After Kalpana finishes wiping Geetika's face with her handkerchief and hands her a water bottle, she walks over to the spot where an old man (the tea vendor) is preparing tea. Geetika grabs the water bottle and drinks as if she hasn't had a sip in days. She's clearly shaken. Her silence reveals her fear.
From a distance, Kalpana watches her with victorious eyes. In the dim glow of the deepening night, Geetika's face glows gently. Her hair is messy but dancing with the wind. As she gulps down the water, her neck moves in a way that creates a striking visual. This moment captures Kalpana's gaze completely—her eyes fix on Geetika's chin, once again. Just like before, she's frozen in that sight.
But then, the tea vendor steps in and breaks the moment:
"Beta, the tea is ready." (He turns his head slightly like a clock at 4 o'clock.)
Kalpana replies, "Yes, thank you." (She picks up one glass of tea and leaves the other behind.)
Holding the cup, she walks back to Geetika and offers it to her.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes," Geetika answers without lifting her head.
"Drink this tea. You'll feel better."
Geetika looks up at her. Kalpana adds:
"Come on, take it quickly. Don't waste time. The tea will get cold."
Without arguing, Geetika quietly takes the cup.
Kalpana then looks around cautiously—worried those devils might follow them here. If they do, it'll be a big problem. She doesn't want to linger.
She grabs her own tea and leans against the stall wall. But her eyes? They remain fixed on Geetika. No matter how much she tries to look around, her gaze returns to her.
She watches Geetika's hair flutter in the wind. The breeze grows colder now. Suddenly, a tiny white droplet—a solid bit of snow—lands on Kalpana's upper hand, the one holding the tea glass. She quickly looks up and murmurs:
"It's snowing now."
(She lowers her head from the sky and looks forward.)
Geetika shrugs her shoulders slightly to feel the cold air. Kalpana immediately picks up on it—she's cold.
Kalpana's tea is almost finished. She sets the cup down, walks over, and removes her leather jacket from her shoulders, draping it gently over Geetika.
Feeling that warm layer of comfort, Geetika looks up at Kalpana's face.
Kalpana responds, "We should leave now."
(She knows well—if the snowfall picks up, the situation will get worse.)
Geetika has nearly finished her tea. Her brain cells finally start functioning again. The snow is falling faster now and sending chills through her body. Holding the jacket in one hand, she stands up.
The two of them walk toward Kalpana's bike.
The night is becoming more and more beautiful. The snowflakes land softly on tree leaves, creating a magical sight. They fall gently into both girls' hair.
Kalpana, wearing her helmet, mounts her bullet. Slowly, Geetika climbs on too. Kalpana starts the bike—she always calls it her "Bullet"—and this time, she keeps the speed lower than usual.
After riding for a bit, Kalpana asks:
"Which zone is your house in?"
But silence.
As if Geetika didn't hear it.
The chilly wind has grown stronger. Snowflakes are sticking to her hair, making her sensory system numb again.
Kalpana glances at the side mirror—what she sees is a calm, silent face.
She thinks to herself:
"Unbelievable! The girl who's always yelling is now this quiet? So calm? She should know her address at least… but looks like even her brain's frozen. Not that she had one to begin with."
Then aloud, Kalpana says:
"Still, I'll have to ask her again."
Lost in thought, Kalpana suddenly hits the brakes. Geetika jerks forward and bumps into Kalpana's solid back. The impact wakes up her senses a little, and the snow stuck in her hair falls off.
Her hands instinctively grab Kalpana's shoulders, and she blurts out:
"Aah! Can't you ride properly? If you don't know how to handle this bike, why do you roam around with it everywhere?"
"Looks like the brainless one's brain cells are finally back in place," Kalpana muttered to herself.
Then she said to Geetika:
"Don't forget—you're on my Queen. And it was this bike that saved you."
Geetika immediately jumped off the bike and said:
"Fine! I've gotten off your so-called Queen—happy now? And I don't need your help. I don't need any help from you!"
