“Understood,” Viraj replies.
“This case is ours now. No bureaucratic bullshit. No chains of command. We handle this our way.”
I hear him go quiet, then reply with steel in his tone. “Alright. What’s the plan?”
I glance once more towards the house.
“We tighten the circle. I want backgrounds on every officer who had access to Prakash in the last few days—logs, transfers, shifts, the works. Someone helped him walk out, and we’re going to find out who first.”
“Got it.”
My throat tightens as the words leave me. “Nisha got a threatening email.”
There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other end before he mutters. “When did she get it?”
“Today. The asshole’s timing is too damn perfect. He escapes, and she gets that mail the same day.”
His voice shifts, calculated, focused. “That means someone is working with Prakash.”
“It doesn’t matter how many rats he’s got helping him,” I say, my tone fiery. “The only thing that matters is this time, he won’t get to harm Nisha.”
He must’ve caught the weight behind my words, because Viraj doesn’t say a damn thing after that.
“Keep me updated.” I end the call without waiting for a reply.
I drop the phone onto the passenger seat and stare back at her house, her tortured eyes still burning in my mind as the words echo relentlessly:Prakash is out.
And that means the storm she barely survived is coming back in full force. Only this time, it doesn’t get to touch her.
Chapter 15
Nisha
Even the early morning sun slipping through the sheer curtains isn’t enough to pull me out of bed. I lie there, staring at the ceiling as the memory of last night plays over and over in my mind.God… that kiss.
The way his lips met mine, gentle yet all-consuming, still tingles on my lips, enough to make my toes curl. And my heart isn’t just beating anymore; it’s fluttering, racing, betraying every bit of caution I promised myself I’d hold onto where my emotions are concerned.
Everything between Sidharth and me is shifting. Fast. Too damn fast. But strangely, it doesn’t scare me. If anything, it makes me feel oddly at ease.
And that doesn’t make any sense to me. He’s been in my life for such a short time, and the truth is that I hardly know him. I don’t know the little details, the things that usually matter… his likes, his dislikes. We haven’t even had a conversation deep enough to call ourselves friends who truly understand each other. And yet, somehow, when he’s around, the noise in my head quiets. Even now, with everything still swirling around me,with the email and the meeting with Prakash, I don’t feel quite as tormented.
How easily Sidharth has slipped past my defenses. How naturally he fits into the cracks I’ve been hiding for so long. How I find myself drawn to him in this crazy, inexplicable, and beautifully overwhelming way—all at once.
Closing my eyes tightly, I try to rein in my raging hormones and let my logical brain take over, to make sense of all these mixed emotions I’m feeling. Damn, I shouldn’t even be thinking about getting into a relationship. I need to protect my heart. It’s already been through enough. Especially after what I’ve just come out of. But almost instantly, my heart pushes back with quiet defiance. Sidharth isnotPrakash. Not even close. What I’m feeling for Sidharth can’t be tainted by Prakash.
And this time, my mind agrees with my heart. Maybe I’ve been too hard on it, keeping it on a tight leash for something it didn’t deserve. Come to think of it, my heart never reacted like this with Prakash. There was no breathless pull, no racing heartbeat. What I had with Prakash wasn’t love. And, I think deep down, I always knew that.
Maybe that’s why we never shared anything truly meaningful. Just a few stolen kisses, and even those don’t come close to how one kiss from Sidharth shook me to my core. Looking back, my time with Prakash feels more like a childish crush I mistook for something serious. Something that only left me with regret and a lesson I won’t ever forget.
The ring of my phone snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts. My heart skips a beat, and instantly, I cross my fingers, hoping that it shouldn’t be Sidharth. I know it’s silly of me to avoid him, but I’m just not ready to face him yet.
Sitting up in my bed, my hands tremble slightly as I reach for my phone on the nightstand. But the moment Kavya’s name flashes on the screen, my heart starts pounding even harder.
Did she find out about my meeting with Prakash? Does she know about the email? God, how am I supposed to explain any of this without scaring her off?
With a shaky breath and fingers that don’t quite feel steady, I swipe to answer.
“I’m damn upset with you. How dare you?” Kavya snaps immediately, her tone laced more with anger than worry.
