Aditya slammed the accelerator down and forced the bus forward in first gear, hands tight on the wheel, knuckles white.
It felt like his life depended on it.
Maybe it did.
Maybe it didn't.
He wasn't sure anymore.
Inside the bus, Siya worked silently over Raghav's unconscious body. Blood had dried along his jaw and collar, his breathing uneven but steady.
"He'll recover," she said finally, not looking up. "He should wake up soon. But the injuries are internal. Eating will be difficult. Speaking too. For a while."
Malisha nodded once.
Dweep moved between the survivors, offering water, steadying hands, murmuring reassurances that didn't quite sound convincing. Sourabh was bleeding as well—nothing fatal, but enough to draw Siya away.
"I really thought they were going to kill me," Dweep said quietly, voice trembling. "That wasn't a misunderstanding."
"It was," Malisha replied calmly. "No one interrupts an OG rescue mission without consequences. I just… talked him through it."
Dweep frowned. "Talked him through it?"
"You know how it works," Malisha continued, almost casually. "Everyone likes long-term benefits. Protection. Clean water. Food supply. Stability. I offered him OG support."
Siya stopped what she was doing and looked up sharply.
"You promised food and water?" she asked.
"Malisha, we're barely managing supplies for the contractors we already have. And you promised that to a Rank Fifty. That man had real power."
"He became Rank Fifty after the purge," Malisha said lightly. "You know how that works. And his landmines were malfunctioning anyway. I'm just glad I convinced him before the bus turned into debris."
She let out a small laugh.
No one laughed with her.
The air inside the bus stayed heavy, tight.
"And that's it?" Ishitha asked slowly. "That's how you got us out? Because from where I was standing, he was ready to take you away. Alone. He called us lesser creatures. And somehow… he listened to you."
Malisha met her gaze without blinking.
"Whether you believe it or not isn't my problem," she said evenly. "I told you my version. You're free to make up your own."
She leaned back slightly, folding her arms.
"Humans will eat with pigs if it benefits them. Clean water and regular food supply are worth more than gold these days. OG provides that. That's why we're respected."
That's why we're obeyed.
She didn't say the last part out loud.
No one responded.
The bus continued racing forward through the ruined road, its engine roaring too loud, too desperate. Outside, the world blurred past.
Inside, something had shifted.
And no one believed in miracles anymore.
Malisha left the others behind and stepped into the driver's cabin beside Aditya.
"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"
"Yes," Aditya replied without looking at her.
"Why? Do I not look okay?"
"Your face does," Malisha said. "Your foot on the accelerator doesn't. Slow it down a little, Adi."
He eased off the pedal, the bus settling into a steadier pace. His eyes stayed on the road.
"So… they're not coming after us," he said.
"Haven't you been listening?" Malisha asked lightly.
"I have," he replied. "But I'm far from buying that story of yours."
He glanced at her, then back at the road.
"You would never promise supplies to anyone," he continued calmly. "Not like that. And if you did—care to explain why Rank Fifty's body was lying outside his own car?"
Malisha turned toward him, genuinely startled.
"What?"
"Yes," Aditya said, his voice steady but different now—harder, clearer. "You killed him. No one else noticed. But I did."
He swallowed.
"I was in that corner. And maybe… maybe I didn't want to leave."
He finally looked at her.
"I was looking for him. I didn't want to go without killing him myself."
His jaw tightened.
"How dare he do what he did. How dare he take you."
His eyes searched her face, fear and anger tangled together.
"So tell me," he said quietly.
"Are you okay?"
A pause.
"Did he… do anything?"
The silence stretched.
"Please," Aditya added, almost a whisper.
"Tell me you killed him before he even tried."
Malisha exhaled.
"Yes, Adi. I'm fine."
She met his eyes.
"And yes. I killed him. I had to."
He cut her off with a small shake of his head.
"No. I don't care about people like him," he said firmly.
"If anyone asks, I never saw him—alive or dead."
Then, almost gently, he gave her a crooked smile.
Malisha returned it.
Just a little.
Malisha looked at Aditya and said quietly,
"I'm sorry. I should have been better."
Adi frowned. "What? Why?"
"They hurt you," Malisha said, her eyes dropping to his right leg.
"You're bleeding. I didn't see it."
