I coughed suddenly, breath stolen by the scene in front of my sight- the one I wasn't ready for, yet couldn't look away from.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was my first time checking the camera feed after the setup-just a safety check, nothing else.
But the screen flickered to life, as she was stepping out of the bathroom, wrapped in a white towel, damp hair clinging to her shoulders, curling slightly at the ends.
For a second, My hand froze around the phone. My breath hitched.
I wasn't supposed to see that.
Instinct told me to shut the screen off immediately and I almost did But just as my finger moved, she smiled.
A smile, the kind of smile that crept up a smirk on my lips as well. It wasn't meant for anyone. Just a moment she shared with herself and somehow, it reached me.
I leaned back in my chair, exhaling a breath I didn't know I was holding. I looked away out of respect, gave her the privacy she deserved-but not without noticing the ease in her movements, the lightness in her steps.
She was okay.
She was safe...and that was all I really needed to know for now But her safety didn't erase the threat. Didn't mean the man who dared to haunt her had the right to keep breathing.
They were still out there, still breathing-and that only fed the fire in my chest. A fury so sharp that almost made my vision blur.
I inhaled deeply, forcing the rage to settle before managing a faint smile as Rakshita walked toward me, returning from her event.
She wanted to visit Naina and I volunteered to drive her.
A convenient excuse. A way to see her face to face. Just for a moment. Just to make sure she is really okey and trying to find some clues also.
I didn't know if it was a good enough reason for my mind. But for my heart?
It was more than enough-just as seeing her in front of me. She was Standing, smiling, talking and Breathing calmly. Her presence alone steadied something inside me.
Her family welcomed me with such warmth, so effortlessly kind... and it only made the guilt worse.
Their daughter—their bright, lovely daughter-was suffering.
Because of me.
Because of everything I dragged into her life. If they ever found out, I wasn't sure they could forgive me. Hell, I wasn't sure I could forgive myself.
Rakshita wrapped Naina in a tight hug, whispering something before heading out.
I stayed quiet, watching from a distance, the emotions settling over me like a storm. Again.
But the truth never stayed buried long. I couldn't afford to forget my purpose-not even for her.
10:30 PM.
I was back.
The numbers flickered on my phone screen, cold and sharp. I was halfway to my room when I stopped.
A stupid threat. I remembered. I was supposed to meet the killer tonight at 10. I clenched my jaw as I turned my way. I couldn't keep ignoring this monster. Not anymore.
Before I could take another step, my mother's voice broke through the silence of hallway.
"Siddh. Where are you going at this hour?" She said while stepping towards me.
I halted mid-step, a soft smile tugging at the corner of my lips before turning slowly.
"Uh...just for some work, I've got something important to do actually" I replied, trying to sound casual.
Her brows knitted in concern. "What's so important? It's late, Siddh. you've been going out a lot these days." The worry in her voice made my chest tighten but I gave a small nod like could understanding her unspoken fears.
"But work is important too, Mom." I said, my voice gentle but firm.
She immediately cut me off. "Not more important than you, Siddh. It's not safe, especially when you know-"
I sighed, trying to ease her worries. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon." But she wasn't done.
"Your grandpa's health isn't too good these days. Did you visit him?" Her voice had turned serious as she stepped closer and gently took my hand.
I stopped, my mind racing. "What happened to him?" I asked.
"I don't know... He went to the hospital today. I think you should go see him, talk to him for a bit. He was asking for you." she said softly, her eyes full of hope, her grip warm.
I exhaled quietly, nodding. "I'll go see him, Mom. Now, you get some rest too"
But as I turned to leave, her voice stopped me again.
"Siddh" I turned again.
"are you okay?" she asked, her concern deepening, a question I never thought would be so hard to answer. First time it was feeling so hard to hide something.
I blinked, clearing my throat, trying to push down the sudden tightness in my chest. "Yeah... I'm just a little swamped with work, nothing else." I lied, offering a weak smile.
She seemed to buy it, nodding softly. "Finish up what you need to, but be careful, okay? Stay safe."
And with that, she left but I couldn't shake the feeling of her watchful eyes following me, as if she could see right through me.
The cold night air bit into my skin as I stepped out, hoodie up, hands in pockets, heart pounding behind my ribs.
The city never slept. Not even under the blanket of night. The noises all around me were just a cover, a distraction. I could feel it all-the raw energy, the chaos of the city, where anyone could be anyone, the suffocating weight of so many lives moving, so many faces just passed by me, walking in their own worlds, each wrapped in their own little bubble of routine.
