Chapter 117: chapter 117

SRUTHIThe doorbell rings, jolting me from my thoughts. I glance at the security camera and see my brother standing outside, shoulders slightly slumped, his face shadowed with exhaustion. I quickly unlock the door, and he steps in without a word, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. Today is the last day of the jewelry exhibition. Madhav is there, handling the closing ceremony and finalizing everything for the event. I didn’t go with him, mostly for security reasons. If I had been there, I knew he wouldn’t have been able to focus properly, always worried about my safety. So I decided to stay home, though it means waiting alone with my thoughts, imagining every possible worst-case scenario.After resetting the security system, I turn around to get a better look at Vikram. I haven't seen him since he took Nisha away yesterday, and it's clear he hasn't had a moment's rest. His eyes are red-rimmed, as if sleep has escaped him entirely. Without a word, he pulls me into a hug, and I let myself sink into it. For a moment, the knot of tension in my chest eases, the familiar warmth of his embrace offering a sense of protection that only a sibling can provide. My brother’s hugs have always been different from Madhav’s. Where Madhav’s are grounding and gentle, Vikram’s are sturdy, like walls shielding me from whatever darkness lurks outside. But this time, I can feel the vulnerability in his hold, the tremor in his arms. Today, it is not me but him who needs comforting.“Everything’s going to be alright,” I murmur, my hand resting gently on his back. He pulls away with a soft chuckle, “Look at you, saying my lines. You have really grown up. Anyways, are you okay?”I nod, forcing a small smile. “I’m fine. But what about you? How are you holding up?”Vikram’s face flickers with an emotion I can’t quite place—guilt, maybe? Anger? He flinches, “Good. I am al–”“Cut out the act and answer me honestly. Talk to me as my brother not the defence minister,” I say interrupting his usual reassurance. He lets out a weary sigh as he sinks onto the couch, the weight of the what happened pressing heavily on him. “If I’m being honest, I feel like an idiot for not noticing sooner. Everything points to her. After I took Nisha away, I searched her house and found even more evidence. Photos of you, taken in secret. My tech guy hacked her gadgets and confirmed she was using that darknet ID—‘Octopus’—to hire people to come after you.”My stomach twists, a cold knot of shock and betrayal settling inside me. I stare at him, unable to process it. “You... you’re serious? She was behind it all?”Vikram’s jaw clenches, and he nods, his eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and profound sadness. It’s one thing to be hurt by a stranger, but by someone you trusted, someone you kept close—it leaves a different kind of scar.“Did you confront her?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper, afraid to hear the answer.“I did,” he says, his hands fisting until his knuckles turn white. “At first, she denied it. Tried to laugh it off, even. But I kept pushing, and eventually, she admitted everything.”“She just... confessed?” I repeat, struggling to wrap my mind around it. Nisha. The same Nisha who had.worked with him for  five years, who I thought might one day become more than just an employee to him. The depth of her betrayal cuts like a knife, leaving behind a raw wound I don’t know how to heal. A whirlwind of emotions swirls inside me—anger, hurt, disbelief, each one clawing for dominance.“Why would she do that?” I ask, the bitterness slipping into my voice. “What could possibly drive her to betray us like this?”Vikram’s expression turns neutral, a practiced mask slipping over his face as he replies. “She won’t tell me. I asked, demanded to know, but she only said that I have to figure it out myself.”“Why?” I ask, frustration bubbling up. “If she confessed to everything, why wouldn’t she just tell you her reasons?”He sighs, looking down at his hands, his fingers tracing invisible lines across his knuckles. “That’s something only she can answer. And for whatever twisted reason, she wants to keep that a mystery.” I can see how deeply this is eating away at him—the woman he once trusted, maybe even cared for, has torn down his defenses in the cruelest way possible. And now she’s left him with nothing but questions.His gaze drifts to the wall opposite, unfocused, lost in thought. “The saddest part is, I kept hoping there was some mistake. I wanted so badly to believe she was innocent. I looked for any little detail, anything that could prove she wasn’t involved. But every piece of evidence made her guilt clearer. It’s pathetic, isn’t it? The enemy was right there, and I was too blind to see it.”I lean over and wrap my arms around him again, wishing I could ease the burden of his pain. Nisha’s betrayal has cut him deeply. Though they were only employer and employee, I’d always felt there was something unspoken between them, something that could have blossomed under different circumstances. But not everyone gets a happy ending. Not every story has room for love.For all his careful planning, the only woman my brother had ever truly cared for, beyond family, was Nisha. He never showed it openly, but those who knew him saw his quiet, reserved way of caring. And now, that faint hope has been crushed.