Around 9 in the morning…
Aniket sat inside his office cabin, lost in thought.
With a deep sigh, his mind drifted back to the conversation he had with Aditya the previous night—on the terrace, under the open sky.
“Why are you stopping him, even after knowing that Grin Reaper himself offered to work with him and train him?” Aniket had argued.
“This is a golden chance—to understand his weaknesses and rescue Anamika!”
Aditya had remained silent, staring at the stars.
Seeing that silence, Aniket pressed on, “Or is it that you don’t really believe he saw Anamika with Grin Reaper?
Or… has your heart suddenly changed? Tell me—what are you thinking?”
Breaking his silence, Aditya finally spoke, his voice heavy.
“I want her… but I’m scared. The path I’m walking to find her— I see the same woman in myself who killed my parents.
I know Anamika would never want a man who stains his hands with blood just to reach her.
I don’t care if my own hands turn red… but I don’t want to add more bloodstains to her existence.”
Aniket replied helplessly, “But how will we find her? Grin Reaper is extremely dangerous… a monster.”
After a long pause, Aditya said quietly, “Anamika is safe. I’m sure of it—because she’s with Grin Reaper.
To him, she is his master’s last living memory. He’ll protect her carefully.
That’s why I don’t want to rush. I want to save her without making her feel guilty for surviving.”
He was still lost in thought when there was a knock at the door.
Before he could respond, Milo had already entered.
Aniket stood up, gesturing for him to sit on the chair opposite.
Milo sat down casually.
“So,” he said, “what’s the decision?”
He rotated his chair slightly and placed his legs on the opposite chair.
Glancing toward the door, Milo added, “By the way… when is Master coming?”
Aniket answered flatly, “Aditya has refused to give you this job.”
Milo’s expression changed.
For a moment, disappointment flickered across his face—but it vanished just as quickly, replaced by a smile. He stood up.
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“Well, you should’ve told me earlier. I skipped another meeting to come here. Anyway… make sure you pay me for the project I abandoned to be here.”
Aniket leaned back into his chair, loosening his tie with a deep breath.
“This really is difficult…”
Looking at Milo, he said, “Aditya wants you to live a normal life—working in the corporate world.
He’s probably arranging a fake identity for you as we speak.”
Milo turned his face away, scoffing.
“I won’t earn even half the money there. Do you have any idea how long an ordinary man would need to earn what I make from one murder?
Tell the Master he’s gone mad.”
He turned to leave—
—but stopped when Aniket spoke.
“Accept Grin Reaper’s offer.”
Milo turned back slowly, confusion on his face. A sarcastic smile appeared.
“So all that talk about a new identity and a normal life—what was that?
I don’t like pointless jokes or double-faced intentions. Be honest. What do you really want?”
Aniket’s tone hardened.
“This project is mine—not Aditya’s. I want information on Grin Reaper. Where Anamika is, how she is.
And there’s one more thing— you must keep this from Aditya.
That fool doesn’t understand that we have no other choice. If we go to Grin Reaper unprepared, death is certain.”
Milo thought for a moment, then sat back down.
“Tell me something,” he asked slowly.
“Does the Master really love Trinity’s daughter?”
Aniket nodded. “Yes. But why?”
Milo spoke with childlike innocence, “If he loves her that much, why try to be so noble instead of choosing the easiest, most effective path? He just needs to use me—and pay a small price.”
Aniket lowered his gaze, smiling faintly.
“He wants Anamika—and her love. But the path you suggest would give him her body, not her heart.
Unlike him, I can’t wait. I need to bring Anamika back as soon as possible— for someone Anamika herself might want to meet again.”
Milo pouted inwardly.
Aniket looked at him. “This is not a love triangle.”
Milo coughed in surprise.
“I—uh—”
“How do they always read my mind?!” He thought.
“I can’t read minds,” Aniket said calmly, “but I can read expressions.”
His fist clenched helplessly.
“Anamika’s friend—Sania. She’s in a coma.
And something happened yesterday… Something that forced me to go against Aditya’s decision. Sania’s condition is getting worse.”
Meanwhile…
Ruhi entered Sania’s hospital room, holding a bouquet of flowers.
An oxygen mask covered Sania’s face. Machines surrounded her, IV lines running into her hand.
Hearing footsteps, Ruhi turned around.
It was Rudra.
The moment she saw him, tears spilled from her eyes. She dropped the bouquet and hugged him tightly.
Rudra gently stroked her hair.
“Nothing happened… Everything's fine. Sweetheart… Sania is better. Better than before…”
His voice cracked, and he fell silent.
Looking at Sania, he prayed silently, "Why are you doing this to us? Please… wake up soon. Please… let there be a miracle."
Elsewhere…
In a dimly lit room, Anamika sat on the bed.
Her right foot rested in Koyo’s hands as he sat on the floor, changing the bandages.
He held her as delicately as if she were made of glass.
Applying the ointment gently, he said, “Will you promise me you won’t leave this place? If you promise, I won’t have to chain you… or cage you.”
Anamika stared ahead coldly.
“Why this question all of a sudden? How did you gain so much trust overnight?”
Koyo smiled faintly while wrapping the bandage around her wounded ankle.
“Because yesterday, even after seeing those two children, you didn’t try to go to them. That made my heart want to trust you.
Besides… keeping you restrained has injured your wrists and ankles badly.”
After a long silence, Anamika spoke.
“Sania… If you tell me how she is now— whether she managed to live a normal life without me… whether that people learned about our past and still accepted her, or if she was left alone— answer these, and I promise I’ll never leave this place.”
Koyo’s gaze trembled slightly.
“What difference does it make to you?” he asked.
“Staying here means cutting ties with the outside world. Why do you still want to know?”
“For my world’s happiness, I’ll stay away from the world,” she said softly, meeting his eyes. “But I need to know— Is my world truly happy?”
Koyo exhaled deeply, placing the medicines back into the box.
“You’re bringing them into your world,” he said.
“Do you know… you were the Master's entire world. You and your father.
Yet there came a moment when you both left her alone. And even then… she only wanted to see you happy.”
He stood up and added quietly, “Today, I saw the same helplessness in your eyes.
And that helplessness… is what I always wanted you to feel.”
Before closing the door, Koyo looked straight into Anamika’s eyes.
“My master… tell me, Anamika— Are you finally beginning to understand her now?”
Anamika remained silent.
Seeing that silence, Koyo smiled faintly and closed the door.
As he walked away, he whispered, “Master… I may not be able to keep your daughter happy… but I will make her understand your love.”
Inside the room, Anamika lay down on the bed, curling into herself, staring at the wall.
Her mind forced her to see her mother— a silent illusion standing before her, calm, emotionless.
That silence… The silence Anamika feared the most.
Is there any way out of this darkness…?
To be continued…
