"Brother, would you mind if I asked you something?" Shivina hesitated, her eyes reflecting curiosity.

"Of course not, Shivina. Fire away," Abhi replied with a reassuring smile, leaning back comfortably.

"I couldn't help but notice the look of disdain on your face when you saw Anisha. And Rohan seemed equally irked by her presence. What's the deal between them?" Shivina inquired, her tone tinged with intrigue.

Abhi chuckled softly before responding, "Ah, Anisha and Rohan... Now, that's a story worth telling." He leaned forward, ready to spill the beans.

Long story short. Anisha's parents got divorced and were raised by her and Sharad's father. So, technically, Sharad and Anisha are childhood friends and she would spend time with us as her father is a higher official in the military, just like Sharad's father. Sharad's father and Anisha's father are practically BFFs. She had been in love with Rohan since childhood but Rohan had no interest in her and took her as his friend. She wanted to study fashion design and went abroad for years.

She came back after 10 years, and we were so happy. Everything was going fine till one day her father decided to get her married to Sharad, which she wasn't interested in, and still, she thinks of Rohan. She opposes her father's decision and tells him that she loves Rohan. He didn't like Rohan and never accepted her choice. But, she was firm about getting married to Rohan and asked for my help. Her father learned about this and did something far more heinous that could lose our respect. At first, her father threatened me and Rohan; tried to get us dismissed from the army.

But Bheem sir saved us. Looking at the situation, we decided to talk through it with Anisha to not make things far worse. But we didn't tell her about her father's nasty job. Rohan made his stance about his feelings for her, which hurt her. He did say it nicely. But, she didn't agree and forced him to get elope which was heard by Sharad's father. He went and told her father; to make a huge fuss about it. She somehow convinced her father about being with Rohan and her father decided to get the person she loves.

Her father did try talking to Rohan but he refused his offer. Father and daughter were so obsessed with Rohan. So, her father lost his mind and planned something heinous which was known by Anisha too. Her father hired a prostitute from a brothel. She was instructed to make a scene like she was having some kind of sex with Rohan when he was drunk to get us thrown out of the army. I know about Rohan as he has a super high tolerance for alcohol and no way he played with a girl. They shot a fake video.

He used the video to blackmail him that he would get dismissed from the job if he didn't accept his offer. This act almost caused both of us to lose our dear job. Luckily, that prostitute came into the room and told the truth to everyone. Her father's act pissed us both off when went to confront her father at his house and asked many questions both of them but her father was unable to any of the questions we asked.

Anisha pretended as if she doesn't know anything which pissed Rohan even more. Rohan ended the friendship with her and scolded her pretty badly. He had a huge fight with her, and I stand with him. That was the very last time we both saw her. The next day, we got to know from Sharad that she left Kashmir and gone to London. Then, we're seeing her now, and we were super pissed at her even now.

From his story, I got to see an obsessive lover straight out of some movies in real life. I felt pity for her desperation while feeling sad for Abhi and Rohan for what they had gone through together. I couldn't help but feel sorrow for all three.

"Don't worry, everything is gonna be fine," Abhi comforted me, sensing my distress. As we were engrossed in conversation, I received a call from an unknown number.

"Hello, Shivina?" the voice on the other end greeted.

"Yes, this is Shivina. Who's calling?" I responded, curious yet cautious.

"Shivina, it's Mala, the maid who helps your sister-in-law with her delivery. I need to talk to you right now. Please," the urgency in her voice was palpable.

"How did you get my number? What's going on? I told you not to call me until I reach out!" I exclaimed, feeling a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"Shivina, it's not a big deal. I'm with my younger brother, and I'm using his phone because I don't have one. The truth is, your brother found out about the girl you took with you. He's determined to bring you back," Mala explained, her words rushing out.

"Hello... hello," I said, trying to comprehend the bombshell Mala just dropped.

"Listen, he had already come to Mumbai once, for that girl and you of course. Someone had given your information to your brother. He's like a madman since he found out about the girl and you. Your brother also interrogated me every day, and I'm lying as much as I can. But, I don't know how long I could hold him off with the fake information that I gave, And now, your brother is coming to Mumbai again to look for you guys. Be careful! Mumbai is a big city, and he just can't find you guys within hours. Protect the girl and yourself very well. Your brother's people are knocking on the door. I have to go now. Bye! Take care!" Mala hurriedly warned before ending the call.