"Brainless, just sit quietly," Kalpana snapped, fully aware that if those men showed up—even by mistake—it could get very dangerous. That's why she kept insisting.
Kalpana added:
"Hurry up. Don't waste time. Get back on."
"No! I'm not getting on!" Geetika shot back.
Kalpana closed her eyes, opened them again, gripped the bike with one hand, and with the other, grabbed Geetika's wrist tightly.
There was real strength in that grip.
Geetika could feel it clearly—it was strong, very strong.
Kalpana then said:
"I won't say it again. Don't waste time. You've already wasted five minutes. Sit quietly."
Geetika, seeing her large eyes behind the helmet and feeling the power in her wrist, realized just how strong Kalpana really was. She quietly sat back down on the bike.
Then Kalpana asked again:
"Which direction is your house?"
Geetika, rubbing her wrist, replied in a straight tone:
"Rafting Point."
In her mind, Geetika mumbled:
"Arrogant and powerful… just great."
Kalpana turned her bullet toward Rafting Point. The light snowfall that had just begun...
Now the snowfall had intensified, and as a result, Geetika clenched her teeth tightly together. Even though she was wearing Kalpana's leather jacket, a slight shiver had begun in her body. Looking at Kalpana—who sat in front of her, back straight, head held high, eyes fixed on the road—Geetika thought to herself:
"Her body's like a rock—her heart must be the same too."
"What? Did you say something?"
Geetika was shocked—I said that in my mind, how did she know? Trying to change the subject quickly, she replied:
"Yes, I did. Stop here."
(She was now asking Kalpana to stop.)
Kalpana brought the bullet to a halt. Geetika got off the bike, folding her arms across her chest, and said:
"This is my house."
(Turning her neck to the left, like at 3 o'clock, Kalpana simply nodded her head.)
Geetika turned around and took a step forward, but Kalpana suddenly said:
"It's very easy to lecture others on manners."
Hearing Kalpana's sarcastic comment, Geetika stopped mid-step and turned around. She understood very well what Kalpana meant. Before she could respond, Kalpana continued:
"Who asked you to come there? And why did you come, huh? Because of you, things got out of hand today."
That made Geetika angry. Her ears, which had gone cold in the winter air, now began to burn with heat.
"Me? Me? Why did you come into my business? You're the one who always says, 'Stay away from me, stay away from me,' so why do you follow me around? Why are you always in front of me or behind me? Why do you get involved in my work? You came—I didn't."
Raising her eyebrows slightly, Kalpana replied:
"Work. My work."
When Kalpana said "work," Geetika caught on to it immediately and responded...
Not the work—you. And I don't know which girl you were trying to find, and because of that, they started chasing me."
Kalpana understood immediately—because it was Geetika in that room. She had knocked out one of Kalpana's targets and caused all the chaos. That room, that mess—it was Geetika's doing. And she also realized that when Geetika was trapped among those three men, it was because of her. That danger was meant for Kalpana.
Kalpana accepts that silently. But instead of admitting it out loud, she shifts the argument again and says:
"I told you before—I have nothing to do with you or your work. Just stay out of my way. Is that so hard to understand? What is it, your memory failing you or something? If it is, then why don't you start writing bullet points on that planning board of yours?"
Geetika grits her teeth, clenches her fists, and glares at Kalpana.
"Neither I nor my work has any desire to cross your path," she says angrily.
But before she can say more, Kalpana cuts in:
"Ah, relax, relax—I get it. The whole system is corrupt, so how can it process anything properly? Just go. Go inside, before whatever's left of the system crashes completely. Just go."
Saying this, Kalpana puts her helmet on, starts her Bullet, and rides off. Geetika is left standing there, her words stuck inside her. She doesn't get to say what she wants. Frustrated, she stomps her left foot on the ground and mutters:
"Ugh, why is she so full of herself? What does she think she is? Arrogant, self-obsessed woman!"
(Saying this, she starts to head inside the house.)
Just then, she remembers it's already quite late. She wonders if her parents are still awake or not. She walks up to the door and knocks—she has already taught her parents a specific knock pattern so they'd recognize it's her. After all, she's a journalist—she has to be cautious.
