⚠️ C/T Warning ⚠️
Implied/Referenced Drug Use,
Mentions of Past Deaths,
Violence, Blood, Guns, Strong Language,
Mentions of drug rackets.
Implied/Referenced Death,
Disturbing Graphic Themes.

- I'll keep it as brief as possible, but some details have to be added.

Author's POV

Uncertainty. It's something Avni's currently feeling; dim lights, sheer silence and the lack of any sort of familiarity with the surroundings is what makes her sort of breathless. A certain fog is clouding her mind, urging her to surface over the seeming mist and surge over the sky to look down upon the city as she sways in the bubbles born through water vapours. Maybe, it's kind of being high, she thinks.

She can't make sense of things. Last, she remembers, Lovely had been with her. Maybe, it's selfish but he isn't someone who she currently wishes to see desperately. Instead, she craves a familiar presence with a certain pair of arms wrapping around her waist to comfort her, soothe her.

There's something unnerving about the room she is in, the soft bed sheets do nothing to ease her mind. She wants to move her frame, get out of the bed, but her legs are like solid metal that doesn't budge away from force. She hasn't much left. Exhaustion is creeping up and it's not long before darkness surrounds her.

"Avni..." God, it's his voice.

Avni breathes out, squinting her eyes open to look at him. He is smiling as he offers her his hand. Avni tries, she really does, but all she lets out is a faint groan of exhaustion, immobile in her place. Neil's staring at her with expectation, "Come on, we don't have time." Avni shakes her head, fighting the urge to cry because she can't feel her body, it's numb. "Neil..." It's a whisper.

"Avni Raichand, wake up!" A splash of water is thrown at her face, and she instantly jumps in place. She shivers through the cold, sees through dazed eyes and finds a man staring at her. The voice...it is familiar.

Before she could make any assumption and voice out, the man grabs her forearm. The grip is so harsh, she lets out a pained whimper. The man drags her off the bed and onto the floor. She stands on wobbly legs before she falls down. No, it can't be. It couldn't be. "What did you do to me?" She peers up at him with a glare.

"I haven't even done anything." He smiles and crouches down, and it's then Avni recognises the face.

"You..." Her eyes widen. "What's this? Why am I here? Why are you doing this to me?" She tries to yell but her throat is dry, it comes out hoarse, choked up.

"All of this is for a greater purpose, Avni Raichand." He takes out a remote-like device from his pocket. He flashes it in front of her eyes. "Boom!" He laughs and then stands up, only to disappear.

"Come back! Goddamn it." Avni shouts, it doesn't hold much power. "What did you inject me with?"

It's several minutes later, she isn't sure of the time, when two men drag her out into the large living room. It looks like a hotel room, posh in its habitat.

"We have a few things planned for you." The man chuckles. "But first, let me introduce myself properly." He grins then, it's crooked much like his personality. "Hi! I'm Vidyut R, CEO of VR Industries."

Avni grunts through the ropes they have tightly secured around her arms. "What do you want from me? I don't even know you."

"Oh, I bet." He smirks. "We met at the Hall of Fame? Remember. I even gave you my card." He pouts. "Don't tell me you forgot me just like that."

"That doesn't matter to me." She seethes, eyes blazing. "Untie me. Let me go."

"We didn't bring you here to let you go. As I said, you're here for a greater purpose." He gestures to one of the men and they hand him a file.

"Jay Vyas, a commoner, gets dragged into the underworld and leads a path of death for his own child!"

Avni stiffens as he reads out loud. It's like someone has put a noose around her neck, it's suffocating her.

"Abhay, a small boy loses his life at the hands of his own father."

"Another innocent passes aw-"

"STOP!" Avni begs. "Please..stop.." Her eyes are rimmed red as she peers up and locks eyes with Vidyut. "What do you want? Why are you doing this?" She shakes her head. "I had no clue about it. I didn't know what my fath.. I mean, Jay Vyas was up to."

"I know that, honey." Vidyut fakes a sad smile. "Do you know why you are here? Wait, let me rephrase that. Do you know who is the reason for your presence here?" He prompts, before walking towards coming close and leaning in. "Wanna guess?"

Avni doesn't answer. She just stares at him through the tears. He looks strange, his eyes are masked, they don't give away any emotion. She can't decipher what he's thinking. She can't rule out any possibility that could lead her back to the case. Even if there was, why now? Where were they all these years? A decade has passed since that incident.

