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“Take me to my son… Please… Take me home…”

CHAPTER 40

HIS SHATTERED HEART

Jhankar’s entire body aches. She clearly remembered the last thing she saw before closing her eyes—it was Vikrant. To her, it felt like it had only been two minutes since she was on her way to Vikrant’s office, and all of a sudden, the bodyguards sitting around her had been brutally attacked and killed. They kidnapped her and dragged her away against her will. She recalled how desperately she had tried to run and escape him and how he had beaten her mercilessly when she resisted. Despite the throbbing pain in her body, despite the fear, the one person she wished to see as soon as she opened her eyes was Vikrant. His bloodshot, rage-filled eyes were still vivid in her memory. Because she knew, she knew with unwavering certainty that Vikrant would not spare anyone who had dared lay a hand on her. As soon as Jhankar's gaze shifts toward Vikrant, a faint smile curves on her lips. In a voice trembling from exhaustion and emotion, she softly whispers his name.

“Vikrant…”

Vikrant, who had been sitting with his head bowed, immediately looks up the moment he hears her call his name. And in that instant, Jhankar's heart feels like it’s been torn apart because his eyes are filled with tears. They’re swollen and red, and his face holds only one expression: pure, helpless sorrow. The moment he reaches her side, he wraps his arms tightly around her andbegins to sob like a child. Jhankar, still shaken and afraid, momentarily forgets her pain. She can only look at Vikrant, her focus solely on him.

“Vikrant… Are you okay…?

PAST EVENT

“Take me to my son… Please… Take me home…”

Vikrant kept staring at her, completely stunned. He could not believe the condition Sonia was in. His mind refused to accept that this woman, broken and fragile before him, was truly Sonia. But the moment she said she wanted to go to her son, a dark bitterness that had long been buried deep within him began to surface, overtaking his heart. He replied in a low, almost accusing voice.

“Your son… Do you even remember him?”

Sonia, hearing the mention of her son, immediately smiled—a smile that held both pain and longing. She replied gently, her eyes shimmering with the tears of a mother’s yearning.

“Yes… my son… my Vikrant… He’s ten years old. He must be waiting for me. Please take me to him. No one brings me to him… I need to see him. He’s still a child…”

Her words struck something deep in Vikrant’s soul. He stared at her with intense focus, trying to understand how he had never known his mother was alive. How had Ravindra hidden her all these years? Why would he keep her imprisoned like this? His mind reeled with questions. But it was clear—painfully clear—that no one had come here since Ravindra had left for England. The place was in ruins. She had likely urinated on herself, leaving her clothes soaked. He surveyed the area, noting the scattered and rotting food. There was no way he could see her,let alone leave her here. He couldn’t even guess when she had last bathed.

So many questions clawed at his mind, and only Ravindra had the answers. But right now, none of that mattered. What mattered was getting Sonia out of here. She required immediate medical attention. Vikrant quickly reached for the bundle she clutched in her arms, trying to free her hands so he could carry her. But the moment he did so, Sonia screamed in terror and began striking him with her frail, trembling hands.

“No! You’re trying to take my daughter from me! Why did you take her?! He’ll kill her! He’ll kill my daughter! Give her back to me! I have to save her! Let me run away, or he’ll really kill her!”

Startled by her sudden resistance, Vikrant instinctively stepped back. But as her frantic words sank in, his eyes remained fixed on her face. Sonia kept hitting him, but then suddenly, she turned and looked at the bundle by her side, the same one he had tried to remove. A smile of pure maternal affection spread across her face as she gently picked it up again and cradled it close to her chest. Vikrant looked closely and realized that the bundle was actually a doll wrapped in a dirty, torn piece of cloth. His breath caught in his throat. He couldn't remember anything like this from the past—had Ravindra found out the accident had been faked? When he had discovered Sonia was alive, had he brought her here and kept her hidden? And had the baby… his sister… really died?

