ACP Pradyuman was seeing off his guests and colleagues.

"Ragini se milke achchha laga sir"...Tarika said with a smile.

Shreya: Jee sir...Bahut pyaari hai wo.

ACP Pradyuman smiled after hearing them.

"Agli baar kab milwaoge us se?"...Dr. Salunkhe asked after hugging him.

"Are agli baar kya, abhi mil lo us se"...He answered with a smile.

"Jee uncle...Main abhi bulata hoon use"...Nakul said while smiling.

"Are nahin beta...Abhi bahut raat ho gayi hai, shayad so gayi hogi wo"...Dr. Salunkhe said after parting from ACP Pradyuman.

Nakul smiled and nodded. After sometime, Dr. Salunkhe left for his house and after him Abhijeet and Tarika; Daya and Shreya; Pankaj, Nikhil and Freddy too left for their respective homes.

Nakul smiled and went into Ragini's room.

"Ragini"...He called while knocking on the door.

He didn't get any reply.

"Ragini"...He once again called her.

When he again got no reply he entered into the room. He became surprised and worried when he didn't find her.

"Kahan chali gayi?"...He whispered in worriedness.

Meanwhile ACP Pradyuman also came there. He looked around the room and then at him. He noticed his worried face.

"Kya hua beta?...Aur Ragini kahan hai?"...He asked after tapping his shoulder.

Nakul: Pata nahin papa Ragini kahan chali gayi...Wo yahan nahin hai.

ACP Pradyuman: Yahan nahin hai matlab...Beta tum poore ghar mein dekho, yahin kahin hogi.

Nakul nodded and checked the whole house. After that, he came back to ACP Pradyuman.

"Papa maine poore ghar mein dekh liya lekin Ragini kahin nahin hai"...He said in sheer worriedness.

"Aisa kaise ho sakta hai, aaj tak Ragini bina bataye ghar se bahar nahin gayi"...ACP Pradyuman murmured after sitting on a nearby couch. He kept his hands on his forehead.

"Papa aap tension mat lijiye, main bahar dekhta hoon"...Nakul said while gently rubbing his back.

"Main bhi chalta hoon"...ACP Pradyuman said.

Nakul nodded. They both went outside the house.

At the other side, Ragini was standing on the roadside outside the Mahalakshmi Mandir and was looking around in nervousness. A man was looking at her while hiding behind a tree.

"Boss wo aa gayi"...He said over his phone.

Boss: To wahan khade khade kya dekh raha hai, use lekar aa mere paas.

"Boss aap kya karne wale hain?...Kya aap sach mein jaante hain uske pati ho?"...The man asked while looking at Ragini.

"Sun tu apne kaam se kaam rakh...Agle paanch minute mein mujhe wo ladki mere paas chahiye...Samjha"...The boss yelled in anger.

"Ok boss...Main abhi lekar aata hoon use"...The man replied fearfully.

"Good"...The boss said and hung up.

The man also kept his phone and started moving close to Ragini.

At the other side, ACP Pradyuman and Nakul were desperately searching for Ragini. They were standing outside the house. At the same time, ACP Pradyuman received a call. He looked at the caller ID which was showing an unknown number.

"Hello"...He spoke up after picking up the call.

"Kaise hain ACP saab?...Suna hai aapki beti ghar par nahin hai"...The caller said while smiling evilly.

ACP Pradyuman: Tum koun bol rahe ho...Aur tum kaise jaante ho ki meri beti ghar par nahin hai?

"ACP saab iska jawab to aapko hamare boss hi denge"...The man replied before handing over the phone to his boss.

"Hello ACP saab"...The boss said and smirked.

ACP Pradyuman: Tum log kaise jaante ho meri beti ko?...Aur tumhe kaise pata ki wo ghar par...

"ACP saab"...The boss interrupted,..."Main aapki beti ko aapse bhi jyada achchhe se jaanta hoon...Jawaan hai, khoobsurat hai aur suniye aanewale paanch minute mein wo mere paas hogi...Aur aaj hi main use hamesha ke liye apna bhi bana loonga"...He said and laughed evilly.

ACP Pradyuman completely lost his temper after hearing him.

ACP Pradyuman: Dekho tum meri beti ko...

He stopped in the middle when Nakul snatched the phone from his hands.

"Ae sun haath bhi mat lagana meri behan ko...Agar use kuchh bhi hua to tu zinda nahin bachega"...Nakul yelled in anger.

"Achchha...To phir bacha lo apni behan ko"...The boss said and hung up.

"Hello...Hello"...Nakul yelled in anger.

He angrily banged his hand on a nearby wall when he realised that he had cut the call.

"Pata nahin Ragini kahan hogi?...Use to Mumbai ke baare me jyada kuchh pata bhi nahin hai"...He whispered in worriedness.

Suddenly something struck his mind. He immediately took out his cell phone.

