CHAPTER8[UNFINISHED]
Aarohi turns to leave—
But before she can take another step—
Vihaan grabs her wrist again.
This time—harder.
And pulls her back towards himself.
---
“Kya tum mujhe sach mein nahi jaanti? (Do you really not know me?)”
His voice—low, intense.
Then he leans slightly closer.
“Theek hai… meri aankhon mein dekho… aur bolo. (Fine… look into my eyes and say it.)”
---
For a moment—
Aarohi hesitates.
Just a second.
---
Something flashes in her mind.
A memory.
A past she doesn’t want to touch.
---
Slowly—
She lifts her eyes.
And looks straight into his.
---
The world around them fades.
---
Her voice comes out steady—
Cold.
Controlled.
“Haan. (Yes.)”
A pause.
“Main tumhe nahi jaanti. (I don’t know you.)”
---
Every word—
Like a blade.
---
“Chhodo mujhe. (Leave me.)”
---
And this time—
She forcefully pulls her hand free.
Vihaan doesn’t stop her.
---
Aarohi turns—
And walks away.
Fast.
Without looking back.
---
Just then—
Vihaan’s phone rings.
Karan.
---
He answers.
“Bol. (Speak.)”
---
“Bio-data mil gaya, bro. (I got her bio-data, bro.)”
---
Vihaan’s eyes darken.
“Theek hai… aa raha hoon. (Alright… I’m coming.)”
---
He cuts the call.
Takes one last look in the direction she left—
And walks away.
---
On the other side—
Aarohi’s heart is racing.
Beating so fast…
As if it might break out of her chest.
---
She somehow reaches the hotel.
Closes the door behind her.
Leans against it.
Breathing uneven.
---
“No…” she whispers to herself.
“Haan… main nahi jaanti use. (Yes… I don’t know him.)”
Her voice shakes.
“Na hi jaanti hoon… (I don’t know him at all…)”
---
Tears well up in her eyes.
---
“Uski wajah se meri puri life barbaad ho gayi… (Because of him, my entire life got ruined…)”
“Maa-baap mujhse nafrat karte hain… (My parents hate me…)”
---
She clenches her fists.
Trying to hold herself together.
---
“Main nahi jaanti use… (I don’t know him…)”
She repeats.
As if saying it again and again—
Will make it true.
Vihaan reaches his private bungalow.
The place—silent, luxurious, completely under his control.
Inside—
Karan is already there, holding a file.
Waiting.
---
As soon as Vihaan walks in—
Karan hands over the file.
Vihaan takes it without a word.
Opens it.
Starts reading.
---
His eyes scan every detail.
Every line.
Every word.
---
After a moment—
He stops.
His expression hardens.
---
“Yeh toh sirf 5 saal ka hai. (This is only of 5 years.)”
“Baaki kahaan hai? (Where is the rest?)”
---
Karan exhales slightly.
“Uske pehle ka kuch bhi record nahi mila. (There’s no record of her life before that.)”
A pause.
“Woh London mein rehti hai… aur heart surgeon hai. (She lives in London… and she’s a heart surgeon.)”
---
Vihaan’s grip on the file tightens slightly.
---
“15 din ki chutti pe yeh India aayi hai. (She came to Mumbai on a 15-day leave.)”
Karan continues—
“Par ek ajeeb baat hai… (But there’s something strange…)”
“Woh hotel mein ruk rahi hai… apne ghar nahi. (She’s staying in a hotel… not at her home.)”
---
Vihaan’s gaze lifts.
Sharp.
“Pata kiya kyun? (Did you find out why?)”
---
Karan nods.
“Haan. (Yes.)”
“Uska sautela baap use pasand nahi karta. (Her stepfather doesn’t like her.)”
“Ho sakta hai isi wajah se. (Maybe that’s why.)”
---
A brief silence.
---
Vihaan closes the file slowly.
“Toh phir yahan aayi kyun hai? (Then why did she even come here?)”
“Jab apne ghar nahi rehna tha… (When she wasn’t going to stay at her own house…)”
---
Karan replies,
“Woh gayi thi ghar. (She did go home.)”
“Lekin uske ghar walon ne use wapas London jaane ko keh diya. (But her family told her to go back to London.)”
---
Vihaan’s eyes darken.
---
“Ab exact reason nahi pata… (Don’t know the exact reason…)”
“Lekin itna sure hoon— (But I’m sure about one thing—)”
Karan looks at him.
---
“Woh aajkal mein hi London ke liye nikal jayegi. (She’ll be leaving for London very soon.)”
---
Silence fills the room.
Heavy.
---
Vihaan stands still.
Thinking.
Calculating.
---
Then slowly—
A faint, dangerous smirk appears.
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