Dons of Punjab: Fluke of Reality✔️

Chapter 19

Amandeep Singh Aulakh

Three weeks. Three goddamn weeks since Prabh vanished into thin air.

The city of New York had become my hunting ground, and I had torn through every alley, every abandoned building, and every underground club searching for her. But she was nowhere to be found. It was like she had become a ghost, slipping through my fingers every time I thought I was getting close.

Where the hell could she be?

I had gone to every informant I knew, threatened every rat that skittered in the shadows of the city's underbelly. But all I got were dead ends and empty promises. I had thrown more money at people than I could count, hoping someone had even the smallest scrap of information.

Nothing.

It was like the city itself had swallowed her whole, mocking me with its bright lights and endless noise. The longer she was gone, the more the frustration inside me grew. Every passing day felt like a knife twisting deeper into my gut.

Tonight was no different.

I sat in my penthouse, staring at the city through the massive glass windows. The skyline was breathtaking, the lights stretching far beyond what the eye could see. But all I saw was a battlefield—a city that refused to give her back to me.

A knock at the door broke me out of my thoughts. I didn't turn. I already knew who it was.

Jai walked in, his steps cautious. "Boss... we checked the last lead. Nothing. The guy was bluffing."

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. "Of course he was," I muttered. My jaw clenched. "What about the docks?"

"Empty," Jai said. He hesitated before continuing, "Aman... maybe she doesn't want to be found."

My blood ran cold.

I turned to him slowly, my hands gripping the edge of my desk. "What did you just say?" My voice was low, dangerous.

Jai looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just saying... maybe she left on her own. Maybe she doesn't want to come back."

I moved before I even realized it. One second, I was standing by my desk, and the next, my fist connected with the wall beside him. The sharp crack of drywall breaking echoed through the room. Jai didn't flinch, but he didn't look at me either.

"She wouldn't leave me," I growled. "Not like this. Not without a reason."

Silence stretched between us.

I turned away, breathing hard. My hands trembled, but not from anger. From the fucking helplessness clawing at my chest.

Prabh wasn't just some woman. She was my anchor. The only person who saw me for more than the power, more than the money, more than the violence.

And now she was gone.

I couldn't protect her. I couldn't keep her safe.

I clenched my fists, staring out the window again. "She's out there," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "And I will find her."

Jai nodded, though I could tell he wasn't convinced. "We'll keep looking."

"Damn right, we will," I muttered.

The city might have tried to hide her from me. But it underestimated how far I would go to bring her back.

Even if I had to burn this whole goddamn place to the ground.

I stood there, staring out the window, the city lights reflecting off the glass like scattered stars. My fists clenched at my sides, my nails biting into my palms. The pain was a reminder—sharp, grounding. I couldn't afford to let my emotions control me. Not now. Not when Prabh was still out there.

Jai shifted behind me, hesitant. He wanted to say something, I could feel it, but he knew better than to push me when I was like this.

"Boss," he finally spoke, voice low, careful. "There is... one more lead."

My head snapped towards him. "And you're just telling me this now?" My voice was ice, controlled, but the fury beneath it was undeniable.

Jai exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "It's not solid. More like a whisper in the wind. Some guy at the docks, name's Rohan. He claims he saw a woman matching Prabh's description a week ago."

A week ago. My jaw clenched. If I had known sooner...

"Where is he?" I demanded.

"Downstairs," Jai said, watching me closely. "Brought him in an hour ago. Thought you'd want to handle it yourself."

He was right. I always handled things like this myself.

I turned on my heel and stalked towards the door, my body thrumming with pent-up rage. The thought of someone knowing where Prabh was—of someone holding back information—set my blood on fire.

The elevator ride down was silent. Jai stood beside me, his presence steady but distant. He had seen me like this before. He knew better than to interrupt.

The doors slid open to the dimly lit basement of the building, a space reserved for situations like these.

Rohan was tied to a chair in the center of the room, his head down, his breathing uneven. Blood trickled from a cut above his brow, proof that my men had already gotten started.

I stepped forward, my shoes echoing in the silence. "Rohan," I said, my voice deceptively calm. "Let's talk."

He looked up, eyes wide with fear, his lips trembling. "I—I already told your men what I know—"

I crouched in front of him, resting my forearms on my knees. "Then tell me."

He swallowed hard, glancing at Jai as if looking for mercy. He'd find none here.

"She was at the docks," he stammered. "Not for long. Just... just a few minutes. She was with someone."

My entire body went rigid. "Who?"

"I—I don't know his name," Rohan stuttered. "Tall guy. Scar on his chin. He was talking to her, like he knew her."

I processed his words, my mind racing. "What were they saying?"

Rohan hesitated, and I leaned in closer, my patience razor-thin. "Don't make me ask again."

He flinched. "I didn't hear much. Just that she was asking about someone. And he told her... he told her to stop looking."

Stop looking.

I inhaled sharply. Prabh was searching for something. Or someone. And now she was missing.

I stood up, rolling my shoulders back, forcing my breathing to even out. "Where did they go?"

Rohan shook his head desperately. "I swear, I don't know. They left, and I didn't see where."

I turned to Jai. "Get someone to confirm his story. If he's lying, I want to know."

Jai nodded, stepping away to make the call. I turned back to Rohan, my expression unreadable. "If I find out you left anything out..." I let the silence stretch, watching as he paled.

"I told you everything!" he insisted, panic lacing his words.

I didn't respond. I simply walked away, my mind already working through the next step.

Prabh was out there, chasing something—or running from something. Either way, she was in danger.

And I was going to find her.

No matter who I had to go through to do it.