My stomach lurches, but I stay quiet, letting him talk.
“But the worst part was when she said she went through his things and found photos of you. Each one crossed out in red.”
My chest tightens, bile rising in my throat. Sidharth must see the shift in my face, because he reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips.
“God, he’s such an asshole,” I whisper.
“Yeah,” Sidharth says, his voice going sharp. “After Maya’s confession, Viraj had his team bring Deepak in. He still hasn’t confessed, just keeps blaming everything on Maya.”
I nod slowly, my mind still reeling. “How did you manage to catch Prakash?”
“We sent one of the officers to check Maya’s house, just in case they could find more evidence on Deepak. But turns out, Prakash was hiding there.” His jaw tightens. “Probably because she was next on his list. After what she confessed about Deepak today, he’d have every reason to silence her.”
A chill runs through me, my body going cold, but Sidharth squeezes my hand and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles.
“We still have to interrogate them together,” he says quietly. “Maybe once they’re face-to-face, they’ll finally crack and admit the truth. But for that, I have to wait until tomorrow.” He shakes his head in frustration. “God, I want to get to the bottom of this so bad, but I couldn’t do that shit tonight. I’m too damn drained.”
I gently pull my hand from his and cup his face in both of mine, making him look at me. “You need to take it easy. You need to believe that it’s over and stop beating yourself up about it.” A soft smile curves my lips. “In fact, I’m already starting to relax, just knowing I can finally breathe freely and live a normal life without Karan hovering every second—”
He cuts me off, shaking his head firmly. “No. Karan stays. I don’t care if they’re locked up. I’m not taking any damn chances. I’m not letting you go anywhere without protection.”
I exhale slowly, my thumbs brushing his jaw. “Sidharth, I know your job has conditioned you to stay five steps ahead of every threat. But this hyper-vigilance scares me. It makes me feel like I’m still in danger, even when I’m not.”
“It’s me being cautious,” he says defensively.
“I know,” I reply quickly, my voice softening. “But it’s suffocating me.”
He shuts his eyes, and I press my forehead to his.
“I need a normal life, Sidharth,” I whisper.
His grip on my waist tightens. “I don’t know how to do that.”
I lift my head, searching his face. “Then, how about we start this my way? Like removing the CCTV cameras,” I suggest gently. “And maybe asking Karan to stop hovering.”
His brows pull together. “There’s no harm in keeping them.”
I sigh. “Sidharth, this isn’t about harm. It’s about the fact that I don’t want to live like I’m some porcelain doll, always needing to be protected.”
“You’d rather risk your life again?” he snaps.
“No,” I say firmly, standing my ground. “I’d rather risk learning to live again. There’s a difference.”
He drags a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “You don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t understand!” I cut in, my voice rising, surprising even myself. “I’ve already lived through hell, Sidharth. I’ve faced the worst. I’m not saying I want to pretend nothing ever happened. But I refuse to let fear be the thing that shapes every second of my life.”
His eyes soften, even as his body remains rigid.
“You’re asking me to turn off a part of myself,” he says, quieter now. Almost defeated.
“No,” I whisper, placing my hand over his heart. “I’m not asking you to stop caring. I’m asking you to choose me over that part of yourself. I don’t need a detective shadowing my every step. I need you, Sidharth. The man who makes me feel safe and respects my choices… the man who’s holding me like this right now.”
He exhales, the sound shaky as his forehead drops to mine again. “God, Nisha…”
There’s a long pause before he pulls back, his eyes searching my face. “You really think it’s smart to let Karan go?”
I nod. “And the cameras too.”
