30. WHO'S THE PERSON

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Next day It was late afternoon when Kaden arrived near Arvika’s college. The place was buzzing with students, laughter, and endless conversations, but his sharp eyes were fixed on only one person—Arvika.

Naksh’s instructions had been simple: "keep an eye on her . Observe her every move.  Report back only to me. "But Kaden still didn’t understand why. Naksh never wasted time on something that didn’t benefit him. So why was he suddenly interested in Arvika?

From a distance, Kaden saw Arvika stepping out of the college gates. She looked... distracted. Lost in thought. Her usual sharp, confident expression was missing. She was wearing a simple pastel-colored suit, her hair tied loosely, but the dark circles beneath her eyes revealed she hadn’t slept well.

Kaden leaned against his car, watching as she walked slowly, dragging her steps, almost as if she was forcing herself to move forward. She wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes, and she wasn’t talking to her friends. Something was bothering her.

"After engagement she is fully changed " Kaden muttered to himself.

Just then, Arvika’s phone rang. She looked at the screen, took a deep breath, and answered it. Her expression changed.

he couldn’t hear her words, but her expressions spoke volumes. Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped the phone tighter. Her jaw clenched, lips pressed together as if she was holding back something—anger? Pain? Or both?

Kaden tilted his head. Who was on the other end?

Naksh’s order had been clear—watch her, but don’t interfere.

At first, Kaden now, seeing her like this, lost in some unknown turmoil, he felt a strange curiosity rising within him.

A moment later, she lowered her phone, staring at the screen. She looked shaken. Whatever conversation she just had, it wasn’t normal.

Then, as if realizing she was in public, she straightened. Her expression hardened, masking whatever storm she was fighting inside. She turned and walked away—but her steps weren’t steady.

Kaden exhaled slowly, reaching for his phone.

Kaden (Text to Naksh): She just had a call. It shook her. Looked personal. Should I dig into it?

Naksh’s reply came almost instantly.

Naksh: No just watch .

Kaden frowned but obeyed. Whatever Naksh was planning, it was still a mystery.

And Arvika? She had just walked away, unaware that every step she took was already under someone else’s eyes.

The cool afternoon breeze whispered through the college garden as Arvika sat on the stone bench, lost in her thoughts. The engagement, her parents, Kartik’s silence—everything weighed on her like an iron chain.

Her fingers traced invisible patterns on her phone screen, but she didn’t have the energy to open any app. She just wanted silence.

And then—her phone buzzed.

She flinched. The unexpected call snapped her out of her daze.

She glanced at the screen. An unknown number.

Her brows knitted together. Who could this be?

Something in her gut told her not to answer. But before she could decide, the call ended.

A second later, it rang again.

This time, she picked up.

"Helloo?" Her voice was cautious.

For a few seconds, there was nothing—just silence. Then, a deep breath on the other end.

"Aarvika.. "

Her heart stopped.

She knew that voice.

She had spent years waiting for that voice.

Her grip on the phone tightened, her fingers turning white. Why now? Why, after all these years?

"I was knowing that you will pickup the call ," the voice continued, almost in disbelief.

Arvika swallowed hard. The air around her felt heavier.

"Why are you calling ?" Her voice was cold, detached. She had imagined this moment countless times, but now that it was happening—she felt nothing.

The voice hesitated.

"I heard the news of your engagement.."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Oh ! So that why you called why ? You cared ?"

A pause. Then—

"I thought you didn't invited me may be you forget me but i didn't .. i still have your number see ."

She shut her eyes. Don’t do this? He was the one who disappeared.

He was the one who left her waiting.

Her voice hardened.

"You have no right to say this .. you lost me before seven years ago ."

Silence.

"Ya.. but i never forget you and .. After that i realized my mistake  "

Arvika’s breath hitched.

But the pain she used to feel was gone. Now, there was only emptiness.

She inhaled sharply, pushing back the memories.

"I am in college ..i have to go ," she said, her voice steady.

"Arvika wait...—"

Click.

She hung up.

