I didn't waste another second.
Dialing the officer, I spoke before he could say anything.
"I'll handle this."
There was a pause on the other end, but he didn't question me.
"Yes, sir."
The call ended.
Next, I texted Ishika.
Send me Jhalak's number.
It took less than a minute.
The number came through.
I stared at it for a second... then pressed call.
It rang twice.
Then someone picked up.
"Hello?"
"Put your mother on the phone," I said, my voice calm but firm.
A brief silence.
Then some rustling.
Another voice came on-older, cautious.
"Hello... who is this?"
"Kabir Rathore."
A pause.
"Rajput... brothel?" she asked, uncertain.
For a moment-
something inside me resisted that identity.
But I pushed it down.
"No rathore brothel " I said. "And I have a deal for you."
My jaw tightened slightly as I continued.
"I want to buy Aaira Roy."
Even saying those words-
felt wrong
Disgusting.
But this wasn't about me.
It was about saving her.
"I've already made a deal with someone else," the woman replied quickly.
Of course she had.
My grip on the phone tightened.
What kind of woman sells her girl like this...
Anger rose-but I forced it down.
Now wasn't the time.
"I'll give you fifty lakh," I said, my tone turning colder.
Silence.
Then-
"What?" she gasped, clearly stunned.
"I'll handle everything," I continued. "Whoever you've dealt with-I'll take care of it. You just agree."
She hesitated for barely a second.
Greed works faster than fear.
"Fine... fine, I agree," she said hurriedly.
No shame.
No guilt.
Just acceptance.
"I'll take her tommorow Evening," I said.
"You don't need to do anything. My men will handle the rest."
"Yes... yes," she replied immediately.
"And one more thing," I added, my voice dropping.
"When they come-treat her properly."
A brief pause.
"Hmm... alright."
The call ended.
I lowered the phone slowly.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Fifty lakh transferred within minutes.
Done.
Simple.
Efficient.
Clean.
And yet-
nothing about this felt right.
Buying someone's life just to save it...
What kind of world was this?
My gaze shifted back toward the room.
Toward Aaira.
Still asleep.
Still unaware.
I'm sorry, I thought quietly.
This is the only way.
Even if she never understands.
Even if she hates me for it-
I'll take that.
As long as she's safe.
For a moment, I convinced myself-
I'll tell her everything in the evening.
She'll understand.
She has to.
Ishika returned with breakfast, placing the tray down.
"What happened?" she asked casually.
"Nothing," I replied. "Just had to handle something... for Aaira."
She didn't question further.
Aaira woke up a while later.
Quiet. Slightly disoriented.
She ate a little, still weak, and I made sure sh felt ok before stepping out.
I drove back to aaira house and dropped her with an ache of how will she react to reality
Then i drove back and dropped ishika...!
I had barely taken a few routes towards my home,
when my phone rang.
Unknown number.
But I already knew who it was.
I answered.
"Hello."
A low chuckle came from the other side.
"Kabir Rathore," Kadir's voice drawled, "how dare you interfere in my deal?"
I leaned against the wall, unfazed.
"You've got it wrong," I said calmly. "I don't let people destroy lives. Not on my watch."
A pause.
Then a mocking tone-
"And yet... you're buying her yourself. Sounds like a transaction to me. Or have you joined the same game now?"
My jaw tightened slightly.
"The method may be wrong," I said, my voice turning colder, "but the intention isn't. And I won't let you touch her."
A soft laugh echoed through the line.
"Oh... you even know her name," he said slowly. "Interesting."
I didn't respond.
But he continued-
"What happened, Kabir? Don't tell me... you like her."
"Stop talking nonsense," I snapped.
That only seemed to amuse him more.
"Now this just got better," he said, his tone darkening. "I liked that girl the moment I saw her. But now that you want her too..."
A brief pause.
"...it'll be even more fun taking her away from you."
My grip on the phone tightened.
"Remember this," he added quietly, "she'll be mine."
The line went dead.
For a second, I just stood there.
Still.
Silent.
Not afraid of Kadir-
but of what his obsession could do.
Because this wasn't just about power anymore.
Aaira was involved.
And that changed everything.
I didn't waste time.
I need to talk to her. Today.
Now.
I pulled out my phone and texted her.
No reply.
A strange unease settled in.
I called.
No response.
My heartbeat picked up.
Where is she?
I grabbed my keys and headed straight to the car.
If something had happened-
I wouldn't forgive myself.
Not this time.
Just as I stepped inside-
my phone rang.
Aaira.
Relief hit instantly.
I answered without delay.
"Where are you?" I asked, sharper than intended.
There was a pause on the other end.
Then her voice.
"I'm here." in my room
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself.
"Come downstairs," I said. "Right now."
This conversation couldn't wait anymore.
I was still waiting for Aaira to come downstairs when suddenly my phone rang.
Amma.
The moment I answered, her panicked voice came through-
"Kabir... Kashvi is sick. Come to the hospital quickly."
My expression changed instantly.
"What happened?"
"She has high fever... and severe weakness. Just come fast."
The line disconnected.
For a second, my mind split in two.
Aaira.
Kashvi my sister..!
Damn it.
I ran a frustrated hand through my hair before immediately calling Navya.
She picked up within seconds.
"There's a girl," I said quickly. "She's already been sold. We need to bring her in before someone else gets her."
