Ranveer walked down the dimly lit hallway, his jaw set in grim determination, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge. The front door of the orphanage seemed to be pulling him forward, but just as he was about to leave, Mrs. Geeta Srivastava stepped in his way. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with concern. She was like a mother to him, and seeing her worry stopped him in his tracks.
"Please, Ranveer… don't go," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "You've already killed so many people. I don't want to watch you become a murderer. Please, calm down."
Ranveer's fists tightened as he stared into her eyes. His anger had been boiling ever since he returned to the orphanage and saw what Rishi Saxena's men had done. But in that moment, faced with Mrs. Srivastava's desperate expression, his resolve wavered. His mind screamed for vengeance, but his heart pulled in another direction.
Suddenly, Vani's voice rang sharply in his head.
"How foolish are you being?" she said coldly. "If you don't take him down now, Rishi Saxena will come back for you. Do you really think showing mercy will save you?"
Ranveer clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. He glanced at Mrs. Srivastava again, her hands trembling as she reached for him. He turned to face her, trying to suppress the fury that had been burning inside him.
"If you want me to wait," he said slowly, "I will. But this isn't over."
Mrs. Srivastava let out a sigh of relief and placed a hand on his arm, her expression softening.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I just don't want to lose you too."
Ranveer gave her a small nod and stepped back, watching as she walked away. He wanted to storm out and hunt down Rishi Saxena, but her plea had held him back. For now, he would stay. He respected her too much to disobey her wishes.
He turned and made his way back to his room, his thoughts a jumble of emotions—anger, frustration, and a strange sense of relief. His mind raced with conflicting desires. He wanted revenge, but he couldn't bring himself to go against Mrs. Srivastava. Not yet.
As he sat down on his bed, the room felt cold and dark. His thoughts swirled, and suddenly, Vani appeared in front of him, her holographic form glowing faintly in the shadows. Her expression was sharp, almost irritated.
"Why didn't you attack them?" Vani's voice was filled with frustration. "You've put the orphanage at risk, Ranveer. Those men will come back for you. You should have finished them off."
Ranveer leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His voice was calm, but there was an edge of exhaustion.
"I know," he sighed. "I know they'll come back. But if Geeta Ma wants me to wait, then I can hold off. This isn't the end. Rishi Saxena will come for me, and when he does… I'll be ready."
Vani scanned his face, her tone softening slightly as if she was processing his decision.
"You're gambling with your future for the sake of emotions," she said, surprised by his calm. "That could be a fatal mistake."
Ranveer shrugged, his gaze distant.
"Maybe," he admitted. "But I know him. He'll come for me. And when he does, I'll end it."
There was a moment of silence. Vani sighed and disappeared, leaving the room in darkness once again. Ranveer sat there, lost in thought, when suddenly, the sound of distant police sirens broke through the quiet. His body tensed.
He hurried outside, where Mrs. Srivastava was already rushing out of her office, her face lined with concern. The police sirens blared louder as a patrol car pulled up outside the orphanage. Both of them froze, their hearts pounding. As the car stopped at the gate, two policemen stepped out. For a moment, the tension was unbearable—until Ranveer saw the orphanage's trustee, Rahul, exiting the car behind them.
"It's alright," Rahul called, waving at them. "I called them."
Mrs. Srivastava and Ranveer exchanged relieved glances. The tension eased from their bodies, and they watched as Rahul gestured for the police to follow him inside.
Inside the office, Rahul, Mrs. Srivastava, and Inspector Abdul Hamid stood together, the air thick with unease. Papers cluttered the desk, and the old furniture creaked as they sat. Rahul spoke quietly, his voice low as he explained the situation to the inspector.
"Rishi Saxena's men came after the orphanage again," Rahul said, hesitating. "But this time… Ranveer killed them."
Inspector Abdul's eyes narrowed as he processed the information.
"He… killed them?" the inspector repeated, frowning.
Rahul nodded, his tone somber.
The inspector crossed his arms, deep in thought, before he let out a sigh.
"This is serious, Rahul," Abdul said slowly. "I want nothing more than to get rid of Rishi Saxena, but the law is the law. I can't just let this slide."
Rahul leaned forward, desperation creeping into his voice.
"I know, but you must understand—they attacked first. It was self-defense."
The inspector considered this for a moment, his sharp eyes studying Rahul and Mrs. Srivastava. After a long pause, he nodded reluctantly.
"If we can prove it was self-defense, we can get him off," Abdul said. "But he has to make it clear. Otherwise, this could turn into something much worse."
Mrs. Srivastava let out a sharp breath, her hand flying to her mouth. She looked at Rahul, who nodded for her to call Ranveer.
She walked down the hallway slowly, her steps heavy with dread. Ranveer followed her back to the office, his footsteps barely making a sound.
Inside the office, Inspector Abdul examined Ranveer closely. The tension in the room was palpable. Ranveer stood tall, his eyes meeting the inspector's gaze without flinching.
"You did what I couldn't," Inspector Abdul said, his voice heavy with meaning. "But you broke the law, Ranveer. And there's a price for that. If you can prove self-defense, you may be able to walk away from this. But next time… there might not be a way out."
Rahul and Mrs. Srivastava exchanged relieved glances. The inspector handed Rahul a written report before turning to leave.
"Thank you, Inspector," Rahul said.
As the inspector left, Rahul turned to Ranveer, a stern expression on his face.
"Ranveer, I know your heart is in the right place, but you can't let your anger tarnish this orphanage's name," Rahul said, his voice firm. "Rishi Saxena isn't done with you. Next time… make sure you finish him. But keep in mind that none of this should affect our orphanage, because you know that if our orphanage gets caught up in all this, it will suffer a lot of disgrace, and people will start talking, which we definitely do not want, and perhaps you don't want either."
Ranveer met Rahul's gaze, his expression resolute.
"Next time
, I will."
With those words, Ranveer knew his future was set. He wasn't done. Not yet.