Her hands trembled, but she refused to acknowledge the feeling creeping into her chest.

She put her phone down and leaned back, staring at the sky.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Or at least, that’s what she told herself.

A few meters away…

Kaden watched everything. He can't able to listen but He had seen the call. He had seen her reaction.

And now, he had something new to report.

Kaden sat in his car, and was driving towards the office gripping the steering wheel as he replayed the scene in his mind. Arvika’s expressions, her clenched fists, the way she froze when she heard the voice on the other end— it was something worth reporting.

He tapped his fingers impatiently before pulling out his phone. Without wasting another second, he drived fast.

After the time he was in the office rudra was nowhere only Naksh was sitting in his cabin . Naksh sensed Kaden

"Speak." Naksh’s deep voice was sharp, demanding.

"Something interesting happened." Kaden smirked, starting the engine.

"Make it quick."

Kaden took a breath. "She got a call. From someone from her past may be or someone else "

Naksh, who was signing a file in his office, suddenly paused. His grip on the pen tightened.

"Who?"

"I don’t know the name," Kaden admitted, "but it was someone important. The way she reacted—she was shaken."

A slow, knowing smirk played on Naksh’s lips. He leaned back in his chair, tapping the pen against the desk.

"And?"

"She hung up on him. But before that, the guy said something that made her go completely still."

Naksh didn’t reply for a moment. His mind was already working, piecing things together.

"Did you record anything?"

"No, but I was close enough to see her expression. It wasn’t anger, Naksh. It was something deeper… something unresolved."

Naksh exhaled, spinning his chair to face the large window of his office. The skyline stretched before him, but his mind was elsewhere.

Naksh smirked. "Good."

Kaden hesitated for a second before asking, "What are you planning?"

Naksh’s smirk deepened, but his voice remained unreadable.

"You don’t need to know that yet."

Kaden sighed. "Of course."

Naksh gaved some order to kaden he was gone from there then He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, deep in thought.

So… Arvika had some more stories ?

Interesting Very interesting.

A glint of amusement flashed in his eyes as he reached for his phone.

___________..____________.._____________..________..

Vardhan sat at his grand office desk in Delhi, the golden crest of AS Corporation gleaming behind him. He leaned back in his chair, watching the large screen in front of him where financial reports flashed one after another. Everything was in his control. Arvika’s engagement to him had not only sealed a personal deal but had also strengthened his grip over the business empire.

His assistant, vyom, stepped inside, adjusting his tie nervously. “Sir, there’s an issue.”

Vardhan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “If it’s about Arvika’s shares, I already know.”

Vyom shook his head. “It’s not just about the shares. The media is creating a storm about it. Investors are questioning why you transferred 50% of AS Corporation’s Kanpur division to her before the marriage. Some are even speculating that she might have more control than you intended.”

Vardhan smirked, sipping his whiskey. "Speculation is a weak man's weapon, vyom. I don’t deal with speculation. I create reality.”

Vyom hesitated. “But sir… what if she actually starts taking an interest in business?”

Vardhan’s smirk faded slightly, and his eyes darkened. He leaned forward, placing the glass down with a soft clink. That was the only thing that could create an issue—if Arvika realized what she truly had in her hands.

"She won’t," he said confidently. "And if she does, she won’t be able to do anything about it."

Vyom nodded, but his expression remained uncertain.

Vardhan turned his chair slightly, gazing at the city skyline. “Still… just in case, make sure her involvement in AS Corporation remains symbolic. Make she stay out of it .”

"And if she not ?"

Vardhan’s jaw clenched, but then he smiled darkly. "Then we remind her that she's not here to rule. She’s here to belong to me."

Vyom added " And Sir, Naksh is in Kanpur as i get information about him ,"

Vardhan raised an eyebrow but remained relaxed. "So? Let him be. What does that have to do with me?"

"I just thought you should know. Because why he would be here ? Again india ."

Vardhan chuckled lightly. "Vyom, you’re overthinking. May be it's wrong information but he’s not a problem for me now . I have everything under control."