There was a brief pause.
Then amusement entered her voice.
"So finally you're doing things my way?"
I ignored the comment.
"Just handle it carefully," I said sharply. "No unnecessary force."
Navya sounded almost pleased.
"Relax. I know how this works."
Something about her tone unsettled me.
But Kashvi came first right now.
I had no choice.
By the time I reached the hospital, my nerves were already stretched thin.
Kashvi lay on the bed looking pale and exhausted.
The sight alone was enough to make my chest tighten.
I immediately spoke to the doctor.
"She's stable now," he assured me. "Just a viral infection and dehydration. She'll recover."
Only then did I breathe properly again.
The moment things settled-
I pulled out my phone and called Aaira.
Switched off.
My heartbeat skipped.
I called again.
Nothing.
A strange fear crept in.
I immediately dialed Navya.
She answered almost proudly.
"It's done," she said.
My grip tightened around the phone.
"Put her on the phone."
A pause.
"She's unconscious."
For a second-
everything inside me went cold.
"What?" I snapped. "What did you do to her?"
"What are you talking about, Kabir?" Navya replied defensively.
But I had already cut the call.
I drove back like a madman.
The entire way, one thought kept repeating in my head-
If something happened to her...
No.
I couldn't even complete that thought.
The moment I entered the haveli, I started searching for her immediately.
And then-
Someone bumped into me and then I saw 8t was her....!
My steps stopped.
Completely.
For a second, I couldn't breathe.
Aaira...
Standing there in that condition.
Dressed like one of them.
She was dressed like them,like a prostitute...! And that ached my heart !
I always see her as a kiddo ! The girl who has dreams ,the girl who loves to laugh and now her laugh has gone ! She looked so pale... And she was so afraid and crying like hell!
She was girl who's always ready to help others but now she's helpless!
The one who almost got into a debate mode discussing me about these brothels like how sinful it is and now that she's standing right there in front of me...! Like one of them , like a prostitute...!
And I swear to god,I was so broken inside when i saw her in that awful state !
Prepared like she was just another woman meant to be displayed.
Something inside me snapped so violently that even breathing hurt.
How dare Navya put her through this?
My eyes moved over Aaira again-
and suddenly I noticed the marks.
Burn marks.
Fresh.
Angry red against her skin.
I staggered slightly seeing them.
Rage exploded inside me so fast it almost blinded me.
Someone had hurt her.
Touched her.
Marked her.
For one dangerous second-
I wanted to destroy everything around me.
But I forced myself to stop.
Not now.
Not here.
Too many people were watching.
Too many enemies waiting.
And right now-
this haveli was still the safest place for her.
Whether she understood it or not.
I swallowed every emotion burning inside me and hardened my expression.
If I reacted emotionally now, questions would start.
People would notice.
Kadir would notice.
And Aaira would become an even bigger target.
So I did the only thing I could.
I buried my rage.
And prepared to act like none of this affected me at all.
Even though inside-
I was already losing control.
Aaira looked at me like I was her last hope.
And that-
that nearly broke me.
Because all she could see right now was betrayal.
Not the reason behind it.
Not the danger surrounding her.
Just me.
Standing there silently while her world collapsed.
But I couldn't become her comfort right now.
Not yet.
If I showed even a little softness toward her in front of these people-
she would become my weakness.
And weaknesses don't survive in this world.
Especially not around men like Kadir.
So if I wanted to save her-
I had to make everyone believe she meant nothing to me.
Even if it destroyed her faith in me completely.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her with me.
She resisted slightly, trembling, confused, hurt.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
I knew she was suffering.
I knew this would scar her.
And yes-
I knew she would hate me after tonight.
But hatred was better than losing her forever.
I said nothing.
Not a single word.
Because if I spoke-
I might lose control.
I dragged her through the corridor while eyes followed us from every direction.
Judging.
Watching..
Waiting.
Then, in front of everyone-
I pushed her away.
Hard enough for her to stumble onto the floor.
And the moment she fell-
something inside me shattered.
Because this wasn't what I wanted.
Not for her.
Never for her.
Suddenly, Navya wrapped her arms around me possessively.
The touch instantly filled me with irritation.
Rage.
How could she hurt my aaira like this but I couldn't react. I'll deal with her later alone ..
Not here.
Not when I still didn't know who among these people could be trusted.
Kadir already has a little idea about my feelings for aaira...!
If he came to know about this,then aaira would no more be his possession only but also would become the reason to take revenge from me !
And I can't let her in this revenge game ! No ever !
One wrong move-
and Aaira would pay the price.
Then it happened.
A sharp sting across my face.
A slap.
Aaira's hand trembled as she stared at me with tears in her eyes.
But what hurt wasn't the slap.
It was the hatred in her gaze.
The disbelief.
The heartbreak.
And honestly-
she had every right to feel that way.
Compared to what I had just done to her...
that slap was nothing.
I deserved worse.
Because no matter the reason-
I was still the one hurting her.
She kept crying.
Broken.
And all I could do was stand there pretending none of it affected me.
Pretending I was cold enough to walk away.
So I did.
Without saying a word-
I turned and left.
Each step away from her felt unbearable.
But right now-
this pain was necessary.
Even if she never forgave me for it.
*******************************************
AUTHOR
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