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CHAPTER - 12

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Aadya ~

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing non-stop. The sharp vibration against the wooden nightstand was enough to pull me from the depths of exhaustion, my body protesting as I reached for it.

14 missed calls.
27 messages.

"Ab maine kya kar diya?" I muttered to myself.

(What did I do now?)

My brows pulled together. My brain wasn't functioning yet, still clouded with sleep, but the unease in my stomach started before I even unlocked my phone.

Something was wrong.

I swiped at the screen, my vision adjusting as I scrolled through the messages.

Hardik: "YOU DID IT!! Your article has gained so much traction in merely half an hour! Call me ASAP."

Daksh Sir: "Incredible work, Miss Sharma. We're trending. Call me."

I frowned, my heart starting to hammer.

News? What news?

Then I saw it.

The bold headline flashing on my screen:

MEN WHO SELL WOMEN : A Human Trafficking Exposé.

- By Aadya Sharma.

My stomach dropped.

Oh, fuck.

I shot up, gripping my phone, my breath catching in my throat. This was the article. The one I forgot that I had written, the one I was supposed to stop after last night.

But I hadn't.

I had completely forgotten that I had written it in the first place.

My fingers trembled as I scrolled through the full-length article, the words blurring in front of my eyes. Everything was there—the evidence, the leaked documents, the witness statements.

But I haven't named Ahaan Mishra mostly because I had no idea of his existence when I wrote it.

I barely had time to process it before my phone rang again. My boss.

I swallowed the panic rising in my throat and forced my voice to stay steady. "Hello?"

"Aadya! Brilliant job. This is exactly the kind of investigative journalism we need. The entire media is on fire. We might get nominated for an award for this one."

I forced out a laugh. "Wow... that's... great news."

"We'll talk later. Take a breather, Miss Sharma. You deserve it."

Did I?

I hung up, staring at my screen. My pulse was erratic, my skin cold.

Ahaan had warned me once.

And now?

The phone rang again. Unknown Number.

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

I knew I shouldn't pick up. Every nerve in my body screamed at me not to.

But I did.

And the moment I did, a low, chilling voice filled my ear.

"You were warned."

A pause.

"Now you pay the price."

Click.

The line went dead.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. The walls of my apartment felt too tight, too suffocating, like they were closing in.

This wasn't just a threat.

This was a promise.

And I had a family to save.

I ran out to the living room where Maa was in the kitchen and Aarav was just getting ready to leave for the hospital.

"Maa, Aarav, we need to get out of here now. Please don't ask me what happened but I need to take you both some place safe." I said, panicking and grabbed Maa's hand, pulling her out of the kitchen.

Maa yanked her hand away, her brows pulling together in confusion. "Aadya, what's wrong with you? Where are we going?"

Aarav frowned, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Di, what the hell? What do you mean we need to leave?"

I turned to him, trying to steady my voice, but the panic clawing at my throat made it impossible. "Aarav, please. Just listen to me for once and don't ask questions."

I grabbed my phone, hands trembling as I scrolled through my contacts. Who could I call? Who the hell could I trust right now?

I had two names in my head.

And I hated one of them.

Papa.

And Rajveer.

Ego fucking be damned, I would kill myself on my own if something happens to the two of them. I was just about to call Papa but my own went off on its own.

Unknown Number.

I flinched, but before I could even think about answering, a loud crash shattered through the apartment.

The front window exploded, shards of glass flying everywhere. Maa screamed, stumbling back as Aarav pulled her behind him.

I spun toward the door, heart slamming against my ribs.

Then, the apartment door burst open.

Three men stormed inside.

Dressed in black, faces half-covered.

Oh my god.

One of them lunged at me. I barely had time to react before rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me forward.

Aarav tried to charge toward them, but the second man shoved him back hard. He stumbled, knocking into Maa.

"No!" I screamed, kicking, thrashing. "Leave them alone!"

The man gripping me snarled, tightening his hold. "Shut up, you little bitch."

My elbow flew back, slamming into his ribs. He grunted, his grip loosening for a split second—enough for me to twist out of it.

