Anirudh knows that he needs to be patient and wait for the right time but at that moment all he wants to do is kill Akash Malhotra with his bare hands. Shoot a bullet right through his evil brain and watch it burst into a thousand pieces. Ooh man, isn't that going to be the most satisfying scene ever?

Geetha exhaled looking at Anirudh's bloodshot eyes and clenched knuckles. She understood what he was feeling right now. She has been feeling the same for the past 18 years.

But they can't rush.

"Simran has the kindest soul... How could he do this to her?" Said Anirudh. He just came to know about Simran's ex-lover's death through Geetha Malhotra.

Geetha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that Anirudh loved Simran as his sister and Geetha would forever be grateful for that.

But right now she has more important things to share with him.

"Did you ever think why Varun would decide to take revenge on your father all of a sudden for something that happened almost two decades ago?" Geetha asked.

"I am not sure..." replied Anirudh with uncertainty. "I heard that his wife died. Meghna told me incidents like that could trigger past traumas."

"In Varun's eyes, his wife Neha was killed because of your father Rajeev Thakur..."

"What?" Anirudh was shocked to the core. "I don't understand anything..."

"The boy Simran loved died when he was abroad for a cultural fest... In London... In the same accident where Varun lost his wife..."

"Does that mean Akash created an accident scenario so that he wouldn't get caught and Neha was killed in it?"

"Yes..." Nodded Geetha.
"Varun wasn't in the investigation team for 3 months and within that time Akash somehow came to know about Varun's identity and Neha's relationship with him. So as always, he tossed some money and put the fault on your father's shoulder. He knew that it would be enough to distract Varun from the truth and target your family..."

"And Papa might have somehow prevented the investigation because Agasthya was with him. He wouldn't risk Agasthya's truth anyway..."

"Yes. That was strong enough to fuel Varun's suspicions and rage... We all know what happened after that..."

"He killed my father..." said Anirudh, his vision blurred with tears. "And now he wants to kill all of us... Starting with my August..."

Geetha patted on Anirudh's shoulder. She knew that Agasthya's brothers were giving their two hundred percent and trying to find him but the results were quite disappointing. They almost searched every corner of the country either by being there or with the help of others and they found nothing. Simran even asked Geetha's help with that but their private investigation team also failed.

Varun was a brilliant criminal. He got his father's genes. He was smart enough to fool both Indian and French police departments, trick Anirudh and Aaryan, and kidnap Agasthya. But he failed to recognize his blood.

Varun might be a thousand times more clever than Anirudh but he could never be the pure human being that the latter always been. That's why deep in her heart Geetha still believes that the final smile would be Anirudh's. He is the one who deserves Agasthya. He is the only one who could treat Agasthya the way he deserves.

"You will find him Anirudh..." Geetha whispered holding his hand. "Nothing will happen to Agasthya. God will show us a way..."

Anirudh didn't reply. He also wished the same but...

It's been 8 days since Agasthya was gone. They only have 48 hours on their hands. If they fail to find Agasthya in time... Anirudh couldn't even imagine the rest.

"I... I don't know what to do..." Anirudh broke down finally. All the sorrows and tears that he held in forever flew down like a river. He wept in front of Geetha like a child and that broke her heart.

"Sometimes I feel that I am the reason behind Agasthya's sufferings. I hid the truth so that I won't lose him... Maybe I should let Varun know that Agasthya is his brother, not mine..."

"What if Varun decided not to believe you? Or worse what if he decided to take Agasthya with him then? Forever?"

"Then I would have to live with that I guess..." murmured Anirudh as if he was losing his voice. "Anything is better than a dead brother..."

Geetha shook her head in despair.
"Are you even considering Agasthya's feelings right now, Anirudh... Do you think he would be happy to live with the one who tormented him and killed his papa? Do you think he would be able to leave you and Aaryan, the two people he loves the most, behind and forget about it all... Does blood relations matter now?"

"I don't have a choice..."
Anirudh felt defeated. He couldn't detach rights and wrongs here.

"Don't let the fear control you, Anirudh..." explained Geetha. "The people of Mumbai still remember who Prathap Deshmukh was... Many were afraid of him but a few of them still want revenge... And do you think Akash would be happy to know that the newborn he believes he killed 18 years ago is still alive? He doesn't care about Agasthya now but after the truth, Agasthya's death is going to be Akash's prime priority... And if he finds out where Agasthya is before us, then we would be left with no choice..."

Anirudh felt she was right. They were already playing with his little brother's life and he can't push him into further danger. There is a huge chance that Varun might not believe the truth and Anirudh had nothing besides his mother's old journal as solid proof.

"Anirudh... Agasthya believes in you... He would give up the world for you... You can't just throw away the boy like that..."

Anirudh sighed. He can't give up now. The path he is choosing might be filled with danger but he had lost enough. He doesn't care about a single thing in this world right now. He is going to save Agasthya, deal with Varun either like a human or like a monster, and finally kill Akash Malhotra and end this madness. That could finish this story...

