Chapter 68: Chapter Sixty One!

The deafening sound of gunfire erupted outside, echoing through the grand mansion like a violent storm. The chaos of bullets slicing through the air sent Meera’s heart hammering in her chest. Instinctively, she clung to Arjun, her fingers digging into his arm as fear gripped her.

Arjun, despite his injury, looked down at her and smiled—a calm, reassuring smile that made her breath hitch.

"You will be fine." he murmured, his voice steady, unwavering.

Meera swallowed hard, staring into his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, she believed him.

Then Arjun’s gaze snapped back to Mahira, who stood a few feet away, her face twisted in pure rage. The gun in her hand trembled, her knuckles white from how tightly she gripped it.

"Mahira." Arjun began, his tone sharp, laced with venom.

"Your father is an abusive prick who controls you like a puppet, just like he does your coward of a brother. You were raised in filth, in a family that thrives on ruining young lives, pulling them into trafficking."

Meera’s eyes widened, her grip on Arjun loosening slightly as she processed his words.

"Your father’s empire is built on suffering, and I’ll do it again and again if it means burning it to the ground."

Mahira’s lips curled in fury, her body practically shaking with rage.

Meera looked at Arjun, truly seeing him for the first time.

All this time, she had thought of him as nothing but a dangerous man—a criminal, a mafia boss. But compared to Ranveer, compared to Mahira, he was better. Maybe even the lesser evil in a world of monsters.

Ranveer and Mahira had no morals. They traded in flesh, sold people like they were nothing. But Arjun—he had lines he refused to cross.

Maybe he wasn’t the villain she had once thought him to be.

Mahira let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Shut the fuck up, Arjun! That’s rich coming from you. You think you’re better than us? You’re just like us! A killer. A criminal. A man with blood on his hands. Don’t act like you’re innocent."

Her words dripped with hatred, but Arjun’s expression remained unmoved.

"You know what? I won’t even waste a bullet on you. I want you to suffer."

A cruel, slow smirk spread across her lips as she turned the gun toward Meera.

Arjun’s body tensed instantly.

Meera barely had time to react before she was yanked behind him, Arjun’s firm grip shielding her with his own body. His injured arm was still bleeding, but his stance was solid, unwavering.

"I don’t mind killing you both." Mahira sneered, her finger pressing against the trigger.

But before she could pull it, a single gunshot rang through the air.

Mahira’s eyes widened in shock as the gun slipped from her grasp.

A second gunshot followed, and this time, Mahira staggered backward, clutching her shoulder in agony.

"Sorry for being late, boss!" Karan’s voice rang through the room as he stepped through the entrance, his gun still raised.

Behind him, several of Arjun’s men stormed in, their weapons drawn, their eyes blazing with the promise of death.

"When we blew the gates, the smoke slowed us down." Karan explained, walking closer, his lips twitching into a smirk.

Mahira let out a strangled scream, her face contorted with rage. "You bastard! You coward! I swear, I’ll fucking kill her! I’ll—"

Another gunshot.

Then another.

Mahira crumpled to the floor with a bloodcurdling scream, both of her legs now stained with red.

Meera gasped, covering her mouth as her wide, horrified eyes snapped to Arjun.

He still had his gun raised, smoke curling from the barrel. His face was carved in stone, his dark eyes burning with fury as he took slow, menacing steps toward Mahira.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was quiet, but it dripped with lethal intent.

"Don’t you ever threaten my woman."

Mahira trembled on the ground, her body wracked with pain as Arjun’s men grabbed her, dragging her away.

Arjun didn't spare her another glance. His only focus now was Meera.

And she—she could only stare at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

For the first time, she realized something terrifying.

Arjun wasn’t just dangerous.

He was deadly.

And he would burn the whole world down for her.

A deep, pained groan filled the air as Ranveer was dragged across the marble floor, his once-pristine wedding attire now drenched in blood and dust.

His body twitched, his face contorted in agony. Arjun, standing tall despite his own injury, lifted a hand, halting his men.

"Make sure he stays alive." he commanded coldly. His voice was devoid of emotion, but his eyes burned with fury.

His men nodded and hauled Ranveer away, his muffled protests drowned beneath the chaos unraveling around them.

Arjun’s face was dark with fury, his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes exuding barely restrained violence.

Karan stepped forward, urgency in his voice.

“Arjun, we need to go. Now. We have twenty minutes before this whole place is gone.”

Meera’s head snapped toward him, panic flashing in her eyes.

“Gone?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Karan’s expression hardened. “Your father ordered the mansion to be blown up. There’s no time.”

