Chapter 7: Shadows of Betrayal
Aditya’s covert association with Vikram was beginning to transform him, both mentally and emotionally. The young man who had once been filled with warmth and innocence was now a complex figure, driven by the desire for justice yet tinged with a darkness that came from his association with Vikram’s gang. His once gentle nature was turning into something far colder, and each step with Vikram brought him closer to a point of no return.
Saad, who had always sensed his adopted brother’s pain and guarded secrets, felt more and more alienated. Though Rahman tried to bridge the gap between them, Saad could feel Aditya slipping further into an unknown world, one that seemed to be swallowing him whole. Meanwhile, Saad was grappling with his own demons—mainly, the betrayal he still felt from his ex-girlfriend, Kiara, who had destroyed his faith in trust and love.
One afternoon, Saad was at the gym, channeling his anger and frustration into his workout, when he received an unexpected message on his phone. It was from an anonymous number.
*“If you want the truth about your father’s death, meet me tonight at the abandoned cinema near the old town. Midnight.”*
The message sent a chill down Saad’s spine. No one had ever questioned his father’s accident before, and he had resigned himself to believing it was simply a tragic twist of fate. But something deep within him sensed that this message might lead him to a revelation he wasn’t prepared for—and yet, he couldn’t ignore it.
Without informing Rahman or Aditya, Saad decided he would go.
---
Later that night, Saad parked his car a few blocks away from the abandoned cinema. The area was cloaked in darkness, its silence punctuated by the faint hum of the city in the distance. As he entered the crumbling structure, the air was thick with dust and memories of forgotten films and empty seats.
A figure emerged from the shadows, making Saad instinctively tense. It was a man, tall, with an air of quiet authority.
“You Saad?” the man asked, his voice low and rough.
“Yes,” Saad replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “Who are you, and what do you know about my father?”
The man didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he handed Saad a brown envelope. Saad’s hands trembled as he opened it, his pulse quickening as he glanced at the contents. Inside were photographs of Kiara and Sunny, the infamous Sunny Malhotra, whose wealth and political connections had protected him from any repercussions for his crimes.
“What does this have to do with my father?” Saad demanded, looking up.
The man finally spoke, his voice filled with anger. “Your father was a good man, Saad. But he made the mistake of standing in Sunny Malhotra’s way. Sunny and his powerful allies saw him as a threat, someone who wouldn’t play by their rules. That’s why your father was killed. It wasn’t an accident.”
Saad felt a wave of nausea as the realization sank in. His father had been murdered, and the people responsible had walked away without consequence. The betrayal felt like a knife twisting in his heart. He clenched his fists, his mind racing with questions.
“But why tell me this now?” Saad asked, his voice filled with suspicion.
The man’s expression darkened. “Because people like Sunny think they’re untouchable. But I believe it’s time someone showed them that they’re wrong.”
---
The revelation shattered Saad’s sense of reality. He returned home that night feeling numb, his mind a whirlwind of anger, sadness, and confusion. The betrayal was more profound than he could have ever imagined. As he sat alone in his room, his thoughts drifted to Aditya, wondering if his brother somehow sensed this darkness all along. Maybe Aditya’s secrecy and coldness weren’t due to indifference but were born out of the same desire for justice that Saad now felt brewing within him.
The following morning, Aditya noticed the change in Saad. His brother’s normally calm demeanor was now a mask, concealing an intensity that Aditya recognized. Saad was quieter, more distant, almost as if a shadow had passed over him.
Unable to ignore his curiosity, Aditya finally asked, “Are you alright, Saad? You seem…different.”
Saad’s gaze turned sharp, a flicker of distrust in his eyes. “I could say the same about you, Adi. You’re not exactly the person you used to be either. But I’m not here to question your choices.”
Aditya bristled, sensing the accusation beneath Saad’s words. “Some things aren’t worth sharing, Saad. Besides, I think you’re the last person who can understand what I’m going through.”
The tension between them was palpable. Though neither spoke the words aloud, both sensed that they were on parallel journeys, each fueled by their personal vendettas and shadowed by betrayal.
---
Days passed in this strained silence until a turning point arrived in the form of Kiara. She approached Saad at a coffee shop one afternoon, a strange expression on her face as she took a seat across from him uninvited.
“Saad, please, just listen to me,” she began, her voice almost pleading. “I know I hurt you, but there’s something you need to understand. Sunny isn’t who you think he is. He’s dangerous, Saad, and if you keep digging into your father’s death, he’ll come after you too.”
Saad’s gaze hardened as he listened to her. He couldn’t decide if she was trying to protect him or simply covering her own tracks. “Why are you telling me this now, Kiara? You had no problem standing by his side when he ruined our lives.”
Kiara’s face crumpled, and Saad could see the faint trace of regret in her eyes. “I was afraid, Saad. Sunny has connections, power that you can’t even imagine. But… I never wanted things to end this way.”
Saad felt his anger simmering, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that Kiara seemed genuinely afraid. “So, why are you warning me? What’s changed?”
She hesitated, glancing around as if someone might overhear them. “Because Sunny’s done with me too. I’m just another pawn he used and discarded. But he won’t stop with me, Saad. If you keep pushing, he’ll come after you and everyone you care about.”
Saad’s jaw tightened, his mind flashing to Aditya and Rahman. The thought of his family becoming Sunny’s next targets only fueled his resolve. “Then maybe it’s time he learns what happens when he pushes the wrong people.”
Kiara shook her head, her eyes pleading. “This isn’t a game, Saad. You’re not like him. Don’t let his darkness consume you.”
But Saad was no longer listening. His heart was filled with a cold determination, a burning need to expose Sunny and his web of corruption.
---
That evening, Saad confronted Aditya, his voice low but intense. “I know what happened to Dad wasn’t an accident. Sunny and his people killed him. And I think it’s time we do something about it.”
Aditya’s face hardened, and for the first time, he saw a reflection of his own anger in Saad’s eyes. “Then let’s make them pay, Saad. No more waiting, no more hiding.”
Together, they began planning, drawing up a list of people who could expose Sunny’s operations. They spent late nights researching, gathering evidence, and tracing Sunny’s network of connections. Their brotherhood was renewed, but it was now bound by their shared mission of vengeance, a dark twist on the love they had once shared.
And as they moved deeper into their plans, both knew that they were stepping onto a dangerous path—one from which there might be no turning back. But revenge had clouded their minds, blurring the lines between right and wrong, justice and retribution.
The shadows of betrayal had bound them together, and they were ready to face whatever lay ahead, knowing that nothing would stop them from taking Sunny down, even if it cost them everything.
---
End of Chapter 7
In this chapter, Saad uncovers the truth about his father’s death, and the weight of betrayal drives both him and Aditya to the edge. Their bond, once filled with love and trust, is now consumed by vengeance, and they begin to plan a path that could destroy them as much as their enemies.
YOU ARE READING
ZINDAGI
General FictionA story of two brothers having seve your difficulties losing father going psychopathic nature with mental illness and harassment and going never give up what does situation is and what the learn from father .