And there was me.
A man with a purpose.
I took the long alley behind the a university library-exactly where the message had directed me. Every step echoed louder than it should've. My fingers curled into fists.
I glanced around in the search of my victim, scanning the faces that moved past me. None of them cared.
I took some steps, heart hammering harder now. A question lingered in my mind-why pick such a place? Too many people, too much noise, too much distraction.
Not expected. Or Was I the one being played?
My steps faltered near a rusted vendor counter. For a second, it was just the sound of the crowd around me-clinking glasses and loud laughing.
"Siddharth.."
I paused as a quiet whisper of my name slid like a blade through the chaos.
"Siddharth singh rathore."
Again.
I was stunned. I turned on my heels, slowly, only to found a lady's voice.
Yes. A lady, all in Black, blending into the city's shadows like she'd been carved from them.
No mask. No attempt to hide her face? Weird.
Her dark eyes were fixed-not on me, but on the half-empty whiskey bottle she cradled in one hand.
Her face card was new for me. I didn't know her.
My hand unconsciously touched the inside of my hoodie where the cold grip of my concealed weapon rested like a lifeline.
I let out a exhale, quite and deep. This wasn't what I expected at all. Instead of facing a man-a killer, or some jerk sent by killer...i was staring at a woman.
Was she a pawn, or was she the mastermind behind all of this?
My mind raced, turning over every possibility.
"You're a whole 30 minutes late." she said without lifting her eyes. I stayed still. Collected my words like ammunition.
"Oh, so it really was you." I replied, coldly.
Finally, she looked up.
Her gaze didn't flinch. Didn't soften. Instead, it sliced straight through me, bold much.
"You're disappointed."
It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
I didn't answer right away. I was still trying to decide if this was a trap or an invitation into a deeper game.
She leaned back in her chair, one leg crossing over the other with all the grace of someone completely unbothered by being identified.
I took my slow steps towards her as she continued. "You thought I'd come with a mask or a knife or maybe I could be a man." she tilted her head slightly.
"But then again, your kind always expects drama. Not the truth." she finished and I Smirked.
"Tell me the killer's name and end this." I said, my voice sharp, eyes narrowing like a blade about to cut.
She laughed. Not loudly-but the kind of laugh that echoed where it shouldn't have.
"Killer?" she echoed, calmly setting down her whiskey bottle.
"I'll be straight with you." she said with a shrug. "I don't know who you're talking about. Who's my boss? I don't kno-"
"Stop lying." I cut her off, my voice low, dangerous.
She laughed again, a little darker this time-like she enjoyed playing with the edge of my patience, not realizing how close she was to tasting her own blood.
"But I do know Naina Malhotra." she mentioned her name with a crooked smirk.
I clinched my jaw but stayed silent, just watching, giving her all her rights to speak last time as much as she could.
"I'm just part of the crew." she quietly admitted. "Hired to kill her."
My heart skipped. "Kill?" I repeated, barely above a whisper.
She nodded casually, like it was nothing.
"Torture, kill, whatever. Doesn't matter to them not even me. She's just... in the way."
"Of what?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, my mind racing.
"You" she said plainly.
"They think she's the problem. A distraction. Always hovering around you like an annoying little thing. Every time they try to get to you, she comes in the way."
"I can't trust you" I snapped, my voice low and sharp.
Without a word, she pulled out a bunch of photos-crumpled, dirty as if they passed through too many hands. My eyes narrowed as I spotted Naina in them. My chest tightened.
I snatched the stack from her, flipping through the shots-Naina walking down the street, reading at a café, standing near me, smiling at nothing... Like someone had been watching her every damn second.
Even the ones with me in them were taken from a distance, through glass, across crowds.
They were tracking us?
And I knew, right then, they thought she was my weakness.
They were wrong.
Now She would be the reason of their disaster.
"She's nothing" I said through clenched teeth, trying to play it cold. "No connection. You're wasting your time."
She cut in with a scoff "And yet your jaw's locking like you're about to tear someone's throat out. Cute try, hero."
I didn't answer. Couldn't. The fire in my chest was too loud.
"Then leave her out of this" I growled.
She laughed-cold. "Not in my hands. I'm just the messenger. The rest? Way above my paygrade."
I stared at her, mind spinning. The pieces weren't fitting. . Why was she telling me all this if she was one of them?
