Author's POV
Preeti stepped out of the college gate, adjusting her dupatta as her eyes searched the road out of habit.
And then she saw him.
Ansh was standing near a black car, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed only on her like the rest of the world didn't exist.
Her heart skipped.
"Ansh... you're here?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes," he replied easily, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I wanted to pick you up today myself, my little wifey."
Her cheeks turned pink instantly.
They started walking toward the car together.
Preeti was mid-step when Ansh suddenly froze.
His eyes narrowed.
Something small... red... glowing... resting on her chest for just half a second.
A laser sight.
Ansh didn't think.
"PREETI, GET ASIDE!" he shouted.
Before she could react, he pulled her hard into his arms, turned his body, and shielded her completely.
A loud sound cut through the air.
BANG!
"Ahhh—!"
Ansh's body jerked.
Preeti felt his grip tighten once... and then loosen.
Blood stained his sleeve.
"Ansh!" she screamed.
He staggered but didn't fall.
Her hands shook as she grabbed his arm.
"Ansh... your arm...!" her voice broke. "It's bleeding!"
Tears spilled from her eyes uncontrollably.
Without thinking, she tore a piece of her dupatta and wrapped it tightly around his arm, pressing it to stop the blood.
Her fingers were trembling.
"Ansh, please... please..." she cried.
And yet... Ansh was looking at her.
Not at the wound.
Not at the chaos.
At her.
His eyes were calm. Warm. Almost admiring.
"Don't cry, princess," he said softly, lifting his free hand and wiping her tears with his thumb.
"I'm alright."
"You're bleeding!" she sobbed. "How can you say that?"
Before he could answer, footsteps rushed toward them.
"Ansh! Are you okay?" Karan shouted as he reached them with security. "We caught the man who shot."
Ansh nodded once. "I'm fine."
"Fine?!" Preeti cried. "He's not fine!"
Ansh turned to her gently. "Preeti, go inside the car."
She hesitated. "But—"
"Go," he said softly, but firmly.
She obeyed, heart shaking, and sat inside the car, watching him through teary eyes.
Karan supported Ansh.
"Ansh let's go to hospital first to treat your wound." Karan said.
Ansh nodded.
---------------------
The doctor carefully removed the bullet and wrapped a bandage.
"You're lucky," the doctor said. "The bullet missed the bone."
He turned to Preeti.
"You," he said seriously, "listen carefully. You must clean his wound daily and give him these medicines. No carelessness."
Preeti nodded quickly, memorizing every word.
"Yes... yes, I will," she said.
The doctor left.
Preeti sat beside Ansh on the hospital bed.
Her hands were folded tightly.
"Are you okay now?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes, princess," he replied calmly. "You don't need to worry so much."
"But it must be hurting," she said softly. "It's such a big wound..."
Ansh smiled faintly.
"No. Your husband is very strong," he said lightly. "These small wounds can't do anything to him."
Inside his mind, flashes passed... blood, pain, bullets, nights where pain was normal.
This was nothing.
"Really?" Preeti asked innocently.
"Yes," he said.
Karan entered the room with a crooked smile.
"Yes, bhabhi. He is very dangerous. You don't really know him."
Ansh shot him a sharp look.
Karan raised his hands. "Okay, okay, I'm quiet."
Then Ansh's tone changed. "What's the situation?"
"He's in our control," Karan replied seriously.
"We'll end this matter soon. I'm leaving."
He looked at Preeti. "Bye, bhabhi."
"Bye," she replied softly.
Karan left.
A nurse entered, adjusted the drip, and placed a water bottle on the table.
"Madam, water," she said professionally and left.
Preeti drank some water.
Ansh, exhausted, slowly fell asleep sitting there.
She gently placed a pillow under his head and sat beside him, watching his face.
Minutes passed.
Her eyes grew heavy.
Without realizing, she fell asleep too.
------------------------------------
A few hours later...
Knock knock.
Preeti's eyes fluttered open.
"Yes... come in," she murmured.
The door opened.
Karan stepped inside.
At the same moment, Preeti looked at the bed.
It was empty.
Her heart dropped.
"Where is Ansh?" she asked, panic rising.
Karan froze. "Where is Ansh?" he asked at the same time.
Fear filled the room.
"I... I slept..." Preeti whispered, tears forming. "I don't know..."
Karan immediately pulled out his phone.
"Wait. I'm calling him."
The call rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then someone answered.