"I said guess, bitch." He harshly grabs her chin and shoves her frame. Her head collides with the back wall with a thud. She winces in pain as the impact springs up through her.

"The..Drug Lord," she mumbles.

Vidyut chuckles bitterly. It happens fast, he slices her left arm with a pocket knife making her whimper in pain. "Try again."

"Jay Vyas.." she says and presses her eyes shut, waiting for impact. After a moment when she opens her eyes, Vidyut smiles as if he is proud.

"Perfect."

Chills run through Avni's body, her breath releasing in wavering sighs. And it's not because of the person crouched in front of her frame. It's the one that appears from behind, the one who commented just now.

Because it's scary how familiar that voice is.

When the light sheds through, lighting up his face, Avni lets out a squeak from shock. The eyes don't hold innocence like they did before, the smile doesn't hold warmth like it did before, and the walk is of confidence, where once was a little shyness.

And in fact, there isn't a pair of glasses perched up on the nose.

"How's my favourite person in the world?"

"Lovely..." Avni's eyes tear up as he comes to stand in front of her.

"Uh huh, Lovely is not real." He chuckles, "Remove that information from your brain."

Vidyut stands up and disappears down the hallway. She thinks that maybe a stranger would've been better company than this.

"You betrayed me."

"Me?" He raises a brow, amused. "Well, then for your information, this betrayal is not one-sided."

"How could you do this? I trusted you." Avni lets out. She doesn't know what to make out of it. Years of experience, years of conversations, years of one good thing down the drain. It's like Avni was living a lie. Like what was in front of her wasn't real. Like she was in an illusion.

"Yeah...thank you!" He smiles, and it's cunning, evil. "If not for your trust, we wouldn't have been here."

She doesn't get to say much, before her eyes are blindfolded and a piece of cloth is tied around her mouth. She is restrained to a pole by the balcony. For anyone, this place would serve a vacation. But all Avni feels is dread. Because there is silence. All around.

The lack of energy in her body makes her pass out again.

🎬🎬🎬

"It's suffocating," Akshay comments.

"Try to manage.." DD assures. "Besides, it's our only trail."

They slowly skip towards the lonesome narrow path, leading to the end of a cryptic location found in the case file notes. The smell is putrid, they try to breathe through the mouth and manage to the other side.

"Avni Raichand, I didn't think that the actress was involved in such a twisted case." Akshay says after a while.

"Likewise. But I think we shouldn't make any assumptions. It's her personal life." DD grunts as a spider comes into his vision. He leans to the side and moves forward.

"Fair enough. But that's the thing, it isn't private. She has an alarming situation ahead of her and we don't even know where she is."

"We will find her. ACP Sir is working on it, too." DD laughs, and maybe it doesn't hold much humour. It's just a facade of calm and hope.

"Actually, I wonder-fuck!" Akshay shrieks, almost falling as he jumps three steps behind. He looks down and sighs in relief, placing a palm on his chest to calm his heart. "I thought it was a crocodile."

"Croco-what?" DD scoffs. "They don't reside in these places." He gives him a look. "Move, let me take over."

Akshay pouts before following behind him. "Where was I?" He ponders for a moment. "Right. I wonder if ACP Sir feels something for the actress?" He poses the question, casually. "Like, sure, her fans are everywhere but there is this feeling of um...desperation. His eyes give away, I mean. Back outside, he looked apprehensive. I haven't seen him like that."

"You joined last month." DD mocks.

Akshay rolls his eyes, "whatever. You do everything but-"

"...the task at hand." The voice resonates through the earpiece.

"Sir!" Akshay mumbles. "Since when were you listening?"

"Since you found a crocodile. But I think that isn't what we're after."

"Sorry, Sir!" Akshay gulps.

"We searched the area; it's been wiped off of everything." Neil tells them. "What is the situation there?"

"It's a steep end, we believe. We are going down through the passage." DD states. "I see an opening."

They quickly but carefully rush down and jump off to land on the soft grass beneath them. It's green everywhere. The soft lush scenery and the far sloppy mountains give a feeling of serenity. Birds are chirping around them and it's such an unusual sight.

"What in the Alice in Wonderland..." Akshay says, dazed from the beauty.

"Sir, it looks unreal." DD says. He honestly can't tell off Akshay because he, too, can't believe what he is seeing. "I'm not sure I ever heard of this place."

"That's why." Neil takes a deep breath. "Do you see anything? Anyone?"