Her father opens the door and Geetika says:
"Baba, you opened the door so quickly! You weren't asleep?"
"Speak softly. Don't wake your mother."
Geetika immediately places her finger over her lips and nods. Her father slowly closes the door behind her. Then Geetika says...
Baba, why are you still awake? Go to bed, please."
Her father replies gently,
"How can a father sleep when his child hasn't come home yet?"
"Well, your daughter is home now, right? Now please go and get some sleep."
But Baba notices the bruise on Geetika's lip. He raises his thumb to gently touch it and asks,
"What happened, beta?"
(This question stings Geetika a little.)
She quickly responds,
"Oh… I honestly forgot about that, Baba."
(She places her hand over his and gently moves it away from her face.)
"Well, Baba..."
(She hesitates, unsure of what to say.)
Then her brain quickly comes up with something and she adds,
"I fell today… off a shelf. While trying to take a book down in the library."
The lighting in the hallway isn't very bright, so her injury isn't fully visible. Baba, still worried, says,
"Beta..."
(with concern in his tone)
Before he can say more, Geetika interrupts him,
"I'm fine, Baba. Before Mom wakes up, please go."
Geetika gently takes Baba's hand and leads him toward his room, saying,
"I'll eat something later."
"Beta, why don't you take better care of yourself?"
Before he can continue, Geetika quickly says,
"I'm absolutely fine, Baba."
And with that, she wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Baba doesn't say anything further—he just holds her for a moment before quietly returning to his room.
Geetika then walks to her own room.
Kalpana reaches home, and just then, Abhinav's call comes in. She picks it up and says,
"Yes, Abhi?"
"Where did you go, huh? And your phone wasn't reachable! Are you crazy, Panda? Are you okay?"
"Relax, Abhi. I'm fine. I just got stuck somewhere, and I think the network wasn't working there. So sorry I worried you all."
"It's fine, Panda. Are you home now? Have you reached safely?"
"Yes, Parth. I'm at home."
"Roger that, Panda. Thank God."
"Did you guys get home safely or not?" Kalpana asked.
"Yeah, just dropping Amaze off. After that, I'm heading home.
You know, he got so worried about you."
Kalpana smiles and says,
"Tell him to chill now."
"Okay, he's right here listening. He'll say it himself."
"Amaze, relax. Take care, and take a 12-degree."
Hearing that, both—actually all three of them—smile, and the two guys say together,
"Yeah, 12-degree."
With that, they end the conversation.
After putting down the phone, Kalpana looks out the window. Just then, Amma walks in with a cup of tea. Before Amma can reach her, Kalpana steps forward, takes the cup from her hands, and says,
"Thank you so much, Amma. Now please go get some sleep."
"Are you alright, beta?"
Of course! Look, I'm right in front of you. Now hurry up, don't waste time. Go to sleep."
And Amma goes back to her room.
Kalpana takes her cup and steps out into her balcony. The weather outside is just as it was a while ago—nothing has changed. The events from earlier begin to replay in Kalpana's mind, and she says aloud,
"They slipped through my hands. Otherwise, I would've reached Gaurav today. Everything got messed up because of that journalist. Why does she keep running into me? Why do we keep crossing paths? I don't want to meet her, I don't want to bump into her—then why?"
As she speaks, suddenly, the image of Geetika's injured face flashes before her eyes, and her words come to a halt. Her thoughts shift, and now she says,
"But she shouldn't have gotten hurt. Because... maybe, somehow, it was because of me."
(Kalpana is troubled by the fact that Geetika got injured, possibly because of her.)
Meanwhile, Geetika receives a call from Suraj. She picks up and says,
"Yeah, Suraj, tell me."
"I've been calling you! Your phone wasn't connecting at all."
"Yeah, Suraj. Must've been a network issue. Say what you have to say."
"Are you okay? You sound really down."
"Yeah, I'm fine. You go on."
"Did you find the guy?"
"No, yaar. Didn't find him. The one I want to find never shows up, and the one I don't want to see ends up right in front of me."
