Chapter- 39

Livid? Even that word couldn’t describe the look on Virendra’s face, his jaw clenched, his fists tightened, and every muscle in his body seemed to radiate anger, as he barged into the Commissioner’s cabin without any heed of protocol or formalities. The video surfacing all over the media and internet had already spread like wildfire. His son had beaten up the most celebrated and influential lawyer of the country. Every comment asked for justice, questioning Ekansh’s character, asking Ekansh to be punished for taking the law into his own hands.

“Where is my son?” Virendra roared at Satish.

Satish rose to his feet instinctively. “Inside the lock-up, Virendra,” his tone was professional. “And I hope you won’t ask me to release him. After...”

“Show him the bail papers, Ram.” Virendra interjected, ignoring the rest.

Vikram complied, immediately placing the papers before him. He had prepared them for the second time using his personal connections just for his friend. Earlier, it was Eshita who had texted him to prepare them. Years of experience with his friend’s temper gave away Eshita would just be following through on her brother’s behalf.

“I can’t release him.” Satish stated, keeping aside the papers. He looked at Virendra. “Your son attacked Samar Singhania first. The whole office witnessed him walking inside that room. Even the CCTV footage is as clear as day. First we need to investigate why your son...”

“Because Samar Singhania assaulted a woman.” Virendra’s voice sliced through the room.

Silence followed. Satish frowned.

“My son didn’t walk into that office looking for a fight,” Virendra continued. “He walked into that room after finding out that Samar Singhania, the so-called champion of justice, is a rapist. You want proof? Fine. I will give you proof. But mark my words... agar mere bete ko kisne haath bhi lagaya toh...”

A loud commotion from outside cut him off. Before anyone could react, Satish rushed out of the room followed by Virendra and Vikram. Their steps halted before the chaotic scene going on inside the cell. Ekansh fought alone against five built-up criminals.

“OPEN THE DAMN LOCK!” Virendra barked, the blood on his son’s face making his vision blur with rage.

The constable complied as Satish nodded.

Virendra walked in immediately, holding Ekansh who stumbled back slightly while the officers pinned the other inmates down and dragged them apart.

His gaze followed up and down worriedly. “Tu theek....” He trailed off, noticing the blood stream on his arm. “What is it? How did you get hurt?”

“One of the idiots was holding a knife,” Ekansh sighed. “It grazed my arm. Nothing serious.”

Virendra turned to Satish furious, “A criminal in your custody shouldn’t have a weapon! You can’t keep a first-time offender with seasoned criminals under the provisions of Indian law until they are proven guilty! You failed to do your job and I will make sure you regret it.”

His years of friendship with Satish walked out the window the moment he noticed blood on his son’s arm. He could understand duty. Not carelessness that endangered someone’s life.

Satish stepped forward as Virendra tried to step out of the cell with Ekansh. “He stays here, Mr. Sehgal. I don’t care what you do with our friendship. Or me. But for now, I am the officer in charge of this station. And your son was caught assaulting a man. He isn’t allowed to leave.”

“I think you didn’t read the bail papers, Mr. Sharma,” Vikram interjected calmly, “Which clearly states that m client acted in defense of another person. He didn’t attack Samar Singhania he just defended a woman’s dignity. In the heat of anger we can say many things, but not deny the circumstances surrounding them.”

“Proofs, Mr. Mehra,” Satish countered firmly. “Aap khud ek lawyer hai aur acche se jaante hai ki proofs ke bina kanoon kisi ki nhi sunta. I want that girl’s statement on record, then only I can...”

“Then take my statement.” A voice floated from behind.

Heads turned instantly. There stood the girl in her early twenties dressed in a black salwar suit, her hair open, eyes dull yet sharp enough to hold the room’s attention. Right beside her stood Ananya, unwavering and supportive.

“Statement chaiye tha na aapko, sir?” The girl spoke steadily. “Then I am giving you just that. Write it... Mera naam Aarti Kumar hai. Main Singhania Firm mein intern thi. Do din pehle... Samar Singhania, mere boss, ne mujhe apne cabin mein bula kar mere saath zabardasti ki. I want to file a complaint against that man.”