"Ansh, where are you?" Karan asked sharply.
A cold laugh came from the other side.
"Mister... your boss is in my control," the voice said slowly. "If you want him alive, send his beautiful girl to me."
Karan's blood boiled.
"You bastard! Don't touch him!"
"I already told you what I want," the man replied. "The butterfly. At the address I shared. Or else..."
"You..." Karan shouted.
"No no no don't shout I know how much ansh is important for you." Yugant said.
"Okay," Karan said tightly. "Okay. I'll send her. Just leave him."
The call cut.
Preeti stared at him in terror.
"What happened?" she asked, almost crying.
"Where is Ansh?"
Karan took a deep breath.
"Don't worry, bhabhi," he said calmly. "Ansh will come back. But you must do exactly as I say."
She nodded immediately.
"Anything," she said. "I just want him back."
---------------------------
Ansh woke up choking on darkness.
His head pounded like someone had hit it with iron.
His arms were tied tightly behind the chair, rough rope biting into his skin. His wounded arm screamed in pain with even the smallest movement. His mouth was sealed with thick tape, cutting off every sound.
He tried to move.
Pain shot through him.
A low chuckle echoed in the room.
"Finally awake."
Ansh lifted his head slowly.
A single bulb flickered above, throwing uneven light across the room.
And there he was.
Yugant.
Standing calmly in front of him, hands in his pockets, eyes cold and cruel.
Ansh growled behind the tape and tried to lunge forward.
The chair screeched.
The rope tightened.
Yugant stepped closer, his smile widening.
"Careful," he said mockingly. "You'll hurt yourself. Though honestly... I don't mind."
Ansh's eyes burned with pure hatred.
Yugant leaned down, his face inches away.
"You see," he said slowly, enjoying every word, "tomorrow... your wife will be in my room."
Ansh froze.
Then he exploded.
He thrashed violently, the chair nearly tipping over. Veins popped in his neck. His wounded arm burned like fire, but he didn't stop.
"Mmm!" he screamed through the tape.
Yugant laughed loudly.
"Ahhh," he said, straightening up. "That reaction. That's exactly what I wanted."
He walked around Ansh in slow circles.
"I warned you," Yugant continued. "I told you to stay in your limits. But nooo... you and Ekansh both thought you were untouchable."
He stopped behind Ansh and grabbed his hair, forcing his head back.
"You destroyed my business," Yugant hissed.
"You burned my warehouses. You took my men. You humiliated me."
He tightened his grip.
"Do you know what that feels like?"
Ansh's breathing grew heavy.
Yugant released him roughly.
"For months," Yugant went on, "I watched my empire fall piece by piece. Because of you. Because of Ekansh."
He stepped in front again, eyes dark.
"Now it's my turn."
He reached out and peeled the tape slightly from Ansh's mouth.
"Say something," Yugant taunted. "I want to hear your voice."
Ansh didn't hesitate.
"If you touch her," he said hoarsely, voice shaking with fury, "I will rip you apart. Slowly."
Yugant burst out laughing.
"You?" he mocked. "Look at you. Tied. Bleeding. Helpless."
He leaned close again.
"You couldn't protect yourself today. How will you protect her tomorrow?"
Ansh clenched his jaw.
Yugant's smile turned ugly.
"I will play with her slowly," he said softly. "I'll make sure you hear every scream."
Ansh lost control.
He slammed his body forward, pain tearing through his arm. Blood seeped through the bandage.
"Argh—!"
Yugant stepped back, amused.
"That pain?" Yugant said. "That's just the beginning."
He crouched down in front of Ansh.
"Tonight," he whispered, "you will stay awake. Thinking. Imagining. Breaking."
Ansh's eyes filled with something dangerous.
Not fear.
Promise.
"You made one mistake," Ansh said through clenched teeth. "You involved her."
Yugant smiled coldly.
"That's exactly why you're already dead."
He stood up and signaled to his men.
"Enjoy your night," Yugant said as he walked away. "Tomorrow... you lose everything."
The bulb flickered again.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Ansh sat there, breathing hard.
Pain.
Anger.
Fear for her.
------------------------
One message.
Bring Ansh. I'll send her.
Three dots appeared.
Then a reply.
Address sent. No tricks.
Karan closed his eyes for a brief second.
His jaw tightened.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, though no one was there to hear him.
---------------------
The next night was silent.
Too silent.
A black car slowed down and stopped at the exact location mentioned in the message.
