"Please wait a minute, Dr. Shaurya. I have something to tell you."
Shaurya stopped and turned slowly. "What's the matter? If it's related to the operation or anything work-related, I'm sorry, but we can't discuss that outside."
"Oh no, it's not like that," she said politely with a smile. "I'm just curious—about the way you came for my granddaughter. What is your relationship with her?" Her tone shifted from polite to serious, carrying a sharp hint of warning.
Shaurya replied quickly, "You must have some misunderstanding. Actually, we've met before, so I just wanted to greet her."
"Oh, I see. Well, you know, as an old grandmother, it's somewhat my duty to protect my child."
"You are absolutely right, Miss Scout." Shaurya smiled, but inside him, different emotions were swirling.
He knew the woman in front of him was no simple old lady. She was someone the entire region feared—the head of the Scout family, Miss Suzy Scout. She was the leader of a powerful private corporation that held the highest association with the Union. Across the entire region, she was second only to the Union itself in influence.
Knowing the truth, Shaurya had wanted to leave the moment he saw her face—but now, he was trapped.
The girl standing beside Suzy, unaware of the tension, suddenly stepped forward and shook Shaurya's hand.
"I'm glad that you're helping my grandma. She never listens to anyone. Even when I told her to get checked, she ignored me and kept working."
Shaurya, calming himself for whatever might come next, took a breath and smiled. "Oh no, no—it's a doctor's responsibility and job to help his patients. I'm hoping she'll get better soon. But now, I'm sorry, I must leave. It's already late, and I've got work to do."
Suzy studied Shaurya's calm demeanour, then turned toward her granddaughter. "Elena, I believe you haven't introduced yourself to Mr. Shaurya yet," she said in a polite tone.
"Yeah, I completely forgot," Elena replied innocently.
Shaurya smiled quickly. "It's okay. I know you. Everyone knows you and your family—the contribution you've made to society, the work your family has done over the years—it's all truly praiseworthy."
Those sweet words flowed easily from Shaurya's mouth, but inside, a bitter taste spread through his heart.
His mind flashed to scenes he had seen in the news—reports of murders, collapsing companies, and financial scandals. He knew that Miss Scout was behind much of it, but her power made it impossible to collect even a shred of evidence against her.
A sleek black car arrived then, accompanied by two bodyguards carrying metallic cases and strange, unknown weapons. They escorted the old lady and Elena into the car.
Before leaving, Suzy looked out through the window. "You're a good person, Dr. Shaurya."
Shaurya smiled faintly. "It's the eyes of good people that see goodness in others. I'm just a reflection of what you see."
Suzy smirked, rolled up the window, and the car sped away—followed by a silent hovering drone.
Shaurya watched them go, remembering the encounter, then smirked quietly to himself before heading home.
Inside the Car
Miss Scout sat in silence, lost in thought. Her granddaughter, Elena, scrolled through her phone beside her, unaware of the thoughts running through her grandmother's mind.
Does he really not know me? Suzy wondered. The way he spoke was so casual. Everyone who knows who I am trembles before me, but he was calm.
Finally, she murmured aloud, "He's a good person."
Elena's eyes lit up. "Yeah! I told you he was! Yesterday morning, he even helped me and caught bear and also—"
Her voice trailed off as an image of Shaurya's calm face and composed physique flashed in her mind.
Her grandmother noticed. "And…?" Suzy asked, a teasing tone in her voice.
Elena snapped out of her daydream, blushing furiously. "N-Nothing else!" she stammered.
Suzy chuckled softly. "Oh, I see. So this is how it is, hmm? Don't worry—I'll talk to that idiot son of mine about it."
"Please don't do that!" Elena protested, her cheeks burning even brighter.
The grandmother kept teasing her, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, while the car sped down the road under the orange glow of the evening lights.
Back at Shaurya's House
The moment he stepped in, Shaurya froze. His living room was a disaster.
He sighed heavily. "Why do you do this every time?"
Standing in the middle of the chaos was Suyash, surrounded by scattered papers, open drawers, and gadgets.
"I was just looking for something and couldn't find it on my own," Suyash complained. "That stupid home assistant of yours doesn't help at all! Every time I ask for something, it demands the item's name, and when I give it, it says, 'Do it yourself.' Can you imagine? I was so close to losing my temper—but I controlled it!"
He kept rambling on, but when he turned around, Shaurya was already on the floor, quietly collecting the mess.
Suyash frowned. "Hey, what are you doing? The birthday boy shouldn't be cleaning!"
Shaurya blinked. "Whose birthday?"
"Yours, you idiot!" Suyash grinned, raising his hands in triumph.
"But mine's three weeks later," Shaurya replied flatly.
Suyash smirked confidently. "You're a scientist, but you don't even know this basic fact?"
Shaurya's curiosity sparked instantly. "What fact are you talking about?"
With a proud look, Suyash declared, "According to science, a baby is fully developed before the nine-month period. By the thirty-seventh week, it's ready for delivery."
Shaurya stared blankly, his entire body stiffening as his voice dropped into a calm, solemn tone. "Where exactly did you get that information?"
Oblivious to his own doom, Suyash answered proudly, "Oh, it's just basic academic knowledge! You're a doctor and a scientist—you should already know this!"
Shaurya gave a faint giggle—completely deadpan. "Thank you for the reminder," he said, then added sarcastically, "If that's the case, shouldn't I celebrate my birthday nine months earlier—the day I was technically 'ready' to be born?"
Suyash blinked. "What?"
Shaurya sighed deeply. "Isn't that the day you won the race as the fastest swimmer?"
"Oh yeah, that's a good idea!" Suyash said, nodding as if he'd discovered a new scientific theory.
Shaurya's patience finally cracked. "You idiot! Do you even know what birthday means? It literally means the day you were born! Born means coming out into the world! How hard is that to understand?"
Suyash, completely unfazed by the outburst, just shrugged. "Okay, fine. But the cake and treats are already here, so let's not waste them."
He plopped down and started eating casually.
Shaurya stared at him for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "Fine."
And so, the party of unknown reason began.
.....................................................................................................
But while laughter filled one small home, on the other side of the region, darkness unfolded.
Two men ran desperately through the forest, chased by drones glowing red and armed soldiers in pursuit.
One of the men was hit in the leg and fell. "Go!" he shouted. "Take the information—get it to them!"
The other hesitated but grabbed the small device from his partner's trembling hand and ran into the shadows. But before he could get far, a sharp spear cut through the air—piercing his head in a single swoop of motion.
The masked assassin muttered coldly, "One neutralized, one captured."
Through his communicator, a voice crackled. "Confirm recovery of the device."
He checked the bodies and replied, "Confirmed."
"Good," the voice said, followed by silence, as another secretive order is passed.
The assassin lowered his spear and pressed his boot against the wounded man's throat.
Moments later, only silence remained.
To be continued.........…