Omkara felt utterly perplexed as he watched the three women engrossed in a deep and animated conversation. Their voices overlapped, and the occasional bursts of laughter or intense whispering only added to his confusion. The concept of happiness they were discussing seemed elusive, slipping through his grasp like grains of sand.

"Guys!! I'm here," Omkara intervened, his voice rising slightly in frustration. "And where is Rajeev?"

Sayani, her expression shifting to one of concern, replied with a sigh, "In the hospital."

Omkara, feeling a sudden surge of urgency, excused himself from the conversation and headed towards the door. Anika, noticing his departure, swiftly called out to the guards. "Accompany Mr. Oberoi," she ordered.

The guards, seemingly lost in their thoughts, stared at her blankly. "Stop staring at me! Go," Anika commanded, her patience wearing thin.

One of the guards, finally snapping to attention, stammered, "Ma'am!! Mr. Oberoi..."

"Omkara Oberoi... The one who just went outside," Anika clarified, her tone sharp.

"Got you, ma'am..." The guards hurried after Omkara.

Sayani, watching the scene unfold, shook her head. "What's happening to your guards, Anika?"

"I think they are missing Shivaay," Anika replied with a wry smile.

Omkara, now flanked by fifteen guards, arrived at the hospital. The staff, mistaking him for a high-ranking official due to the formidable entourage, began saluting him. He ignored the formalities, his mind solely focused on Rajeev. Spotting a nurse who seemed new, he approached her.

"Do you know Mr. Rajeev Siddhartha's ward number?" Omkara asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

"Sorry, sir... I don't know," the nurse responded, her voice apologetic.

"What kind of hospital is this?" Omkara scolded, his frustration boiling over.

Inside the ward, Rajeev lay motionless, looking more like a shadow of himself than the vibrant person Omkara knew. Overwhelmed with emotion, Omkara sat beside him, his tears silently falling. He gently took Rajeev’s hand, his guilt weighing heavily on his heart. Suddenly, he felt a slight movement in Rajeev's hand. Startled, he called out for the doctor.

After a brief examination, the doctor emerged, a reassuring smile on his face. "Mr. Rajeev Siddhartha is stable. He’s fit to go back home," he announced.

Omkara felt a wave of relief wash over him. "We will keep him for a few days for observation," the doctor added.

"Okay! Can I go in?" Omkara asked, seeking permission.

"Yes, of course," the doctor replied.

Entering the room, Omkara found Rajeev awake, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Hey buddy," Omkara greeted, his voice thick with emotion.

"Hey," Rajeev replied weakly.

"How are you?" Omkara asked, his eyes searching Rajeev’s face for any sign of pain.

"I think I should ask you that question," Rajeev coughed lightly, his attempt at humor bringing a small smile to Omkara's face.

"Be careful," Omkara said gently, patting Rajeev's back to make him comfortable.

"I'm okay. By the way, how is Sayani?" Rajeev asked, his eyes brightening at the mention of her name.

"OooooHh! You want to know about Sayani," Omkara teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh! Actually..." Rajeev started, but Omkara interrupted with a grin, "Everyone is fine, including Sayani."

Rajeev sighed in relief and asked Omkara to pass the water. Omkara, wanting to comfort him further, ordered his favorite pastry and instructed one of the bodyguards to fetch it discreetly. Omkara's curiosity about the incident gnawed at him, but he hesitated to press Rajeev for details.

Sensing Omkara's unspoken question, Rajeev patted his shoulder. "Ask!"

"Bro, how did this happen?" Om

Omkara felt a shiver of anticipation as Rajeev began to speak. "Actually... last night when we..." Rajeev took a deep breath, his face tightening with the effort. "Om, listen to me carefully. I'm going to tell you about that incident and that Jeni..."

Just as Rajeev was about to reveal more, the doctor appeared and gestured for Omkara to step outside. Reluctantly, Omkara left Rajeev’s side.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he assured Rajeev before turning to the doctor.

