The air felt wrong that evening.
Too quiet.
Aarav sensed it the moment he stepped into the alley behind the fight club. The usual noise — shouting, engines, distant music — felt distant. Muted.
A trap.
He turned slightly.
Footsteps.
Slow. Coordinated.
Five men stepped out from the shadows.
Black jackets.
Rudra Khanna's men.
"You were warned," one of them said coldly.
Aarav didn't respond. He removed his jacket calmly, letting it fall to the wet ground.
Rain began to pour again, as if the sky enjoyed repeating history.
The first punch came fast.
He blocked it.
The second carried a metal rod.
It struck his ribs.
Pain exploded through his body.
But he didn't fall.
He fought back — sharp, efficient, ruthless. One man dropped. Then another. Blood mixed with rainwater.
But five against one was never fair.
A final blow struck the back of his head.
The world blurred.
He fell to one knee.
Through the ringing in his ears, he heard a car door open.
He forced his eyes to focus.
Meera.
She had just stepped out of a taxi at the end of the street.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"Aarav!"
The men stepped back slightly, allowing her to see.
"This is the man you care about?" one of them mocked. "A street dog."
"Stop!" she screamed.
Aarav tried to stand, but another kick sent him crashing to the ground.
Meera ran toward him, tears mixing with rain.
"Why are you doing this?!" she cried.
One of the men leaned closer to her.
"Ask your father."
Silence.
Her expression changed.
Confusion. Fear.
Realization.
She looked at Aarav, breathing heavily.
"You knew?" she whispered.
Aarav said nothing.
That silence felt like betrayal.
"You knew who my father was… and you still came near me?" Her voice broke.
He forced out the words through blood and pain.
"I didn't come near you for him."
But the damage was done.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
The men retreated quickly.
Meera stepped back slowly.
"I don't know who you really are," she said softly.
Then she turned and walked away.
Aarav remained on the cold ground, rain washing over him.
The beating didn't hurt.
Her doubt did.