I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, a lamp and smashed it across his head.

He went down with a curse.

The second man lunged toward me, but before he could grab me, a gunshot rang out.

Loud. Sharp.

I froze.

The man in front of me dropped.

A bullet right through his skull.

A chill ran down my spine as my gaze whipped to the doorway.

Rajveer.

Standing there like a goddamn storm, a gun in his hand, his face carved from pure, unfiltered rage.

I barely had time to breathe before another shot rang out. The second man fell.

The last one scrambled back, hands in the air, his eyes wild with panic.

Rajveer stepped forward, his gun aimed directly at his forehead.

The man's body trembled. "P-please..."

Rajveer didn't blink. "I warned your boss last night, he refused to take me seriously and if there is one thing he already knows, it is to not mess with me."

His voice was deadly.

I had never seen him like this before.

He pulled the trigger.

The last man fell.

The only sound left was my ragged breathing, the ringing in my ears, the distant cries of my mother.

I turned to look at Rajveer, my whole body shaking.

He tucked his gun back into his holster and looked straight at me.

His voice was calm. Steady.

"You should have listened to me, Aadya."

I looked at him but my gaze stopped right behind him, where Papa was making his way towards Maa and Aarav and immediately pulled them in for a hug, making sure that they were not injured.

Maa clutched his arms, her sobs muffled against his shoulder. Aarav, still stiff with adrenaline, exhaled sharply and muttered, "I swear to god, someone better start explaining what the hell is happening."

Papa pulled back, his gaze scanning them quickly for injuries before his eyes found mine. "Are you okay?"

I nodded once, even though I wasn't sure.

Nothing about this was okay.

There were three dead bodies in our living room, my mother was trembling like a leaf, my brother looked like he was on the verge of either punching something or throwing up, and the only person who seemed unaffected by the massacre was the man standing right in front of me.

Rajveer.

He turned to Papa. "Take them to the estate. No one else in or out until I say so."

Papa nodded without hesitation, but Maa gripped his arm tightly. "No, wait. Aadya?" She looked at me, panicked. "She's coming with us, right?"

Rajveer didn't even let me answer. "No."

Maa's face paled. "But..she...."

"She is coming with me." Rajveer said, his tone final, brooking no argument.

Maa turned to me, pleading. "Aadya...."

"Divya she is going to be okay. He will make sure that she is safe." Papa said, first looking at Maa and then towards Rajveer.

Then, without a chance of letting Maa or Aarav or even me to say anything, papa took them out, leaving me alone with him with three dead bodies in my house.

"Aap khud chalna pasand kareingi ya aapko utha ke le jaana ho ga Miss Sharma?" Rajveer asked, breaking me out of my trance.

I looked at his face and blinked a couple of times to make sense of today before I hesitantly nodded and started to walk towards the door while he followed just a step back.

______________________________

Rajveer ~

The car was silent.

Too silent.

Aadya sat beside me, her arms folded tightly across her chest, gaze locked out the window as if she could pretend none of this had happened. As if she could will herself to be anywhere but here.

Too bad for her, I wasn't in the mood to let her escape.

I tightened my grip on the wheel, my eyes flickering to the rearview mirror. Four cars tailed us, my men in every single one, weapons locked and ready.

Because that was how serious this had become.

Because this was exactly what I had been trying to fucking prevent.

And still, she had pushed.

I exhaled sharply through my nose, keeping my voice deceptively calm. "Why?"

She didn't move. Didn't even blink.

I knew she had heard me.

I pressed. "Why the fuck did you publish that article?"

Finally, she turned her head, her expression unreadable.

"I forgot."

I almost laughed. A dry, humourless laugh that would have been filled with nothing but disbelief and anger.

"You forgot."

She nodded once. "Yes."

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to focus on the road, not on the sheer insanity sitting beside me. "You forgot," I repeated, slow, deliberate. "You forgot to pull back an article that just put a target on your back?"

Her voice was level. "Yes. But there was no mention of Ahaan Mishra in the article, I swear."

Without warning, I slammed my hand against the steering wheel, "Do you take him for a fool?"

