The connection between Veer and the shadow had stabilized—no longer a fleeting sensation, but something… anchored.
It didn't speak. It didn't guide.
But it responded.
After hours of brutal physical drills or mind-numbing mental exercises, Veer noticed it—the fatigue didn't vanish, but it loosened its grip faster. Muscles recovered quicker. His mind cleared sooner. Pain still came… but it didn't linger like before.
Not a power.
A slight edge.
And in Veer's world, even the smallest edge mattered.
His weapon handling improved too—steady hands, sharper instincts. Not perfect. Not even close.
But learning faster than he should.
That part wasn't the shadow.
That was Radhe… and his group.
Men who lived in danger long enough to laugh at it.
Training sessions were ruthless—
Bruises, sweat, repetition.
And yet…
"Oi, hero," one of them smirked, "at this rate, you'll shoot your own foot before the enemy."
Laughter.
Veer didn't react.
Just adjusted his grip… and tried again.
They noticed that.
They all did.
🔻 RADHE POV
Everywhere I look… it's the same.
Rot.
People feeding on the weak just to feel taller in a world that never gave them height.
Fear.
That's their currency.
And I've seen what it does—how it breaks people long before it kills them.
That's why I joined the force.
Not for medals.
Not for respect.
But to become something rare—
Someone people can rely on.
Now I'm buried deep undercover…
Chasing a man who isn't just a criminal—
He's a disease.
Gani Bhai.
Trafficking. Laundering. Weapons. Drugs. Extortion.
Name a crime… he's refined it.
And now I'm inside his world.
Waiting.
Watching.
One mistake… and I disappear.
That was the plan.
Clean. Controlled.
Predictable.
…Until the kid showed up.
Veer.
Wrong place. Wrong time.
Or maybe—
Exactly where he needed to be.
He doesn't move like a child.
Doesn't think like one either.
He watches.
Calculates.
Knows exactly which nerve to press… and when.
And then—
Sometimes—
He smiles like an idiot.
Acts clueless.
Too normal.
Too convincing.
That's what bothers me.
Because if he's pretending…
That's terrifying.
And if he's not—
Then a kid like him growing up in this world…
He won't just survive.
He'll change things.
I just don't know yet…
If that change will be for the better.
"So, Veer…" he said quietly, "what's the next move?"
Veer didn't look up.
"Their men are making noise in the town. Small operations. Intimidation, collections… nothing big."
Radhe nodded. "Standard expansion behavior."
Now Veer looked at him.
"Which means they're stepping on smaller gangs."
A pause.
Then—
"We use that."
Radhe's eyes narrowed slightly. "Go on."
Veer set the weapon aside.
"You approach those small groups—the ones getting crushed. Offer protection."
Radhe let out a faint scoff. "You think they'll trust me?"
"They won't," Veer said calmly. "Not at first."
He leaned forward slightly.
"So you make them."
Silence.
"How?" Radhe asked.
"By solving a problem they can't."
Veer's voice remained steady.
"You don't fight everyone. You pick one of Gani Bhai's crews—the weakest visible one. You hit them clean. Fast. Public enough that word spreads… but controlled enough that it doesn't look like a war."
Radhe studied him now.
"And then?"
"Then you take payment," Veer continued. "Nothing excessive. Just enough to make it clear—you're not doing this out of goodwill."
A faint smirk.
"You're doing business."
Radhe's expression hardened slightly. "And Gani Bhai?"
"He'll hear about it."
Veer's tone didn't change.
"At first, you're just a nuisance. A small problem."
Another pause.
"Then you repeat it. Carefully. Never too much. Never too fast."
Radhe exhaled slowly.
"And eventually?"
Veer met his eyes.
"They won't ignore you."
A beat.
"They'll test you. Maybe try to break you. Maybe try to recruit you."
Radhe's voice dropped. "And that's when I get in."
Veer nodded once.
"But remember," he added, almost as an afterthought, "you're not trying to look stronger than all of them combined."
Radhe frowned. "Then what?"
Veer's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Just strong enough to be useful."