Recap: Sana is saved from Akash.
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It had been a long, sleepless night for everyone. The hospital ward was silent except for the faint beeping of the monitors. Around nine in the morning, Vikram noticed a slight flutter in Sana’s eyelids.
He leaned forward, his hand gently caressing her hair.
“Sana… love… Sana,” he whispered softly.
Her eyes slowly opened, finding him there, his face etched with exhaustion and worry. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
“Please, don’t cry,” Vikram said tenderly, wiping them away. “How do you feel now?”
“I’m fine, Vikky,” she assured him weakly. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Sorry, baby,” he murmured.
“Shhh,” she hushed him. “Don’t be sorry.”
“I’ll call the doctor first,” Vikram said, pulling out his phone.
Within minutes, the doctor entered, checked her vitals, and smiled reassuringly.
“Nothing to worry about, sir. She will be fine soon. But for the wound to heal completely, it will take time. We can discharge her in three days and then you can take care of her at home. If needed, we can arrange a nurse.”
“No, that’s okay,” Vikram said immediately. “I’ll take care of her.”
“I’ve prescribed her medicines,” the doctor continued. “The nurse will give them on time. You can give her liquid food today. From tomorrow, she can start a regular diet.”
“Hmm… okay. Thank you so much,” Vikram said sincerely.
He called Sharath and told him to get food for Sana. Sharath came in briefly, spoke to her, and then left to arrange food from the hospital’s private kitchen.
Sana studied Vikram’s face carefully.
“Vikky… why are your eyes bloodshot? Haven’t you slept?”
“I slept, baby,” he said lightly.
“Don’t lie to me,” she chided.
“Sorry,” he admitted softly. “Now that you’re awake, I’ll sleep for sure.”
“Go have food and get some sleep now,” she told him gently.
“Please, baby… I’ll go after some time,” he said, tears threatening again.
“Hey, Vikky,” she said, holding his hand, “please don’t cry.”
“Sorry, love… I could not protect you.”
“You saved me, darling. Your love saved me. Don’t cry. I can’t bear it.” Tears brimmed in her own eyes.
“No, no… I’m not crying,” he said quickly, brushing her cheek. “You don’t cry.”
He leaned forward, kissing her forehead, then her knuckles, then her eyelids.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you,” she replied with a faint smile.
Pranitha, Pugazh, Rakshat, and Amma arrived with little Sara. They all surrounded Sana, their faces filled with concern.
“I’m fine,” she assured them. “Stop worrying.”
“Don’t stress or strain yourself too much,” Rakshat warned.
“Amma, what happened to you?” Sara asked innocently.
“Nothing, baby,” Sana smiled. “Amma got a mild fever, but I’ll be fine very soon.”
“Appa,” Sara turned to Vikram, “why did Amma get fever?”
“Princess, Amma got drenched in rain, so she has fever now,” Vikram explained softly.
“Ohhh… Amma, you will be fine soon,” Sara said sweetly.
“Thank you, baby,” Sana said, stroking her daughter’s hair.
Sharath brought porridge, and Vikram patiently fed Sana spoon by spoon. Soon the nurse entered with an injection.
“Sir, I have given her medicines,” the nurse said. “She will be asleep for a while now.”
“Sana, do you feel any pain now?” Pugazh asked.
“No, brother, I don’t feel any pain,” Sana replied.
“She’s lying because I’ll feel bad,” Vikram muttered.
“She’s been given pain medicines,” Pugazh explained. “She’ll be fine.”
Slowly, the sedative began to work, and Sana’s eyes closed again.
“Vikky bro,” Pranitha said gently, “I’ll stay back here with Kayal. You go back to the mansion, freshen up, and have some sleep. Also, let Amma and Sara return home.”
“Okay,” Vikram agreed reluctantly. “Take care of her. Rakshat will stay here.”
Pugazh took Amudha and Sara home. Rakshat remained outside the ward while Pranitha and Kayal settled on the couch inside.
Vikram stepped out into the corridor and dialed Sharath.
“Sharath, let’s go now.”
They drove in grim silence to the old factory where Akash was being held. The moment Vikram stepped inside, his fury seemed to fill the air. Akash lay on the cold floor, hands and legs bound. Guards stood at attention around the room.
“Get him conscious,” Vikram ordered coldly.
The guards threw cold water over Akash and slapped him hard across the cheeks until, with a groan, he opened his eyes. His bleary gaze fell on Vikram standing over him like a storm.
Without a word, Vikram grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged him across the rough floor, the image of Sana being dragged flashing violently through his mind.
Vikram’s eyes burned with a fury that could melt steel. He stood over Akash like a predator ready to rip apart its prey. Without a word, he kicked him again and again, each blow more brutal than the last. Akash’s screams of pain echoed in the cold, empty factory.
“Sharath… get it,” Vikram ordered, his voice like ice.
Sharath handed him the shirt Vikram had been wearing the day Sana was shot — the one drenched in her blood.
Vikram held it up in front of Akash’s face. “Do you know what this is? My Sana’s blood. Do you know how much she suffered?” His voice cracked for a moment before hardening again. “I will take blood from your body drop by drop in return for what you did to my Sana. I won’t give you an easy death.”
He grabbed Akash’s bound hands. “Isn’t this the hand that caught my Sana?”
Akash’s eyes widened. “No… no, no… don’t do this! Don’t do this!”
The guards stepped forward without hesitation, gripping Akash’s hands tightly. In one swift, merciless move, they severed his fingers. Blood poured out, and Akash screamed until his throat went raw.