She flinched.

Good.

"People just tried to kill you, Aadya," I bit out. "Your family was nearly slaughtered in your own home, and the best you can say is you forgot?"

She looked at me then, her eyes flicking to mine, her voice barely a whisper. "I know. I know what almost happened. I know I could have lost Maa and Aarav today because of my mistake. I know."

Her words hit me, but it didn't make it any easier. I was still furious, still frustrated.

She shifted in her seat, her body tensing as if she was preparing to say something. My grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"Stop the car." she said, her voice steady but filled with something I couldn't quite place.

I glanced at her, my jaw clenching. "What?"

She turned to look at me, her gaze unwavering. "Let me get out. I'll go far away. I don't care what happens to me anymore, but you need to keep Maa and Aarav safe. Just make sure they're alright."

I felt my heart rate spike. I slammed my foot down on the accelerator, the car lurching forward.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snarled, my eyes flicking to her.

Her eyes were dead serious, like she was giving up. "I don't want to be the reason they get hurt. If I disappear, they'll be safe. You don't have to worry about me."

"You're not going anywhere." I spat, my grip on the wheel so tight my knuckles were white. "You think running away will solve anything? You think you can just disappear and it'll all be okay?"

She didn't answer, but I could feel her staring at me, waiting for me to stop.

I shot a quick glance at her, my voice rising. "Aap jitna kaam bigad sakti thi, aap bigad chuki hain Miss Sharma, ab aapko kurbaani dene ka naya shauk chhad gaya hai? You think you can just get out of this like it's nothing? Like your family will be fine without you?"

(As much as you could have messed things up, you already have, Miss Sharma. Now are you learning to develop a new habit of playing the martyr?)

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't speak. Good. Because I wasn't done yet.

"I have told you this before and I am going to say it again," I growled. "You do not get to decide who lives and who dies. Aapne khud ko samajh kya rakha hai? You think running away will fix this mess? It will make it worse."

(What do you think of yourself?)

I could feel her resistance, but I was not backing down.

I turned the car, heading towards one of our safe-houses.

"You can hate me all you want, Aadya. But you are staying with me, and I will make sure your family stays safe. Not because I care about you, but because it is my job to fix this. I owe this to your father."

She didn't say anything, and for the first time, I could almost feel the weight of her guilt in the air between us.

I swerved the car into the safe-house driveway, the gates closing behind us.

"Get out." I barked, cutting the engine.

She looked at me, confusion flickering across her face. "What?"

I was not going to let her make any more decisions.

"You want to get away from all of this? You want to protect your family? Fine. But not on your own terms anymore."

Her lips parted, like she was going to argue. I didn't let her.

"You are staying here. This is the only place where you are going to be protected. You can fight me all you want, but you're not leaving. Samajhin aap?"

She didn't reply, just looked at me, her expression unreadable.

"Get inside. You're not going anywhere without me, Aadya." I added, stepping out of the car and slamming the door shut behind me.

I could feel her eyes on me as I led her inside.

This estate was shaped in a manner that it looked like it was a working factory, which it was.

It was one of the Ranawat Holdings' glassware factory.

The hum of machinery filled the air, an intentional noise, designed to drown out everything else, to make sure no one could hear anything they weren't supposed to. The safe-house was buried deep within the factory, hidden in plain sight.

I glanced over at her, noticing the tension in her shoulders as she followed me. "Stay close. This is the last place you want to get lost in."

She didn't answer, but I knew she was listening. At least, she wasn't fighting me yet.

Reaching the elevator, I pressed the button, the metal doors sliding open.

Without a word, I stepped inside and gestured for her to follow. She hesitated for a moment, before stepping in, her eyes fixed ahead.

It was small, just enough room for two people to stand shoulder to shoulder.

She hadn't said a word, her eyes fixed ahead, her body so rigid I could almost hear her heart pounding.

Once the elevator halted, I moved down the narrow hallway making sure that she was following me.

When I reached the door at the end of the hall, I paused, turning to look at Aadya. She had stopped just a few steps behind me, her shoulders drawn up like she was ready to bolt at any moment.