An isolated building.
Broken lights.
No sound except the engine ticking softly.
The back door of the car opened.
A girl stepped out.
Her face was covered with a black mask.
Her hands trembled slightly as she held her dupatta close to her chest.
She stood still for a moment... as if gathering courage.
The cold night air wrapped around her.
Karan watched her from the driver's seat.
His chest felt heavy.
He couldn't look at her eyes.
He couldn't say her name.
Because if he did... he would break.
The girl turned her head once.
As if looking back.
As if searching for someone.
Karan swallowed hard.
"Trust me," he said quietly, his voice barely steady. "This will be over soon."
She didn't speak.
She only nodded.
Slowly.
Two men stepped out from the shadows.
Yugant's men.
They looked her up and down, smirking.
"Come," one of them said roughly.
The girl flinched.
For a second, she hesitated.
Then she took a step forward.
And another.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
Inside the building, a door opened.
Darkness waited.
The men grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.
The door shut with a loud bang.
Karan closed his eyes.
His hands shook as he gripped the steering wheel.
--------------------------
A few feet away...
Ansh lay unconscious on the ground.
Blood dried on his arm.
His face pale.
Karan rushed out, ignoring the pain in his chest, and lifted him with effort.
"Hold on, brother," he whispered. "Just hold on."
He placed Ansh carefully in the back seat.
As he shut the door, Karan looked once more at the building.
The lights inside flickered.
His eyes turned cold.
"You will regret this," he said quietly, but every word carried death.
He got into the car.
The engine roared to life.
The car drove away... leaving the building behind.
Leaving the girl behind.
She went there for him.
------------------------
Inside the car, silence pressed down like a heavy blanket.
Ansh's eyes flickered open slowly. His head throbbed. His body ached. Pain shot through his wounded arm, but it didn't matter. Rage consumed him.
He struggled against the ropes. Angry sounds escaped his throat growls, grunts, and words muffled by the tape.
Karan reached forward, calmly peeling the tape from his mouth.
"Uth gaya?" Karan said, almost teasing. "Aur uthte hi gussa?"
Ansh spat out curses, glaring. "Tell me! Did you bring me back, or did Yugant hand me over?" His voice was sharp, desperate.
Karan leaned back in his seat, hands on the wheel. "Yugant... he gave you to me."
Ansh's eyes went wide. "What?!" He jerked against the ropes, anger flashing across his face.
"Are you serious? You let him..."
"I had to do this," Karan said softly, almost apologetic. "I'm sorry, Ansh. I had no choice. I did what he said... just to save you."
"Save me?!" Ansh shouted, veins bulging. "Where is Preeti? Tell me! You gave her to him, didn't you?"
Karan's jaw tightened. He didn't answer immediately. He stared straight ahead, hands tight on the wheel. Every word he didn't speak made the tension heavier.
"Answer me!" Ansh roared, voice shaking with fury.
"Open my hands! NOW! Where is she?!"
Karan didn't move. He didn't untie him. He stayed calm, collected, letting Ansh burn in frustration.
"You're... you're not answering me!" Ansh yelled.
Karan finally looked at him, his expression unreadable.
"I said, I had to do what I had to, didn't I?" His tone was soft but carried the weight of authority.
"Don't dodge me!" Ansh spat. "I'm not asking. I'm demanding! Open my hands and tell me!"
Karan smirked faintly.
"Relax. I'm not dodging. But right now... Preeti isn't the only thing you should care about."
"What does that mean?!" Ansh yelled, face red with rage and worry. "Are you saying... she—"
"Listen carefully," Karan interrupted, leaning slightly toward him. His voice dropped to a low, almost intimate whisper.
"Sometimes... what you want most isn't the thing that keeps you alive."
Ansh's hands twitched against the ropes. His jaw clenched. Every muscle screamed to attack, to demand, to save.
Karan's smirk widened slightly. "Focus on surviving first, brother. Everything else... comes later."
Ansh's breathing grew erratic. He wanted to argue, shout, break the ropes. But Karan's calm, teasing presence held him like an iron weight.
Karan leaned even closer, so close that Ansh could feel his breath. He whispered just enough for Ansh to hear.
"Patience, okay? You'll get what you want... in time."
He straightened back, sat up, and with a single, deliberate motion, untied Ansh's hands.
Ansh rubbed his wrists.
Karan's smirk lingered as he started the engine.
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