The man's voice tore through the silence of the house.
"Malvek!"
The name echoed across the courtyard like a warning bell.
Within seconds, hurried footsteps approached. The gatekeeper appeared, slightly out of breath, his hands still dusted from work. "Sir… you called me?"
The man stood rigid, a crumpled letter clenched tightly in his fist. His eyes burned with something far more dangerous than anger—fear.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
Malvek blinked, confused. "Who, sir?"
In an instant, the man closed the distance between them, grabbing Malvek by the collar and yanking him forward.
"My daughter, you fool!"
Malvek's breath hitched. "I—I don't know, sir…"
The man's grip tightened. The letter shook in his hand. "She's gone. She ran away from this house!" His voice cracked, but the fury didn't fade. "And what were you doing, hmm? I told you to keep an eye on her!"
"I did, sir—I swear I did!" Malvek stammered, panic creeping into his voice. "Madam came back from her college… I saw her enter the house. After that… I didn't see her come out, sir."
For a moment, everything went still.
The man slowly loosened his grip, but his gaze remained sharp, searching, calculating. The letter in his hand felt heavier now—like proof of something he didn't want to believe.
If she hadn't walked out the gate…
Then how had she disappeared?The next morning, the house no longer felt like a home.
It felt like a crime scene.
A police jeep stood at the gate, its presence heavy and unsettling. The driver slowed his steps as he entered, confusion flickering across his face. Something was wrong—terribly wrong.
Inside, the air was thick with tension.
Rajveer sat on the sofa, his shoulders slumped, his face buried in his trembling hands. The same man who once commanded authority now looked broken, as if the night had drained every ounce of strength from him.
"My daughter…" his voice cracked as he spoke to the officers, tears slipping through his fingers. "She didn't come home last night. I think… I think someone has kidnapped her."
The police officer standing before him remained calm, his sharp eyes observing every detail. "Do you suspect anyone, Mr. Rajveer?"
Rajveer shook his head weakly. "No… I have no idea."
"It's alright, Rajveer sir," the officer said in a steady voice. "We'll find your daughter as soon as possible." He paused, then asked, "Did anyone call you? Any ransom demand?"
"No," Rajveer replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
At the doorway, the driver stood silently, watching everything unfold. He hadn't even stepped fully inside, as if unsure whether he was allowed to enter this shattered moment.
"When was the last time you saw her?" the officer asked, turning his attention elsewhere.
The gatekeeper stepped forward nervously. "In the morning, sir… when madam was leaving for college."
The officer nodded slowly, processing the information. Then his gaze shifted—to the man standing at the doorway.
The driver.
As the officer began walking toward him, Rajveer suddenly spoke, his voice quick, almost defensive.
"He's my driver," he said. "Yesterday, he was with me the whole day. He doesn't know anything about this."
The officer stopped mid-step.
"Hmmm…" he murmured, his eyes lingering on Rajveer for a moment longer than necessary.
Something in that statement didn't sit right.
But he said nothing.
With a final glance around the room, the officer turned and walked out, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than before.After the police left, silence returned—but it was no longer the same silence.
Rajveer slowly stood up from the sofa. The grief that had consumed him moments ago seemed to fade, replaced by a cold, calculated calm. He walked toward the doorway where Karan stood, still and observant.
"Karan," Rajveer called.
Karan straightened slightly. "Yes, sir."
Rajveer stopped in front of him, his eyes sharp. "If anyone asks you about Ananya… you will say you haven't seen her since yesterday. After she left for college. Understood?"
Karan didn't speak immediately. His face remained unreadable.
"…Yes, sir."
That was all.
No questions. No hesitation in his voice. Just obedience.
Rajveer held his gaze for a moment, as if ensuring the words had settled properly, then turned and walked away without another word.
Karan remained where he was, unmoving.
He remembered clearly.
He had been the one to pick Ananya up from college. He had driven her home. Rajveer knew that.
Yet, he had been told to lie.
Karan's expression did not change—but something in his eyes hardened slightly.
Footsteps approached in a hurry.
"Babu—" Malvek rushed in, stopping near him, slightly out of breath. His voice dropped into a whisper. "Rajveer sir's daughter… she ran away."
Karan did not react.
"With her boyfriend," Malvek added quickly. "She left a letter in her room."
Still, Karan said nothing.
Malvek glanced around nervously before continuing, "Sir doesn't want anyone to know. His reputation… you understand. That's why he's telling us to say she never came back home."
A long pause followed.
Karan's gaze remained fixed ahead, distant and steady.
"…I understand," he said at last.
His voice was calm. Flat.
As if nothing about this surprised him.