- In the same day at KGF.

The mansion was quiet save for the soft coos of Yatharv as he giggled at Kajal's necklace. The sun filtered through the ornate windows, casting warm golden rays across the polished floors all over the mansion of KGF.

Aadhya stood near Kajal, watching Yatharv with a smile as she folded a soft blanket as they walked over towards his and Rocky's room. The calm was deceptive—beneath the surface, tensions from the past still simmered.

Outside, a breeze rustled the trees, carrying a faint, ominous whistle. It was barely noticeable amidst the mansion's lively hum. Inside, Kajal noticed a shadow dart across the window, her hand instinctively tightening around Yatharv.

Aadhya - What's wrong? 

Aadhya's voice was soft, noticing the change in her demeanor. Kajal hesitated, brushing it off with a half-smile.

Kajal - It's nothing. Probably just a bird. 

But her instincts told her otherwise.

**Swish**

As they continued playing with Yatharv, the faint sound of a swish reached Kajal's ears—a sound too sharp and deliberate to belong to the wind. Her head snapped toward the window just as something struck the glass, rattling it.

Aadhya - Get down!!

Aadhya shouted, Kajal clutching Yatharv tightly and dropping to the floor. Aadhya instinctively shielded them both. 

A loud thunk  followed, then silence. The world seemed to hold its breath. Aadhya's gaze followed towards the unknown appearance as her eyes widened in terror.

Aadhya - AH!!!!!

The door burst open moments later, Farmaan and Rocky rushed down the hallway with Vanaram and Kasim close behind. Farmaan's eyes darted across the room, locking onto Aadhya first. He rushed to her side, gripping her shoulders.

Farmaan - Aadhya! Are you okay?

Aadhya, still shaken, pointed toward the window as the rest of them followed the direction she pointed. 

Rocky strode past them, his expression grim as he reached the source of the commotion. His sharp gaze landed on the white dove pinned against the window frame with an arrow. Blood from the bird smeared the glass in a macabre display, and beneath it, the ominous note. 

"It's not over, Rocky Bhai." 

Rocky's hand clenched into a fist as he tore the note from the arrow, his jaw tightening with restrained fury. The room's tension thickened, everyone waiting for him to speak.

Farmaan - What does it say, Na?

Rocky handed the note to him without a word, his dark eyes scanning the perimeter beyond the window. Farmaan read it quickly, his usual playful demeanor replaced with icy determination.

Farmaan - Who could've sent this?

Farmaan asked, his voice low but dangerous. Vanaram stepped closer, his expression grim.

Vanaram - I have seen this pattern.

He whispered as Kasim looked at him, he then looked at Rocky who was already having his eyes set on Vanaram, clear that his whisper reached his ears. 

Rocky - Spill. 

Vanaram - Adheera. 

He muttered as an eerie silence overtook the whole kingdom, the faint sound of the miners drilling in the mines filled the silence. Kasim widened his eyes in terror, the nightmares he saw before overtook him. 

Mrs. Desai and Fatimama who rushed out the minute Aadhya screamed shuddered at his name. Rocky gritted his teeth in anger, his mind racing in confusion on how Adheera can be alive when he killed him with his own hands. 

Kajal - I don't think this is a warning...

She whispered as Farmaan held Aadhya who still was in shock , her past traumas returning to her but stopped when Yatharv kept his hand on her. She gave a faint smile to him before turning to Rocky. 

Aadhya - Rocky.

She whispered as Rocky came out of his thoughts, closing his eyes in frustration now that he has a family of his own, he can no longer act like the old Rocky who used to not care about anything and just kill his enemy. 

Rocky nodded, his voice cold and measured.

Rocky - They're testing me, thinking that I've gone soft...

He cast a glance towards Yatharv nibbling Kajal's necklace. Behind them, Kajal held Yatharv tightly, her eyes locked on Rocky.

Kajal - What are we going to do? This isn't just about you anymore. This is about all of us.

Farmaan glanced at Aadhya, who shuddered at what Kajal said. His hand found hers, a silent reassurance that she wasn't alone. 

Farmaan - We'll figure it out....

He whispered as Aadhya smiled slightly. Farmaan's demeanor changed as he took his eyes off Aadhya and stared at the poor dove. 

Farmaan - Who could've done this......It's not Adheera for sure...then..

Farmaan - Ravan....

Rocky's eyes widened when Farmaan whispered his name, Kajal panicking at the thought of her brother again turning towards the one she loved. 