Akshay puts the binoculars to good use and scans through, up and down, to and fro. He shakes his head in disappointment. He just tried again for namesake and-

"Down!" He whispers.

DD quickly hides behind one of the trees. He looks at Akshay and juts his chin for information. Akshay gestures, and it's a code word for 'guard'.

Two people come to inspect but they don't stay longer than a minute and leave. When they are out of view and away, Akshay speaks into the earpiece. "I saw a guard with a shotgun."

Neil pauses a breath. "Are both of you, okay?"

"Yes, Sir!" They both say.

"Okay! I'm bringing the team. We'll be there in fifteen minutes." Neil says. "Map out the area. Stay alert!"

After the whole thing goes down, one of the teams has set up a base for investigation, gathering information from the leading officer on that case, and it's easy because Neil holds quite a reputation. Another team is formed who'll be inside and carrying out the task at hand.

"You're the most trusted and capable officer, Neil. You won't let us down, I know it." The commissioner says, a tight-lipped smile on his face.

"Yes, Sir!" He salutes.

Discreetly, they move and reach the area. Two people join DD and Akshay to observe the right lane. Other people have already been informed of teams and they are ready to lead the designated path. Neil has two people behind him.

"Our target is to find her, safe and sound." Neil says in an authoritative tone. "Disarm the guards, take down any obstacle in our path. Be careful of any cameras, they might alert our enemy. Keep the members updated. Lastly, don't get hurt."

"Okay?" They nod at his command. "Disperse!"

🎬🎬🎬

Avni is scared. For the first time in her life, there was fear in her eyes after she took hold and accepted life as it was. After Abhay, Avni had to be brave. She had to be strong.

After being strong all her life, the resolve is crumbling little by little as the slashes of deep cuts thrive in her skin the more, she restrains their questions. It's been some time since she breathed a moment of betrayal, from a friend, from a loved one.

Avni had never treated Lovely as some stranger, she had been carefully calm and down to earth. She had never thought that someone she trusted so much would come back haunting her.

Apart from her, there is someone else who is tied to the ropes on a chair. It's a man, the shoes give it away. But there is sheer silence. She doesn't know who it is. But she doesn't want to think of the possibility of it being Neil. No, she can't have that.

"Guess who came to save you!" Lovely barges in, a smirk playing on his face. He comes to sit in the cushioned chair in front of her.

She peers up, her mouth drying up minute by minute, her throat tightening from it.

"Your saviour. Neil Khanna." He tilts his face. "It's commendable, really. You got yourself a loyal one." Then he laughs, "I wonder what he would do if he knew. Would he still care?"

"Anyway, since he is here already, I don't want him to go back. He will find us soon enough. He is smart, I will give him that." He cranes his neck to look at the man. "But he shouldn't have come here. Because he won't go unscathed."

They drag the chair towards the pole, a few metres away from Avni. She gasps beneath the cloth when Lovely yanks his hair and she catches a glimpse of the person. "Oops! I bet you didn't think I would bring him here."

He trails a knife near his neck, "This is my revenge." He glances at her and smiles. "Meet Jay Vyas, your father. It's been a long time, huh."

Jay doesn't dare look at her, but tears are streaming through his eyes, his lips wobble as he looks down in resignation.

"I will tear your daughter, piece by piece." He leans in, "This is my revenge."

Avni's muffled scream reaches his ears. She struggles through, begging. When it becomes a little unbearable, Lovely comes closer and stacks the cloth out and on the ground. "What!"

"Don't do this. He and I have no filial love left. Please...why. Why are you doing this, Lovely. We have such a great bond. Don't. Please..."

Avni sees a flicker of an emotion in his eyes, but it is replaced by a venomous rage soon enough.

"Love? Oh, Avni. You don't know?" He tsks. "Your father here, gave up his son for you."

Avni stills to look at Jay, and again, she doesn't get to see in his eyes. His gaze is down as if he is ashamed.

"He loved you so much that he didn't want you to get in the hands of the Drug Lord."

"He loved you so much that he sacrificed your beloved brother rather than you."

"He loved you so much that he killed all of my family. Because you wouldn't stop crying. Because you wouldn't bear the death of your Abhay. Because you became detached from life. Because you swore to never let him in again. Because you took out every ounce of love for him and replaced it with hatred. Because you loathed him for taking away your brother from you. Because of YOU! FUCKING DAMN. EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOU."

