The next moment—
THUD! With all his might, he landed a punch squarely on Aman's face.
Aman stumbled backward, his lip splitting open as a thin stream of blood trickled down to his chin. But he didn't make a sound—no explanation, no scream. He simply stood there with his head bowed.
Suddenly, another voice echoed through the hall—
"That is the truth, Akash…"
Akash Singhania turned toward the door in a sharp jerk. A woman stood there—around forty-five years old. Her face bore the signs of exhaustion, but her eyes held a harsh, cold truth. Without fear, she slowly stepped inside. With every step she took, the air in the hall grew heavier.
She stopped directly in front of Akash. Looking him straight in the eye, she spoke:
"It is the truth. Your Soniya…" She paused for a breath. "…has left us. She has left you… she has left this world."
Her words fell like a sledgehammer on Akash's chest. Silence filled the hall. No one moved. No one spoke. The woman held out a file cover.
"Here are her belongings. They came from Police Headquarters."
The file was held out to Akash. He didn't take it immediately. His gaze was still fixed on the woman's face—as if searching for one last flicker of hope.
"Lie…" his voice grew weak for the first time. "This is a lie."
The woman's eyes filled with moisture, but her voice remained firm.
"I wish it were, Akash. I wish it were."
With trembling hands, Akash took the file. He opened it. Inside were Soniya's watch, her mobile phone, some personal papers… and on top of it all—a sealed report. His fingers slid over the paper. The name was the same: SONIYA SINGHANIYA.
His breath hitched. The file slipped from his hands and crashed onto the floor. He suddenly shoved the file away.
"No, Mom…"
Akash's voice rose suddenly. It wasn't filled with anger—it was filled with terror.
"This can't be true. I don't believe any of this!"
He shook his head as if trying to push the truth away.
"Soniya can't leave me… she wouldn't do that." He took a trembling step forward. "She could be angry with me… she could stay away from me… but… she can't be dead."
A strange, stinging silence spread through the hall. His mother, Neeta Ji, came very close to him. She gently took his face in both her hands. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but her voice stayed steady.
"Akash… sometimes… the truth… is the thing that feels most like a lie."
Akash jerked her hands away.
"NO!" he nearly screamed. "You don't understand!"
He pointed at the file on the floor. "These papers… this report… they prove nothing!" His breathing was out of control now. "I know Soniya. She wouldn't just leave me… she wouldn't just vanish like this."
His voice suddenly cracked. "…She loved me so much, Mom."
As he said this, tears fell from his eyes for the first time. His mother could only watch him in silence. The strength in his legs finally gave out. He collapsed to his knees. His head bowed, and his shoulders began to shake.
For the first time, Akash Singhania looked so small, so broken.
Neeta Ji moved forward slowly. She reached out and stroked the hair of her kneeling son. Her eyes were full of tears, but her voice sounded more tired than pained.
"How many times did I tell you, Akash… not to let Soniya take that police job?" Her voice broke. "But you didn't listen to me. And today… today the result is right in front of you."
She stroked his head again with trembling hands.
"The profession that snatched away your home and your peace… today, it has snatched away your love as well."
Hearing this, something inside Akash snapped completely. He lifted his head toward the ceiling and let out a raw, harrowing scream. A scream that held no anger—only the agony of loss. It echoed through the entire mansion. It was so loud and so primal that even the guards standing outside shivered.
Meanwhile… At the Hospital
Pakhi's eyelids flickered. Slowly, her eyes opened.
A white ceiling… soft lights… and the rhythmic beep-beep of machines. Her head felt heavy, and her body felt like it had been wrung dry. She stared at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to understand where she was.
A nurse standing nearby noticed. "She's awake!"
Within moments, the doctor was by her side. "Relax," he said calmly. "You're safe now."
Pakhi found the courage to ask, "How… how did I get here?"
The doctor flipped through a file. "You were unconscious for almost 24 hours. There was a head injury due to the impact. But you're out of danger now."
24 hours… Hearing this, the fear returned to Pakhi's eyes. The airport… the hotel… the gun… the screams… everything flashed back into her mind. Her breathing quickened.
The doctor calmed her immediately. "Don't stress yourself. You need rest."
As soon as the doctor left, Pakhi reached for her phone. Her hands were still shaking slightly. As soon as the screen unlocked, she saw a photo of her home, and her eyes welled up. She dialed the number without delay.
One ring… two rings…
"Hello…" Aarti's panicked voice answered.
"Mamma…"
As soon as her mother heard her voice, a sob broke out on the other end.
"Pakhi! Are you okay, child? We were so scared…"
"Yes, Mamma," Pakhi said, composing herself. "I'm fine. How are you all?"
"We are fine too, beta," Aarti Ji replied. "Tell me, is everything going well there?"
Pakhi was about to answer when her door opened. The doctor and a nurse walked back in. Startled, Pakhi quickly said, "Mom… I'll call you back in a bit. Something urgent has come up."
"But beta, what happened—"
Before she could finish, Pakhi disconnected the call. Her smile slowly vanished. She stared at the phone for a moment and took a deep breath.
I'm sorry, Mamma… I don't have the courage to tell you the truth yet…
The doctor stood by her. "How are you feeling now?"
"Better… but a little dizzy," she whispered.
The doctor checked her pupils, looked at the bandage on her head, and noted something in the file. "You had a serious concussion," he said gravely. "You need complete rest."
Pakhi nodded.
"And one more thing," the doctor added. "The police will need your statement."
Pakhi's heart skipped a beat. "Police…?"
"Yes," the doctor said. "You were directly involved. It's important."
Pakhi clenched her fingers. The voices, the gun, the terror—it all came rushing back. But she steadied herself.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll cooperate."
The doctor gave a small smile. "You're very brave."
After he left, the room fell silent again. Pakhi leaned her head against the pillow and closed her eyes.
After some time,
Silence filled the hospital room, broken only by the rhythmic, mechanical beep of the heart monitor. Pakhi was in a deep, medicine-induced sleep, but her mind was far from peaceful.
Suddenly, the heavy hospital door creaked open.
A dark shadow stepped inside, moving slowly and deliberately toward her bed. Every step seemed to drain the warmth from the room. The figure stopped right at her bedside, towering over her. For a long, agonizing moment, he just stood there, staring down at her with eyes filled with a terrifying, cold hatred.
Without a word, the man reached behind his back and pulled out a heavy, matte-black handgun. He pressed the cold muzzle of the barrel directly against Pakhi's forehead.
BANG!
The thunderous sound of the gunshot shattered the silence...
"NO!"
Pakhi bolted upright in bed with a blood-curdling scream. Her entire body was drenched in a cold sweat, and her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She looked around frantically, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
The room was empty. The white walls were still, and the pale moonlight filtered through the window just as before. No one was there.
She pressed her palm against her forehead, right where she had felt the phantom burn of the bullet. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably as she tried to catch her breath.
"Just a dream..." she whispered to the empty room, her voice trembling. "It was just a bad dream."
She tried to lie back down, but the chill in her bones wouldn't leave. Pakhi didn't know that while the bullet was just a nightmare, the man from her dream was very real—and he was already closing in on her.