Third person's pov!

"What the hell were you doing? You only had one job to do. That was to protect Nidhi. How can you miss her in between? Useless idiots." Siddharth thundered at the security team, who were standing before him with their heads hung low.

Ten minutes ago, the security team head had called him, informing that Nidhi had gone out of their sight and they could not find her. Sid had, at express speed, reached the hospital, Mukul and Ansh with him.

"Sorry, Mr Raichand. She was walking with a flask in her hand. So we figured she was going to the canteen. So, I passed on the information to the security men in the next block. Don't know what exactly happened in between.." One of them trailed off and Sid took deep breaths to control his temper.

"That is not an excuse and you know I hate hearing excuses. How easily you are saying you don't know what exactly happened? What else is your damn job?" Sid roared at them.

"Sunny, I don't know what you and your team do. You only have ten minutes to find where Nidhi is. Am I clear?" Sid asked coldly.

"Crystal." Sunny said and he immediately went into action.

Sid took deep breaths as he watched Sunny assign duties to his team members. Sid could feel his heart beating fast in fear. If something happens to Nidhi..

Minutes felt like hours...

"Sid. He took Nidhi." Sunny said and all blood drained from Sid's face. He had expected it somehow, but still hearing it aloud made him paralysed for a moment.

"What do you mean?" Sid asked coldly, even though a part of his brain already processed the words and found what he really meant. But his heart was not ready to accept that yet.

His heart was not ready to accept that he failed to protect Nidhi. How could he? He failed his woman.

"Viraj Parikh. His men took Nidhi. They were dressed as hospital staff and they caught her while she was in the old block which is undergoing renovation.." Sunny said and Sid frowned in confusion.

"Why did she go to the old block?" Sid asked, confused out of his wits.

"Don't know exactly. I think she took a wrong turn somewhere.." Sunny said and Sid cursed under his breath.

"Damn it!"

"Sid, calm down. Relax and think with a cool mind. Else, things will slip out of your control." Ansh said, trying to calm Sid.

"How the hell am I supposed to relax when my woman is in danger?" Sid barked out angrily.

"I absolutely understand your situation. But right now, your sharp mind and focus is needed, Sid. For your Nidhi.." Ansh said and Sid took deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but it was a futile exercise. His heart was hammering against his ribcage in fear. What if he loses Nidhi? No! He cannot even imagine such a situation.

The recent findings about Viraj chilled him to the bone. He was a member of a s*x racket. A woman trafficking team. And Nidhi was one of his targets.

"Right!" Sid muttered under his breath and walked to and fro in the room. Suddenly he stopped pacing the room and looked at Sunny.

"What?" Sunny asked.

"Was she wearing that bracelet? The one I asked Laksh to make her wear?" Sid asked and Laksh who walked into the room at that moment nodded.

"She was. I had asked her to not take it off until I told her to.." Laksh said and Sunny immediately opened his laptop and opened the location tracking app and tried to find Nidhi's location.

*****

"Remember, no unnecessary risks. Our priority is Nidhi. Let's get her and get out." In the muted darkness, Sunny's voice held an urgency laced with caution.

With a nod, they advanced, their synchronised footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. The distant voices grew more distinct, a low murmur of conversation hinting at the presence of Parikh's men.

The gravity of their situation crystallised as they caught sight of the first guards. Ansh, his movements fluid as a panther, dealt with them with precision.

As they reached the central area, where the heart of the operation lay, the hushed dialogue intensified. Sunny signalled another pause, his eyes scanning the vicinity.

"We are close. Proceed with caution." Sunny called out.

Mukul's hand tightened around his weapon, his gaze never leaving the shadows concealing potential threats.

"Stay close, Sid. We will find Nidhi soon." Laksh kept murmuring now and again, and it was giving him the support he badly needed at the moment.

The air crackled with tension as they approached a door at the far end. The muffled voices behind it suggested an occupied room - a potential location for Nidhi's confinement. Sid's chest tightened, the need to see her unharmed overpowering every other emotion.

Sunny motioned for the security team to take positions, their weapons poised for the inevitable clash. In the charged silence, he turned to Sid.

"Sid, this is it. Be ready for anything."

With a nod, Sid braced himself, every muscle tense as they prepared to breach the door. The conversation among Parikh's men reached a crescendo, their voices unaware of the impending intrusion.

As the door swung open, revealing the dimly lit room within, a wave of tension washed over them. The interior, cluttered with crates and obscured corners, held an air of uncertainty. Sid's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Nidhi.

A hushed exchange of words emanated from the shadows, their senses heightened as they closed in on the source. Suddenly, a figure emerged - a henchman caught off guard by their silent approach.

Without hesitation, Sunny swiftly incapacitated him, rendering the guard silent before he could raise an alarm. The subdued thud of his body hitting the ground marked their entry into the heart of Parikh's operation.

A/n

I had plan to actually write at least 150 chapters for this book. I wanted to include some family drama on how the Raichand ladies accept Nidhi and Priya. I wanted to add some post wedding scenes too. Add lots of romance.. But then I realised, for 150 votes and 15 comments, I am putting in too much effort by giving five updates a week and all. Anyways, I will skip through some drama and write a couple of Sid Nidhi romance scenes and a suhagraat scene and finish off this book. I will give double updates for the next five days and finish the book on July 31st.

PS : Those who are reading Punarvivaah, I am very glad with the response I get for that book. I got around 350 - 400 votes for recent chapters and I feel highly motivated to write that book❤️❤️

Love,

SF❤️