"Still, it’s better to be aware," Vyom added.

"I am " Vardhan said

He leaned back in his chair, completely unconcerned. In his mind, Naksh’s presence in Kanpur meant nothing. After all, what could he possibly do?

_________..___________.._________.._________.._____..

Meanwhile, Naksh was already several steps ahead.

He sat in his office, his fingers was  tapping against the glass desk as Kaden handed him a file and informed him

"Everything is in place, boss," Kaden informed him. "We've secured the location. Once you give the signal, it's done."

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Naksh didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes thoughtful. He wasn’t rushing this.

"What about Arvika’s schedule?" Naksh finally asked, his tone calm.

Kaden checked his phone. "She is not Going anywhere except college as i told you , She doesn’t suspect anything."

"Good." Naksh smirked slightly. "So keep an eye on her and when you see the right time do it ! Don't make hurry "

Rudra, who had been standing nearby, frowned. “What are you planning now, Naksh?”

Naksh simply glanced at him and smiled faintly. “Nothing that concerns you. Yet.”

Rudra didn’t press further, but he could sense it—Naksh was planning something which he didn’t want rudra to be involved. Then kaden gone with another work for the company and rudra and naksh gone for the meeting day went like this .

In the night Naksh was in his room, room was drowning in silence, the kind that felt too heavy, too suffocating. The wind outside howled against the windows, but inside Naksh’s room, everything was eerily still.

He was sleeping in bed, his face expressionless, but his fists were clenched over the silk sheets. His breath was uneven, and sweat glistened on his forehead. It was looking that  the darkness swallowed him whole.

Flashback He was mumering in sleep —

"Noo... no.. stop ...leave !" A young Naksh's voice trembled as he clutched the staircase railing, his small frame shaking in fear.

Below, his mother, draped in a maroon saree now stained with chaos, was crying. Her hands trembled as she tried to steady herself.

"Don't do this ... please .. don't take him .. what i will do ...!" she shouted, her voice desperate, broken.

"Shut up !! I don't care — i will do the things in my way ’" his father, Aviraaj, spat coldly. His face twisted in fury as he stepped closer. He slapped her

Naksh’s little hands tightened around the railing. " mumma don't cry ... ”

Then—

A sudden shove.

A sharp, piercing scream.

The sound of bones breaking.

— Present: Naksh’s Room —

"Maaa — "  his eyes opened suddenly he was screaming.

Naksh bolted upright, his chest heaving. His entire body was drenched in sweat, his breathing rapid. The room was dark, but the nightmare still played in front of his open eyes.

His fingers dug into the mattress, his heart pounding so violently it hurt.

"No… no…" he mumbled under his breath, gripping his temples.

The ghosts of his past never left him. They lived inside his mind, tormenting him every night.

His throat felt dry, and his hands trembled as he reached for the glass of water on the nightstand. But as soon as he picked it up, his grip failed—

The glass slipped and shattered on the floor.

The sound echoed through the room, he hurriedly taken out the pain killer and swallowed it with water .

His breathing was still uneven, his body still trapped in the horror of that night. He ran his fingers through his damp hair, exhaling sharply.

"Not again," he whispered, trying to steady himself. "I need to clear my head."

" my head — it's  paining again" He ran a hand through his messy hair, shutting his eyes for a moment. It’s in the past. It’s over.

But it wasn’t.

The past still had its claws deep inside him.

Restless, Naksh threw the blanket aside. He couldn't stay in this suffocating silence. He needed to breathe. He needed to meet Dr. Ahuja again

Without wasting another second, he grabbed his coat and stormed out. Without seing the time he drive towards his house .

The doctor’s house was in a secluded area, far from the city's noise. Naksh banged on the door, his patience worn thin.

A few seconds later, the door creaked open. Dr. Ahuja, dressed in a night robe, squinted at the unexpected visitor.

"Naksh?" His voice was groggy, confused. "It’s midnight—"

"I need something to stop these nightmares." Naksh’s voice was hoarse, his eyes dark with exhaustion. "Now."

