The corridor outside the operation theater felt like a living hell. The red light above the door burned continuously, and beneath that light, sitting with his back against the wall, was the powerful business tycoon of this city, Ariyan Hossein. On both of his hands, Tuli's blood had clotted—blood that was mixed with ten years of waiting and selfless love.
A short distance away, sitting on a chair with his head bowed, was Mr. Arman. His expensive suit and the pride of his aristocracy had all turned to dust today. He had never imagined, even in his dreams, that the arrow shot by his own hand would return to pierce his own chest.
Ariyan suddenly stood up. Stepping unsteadily, he went and stood before Mr. Arman. His voice was unusually calm, but within that calm lay hidden a total destruction.
"You must be feeling very good, aren't you, Mr. Arman?" Ariyan said in a low voice. "Your aristocracy has been preserved. The daughter who was destroying your reputation—you removed her yourself. Now, go home without a care and celebrate."
Mr. Arman looked up. There were tears in his eyes. "Ariyan, believe me... I didn't know Tuli would come there. I only wanted to..."
"You wanted to kill me, right?" Ariyan screamed out. "You would have killed me! You would have shot me in the chest! But why did you bring my Tuli into the middle of this? She used to think of you as a god. Yet, like an animal, you played with her happy life."
Just then, the door to the operation theater opened, and the doctor came out. Both Ariyan and Mr. Arman rushed toward him.
The doctor removed his mask and let out a deep sigh. "The patient's condition is very critical. Out of the three bullets, we managed to extract two, but one bullet is lodged very close to her spine. There has been a lot of blood loss. Nothing can be said for the next 48 hours. Please just pray."
Ariyan stood there like a stone. His world suddenly seemed to grind to a halt. In a trembling voice, he asked, "Can I see her just once?"
The doctor gave his permission. Tuli was lying on the other side of the ICU's glass wall. Her fair face was now as pale as white paper. There was an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, and countless tubes ran across her entire body.
Ariyan placed his hand against the glass. His tears rolled down, blending with the blood on the floor. He whispered to himself, "Tuli, you promised we would go back to the shade of the Bokul tree together. You cannot leave me alone like this. This empire, this money—I will burn everything to ashes if you do not come back."
As silence descended upon the hospital corridor, Ariyan noticed Ayan standing in a corner. There was no remorse in Ayan's eyes; instead, a cruel smile played on his lips. It was as if he was looking for an opportunity to finish the job.
Ariyan's jaw tightened. He realized that while Mr. Arman had broken down, Ayan was still dangerous. Ariyan pulled out his phone and called his security team. "Surround every single corner of the hospital. From today, Tuli's security is my responsibility. Not even a fly should be able to get through."
The battle was no longer just about business; the battle was now for life itself. Will Tuli be able to win this death-defying war? Or will the story of the blue note end right here in tragedy?