𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕

𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭

Chapter Eighteen: Signals of Trust

"Haramzadeeee!" Her voice roared as she delivered a powerful kick to the betrayer, causing him to moan in pain. Despite being restrained, she exuded an undeniable energy that sent a shiver down the spines of the guards, who stood frozen in shock.

"What are you watching, idiots? Hold her back!" Khatri shouted at his guards, his voice laced with frustration and anger. The guards, shaken from their stupor, hurried to restrain Vasisth, who continued to seethe with rage.

Despite her usual scepticism and reluctance to trust easily, she chose to take a chance for the sake of the hostages and the country. Shouting at the man lying down, writhing in pain and clutching his ribs, she exclaimed, "Kya mila desh se gadari karke?"

Azaan, now on his knees, avoided eye contact, unable to muster a response. Khatri, amused by the unfolding drama, decided to reveal the motive.

"Money, power, the usual reasons," Khatri chuckled. "Azaan here thought he could secure a better future by siding with the winning team. Loyalty, my dear Vasisth, is a rare commodity these days."

Without breaking her gaze, she spat at him in anger, a visceral expression of her disdain for his betrayal.

"You sold out your loyalty for personal gain," she seethed, her voice cutting through the charged atmosphere. "You betrayed not just us but the entire nation. Was it worth it, Azaan?"

"Worth it? You think you understand, Vasisth?" he shot back, his voice laced with a mixture of defiance and frustration. "This country, your precious nation, didn't care about people like me. Loyalty? What did it ever get me? Nothing!"

Vasisth, though angered by Azaan's outburst, maintained a steady gaze, unyielding in the face of his bitter words. She responded with a firm resolve, "Survival doesn't justify betrayal, Azaan. I understand there are flaws in the system, but selling out your own for personal gain is not the solution. Loyalty may not have given you immediate rewards, but it's about standing for something greater than yourself."

Azaan, still nursing his injuries, scoffed, "Stand for something greater? Look around, Vasisth. This system, this nation, it's broken. Loyalty to it only brought me pain and neglect. I had to take matters into my own hands."

From the back of the room, Gill's voice cut through the heated exchange, his frustration evident. "What pain are you talking about, Azaan?" he demanded angrily, his eyes narrowing as he awaited an answer.

Azaan, still on his knees, hesitated before responding. "The pain of being overlooked, of struggling while those in power thrived. Loyalty didn't put food on the table or shelter over my head. It only made me invisible to a system that never cared."

Gill's expression tightened, torn between understanding Azaan's grievances and condemning the betrayal. "There are better ways to fight for change, ways that don't involve hurting innocent lives," he retorted, his frustration palpable.

Azaan's eyes welled up with a mix of anger and anguish as he retorted, his voice strained with emotion. "You talk about better ways, Gill, but tell me, what has the system ever done for people like us? We're invisible to them, forgotten. No one cares until we take matters into our own hands!"

Gill, though moved by the evident pain in Azaan's eyes, remained resolute. "I get it, Azaan," he replied, his voice stern. "But no amount of justification can erase the fact that you betrayed us. When you look in the mirror, I hope you see the consequences of what you've done, the lives you've jeopardized for your reasons."

Khatri, seemingly uninterested in the emotional exchange, interjected with a dramatic flair, "Cut the family drama, will you? Azaan, don't worry. I'll make sure to give you the justice your precious country couldn't provide."