Part 4
Aarav’s body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Silence stretched for a heartbeat—before everything exploded into chaos.
Riya gasped, stepping back as the sharp smell of gunpowder filled the night air. Rathore barked orders, Shree and Chotu spun around to locate the shooter, but Arjun—he didn’t wait.
His gun was already raised, eyes locked onto the direction of the gunshot.
And then—he moved.
Like a shadow. Like a storm.
Riya barely had time to process before he took off, sprinting towards the dimly lit service corridor behind the parking lot.
"Arjun!" she called, instantly following.
Her silver lehenga trailed behind her as she ran, adrenaline pounding in her veins.
The killer was here. Watching them. Taunting them.
And Arjun—he wouldn’t stop until he had them in his grip.
***
Arjun’s boots hit the ground hard as he turned a corner, eyes scanning the darkness for movement. The shooter was fast, but he was faster.
A flicker of motion—someone scaling the side wall.
Arjun raised his gun.
BANG!
The bullet struck inches from the figure’s hand, forcing them to drop back down.
"Game over," Arjun growled.
The shooter spun, their face obscured by a dark mask. A gun gleamed in their grip.
Arjun didn’t hesitate. He lunged.
A brutal fight broke out.
The attacker swung first—a swift jab aimed at Arjun’s ribs. He blocked effortlessly, countering with a crushing punch to the shoulder. The masked figure stumbled but recovered, twisting away like a trained fighter.
Riya arrived just in time to see the struggle.
"Sir!"
The attacker took advantage of the distraction. A sharp kick to Arjun’s knee—just enough to throw him off balance.
And in a split second—
The shooter pulled out a dagger.
Riya saw the silver blade flash.
Her heart stopped.
"Arjun sir, sambhalke!"
But he was already moving.
He dodged just in time, grabbing the shooter’s wrist in a bruising grip. With a sharp twist, he sent the blade clattering to the ground.
And then—he struck.
A ruthless punch.
A second blow.
The attacker collapsed against the wall, dazed.
Arjun grabbed their collar, yanking them up. His voice was lethal.
"Kaun ho tum?"
No response.
The shooter struggled, but Arjun slammed them against the wall. "Bol!"
The mask shifted slightly—just enough for Riya to catch a glimpse of their eyes.
And she froze.
Brown eyes. Familiar. Terrified.
Riya inhaled sharply. "Yeh… yeh toh—"
BANG!
A second gunshot rang out—not from them, but from somewhere else.
A sniper.
The bullet barely missed Arjun as he yanked Riya behind cover. The shooter took the distraction to shove Arjun away and disappear into the darkness.
"Damn it!" Arjun swore.
But Riya… she was still staring at the empty space where the attacker had been.
Because she knew what she saw.
She had seen those eyes before.
***
Back at the ETF’s temporary base in the wedding venue, tension was at an all-time high.
Dustin Coelho rubbed his temples. "Do you understand what this means? Two murders, one dead suspect, and now a runaway attacker. Yeh sab ek high-profile shaadi ke andar ho raha hai."
Rathore’s expression was grim. "Aur jo bhi yeh kar raha hai, woh humse ek kadam aage hai."
Shree added, "Sir, maine Aarav ke phone records trace kiye. Woh kisi ek insaan se lagataar contact mein tha—lekin naam missing hai. Fake ID use hui thi."
Arjun leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His mind was racing.
Kuch toh missing piece tha.
Killer ka pattern clear tha. Pehla murder—ek influential NRI guest. Dusra murder—ek well-dressed woman. Aur har ek crime scene pe ek red rose.
Lekin jo attacker aaj bhaaga tha… woh trained tha.
Aur sabse zyada, jo Riya ne dekha tha—woh aankhein.
Arjun turned to her. "Tumne kuch dekha tha, Riya."
She hesitated. "Mujhe… unki aankhein dekhi. Aur mujhe laga, maine pehle bhi dekha hai."
Arjun narrowed his gaze. "Kahan?"
Riya opened her mouth to answer—
But just then, a staff member hurried in.
"Sir! Problem hai!"
Rathore stiffened. "Kya hua?"
The man swallowed hard. "Shireen madam… woh gayab hai."
Everything stopped.
Shireen.
Arjun’s jaw clenched.
Riya felt a wave of dread.
The killer had just taken the police commissioner’s daughter.
And now—this case had just turned even more personal.
***
Minutes later, a new message arrived.
"Agar Shireen ko zinda dekhna chahte ho… toh bina kisi shor ke, ek akela aadmi milne aayega. Bas ek. Time—rakhna 30 minutes. Warna ek aur laash milegi."
A cold silence filled the room.
Dustin exhaled sharply. "They’re forcing our hand."
Rathore clenched his fists. "Aur agar humne inka order follow kiya toh Shireen ki jaan khatre mein hai."
Arjun’s gaze was unreadable. "Humare paas doosra option bhi nahi hai."
A beat of silence.
Then—
"I’ll go."
Riya turned sharply. "Sir, nahi!"
He ignored her.
She stepped forward, furious. "Akele jaane ka plan suicide hai! Aapko pata bhi hai yeh log kaun hai? Yeh ek trap ho sakta hai!"
Arjun met her gaze, calm yet unyielding. "Aur agar koi aur jaata, toh bhi yeh trap hota. At least mujhe pata hai ki mujhe kis tarah isse handle karna hai."
Riya clenched her jaw. "Toh main bhi saath chal rahi hoon."
"Nahi."
"Arjun—"
"Main kaha na, Riya," his voice dropped lower, quieter, yet dangerously firm. "Tum nahi jaa rahi ho."
She inhaled sharply, hands fisting at her sides. "Mujhe rokne ka haq nahi hai aapko."
Arjun stepped closer, too close. His voice was barely a whisper now.
"Lekin phir bhi rok raha hoon."
Riya stared at him—fire meeting fire.
The tension crackled between them, thick, unbearable.
But Arjun had already turned, loading his gun. "Main jaa raha hoon. Aur mujhe wapas laash le kar aane ka irada nahi hai."
And before she could say anything else—
He walked away.
Straight into the lion’s den.
Edited by SarafWasima - 5 months ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Indian Mythology
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
689