Rathore Estate – Morning
The rain had stopped, but the air inside the Rathore estate was no less stormy.
Aaradhya sat on a velvet chaise, dressed in a fresh ivory kurta, the blood and mud of the previous night washed away—but the memories still crusted behind her eyes.
The woman tending to her—Meher Aunty, she introduced herself as—was gentle, but wary. Like someone who had seen too much to ever truly relax.
"You're lucky he let you in," Meher said as she applied ointment to the cut on Aaradhya's arm.
"Is he always like this?" Aaradhya asked, voice low.
Meher gave her a small smile. "Ruhan baba doesn't believe in kindness. Only transactions."
Aaradhya's gaze shifted to the closed door at the far end of the hall.
The night still haunted her. But Ruhan Rathore's eyes haunted her more.
Cold—but curious.
Untrusting—but calculating.
Like a man who played chess with people's lives.
---
Ruhan's Private Study
He stared at the surveillance footage. Not of her being chased—but of her standing at the gate.
Frozen. Desperate. Unafraid.
"She shouldn't have made it through," Iqbal said beside him. "We'd reinforced every entry point."
"She did," Ruhan replied.
"And now?" Iqbal asked.
"She stays. Under lockdown," he said flatly. "No calls. No visitors. Full trace on her brother's files."
"Arnav Mehra's dead. She said so herself."
Ruhan's eyes narrowed. "I never said I believed her."
---
Back in the Lounge
Aaradhya wandered into the main corridor after Meher left.
The house was a palace—opulent but cold. Every inch screamed control. Like nothing had ever been misplaced here. Ever.
She paused before a painting in the hallway—an abstract swirl of red and black.
"You're not supposed to be here."
The voice came from behind.
Ruhan.
His presence filled the hall like smoke—undeniable and unsettling.
"I needed air," she said, unflinching.
He stepped closer. "You needed answers."
Aaradhya turned to face him. "Yes. My brother died protecting something. Something to do with your world. And I deserve to know—"
"You deserve nothing," he snapped.
She recoiled, but only for a second.
"You don't scare me," she said.
"Good," he replied. "Because this house has rules. And fear is just the first one."
She blinked. "The others?"
He walked past her slowly, like a shadow unfurling in daylight.
"Rule two: No lies. Even the kind you tell yourself. And rule three…"
He stopped inches away, lowering his voice.
"…if you stay under my roof, you'll owe me far more than your brother's debt."
---
Later That Day – Secret Wing of the Estate
Iqbal returned with an encrypted tablet.
"Recovered from Arnav's locker," he said. "Custom OS. Only two successful login attempts in the last year."
Ruhan took it. Scanned the screen. His jaw tightened.
"It's not just about us," he murmured.
"What is it?"
He looked at the blinking coordinates. Names. Time stamps.
"He was tracking movements of all five syndicates. Not just Rathore territory."
"And he shared this with someone?"
Ruhan glanced at the door, then back at the screen.
"I think he shared it with her."
---
Meanwhile – Guest Quarters
Aaradhya paced.
She didn't trust him.
But something in her gut told her this was the only safe ground left.
She reached under the mattress and pulled out the small flash drive she'd hidden in her blouse before collapsing last night.
The one Arnav had told her to protect at all costs.
The one marked Project Raktbindu.
She slid it into her brother's old burner phone, which had somehow survived the night in her waistband.
Lines of code opened. She saw a name.
Project Head: Dr. Vedant Arya
Location: Confidential
Linked Syndicates: Rathore. Thakkar. Vora. Shekhawat. Malik.
Her fingers trembled.
This wasn't just about mafia wars.
This was something bigger. Something worth killing for.
---
That Night – Dining Room
Ruhan sat across from her at the massive teakwood table. The staff didn't dare enter while they dined.
"So?" he said after a long silence. "What's Project Raktbindu?"
Aaradhya froze. She hadn't mentioned the name aloud.
"You bugged me," she said quietly.
"You entered my house," he replied, tone even. "I like to know what strangers bring in with them."
She met his gaze with a fire he hadn't expected.
"It's a medical project," she said slowly. "Gene sequencing. Drug resistance patterns. Experimental trials... mostly illegal."
"And why would a syndicate be involved?"
"Because someone's been testing it on people," she whispered. "Slum children. Orphanages. Even prison inmates."
Ruhan's hand clenched around his fork.
That explained the recent deaths. The disappearances.
"I think Arnav found out who funded it," she added. "And he died for it."
"And now you want revenge?" he asked.
"No," she said. "I want justice."
He smirked. "There's no justice here. Only power."
"Then I'll use yours," she said. "If you're not too scared to help."
His eyes darkened—but not with anger.
With amusement.
"I don't scare easily, Miss Mehra."
She leaned forward. "Good. Because I'm not leaving until I bury the people who buried my brother."
---
Elsewhere – A Hidden Lab, Location Unknown
Dr. Vedant Arya stood over a patient restrained to a steel bed.
He adjusted the serum dose as a suited man watched from the shadows.
"Is the girl dead?" Arya asked.
"No," the man replied. "She made it to Rathore territory."
Arya stiffened. "That complicates things."
"Not yet," the man said. "She won't survive long there. She doesn't belong in his world."
Arya injected the serum.
"We'll make sure she doesn't belong anywhere."