Kajal - It can't be him....There's no one who loves Yatharv and wants to protect him more than Ravan. Rocky...It's not him. 

Rocky sighed and rubbed his temple. Kajal was right and Rocky knew it himself, after that fateful night he realized that Ravan was nothing but just a poor pawn who got manipulated by the least person he thought. 

Rocky turned back to the room, his presence commanding as ever.

Rocky - I want the entire place on locked down. Double the guards, patrols every hour. No one enters or leaves without clearance. And keep an eye on the workers all the damn time. 

He gritted his teeth. Vanaram nodded, already barking orders towards the men. Kajal's voice broke through the tense air.

Kajal - Ravan might not be behind this but he might know who could've. 

Rocky's eyes flickered, the mention of Ravan clearly touching a nerve. He exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening. 

Rocky - I'll handle him. 

Kajal - You should. If this is about the past, it's not just your fight but his's too. 

She said firmly, her gaze equal to her brother's. For a moment, the room was silent, the weight of her words hanging heavy. Finally, Rocky nodded, his resolve solidifying. 

Rocky - Chacha, come with me while Vanaram handle the one I told you to. Farmaan stay with them. 

Farmaan - But, Na-

Farmaan started, only to be silenced by Rocky's raised hand. 

Rocky - That's an order. Do as what you are said. 

Rocky said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Kajal - I'll come with you....Just in case. 

Rocky paused before nodding. As Rocky left the room with his men, the others remained in tense silence. Farmaan glanced at Aadhya, his protective instincts on high alert.

Kajal tightened her grip on Yatharv, her gaze hardening before handing him to Aadhya and following Rocky behind. Whoever had sent that message, they had underestimated this family—and they were about to learn just how much.

The hallway leading to Ravan's quarters was eerily silent.  Rocky's footsteps echoed against the marble floor as he strode forward, each step deliberate, calculated. Behind him, Kasim and Kajal followed at a distance, their expressions tight.

It had been 11 months since Rocky last laid eyes on Ravan. The last time was on that  night, when Reena had been laid on the bed, pale and lifeless. Outside the room, Ravan had been on his knees, clutching his head, shouting in anguish while Mrs. Desai was trying to get him sane—a sight Rocky couldn't erase from his mind.

And yet, forgiveness had never come. Rocky reached the door and paused. Kasim and Kajal exchanged a glance, knowing better than to interrupt his thoughts. Without turning, Rocky spoke, his voice low and commanding. 

Rocky - Stay here. 

Guards - Yes, Rocky Bhai. 

They replied in unison.

Rocky opened the door and stepped inside.

The heavy door creaked open, revealing a room shrouded in muted shadows and stifling silence. Rocky stepped in, his commanding presence filling the space, but his stride faltered slightly as he caught sight of Ravan.

Seated at the edge of a leather chair, Ravan looked up, his face illuminated by the dim light of a single desk lamp. The sight was jarring—not because of how time had ravaged him, but because of how it hadn't.

Ravan was still devastatingly handsome, his chiseled features carrying an effortless allure that seemed both timeless and tragic. 

His jet-black hair was impeccably styled, his beard neatly trimmed, but his sharp, amber eyes carried a weight that wasn't there before. They were tired, hollow, and brimming with a quiet desperation, like a man who wouldn't survive another betrayal.

His lips twitched into a faint, humorless smile as his gaze met Rocky's.

Ravan - I take it you didn't come here to reunite with me. 

Rocky crossed his arms, his expression hard but his voice devoid of its usual bite as he walked around the room, his step light as he looked at the state of his room which was nothing but like him, broken and empty.

Rocky - No. I came because I don't have a choice.

Ravan's eyebrow quirked slightly, but the shadows in his eyes deepened. 

Ravan - What is it this time? Need someone as sacrifice...If that is it then sign me up. 

Rocky stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. 

Rocky - If I wanted you to have that then I would've given it a long time ago. But no, This is about Yatharv. 

At the mention of the child's name, something shifted in Ravan. His spine straightened, his jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, his haunted expression melted into one of quiet resolve.

Ravan - What happened?

His voice low but steady.

Rocky chuckled in mock-amusement, seeing the way Ravan shifting his whole demeanor and once again got reminded that Ravan really didn't mean to do anything and placed the blood-stained note on the desk.

Rocky - A warning. A dove shot through with an arrow. The message was clear- 

Ravan - It's not over...

Ravan finished Rocky's sentence as Rocky nodded in agreement. Ravan studied the note for a long moment, his fingers tracing the edge of the paper. His expression darkened, but his voice remained calm.

