DEV

"Where are we going?" Kabir asked from the passenger seat.

Dev didn't answer right away.

Rain washed down the windshield, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold his hands rested quietly on the steering wheel too quietly.

Kabir knew that silence.

It meant Dev was thinking and when Dev was this quiet someone was about to pay.

Finally Dev spoke. "Rathore mansion."

Kabir turned to him quickly. "What? Dev stop."

Dev kept his eyes on the road. Kabir reached out and grabbed his arm. "Vikram Rathore was your father's friend."

Dev slowly looked down at Kabir's hand. Kabir understood the warning and immediately let go.

"If you go there tonight," Kabir said carefully, "it means war."

Dev looked back at the road.

For a few seconds, there was only the sound of rain.

Then Dev spoke, his voice low and cold. "War us din shuru hui thi... jab usne mere aadmi ka khoon bahaya..

Kabir stared at him.

Dev's jaw tightened. "I'll ask for the reason later first, we settle the score."

Kabir sighed. "Dev..."

"No," Dev cut him off. "I've already lost too many people main aur kisi ko apni aankhon ke saamne khone ka wait nahi karunga."

Kabir went silent.

He remembered the young boy Dev used to be the boy who was terrified of losing his mother.

That scared boy was now hidden deep beneath years of power and pain.

Dev pulled on his black gloves as the car stopped outside the heavy iron gates of the Rathore house.

He opened the door the cold rain soaking his coat.

Kabir stepped out behind him. "Dev. Just remember... not everyone with a secret is your enemy."

Dev didn't change his face. "Maybe but tonight I only need Vikram Rathore." He walked straight through the storm toward the front doors.

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MEANWHILE PIHU

Inside the Rathore house was quiet and warm.

Pihu Rathore was lying on her bed wrapped in a cozy blanket.

A movie was playing on TV, and she had a bowl of popcorn in her lap She checked her phone no new messages she sighed. "Everyone vanishes when I actually want to talk."

Lightning flashed outside her window she smiled softly she loved rainy nights they made the huge house feel safe and quiet.

But tonight, a strange feeling settled in her chest.

Then CRASH!

Pihu froze.

The noise came from downstairs her smile faded.

She waited silence.

BANG! Another sound smashed through the house, much louder this time.

Pihu's heart pounded she jumped off the bed. "Papa?"

She opened her door and stepped into the dark hallway. "Papa?"

She walked slowly toward the top of the stairs and looked down ger whole body went still.

About ten men dressed in black stood in the main hall they were quiet, tough, and looked dangerous.

Standing right in the center was a tall man in a dark coat.

His hair was wet from the rain his face was cold and calm but his eyes were burning with pure rage.

Standing in front of him was her father,

Vikram Rathore.

"Papa...?" Pihu whispered her voice shaking.

Dev stepped right up to Vikram. "Why did you kill him?"

Vikram said nothing.

"I asked you a question," Dev said taking another step. "Why?"

Vikram just looked at him without fear.

That only made Dev angrier."You knew he worked for me," Dev said tightly. "And you still did it."

Vikram finally spoke. "Dev..."

"You don't get to say my name," Dev snapped, grabbing the front of Vikram's shirt. "Why did you kill my man? WHY?"

His voice echoed through the whole house. Pihu flinched. She had never seen anyone grab her father like that.

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THE CONFRONTATION

Vikram raised his hands slowly. "Dev, listen to me. I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice!" Dev yelled.

"Sometimes you don't," Vikram said softly.

Dev's anger was a dark fire but suddenly a soft shadow moved at the top of the stairs.

Vikram looked up his face losing all color.

Dev followed his gaze, his hand still clamped tightly onto Vikram's coat.

Pihu stepped down into the soft light.

And in that exact split second dev completely froze.

The dark rage that usually pushed him forward vanished replaced by an unsettling, icy quiet.

His breath caught in his throat for a man who noticed every threat in a room everything else the heavy rain outside the guards his burning desire for revenge simply faded into background noise.

She wasn't part of his world she wore simple night clothes  shinchan pyjamas her soft hair falling loosely over her shoulders, her brown eyes wide with pure, untouched innocence.

There was no weapons, no dark games, no evil in her.

Dev's grip on Vikram's shirt slowly loosened. His heartbeat, usually steady and cold, hammered hard against his ribs.

Something inside his chest twisted a strange sharp feeling he hadn't felt in years.

Looking at her felt like standing in front of a warm light when all he had ever known was darkness.

It terrified him.

"Papa...?" Pihu's voice trembled, breaking the spell.

The whole room remained dead silent.

Dev kept staring up at her, his jaw tight, forced to pull his cold armor back over a heart that had just missed a beat.

"Papa, what is happening?" Pihu asked, her voice shaking as she walked lower. "Who is he?"

"Pihu, go back upstairs," Vikram ordered quickly, stepping slightly in front of her.

"No! Who are these people?" Pihu looked directly into Dev's eyes. "Who are you?"

Dev swallowed the sudden roughness in his throat. "Dev," he answered softly. "Dev Rajvansh."

Pihu's breath caught. It was her father's old friend's family.

She looked at her father. "Papa... you know him?"

"He knew my father," Dev said, forcing his

voice to become hard again. "Ask him why he killed my man."

Pihu went pale dhe looked at Vikram. "Papa... did you kill someone? Is it true?"

Vikram couldn't look her in the eye. "Pihu, I can explain..."

"Then explain! Please!" Pihu cried out.

Vikram looked broken. "I wanted to keep you safe from this world."

"Safe?" Pihu cheeks soaked in her tears. "You brought this into our home!"

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THE TRUTH

Dev moved closer to Vikram tearing his eyes away from Pihu with pure force of will. "Tell her why you did it."

"I can't," Vikram said.

"Who forced you?" Dev demanded, stepping into his space. "Who are you protecting?"

Vikram didn't answer instead he looked at

Pihu, his eyes filling with tears.

"Run," Vikram whispered.

Pihu froze. "What?"

"Run, Pihu! Go upstairs NOW!" Vikram shouted.

Dev's head snapped toward Vikram. This wasn't fear of Dev.

Vikram was terrified of something else something outside the house.

Just then a faint noise came from outside.

A car door shut heavy, slow footsteps walked up to the front entrance.

Vikram turned completely pale. "He came ."

"Who?" Dev asked his instincts kicking in.

The front doors slowly swung open s dark voice echoed from the shadows outside.

"Too late rathore."

Vikram pulled Pihu behind his back.

His voice shook uncontrollably as he looked at Dev.

"The man I killed... " Vikram whispered.

Dev went completely still. "What?"

"I was trying to protect my daughter them."

The rain kept pouring outside but in

side Dev could not say a single word.

The revenge he came for was built on a lie and the innocent girl on the stairs was now caught right in the middle of it.

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