"What are you doing this for me?" I asked.
"Huh?"
"Haha! For you? Please." she scoffed, the corner of her mouth curling into something colder than a smirk.
"It's the money. Always the money." Her voice was low, dry as she took another sip of her whiskey.
That wasn't even a good lie. I rolled my eyes.
"They're not paying you enough?" I pushed.
"Exactly."
"You're not even loyal to them-how the hell would you be loyal to me?" I asked, eyeing her sharply.
She raised a brow, unfazed. "I'm. For my money and That's more than enough for me."
That's suspicious. I stared at her. "What if this is all just part of their plan? What if you're feeding me lies on their orders?"
She glanced up at me with a sudden fury in her eyes.
"You really are an overthinker." she sneered-and then, with a sudden flick, let the glass bottle crash to the floor. It shattered like the thin thread of trust between us.
She stood up from the chair and took a slow steps towards me. "Ask me anything about Naina." she said, her voice shifting-serious, low, raw.
I inhaled slowly, bracing myself.
"How are they planning to kill her?" I asked but She chuckled, like I'd just told a joke. I clinched my jaw.
"She's already counting her last breaths these days." she said, eyes gleaming with something twisted.
My fingers curled tighter around the dagger in my pocket-burning to be used. Just one more wrong word, and it would've ripped her soul out from her body.
"Say that again" I said, my voice cold-quieter than a whisper but sharper than any blade I owned.
She laughed.
"Relax, Rathore. I said she's counting her breaths, not that they've taken the last one yet."
She was playing with me. Taunting me. And yet... I couldn't move. Couldn't strike. Not yet. Not until I had more.
She stepped closer, her boots crunching over the broken glass. The amber of the spilled whiskey bled across the cracks, soaking into the dust like a slow, burning wound.
"You want names? Details? Blood trails?" she asked, voice almost bored now.
"That's not how this works. You want to save her?" She leaned in, eyes dark and locked with mine. "Then start listening. Not threatening. Keep your this anger for someone else."
The hold on danger loosened slowly. I didn't respond. I couldn't trust her-not when every word from her lips felt laced with poison.
But I had to listen. I couldn't afford losing one more person because of me.
"if you want then you can save her." the woman continued, started walking around me. "But one wrong move, one clever little mistake-and boom. Just like always, you would lose everything like always."
She was clearly triggering my point without knowing anything.
"Stop wasting time." I snapped.
She shook her head slowly. "My money comes first."
"And what? You think I won't find out about your cheap little traps ever if you don't tell me?"
"Maybe you will. But only after you lose."She gave me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. I sighed as made something twist inside me.I wasn't going to surrender But pride couldn't be the price of her life.
"How much?" I hissed.
"Your full account balance" I smirked.
That's nothing compared to her life.
"Fine. Tomorrow. You'll have your money."
She leaned in slightly, her voice a whisper dipped in venom. "It's in her food. High-level toxins-slow, but brutal. She's already taken a few doses."
My breath hitched.
Food?
Homemade food?
That meant someone inside her home was involved. Someone trusted.
"On the eighth dose" she added with a wicked chuckle. "it's over for her, So Start counting." I glared at her with my racing mind. If I could, I would kill her right there but I won't.
The time was running than it ever could.
"Don't forget my money. Same place. Tomorrow. Her strings are still in my hand. Stay loyal." She said then, without waiting for my response, she turned and vanished into the crowd.
I stood there, jaw clenched, fists shaking But inside me, one truth roared louder than anything else: She was in more danger than I'd ever imagined.
The woman's words rang in my ears 'on the eighth dose, it's over' and I swear, I could've torn down the city brick by brick to find whoever dared to hurt her.
I called her multiple times on the way-nothing. Not even once did she pick up. Each ring only added fuel to the fire in my chest, speeding up the storm of thoughts in my head.
The guard stationed outside her room straightened as I stepped out of the car.
"Did you notice anything strange?" I asked without slowing my pace.
"No, sir. She was out on the balcony a while ago... then went in, probably to sleep" he said, eyeing me warily.
I glanced up.
The window was still open. I slipped through the balcony, barely making a sound. Her book lay on the floor-pages fluttering slightly from the breeze. That was weird.
I picked it up, running my thumb across the page she'd stopped at.
The room was dim as I moved inside quietly.
Moonlight spilled in like silver water over the tiles of her bedroom. The room temperature was so chill than usual.