"Who showed up in front of you?"
"Forget all that. I found another clue. And this one's from yesterday—it might just lead us to their entire gang." (Suraj says cautiously.)
"What? Are you serious?" (Geetika's eyes widen.)
"Yes, I'm serious. I'm forwarding it to you right now. And this time, we have a face too."
Hearing this, Geetika brightens up and says,
"Okay! Send it to me right away."
"Okay! And yes, we'll have to leave early tomorrow morning because those people are planning to move out. One of their groups is trying to smuggle some children out, and if we don't catch them now, those kids—and possibly all of them—will slip through our hands."
Geetika says,"Okay fine, just forward me the message. We'll leave early in the morning. We won't let them take our children. Let's see how they manage to get away from here."
"Okay done, I'll meet you at 4:30," says Suraj."Yeah, fine. But is it really necessary for you to come?" Geetika asked."Yes, I can't let you go alone. It's not safe there.""Okay, fine. But hey, what happened about that politician?""Relax. Branch Sir said that article must not be published again, or anything else related to it. In fact, their names shouldn't appear in any article either."
Hearing this, Geetika gets furious and says,"Branch Sir said that?""Yes.""I can't believe it. I won't let go of that article. And I won't spare those people either.""Geetika, relax. Just focus on tomorrow for now, okay?""Yeah, okay fine. Go sleep now."
After hanging up, she begins to think about everything that happened today. Her heart, her mind, her eyes—all replay that moment when that man raised his hand on her and she spun and fell into Kalpana's arms. That scene plays faintly before her eyes, the feeling starts to rise again—how Kalpana fought those three men and protected her. Her heart tells her, yes, Kalpana saved her.
Trying to ignore and push aside that feeling, she says aloud,"No, she didn't save me. Anyone else in her place would've done the same. No, not at all. She's arrogant. She's cruel."(She looks at her wrist)Three finger marks from Kalpana have been imprinted on her wrist. Kalpana had gripped her so tightly that blood circulation had stopped, leaving bruises behind.
Looking at it, Geetika raises her eyebrows and says,"See? How arrogant and cruel she is—my wrist says it all."(Sighing, she looks up at the sky and says)"Please don't make me run into her again. I don't want to meet her. And she herself said, 'Stay away from me. Don't meet me.'I don't have any desire to go near her, but I don't know why fate keeps making me cross paths with her.I don't want to meet her again. Never again
(She keeps her face lifted toward the sky, her eyes slowly closing.)
Meanwhile, moving away from Geetika's thoughts, Kalpana makes a call to Doorbhash (codename).
"Connecting Doorbhash.""Connecting Panda.""Doorbhash, he slipped away from my hands.""Panda, did you go alone?""Yes. Leave all that for now. Doorbhash, I need your help again, and I need the next clue as soon as possible. Please, do something. I have a really bad feeling about Gaurav. Please! I can't handle this feeling for too long. Please do something."
Hearing this, Doorbhash says,"Okay, Panda. Give me some time.""No, Doorbhash! We don't have time. I'm requesting you because this isn't official work—otherwise, I'd be ordering you to get me the next clue in thirty minutes. And out of those thirty minutes, you've already wasted one. So hurry up, don't waste time. But right now, I'm requesting you. Please! Don't waste time. Give me the clue, Doorbhash."
Understanding Kalpana's anxiety, he replies,"Panda, I understand your urgency. Fine, I'll update you within thirty minutes.""Okay, Doorbhash. Disconnect."
Saying this, she hangs up and places her phone on the table. She looks out again toward the sky, stretches out her palm from the balcony. When the snowflakes touch her hand, she slowly closes her fingers around them. As she closes her palms, a soft smile appears on her lips. Her eyes gently shut as if something beautiful, something precious suddenly came to her mind. She softly whispers:
"You! You used to love snow so much, didn't you?"
She just keeps her eyes closed, quietly feeling the falling snow.
"Namaskar 🙏"
* Bata - Son
* Doorbhash - Telephone operator