The camera flashes erupted suddenly. The few media reporters who had stepped in earlier immediately began broadcasting the statement live on air. It was sensational news. Some of the most powerful people in the industry were now clashing head-on in public. The chaos had the potential to boost TRPs overnight, dominate headlines for days, and send shockwaves through the entire business community.

“What does it have to do with Mr. Sehgal?” one of the reporters asked. “Why did he have to interfere?”

“What kind of relationship do you share with the victim?” Another asked.

“Insaniyat ka rishta,” Ananya answered firmly, meeting the woman’s gaze. “Shayad aap log iss rishte se anjaan honge, par har koi aapki tarah nhi sochta, right?”

She faced the cameras. “I am fighting a case for Mr. Sehgal. He is my client. My opposing lawyer was Samar Singhania. In the morning I faced him in court aur shaam mein mujhe pata chala what that man did to my sister. Mr. Sehgal came to visit me regarding case matter. He heard everything and was furious. That a man who has a reputation to fight for children and women’s rights is the one who dared to violate them. So in his anger, he did the right thing. Kyuki main bhi wahi karna chahti thi jo Mr. Sehgal ne kiya. I am grateful for his intervention. It doesn’t matter if it was his empathy towards my sister or simply his conscience, but he did the right thing.”

“You heard it, Satish,” Virendra said calmly. “My son did what the law often fails to do in time. Now I think I can take Ekansh with me. And you should focus on the actual culprit.”

Satish sighed heavily. “Complete the formalities and you can leave.”

Ekansh followed behind his father, stepping out and dusting off the invisible dust from his shoulders.

“How is the bastard?” He asked Vikram quietly.

“Zinda hai.”

Ekansh nodded, satisfied. That was exactly what he wanted. The man wasn’t supposed to die so soon. He had planned everything far too carefully for that. He wasn’t foolish enough to walk into a spider’s web without carrying a blade to cut himself free.

Every move, every possibility, every escape route had been accounted for long before the game had begun. And in the end, he had finally cornered Samar exactly where he wanted him, inside a cage of his own making. On a hospital bed. With a few broken bones.

He had deliberately aimed for injuries that could damage him permanently, reducing nearly fifty percent of his chances of ever walking properly with confidence again. For the rest, the media would do its magic by morning. Those who once sang praises and admiration for the very influential Samar Singhania would now curse him with the same passion.

✨✨✨

Ekta paced the room restlessly, fidgeting with her fingers as countless thoughts collided inside her head. It had been four hours, and she was yet to hear from Ekansh. Every news channel displayed what he had done to Samar, replaying the footage again and again without mercy.

She was petrified by the fact that he had attacked a man who could destroy lives with a single command. She had understood by now that the Sehgal family was influential, but were they as powerful as the people she knew, the ones she had spent years terrified of? That was something she was yet to understand.

Her subconscious mind told her everything was fine, that she was out of the trap finally, that there were bright rays showing her the way out, guiding her toward a life she never thought she deserved. Still, her mind dragged her back to the worst-case scenarios, refusing to let her breathe.

“Arre bas yaar.” Eshita hissed, annoyed. “Tujhe aise chalte dekh mujhe pairon mein dard ho raha hai. Meri maa... baith jaa paanch minute shanti se.”

She forced the girl down onto the couch. “Bhaiya aa jayenge. Calm down, girl.”

Ekta looked up at her helplessly. “How can you be so calm? Abhi tk bhaiya ka call nhi aaya hai. Vo news wale... Unhe kuch ho gaya toh? Please meri ek baar unse baat karwa dijiye. Mujhe kuch samajh naii aa...” She trailed off as Eshita hugged her abruptly.

Her body stiffened under the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar warmth. Obviously, Eshita had hugged her once or twice before, but every time they shared that kind of closeness, she never knew what to feel, accepting the affection offered toward her or rejecting it like she always did.

“Relax, Ekta.” Eshita’s tone softened. She ran her hand over her back in soothing circles, just the way Ekansh did for her whenever she panicked.

“Bhaiya theek hai,” She continued. “Dad hai na unke saath. Main un dono ko acche se jaanti hoon. Jab tak vo dono ek dusre ke saath hai, koi unhe kuch nhi kar sakta. They will be back safe and sound. I promise.”

