The moment the party ended, Om headed straight toward his clinic.
He had originally planned to visit his old house—to search for a photograph of his grandfather, or anything connected to him—but it had gotten too late. So he decided it would be better to go to the clinic first and visit the house later.
It had been a long time since Om had even seen his clinic.
These days, most of his time was consumed managing the new business with Anshika, leaving him with barely any time to come here. On top of that, he had recently been tied up at the hospital, dealing with his family's problems. Because of all this, the clinic had simply slipped out of his priorities.
But it wasn't as if the clinic had fallen apart in his absence.
Vijay Uncle had taken full responsibility for it. Maya, too, had grown into a skilled and dependable nurse. Alongside them, Vijay had hired several capable and kind-hearted doctors. Thanks to everyone's dedication—and Om's reputation—the clinic had now become quite famous in the city.
People from all walks of life—rich and poor alike—came here for treatment.
As soon as Om arrived, he noticed that even though it was evening, the clinic was still bustling with activity.
Doctors and nurses moved swiftly yet calmly, working with genuine dedication and warmth. Patients looked satisfied, even relieved. The entire place carried a strange kind of peace—the kind born from trust.
As soon as the doctors noticed Om, they greeted him with warm smiles and quick hellos. Om returned their greetings with a soft smile, not wanting to interrupt their work, and quietly moved forward.
That's when his eyes fell on Maya.
From a distance, he saw her working inside a ward.
Despite the visible stitches still on her body, she was fully immersed in her duties, focused and precise. She had truly mastered her work. Om himself had trained her under the ancient healer Rito, and seeing her like this filled him with quiet pride.
As Maya stepped out of the ward and headed toward the office, Om followed her.
Inside, he found her checking the medicine storage, carefully examining a set of vials.
Then, from behind, Om suddenly spoke—
"What are you doing here? I told you to rest at home, didn't I?"
His voice came out of nowhere.
But Maya didn't flinch.
As if she already knew he was there, she replied calmly—
"Hello, sir. I'm fine now. And sooner or later, I had to come back to work. Besides, I was getting bored just lying in bed. Now that I'm better, I shouldn't be lazy. I should do my job."
Om pressed his lips together, then smiled faintly and nodded.
"Good to hear that you're okay. But tell me something…" he added, a playful edge in his tone, "are all soldiers as impatient as you? And do you people never show emotions? Every time I see you, you've got the same serious expression on your face."
Maya answered without any change in expression—
"Perhaps you already know… a true warrior remains steady in every situation."
Om let out a small laugh.
"Ah… yeah, fair enough. Alright, get back to work. But don't overdo it. You still need rest, got it?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you for your concern."
Om nodded and turned to leave.
But just as he was about to step out, something seemed to click in Maya's mind.
She stopped him.
"He was our leader."
Om halted mid-step.
He turned back, confusion clear in his eyes.
"What did you say? I didn't get that."
Seeing him stop, Maya spoke in her usual calm tone—
"You said… I could tell you when I'm ready."
A pause.
"So I'm telling you now."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Number 00… is our leader. The leader of the Special Force Numbers."
A flicker of interest passed through Om's expression.
"Hm… sounds like he must've been pretty cool. And capable too," he said lightly. "After all, the one who killed Bali couldn't have been an ordinary man… right?"
The moment Maya heard Bali's name—
She froze.
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at Om.
"But… how do you know he killed Bali? No one knows that!"
Om smiled slightly, sliding his hands into his pockets.
"Hm… so it really was him."
He looked at her, almost amused.
"I was just guessing… but you just confirmed it."
Maya stood there, stunned.
Om continued calmly—
"When Bali came to the house that day, during the fight I realized there were time bombs planted all over the place. Then, by sheer luck, I saw someone removing those bombs."
He took a slow breath.
"After that, I heard both you and Bali mention special agents. And I also found out that you said your teammates would take revenge."
His gaze sharpened.
"Later, I heard about Bali's death. That black-clad version of me even went through the reports."
Maya's breath caught.
"And when I saw those reports… I understood something."
His voice dropped, colder now.
"Whoever killed Bali and Singhania… did it in a way that looked like an accident."
A pause.
"That kind of precision… is usually the work of either assassins, military personnel… or a secret force."
Silence filled the room.
"And all the clues kept pointing to one place—your team."
He shrugged slightly.
"It was just a guess. But you proved it right."
Maya stared at him, completely speechless.
Then suddenly—
She laughed.
A soft, impressed laugh.
"Wow, sir… I knew you were amazing, but not to this extent," she said, smiling. "You defeated a perfect mercenary… and figured out something no one else could."
She shook her head lightly.
"If Number 01 hears about this… he might just die of shock."
Om looked down with a faint smile, slightly embarrassed by the praise.
But then his expression turned serious again.
"Well… tell me one thing," he said.
He looked straight at her.
"I've read a lot about your Numbers team… their operations."
A brief pause.
"So answer me honestly—are you people good… or bad?"
The question hit differently.
Maya's smile faded.
A quiet sadness crept into her eyes.
She looked at him… and spoke in a low, heavy voice—
"Well… it's complicated."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"It would be better if you learn the whole truth first… and then decide for yourself… whether we are good… or bad."
Seeing her like this, something shifted in Om.
He fell silent for a moment… thinking.
Then, with a firm and serious tone, he said—
"Alright, Maya."
He stepped closer.
"Tell me everything… about the Numbers."