Ravan - Is it?

Rocky - Yes, Vanaram says it's him. 

Ravan - Didn't you kill him?

He whispered in confusion, not forgetting the fact that Rocky was the one who killed his father. Rocky nodded, not having the slight remorse for what he had done but exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. 

Rocky - That's why I'm not sure who is it.....

Ravan - You think it might be one of the upper men?

{ Upper men - People with noble status like Rajendra Desai, Andrews, Guru Pandian. People who has connections through the government to do their dirty work and cover it with the help of them.}

Rocky nodded. 

Rocky - I'm not worried about the people in shadows , I have my men down there but I presume you might have more connection to the upper men than I do. 

Ravan - You need my help?

Rocky's silence was telling. 

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Ravan's mouth.

Ravan - You never ask for help, Rocky. Not unless it's the last option. So what changed?

Rocky hesitated, the weight of his words almost visible. 

Rocky - Because.... Reena wouldn't want you to live like this.....atleast not anymore. Don't think I'm forgiving you for what you've done. 

Ravan stood, his towering frame exuding a restrained intensity. His eyes bored into Rocky's, the pain and guilt simmering beneath the surface. 

Ravan - You trust me?

The words hung heavy in the air. Ravan blinked, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. 

Rocky - Don't flatter yourself.

Rocky growled. 

Rocky - This isn't about you. This is about Yatharv, about keeping him safe. About keeping all of them safe. 

The mention of Yatharv visibly affected Ravan. His confident mask cracked, and for a moment, he looked completely broken.

Ravan - I can never take back what I did. Trying to hurt him—Reena...

He trailed off, swallowing hard. 

Ravan - I don't know if I can ever make that right. 

Rocky - You can't. 

He said bluntly. 

Rocky - But you can make yourself useful now. Whoever's behind this won't stop at sending messages. They'll come for every single person I care about and I'm not about to let that happen.  Not again. 

Ravan stared at Rocky, a flicker of something stirring in his hollow gaze. Resolve, perhaps. Maybe it's because someone other than the one who used to support him is finally giving him the chance he wanted, the change he always yearned.

A chance from the great Raja Krishnappa Bhairya. 

Ravan - You're right. 

Ravan said finally, his voice low but firm. 

Ravan - I owe them everything. And if this is how I can start to repay it, I'm in.

Rocky regarded him for a moment, as if searching for any sign of deception. But there was none. Ravan was no longer the arrogant, impulsive man he had been. This Ravan was hollowed out by guilt but also driven by the chance to redeem himself.

- Ah! 

Their heads snapped towards a soft sound as they looked around, before continuing with the conversation. Rocky shook his head and turned towards Ravan. 

Rocky - Good....Because if you screw this up, there won't be a second chance....I'll shoot you before you can blink. 

Ravan nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. 

Ravan - I won't screw it. Not this time. 

Rocky looked at him up and down, his voice cold but resolute.

Rocky - You'd better not. 

Ravan looked at the note in his hand then out through the window, the sprawling kingdom of KGF as Rocky followed his gaze. The words on the note was as clear as the sky...

- It's not over....

Ravan and Rocky smirked. 

Ravan - Oh It's just the beginning.             |   Rocky - It's just the beginning. 

**THUD!**

Their moment of agreement was interrupted by a sudden, loud thud from the window. Both men immediately snapped to alertness, their gazes whipping toward the sound. 

Rocky's hand instinctively moved to the gun holstered at his side, while Ravan, despite his remorse, reached for the nearest heavy object. 

Rocky - Was that from the window?

Ravan - It's too loud for a bird. 

Ravan replied, his sharp eyes flicking toward the slightly ajar window. 

They approached the window and yanked it open. 

Ravan - Oh my god...

And the sight that greeted them was unexpected. 

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? - I told you to keep her unconscious for sometime. If she wakes up and finds out everything.....They're already out there trying to find you. 

Doctor - I know! I know! but the drug wore off and I can't do anything. 

?  - Please doctor! You're the one who treated her during birth and the one who helped her giving birth to Yatharv. Please!!! 

The man begged and plead in to the doctor, the one who treated Reena and made her vanish from KGF. 

? - If they get to know that Reena is still alive...They will bury her alive for sure. 

Doctor - They can't touch a single strand as long as Rocky is alive. 

? - They can't if Rocky knows that Reena is alive. 

The doctor's eyes widened before he whispered.  

Doctor - You didn't tell him....

.  .  . 

Happy reading and do Vote!

- Nini.