The hospital was silent. Vikram laying on hospital bed. His eyes closed. Anesthesia working on her properly. His breathing was deep, and steady. But blood stained bandage on his arm was a reminder, not just reminder but a brutal reminder of what happened few hours ago.
Devika came inside and looks at him.
Rishi stood at the end of the bed. His arms crossed and posture stiff.
Abhinav Sharma leaned by window. Black shirt sleeves rolled up, gun still visible under his blazer which was laying on couch. He didn't even bothered to hide it. And also this wasn't a place for pretending to be normal.
Devika sat on leather couch. Back pressed into the cushions. Her hands still clenched. She hadn't said a word since when they carried Vikram inside hospital.
The silence made feel everything louder.
The beep of moniter. The tick of AC. Every footstep in the hallway.
And the way abhinav kept looking at her. Assessing and calculating.
She didn't know it he was trying to protect her. Or figure out how dangerous she was now.
Rishi finally exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face."they are targeting her now."he muttered, his eyes still on vikram.
Devika lifted her head weakly."who?" She whispered.
Abhinav answer, serious voice." Men who think vikram's woman is the fastest way to bring him down."
Her blood froze." I am not" her voice cracked" I am not his anything."
Abhinav didn't even blink."they don't care."
He walks toward her slowly, like he was giving her time to understand every word.
"That picture outside the cafe?." Devika said.
He nodded at his phone screen. Her face and vikram's face were close. Too close.
The flash of camera's, his hand around her waist. Her body against his chest.
One image. One second.
And now her whole life was a weapon.
"They think matter to him." Abhinav continued. "They think you are leverage."
Devika swallowed hard, chest tightened."But I don't--we are not--its not like that."
Abhinav laughed once. Short and dangerous. "You think criminals care about truth?"
Rishi turned to her, serious voice." They already saw that cafe pic, every mafia rat in this country now wants to know why."
Her fist clenched. It was supposed to be fun day. Lunch with her team. Some teasing. Maybe little jealousy.
Instead,
Now she was being hunted.
Abhinav stepped closer and she got tensed. He didn't touch her. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"You can run if you want." He said, serious voice."we won't stop you."
Rishi stiffened," Abhinav-"
"But if you walk out of this room right now. They will grab you before you even reach the evelator."
Devika's eyes widen.
Her workd, busy schedules, marketing plans, presentations had turned into guns, fires and blood. Her eyes went towards Vikram on bed.
He looked peaceful. Almost gentle.
She hated herself for how badly she wanted that someone to be her."but why me?" She whispers.
Rishi said," because Vikram doesn't bleed for anyone except his family." Then he looks at vikram bandage."And tonight, he bled."
Abhinav folded his arms."you should understand something, Ms. Devika."
His voice get extremly cold." We don't care if you are scared. We don't care if you hate him. We don't care if you stay or go."
Devika looked up,"what do you care about then"
His eyes sharpen. He looks toward devika." We care that those men don't put a bullet in your head and use your corpse to send him a message."
Her throat get dried. Just the reality of how far she did fallen into world she never wanted.
Rishi walked to the door and locked it. Then he sat on the chair across from her, eyes steady.
"We are watching you." He said gently." Because if you run, you will die."
Devika didn't argue. She just sat there silently, shaking. She finally understood.
The only person who made her feel safe in the last 24hours. Was the same man she was now terrified of.
Vikram.
After 30 minutes.
Door of VIP room burst open with force that made even guards straightened in fear.
Rajveer Oberoi.
Vikram's father.
The man whose name alone can made half of underground world tremble.
He walked in with power that even filled the entire room, his shoulder stiff, jaw clenched. His eyes were burning with rage.
Rishi and Abhinav stood up instantly.
Devika didn't move. She was still sitting on the couch exactly where they told her to sit. She was quiet, terrified and shrinking inside the oversized hoodie. Rishi gave her to wear.
Rajveer eyes scanned room once, and then stopped on Vikram, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. He was unconsciou due to injections.
"Who dared to touch my son?" He said, extremly cold voice.
Even Abhinav, who never feared anyone also looked away.
Vikram and Abhinav always stayed together since their childhood. Abhinav father is Rajveer's bestfriend.
Rajveer stepped toward the bed. Staring at his unconsicous son. Vikram's right arm was wrapped in bloody bandage.
Rajveer jaw tightened. His fingers curled into fist like he was holding himself back.
Rishi cleared his throat" uncle we reached on time. The bullet didn't go deep. Doctors said he will regain conscious in few hours they had given him anesthia."
Rajveer didn't respond him. He was too busy in fighting every violent instinct inside him.
He touched Vikram face gently and carefully. The rage in him crashed with the helplessness of a father who couldn't even protect his child in that moment.
He knows Vikram is ruthless, but still he cares about his son. He can't see him like this. Lying on bed consicous. It breaks something inside him.
"I warned them before" Rajveer whispered. Serious voice." I warned those bastards what would happen if they touched my son even by mistake."
Rishi and Abhinav looks at each other. That tone of Rajveer. It meant war. But neither of them expected was what happened next.