Avni screams in agony as he stabs her thigh, twisting it slowly. The blunt and sharp blade sears through her skin, oozing out blood. It's punching hot and she breaks out in cold sweat, eyes drooping down the more pain kicks through.

"I wanted to kill you every moment. When I saw you smile, when I saw you act, live your life like nothing happened, all I wanted to do was kill you." He breathes out. "I want to kill you. Because if my family doesn't get to live, you don't, too."

"And you know, who will kill you? Your beloved father."

At that, Jay looks up, and he has been crying still. He shakes his head in defiance. He mumbles something through the tape on his mouth.

"You don't get to apologize now." Lovely seethes.

"You see this? This knife. You killed my family with this. My Dad, my sister...you killed them."

Vidyut comes to stand beside him, and he pulls a gun out and points it at Jay's head. "The ACP is persistent. He is coming. Better chop her head off, brother." Brother.

Avni thinks for a moment. They are brothers. Family. She has to distract them. She has to delay and match the timing. If Neil is here, she needs to be strong.

She needs to fight.

And a fight almost lost is won by words.

"You are brothers?"

"Step brothers." Vidyut corrects. He pulls the safety off.

"Oh, did I skip our introduction?" Lovely chuckles, looking from Jay to Avni. "I'm sorry, I think you should definitely know what went down back then."

Avni tears her gaze away. It's painful, she can bear a few more cuts, she can keep herself awake until he's here.

But first, she needs to make use of her professional skills.

"We don't need to recite our family history here." Vidyut rolls his eyes.

"Shut up!" Lovely glares at him. "You don't tell me what I should do." Vidyut nods vehemently.

Oh?

"Do you remember the Drug Lord?" Avni shakes her head, the fear creeping up, the facade perfectly blending in. Lovely scoffs. "Ojas Roy, the lord of the biggest drug ring. He had connections everywhere. He saved your dad. He got into some fight with our enemy's men. Right?" He glances at him before running the knife through her other arm, the skin tearing up. "Anyway, in short, my dad had some business with them. When he killed their leader, he took your dad, agreeing to let him off if he does business with him."

Avni faintly remembers when Jay had said that he was on a business trip. He hadn't returned home until a month after. When he came back, she heard her parents argue a lot of times. Then, his absence became a casual thing. He would go MIA for days, sometimes weeks and come back. They had plenty of money then. They started to go on vacations more. But her parents also fought a lot more...it happened rarely before then.

"Your Dad fucking agreed. He signed a contract in which there was a clause that stated that he wouldn't betray the organisation ever. But your dad, in fact, chose to do exactly that. Our house and organisation were raided. Your Dad provided the police proof, gave them everything, our secret locations, information about our trades, our routes and everything that would get us in trouble.

"I was two years younger than you, Avni." Lovely says, and there is pain in his eyes, a moisture that reflects. "Those officers, the ones behind the law, who under the mask of protection torcher you are cruel. I'm telling you because Neil is a part of it, he is an officer too. My Mom was tortured by the investigation team until she bled to death."

"I'm sorry, I know how it feels." Avni says, and she's honest, because she wouldn't wish a loved one's death on anyone. "But... Jay Vyas paid for his deeds. My brother, my Abhay, resides in my heart. You won't get peace like this, Lovely. You won't... trust me. I spent a bad part of my life hating on him..." she risks a glance at Jay, and his eyes speak a hundred things, convey a thousand apologies, but Avni doesn't think any of it matters now. "But I truly found it when I accepted it. I let him go. My revenge is no revenge. Because it won't bring my brother to me. It won't. And his life couldn't be weighed by another. I don't believe that." A tear fell from her eye. "Of course, there is no comparison. Your family, I am really sorry 'cause you didn't deserve it. Just like me, you didn't deserve to see someone you loved die." She sobs, looking down. "You still have time, Lovely. There is no point in this. They're gone...but you can let them live in your heart. Killing me won't give you peace. Trust me."

"I wish. I wish it was like that." Lovely mutters through gritted teeth. "But I have prepared for ages. This bastard here was running away yesterday, far away ...because he knew I wouldn't kill you unless in front of him. But like I said, I prepared for this moment. I won't let it go."

"Vihaan Roy has to have revenge."

The chair screeches on the tiled floor, and Avni is crying because she can't help but feel the grief again. Abhay. Abhay. I miss you. I'm so sorry. She is losing consciousness, she can't feel the air, the oxygen is not reaching her lungs. Maybe the blood loss is finally getting to her. Maybe, this is it. Maybe, this is the end.

