I’m on my feet in an instant, my heart racing. I give Viraj a sharp nod, then turn back to Deepak. “I guess your partner will be joining you soon.”
Without giving him a chance to reply, I turn on my heel and shove the door open, striding out with Viraj. My mind spins with rage, adrenaline, and the sickening weight of everything we’ve uncovered. But there’s no time to process it. We’ve got a predator to catch.
Chapter 35
Nisha
I sit cross-legged on the floor, the hem of my oversized T-shirt tucked under my knees as I toss Shadow his squeaky ball for what must be the twentieth time. And like every time, he brings it back, wags his tail and drops it onto my lap as he nudges my arm with his wet nose.
“Okay, okay. Last one,” I laugh, ruffling his ears, even though I’ve been saying that for the past ten throws.
I toss the ball again, and as Shadow runs to fetch it, my eyes drift to the clock. It’s ten at night. The smile on my lips falters.
Sidharth always shows up by seven or eight-thirty at the latest. And when he’s running late, he never forgets to send me a quick text saying he’ll be delayed. But tonight, all my calls went straight to voicemail, and even my messages were left unread.
I swallow the growing unease and focus back on Shadow, prying the ball from his mouth.
“He’s fine. He’s going to walk in any minute. He’s probably just buried in work,” I mumble.
Shadow tilts his head, as if sensing my unease. Because this time, when I throw the toy, he doesn’t chase it. Instead, he pads closer and rests his head on my lap, as though trying to comfortme. I run my fingers through his coat and sigh, looking down at him.
But the next minute, my heart thuds in my chest at the sound of the front door clicking open. I look up and see Sidharth walk in, barely meeting my eyes. His shoulders sag a little, and his eyes are dull. Also, the wide smile he always wears when he sees me is nowhere to be found.
He sinks down beside me on the floor and presses a kiss to my forehead, but doesn’t say a word. Instead, he wraps one arm around my shoulders and drops his head onto the back of the couch, his face tilted towards the ceiling, his eyes closed.
I blink, my worry twisting into fear. Something is definitely wrong.
Shadow seems to sense it too, because the next second, he quietly gets up and pads over to sit outside Sunita Aunty’s door, as if giving Sidharth and me the space to talk.
“Hey,” I whisper, placing my hand on his thigh. But he doesn’t move, nor does he reply.
“Sidharth…” My voice cracks. “You’re scaring me. Please talk to me.”
Slowly, he lifts his head, and his dark eyes meet mine. This time, I don’t push him to tell me what’s bothering him. Instead, I shift closer, straddle him, and wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers brushing the back of his hair.
We stay like that for a few moments before he finally speaks.
“Prakash and Deepak are in jail.”
I stare at him, feeling my heart jolt against my ribs.
“Isn’t that supposed to be good news?” I whisper, though my voice wavers with doubt. It should have brought him relief, not something that unsettles him even more.
He exhales shakily and locks eyes with me again. “It’s way too fucking easy and just doesn’t sit right.”
I don’t let go of him. My arms stay looped around his neck, and I can feel his pulse racing under my fingertips.
“Sidharth, I get it. You’re a detective; you’re wired to expect the worst. But don’t say it was easy.” I pause, brushing my thumb along his jaw. “Prakash put us through hell, and you know that better than anyone. So don’t dismiss it like it meant nothing. Don’t go looking for something complicated when maybe, for once, it really is simple. Just take a breath and smile that it’s over.”
His fingers twitch against my waist as he speaks again.
“I’m not brushing it off. I want to believe it’s over. God, I do. But…” he swallows hard, “something feels off, Nisha. My gut’s screaming this isn’t the end.” His jaw tightens as his voice drops. “Yeah, maybe it’s the detective in me talking. But that instinct has never failed me before.”
“I get it. Maybe you’re right, maybe it’s not over,” I say softly. “But for now, can we just be glad that both of them are behind bars?” I try to point out the obvious, but he doesn’t say a word, and the tension in his body doesn’t ease.
I sigh quietly. “Okay, how about you walk me through how you caught them?”
He exhales harshly. “Viraj thought it would help if we questioned Maya, so we went to her boutique today.” He pauses, his fists clenching. “It didn’t take long before she broke down and told us the truth about how Deepak had been abusing her for months… and that he was the reason she lost the baby.”