Adi glanced down and waved it off. "It's fine. Just send Siya. I'll grab the first-aid kit."
"No," Malisha said sharply. "You're bleeding now. That means you've been bleeding since they grabbed you from behind. You're lucky you didn't pass out already." She reached for the steering wheel. "Give me the wheel and go inside."
Adi laughed weakly. "I would, but I don't want to die in a sloppy bus accident. Hate to say it, Mal—but you drive about as well as Dweep helps."
Malisha lowered her voice.
"I'd advise you to leave before I kill you myself."
"Okay, okay," Adi said, still smiling as he stood. "So much for honesty."
As he stepped away, he froze.
Ishan stood at the cabin entrance, pale and shaking. Siya was behind him.
"She—she killed him," Ishan stammered. "She killed Rank 50."
The words hung heavy.
Malisha turned slowly. Adi stood still.
"She killed him," Ishan repeated, voice rising. "She admitted it. And he—"
He pointed at Adi. "—he agreed to hide it. Oh God. She's a killer. Not just that—she killed a Rank. People will hunt us. We're all dead."
"What?" Reha burst out. "I knew it. I knew she was trouble. That brat—she'll get us all killed!"
"We should never have called for help," Ram said, near tears. "At least death would've been painless. Now—now if they find us—"
"But how?" Ishitha said weakly. "She was unarmed. Surrounded. Are you sure you heard right?"
"Yes!" Ishan snapped. "She said it. And Siya heard it too. Tell them!"
Everyone turned to Siya.
Siya's face was calm. Too calm.
"No," she said plainly. "I didn't hear her say anything like that."
She moved past them toward the first-aid kit. Dweep followed, trying to steady the atmosphere.
"Everyone just sit down," Dweep said quickly. "You're in shock. Trauma does this. We'll talk later, okay?"
"Yes," Adi added, looking at the survivors. "Listen to Dweep. Listen to Siya."
That was when Saurabh snapped.
He lunged forward, grabbing Aditya by the collar, shoving Dweep aside.
"So we're all crazy now?" Saurabh shouted. "We should trust your killer girlfriend? Who knows what she really is—"
"Enough."
Siya raised the gun.
The barrel pressed firmly against Saurabh's forehead.
The bus fell into absolute silence.
Hearing all this malisha pulled the bus aside and stepped out of the cabin too .
Malisha like the others was very shocked to see siya with the gun pointed at sourabh, however she didn't utter a word to siya.
This was not the frightened nurse. This was not the hesitant medic.
Siya's hands were steady. Her eyes burned.
"Sit down," she said.
Saurabh swallowed hard and obeyed.
Everyone else stayed frozen in their seats.
Dweep silently returned to Aditya, awkwardly continuing the half-finished treatment Siya had abandoned.
"I didn't hear Malisha say she killed anyone," Siya said, lowering the gun but not her voice. "All I know is this—Rank 50 detained us illegally. For inhuman reasons."
Her gaze swept the survivors.
"And what amazes me isn't whether she killed him or not." Her voice sharpened. "What amazes me is that a fifty-year-old man took a teenage girl with him—along with hundreds of armed men—and none of you did anything."
No one spoke.
"And when she came back," Siya continued, "she didn't just come back alive. She got all of you out too."
She exhaled sharply.
"I don't care how she did it. I don't care if she killed him or not. I didn't see it. I didn't hear it." Her voice dropped, dangerous and honest. "But if I were her—I would've loved to kill him."
Silence.
"So here's what happened," Siya said firmly. "We were stopped by Rank 50. Illegally detained. Our captain informed others, negotiated our release, and got us out with minimal damage in under fifteen minutes."
She turned to Malisha.
"Isn't that right, Captain?"
Malisha blinked, startled.
"Yes. That's right, Siya."
"We're still in the yellow Zone," Siya said, already moving back to Aditya. "You should drive until I finish treating him—or until Raghav wakes up."
She didn't look at the survivors.
"We'll handle them."
Malisha scanned the bus once, then nodded.
"Just make sure you don't shoot anyone else while handling them," she said quietly.
She returned to the driver's cabin and restarted the bus.
The engine roared.
The bus moved forward.
No one spoke.
And for the first time since the journey began
Even Malisha was silent.