"Bhabhi… where are you going all of a sudden?"
Vijay's voice was calm.
Too calm.
But his eyes—
Burning.
Savita froze for a moment.
She hadn't expected this.
Not like this.
Then, forcing a fake smile, she quickly tried to cover it up—
"Oh—Vijay, you're here! I was just thinking… since everyone is at the hospital, someone should stay back and take care of the house, right? So Harsh and I thought we'd stay here."
Her words came out smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Vijay clenched his teeth.
His jaw tightened.
"Really? Because I just heard you saying we need to leave this place as soon as possible. What was that about?"
Savita's eyes widened for a split second—
Then she lied again.
"Ah… that… I just realized how serious Om's condition is. It didn't feel right staying back at home. So I was telling Harsh and his father that we should leave immediately… so we can go to Om."
She turned toward Manoj, her smile stiff, eyes signaling him—
"Right? Why aren't you saying anything?"
But Manoj…
Didn't smile.
Didn't nod.
He just stood there…
Tears in his eyes.
Looking at her—
With disgust.
As if he didn't even recognize the woman in front of him.
Before he could speak—
Vijay stepped forward.
His voice rose, sharp with anger—
"I really don't understand… how low can you fall, Bhabhi? Does it even suit a person to throw away their conscience like this?"
The moment he finished—
Savita snapped.
"Watch your tongue, Vijay! Don't forget—I'm your elder brother's wife! Learn to speak with respect!"
Vijay laughed.
A cold, bitter laugh.
"Respect? From you?"
His eyes locked onto hers.
"What respect should I give to a woman who has fallen so low… that the very nephew who risked his life to save her… she's now ready to leave him behind to die?"
Savita's face stiffened.
"You don't feel anything for him? No emotion? No guilt? He's fighting for his life right now!"
His voice grew louder.
"Two people… TWO PEOPLE… almost gave their lives to protect you and your family!"
A pause.
"And you… you're trying to run away. Quietly. From behind everyone's back."
Each word hit like a slap.
Savita stood there—
Speechless.
Exposed.
—
Meanwhile—
Two ambulances sped through the city roads, sirens screaming into the night.
Inside one—
Om lay unconscious.
His family surrounded him.
Fear written on every face.
A doctor had temporarily controlled the bleeding and put him on oxygen.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
Too rapidly.
Beside him—
Sharda held his hand tightly.
Isha stood next to her, barely holding herself together.
Anshika sat close, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to comfort Riya and Soumya.
But her eyes—
Kept returning to Om.
Again and again.
—
In the second ambulance—
The Mayor and his son sat with Maya.
Her condition was critical…
But stable for now.
Machines beeped softly.
Time felt slower.
Heavier.
—
And far away from all of this—
In the dark underbelly of Delhi—
A different world existed.
A world where law didn't matter.
Where money ruled.
Where blood was entertainment.
Vipul had arrived.
Disguised in strange clothes…
Long beard…
Messy hair…
A cloak covering his body.
But beneath it—
His frame looked like steel.
Unbreakable.
He walked through an underground fight center.
And what he saw—
Was chaos.
Wrestlers… fighters… killers…
All gathered to fight.
To survive.
Or to die.
Crowds surrounded the ring.
Rich men sat in luxurious sections, sipping drinks, placing bets with lazy smiles.
While the poor—
Stood outside the ring, shouting, screaming, gambling everything they had.
This place—
Was infamous.
People came from all over the country.
Some to fight.
Some to bet.
Some… to disappear.
Illegal fights.
Illegal money.
Illegal lives.
The bigger the bet—
The bigger the reward.
And the greater the risk.
Because here—
People didn't just lose.
They died.
Many well-known faces had vanished from this place.
Never seen again.
It was said—
This underground den was ruled by monsters.
Real ones.
And every illegal operation…
Somehow traced back to here.
Weapons.
Drugs.
Human trafficking.
Information.
Everything.
And somewhere in this madness—
Lived a strange man.
A madman.
Always drunk.
Always muttering nonsense.
Lying in a corner.
And that man—
Was the reason Vipul was here.
—
As Vipul moved deeper—
He realized something.
This place wasn't just bad.
It was worse than anyone could imagine.
Drugs being sold openly.
Illegal pills.
Liquor flowing like water.
Deals happening in shadows.
Half-naked girls entertaining rich clients.
Faces covered.
Identities hidden.
No one trusted anyone.
And yet—
Everyone belonged here.
Vipul stopped in front of a massive man.
Tall.
Built like a wall.
Without hesitation, he said—
"I want to meet Lalu… the mad one."
The giant looked down at him.
Vipul barely reached his shoulders.
The size difference was overwhelming.
But Vipul didn't flinch.
Before the man could respond—
A voice echoed from behind—
"Bring him to me."
The giant stepped aside immediately.
Revealing a luxurious corner.
Where a man sat—
Surrounded by girls.
Relaxed.
Powerful.
Vipul walked toward him.
Slow.
Steady.
"I want to meet Lalu."
The man looked at him.
From head to toe.
Something about Vipul felt… different.
Then he took a drag from his cigarette.
Exhaled slowly.
"Who are you?"
Vipul didn't hesitate.
"I'm Vipul. And I want to meet Lalu. But first… who are you?"
The man smirked.
Leaning back comfortably.
He passed his cigarette to the girl sitting on his lap.
And said—
"I'm Bhadra."