“Sir, there are some formalities yet to be completed, and you have a phone call to attend at the receptionist,” the doctor explained.

After completing the necessary paperwork, Omkara hurried home, his mind swirling with a mix of concern and urgency. Anika had asked him to return quickly, and his anxiety only grew as he thought about Rajeev’s unfinished story.

Upon entering the mansion, Sayani rushed to him, her eyes wide with curiosity and worry. “What happened? Is Rajeev okay?”

Before Omkara could answer, Gauri intervened, “Let him catch his breath.” She handed him a glass of water. “Drink it in one gulp,” she urged.

“Oh, hello! What is this behavior?” Omkara remarked, slightly amused despite his stress.

“Tell me what happened,” Sayani insisted.

“Nothing happened!” Gauri snapped back.

“Shut up, Sayani.”

“You shut up!”

“STOP IT, guys!” Anika’s voice cut through the bickering like a knife.

Omkara, feeling overwhelmed, looked at Anika with a pleading expression. “Anika, look Nah!”

“Come here,” Anika said, her tone softening.

As Omkara moved towards her, Anika began to gently caress his hair, a gesture that brought tears to his eyes as memories of Shivaay flooded back. He hugged Anika tightly, and soon Sayani and Gauri joined, forming a circle of comfort and shared emotion. The display of affection moved the servants and guards around them to tears as well.

The moment was interrupted when a servant timidly asked about dinner preparations. Anika, wiping her tears, instructed, “Prepare something light and digestible.”

After regaining composure, Anika announced, “Guys! I found something that might help us in the future.”

“What did you find, Anika?” Sayani asked, her curiosity piqued.

“A letter of apology.”

“When and where?” Gauri inquired.

“I found it in the ruin,” Anika responded.

“What?!”

“Show us!” they chorused.

“Wait! Let me bring it.”

Anika returned with the letter, its corners torn and stained, the words smudged and partially burnt. Omkara attempted to read it but struggled with the damaged text. They passed it to Sayani, hoping her skills as a journalist would help. Even she couldn’t decipher it.

Anika teased, “Are you a journalist, Sayani?”

Finally, Gauri managed to make out the address and date. “It’s written, 16 November 2017, and 20 lanes, Oberoi Residents.”

“We need to read this as soon as possible,” Omkara urged.

“Only he can read that,” they realized in unison.

“Rajeev!” they exclaimed together.

Wasting no time, they rushed back to the hospital and sprinted to Rajeev’s ward. To their horror, the bed was empty. Omkara turned to the guards, “Did Rajeev go outside or for some medical therapy?”

Rajeev’s doctor, noticing their distress, approached Anika. “What’s happened, Mrs. Oberoi?”

“Have you shifted Rajeev to another ward?”

“No, a specialist from the USA from your call arrived this morning. He’s supposed to attend to Mr. Siddhartha’s case, he mentioned and I argued"

To their dismay, Rajeev had vanished. Anika’s face flushed with anger and fear. She ordered the guards to search the entire hospital and instructed the doctor to close all exits. Desperation creeping into her voice, she contacted the police.

“Ma’am, we can file a missing person report after 24 hours,” they replied.

Determined not to lose hope, Omkara reached out to his contacts, trying to expedite the search. Sayani also did her best to mobilize resources. Meanwhile, Gauri stayed behind in the ward, her eyes scanning for any clue.

Suddenly, Gauri screamed, “Anika! Omkara!”

Rushing back into the ward, they found Gauri pointing behind the bed, her face pale. “There’s a bloodstain here,” she said, her voice trembling.

The sight of the bloodstain sent a chill down Omkara’s spine, filling the room with a palpable sense of dread. The mystery deepened, and their fear for Rajeev’s safety grew. The hunt for answers had taken a dire turn, and they knew they had to uncover the truth before it was too late.

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