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Vikrant responded with a faint smile, but he wasn’t fully present in the moment. His mind was still swirling with thoughts, some of which he hadn’t dared to face in years. He tried to enjoy the evening, but deep inside, a storm of memories stirred quietly. The evening passed like that — under dim lights, soft words, and unspoken thoughts. There were a handful of delightful moments; welcome the fresh recollections.

Later, as the night grew deeper, they headed to the tent Vikrant had set up for them. It was a cozy little space where they could lie close, away from the noise of the world. The moment they lay down, Jhankar snuggled into Vikrant's arms and quickly drifted into sleep. She knew Vikrant wouldn’t fall asleep so easily — not tonight, not with everything stirred up inside him. But she also hoped he would reflect on her words, let them sink into the corners of his heart that needed healing.

Vikrant lay there, holding her gently, his fingers moving through her hair in slow circles. And then, without warning, his mind drifted —to a distant corner of his memory… a memory of her.

PAST EVENT

A young Vikrant was running around the living room, laughing, while his mother, Sonia, stood in the middle with a blindfold over her eyes, arms stretched out, trying to catch him.

Although she was blindfolded, her movements seemed almost magical — as if she could sense exactly where Vikrant was. No matter how he twisted or turned, she always managed to move in his direction. Eventually, Vikrant gave up trying to escape and ran straight into her arms, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sonia laughed and pulled off the blindfold, looking down at him.

“This time, you came to me on your own.”

He giggled and replied, “There’s no point running from you, Mom. I don’t know how, but you always find me.”

She smiled warmly and said, “Of course I do. It’s easy to find you, you carry a scent that pulls me straight to you. A part of me always knows where you are.”

Vikrant burst into laughter at her poetic response, and she twirled him around as they laughed together. Their laughter filled the room, echoing through the walls like music.

PAST EVENT ENDS

Vikrant’s eyes suddenly opened. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light of the tent. The memory still lingered in his chest, warm and painful. He rubbed his temple with two fingers and whispered to himself:

“Why did you change, Mom? Why did you suddenly become someone else?”

The soft sound of his voice stirred Jhankar slightly while he held her in his arms. She shifted just a little, as if her soul had heard his pain, even in sleep. Vikrant quickly pulled her closer andshut his eyes again, as though he were trying to lock away the emotion he had just expressed.

Jhankar, despite being half-asleep, realized that he was awake. She felt the tension in his body — the weight of his thoughts — and instinctively placed his head gently on her chest. Her fingers ran slowly through his hair as she whispered in a voice laced with love:

“Good night, love… I love you.”

Vikrant smiled faintly, letting her warmth soothe him. He pressed a gentle kiss to her chest and, with his ear resting against her heartbeat, finally let go. The rhythm of her heart became his lullaby. Wrapped in her arms, surrounded by her love, he surrendered to sleep not because his mind was silent, but because, for the first time in a long time, his heart had started to listen.

~~~~

She kept running continuously, with increasing urgency, and she didn’t want to stop even for a single minute. She was so terrified that she didn’t even dare to look back. She knew very well that if she looked behind her, any remaining courage she had would completely vanish. That fear gripped her so tightly that the only thing she could focus on was running forward, eyes fixed ahead, determined not to stop. She was aware of just one thing — if she somehow managed to escape this place under the cover of night, there was a chance she could survive whatever it was that haunted her. But if she failed to get out in time, she would fall into such darkness that no one would be able to rescue her. Not then. Never. And then, just like that, she stumbled onto the road. Suddenly, a speeding car rushed forward, striking her with a violent thud. The impact was immediate and brutal. The driver, shocked and panicked, slammed his foot hard on the brakepedal, trying desperately to bring the car to a halt. But it was already too late. The damage had already occurred.

The collision was forceful. It was highly likely that she had sustained serious injuries. His heart pounded as the car screeched to a stop several meters ahead. Without wasting a second, he flung open the door and sprinted back toward the lifeless figure lying on the road. She was in terrible shape, severely injured, her breaths shallow and labored. He knelt beside her, observing her face closely, worry etched deep into his eyes. Guilt and confusion flooded his heart.

“I’m sorry… You suddenly came out from the bushes. I didn’t even see you coming,”

He whispered, his voice trembling. Without waiting for a response, he gently but urgently lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the car. He knew he had to get her to a hospital as quickly as possible — every second counted. Just as he opened the car door and carefully laid her in the back seat, he heard something, the sharp sound of fast footsteps coming from near the bushes. His instincts kicked in. He paused, eyes narrowing, and turned toward the source of the sound, alert and wary. His gaze shifted back to the woman, who was lying unconscious in his car. He studied her again and murmured softly to himself.

“Was someone chasing her? Did she leap out of those bushes to escape something… or someone? Is that why she ran directly into the path of my car?”

His mind wanted to wander into the questions, but he didn’t allow it. There wasn’t time to think. He jumped behind the wheel and started the engine, speeding away into the darkness with the injured woman in the backseat. Currently, nothing mattered more than saving her life. All other thoughts could wait. Hersurvival was the only thing that mattered now. As the headlights pierced through the black emptiness of the road ahead, his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He didn’t know who she was, where she had come from, or what she was running from. However, he was certain that she was in danger.

~~~~

Chandel began to tear apart everything around him in frustration, flinging objects violently while the man standing beside him simply watched with unsettling calmness. He didn’t flinch, didn’t speak—just observed Chandel’s rage with a detached sense of amusement.

“Vikrant kidnapped my wife and daughter so that I’d be forced to come after them, and he could capture me in the process,” Chandel snarled. “Does he really think I’m that much of a fool? I know Vikrant, and one thing I know is that no matter what, he would never lay a hand on either of them. But Ravindra… I can’t say the same about him.”

He paused, his eyes burning with hatred.

“I want you to get them out of there—both of them—and bring them to me. Do whatever it takes. Thereafter, I’ll kill them myself. I no longer wish to keep any weaknesses in my life. One of my daughters has already dragged my name through the mud. I hold no expectations for my second daughter, as she is destined to follow the same path. And as for my wife? If her father weren’t the one investing money in my business, I’d never have needed her in the first place. But now that I’m standing on the edge of ruin, losing control over everything I built, I don’t need them anymore.”