"Hello... hello," I uttered, feeling a wave of panic washing over me.

After hearing the shocking news, I collapsed into Rohan's arms, causing both him and Abhi to panic.

"Shivina, are you okay?" Rohan's voice was filled with concern as he held me close.

"She's fainted! What do we do, Rohan?" Abhi's voice was laced with panic.

"We need to get her to the clinic, quick!" Rohan replied, his voice firm as he lifted me gently.

They rushed me to the base clinic where the doctor checked my pulse and blood pressure, attributing my fainting spell to shock. After administering an injection to stabilize me, I gradually regained consciousness.

As we sat down to talk, Rohan's concern was palpable, his brows furrowed with worry. "Hey, what happened to you? Did you have breakfast in the morning? Is there anything upsetting you?" he inquired gently, leaning forward.

Feeling a rush of emotions, I shook my head, trying to compose myself. "No, Rohan, I had breakfast. A shocking phone call completely caught me off guard," I confessed, my voice trembling with suppressed tears. "(sobbing) Why can't I ever escape the darkness? Why is this happening to me? Dreaming of a peaceful and safer life seems like too much to ask for."

Rohan's soothing voice cut through my turmoil like a lifeline. "Relax, relax! Calm down first! What happened? Who spoke to you and what did they tell you?" he urged, his eyes filled with empathy.

Taking a deep breath, I recounted the events of the morning, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I shared my burden with him. "They reassured me, promising to protect me and Dhivya with their lives," I admitted, gratitude swelling in my chest. "And then, there was Sharad..."

Suddenly, Sharad's enthusiastic voice interrupted our conversation, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration. "Hey Shivina, do you like my surprise? C'mon, I got more for you!" he exclaimed, his tone oblivious to my earlier distress.

Suppressing a sigh, I tried to mask my irritation as I responded, "Hey Sharad, that was nice of you to decorate my cabin. But I hate that flower and I'm kinda allergic to them. Sorry!"

Ignoring my protest, Sharad whisked me away to an extravagant restaurant, his enthusiasm grating on my nerves. "I have something for you. Let's go!" he declared, dragging me along without giving me a chance to object.

As we entered the opulent surroundings of the restaurant, I couldn't help but groan inwardly, feeling completely out of place amidst the lavish decor. "Urghh, GODDDD!" I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling to the surface.

With each extravagant gesture, I couldn't shake the feeling that the universe was conspiring against me, leaving me feeling utterly alone and misunderstood.

The next day turned out to be even more horrifying as news of a terrorist attack at Pulwama Market spread. Luckily, Shivina hadn't brought Dhivya with her to the market, or else she would've been in the same state as Shivina. Pakistani terrorists arrived by boat and orchestrated deadly attacks in Pulwama. Desperate crowds started heading for safety, but the terrorists also entered the market and began shooting at staff and people indiscriminately.

Upon discovering the terrorist attacks in Kashmir, I requested Shera, my senior officer, to allow me to participate in the NSG mission to neutralize the terrorist threat. We left for Pulwama and commenced the military operation. However, we encountered a vast number of obstacles and problems upon arriving at the scene, and I was shocked to see Shivina as one of the hostages.

We lacked surveillance cameras to discover the number of people inside the market, and the terrorists had installed deadly booby traps and tripwires with bombs throughout the premises. Several vendors and buyers ended up crowded together in a locked room, bound and gagged on the floor, while Shivina was attempting to escape. To make matters worse, there was an intrusive media circus swarming outside the hotel, reporting our known operations and movements, information that ultimately proved useful to the terrorists.

Meanwhile, a woman named Asha Gowda, who was trapped on one of the premises, managed to keep herself hidden from the gunmen and ultimately took responsibility for rescuing a young girl who was having trouble breathing. I ultimately decided to go to the premises to save them, saying that I would never be able to forgive myself if I did not save her. My colleagues subsequently used it, and I raced up to the premises.