CHAPTER 60[ WHO IS SHADOW]
Vihaan walked out of the room when his phone suddenly rang.
He answered without wasting a second.
"Boss... we found them."
The softness in his eyes disappeared instantly. His expression turned cold, ruthless, and unreadable.
"Take good care of our guests," he said in a dangerously calm voice. "I'm on my way."
Without another word, he disconnected the call.
He entered the guest room, changed into black clothes, picked up his gun and watch, and quietly left the mansion.
···
Meanwhile...
Aarohi was sitting alone in her room when she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," she said softly.
The door opened, and Sana walked inside.
She looked at Aarohi for a few moments before sitting beside her.
"Are you okay, Aaru?" she asked gently.
Aarohi looked at Sana in silence.
For a few seconds, she tried to stay strong, but all the emotions she had buried for months crashed into her at once. Tears slowly filled her eyes.
Without saying anything, Sana pulled her into a warm hug.
"Don't cry, Aaru," she whispered, rubbing her back. "Please... don't cry. It hurts me to see you like this."
After a while, they pulled away.
Sana took a deep breath before speaking.
"I know what Vihaan bhai did was wrong. I'm not here to justify his mistakes."
She paused.
"But this war... it started because of your challenge too, Aaru."
"I know you've lost so much. More than anyone can imagine."
"But that doesn't mean Vihaan bhai didn't lose anything."
Aarohi quietly listened, tears continuously rolling down her cheeks.
"The day you left..."
"He completely broke."
"He became seriously ill."
"There were nights when he would suddenly wake up because of panic attacks. He couldn't breathe... no matter how hard he tried."
"I've seen it with my own eyes."
"There were days... four... sometimes five... when he refused to eat."
"He wasn't living anymore."
"He was punishing himself."
Every word pierced Aarohi's heart.
Her breathing became heavier.
She had never known...
She had never imagined that after she left...
Vihaan had suffered this much.
Her chest tightened painfully.
The guilt, the pain, the love she had tried so hard to bury... everything came crashing back.
Her breaths became uneven.
She tried to inhale, but it felt as if someone had wrapped invisible chains around her lungs.
Sana gently held her shoulders.
"Aaru..."
"Just give your relationship one chance."
"Just one."
Before she could say anything else, Sana noticed Aarohi's face turning pale.
Her breathing had become rapid.
Fear flashed across Sana's eyes.
She immediately held Aarohi's face in both her hands.
"Aaru!"
"Look at me."
"Breathe..."
"Come on..."
"Breath in..."
"Breath out..."
"That's it..."
"Again..."
"Breath in..."
"And... breath out."
Sana kept guiding her, refusing to let panic take over.
Sana's eyes widened in fear.
"Aaru... Aaru... look at me!"
Aarohi's face had turned pale. Her breathing became uneven. She clutched her chest tightly as if something was crushing her heart.
"I... I can't..."
Her voice trembled.
"I can't... breathe..."
Sana immediately held her shoulders.
"No... no... Aaru, look at me. Breathe... slowly... come on."
But Aarohi's ears had stopped hearing anything.
The only words echoing inside her mind were...
"He had panic attacks..."
"He stopped eating..."
"He was punishing himself..."
Every sentence felt like a knife piercing her heart.
Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.
"I... didn't know..."
Her breathing became faster.
"I didn't know..."
Sana's heartbeat increased.
"AARU! Look at me!"
She quickly made Aarohi sit straight.
"Listen to my voice. Breathe in..."
She demonstrated a deep breath.
"Inhale..."
Aarohi tried.
"Exhale..."
But her breaths were still breaking.
Sana gently held her face.
"Nothing is going to happen. I'm here. Just look at me."
Aarohi finally looked at Sana with teary eyes.
"Again..."
"Inhale..."
Aarohi took a shaky breath.
"Good... now exhale..."
Once...
Twice...
Three times...
Slowly... her breathing started becoming normal.
She closed her eyes while silent tears continued falling.
Her voice came out as nothing more than a whisper.
"He... suffered... that much?"
Sana nodded with moist eyes.
"More than you can even imagine."
Aarohi lowered her head.
"I hated him every single day..."
Her lips trembled.
"...and he was dying a little every day."
Silence filled the room.
Neither of them spoke.
Sometimes silence carries more pain than words ever can.
After a long moment, Sana gently wiped Aarohi's tears.
"Aaru... don't think about everything at once. Your body is still weak."
Aarohi gave a faint nod.
Just then...
*Knock... Knock...*
Both of them looked toward the door.
A maid stood outside.
"Ma'am... dinner is ready."
Sana looked back at Aarohi.
"Can you walk?"
Aarohi slowly nodded.
"Yes... I'll come."
But deep inside...
For the first time in a year...
The wall of hatred she had built around her heart had developed its very first crack.
---------------
A black SUV came to a stop outside an abandoned warehouse.
The moment the vehicle halted, every guard standing outside straightened their posture.
Vihaan stepped out of the SUV.
He carried the same commanding aura he once had, but now it seemed even more dangerous. No matter how broken he was on the inside, his family remained his first priority.
And once you step into the world of the mafia...
There is no turning back.
The sound of his black boots echoed through the warehouse.
Inside, five men were tied to separate chairs. Their clothes were torn, their faces bruised, and traces of blood stained their bodies.
Vihaan walked inside and calmly took a seat on a chair.
It was as if the King had finally returned to his throne...
And this time, with an even deadlier presence.
He crossed one leg over the other and looked at them with cold, emotionless eyes.
"So..."
"Who sent you?"
One of the men spoke with a trembling voice.
"Sir... we really don't know."
"We were only paid for the job."
Vihaan silently drew his pistol.
A gunshot echoed through the warehouse.
The remaining captives froze in fear.
Vihaan shifted his gaze to the second man.
"Speak."
The man, shaking uncontrollably, gave the same answer.
"I swear... we don't know."
Another shot echoed through the warehouse.
The silence that followed was even more terrifying.
Vihaan looked at his men.
"Get rid of them."
Then his eyes fell on the remaining three.
"Make sure our guests are... well taken care of."
"I want answers."
He slowly walked toward one of them.
"I suppose you don't know anything either."
The man remained silent, trembling with fear.
Vihaan stared at him for a few seconds before turning away.
"Keep questioning them."
"They'll talk... eventually."
Without another word, he walked out of the warehouse.
Just as he reached outside, his phone rang.
It was Karan.
"Bhai, I found something."
"The man behind this is connected to a mafia syndicate."
"They know him by one name..."
"Shadow."
"Give me twenty-four hours."
"I'll gather everything about him and send it to you."
Vihaan simply hummed in response before disconnecting the call.
He got back into the SUV.
The driver started the engine, and within moments, the vehicle disappeared into the darkness.
To be continued.......