💔 The Contract Groom
The underground room felt colder now.
Not because of the storm outside.
Not because of the machines.
But because the truth had finally entered the room—
and once truth appeared,
nothing could return to normal.
Dr. Prem remained on one knee beside the table, breathing unevenly.
His fingers pressed tightly against his forehead as fragments of memory continued tearing through his mind.
Not flashes anymore.
Not broken images.
Real memories.
A child sitting alone inside a white room.
Scientists watching silently behind glass.
A woman arguing furiously—
"He's not your experiment!"
Then another voice.
Cold.
Powerful.
"Project Aryan belongs to Tiger Gang now."
His breathing became heavier.
"No…" he whispered.
Because deep inside—
he already knew the voice.
Ravan.
Upstairs, Sasmita stood frozen as Rudra's words repeated endlessly inside her head.
Tiger is protecting Aryan.
Impossible.
And yet—
nothing tonight felt impossible anymore.
"Who exactly is Tiger?" she asked sharply.
Rudra remained silent for a few seconds.
Watching her carefully.
Then—
unexpectedly—
he smiled faintly.
"You still haven't figured it out?"
Before she could react—
a loud sound echoed from downstairs.
Crash.
Both turned instantly.
Sasmita's instincts reacted immediately.
Without another word, she rushed toward the underground stairs.
"Wait—" Rudra started.
Too late.
She disappeared downstairs quickly, gun still in hand.
Rudra exhaled slowly.
Almost tired.
"…This is becoming dangerous faster than expected," he murmured.
Downstairs—
Sasmita entered the underground chamber sharply.
Dr. Prem stood near the hidden compartment now, one hand gripping the edge of the table tightly.
His mask had partially loosened during the collapse.
And for the first time—
she could see his expression clearly.
Pain.
Real pain.
Not physical.
Internal.
"What happened?" she asked immediately.
He looked toward her slowly.
But his eyes felt different now.
Distant.
Conflicted.
"Who am I?" he asked quietly.
The question hit her harder this time.
Because now—
she knew the answer mattered.
Before she could speak—
the surveillance monitor upstairs suddenly activated automatically.
Static flickered across the screen.
Then—
an image appeared.
A man sitting calmly inside a dark room.
Ravan.
Sasmita's heartbeat slowed instantly.
Dr. Prem froze completely.
Because Ravan wasn't supposed to know about this place.
The screen quality distorted briefly before stabilizing again.
Ravan leaned slightly forward.
His expression calm.
Almost emotionless.
But his eyes—
dangerous.
"…Aryan," he said softly.
Silence exploded inside the underground chamber.
Dr. Prem's body went rigid instantly.
No.
No one had called him that name in years.
Not openly.
Not knowingly.
Sasmita looked toward him immediately.
His expression had changed completely.
Ravan smiled faintly through the screen.
"I was wondering how long it would take for your memories to return."
Dr. Prem stepped closer toward the monitor slowly.
"You knew?" he whispered.
Ravan's smile disappeared instantly.
"I knew everything."
Thunder shook the house violently.
The emergency lights flickered once.
"You lied to me," Dr. Prem said quietly.
Not angry.
Not shouting.
Which somehow made it worse.
Ravan's eyes darkened slightly.
"I protected you."
"By stealing my identity?"
A dangerous silence followed.
Then—
Ravan stood slowly from his chair.
"You were going to die that night."
His voice remained calm.
"Everyone connected to Project Aryan was marked for elimination."
Sasmita watched silently, trying to understand which part was truth and which part was manipulation.
"You erased my past," Dr. Prem said.
"I gave you survival."
The words collided heavily between them.
Ravan continued calmly.
"You think the world would let a child with your intelligence live freely?"
A pause.
"They would cage you."
Use you.
Destroy you."
Dr. Prem's breathing became uneven again.
Because part of him knew—
Ravan wasn't entirely lying.
"You made me your son," he said slowly.
"Yes."
"Why?"
For the first time—
Ravan became silent.
A long pause filled the underground chamber.
Then finally—
he answered.
"Because your mother begged me to."
Everything stopped.
Dr. Prem stared at the screen without moving.
"…What?"
Ravan looked directly into his eyes now.
"She knew they would come for you."
A pause.
"She knew Tiger Gang would never stop hunting Project Aryan."
Sasmita's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Then why attack Sumitra Devi?" she demanded.
Ravan's expression changed slightly.
"I didn't."
The answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
And somehow—
that honesty felt more disturbing than a lie.
"Someone else wanted the formula," Ravan continued.
"Someone inside Tiger Gang itself."
Rudra's words suddenly returned to Sasmita's mind.
"Tiger is protecting Aryan."
Then who—
Before anyone could speak again—
another voice echoed through the monitor speakers.
A second man stepped into frame behind Ravan.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Face hidden in shadow.
But his presence alone changed the atmosphere instantly.
Even Ravan turned serious.
The stranger spoke only one sentence.
"Bring Aryan back."
Dr. Prem's eyes widened slowly.
Because something about that voice—
felt terrifyingly familiar.
Then the screen went black.
Complete silence returned.
Sasmita looked toward Dr. Prem slowly.
But he wasn't looking at the monitor anymore.
He was staring at his own reflection in the dark screen.
As if seeing a stranger for the first time.