His mind couldn’t make sense of it. But the clinking of metal snapped his attention to something else, the heavy iron shackles on Sonia’s ankles. He saw Akhil already at work, trying to open the locks. Vikrant immediately joined him and, together with Akhil, began attempting to free her. As he labored, he couldn't help but notice the severe injuries, bruises, and bleeding onSonia's legs. The shackles had torn into her skin so deeply that in some places, her bones were visible beneath the raw, decaying flesh. For the first time, Vikrant’s heart truly shattered.

He kept trying to unfasten the chains, but his eyes kept going back to Sonia. She was smiling, rocking the doll in her arms, humming a lullaby. She was completely unaware of her pain. She was lost in another world—a world where her daughter was still alive. Vikrant felt as though he might collapse at any moment. Gritting his teeth, he summoned all his strength and gave one final tug, and the chain finally snapped. However, in the process, the sharp edge cut his hand. Blood started pouring from the wound. The moment Sonia saw it, she gasped and held his hand, her frail fingers trembling. Tears filled her eyes again as she cried.

“Clean the blood quickly, please… Wrap it with a bandage… or it’ll hurt a lot… (pausing, lost in thought) My Vikrant must’ve gotten hurt too, right? When he bled… he must have cried too.”

Vikrant couldn’t take his eyes off her. The tears in his eyes now burned like fire. He clenched his fist, trying to suppress the storm inside him, and then, without hesitation, lifted Sonia into his arms. He knew she wouldn’t be able to walk; her pain would be unbearable. Sonia clutched the doll tightly against her chest and spoke softly to him.

“She’s little… If she falls, she’ll cry a lot. I’ll only give her to Vikrant… He’ll take good care of her; he is her big brother. I won’t give my daughter to anyone else. No one will take her away from me…”

Every word uttered by Sonia pierced through Vikrant’s chest like an arrow. He kept walking steadily, trying his best to control his emotions. The moment he stepped outside, Sonia immediately clung tightly to him, as the blazing sunlight forced her eyesshut. Vikrant stood there for a moment, silently allowing himself to feel the warmth of her embrace. It had been approximately twenty-two years since his mother had held him like this. Akhil, observing Sonia closely, turned to Vikrant and said gently,

"She probably hasn’t been out in the sunlight for a very long time."

Vikrant didn’t respond. He simply continued walking toward his helicopter. Without wasting a second, he helped Sonia inside and began carefully examining her condition. Her arms and legs were riddled with bruises. As he gathered her disheveled hair to one side, he noticed deep bite marks on her neck. For a moment, his lungs felt depleted of air. Akhil turned his eyes away, overwhelmed, while Vikrant's hands trembled as he struggled to process what he was seeing.

Sonia remained latched onto him like a frightened child. However, what disturbed him even more was how protectively she held onto the doll wrapped in a faded cloth. It sent a chilling wave of dread through him. His mind was filled with terrifying, fragmented thoughts, making him feel as though he was losing his sanity. Questions, memories, and fears clashed together violently, making it impossible for him to think clearly. He just wanted to get Sonia to the hospital as fast as possible, to the best doctors, and to finally confront his father.

As soon as they landed and Vikrant began handing Sonia over to the medical team, she started screaming again, her voice echoing with fear.

“No! No! I won’t give my daughter to anyone! Stay away from me! Don’t touch me! Don’t give me any injections!”

Vikrant immediately embraced her tightly, signaling the doctors to stop and not come near. Sonia seemed to find some senseof safety in his arms, still clutching the doll protectively with one hand. Vikrant understood clearly now; she was terrified of doctors. He gave Akhil a subtle nod. Akhil quickly approached the head doctor and whispered instructions. A few female doctors removed their white coats, trying to look as non-threatening as possible, and slowly approached Sonia as if they were merely there to talk to her.

But the moment she saw them coming closer, panic surged within her. With a sudden jolt, she pushed Vikrant away and stumbled backward. Lacking the strength to balance herself, she collapsed to the ground but continued dragging herself away in desperation. Despite her disoriented state, she held the doll tightly to her chest, screaming in agony and fear: