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The Drive of Silence
Aarav and Trisha sat in the black SUV rushing back toward the city.
The night felt heavier, thicker, as if every shadow carried a secret.
Aarav kept looking at Trisha.
Her eyes didn't blink.
Her breathing was slow, controlled… dangerous.
She was breaking inside.
And Aarav sensed it.
Aarav
“Trisha… tumhari khamoshi darrati hai.”
“Trisha… your silence scares me.”
Trisha didn’t answer.
She only looked out of the window.
The city lights reflected in his eyes, but his mind was somewhere far in her past. In her trauma. In the truth she didn’t want to believe.
Finally, she spoke.
Her voice was low.
Trisha
“Nagraj… mere itne kareeb nahi aa sakta… jab tak koi usse madad na de.”
“Nagraj can’t get this close to me… unless someone helps him.”
Aarav swallowed.
Aarav
“Tumne… kaha tha… ‘father’.”
“You… said… ‘father."
Trisha closed her eyes.
A single tear formed—
but she wiped it before it fell.
---
The Memory That Burns
Flashback begins.
Aarav as a 10-year-old boy, hiding behind a broken wall in an old slum area.
He hears screams.
women is crying.
Men laughing.
Aarav’s tiny hands shook violently.
A tall man with a cobra tattoo stood in the shadows.
Aarav’s breath hitched.
Flashback ends abruptly.
Aarav opens his eyes in the car—sweating, breathing heavily.
Trisha quickly holds his hand.
Trisha (Hindi):
“Aarav… tum akela nahi ho. Main yahan hoon.”
(English):
“Aarav… you’re not alone. I’m here.”
For the first time, he didn’t pull his hand away.
---
SURYAWANSHI MANSION
The SUV entered the huge gates of Suryawanshi Mansion, lit beautifully with white lights.
Trisha hated this beauty tonight—because she now believed someone inside this beauty was linked to Akruti.
Trisha stepped out with him.
Trisha's mother, Bhumi Suryawanshi, was waiting at the entrance.
She rushed to her.
Bhumi “Trisha! Tum theek ho na? Raat bohot ho gayi… tumhara phone bhi nahi lag raha tha—”
“Trisha! Are you okay? It’s so late… your phone wasn’t reachable—”
Trisha stepped back.
Bhumi froze.
Aarav noticed it.
Trisha spoke coldly.
Trisha (Hindi):
“Mujhe papa se baat karni hai , Mom.”
(English):
“I need to talk to dad, Mom.”
Bhumi face dropped in shock.
Bhumi: “Trisha… what are you saying?”
Trisha turned to Aarav.
Trisha “Yahaan koi sach chhupa raha hai.”
“Someone here is hiding the truth.”
Aarav’s heartbeat increased.
---
Yug Suryawanshi Study Room
Trisha walked straight into Yug Suryawanshi study room—she father study room.
he was sitting on the chair.
He looked up and smiled brightly when he saw her daughter
Yug "Welcome my dear daughter."
Trisha frowned.
“Stop acting papa.”
Yug blinked.
Yug
“Kya hua, Trisha? Itne gusse mein kyu ho?”
“What happened, Trisha? Why are you so angry?”
Trisha scanned his study room and said "Because of you Akruti is suffering."
Yug said " Nahi, Trisha aese nhi hai."
No, Trisha is not like that.
Trisha
“Papa… agar Akruti ko kuch bhi hua to me bhool jao gai aap mere papa ho.”
“Papa… if anything happens to Akriti, I will forget that you are my father.”
Aarav’s eyes landed on something:
Aarav’s eyes land on one locker.
His heartbeat accelerated.
He go and ask open his uncle
Aarav
“Is locker me. Kya hai?”
“What's in this locker?”
Trisha looked shocked.
Yug is this business related
Trisha stepped closer.
She saw something scribbled on the locker
A symbol.
A black cobra.
Trisha gasped.
Aarav’s blood ran cold.
---
The Confrontation
Aarav look Yug
His voice cracked.
Aarav
“Uncle … sach bolo. Aapka Nagraj se koi connection hai?”
“Uncle … tell the truth. Do you have any connection to Nagraj?”
Yug stepped back as if Aarav had slapped him.
Tears filled his eyes.
Yug
“Aarav … tum mujhe yeh kaise bol sakte ho?”
(English):
“Aarav … how can you even say this to me?”
Aarav closed his eyes tightly.
He didn’t WANT to suspect him.
But the world was forcing him.
Trisha stepped between them.
Trisha (Hindi):
“Papa… agar aapna kuch nahi kiya, toh hume batao is locker me kya hai."
“Papa… if you didn't do anything, then tell us what's in this locker.”
.
Yug“I… I don’t know!”
Trisha don't believed him.
---
Aarav whispered in a voice that didn’t sound like his own:
“Uncle…?”
Trisha touched Aarav’s arm.
Her eyes were empty.
Traumatized.
Shocked.
Destroyed.
Suddenly—
A phone beeped.
Aarav slowly lifted it.
A message from an unknown number:
“Trisha …
Your father was with me tonight.”
“—The Black King”
Trisha's breath stopped.
Aarav’s eyes widened in horror.
And the chapter ends.
---
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