Vidyut and Vihaan stand side by side of the chair Jay is seated on. Just in front of Avni, inches away.

"Stab her! Or I will kill you before I kill your ex-wife, Avni and Ali right in front of you. I will tear them apart." Vihaan says, and the bite in his tone is frightening, the rage is alarming, the determination is scary.

Avni shakes her head. "Do it. Please..." She can't bear pain, she can't bear the loss of her mother and Ali, she won't be able to live then. She won't be able to function. She won't...

Jay's eyes blur but he denies, he doesn't take the knife and plunge it. Patience is wearing thin, both on Vihaan and Vidyut.

They forcefully let him grasp the knife and before she knows it, the impact of the jab hits her. She screams again, the hot scorching piercing makes her bleed. Tears run down her cheeks, she groans and grunts as it comes again. The sobs are loud and Jay is crying himself, trying to pull the knife to himself, but it's in vain.

The deeper the knife digs, the more her throat chokes on tears of agony. Stuttered gasps leave her mouth as she digests it even through the blinking moments of dizziness.

Then the blow comes to her lower stomach. It's the moment she has lost all her voice. There is no resistance because the shock invades in and the adrenaline is high, keeping her awake. But slowly, little by little, her eyelids flutter.

"I'm sorry, Avni..." Vihaan speaks. He is cruel. He is not Avni's manager, her assistant. He is a cruel, cunning person. He is not Lovely. She thinks she has to accept it. Betrayal is inevitable. "But I'm not sorry." He ends with a smirk.

"It's time you bear the consequence of being this man's daughter."

"It's time-"

"...you die."

A gunshot sounds in the air. Vihaan goes alert and dips down, the bullet hitting the glass windows.

An army of officers gather through and start firing. Vidyut fumbles and runs for his life. But then, a bullet hits his upper thigh and he stumbles down near the balcony. Vihaan skips through, towards the balcony, ditching another bullet that comes through.

Their men start surrounding the area, and it's a two-way fight now. One officer gets shot in the back. Another helps him to the side.

Between the chaos, Vihaan jumps down the balcony. Neil catches the sight, and shoots him in his arm. Two officers follow behind him.

"Avni!" Neil runs towards her, and starts untying the ropes. "Avni...wake up!" Her neck is down, eyes closed. He wraps her arm around her waist to support her and pulls her down on the floor. He tightens the wound with one of the blindfolds and a stashed cloth he finds on the floor.

"Avni ...come on." He says again through glistening eyes. There is so much blood on the floor, so many cuts and wounds on her body that it scares him. "Avni...baby, please..." He softly pats her cheek. "It's me, Neil..."

Her eyes open momentarily when Akshay sprinkles some water on her face.

"Avni...it's me, hey!" His eyes widened in relief. "Stay awake..." He checks the pulse and its faint. "Fuck...don't close your eyes, okay? Look at me." he says, carefully scooping her up in his arms.

When they reach down, Neil ignores the men on the ground, some injured, some close to death. He rushes with Avni in his arms. Avni tries to say something between low breaths and blinking eyes.

Gunshots and rifles are still sounding in the background but Neil lulls it out and focuses just on her. Akshay follows beside him, giving him cover.

"Sir, the ambulance is two minutes away!" He fills in, to which Neil nods.

"Baby...look at me..." Avni's eyes flutter close. "Avni...your mom is waiting for you at home. Ali is waiting for you at home. Don't faint on me. Please...you have to be strong for me, okay?"

Akshay's lips curl downwards, he feels the sadness. He hasn't seen Neil like that, ever. His cheeks are wet but he smiles at her, because he doesn't want to lose hope. He can feel it. A strong emotion. Love.

"I will die without you please...baby, breathe for me."

"Neil!" DD shouts from afar, and before Neil turns, he feels the shock of rush in his bones. He drops down on his knees. "Fuck!" He cusses, and feels the blood trailing down his body. He turns and sees Vihaan on the other side of the ground, standing while swaying a little with a gun in his hands.

The trigger is pulled again, but this time, it's Akshay who does. Vihaan falls down and groans in pain.

"Sir! I need your permission." Akshay breathes out. When Neil stares at Avni, he feels a fire in his veins. Without sparing a glance, he mutters in a low authoritative voice.

"Make sure when he's on the news, he doesn't have the assets to live it."

|××××××|

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🌟 Hope 2023 🌟
is kind to us all!