I did not give her that choice.

I stepped inside the room and motioned for her to follow, my voice firm. "Get in."

She hesitated, her gaze flicking around as if trying to find an escape route and then glared at me for not finding any.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," I warned, crossing my arms over my chest. "You are not going anywhere. Not until I say so."

She looked like she was thinking about pushing me and run but then she shut those thoughts, taking a slow step forward into the room.

I closed the door behind her with a soft click, locking it with a deliberate motion. It wasn't just for security. It was to make a point.

"You are staying here. No phone calls, no messages, no more mistakes." I met her gaze, the edge in my voice sharper than I intended. "You will stay here until I figure out how to clean up this mess you've made."

She didn't respond right away, but I could see the fire in her eyes, the same fire that had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

I watched her closely, waiting for her to say something, anything. She clenched her fists at her sides, her jaw tight, but she didn't speak.

I stepped out of the room, leaving Aadya there, my mind churning with frustration.

I walked down the hallway and made my way toward the surveillance room, my footsteps heavy on the cold concrete floor.

I needed to know what this damn woman would do when she thought no one was watching.

I sat at the surveillance desk, my fingers hovering over the controls. The cameras in the safe-house were discreet, designed to be hidden from sight. But I knew exactly where to look.

I hit a few buttons, and her figure appeared on one of the screens. She was pacing back and forth in the room, her frustration evident even from a distance.

She glanced at the desk where I'd left the phone, her phone. I made sure she didn't notice it, but her eyes flickered toward it, and I watched, holding my breath.

Then, without thinking twice, she grabbed the phone and pressed it to her ear, her face lit with a mix of anger and determination.

"Jab itna raita uss Ahaan Mishra ne phaila hi diya hai aur ab Maa aur Aarav bhi safe hain, toh iss insaan ki maine band na bajaa di toh mera naam bhi Aadya Sharma nahi hai." Her words were like a lit match thrown into a gas-filled room.

(When Ahaan Mishra has already spread so much chaos and now that Mom and Aarav are safe, if I don't make sure this man's life is a living hell, then my name isn't Aadya Sharma.)

Pure rage.

I rubbed my temples, hearing the intensity in her voice. This woman was a disaster waiting to happen.

The person on the other end picked up, and I could hear her sharp, clipped words on the other side.

"I need everything you can find on Ahaan Mishra, every damn thing. I'll contact you again tomorrow morning. Make sure you're ready."

I swore under my breath, shaking my head as I turned off the feed. "Yeh ladki mujhe paagal kar ke hi chhodegi."

(This girl is going to drive me crazy and even then, she won't stop.)

She thought she could just go around making calls, getting herself deeper into trouble, and I wasn't going to let it slide.

She had just failed her test, and I'd had enough of her antics.

I stormed out of the surveillance room and made my way back to her room.

I kicked open the door, making her jump. She hadn't expected me to come barging back in, but I didn't care.

"You failed the test," I barked, my voice harsh, "and now you are not staying here. I am not going to leave you alone in this godforsaken place to continue causing problems."

She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but I wasn't having it.

Without another word, I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room. She stumbled, trying to pull away, but I wasn't letting go. I marched her down the hall, her feet dragging behind me.

"Let go of me!" she snapped, pulling her arm out of my grip. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

I didn't even break stride, just glancing over at her with a smirk. "Yes, you are. And you are going to stay with me now. No more running off and making calls behind my back."

She tried to push me away, but I caught her wrist, tightening my hold. "I'm not some fucking babysitter," I growled, "but if that's what it takes to make you realise you can't do whatever you want, then so be it."

We reached the car, and I shoved her into the passenger seat before slamming the door shut. I stormed around to the driver's side, getting in without a word.

She crossed her arms, glaring at me with that defiant look I had come to recognise almost too well.

She muttered something under her breath, but I didn't care. She was staying with me now, and I would make sure she stayed in line. Even if it meant driving myself mad in the process.

Hey guys! This is the next chapter. I hope you all like it. To unlock the next one, at least 120 comments are required on this one.

I love you all. Until next time. Byee!!