Dr. Ahuja sighed, stepping aside to let him in. "Sit down. Tell me everything."

Naksh exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face. "There’s nothing to tell, doctor. You already know the story."

Naksh didn’t. He paced the room, his body tense.

"Tell me, Naksh—do you really think a pill can erase what happened?" Dr. Ahuja asked, studying him carefully.

Naksh let out a cold chuckle, his hands clenched. "If I could erase it, I would have done it years ago."

The doctor exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Then what do you really want?"

Naksh finally stopped pacing. His eyes were dark, unreadable.

"Control."

Dr. Ahuja nodded slowly, understanding the weight of that word.

"And what happens when you lose that control?"

Naksh replied as he was becominga psychopath "I never do. But if you will not do anything for this i will become more mad and crazy ! "

The doctor sighed again before grabbing a prescription pad. "This won’t heal you, but it’ll help you sleep."

Naksh took the prescription, and went towards his car for the way to his house . Tonight he was drowning crazy because of his nightmare and whenever he got it he lost his control over him.

____________...___________..__________.._______..

Next day everything were quieter than usual on this Saturday afternoon. The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting long shadows on the narrow lanes. Arvika and Vaishali walked side by side they were returning from the temple, their voices filling the otherwise silent air they continued talking .

"You really think Kartik will keep ignoring you forever?" Vaishali asked, nudging Arvika’s shoulder playfully.

Arvika sighed. "I don’t know, Vaishali. He’s stubborn. And maybe he should hate me. Maybe I deserve it."

Vaishali rolled her eyes. "Don’t start your guilt trip again. If anyone’s at fault, it’s Vardhan, not you. Kartik will understand—eventually."

Arvika gave a half-smile, but her heart felt heavier with every step. The road they took was a shortcut, cutting through an old residential area, where the houses stood empty, abandoned over time. The air was eerily still, as if the world was holding its breath.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Arvika asked, glancing around.

"Of course," Vaishali said confidently. "I used to come here all the time from many times i Didn'tcame here. But it’s safe—"

A sudden noise. A sharp rustle in the alley beside them. Both of them froze.

Vaishali turned her head first, her body tensing. Arvika swallowed hard, her pulse quickening.

"Probably just a stray dog," Vaishali muttered, trying to ease the sudden fear creeping in.

But Arvika wasn’t convinced.

Something was wrong.

They started walking again, faster this time. But something felt wrong.

Then came another sound—this time, the distinct rumble of an engine. A motorcycle.

Arvika’s pulse quickened.

From the other end of the street, a black car rolled into view, its windows tinted.

Vaishali stiffened beside her. "Okay, this is getting weird."

The bike came closer. Two men. Helmets hiding their faces.

Something inside Arvika screamed at her to run.

"Vaishali—"

The men on the bike didn’t slow down. Instead, they sped up.

"Run!" Vaishali shouted, grabbing Arvika’s wrist.

They bolted.

Their hurried footsteps echoed, breath ragged as they raced down the narrow street. The motorcycle roared behind them, getting closer—closer—

Then—

A screech.

A sudden force.

Before Arvika could react, something crashed into her side.

Strong hands grabbed her and Vaishali, yanking her backward with brutal force.

Vaishali was trying screamed. "Didi !"

But Arvika couldn’t respond.

A cloth pressed against there  mouth, and suddenly, everything around them blurred. Her limbs felt heavy, her vision swaying.

Vaishali tried to fight, her hands clawing at the masked man dragging Arvika toward the car.  But the second man grabbed her, shoving her away with such force that she stumbled to the ground.

"No—" Arvika tried to speak, but the world around her spun.

Vaishali’s voice was distant now, muffled

Her legs refused to move.

The last thing they saw before the darkness swallowed them whole—

Was the car door slamming shut.

What happened next ? Who kidnapped them and why ?

What was the naksh planned with kaden ? And from whom aarvika was talking on the call ? To know this all comment and Follow for next update !

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