“Does it pain?” Vikram asked coldly. “Just imagine how much it pained my Sana. Remove his shirt and pants.”
The guards stripped him down to his undergarments. Vikram picked up a heavy whip and began lashing him with a deadly rhythm. Each strike tore into skin, leaving deep red welts that oozed blood.
“What did you say?” Vikram growled between lashes. “Honeymoon with my Sana…?”
His rage reached its peak. Without hesitation, he pulled out his pistol, aimed at Akash’s crotch, and fired. Akash’s body convulsed with a choked, agonized scream before collapsing into a trembling heap.
Vikram sat down on a nearby chair, his eyes never leaving his prey. “Continue,” he ordered.
The guards obeyed, splashing water on Akash to keep him conscious, then beating him relentlessly. Vikram pressed his shoe against Akash’s face, grinding it into the floor.
“You will suffer the kind of death that will make anyone who sees your body shudder,” he promised. He picked up a spade and brought it down hard on Akash’s head. Blood gushed instantly, staining the ground beneath him.
“Let the blood ooze out,” Vikram said darkly. “Everyone should know no one has suffered a worse death than this.”
Sharath’s voice was steady. “Okay, Vikram. I’ll make sure of it.”
Vikram smirked, casting one last look at the broken figure on the floor, then walked out. He went straight to his private cabin inside the factory, showered until every drop of blood was gone, changed into fresh clothes, and emerged to find Sharath waiting.
“Sharath, go home and rest for some time. I’m going to the hospital. We’ll meet tomorrow,” Vikram said.
He drove straight to the hospital, entered Sana’s ward, and saw her still sleeping peacefully.
“Bro, did you have food?” Pranitha asked.
Rakshat frowned. “No, he wouldn’t have. Hey, have this food, or Sana will lash out at you.”
Vikram reluctantly took the plate and ate a few bites.
“Bro, please complete the food,” Pranitha urged.
“No… I don’t feel like it,” Vikram replied. “Rakshat, did you arrange food for Sana?”
“Yes, Vikky,” Rakshat said. “You can feed her once she’s awake.”
“Pranitha, Kayal, get back home. I’ll stay here,” Vikram insisted.
“I’ll stay here. You should get some sleep,” Pranitha said.
“No. Go have some rest. You need it the most now,” Vikram replied firmly. “Rakshat, inform the guards to drop them safely at home.”
They eventually left, and Vikram sat quietly by Sana’s side, waiting for her to wake. When she finally stirred, he helped her sit up and fed her slowly.
“Vikky, you haven’t slept yet?” she asked softly.
“I couldn’t sleep, baby,” he admitted.
He took her hand in his and stayed close, watching over her. For the next three days, he never left her side. When she was finally discharged, Vikram took her home himself.
Sana grew restless from lying on one side constantly, but Vikram understood. He lay down, pulling her gently to rest on his chest, his arms wrapping protectively around her. She relaxed instantly and drifted into sleep.
He personally cleaned her wound and changed her bandages as the doctors had instructed. He gave her towel baths, fed her, and cared for her as if she were a fragile treasure.
A week later, she was able to sit, and Vikram carried her to the living room to spend time with the family. Little Sara, wise beyond her years, stayed with Amma and never disturbed her mother.
They were all watching TV when the breaking news flashed on the screen: Unknown corpse found in a bush — suspected to have suffered the worst death recorded. The commissioner was addressing the media.
“Sir, did you get any evidence of the killer?” a reporter asked.
“No, we haven’t got any,” the commissioner replied.
“Sir, who is the victim?” another questioned.
“We could not identify the victim. We have checked with relatives of missing persons, but so far no one has claimed the body. Moreover, the face is completely slashed,” the commissioner explained.
“Sir, Akash of AV Groups is also missing. Any chance this corpse is him?”
“No. We checked that. It is not Akash. In fact, we have information he escaped to Vizag, and we have proof. Our officials are searching for him and will arrest him soon,” the commissioner stated firmly before ending the conference.
Rakshat and Pugazh glanced at Vikram, who gave them a slow, cruel smile.
“Talk to the commissioner,” Pranitha urged. “Let the police get him arrested soon.”
“Hmmm… sure,” Vikram replied calmly. “I’ll talk to the commissioner.”
Two weeks later, there was another press briefing. This time, the commissioner announced, “Akash was shot dead when he tried to escape from the police.”
“Finally, he’s dead,” Pranitha said with relief. “We can live in peace now.”
“Let’s not talk about him and the incident,” Sana said quietly.
“Relax, baby,” Vikram told her. “There are no more threats. We can live happily now.”
“I just got reminded of someone when you spoke of being happy,” Rakshat said. “He left for a vacation and hasn’t returned. Call him back.”
“Yes, call Dad. Let him come back,” Sana added.
Though she didn’t speak much about Akash, deep inside Sana felt a wave of relief. Her heart was finally at peace. She sat on the couch lost in thought when Vikram came and sat beside her.
“What are you thinking?” he asked softly.
“Vikky… there will be no problem in our life, right?”
“There won’t be any problem, Sana,” Vikram assured her. “We will live happily.”
He pulled her gently onto his lap, pressing his forehead to hers. “Don’t worry. All the problems are solved. There will only be happiness in our life.”
“I love you, Vikky. I love you so much,” Sana whispered.
“I love you, wifey,” Vikram said with a smile.
He cupped her face tenderly and kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, and finally, her soft lips. Sana’s hands slid around his neck, deepening the kiss. It was slow, lingering, and filled with unspoken promises. When they finally parted, they gazed into each other’s eyes — and in that moment, nothing else existed but love.
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A/N:
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