Aadhira- His heart beat

Chapter 24

Hello, dear readers! I hope you're all doing well. The long-awaited update is finally here! And yes, there's an important announcement waiting for you at the end of the chapter, so don't miss it...

Enjoy reading!

Author’s pov

In a lavish penthouse, a heavy silence hung in the air despite the presence of three young men, each lost in their own thoughts. Two of them sat on the couch, sighing as they glanced at their companion, who had been standing for hours with his back to them, clutching a glass of whiskey. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the floor-to-ceiling glass window, which revealed the lively streets and towering skyscrapers of Mumbai, making the night feel as bright as day. Yet, his gaze appeared vacant, and his mind seemed preoccupied. Occasionally, he raised his drink for a few sips.

Unable to bear the stifling silence any longer, Tarun Singh Rathore rose from his seat and approached the man, stopping a few feet behind him.

"Is she okay there?" he asked, breaking the silence. The man didn’t turn around but downed the contents of his glass in one swift motion before hurling it aside, where it shattered into pieces.

"Karan, you've been like this for hours. We can’t help if you stay silent like this. We're also concerned about her," he said gently.

"She was this small when she was born," Karan said, holding out both palms. A tender smile spread across his face as he fondly remembered the moment his sister was born.

"She always followed me wherever I went. If she wanted something, she'd run to me, saying, 'Bhai, I want this... I want that.' After doing something mischievous, she'd hide behind me to avoid Ma's punishment. She always called me her savior, the one who would protect her from everything. She never kept secrets from me or lied," he said, his eyes welling up with unshed tears. Tarun listened quietly, not saying a word.

"But today, do you know what she did? She lied to me, looking straight into my eyes. Did she really think her bhai is too blind to see the pain behind her smile?" he asked, staring out at the dark sky.

Eshanth Singh Rathore stood up, walked over, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“What happened to her?” Eshanth asked, his gaze cold and jaw clenched.

"I saw a bruise on her wrist, hidden under her bangles, and a faded nail mark on her jaw," Karan said, his fists clenched and his body trembling with uncontrollable anger. Eshanth and Tarun’s expressions grew grim as Karan's words sank in. A heavy silence followed for a few moments.

"It’s time we take action," Tarun said through gritted teeth.

"What do you think? Does it seem like he physically abused her... or worse, forced himself on her?" Eshanth asked, his jaw tightly clenched.

“No. I made her swear on me to tell the truth. She said that he didn’t force himself on her" he said.

“That means he must have manhandled her” Tarun added.

“How dare he to hurt our sister? Eshanth said, clenching his hand.

“I want him to be gone… gone for good….” Karan said causing both Tarun and Eshanth to turn and stare at him.

"It's not as simple as you think, Karan. We need to plan carefully before doing anything. If something goes wrong, we can't afford to face Digvijay's wrath, and Adhira could be in danger," Tarun said with a serious expression.

"Nothing will go wrong if we're cautious," Eshanth replied with a smirk, pouring himself a drink. Karan looked at him and smiled.

"I know exactly what we need to do," Karan said with a smirk. Eshanth chuckled, sipping his drink as he looked at him.