Meera’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath catching.

“Wait!” She turned to Arjun, gripping his arm. “There are still girls here—young girls, victims. We can’t just leave them! Please, Arjun, we can’t let them die.”

Her voice cracked with desperation, her wide eyes pleading with his.

Arjun’s jaw tightened, his gaze holding hers for a long second before he exhaled sharply. Without hesitation, he barked out an order.

“Search the place! Get the innocent out—now!”

His men immediately sprung into action, disappearing down the halls to free the captives.

Arjun turned back to Meera. “Let’s go.”

Meera hesitated for a moment, watching as his men scattered to save the others, then she hurried after Arjun, wrapping an arm around his uninjured side to help him walk out.

By the time they reached the car, Arjun was getting pale, sweat beading along his forehead as the blood loss took its toll.

He leaned against the vehicle, breathing heavily, and turned to Meera with a small, teasing smile.

“Jaan, can you drive?”

Meera stiffened at the endearment, her brows knitting together.

Her voice came out hesitant. “N-No... I can’t.”

“I’ll drive.” Karan spoke up from the driver’s seat, already starting the engine.

Meera nodded in appreciation before suddenly pausing.

The weight of her wedding attire felt suffocating now—the heavy veil, the layers of fabric dragging her down like chains.

Without a word, she yanked off the veil and stripped away the excess jewelry, dropping them onto the pavement. Her fingers trembled slightly as she removed the elaborate ornaments that had once felt like shackles.

Now, she was left in just the saree, with only a few remaining pieces—a delicate nose ring, the jewelry adorning her hair, and the bangles on her wrists.

Arjun watched her closely, his dark eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, as if satisfied, he smirked.

Meera ignored him and slid into the backseat beside him.

As the car sped out of the damaged gates, she finally exhaled, her shoulders sagging in relief. The mansion—her nightmare—was behind them.

But then her gaze landed on Arjun, and her stomach clenched. Blood. His shirt was soaked in it.

Her breath hitched. “It... it must hurt.” she said softly, hesitantly reaching toward him.

Arjun didn’t answer. He just watched her.

Karan, still focused on driving, called out, “Meera, can you stop the bleeding? At least until we reach the hospital. He’s losing too much blood.”

Meera nodded quickly, her fingers trembling slightly. “D-Do you have a handkerchief? Or anything I can use?”

Karan shook his head. “No.”

Before she could say anything else, Arjun’s fingers caught her chin, tilting her face toward him.

His voice was low, almost possessive. “Stop talking to another man. I’m right here.”

Meera blinked, caught off guard. “I... I was just asking for—”

Her words died in her throat as Arjun slowly began unbuttoning his bloodied shirt.

Her eyes widened, her breath hitching.

The sheer audacity—even now?!

She immediately looked away, her face heating.

“Ugh! Even with a wound, you’re still shameless.” she muttered under her breath.

Arjun chuckled, the sound deep and lazy. “Only for you, jaan.”

Meera flinched when she felt something pressed into her hands. Looking down, she saw a crumpled piece of fabric—Arjun’s shirt.

Her gaze snapped up to him, only to find him sitting there, completely bare from the waist up.

“Use this.” he said casually, his voice rough with pain yet laced with amusement.

Meera’s eyes betrayed her, roaming over his exposed chest before she could stop herself.

His skin was tan, taut over hard muscle, every ridge and contour carved like a sculpture. The faint sheen of sweat made him look even more... tempting.

Her fingers twitched. A ridiculous, forbidden thought crossed her mind—one that made her want to trace those lines with her hands, to feel the heat of his skin under her palms.

Her eyes widened in horror.

“ARE YOU INSANE?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, MEERA?” she scolded herself mentally, shaking her head furiously to rid herself of such absurd thoughts.

Arjun, of course, noticed everything.

His lips curled into a smirk, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement as he watched her internal battle.

Meera huffed, snapping her gaze away.

“Won’t you get cold?” she asked, desperate to shift the conversation.

Arjun let out a low chuckle. “I’d rather freeze to death than bleed out, jaan.”

His tone was playful, but the way his eyes stayed on her, dark and unreadable, sent a shiver down her spine.

Her face heated. Annoyed by both him and herself, she glared at him before focusing on the task at hand.

With delicate hands, she pressed the shirt against his wound, tying it tightly to slow the bleeding. Her fingers brushed against his skin briefly, and she felt his muscles flex under her touch.

She swallowed hard, ignoring the way her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

From the front seat, Karan kept sneaking glances through the rearview mirror, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

Damn.

