Chapter 45
"WHAT?!"
Kaal shot to his feet, his face twisting in disbelief.
"Say that again!"
The man standing before him hesitated. "Sir... Druve Prathap registered his marriage today."
For a moment, Kaal simply stared at him.
Then his expression darkened.
"Impossible!"
He slammed his palm against the table. "Are you sure it was Druve? Druve Prathap?"
"Yes, sir. We've confirmed it."
Kaal shook his head, refusing to believe what he was hearing.
"No. That can't be right."
He knew Druve. More importantly, he knew how much Druve had loved Sruthi.
Seven years.
Seven years had passed, and Kaal had been certain of one thing. Druve might have continued living, working and carrying on with his responsibilities, but he would never truly move on from Sruthi.
That kind of love didn't simply disappear.
And now someone was telling him that Druve had married another woman?
"Who?" Kaal demanded. "Who did he marry?"
"Riya Rathore, sir."
Kaal's jaw tightened.
Riya.
The very woman he had expected Druve to eventually leave.
"Are you telling me he actually married her?"
"Yes, sir. The registration has been completed."
Kaal turned away sharply, struggling to contain his anger.
How?
He had seen what Sruthi meant to Druve. He knew the depth of his attachment to her, knew that Druve had never been the sort of man who could simply replace the woman he loved.
You couldn't forget Sruthi for seven years, Druve. And now you've married someone else?
His fists clenched.
Something was wrong.
Eleven years ago, Kaal had witnessed just how deeply Druve loved Sruthi. It wasn't a passing attachment or some youthful infatuation.
He had seen Druve kneel for her. He had watched him take blows for her sake. Druve had been willing to endure humiliation and pain without hesitation when Sruthi was at stake.
Kaal hadn't forgotten any of it.
In fact, it was precisely because he understood how much Sruthi meant to Druve that he had chosen to kidnap her.
Sruthi had occupied a place in Druve's life that no other woman could easily claim. And Kaal had counted on that.
Either he had completely misjudged Druve, or there was something about this marriage he didn't understand.
Kaal's fists tightened at his sides.
How could you do that, Druve?
For seven years, he had been so certain that Druve would never move on. He had witnessed too much to believe otherwise.
Had seven years really been enough for you to forget her?
"No," Kaal muttered.
The man looked at him uncertainly. "Sir?"
Kaal ignored him.
Something about this didn't make sense.
If Druve had truly moved on, why had it happened so suddenly? Why had he gone as far as registering his marriage in public?
And why Riya?
Kaal began pacing, the news of Druve's marriage filling him with a strange uneasiness. After a few moments, he stopped.
No. You loved her too much.
He remembered enough of Druve's devotion to know that forgetting Sruthi wouldn't have been easy.
And yet the marriage registration was real.
Kaal suddenly turned towards his subordinate.
"Did you see him yourself?"
"No, sir. But—"
"Then how can you be certain?" Kaal snapped.
"The information came directly from the registration office, sir. There's no mistake."
Druve had married Riya.
Kaal struck the table with his fist.
"DAMN IT!"
The man flinched.
Kaal's breathing grew heavier as anger finally broke through his disbelief. For years, he had believed he understood exactly where Druve's weakness lay. He had been patient because he was certain that weakness would remain.
Now, without warning, Druve had done something Kaal had never expected.
And the worst part was that he couldn't understand why.
Had Druve genuinely fallen in love with Riya?
Or was there something else behind this marriage?
Kaal's eyes narrowed.
A slow smirk spread across Kaal's face.
"So what if you've moved on, Druve?" he murmured. "What will happen when you find out what happened to your precious Sruthi? Will you still be able to move on with your life?"
His smirk widened.
"Amir!"
"Yes, sir?"
"It's time." Kaal leaned back in his chair, a cruel amusement entering his eyes. "It's time to send Druve the perfect marriage gift."
Amir looked at him uncertainly. "The recordings, sir?"
Kaal laughed. "What else? Our dear Druve has just gotten married. Shouldn't we congratulate him?"
He turned towards the collection of recordings, already imagining Druve's reaction when he finally saw what had happened to the woman he loved.
"But which one should I send?" Kaal wondered aloud, scrolling through the files.
His eyes moved across the recordings, and a delighted laugh escaped him.
"How about this one? The one showing how she lived worse than dogs?"
He paused, considering it before shaking his head.
"No, no. Not that one."
He moved to another recording.
"Ah! What about the one where her leg was broken?"
Kaal watched for a moment, then clicked his tongue.
"Nope. Not quite."
Another file caught his attention.
"Or perhaps... Sruthi killing those men?"
He chuckled, imagining the shock on Druve's face.
