𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 ✓

• 47 •

As the blindfold was removed from the third person in the room, he immediately began to speak in a panicked tone, "Mr. Roy, what are you doing here, and why have these people tied me up? What is happening?" His voice trembled with fear and confusion.

Aryan, however, didn't pay much attention to his pleas. Instead, he continued to focus on the unfolding situation.

"Mr. Roy, I'm really scared here. I have a family waiting for me at home. Please, you have to help me," the person cried and pleaded desperately.

"Mr. Shekwat, you can drop this act, or should I say, drop the facade of being the manipulator behind all of this," Aryan said with a cold and accusing tone, shocking Arya with his revelation.

"What are you saying? I'm the victim here. Please, help me. My wife must be getting worried sick," Mr. Shekwat continued to insist.

"I said stop this charade of innocence, Mr. Shekwat," Aryan snapped in frustration.

Shekwat's expression began to change from one of fear to a sinister smile. He chuckled softly and said, "Wow, you truly are the best in your field, Mr. Roy."

With that, Shekwat got up from his chair, and Anwar followed suit. Shekwat then motioned for Anwar to untie him, saying, "Open the ties."

Anwar, still visibly fearful of Shekwat, responded with a shaky "Yes, boss," and started to untie Mr. Shekwat.

(Aryan and Arya exchanged looks)

Shekwat settled into the chair with an air of arrogance.

"Well, I need to accept, Aryan, you are smart. I had fun playing with you," Shekwat said, his tone dripping with smugness.

"But fun needs to end now; now you need to die."Aryan's jaw tightened, but he maintained a defiant silence.

"But It won't be fun if I let you die easily," Shekwat continued, a twisted grin forming on his face. 

"First, I'll make your lover die in front of you."

Aryan's eyes blazed with anger. "Don't even try to lay your hand on Arya."

Shekwat leaned back, his expression turning sinister. "Well, I'm not going to lay my hand on her, but you see that container behind her? It contains sulfuric acid. I'm going to dip her inside. and I will enjoy the sounds of her screams. It won't be fun for her. but for me."He burst into laughter, and Anwar joined in, their cruel mirth filling the room. But then shekwat abruptly stopped.

"How dare you, old shit, even try to say that?" Afsar delivered a brutal kick to Aryan's face, eliciting a cry of pain as blood trickled from his split lip.

"Mr. Roy, don't move, please." Arya pleaded, her voice trembling with fear and anguish.

"See, your wife is wiser than you," Shekwat taunted Aryan. "She knows that if I get angry, I'll give you a more merciless death."

The room was filled with tension and dread as the fate of Aryan and Arya hung by a thread in this dark and twisted confrontation.

"You know, I'll give you credit for being intelligent," Shekwat conceded, his tone more composed now. "I was just having some fun with you. I wanted you to play this game and ultimately lose. But it seems you don't want that. You want to be the public hero and insist on poking your nose into my business."

Aryan maintained a steely silence, his eyes locked on Shekwat.

"You know what, Aryan," Shekwat continued, "I've suffered considerable losses because of you."

Aryan's expression remained impassive.

"This generation is sick," Shekwat mused aloud, casting a questioning glance at Anwar, who nodded in agreement.

"Everyone wants to be a public hero," Shekwat lamented. "It's not even been months since the death of that assistant commissioner, and here comes another hero."

He directed his frustration toward Aryan, "Why can't you people just lay low? Mind your own business."

"I'm sick of your kind killing people every year. At this rate, I won't even get a place in hell." Shekawat said.

Aryan smirked, "Business, you call that business? Doing illegal smuggling and selling girls, engaging in illegal chemical production. Is that what you call business?"

"Take her," Shekwat ordered his men, referring to Arya.

Aryan's anger flared. "Don't touch her, I said!" he demanded, his voice seething with fury.

Shekwat relented, if only momentarily. "Okay, okay, we won't touch her. Let's have a small talk with Aryan first."

He then began, "Hmm, where do I start? Your father... no, no, we will come there later, let's start."

"You know what, Mr. Roy," Shekhawat continued, "the moment you called me and said we didn't have a chance to win this case, do you know how happy I was? But you, you were cunning like Louis IV. Do you know who he was? Let me tell you. He was the Sun King. And you know what he and you have in common? You both never speak your words. He used to always say, 'I shall see,' whenever he had to make a decision."

Shekwat's words hung in the air, the tension between him and Aryan palpable. It was a battle of wits and wills, each man trying to outmaneuver the other in this dangerous game they found themselves in.

"You know, our relationship is like Talleyrand and Napoleon. We both have this love and hate relationship unknowingly. Do you know who Talleyrand is? If you don't tell me now, it will be your wife's turn," Shekwat threatened.

Aryan responded, "A French diplomat and a minister of Napoleon."

Shekwat nodded in approval. "Hmm, see, this is what I told you. You're a prodigy, a genius. You know about history as well."

Shekwat continued, "So, you're that Talleyrand who was trying to ruin my nation, the one I built with my blood, sweat, and tears. Do you know the things I had to go through?"Shekwat's expression darkened. 

Aryan said in anger "You killed my father, didn't you?"

Shekwat sighed, his gaze unwavering. "Well, I might have. Now, come to your questions." 

As Shekwat was engrossed in his conversation, Aryan discreetly signaled to Utkarsh, who was hiding nearby. Utkarsh set off a smoke cracker, filling the room with thick smoke. 

Amidst the chaos, Aryan and Arya were freed from their restraints with Utkarsh's help. 

Aryan quickly moved to Arya's side, asking, "Are you feeling okay, Arya?" She nodded, and they shared a reassuring hug.

As the smoke began to dissipate, Aryan pointed his gun at Shekwat while still holding Arya close. Utkarsh and his team had their weapons trained on Shekwat from various angles. It was a standoff, and the room crackled with tension as the adversaries confronted each other in this critical moment.