The scene was absolute hell. Flames rose high, devouring the building like a beast unleashed, and their crackling roar echoed across the countryside. The fire lit up the night sky, casting a bloody glow upon the faces of the people gathered. Women who had been held as hostages for years wept openly, not from the memory of their suffering but from the overwhelming relief of freedom, as if their broken wings had finally healed and they could soar once more. The countryside folk stood silently, hands joined, praying for the souls of those who had suffered and perished, begging the heavens to grant them peace in the afterlife. The policemen, hardened by years of service, could only bow their heads, silently whispering their own prayers, for even men trained to stare death in the face felt the weight of this tragedy. Yet amidst all this, one figure stood apart—Vidya. Her face was pale, her eyes unblinking, fixed on the flames, her will holding her upright even as grief threatened to crush her.
Just then, car horns blared in the distance, drawing closer. The policemen straightened immediately, readying themselves to move. But on the other side of the town, in the police station, another drama was unfolding. A phone rang. Inspector Patel, the senior officer leading the operation, picked it up.
"Who is it?" he asked sharply.
The voice that answered was low, deep, and wrinkled with age and authority.
"Agents of the Minister… Mr. Patel, you are now summoned to court. You will be questioned for what you have done."
Patel said nothing more than a calm, short "Hmm," before ending the call. Turning to his men, his voice steady but heavy with resolve, he ordered, "Officers, gather every hostage and take them to the hospital first, then to their respective households. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" came the chorus of voices. But one officer, hesitant, asked, "Sir… what about you? What will you do?"
Patel's eyes narrowed as he took a long breath. "I have some chores to do," he replied curtly. "Now go."
Moments later, the officers followed his command, loading the rescued women into vans and cars. The operation had been meant to remain top secret, hidden from even the higher chains of command. But soon, reality struck. A number of women still stood behind, stranded due to a lack of transport. Then, out of the darkness, two large SUVs and a convoy of trucks rolled in.
The officers looked on in confusion. "Sir," one of them said, "this was supposed to be a secret operation. Then how did these vehicles arrive to help us?"
Patel's expression hardened, but his voice remained calm. After a long pause, he exhaled deeply and admitted, "The government knows. The Chief Minister's agents sent them. They've already summoned me. They want answers in court."
A wave of shock passed through the officers. Meanwhile, Vidya sat blankly in a corner of a van, her eyes distant, her body unmoving, as if her spirit had already drifted far from this place. Patel, watching her for a moment, then turned back to his men.
"Take everyone to the hospital," he said firmly. "Don't waste a moment. I will face what's waiting for me."
The officers nodded, though unease hung in the air, and hurried to carry out his command.
As Patel's words scattered his men like startled sparrows, the senior policeman stood alone, gazing relentlessly at the dark sky. Shadows stretched long across the ruined ground, and far away, hidden by the trees, another figure watched. The fake Lalan Raj—his entire head wrapped in that same ghastly white cloth—leaned against a tree trunk, a cigarette glowing faintly between his fingers. He exhaled slowly, his eyes fixed on the retreating policemen. Then, in a voice thick with malice, he spoke into a phone, "Hmm… I think Lalan Raj is dead. But don't worry, I'll keep searching."
Crushing the cigarette beneath his heel, he melted back into the shadows, vanishing like smoke.
Meanwhile, Senior Policeman Patel walked heavily toward his jeep. He climbed inside, gripped the steering wheel, and let out a long, weary breath. Closing his eyes, he listened to the voice within his soul.
This is the moment. I must tell them the truth. Nothing personal, nothing hidden. I know I am selfish—I came here searching for my daughter. But she was never found. I searched every corner, every face, yet maybe… maybe she died long ago at the hands of Lalan Raj. Oh Lord, to whom I pray every morning, hear me now. Grant me the strength to keep searching for my child. Grant strength also to those who sacrificed their lives for this very moment. Amen.
His lips trembled as the words faded. He rubbed his tired eyes, straightened his uniform, and started the engine. With a swift movement of the gear, the jeep roared to life, and Patel drove into the night, burdened but unbroken.
Elsewhere, the long convoy of cars, vans, and trucks carrying the rescued women finally reached Delhi City Hospital. The scene inside was chaos. Hundreds of women, frail and battered from years of torment, were led into the emergency ward. Gasps filled the hospital as doctors and patients alike stared in disbelief.
The Chief Doctor rushed forward. "What happened here?" he demanded.
But the officers only replied sternly, "Do your work first, doctor. No questions now."
At once, orders were barked. Nurses swarmed in, guiding the women into ICU rooms, tending to their wounds and exhaustion.
In that very hospital, Madhu and Aman—the lawyer—were already admitted. Though Madhu had mostly recovered, Aman still lay in pain, his body bruised and exhausted from the battle he had endured.
The commotion pulled Madhu from her bed. She rose weakly, her body aching, but her curiosity stronger than her pain. As she stepped into the corridor and saw the rescued women being wheeled inside, her heart swelled. Relief washed over her like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. She smiled faintly, whispering to herself, This is victory.
But even in her joy, her heart remained restless. She searched every face, every movement, her thoughts heavy with Vidya and her elder sister.
Madhu's spirit rejoiced for the saved lives, but what she did not yet know was that Vidya's spirit had broken—utterly, irreparably.
Madhu, though still weak and advised to remain on bedrest, could not contain her worry. Gathering what little strength she had, she moved slowly through the hospital corridors in search of Vidya. Moments later, she found her—sitting alone on a chair, her face hollow, her eyes vacant, like a soul emptied of all life.
Overcome with relief, Madhu hurried forward and embraced her tightly. But Vidya did not move. She sat as still as a corpse, her body unresponsive, her spirit absent.
"Vidya ma'am," Madhu said with a trembling smile, "we won. Your plan worked. We truly saved so many lives. Aren't you happy? And… where is your elder sister? I want to meet her."
Madhu's innocent voice and hopeful eyes, for a fleeting moment, softened something deep inside Vidya's heart. Yet the silence remained. Refusing to give up, Madhu pressed on, her tone now pleading. "Please, tell me… did they catch Lalan Raj? And where is your sister?"
Again and again she asked, her words echoing, until finally Vidya's restraint snapped.
"STOP!" Vidya's cry cut through the entire ward, her voice raw and sharp. The nurses froze mid-step, the guards turned in shock, even the policemen stood rooted to their places. A suffocating silence fell over them all.
Breathing heavily, Vidya lowered her eyes. Then, with a voice broken by grief, she whispered, "Fine. You want to know what really happened? I'll tell you. My sister… she is dead. Dead with her unborn child."
Her tears spilled freely now, her words shattering with every syllable. "That child… it wasn't even their fault. But they both died. And with them, everything I had. My life is useless now. I don't want anyone. No sympathy, no comfort. Nothing. I just… want nothing." She rubbed her eyes and nose roughly, as though trying to erase her own existence, but her pain only deepened.
Madhu sank helplessly to the floor, stunned by the confession.
"And as for Lalan Raj…" Vidya continued, her voice turning to venom. "He escaped. Slipped back into the shadows. God knows where he is now. I wanted to kill him with my own hands, but he slipped out of my grasp. Tell me, Madhu—" her eyes blazed with anguish as she looked around at everyone in the room— "did we really win against Lalan Raj? Or was this nothing but defeat?"
Her words hung in the air like a curse. The entire hospital fell into silence. No one—neither the policemen nor the doctors—could answer. And Madhu, though filled with sadness and confusion, could only sit there, her heart breaking, unsure if what they had fought for was victory… or just another tragedy.