Though, goals are not yet completed, I don't want to disappoint those who are supporting and eagerly waiting.

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The whole family seemed shocked, lost, shaken and broken all at once.

Harsha, Adrita and Mihika changed Ruhi's clothes.

Ankita, Nayan, and Ajit, along with his wife, came.

Ajit (worried): Anirudh, what's all this?

Anirudh (with shame): Stalker is behind all this.

Adrita ended the call and turned towards them.

Adrita: I called Dr... She is on the way. (With hesitation): Umm... Ruhi... wasn't raped. The blood stains were because of periods.

All were silent, processing this information.

Adrita (with low voice): But something definitely happened... Her lips are swollen, her body is extremely cold, and her clothes were wet when you guys brought her. Her blood pressure had dropped, as if she was struggling to breathe. I can't say anything for certain yet. She needs a proper medical examination.

Ajit (angrily): From when all this is going on? Why did no one inform me?

Ankita (calmly): Calm down! They are already worried. We need to figure out, who it can be! Not to scare them.

Sighing Ajit nodded.

Harsha (mumbling): I will be in the room with Ruhi.

Without any other word, she walked in.

Others sat in the living area, fully stressed and scared.

Nayan silently, walked into the kids' room. He felt vulnerable.

He sat on the bed and hid his face in his palms. Unable to process what he has seen.

When he saw her in the morning, in that dress, his heart skipped a beat. The colour and style, enhanced her beauty. The smile on her lips was enough to show, how excited she was to flaunt her new look.

In the evening, again his heart skipped a beat, when he saw her condition. Excited and chirpy Ruhi, almost seems dead. Red stains on her dress. Her smiling lips seemed swollen and blackish.

He gulped, the scene replayed in his mind.

Almost everyone else considered that she was being forced.

Even her brothers.

***

Ajit (angrily): Ani, immediately that person should be in custody. Vidyut, he should be hanged to death. I don't want my gudiya's culprit to breathe even for a second.

Vidyut (wiping his tears): Chachu, I don't know who he is and I am trying to catch him but he is playing smartly. He is stalking her with every move.

Saurav (confused): But today, how did she feel unconscious? She was wearing her mask. Everyone around her was unconscious.

Anirudh (remembering something): Vidyut, our car was missing from the parking. When I told the watchman this. He said the principal allotted us parking in a private zone which is only used by the trustee or high authorities. Today, ours and principles car was parked, no one came over there.

Vidyut (confused): When I came, the car was there.

Anirudh: No Vidu, I was searching for it.

Uneasiness passed around.

Just then Adrita's phone beeped.

Adrita (looking at her phone): Dr will be here any moment.

Ankita (nodding): I will check on Ruhi till then.

She walked into her room. She saw Harsha sobbing, holding Ruhi's hand, kissing it.

Ankita (caressing Harsha's head): Calm down.

Harsha (with hoarse voice): Masi kaise? Ruhi ki halat dekh rahe ho? Jab mere ghar vo choti si bachi aayi thi na. Vo aese dari hui thi. Par dheere dheere hume apna banaya. Is ghar ki beti badi ban gayi. Par hum sab mil kar iska dhayan nahi rakh paye?
(How? Can you see her condition? When that little girl came home. She was scared. But slowly she became ours. She is the elder daughter of this family. We couldn't even protect her)

Ankita (sad smile): You guys tried to protect her. Some things are not in our hands. Don't blame yourself.

She pulled her in a hug, trying to calm her.

Ankita: Dr is coming.

Harsha wiped her tears.

Ankita (frowning): Where is Nayan?

Harsha stared at her for a few seconds, not knowing where he was.

Ankita walked out, hurriedly. Harsha went behind her.

Ankita (worried): Where is Nayan?

Vidyut (shocked): He must be here. He came with us from college.

Ankita looked around and thought of checking in Ruhi's room.

She walked into the room to find Nayan, broken, crying. His face was hidden in his palms and his shoulders were shaking. Him hiccuping.

Ankita (gulping her tears): Nayan...

Nayan looked up and saw her. He immediately clung towards her, sobbing.