"Naina" I called out softly, eyes scanning for her in the quiet.
No answer. Just the soft thump of her cat's tail flicking once on the rug, half-opening one lazy eye at me before deciding I wasn't a threat.
I moved closer with my slow steps.
Blanket tangled around her waist, one arm limp over her stomach, her brows furrowed like she was dreaming something too loud. The rise and fall of her chest uneven. Her breathing shallow.
My jaw clenched. "Naina..."
Not even a single moment in response.
I knelt beside her, scanning her face. Skin flushed. Her lips slightly parted as if trying to ask for something in sleep but unable to voice it.
I reached out-then paused, fingers inches from her cheek.
She looked like a dream that had been interrupted-soft, quiet, fragile. I hated it, seeing her like in this state and all I could do was kneel beside her like a ghost. Useless. Silent. Full of everything I couldn't say and everything I couldn't undo. I breathed heavily.
A strand of hair stuck to her cheek. I brushed it back gently. She let a deep exhale, shifting. A small sound escaped her lips. My breath caught.
"Naina" I whispered again.
Her lashes fluttered faintly but didn't lift. "You came" she murmured softly, barely audible.
"yeah..are you okey?" I said, quieter this time.
"Sid—" I didn't deserve the comfort in her voice when she said my name.
Her body trembled lightly beneath the blanket. Fever? I pressed the back of my fingers against her neck.
Too warm.
Too fucking warm.
I stood quickly, went to her shelf, scanned until I found the little drawer labeled "meds" in her scrawled handwriting. A bottle of antipyretic. Something basic-but I needed to start somewhere.
I poured out two tablets into my palm, fetched her a glass of water from her nightstand.
"Naina" I said again, softer this time. "You need to take these."
I didn't even know if she registered my voice yet-but I held the glass of water steady in one hand, the tablets in the other, waiting.
Her eyelids fluttered as she was trying to open it with all the energy left in her body. Slowly, she blinked up at me, dazed and quiet. But not surprised.
Not even a flicker of shock crossed her face. Just that familiar stillness like she knew I'd be there.
"Drea–mm" she murmured, barely audible.
"yeah" I whispered back, helping her sit up gently. "Just take these first. Please."
She leaned against me, weak but trusting, her body light like air but burning against my chest.
"Siddh...! " Her lips formed the shape of my name like a plea. I pressed the glass to her lips.
"Take it. Now."
Her fingers touched mine. Slower. Sleepier.
But she obeyed.
Took the pills. Drank the water. All while looking at me like I wasn't the storm I'd been trying so hard to hide.
"Mm... your hand's cold" she mumbled, drowsy smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
I swallowed. Didn't answer.
She let her hand rest on mine for a second too long before she turned her face into the pillow again.
Still shivering so hard. I covered her up and sat beside her, watching her sleep.
A thousand violent thoughts stormed my mind. She didn't deserve this. Now it wasn't only about to take revenge of nimi's death.
My fingers curled into fists as her cat crawled up beside her, guarding her like I couldn't.
I stayed there until her breathing softened, until the fever began to settle. Until the guilt in my chest made it hard to breathe.
I rose slowly, careful not to wake her, and moved through the room.
The entire house was drenched in silence, wrapped in darkness. I took slow and quite steps down in Hall.
But I wasn't just walking-I was searching.
For anything...Anything that could explain how poison had reached her plate... in the one place she should've been safest.
I moved through the hallway with quiet steps, every corner dark, every creak underfoot drawing a faster beat from my chest.
I passed the kitchen, Paused and Turned back.
I decided to check out there as I started scanning the counter. I turned on the flashlight and moved. Her plates were still by the sink, untouched leftovers, and a mug with faint lipstick on the rim.
I opened the fridge. Nothing obvious. But when I moved to the shelf where kept some medicine....
A new strip of pills. Unlabeled.
Unmarked.
I picked it up and examined the blister pack. No name. No brand. Just a faint powdery residue at the edges where one tablet was missing.
Poison, masked as care. I narrowed my eyes.
They were doing it slow. Subtle. Not the kind of poison that kills in one night but the kind that erodes from the inside, piece by piece. Body. Mind. Spirit.
Cowards.
But before I could do anything, A noise behind me made me freeze. A shuffle-like slippers brushing against tile.
I gulped as my hand instinctively brushing against the knife tucked at my side-not to use it, but to remember I could.
"Who's there?"
A man's voice came from behind me as I froze on my place.
To be continued...
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