His boss was a completely different man around Meera.

♡♡♡

After what felt like an eternity, they finally left the island behind.

Just as Meera started to exhale in relief, a deafening explosion erupted behind them.

The sky lit up in flames, and the ground trembled from the impact.

Her breath hitched. “Oh my God...”

The mansion—everything within it—was engulfed in fire, reduced to nothing but rubble and ash.

Her heart clenched.

Arjun, noticing the tension in her face, reached out and gently grasped her wrist, his touch grounding.

“Don’t worry, jaan.” he murmured, his voice low yet reassuring.

She turned to him, wide-eyed.

“They’re safe.” he said with a soft smile. “The ones who deserved to live.”

Meera swallowed, processing his words, and after a long moment, she nodded.

Her world had just been turned upside down.

♧♧♧

The car skidded to a stop in front of the hospital, and before it fully halted, Meera was already getting down from her seatbelt.

“Arjun, hold on.” she said urgently, wrapping her arms around his waist to support him as he stepped out.

His face was pale, his breaths shallow, but he still managed to glance down at her with a lopsided smirk.

“Worried about me, jaan?” he teased weakly.

Meera glared at him. “Shut up and walk.”

Karan joined them, helping to steady Arjun as they rushed into the hospital.

The moment the nurses saw the blood, everything turned chaotic.

A stretcher was wheeled in, voices shouting instructions, and before Meera could process anything, they took him from her hands.

She stood there, frozen, watching as they disappeared behind the emergency doors.

The weight of everything hit her all at once.

The blood on her hands—his blood. The chaos. The exhaustion seeping into her bones.

She exhaled shakily and turned toward the waiting area, sinking onto a cold metal bench.

The people passing by shot her odd glances.

Right.

She was still dressed in the remnants of her wedding attire—her saree disheveled, the jewelry still clinging to her, her hair a mess.

She looked out of place.

She felt out of place.

Her fingers curled into fists on her lap.

“Meera.”

She looked up, startled, to find Karan standing before her. His face was softer than usual, his usual playful smirk replaced with quiet concern.

“Let me take you home.” he offered.

Meera hesitated.

Her eyes flickered back toward the hallway where they had taken Arjun.

She didn’t want to leave.

But what could she do? Sit here all night, waiting for news?

She bit her lip, inhaling deeply.

“He’ll be fine, Meera.” she whispered to herself, as if trying to convince her own heart.

It still felt wrong to leave, but she had no choice.

With a resigned nod, she stood. “Thank you, Karan.”

He gave her a small smile and led the way.

♡♡♡

The drive home was silent.

Karan, perhaps sensing her exhaustion, didn’t try to fill the space with unnecessary conversation.

When they finally arrived, Meera turned to him, her voice soft with gratitude.

“I really appreciate everything, Karan. Thank you… for helping me. For helping Arjun.”

Karan simply smiled, shaking his head. “Just get some rest, Meera. You need it.”

She nodded, stepping out of the car, and watched as he drove away.

The second he was gone, a heavy weight settled over her.

Her body felt sluggish, as if every step she took required immense effort.

The exhaustion was unbearable.

The emotional turmoil of the past few hours crushed her, leaving her feeling drained and empty.

She dragged herself toward her front door, relieved that it was late enough that no nosy neighbors were outside. She didn’t want to deal with anyone.

Reaching the door, she rang the bell.

Seconds later, the door creaked open.

Her father stood there.

Meera’s breath hitched.

He looked… broken.

Dark circles shadowed his tired eyes, and pain lined every feature of his face.

And then he saw her.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

“B… Beta?” His voice cracked, as if he couldn’t believe she was standing there.

Tears welled up in Meera’s eyes.

“Papa…”

Before she could say anything else, her body gave out, and she collapsed into his arms.

Her father held her tightly, his grip desperate, as if afraid she would disappear again.

“Oh, God…” He choked on a sob. “I was so worried, Meera. I thought—”

His voice broke, and warm tears dampened her hair.

Meera clung to him, letting herself cry for the first time in hours.

Then, hurried footsteps sounded behind them.

“Meera?”

She lifted her head and saw her mother standing there.

For a moment, silence stretched between them.

And then her mother burst into tears, rushing forward to embrace her.

Jiya followed suit, throwing her arms around Meera from the side, sobbing uncontrollably.

They held onto her, as if afraid to let go.

Meera closed her eyes, her body shaking from the overwhelming emotions.

She was home.

Safe.

Loved.

And for the first time in what felt like forever…

She let herself breathe.

♧♧♧

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Sorry for the late update!