“It’s going to be okay,” I murmur, echoing Madhav’s reassuring words from the car. “We all make mistakes in our judgment sometimes.”Vikram shakes his head, his voice rough. “I don’t fall into the ‘all’ category, Sruthi. I should’ve been more careful. I should have seen the signs. But the problem is, there weren’t any. She hid everything too well. Even when she said she was sick and asked me to postpone the deadline on her last assignment, I didn’t suspect a thing. If I hadn't postponed it, she wouldn't have been at the exhibition trying to poison you.”“Alright,” I say, determined to bring him back from the edge of self-blame. “So you messed up. Fine. But you need to focus on what’s next. Where’s my ‘devil-may-care’ brother, the one who doesn’t let betrayal or backstabbing shake him? This isn’t the first time we’ve been betrayed.”For a moment, he’s silent, and then a small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “You’re right. It’s been so long since I’ve dealt with a backstabber that I’m off my game. I guess it’s time to bring back the ruthless, merciless version of myself.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥“You look like dead fish,” Vikram mutters, opening the door as Madhav walks in.“I could say the same to you,” Madhav shoots back, weary but smiling.“How was the closing ceremony? Did everything go smoothly?” I ask as Madhav shrugs off his coat, dropping it onto the sofa. He loosens his tie, rubbing the back of his neck.“It went fine. I’m just glad it’s over. Now, maybe I’ll finally get some sleep,” he says. I pick up his coat, tossing it into the laundry bag before heading to the kitchen. Just as I walk away, I hear him ask Vikram, “So, did you find anything else on her?”Their voices drop and I don't hear Vikram's answer. When I return to the living room, both men are sitting with matching brooding expressions. I hand Madhav his coffee, which he accepts with a quiet “Thank you.”“What’s your plan now?” Madhav asks, his voice level but curious. I sit down next to Madhav facing my brother.Vikram’s eyes harden, his tone cold. “I’m going to follow through with my original plan and visit that bastard who is the root cause for all this chaos in the Noghot Prison.”“When do you leave?” Madhav’s question hangs heavy, like the weight of an impending storm.“Tomorrow morning. I should be back by Wednesday.”“And Nisha?” Madhav presses.“For now, she’s in police custody. Once I return, I’ll take the appropriate steps.” He lets out a long, heavy sigh. “Looks like I’ll be needing a new secretary. She was well suited to the job.”I open my mouth to say something, but Madhav shakes his head subtly. It’s clear my brother’s wounds will need time to heal, and any words now might feel hollow. I just hope he can move past this and come out of it stronger.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥“Are you still worried about your brother?” Madhav asks, snuggling closer to me on the bed. I instinctively move closer to him, seeking warmth. The night is quiet, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Everything feels so calm all of a sudden. But I feel it’s not the calm after the storm, but before it. The darknet ID “Octopus” weighs heavily on my mind.“Was I the only one who thought something was going on between my brother and Nisha?” I ask, thinking back to all the times they interacted. They were always professional—too professional, almost stiff. Even after five years of working together, my brother still addressed her as “Miss,” as if reminding himself that she was his employee and nothing more.“No, you’re not the only one,” Madhav whispers in my ear. “I felt it too. Your brother is an extremist. I didn’t think any woman could handle him until I met Nisha. She had a way with him. They had chemistry, even if they would never admit it. I always hoped they’d fall in love and end up together, but I never expected this.”“Is Vishnu still held in prison for what he did? I mean, he was brainwashed into it, so he can’t really be held accountable, right?” I ask, hopeful.Madhav sighs. “I can see where your thoughts are headed, Sruthi. You want the same leniency for Nisha. You want to believe she was under someone’s influence, but sadly, there were no signs of drugs in her system like with Vishnu. She did everything consciously. She can’t escape the law.”“Then, if Nisha wasn’t dancing to Raj’s manipulation, why did she want to harm me?”“If Nisha wasn’t brainwashed, then it could only mean she followed Raj’s ideals. I’m sure Vikram will uncover all the details from her soon.”I huff in frustration. “It’s maddening, Madhav. Why can’t my brother have something like what we have? He’s had such a hard life. I just wish he could find someone he could be vulnerable with, someone who could make him happy.”Madhav places a soft kiss on my forehead. “Life is strange, Sruthi. If Vikram truly wants something like what we have, then I believe the universe will conspire to give it to him. We just have to wait.”I find myself calming down, leaning into Madhav’s warmth. “You’re right. I hope the universe gives my brother what he truly desires.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