Ekta went still for a moment before leaning into Eshita’s touch, letting herself melt against the warmth she was offering. The voices in her head slowly calmed down, the horrifying possibilities that had been clawing through her mind evaporating into thin air. All she felt was safe.

The sound of a car parking in the driveway echoed through the mansion, snapping the girls out of their thoughts. Ekta rose to her feet, rushing out of the room and down the stairs hurriedly.

Before Ekansh could understand what had happened, he was pulled into a bone-crushing bear hug. His arm wrapped around Ekta’s shoulder instinctively. Virendra held them both, steadying them before they could lose balance and stumble from the impact.

“Main theek hoon, Ekta,” Ekansh murmured softly, patting her head. She was shivering in his hold as if she had been standing in the cold for hours.

Ekta clung onto him tightly, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. The entire time he had been gone, fear had gripped her chest relentlessly. He was fine. He was safe. He was here. She repeated to herself inwardly. Relief washed over her so strongly that her knees nearly gave up.

Eshita’s gaze scanned her brother from head to toe, trailing over his bruised knuckles and following the bloodstain on his shirt. Without a word, she turned on her heels and walked toward the kitchen for the first-aid box. Her brother was supposed to return home unharmed, not looking like he had walked straight out of a street fight.

Ekta stepped back quietly as Eshita returned, her eyes widening upon noticing the first-aid box.

She looked at Ekansh in shock. “Aapko chot...” Her gaze fell on his knuckles. Hr trembling fingers brushed against wound carefully. Tears shimmered in her eyes instantly at the sight of the torn skin and dried blood.

“I am fine, Ekta.” Ekansh pulled back gently. “Bas thoda sa...”

“Haan, Ekta. Yeh toh lohe ke bane hai.” Eshita rolled her eyes dramatically while grabbing his hand and forcing him into a chair. “He is invincible. Tu tension mat le. Inhe chot lagi hai, hume thodi farq padna chaiye. We should enjoy. Jaa icecream leke aa we will party over it. That our brother got hurt.”

She rolled up his sleeves only to freeze at the deeper cut hidden beneath them. The sight made her fingers tremble despite her attempt to remain casual.

Virendra took the cotton from her grasp. “Let me do it,” He coaxed gently. He sided with his son, but he couldn’t ignore that his daughter was sensitive whenever any of them got hurt. They could play the bravery game before the world, but never before each other.

Eshita rose to her feet, allowing her father to take her place. “Kya hua? Is the man dead?” She asked, deliberately avoiding looking at Ekansh. He had broken their code. She wasn’t going to forgive him that easily.

Ekta’s fingers curled around Ekansh’s hand. She wanted to ask the same question, but fear and uncertainty held her back. She wanted him dead, but... it would solve nothing. Everything would only become messier and darker than it already was.

“Not yet,” Virendra replied calmly while continuing to clean the wounds. “Check the news and you will find out.”

Eshita frowned, pulling out her phone. Earlier every business channel had been bashing her brother, which had only fueled her anger further. She would have smashed her phone if Ekta hadn’t stopped her. Now her eyes widened in disbelief as article after article appeared before her. She tapped on the link. The anchor’s voice echoed through the room...

“Senior advocate Samar Singhania is facing serious allegations of workplace harassment and sexual assault made by a former intern employee at his firm.”

“The complainant has reportedly submitted evidence to the authorities. With Victims live statement on our channel. Police sources confirm that a preliminary investigation has already begun.”

The screen switched to Aarti, her statement ringing loud and clear, leaving no space for doubt or questions. Every word echoed like a carefully aimed bullet, striking exactly where it was meant to. Flashes exploded around her face as reporters pushed forward, desperate for more.

Back in the living room, silence settled heavily. Ekta froze, her fingers tightening around the edge of the couch as shock rippled through her entire body. Eshita glanced at her brother and then at her father, trying to understand what she had just witnessed and why neither of them looked at least angry.

“When did you meet Ekta’s lawyer?” She asked finally.

“I didn’t,” Ekansh replied calmly.

“Whatever you just heard was a lie,” Virendra stated, clearing her confusion.