"Nah. That can wait."
He continued scrolling, his amusement growing with every recording he passed. Each one held a different piece of Sruthi's suffering, and Kaal took his time considering which would hurt Druve the most.
Then his fingers stopped.
His eyes settled on a particular video.
For a moment, he simply stared at the screen. Then a slow, delighted grin spread across his face.
"Yes..."
He leaned forward.
"Yes, yes! This is it!"
A burst of laughter escaped him.
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
Kaal turned towards Amir, still smiling.
"Amir, send this one to Druve."
"Yes, sir."
"And listen carefully." Kaal's expression hardened. "Make sure Druve cannot trace it back to us. Act fast, and don't leave a single clue. I want it done neatly and cleanly. Understood?"
"Understood, sir."
"Good."
As Amir moved to carry out his orders, Kaal leaned back in his chair, his eyes returning to the selected recording.
His laughter filled the room once again.
"Let's see how you enjoy your marriage now, Druve."
"And Amir, one more thing."
Amir stopped and turned towards him. "Yes, sir?"
Kaal leaned forward, the amusement in his expression giving way to something far more calculating.
"Pay attention. This is the perfect opportunity for us. Once Druve watches that video, he'll be a complete mess. And while he's struggling with what happened to his precious Sruthi, we'll finally have our chance to kill Riya."
His lips curved into a satisfied smile.
"Tell Raghav to inform those small fries keeping an eye on Riya. I want them to pay close attention to her movements, but they must maintain their distance. No unnecessary moves. Not until I say so."
"Understood, sir."
Kaal's smile vanished.
"And Amir, this is crucial." His voice dropped, each word carrying a warning. "Never let Druve trace any of this back to us. Never. I don't care how distracted or devastated he becomes. Don't underestimate him."
Amir nodded. "I'll make sure of it, sir."
"You'd better."
Kaal leaned back, his smirk returning as he imagined Druve watching the recording.
"First, let's see how well he handles his wedding gift."
Amir stepped out of Kaal's room, the USB drive held tightly in his hand.
He glanced down at the small device. Something so ordinary, yet Kaal was certain that whatever it contained would be enough to destroy Druve Prathap.
But delivering it was another matter.
Amir knew better than to underestimate Druve. A man like him wouldn't simply watch an anonymous recording and forget to question where it had come from. He would want answers. He would examine everything, starting with the smallest detail.
And Kaal had made himself perfectly clear.
There could be no connection back to them.
Amir entered his office and sat down, turning the USB between his fingers.
Sending it directly to Druve's office was out of the question. His staff would handle it, and there was no guarantee it would reach Druve personally. Besides, Kaal had called it a marriage gift. It was meant to arrive at his home.
But how?
Amir considered the possibilities, rejecting them one after another. Every approach seemed to carry some uncertainty, and uncertainty was exactly what he couldn't afford.
He placed the USB on his desk and stared at it.
There was another problem. Druve had just married Riya. If the package appeared suspicious, he might refuse to open it, or worse, begin investigating before he even watched the recording.
Amir rubbed his forehead.
The gift had to seem ordinary enough to be accepted, yet unusual enough to catch Druve's attention.
His phone vibrated.
A message from Kaal.
Don't keep the groom waiting.
Amir stared at the screen for a moment before setting the phone aside.
"Easy for you to say," he muttered.
He looked at the USB again.
Kaal wanted Druve to receive it quickly. But Amir had no intention of rushing into a mistake that could bring Druve straight to their doorstep.
He picked up the device and slipped it into his pocket.
First, he needed to decide how to get it into Druve's hands.
And whatever he chose, he would have only one chance to get it right.
He leaned back in his chair, considering his options.
Then an idea occurred to him.
Wedding gifts.
Druve had registered his marriage that very day. Naturally, congratulations and gifts would be arriving at his residence. One more package among them wouldn't necessarily attract attention.
Amir picked up the USB, turning it between his fingers. A small gift box would be enough. Nothing extravagant, nothing that demanded immediate attention. Just another wedding present addressed to the newly married couple.
He arranged for the USB to be placed inside a neatly wrapped box, accompanied by a simple card congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Prathap.
Even then, Amir remained uneasy. He knew there was no guarantee that Druve wouldn't question the package once he opened it. Kaal's orders had left no room for mistakes, and Amir had no intention of taking them lightly.
When the arrangements were complete, he gave the package one final look.
Such a small thing.
Yet Kaal was expecting it to turn Druve's entire world upside down.
By the time Amir received confirmation that the gift had been delivered to Druve's residence, he finally allowed himself to relax a little.
The package had arrived.
Now all that remained was for someone to open it.
