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CHAPTER - 3

Ouch.

~~ Aadya ~~

Ironical, wasn't it?

I had taken help from one criminal to protect myself from another.

I hadn't seen my Papa in ten years because of what I believed in and now ironically, he was where I found protection when I needed it.

Not that tonight would change anything between him and me.

Thankfully, he had called Maa here so I did not have to talk to him once I regained consciousness.

Aarav and her were taking me home.

I sat in the backseat, leaning against the window, still trying to steady my racing heart.

Maa sat next to me, her hand clutching mine tightly. She hadn't let go since we got into the car, as if she was afraid I'd disappear. Aarav, sitting on my other side, glanced at me every few minutes.

"I am okay." I said, in an attempt to reassure them.

Aarav sighed, leaning back in his seat, but his worried eyes never left me. "You don't look okay, Didi," he said softly. "You were unconscious when we found you. That's not nothing."

Maa's hand squeezed mine even tighter. "Aadya, beta, please, do you know how scared I was when I saw you lying there?" Her voice broke, and she wiped a tear quickly

I looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't mean to worry you both."

"Why were those men after you?" Maa asked again, making me look at her.

"I've been working on a story," I said. "A big story about a human trafficking racket operating in Mumbai. I found the evidence documents, videos, everything. We aired it live on the news channel tonight. It exposed some very powerful people."

Aarav's eyes widened, and he sat up straighter. "You're talking about those politicians and businessmen from the news? That was your story? I thought you were just reading it."

I nodded, letting out a tired breath. "No bhai, that was my investigation."

Maa looked at me, shocked. "Aadya, do you have any idea what you've done? These people are criminals. They won't stop. They will come after you."

"They already have, Maa." I said softly, looking out the window.

Aarav shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Didi, this is insane. You should've told us. We could've helped you. Instead, you put yourself in danger without thinking about what it would mean for us."

I turned to face him, "I did not tell you because I didn't want you both to be dragged into this. This is my fight, Aarav. Not yours."

Maa's voice trembled as she interrupted, "We're your family, Aadya. If something happens to you, how do you think we'd survive? How could you keep something so dangerous from us?"

Her words stung, but I held my ground. "I'm sorry, Maa. But I had to do this. Those women and children, they needed someone to speak up for them. Someone to bring their suffering into the light. I couldn't just stay silent."

"What now, Didi? You've already exposed them, but they won't stop. You need protection." My brother interrupted.

I shook my head. "I'll go to the police tomorrow. I'll give them everything I know, and they'll investigate further. But I won't hide. I've done my part, and I'll face whatever comes next."

Maa looked like she wanted to argue, but she pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Aarav, however, wasn't ready to let it go.

"There's one person who can protect you," he said quietly.

I frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

He hesitated, exchanging a glance with Maa, who nodded reluctantly.

"Aadya," he began, but I knew what was coming next.

"Stop, Aarav. I do not want to hear it. I know what you are thinking. That is never going to happen. I will not ask help from anyone but the police. That man made his choice ten years ago and I made mine." I said, looking away from the two of them.

Maa sighed, her voice trembling. "Beta, he didn't leave because he wanted to. You don't know everything about why he left. He had to do it to keep us safe."

"No Maa, the emotions behind his words that day were loud and clear. He wanted nothing to do with us and he meant every word of it. He chose that life over his family." I clenched my fists, trying to control myself.

Aarav shook his head, his tone gentler. "Didi, you're not being fair. He didn't choose anything over us. He's been there for us in his own way. He's helped us, supported us, even if it was from a distance."

I whipped my head toward him, anger boiling over. "What do you mean, 'helped us'? What are you talking about?"

Maa hesitated, her eyes darting toward Aarav. When he didn't speak, she took a deep breath and confessed, "He's been in touch with us, Aadya. All these years. He's been making sure we're okay, checking on you, sending help when we needed it."

I stared at Maa as if I hadn't heard her correctly. The words didn't make sense. They couldn't make sense.

"All these years?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

Maa nodded, her eyes filled with guilt. "Yes, beta. He didn't abandon us. He just stayed away to protect us. But he never stopped caring about us."

"Care? Protection? Really Maa? He cares about us? He protects us? Who are you lying to? To me or to yourself? Had he truly cared about us or wanted to protect us, he would have chosen to leave that life and stay with us. That would have been care and protection." My voice was low, but the anger simmered just below the surface.

Maa flinched at my words, and Aarav shifted uncomfortably beside me, but I didn't care.

I couldn't care. Not now.

"How long have you both been hiding this from me?" I asked, my voice trembling, though I tried to keep it steady.

Maa didn't answer right away. She looked down, wringing her hands together, and that silence was enough to make my chest tighten. Aarav finally spoke.

"Since the beginning, Didi," he said softly. "He stayed in touch from the very first day he left."

"Wow." I laughed bitterly, shaking my head.

Thankfully, before I could or they could say something else, we were home.

As soon as the car stopped in front of our building, I opened the door and stepped out, ignoring the sharp pain in my feet. I gritted my teeth as the cold pavement pressed against the soles.

"Aadya, beta, wait! Let us help you," Maa said, reaching out to me.

"I can manage," I replied curtly, not sparing her a glance.

I wad mad, I deserved to be.

Aarav stepped in front of me, his arms outstretched as if to stop me. "Didi, don't be stubborn. You're hurt. Let me carry you upstairs."

I walked around him, my steps steady despite the shooting pain. "I don't need help, Aarav," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Maa tried again, her voice trembling with concern. "Beta, you're bleeding! At least lean on me for support."

