"In every broken breath, I remembered her strength." – Veer.
That's when the voice cut through the alley like a blade.
"Enough."
The voice struck like thunder.
The group froze, turning toward the sound. A man stood at the end of the alley. Dressed in a black tracksuit. Eyes sharp, cold, and angry.
Veer blinked. He recognised him instantly.
He was Raghav Mehta.
Aaradhya's father.
Rohit straightened up "So, uncle? Trying to play hero now?"
Raghav stepped forward. Calm. Controlled.
"You think the world won't know what you did?" His voice was low, dangerous. "It will. And when it does, you won't laugh."
He walked right up to Rohit. Before Rohit could react, Raghav grabbed his collar and slammed him into the wall. The others backed up, suddenly unsure.
"You touched my daughter."
Rohit paled. "Y-You don't have proof."
"I know what you did," he said coldly. "And if the law won't deal with you... Karma will. Soon."
He turned to Veer, offering a hand.
"Get up."
Veer, bruised and breathless, stared up at him. "Why... are you here?"
"Because my daughter chose you as her friend. That means something."
Veer's heart pounded—not from fear, but from shame.
Veer stunned.
"I'm sorry," Veer whispered, his voice shaky.
"You should be," Raghav said. "But not to me. To her."
I'm weak," he muttered.
Raghav didn't deny it.
"You are," he said. "But you don't have to stay that way."
Rohit was still breathing hard against the wall, the smirk returning to his bruised face.
One of his friends, taller and cocky, rolled his eyes and stepped forward.
"Tch… just go your way, you old f*."**
Silence.
Veer froze. Even Rohit looked sideways, unsure.
Raghav slowly turned his gaze toward the boy who spoke. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous.
"Are you curious what I can do ?" he asked quietly.
The bully frowned. "What the hell? Skills? What are you talking about?"
Raghav's voice didn't change.
He reached into his pocket and took out his phone.
"I'll show you."
The bully narrowed his eyes. "Show you what? What are you showing?"
Raghav dialled.
"Yes, this is Raghav Mehta. I'm at the alley behind Bhopal Public School."
His voice was clear and cold.
There are a group of students here. Drunk. Possibly high. Assaulting another student. Immediate response requested."
The bullies froze.
"Abe pagal hai kya?" one muttered. Another one turned to Rohit, eyes wide.
"Let's get out of here—he called the police!"
Rohit glared at Veer. "Suun bh**, school mein dekhta hoon tujhe.* motae. You got that?"
From the phone, Raghav spoke calmly: "Yes, officer. Did you hear that threat? Very clear. Please treat it as part of the complaint."
The bullies didn't wait. They ran, cursing and panicking.
Veer stood frozen in the silence that followed. His breathing was shallow, his lips trembling.
Raghav ended the call, sliding the phone back into his pocket.
Veer looked up at him through watery eyes.
"Thank you," he said, voice broken, but honest.
Raghav put a steady hand on Veer's shoulder.
Don't thank me yet. If you want to become stronger and avenge my daughter, come to me at my gym.
The Fire Awakens
That night, Veer lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
The taste of failure lingered in his mouth, worse than blood. His body throbbed with every breath, every shift.
But worse was the silence.
The images wouldn't stop—Aaradhya's broken body in the hospital, her parents' tears, Rohit's laughter echoing in his head.
And then, the photo flashed in his mind again. The building behind the school.
They were hiding something.
He got up. Grabbed his phone. Took a long breath.
Enough.
The Forgotten Building
The next afternoon, Veer stood behind the school. His body still hurt from the fight, but his eyes were sharp now.
Veer stood outside the broken-down factory near the school's rear boundary. Rusted panels, shattered glass, silence. No one came here.The factory in the photo stood right there. Empty. Silent. Rotting, He stepped inside. The air was heavy with dust and old secrets. Footprints. Crushed bangles. Something red—blood or paint—stained the floor the floor creaked. Beer bottles. A broken phone case. Scratches on the wall.
This is where they dragged her.
Then something moved.
A soft shuffle.
Veer turned sharply.
A boy emerged from behind a stack of crates. Young. Maybe fifteen. Slim. Nervous.
"You followed me here?" Veer asked cautiously.
The boy swallowed hard. "I—I saw you at the station. You asked about what happened to that girl, right?"
Veer stepped closer. "You were here that day?"
The boy looked down. "I didn't see everything... but I saw them drag her behind the school. Four boys. One had red shoes. Another had a tattoo on his neck... a snake."
Rohit.
Veer's breath caught.
"Why didn't you tell the police?"
The boy's voice shook. "Because they'll come after me. I've already been threatened once."
Veer took out his phone and clicked a photo of the floor. The drag marks. The torn bangle. The walls suddenly held proof.
"You don't have to say anything else," Veer said. "I've got what I need."
I was also afraid, but not now ,,,,,
Back home, he barely touched his food. His father noticed.
"You found something?" he asked quietly.
Veer looked up. "I found the place. I know who did it. I'm going to make them pay."
"You're going to the police again?"
"They won't help."
His father sighed. "Then what will you do?"
Veer stood. "I'll do what I should've done the first time she asked me."
The Gym Door
The next morning at five, Veer stood in front of a rusting gate that read
MEHTA COMBAT ACADEMY Discipline. Strength. Honor.
The gym was silent. Until the door opened.
Raghav Mehta stood there, arms folded. "You came."
"I want to train."
"Why?"
"To protect. To fight back. To never be helpless again."
Raghav looked him over. "And if it breaks you?"
"Then I'll break. But I won't stay broken."
And to be worthy of the person who's lying in that hospital bed."
The coach smiled faintly. "Then be here. Five a.m. sharp. You'll either find your fire—or lose it."
Veer didn't blink. "I will."
The First Day
Veer thought he knew pain. He was wrong.
Laps until his lungs burned. Pushups until his arms shook. He hit the punching bag until his knuckles bled. Raghav didn't speak much. Only corrected his stance, pushed him harder, and made him repeat everything.
Veer fell twice. Vomited once. But never stopped. By the end, his shirt was soaked. His limbs were lead. But something inside him had changed.
He was still bruised. Still broken.
But he wasn't weak anymore
.
The Promise Beside Her Bed
Later that night, Veer visited Aaradhya.
The hospital lights buzzed gently.
She was still unconscious. Tubes and bandages. But her chest rose and fell steadily now.
Veer sat beside Aaradhya's bed,
He took her hand gently.
"I trained today," he whispered. "Your dad's teaching me. I'm not running anymore. I'll find them. I'll become what I should've been the day you asked me to come with you to the gym. I'm sorry I wasn't there then."
Her fingers twitched.
Maybe it was nothing.
Maybe it was everything.
But Veer smiled, because he knew—this was only the beginning.
End of Chapter 3