His Corazón

29. Rescued

Akshita's pov

It had been a whole day since Lucas was taken, and I could still feel the weight of that moment pressing on my chest. As soon as we got back to bhai's place yesterday, I insisted on starting the training. There was no time to waste.

I stood in the middle of the training room, gripping my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. Sweat dripped down my forehead, but I didn't care. Every second counted now. My eyes darted to Rudra bhai, who was adjusting his stance, his expression calm but serious.

"Akshu, focus," he said, tossing me a small pistol. I caught it instinctively, the cold metal jolting me back to reality.

"I'm ready," I forced the words out, even though my heart was pounding. I couldn’t afford to let my fear show. Lucas needed me. I needed to do this.

"Good," bhaiya continued, his voice steady. "This isn’t just about pulling a trigger. You need control—control over your mind, your breath, and most importantly, your aim. Precision, Akshita. Always aim with precision."

I nodded, my fingers tightening around the weapon. I could feel the weight of it in my hand, but it was nothing compared to the crushing weight in my chest. "We don’t have time," I whispered, frustration lacing my voice. I wasn’t sure if he heard me, but it didn’t matter.

"I know," bhaiya said, his eyes softening for a split second. "But if you want to save him, you need to be stronger than you’ve ever been."

Before I could respond, the door creaked open. Vikram stepped inside, his presence as commanding as ever. But it wasn’t just him. The soft sound of paws and a low, familiar growl made me turn around.

Vesper.

"Vesper..." I breathed, moving toward him. Lucas’s tiger stood there, his golden eyes locked on mine. I knelt beside him, running my hand through his fur, feeling the warmth beneath my fingers. His presence was a comfort, a reminder of Lucas.

"We need to do our best, baby. We need to save your dada... and my husband." My voice cracked, but Vesper responded with a low growl, his eyes never leaving mine. He understood. I knew he did.

Vikram stepped forward, his gaze steady. "He’s ready. We’ve trained him for situations like this, but now he’s going to rely on you, Akshita. You’re his family."

Family. The word hit me hard, but I pushed the emotions aside. There was no room for hesitation. I stood up, brushing the dust from my knees, my resolve hardening. "Then we start now. Train me, bhaiya. Train Vesper if you have to. I won’t stop until Lucas is back."

Bhaiya handed me a larger weapon this time, his eyes serious. "This will get intense, Akshu. But I know you can handle it."

I glanced at Vesper, his massive form standing protectively beside me. Vikram and Rudra bhaiya were ready, and so was I. There was no turning back.

"Let’s do this," I said, determination coursing through me.

For Lucas. For us.

I spend the next 2 whole days, in the training room. I would train with him continuously without break. Vesper was being trained side by side with me and he was as determined as me to save Lucas.

"Enough, akshita. Rest now." Shivi di came inside the training room.

"No, di. Just an hour more, I need to get my aim straight while throwing this knifes."

"It's been whole 3 fucking days, since you never left this room. Not even for a second. You don't eat properly, is this how you are going to save Ruhaan Bhai? Huh?"