"I think I should leave now..." told Anirudh while Geetha nodded.

"Let Simran know what her father did, Anirudh... She deserves the truth..."

"I will."

"And please be there for her... I know you will but... That's my last wish... I need you to promise me..."

"What do you mean by your last wish?" asked Anirudh sitting back on the chair. He sensed the upcoming answer and he didn't like it even a bit.

Geetha smiled. "Akash's men are here... He knows that I came to visit you..."

Anirudh glared at the crowd and he could inhale the tension in the air.

"Don't worry they won't harm you... They are here for me..." said Geetha.

"Come with me..." pleaded Anirudh with a jerk. He respected her. She was the one who saved Agasthya... She deserves better. Simran needs her mother.
"I am not going to abandon you... You can't die like that..."

Geetha chuckled softly. "He won't kill me, Anirudh... Not until I sign the property papers and give him my share too... He won't kill me but he won't let me live..."

Anirudh knows he can't change her decision. That woman lived life and now she decided that her fight is over.

"I know I can't alter your decision but you should know that if you let me walk away from here then I would have to live the rest of my life in regret and guilt for not being able to save the woman whom I owe a lot..."

Geetha waved her hands and held her head high.

"You can't save everyone, Anirudh... And I don't want to be rescued."

Anirudh walked away, lacking the courage to turn back. And somehow he knew a piece of his humanity died at that moment.

***********

Anirudh reached home only to meet with Simran's teary eyes and Aaryan's pale face. With one glance at that poor girl's face, Anirudh was afraid that he would lose it all. So he walked into his room silently leaving them alone for some time but Meghna followed him.

"Ani... Simran's mother is in a coma..."

Anirudh sighed and the realization hit Meghna like thunder.
'He knows... All this time, all this way he has known...'

"How?" he asked, still glaring at the floor.

"Fell from the balcony, they said..."

"Hmm..."

Meghna stared at Anirudh as if it was her first time meeting him. His wild emerald eyes which she never failed to read had a darker shade now and it felt unfamiliar to her.

She cupped his face and ran her fingers through his hair, caressing a few grey hairs that he acquired from the past week. Agasthya's absence was crushing them all but no one had to fight it the way Anirudh did. He was losing himself and she couldn't watch that silently.

Meghna was about to ask Anirudh something but he cut her in the middle.

"I can't save everyone, Meghna... Neither do I intend to..."

Meghna felt her heart drop. She knows Anirudh too much and that scares her sometimes. Meghna herself can't even bear the thought of something bad happening to Agasthya and she doesn't want to see Aaryan or Anirudh there too.

She prayed to all the Gods she had ever known for Agasthya's wellbeing. He is her first child. She needs him to be home.

Anirudh's phone rang and Meghna grabbed it from the table.

"Oh my God..." she cried out.
"It's the same number..."

She might have been a bit louder... They could hear Aaryan and Simran's footsteps from the hall and soon they reached the door.

Without wasting a moment, Simran grabbed the headphones and sat in front of Anirudh's computer. They need to find the location of the caller. Aaryan's heart shattered at that sight.

"Simran you don't have to... I can do that..."

She didn't take her eyes off the screen but gave a squeeze on Aaryan's hand.
"I need to do this..."

"You ready Simran?" Anirudh asked tears in his eyes. She responded with a thumbs up. She needs at least 10 seconds to track the caller's location.

This was their only chance. They can't afford to lose it.

"Hello?"

Anirudh answered the phone as his heartbeats get faster and faster. This was the second time he was getting a call from that number. It was Varun's number.

He expected that deep devilish laugh, but there was nothing but silence.

"Hello?"
He answered again.

A tiny sweet voice replied this time.

"Is this Agasthya's brother?"

"Yes... It's me... Anirudh..."

Silence again.

Simran was counting down the time. They still have 7 more seconds to go.
"Speak out..." she whisper yelled at Anirudh.

"Who is this?" he asked to keep the phone call alive.

'6 more to go...'

"I can't tell you that... But I can help you..." the voice on the phone replied.

'4 more to go...'

"Then help us, please..."
Replied Anirudh glaring at the computer screen. They need 3 more seconds.

"I can tell you where we are right now... I mean where Agasthya is now..." the voice said.

Neither an experienced nor a smart anonymous caller - thought Anirudh.

'2 more to go...'

"Then please tell me..."

'1 more to go...'

"I will..." the voice said. "But I have a condition..."

"We did it..." Aaryan shouted pointing towards the green circles beaming on Anirudh's computer screen. The concentric circles eventually reduced their radius and transformed into a point.

Anirudh immediately cut the call and ran towards them.

Simran clicked on the point and they watched the latitudes and longitudes convert into the name of a place.

Meghna looked at Anirudh in confusion. She never heard about that place. Was it really in India?

Anirudh glared at the name one more time to make sure.

"It's in Sri Lanka."

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

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Love - Vai