"THE FORGOTTEN ONES"

A Child's Silent Pain

Bhavya felt a strong sense that something was off about the woman standing before him. As a captain in the Indian Territorial Forces, he had faced countless life-and-death situations since he began serving his country. His instincts for sensing imminent danger were finely tuned, and right now, those instincts were on high alert.

He kept his face stern and his tone cold as he spoke to her. "Keep your mind occupied," he warned himself, thinking through his approach. "If you try anything that looks like a threat, I'll shoot you." His eyes bore into her, searching for any signs of deceit or danger.

Trying to mask her fear, the woman replied in a shaky voice, "Sir, I'm Nikriti, and the boy is Kali." She was clearly frightened, her voice trembling as she spoke. Her eyes darted nervously between Bhavya and his men, her body tense and uncertain.

Bhavya let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Haha, don't you think those are odd names? I've never heard them before." His tone was casual, but his eyes remained sharp, observing her reaction closely.

Nakriti's face tightened slightly, and her voice remained shaky as she replied, "No, sir, these names were decided long before I was born. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't make fun of someone's name." Though still fearful, there was a slight edge in her voice, as if she was defending something important.

Bhavya was testing her, probing for cracks. He knew from experience that when people feel cornered or insulted, they often reveal what they're hiding in an effort to defend themselves. This was a psychological tactic, a way to push people into revealing their true intentions.

"I apologize if it seemed like I was making fun," Bhavya continued, pretending to be interested. "I'm just curious. What does your name mean?"

Nakriti's lips curled into a strange, unsettling smile, and she let out a low, sinister laugh. "My name means nothing... but it means everything."

A chill ran down Bhavya's spine. The uneasy feeling gnawed at him again, stronger this time. What is this sense of dread? Should I drop this little mind game? Something about this woman is definitely off, just as I suspected. The time to act might be now. His thoughts raced, and his expression grew more serious. His men, standing behind him, could see the tension in his stance and knew something was about to happen.

As the lady walked beside him, Bhavya suddenly noticed the sound of footsteps behind them had stopped. His instincts kicked in immediately. He reached for his pistol, his hand gripping the handle tightly, and his men, sensing the change in his posture, did the same. They quickly turned around, their eyes scanning the dark surroundings—but there was no one there. The silence was deafening. The whole thing had happened so fast that they hadn't even had time to react.

"Sir, should we enter the hospital premises? She couldn't have gone far," one of the troops asked, his voice tense with urgency.

Bhavya's eyes narrowed as he considered the options. "No, we have orders to stay outside at night. This could be a trap to lure us in. Don't get carried away by the enemy; we might be playing right into their hands," he replied, his voice calm but edged with uncertainty.

"Your orders, Sir?" the soldier asked, awaiting further instruction.

"Quickly inform all units to be ready for combat. No one is to enter the building or its grounds," Bhavya commanded. "Keep your eyes open, and if any woman or boy approaches, arrest them. If you sense any danger, open fire immediately." The men nodded and quickly relayed the orders, tightening their grip on their weapons.

Bhavya then dialed Vivaan Singhania to inform him of the situation, his mind still racing with the possibilities of what could be inside the building. He needed guidance on whether they should enter or not.