So spare me the act, turn around, and get the hell out of here.”
Something in his face cracks. His jaw ticks for a fraction of a second, and for a moment the practised calm slips. After a few seconds, he forces a stiff nod and steps back.
“Of course,” he mutters. “I just thought…” But he doesn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he turns around and walks away without another word.
My eyes stay fixed on his back as he disappears around the corner.
Something about that man being here doesn’t sit right with me.
Men like Deepak don’t show up out of concern.
They move with motive. Self-serving. Calculated.
A gut-deep certainty tells me he’s not here for Sunita Aunty, and he sure as hell isn’t here for Nisha.
And I’ll be damned if I let it slip through the cracks.
Without wasting a second, I pull out my phone and fire off a message to Viraj.
Me: I need you to dig into Deepak’s background. See if he’s ever had any link to Prakash. I want it all—calls, locations, mutual contacts. Leave nothing unchecked.
I hit send, then slide the phone back into my pocket and head straight to the nurses’ station.
On reaching the counter, I flash my badge to the nurse behind the desk. “I need access to the visitor log from yesterday, specifically for Mr. Deepak. He claims he was here for a routine check-up. I want the exact time he checked in, how long he stayed, and who his doctor was.”
The young nurse blinks, clearly startled, but quickly recovers and nods. “Yes, sir. Just give me a moment.”
I cross my arms over my chest, watching her work, my face impassive.
Deepak’s name had floated around the edges of this case once, just enough to raise an eyebrow.
But we dismissed it when we couldn’t find anything solid against him.
And when we finally got our hands on Prakash, we stopped digging any deeper.
Figured the case was closed. Maybe that was our mistake.
Every instinct in me is screaming that we missed something.
I’ve met enough men to recognize the ones who pretend to care, standing right in front of you with a polite smile, when all they really want is revenge.
And with Deepak and Kavya’s history, and the way Nisha had lashed out at him, it’s not hard to see why he’d want to hurt her. He’s got motive. Now I just need proof.
The nurse hands me the tablet. I scroll through the log, my finger pausing when I spot his name logged in yesterday at ten in the morning. It was just minutes after we’d arrived. So, he was here for his so-called routine check-up. He wasn’t lying. But that doesn’t mean he’s clean.
My jaw clenches so tight it aches. Maybe that check-up was just a cover, a way to make his presence look like a damn coincidence so no one would question it.
I hand the tablet back with a curt nod and head straight to Sunita Aunty’s room. I’ve nothing solid to pin on Deepak, but he still seems fishy as hell. I can feel it in my gut. And until I figure out exactly what he’s hiding, I’m not letting my guard down. Not even for a damn second.
Taking a deep breath, I push open the door and step inside, only to freeze.
Nisha is sitting stiffly in the chair by the bed. She doesn’t even look up. Her eyes are locked on her phone, her brows drawn tight, and her shoulders tense.
Something’s wrong.
I walk over to her, my heart pounding.
“Nisha?” I keep my voice low, careful not to startle her. “What is it?”
Slowly, she looks up. Her face is pale. Then, without saying a word, she holds out the phone.
I take it from her, and every muscle in my body goes still as I read the message.
Princess, how’s your Sunita Aunty doing?
Sending your dear aunt to the hospital was part of my revenge.
You put Prakash behind bars, so I returned the favor by laying your precious Sunita Aunty in that hospital bed.
That score’s settled. But don’t think for a second that I’m finished.
I want more—more fear, more pain, more of you breaking apart.
You see, this monster isn’t done. I promised to destroy you, and I never break my promises.
My fingers clamp around the phone, cold fury pulsing through every nerve in my body.
“Sidharth…”
At the sound of Nisha’s voice, I draw in a deep breath and crouch in front of her, so we’re eye level.
“When did this come in?”
“A few minutes ago,” she whispers, then hesitates before adding, “I’m sure whoever’s helping Prakash has some ulterior motive.
Something tells me it’s not just about revenge for sending him to jail.
This feels deeper. Like hate. Real hate.
” Her eyes search mine, confused and scared.
“But what could I have possibly done to make someone hate me enough to join hands with Prakash?”
Her question burns in my gut as well. “It’s a possibility.”
“You think so?”
I hesitate just for a moment, but I’ve learned to trust my instincts. That’s when I tell her, “Deepak was here to check on Sunita Aunty and said he wanted to see you.”
Her eyes widen. “Why the hell would he care?”
“Maybe he has his reasons.”
I think she catches the meaning behind my words, because her face drains of color.
“You think it could be… Deepak?”
“It’s possible. He’s got enough reason to want to see you hurt. After what happened between him and Kavya, and the way you confronted him, maybe he wants payback. Maybe he’s been helping Prakash from the start.”
“I’m not even shocked,” she murmurs. “He always seemed like someone you couldn’t fully trust. There was just something about him that felt off.”
My jaw tightens. “I never should’ve let him off the hook. I should’ve dug deeper back then.”
She exhales shakily. “I just want all of this to end.”
I reach out and wrap my hand around hers, giving it a firm squeeze. “Viraj is already on it. If Deepak is involved, we’ll have proof soon. He’s not getting away with a damn thing this time.”
She nods, her fingers gripping mine tightly. “Kavya called earlier. But I didn’t tell her about Sunita Aunty. I couldn’t. I…” Her voice cracks, guilt bleeding through. “I lied. Told her everything’s fine.”
I brush my thumb over her knuckles. “You did the right thing.”
She sighs, her shoulders sagging. “But I don’t know how long I can keep lying to her. Kavya knows me too well. Eventually, she’ll sense something’s wrong. And when she does, I don’t know how I’ll look her in the eye and explain why I kept this from her.”
I glance at Sunita Aunty, still unconscious, then turn my eyes back to Nisha.
“That’s why I’ll make damn sure to take those bastards down before Kavya even gets a whiff of what really happened.
” I motion towards the bed. “But right now, we stay focused. She needs us. We make sure she heals. One step at a time, Nisha.”
She lets out a quiet breath and leans into me, her head dropping onto my shoulder. “Everything feels like it’s falling apart, but when you’re here, it doesn’t feel so scary,” she murmurs, her voice raw and honest. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
I wrap my arm around her and pull her closer, letting her rest where she feels safest.
“You’ll never have to find out,” I promise, pressing a comforting kiss to her hair as I hold her tighter. My chest aches with a mix of rage and love. I’ll do whatever it takes, but I won’t let anything break her again.