Eshita looked at them, stunned. Ekta gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“Samar Singhania ne Aarti Kumar ko haath tak nhi lagaya,” Ekansh explained calmly. “She is an intern in his firm. Two days ago she met him... that’s it. There is nothing else to the story. Uske aage jo bhi hai, it was part of my plan.”

“Bhaiya!” Eshita shook her head in disbelief. “Do you even realize aap kya bol rahe hain? I don’t give a damn what plan you choose... but jab sach saamne aayega toh vo ladki par sawaal uthenge. Aur aap par bhi...”

“Nothing like that will happen,” Ekansh replied firmly. “Sach saamne tab aayega jab kisi ke paas koi saboot hoga. Abhi ke liye sab kuch mere plan ke hisaab se chal raha hai. Aarti uss cabin mein gayi, Samar se mili bhi, par uss cabin mein kya hua aur vo wahan se kab nikli kisi ko nhi pata. Kisi ne usse aate jaate nhi dekha. It was Sunday. So...” He shrugged. “The CCTV footage is wiped clear. It’s Aarti’s words against the man who isn’t even in condition to speak for a few days. Jab tak vo thoda hosh mein aayega tab tak uski izzat ka kachra ho chuka hoga.”

“Aapko aisa nhi karna chaiye tha,” Ekta murmured quietly, gaining their attention. Uneasiness crept through her chest as she met Ekansh’s gaze hesitantly. “Jhooth bol kar jeetne ka kya fayda, bhaiya...”

“Tere saath usne jo kiya vo toh sach hai na, Ekta.” Ekansh answered firmly. “Main duniya ke saamne tera naam nhi aane de sakta. I can’t let you face the dark side of the world where people question and doubt a girl first. Lekin tere saath jo usne kiya uski saza usse milegi! Kaise.... Vo mere haath mein hai! Aarti ne bhale hi jhooth kaha ho, lekin usne jo kiya vo uski choice thi. Mera saath dena uski marzi thi, majboori nhi.”

He cupped her face with one hand. “Aaj jo uss aadmi ka haal hai... this is the first step towards your justice. First step towards taking back the power he stole from you. Aur aakhir step tak... I will make sure that man begs for death rather than mercy.”

Ekta’s gaze lowered. She couldn’t bring herself to nod. Ekansh was right in every possible way, but still she felt conflicted inside.

“Sometimes we have to become animals to deal with monsters, Ekta.” Virendra spoke up, gaining her attention. He held her gaze. “You can’t win every battle with kindness. We have to fight people in the language they understand.”

She glanced at the ointment he forwarded toward her. Her fingers wrapped around the tube as the words sank into the part of her mind that never allowed shades of grey, always seeing the world in light or darkness, black or white, just two extremes with nothing in between. Maybe, for the first time, she was seeing the layers beneath every truth. With her gentle hands, she applied the ointment on Ekansh’s knuckles, careful not to hurt him.

Eshita relaxed her shoulders loosened up. She didn’t know what exactly shifted inside her in that moment, but she was grateful to Aarti for her help. A few days ago, she had questioned herself about the same thing. The fake reports filled the girls with false hope, using loopholes in the system and twisting the law for personal gain.

But her father’s words gave her clarity. There was a difference between fighting for justice and fighting for revenge. You can’t win every battle in life, but you can’t bow down to injustice either. It wasn’t about proving yourself right but about doing what was right.

And her bhaiya did just that. For people like Samar, who spread fear, cruelty, and suffering by staying within the system, needed to be brought face-to-face with the consequences of their actions in their own language, their own way.

Ekansh waited for Eshita to say something, but the girl just turned on her heels and walked away, leaving him staring at her in annoyance. Couldn’t she cut him some slack? He wasn’t dying to get into a fight or something. But no, she was as stubborn as ever!

“What are you going to do now?” Virendra drawled, rising to his feet. Well aware of what went wrong between his children, but like always, he refused to interfere.

Ekansh groaned. “Grovel, Dad. What else do you think?”

Virendra shrugged, walking away. Not so easily. Five years of distance had loosened the reins around his son. He needed some lessons on how to grovel, and he was sure Eshita would teach her brother exactly that.

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Did Ekansh choose the right way? 

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