"Papa main to bhool hi gaya tha, humne Ragini ka phone try hi nahin kiya"...He said while dialling Ragini's number.

"Nakul tum kabhi kabhi bewakoofon wale kaam kyun karte ho"...ACP Pradyuman shouted in anger.

"Sorry papa"...Nakul mumbled.

"Sorry bolne se Ragini ghar wapas aa jaayegi kya?"...ACP Pradyuman asked in anger.

Nakul downed his head in guilt. Then, he looked at the screen of his phone.

"Papa ring jaa rahi hai"...He said while looking at ACP Pradyuman.

ACP Pradyuman: Kya...Ek kaam karo phone speaker mode par karo.

Nakul nodded and put the phone on speaker.

"Ragini pick up the call"...He murmured in desperation.

Ragini actually picked up the call from that side because she sensed somewhat that they must be getting worried for her.

"Hello Nakul"...She spoke up in a low voice.

"Ragini kahan ho tum?...Pata hai kabse hum yahan pareshaan hain tumhare liye, ye bina bataye kahan chali gayi tum?...Ab kuchh bolti kyun nahin?"...Nakul asked her a chain of questions without letting her to speak a word.

"Tum kuchh bolne ka mauka doge tab na"...She said in a low voice.

ACP Pradyuman looked at Nakul and took the phone from his hands.

"Abhi tum kahan ho beta?"...He asked over the phone.

"Papa main...Wo main...Main"...Ragini didn't know what she should say.

"Haan beta bolo...Kahan ho tum?"...ACP Pradyuman asked her in a soft voice.

Ragini mustered some courage to tell him the truth.

Ragini: Papa mujhe kisi ka call aaya tha...Aur usne mujhe Mah...

She stopped speaking when someone snatched her phone.

"Ragini...Hello beta...Kya hua?"...ACP Pradyuman asked her over the phone being unknown of the fact that the call has got disconnected.

"Papa call disconnect ho gaya"...Nakul said while looking at the screen.

ACP Pradyuman became desperate.

At the other side, Ragini picked up her phone which the person threw on the roadside. After that, she looked at him. Before she could speak a word, he forcibly made her smell chloroform due to which she fell down on the roadside in unconsciousness. The man knelt down and looked at her face.

"Waah! Kya khoobsurati hai"...He said while bringing his right hand to touch her cheeks.

He was about to touch her but in the mean time Kavin came there and held his hand. He twisted it hard behind his back after slapping him hard right on his cheek. He didn't know why he was fuming in anger when he brought his hand to touch Ragini.

"Tune use chhune ka socha bhi kaise"...He shouted in anger.

He held him and looked at him in anger. He punched him right on his face due to which he fell down on the road wailing in pain. He again held him.

The boss looked at him and then at the man. He had seen everything till now but he was not aware that he was Kavin, he thought him to be Nakul. He shifted his gaze from them towards Ragini who was lying unconscious on the road. He pointed his gun towards the man in anger.

"Mere alawa koi aur Purvi ko chhue ye mujhe bilkul bhi bardaasht nahin"...He whispered before firing a bullet on him.

The man fell lifeless on the road from Kavin's grip. Kavin looked at him in surprise. Then, he looked in the direction from which the bullet was fired. He saw a white car and before he could follow that it zoomed off from there in the blink of his eye. He sighed downcastly and turned his gaze to look at Ragini. He ran towards her and took her in his arms.

"Ragini...Ragini hosh mein aao...Aankhein kholo Ragini"...He said while patting her cheeks.

Ragini didn't open her eyes, she was still lying in his arms in unconsciousness. He looked at her and held her hand in which she had held her cell phone. He took her cell phone and called ACP Pradyuman who immediately picked up the call.

"Hello Ragini...Tum kahan ho beta?"...ACP Pradyuman asked worriedly.

"Sir main Kavin bol raha hoon...Ragini mere paas hai"...Kavin replied while looking at Ragini.

"Wo tumhare paas kya kar rahi hai?"...Nakul asked in confusion.

Kavin: Nakul tum aur ACP sir jaldi se Mahalakshmi Mandir aa jao...Main sab batata hoon.

"Haan hum bas paanch minute mein wahan pahunch rahe hain, tum Ragini ka dhyan rakhna"...Nakul said before cutting the call. After that, he left with ACP Pradyuman for the Mahalakshmi Mandir.

Here, Kavin picked up Ragini in his arms and took her inside the temple. He laid her near one of the pillars and went to bring water for her.

After sometime, ACP Pradyuman and Nakul came there. They both rushed inside the temple when their gaze fell on Ragini. They heard her murmuring something in unconsciousness. Nakul moved a little close to her to hear her what she was saying.

"Papa yahan aa jaaiye na please, mujhe bahut darr lag raha hai"...She murmured.