Ankita (patting his back, with affection): Ruhi will be fine. She has to be. Her brothers, her best friend and her bhabhis, her family, are all here for her to take care of her, pray for her safety.

She broke the hug and made him sit on the bed. She took the glass of water from the nightstand and made him drink water.

Ankita: Nayan, calm down baby. Ruhi will be fine. She is a strong girl.

Once, he calmed down. She took him out.

She knew who would sit alone now. They will break down just like Harsha and Nayan.

As she walked out. She saw everyone sitting quietly, but nervously.

Anirudh: Dr is checking Ruhi.

Ankita nodded and sat with them. She made Nayan sit beside her.

A few minutes later,

Dr: Ruhi is stable now.

Relief washed over them for a second.

Dr: But she was drugged. The sedative was strong enough to affect her consciousness and body response. Her lips are swollen and discoloured due to a lack of proper oxygen for some time. Her body temperature was also low when I checked her. Possibly submerged in water or kept in a situation where breathing became difficult. I cannot confirm the exact circumstances yet, but her condition is consistent with that.

The room fell silent.

Dr: There are bruises and clearly undergone physical and psychological trauma.

Saurav (with bitter chuckle): No one can lay a finger on her when she is conscious. The person is a coward for attacking her after making her lose consciousness. Of course! He is scared because he knows she is a black belt in martial arts and we taught her Self-Defence.

The doctor gave him a sad smile. She handed the prescription and left after asking to be contacted if anything was required.

Ajit (shocked): Someone who knows Ruhi fully. He is planning and plotting.

Vidyut sighed, nodding...

Yug came there.

Yug (forwarding car keys): Bhai, your car was there only.

Anirudh stared blankly, not understanding how.

Yug (heavy sigh): I checked in CCTV. The car disappeared. No one knows how. Like in CCTV 3 seconds ago, a car was present then suddenly disappeared and again appeared in just 2 seconds. Another car was there all the time.

Vidyut: What rubbish?

Yug: I seriously don't understand what's all this. A person is aware of every bit of college. Ruhi stood in wait for Bhai in a non-civilian zone. Couldn't find anything.

Ajit (sharply): Someone is known. Who knows Ruhi very well and also about college. So, this is all plotted accordingly.

Saurav (irritated): Who can it be?

Yug: Anyone. If you have even 0.1% doubt about anyone. We need to investigate.

Vidyut (agreeing): Exactly, be it close family, friends, relatives, colleagues, business partner, anyone.

Mihika (remembering): Vidyut, when Ruhi joined school at the start. Two boys were bullying her.

Anirudh (with disbelief): That chuha? His father?

Nayan: Recently, even at a business party, he was staring at Ruhi creepily.

Vidyut (angrily): Stop it! Already I suspected this and they are surrounded by spies, but there is nothing from their end.

Harsha: If not him, then there are many. We need to do something.

Adrita: Even the parents of our kids.

Everyone gave her a confused look.

Adrita (turning to Mihika): Di, remember around a month back, Khush and Niyati fought in school because someone was bullying them, your bua is not your bua.

Anirudh (rough tone): Brainless parents pass on anything as important information to their kids. It means their parents are aware of Ruhi and our family.

Saurav: Just like that Chuha and his parents.

A silence paused their moment. Processing everything.

Yug: Make a list of all the people you have doubts about. I will run a background check. This will help us.

Vidyut: I will share the list with you in a while.

Yug agreed and bid them bye.

After Yug left.

Vidyut: Bhai, can you please arrange a spy in your way and have a track on Yug?

Saurav (surprised): But he is your best friend.

Vidyut (with a sad smile): He is aware of many things. Just for safety. Once, everything will be solved. I will apologise to him and he will understand.

He turned to Ajit.

Vidyut: Bhai wait! Chachu, can you do this? I may need Bhai's support with background verification.

Ajit (affirmative): Sure, don't worry.

Vidyut silently gestures to Saurav to track Ajit's background.

Guilt washed over them, Ajit is always like their father to them.

But they knew, at this moment it's important.

Everyone sat around, making a list of everyone known.

Everything paused when they heard Ruhi screaming...

To be continued...

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