The next morning, Karan stepped out of his house.
The air felt still.
Too still.
As he locked the door and turned, he saw Raju standing a few steps away.
Something was off.
Raju's face looked drained… restless… his eyes filled with worry.
"Karan…" he called, his voice strained. "Have you seen my wife?"
Karan looked at him.
"No."
Raju ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly. "I don't understand… where did she go?" His voice began to shake. "I've asked everyone… no one has seen her."
Karan said nothing.
"Yesterday, she went out to invite people for our son's birthday…" Raju continued, his words stumbling. "After that… she never came back."
A pause.
"I don't know where to look for her anymore…"
Silence settled between them.
Karan's face remained calm.
Unreadable.
Raju searched his eyes—hoping for something.
Anything.
But there was nothing.
"I have to go," Karan said quietly. "I'm getting late for work."
No emotion. No hesitation.
He turned.
And walked away.
Behind him, Raju stood frozen—
A man slowly breaking.
—
Rajveer took Karan to the police station.
The moment they stepped inside, a sharp sound cut through the air—
A scream.
Karan's gaze shifted toward the lockup.
Inside, a young man hung between two constables, his body bruised, his face swollen beyond recognition. Each blow landed with a dull, sickening sound.
"Sir… I don't know anything about Ananya!" he cried, his voice cracking. "Please… believe me…"
The blows didn't stop.
Karan stood still.
Watching.
Unmoving.
"Rajveer sir," the Senior Inspector said, stepping closer, "this is Ayush… Ananya's boyfriend."
Ayush struggled to lift his head, his eyes desperate, searching for someone who might listen.
"He keeps saying he doesn't know anything," the officer added.
Rajveer's gaze hardened.
"He's lying," he said coldly. "Ask him properly."
A pause.
"And if needed… give him third degree."
His voice dropped—sharp, merciless.
"He'll say everything."
Inside the cell, Ayush shook his head weakly, tears mixing with blood.
"I'm telling the truth…" he whispered.
No one responded.
Another blow echoed.
Then—
"Enough."
The Senior Inspector raised his hand.
The constables stepped back, breathing heavily.
Ayush collapsed against the wall, his chest rising unevenly.
The inspector opened a file.
"We found something."
He pulled out two train tickets and held them up.
"Two tickets. Booked for the same day your daughter went missing."
He placed them on the table.
"One for Ananya."
A brief pause.
"And one for Ayush."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Tight.
One of the constables lifted his stick again—
"I'll tell everything!" Ayush shouted, his voice breaking. "Please… stop hitting me… I'll tell everything!"
The stick froze.
The inspector looked at him. "Then speak."
Ayush swallowed hard. "We… we planned to leave…"
His eyes flickered toward Rajveer—fear flashing through them.
"I bought the tickets…"
His breathing grew uneven.
"Sir… we were in a relationship," he continued, his voice trembling. "She… she got pregnant."
The words dropped like a weight.
Karan didn't move.
Rajveer didn't react.
Not visibly.
"I told her to abort the child," Ayush said, tears slipping down his face. "But she didn't listen. She wanted to keep the baby… she wanted to marry me."
He shook his head weakly.
"I tried to make her understand… but she didn't listen. Then… I said okay."
A pause.
"We planned everything. To leave for Mumbai… start a new life."
Silence.
"But she never came."
No one spoke.
"I waited at the station for hours…" he whispered. "She didn't show up. I thought… maybe something happened…"
His voice broke completely.
"I swear, sir… I don't know where she is."
The inspector's eyes narrowed.
Something didn't fit.
Something was missing.
The truth was there—
But incomplete.
And in that silence—
Karan stood still.
Watching.
Listening.
As if he already knew—
What no one else did.