ACP Pradyuman and Nakul looked at her with tears. At the same time, Kavin came there. He looked at Ragini and then at them, before he could notice their tears they wiped them off.

"Ragini yahan kaise aayi?...Ise kya hua hai Kavin?"...Nakul asked worriedly.

Kavin: Mujhe thik se to pata nahin lekin Ragini mujhe yahan mandir mein mili thi, bahut darri darri lag rahi thi...Kuchh der baad ye mandir ke bahar gayi tab maine iska peechha kiya aur dekha ki ek aadmi ise zabardasti apne saath kahin le jaane ki koshish kar raha tha...

He stopped in the middle and looked at Ragini.

"Phir kya hua?...Aur wo aadmi kahan hai?"...ACP Pradyuman asked while looking at him.

Kavin: Sir wo to mar gaya.

"Mar gaya...Kaise?"...ACP Pradyuman asked in surprise.

Kavin looked at him and explained him whatever happened. He became surprised and worried after knowing the whole matter. He looked at Ragini.

"Ragini beta"...He called her in a soft voice while caressing her head.

"Mujhe apne papa ke paas jaana hai"...Ragini murmured.

Kavin and Nakul looked at her in worriedness.

"Papa yahin hai Ragini"...Nakul said while caressing her head.

"Nakul ye lo Ragini ke liye paani"...Kavin said while forwarding a water bottle.

ACP Pradyuman: Paani rehne do Kavin, tum bas Ragini ko hamari car tak chhod do.

Kavin looked at him and nodded. He picked up Ragini in his arms and moved outside the temple towards their car. ACP Pradyuman and Nakul followed him.

When Kavin reached near the car, he opened the door and made her lie on the back seat. After that, he was about to go but Ragini held his hand. He stopped and turned back to look at her. He looked at her for a couple of seconds and then freed his hand from hers and moved out of the car.

ACP Pradyuman and Nakul looked at him.

"Kavin aaj tumne jo kuchh bhi hamari Ragini ke liye kiya, hum uska shukriyada kaise karein"...ACP Pradyuman said in tears while joining his palms in front of him.

"Aisa mat kahiye sir, ye to mera farz tha"...Kavin said while holding his hands.

"Thank you so much yaar"...Nakul said before hugging him.

"Dost ko thanks mat bolo yaar"...Kavin said while hugging him back.

Nakul nodded in the hug. ACP Pradyuman looked at both of them and smiled. He sat inside the car before patting their backs.

Nakul and Kavin parted from the hug. Nakul too sat inside the car and waved him before leaving from there.

Kavin waved him back and went towards his car. He sat inside on the driving seat and smiled lightly. Kishore and Kanchan became surprised after seeing him smiling. They both looked at each other and then at him.

"Kya baat hai beta...Yun muskura kyun raha hai?"...Kanchan asked while smiling.

Kavin stopped smiling and looked at her from the front mirror of the car.

"Kuchh nahin maa"...He replied and started driving the car.

"Waise itni der kaise ho gayi?"...Kishore asked.

Kavin: Papa raaste mein mujhe ACP sir ki beti mil gayi thi...Phir...

He explained him whatever happened there. Kishore became confused after hearing him.

Kishore: Beta jahan tak mujhe pata hai Pradyuman ki to koi beti hi nahin hai, uska sirf ek beta hai.

"Ye aap kya bol rahe hain papa...ACP sir ki beti hai...Aur uska naam Ragini hai...Maine khud dekha hai use...Aapko uske baare mein pata nahin hoga kyunki yahan se pehle wo London mein rehti thi"...Kavin said while driving.

"Achchha"...Kishore mumbled. He was still not satisfied that ACP Pradyuman had a daughter.

"Kavin tum apne papa ko Ragini se milwa dena, tabhi inhe yakeen hoga ki ACP saab ki bhi beti hai"...Kanchan said while looking at Kishore.

Kavin looked at her from the front mirror and nodded.

At the other side, ACP Pradyuman and Nakul reached home. Nakul picked up Ragini and moved inside the house in her room. He laid her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. ACP Pradyuman looked at both of them.

ACP Pradyuman (Pov): Agar aaj Kavin nahin hota to pata nahin kya ho jaata...

He moved near Ragini and sat beside her on a stool. He kept his hand on her head.

ACP Pradyuman (Pov): Ragini meri zimmedaari hai...Ek wada hai jise mujhe marte dam tak nibhana hai...Agar aaj Kavin nahin hota to aaj wo wada toot jaata.

"Papa aap jaaiye, so jaaiye...Main rukta hoon Ragini ke paas"...Nakul said after tapping his shoulder.

ACP Pradyuman came out of his thoughts and looked at him. He nodded and left the room before kissing Ragini's forehead. Now, Nakul sat on the stool and looked at Ragini. He lovingly caressed her head and switched off the lights of her room and stayed there for sometime.

To be continued...