I paused for a moment, just long enough to glance down at my feet. The cuts from earlier had reopened, but I kept walking.

"It's fine, Maa," I said sharply, brushing her off. "I'll clean it myself."

They both followed me closely, their worried murmurs filling the air, but I didn't say another word.

When we reached the apartment door, Maa hurried ahead to unlock it. Aarav hovered behind me, his hands twitching as if he wanted to grab me and force me to sit down. I ignored him and stepped inside as soon as the door opened.

I headed straight for my room.

"Di at least let me......." Aarav started, but I cut him off by closing the door firmly behind me.

The silence in the room was a little unusual in this house, but it was better than hearing their excuses. I leaned against the door, letting out a shaky breath.

My feet ached, and my body screamed for rest, but my mind wouldn't let me stop.

I hobbled to the bathroom, dragging myself as I cleaned the blood and bandaged the wounds.

When I was done, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. How can they both be so naive?

I have been working, earning for ten years now to make ends meet, to make sure that I somehow manage to sustain my family, ensure that there is nothing they have to compromise on, even if it meant for me to kill half my dreams.

But perhaps that was not enough.

And I had no right to stop them from doing what they wanted.

I have no right to impose my thoughts on them.

If they still feel like talking to him, they most certainly don't need my approval but if they expect me to talk to him, they are going to be in for a huge shock.

I sighed, leaning back against the headboard. The bandages on my feet were already coming loose from the hasty job I'd done, but I didn't have the energy to fix them. My phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling me out of my thoughts.

It was a message from my news editor-in-chief.

"Great job Aadya, looks like you've earned yourself a promotion in the next appraisal cycle."

I stared at the words for a long time before tossing the phone aside. I lacked the energy to be happy about this at the moment.

I closed my eyes, pressing my palms to my face.

I needed to calm down.

A knock on the door broke through my thoughts.

"Aadya, beta," Maa's voice was hesitant. "I brought some milk. Please drink it before you sleep."

I didn't answer.

The knock came again, a little firmer this time. "Aadya, I know you're angry. But please... don't shut me out like this."

I stared at the door, my heart clenching at the pain in her voice. But I couldn't bring myself to get up. I couldn't face her right now.

After a few moments, I heard her sigh and the soft sound of footsteps retreating.

I lied down, pulling the blanket over me even though I wasn't cold. Sleep wouldn't come easily tonight. It rarely did when my mind was this restless.

_______________________________________

I woke up to a throbbing headache and a sense of exhaustion. Sleep couldn't fix shit today.

I sat up slowly, wincing as my feet reminded me of the injuries I'd tried to ignore. The bandages were almost completely undone now, but I didn't feel like redoing them.

I rubbed my temples, wishing the past twelve hours had just been a bad dream. But it wasn't.

With a sigh, I got up and walked to the living room, where Maa and Aarav were already up. Maa was making tea in the kitchen, and Aarav was on his phone, probably scrolling through the latest news.

They both looked up as I stepped into the room. Aarav's gaze was filled with concern, while Maa simply looked sad.

"How are you feeling today?" Aarav asked, his tone softer than usual.

I nodded slowly. "Better. I'll be heading to the police station later."

"I'll go with you Di." Aarav offered.

I shook my head at his offer. "No, Aarav, you will not. You will go to your college instead where you will write your exam or have you forgotten about that? If you want to be a good doctor, you need to focus where you need to." I said.

He frowned,"But Didi, this is not something you should handle alone. After everything that happened last night......"

"I'm not a child, Aarav," I cut him off, trying to keep my tone firm. "I can handle this. The police will take care of it."

Maa came over, holding a cup of tea in her hands. "Aadya, beta, please listen to your brother. You don't have to do this alone."

"I can handle this Maa." Was all I said before I walked back to my room to ready myself for the day, refusing the tea.

_____________________________________________

I walked into the police station later that morning.

The police officers who were already familiar with my case were quick to take my statement. They asked questions, filled in forms, and assured me that they would take the required action.

Afterward, I headed straight to the office, trying to focus on the task at hand.

As soon as I got to my cubicle, I sank into my chair, feeling exhausted. But there was no time to waste. I had work to do. New stories to cover.

I stared at the screen, but my thoughts wandered. Rajveer Pratap Ranawat. The name kept echoing in my mind. CEO of Ranawat Holdings, a company that seemed to have its hands in everything from real estate to IT, it all seemed legitimate. 

On the surface, he was the perfect gentleman of corporate India, the kind of person everyone looked up to, feared and admired. But the more I uncovered, the more I realised just how far his reach went. Beneath all the legal businesses, behind the shiny façade, Rajveer was at the heart of the country's most powerful arms-producing empire. He was involved in everything, from the weapons trade to the mafia.

And no one knew it. Except for the people working for him.

My Dad.

I still couldn't figure out exactly how he managed to keep everything under wraps.

His face, the way he looked at me last night like I was some puzzle he was trying to solve. I could not shake the feeling of his presence, how intimidating he was.

And then there was that last look.

His gaze was so intense, like he was watching my every move, studying me, figuring me out. And then, just before I turned away, he smirked.

Like he knew how much I hated him, how much I knew about him.

It looked like he enjoyed it.

He didn't just control businesses, he controlled people.

I shook my head, trying to focus on the story in front of me, but I could still see his face.

That was another thing which scared me, the feeling of a constant presence around me, specially the one I wanted nothing to do with.

Aadya's Look ~

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