With the wedding gift taken care of, Amir reached for his phone and called Raghav.
"Raghav."
"Yes, sir?"
"Inform the men watching Druve and Riya to stay alert. We might get an opening very soon. I want them to pay close attention to their movements, but make sure they maintain their distance. Nobody is to act without orders. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"And Raghav, Kaal is expecting results this time. Don't let those fools ruin it by doing something stupid."
"I understand, sir."
Amir ended the call.
Raghav lowered his phone slowly, a troubled expression settling over his face.
He had agreed without hesitation, but there was something he hadn't told Amir.
Since yesterday, he had been unable to contact the men assigned to watch Riya.
At first, he hadn't thought much of it. Those idiots were unreliable even on their best days. Sometimes they ignored calls, sometimes they disappeared for hours without reporting anything. But this was different. Not one of them had answered, and the silence had continued far longer than usual.
Raghav frowned and dialled Kaasi's number again.
The call went unanswered.
He tried another number.
Nothing.
"Bloody idiots," he muttered.
He called Kaasi once more, waiting impatiently as the phone continued ringing.
Still no answer.
An uneasy feeling began creeping into his stomach.
Something wasn't right.
He scrolled through his contacts and found the number of a man who was close to Kaasi. If anyone knew where that fool had disappeared to, it would be him.
The call connected after a few rings.
"Hello?"
"Where's Kaasi?" Raghav demanded.
There was a brief silence.
"Sir? I thought he would've contacted you by now."
Raghav straightened in his chair.
"What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, sir. Kaasi said he'd found an opening."
"What opening?"
"He said Druve and Riya were alone. Just the two of them. He thought it would be easy to kill Riya."
Raghav went still.
"What?"
"Sir, I told him not to do anything without orders. I reminded him what you said about keeping his distance, but he wouldn't listen. He kept saying this was his chance and that he could finish the job before anyone even realised what had happened."
Raghav gripped the phone tighter.
"And?"
"He went ahead, sir. I tried to talk some sense into him, but he refused to listen. He said it was just Druve and Riya, and that he could handle them."
"That bastard!" Raghav snapped. "Who told him he could make that decision?"
"I don't know, sir. I warned him, but he wouldn't listen."
"Where is he now?"
"That's the problem, sir. I haven't been able to reach him since yesterday. I've called him so many times, but he isn't answering."
Raghav felt a cold sensation spread through his chest.
"Have you spoken to any of the others?"
"No, sir. Nobody's answering. I thought they might've contacted you."
Raghav said nothing.
Kaasi had gone after Riya.
Despite clear instructions to keep his distance, that fool had decided to attack her simply because he thought he had found an easy opportunity.
And now none of them could be reached.
What have you done, Kaasi?
Raghav's forehead began to glisten with sweat.
If Kaasi had succeeded, they would have heard something by now. But there had been no news of Riya being killed, no report from the men, nothing.
Which meant something had gone terribly wrong.
And if Druve had caught them...
Raghav swallowed.
That fool must have been found out.
His mind raced through the possibilities, each one worse than the last. Kaasi might have been captured. He might have talked. Druve might already know that someone had deliberately sent men after Riya.
And if Druve started investigating, how long would it take before he found a connection?
"Sir? Are you there?"
Raghav barely heard the voice on the other end.
Kaal had specifically ordered them not to attract Druve's attention. He had made it clear that nobody was to move against Riya without his permission.
And now, because of one idiot's impatience, everything could be ruined.
Raghav wiped the sweat from his forehead.
If Kaal finds out about this, he'll kill me.
He knew exactly how Kaal would see it. Kaasi might have disobeyed orders, but the men were Raghav's responsibility. It wouldn't matter that he hadn't authorised the attack.
He was the one who would have to answer for it.
"Sir, what should I do?" the man asked nervously.
Raghav closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to think.
He couldn't report this to Amir. Not yet. Amir would immediately inform Kaal, and Raghav knew what would follow.
But he couldn't ignore it either.
If Druve had caught Kaasi, the danger was already far greater than Amir or Kaal realised.
"Listen to me carefully," Raghav finally said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "If you hear anything from Kaasi or the others, contact me immediately. I don't care what time it is."
"Yes, sir."
"And don't do anything on your own. You've seen what happens when fools start making decisions without permission."
"Understood, sir."
Raghav disconnected the call and stared at his phone.
For several seconds, he remained motionless.
Then he tried Kaasi's number once again.
No answer.
He lowered the phone, his hands trembling slightly.
What am I supposed to do now?
For the first time, Raghav found himself more frightened of what Kaal would do when he learned the truth than of whatever might have happened to Kaasi.