I stare at him for a long beat, my heart lurching in my chest. How can someone be so perfect? And how did I even get this lucky to have him walk into my life right when I’m at my lowest, when I needed someone the most?
“Yes,” I finally nod.
His smile deepens, and at the same time, there’s a quiet knock in my heart. A soft whisper that tells me that whatever thisis with Sidharth, it’s something good... something that might just be the only road to happiness.
Chapter 16
Sidharth
“My team and I haven’t found anything substantial yet. The only solid lead we have is that Constable Bahadur was the one who helped Prakash escape,” Viraj says in a clipped voice as he sits across from me in his office.
My jaw tightens at the news that we’ve got nothing solid. And just like that, my mind shifts into overdrive, strategizing every move I need to make to ensure Nisha’s never a target again.
Damn. Every second she’s out of my sight feels like a risk I can’t afford. That’s why I brought back Karan Singh. He was guarding Kavya before, and now he’s shadowing Nisha.
Nisha doesn’t have the slightest clue about it. And that’s intentional because the last thing she needs is more fear. She’s already tense with Prakash escaping jail and now this new asshole in the picture. Knowing there’s someone shadowing her every move would only make her feel like she’s living in a cage. And I don’t want that for her that’s the reason I didn’t discuss or tell about Karan.
“You’ve got fucking rats in your system,” I finally speak, pulling my focus back to the conversation.
“Every system does,” Viraj counters, taking a slow sip of his tea before setting the cup down. “Our job isn’t to complain about it, but to hunt the bastards down and make them pay.”
Viraj’s right. We need to catch these bastards. And now that I know it’s not just Prakash, that there’s someone else out there trying to hurt Nisha, everything changes. And I’ll be damned if I let them walk free. Whoever’s involved is going to regret the day they even thought they could come after her. This isn’t about justice anymore. This is personal.
“How’s Nisha holding up since you told her Prakash escaped?” Viraj asks.
I drag a hand down my face, the image of her terrified expression flashing in my mind.
“She had a panic attack when I told her, but she pulled herself together.” There’s a beat of silence before I add, “And the way she still shields Kavya and Sunita Aunty, burying her own trauma to protect them—that takes a strength most people don’t have.”
“You sound like you’re completely taken with her,” Viraj says bluntly.
I level him with a glare. “That’s none of your concern. You’re here to catch criminals, not play shrink.”
He leans back, his eyes steady. “Touchy. Must’ve hit a nerve.”
“Stop acting like a damn detective with my personal life and do your actual job.”
“Well, I’m a cop. It’s literally my job to notice when something’s off,” Viraj fires back.
“Then focus on the real threat and not on me.”
He huffs, shaking his head slightly. “Look, all I’m saying is, with my experience, I can tell. The way you want to protect her, it’s not just duty. It’s personal. And no matter how good youare at your job, when emotions get involved, they turn into a liability.”
I lean forward. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t feel that risk every damn second? Yes, it’s personal, and I’m not apologising for it. But that doesn’t mean my feelings for her will make me weak when it comes to protecting her.” I pause, my eyes locked on his. “I’m fully aware my feelings aren’t the priority here. Her safety is.”
Viraj raises an eyebrow. “Does she know how you feel about her?”
“She does,” I reply, my tone clipped.
“And how does she feel about it?” Viraj asks, his voice a little more measured now. “Given everything she’s been through, waking up from a coma and carrying all that trauma, how’s she handling the weight of your feelings on top of it?”
God, this man is clearly on a mission to get on my nerves with his constant questioning. Can’t he take the damn hint that talking about Nisha is off-limits and just shut up?
I narrow my eyes. “Why do you care, Viraj?”
“Will you stop lashing out?” Viraj states plainly, then exhales again before continuing. “I’m not trying to step on your toes. But somewhere in the middle of all this, I started to care about Kavya. And maybe that’s why I feel a sense of responsibility towards Nisha too.” He holds my gaze. “And whether you agree or not, handling the Prakash case has pulled us in deeper. We’re not just two men working a case anymore. We’ve started to actually see each other as people, not just professionals.”
Now I feel like an ass for snapping at him. The truth is, what he said isn’t wrong. When we first started handling this case, it was strictly business. No trust, no personal talk, just two men doing their jobs. But somewhere along the way, thatchanged. Now we talk about things beyond the case. There’s an understanding between us.
