"Even silence leaves scars."
The sun had started sinking into the western sky by the time Arjun's car rolled into Pune.
His eyes searched the familiar streets, the buildings he had once passed with Sonal by his side. Now, everything looked colder, more distant—like echoes of a memory that refused to fade but also refused to return.
SK Real Estate Office – 4:37 PM
Arjun entered the lobby. The receptionist looked up, surprised but polite.
"Sir, do you have an appointment with Ms. Sonal?"
"No… just tell her Arjun is here," he said, his voice low but firm.
She nodded and dialed.
Minutes passed. Then came the response:
"Sir… she said she's not available right now."
He blinked slowly. "Tell her I just need five minutes."
Another call. Another reply.
"Sorry, sir… she has instructed not to be disturbed."
The words hit harder than he expected.
His fingers curled into a fist by his side.
For a moment, he wanted to storm in—but something stopped him. Her silence. Her rejection. Her pain… maybe matching his.
He sat in the reception area. For two hours, he waited. Just sat there, hoping she'd change her mind. That she'd look out from the glass walls and see him—see through him.
But she didn't.
Eventually, he stood up, his heart heavy with unspoken weight, and walked out.
---
5:50 PM – Coffee Shop Nearby
The bell above the door chimed softly as Arjun stepped inside. The aroma of roasted beans and warm pastries tried to comfort him. He sat by the window, staring blankly outside, fingers curled around a cup of coffee gone cold.
She's working… staying strong… but something's wrong. I saw it in her eyes.
Why won't she talk?
His mind spun like an old record stuck on a painful tune.
Everything about her silence screamed louder than any confrontation ever could.
---
Sonal's Office – Simultaneously
Behind the closed door of her cabin, Sonal sat alone, her face buried in her hands. Her chest trembled with unspoken grief.
She wanted to open that door. She wanted to see him. To yell. To cry. To hold him.
But she didn't.
Because she couldn't.
Not now.
Her phone rang—"Brian Calling."
She wiped her tears and picked up.
"Hello?"
Brian's voice was calm, but sharp. "Sonal… you sound off. What happened?"
"Nothing," she tried to smile, but her voice cracked.
"Don't lie to me. I know something's bothering you."
"…It's nothing serious."
Brian paused.
"I'm in Kolhapur. Come here tomorrow. Spend a day or two. Clear your head. I don't want you breaking down in that cold office."
Sonal hesitated.
"Please, Sonal. You need this break."
She finally nodded, "Okay… I'll come."
---
Arjun's Decision – 6:15 PM
Arjun took another sip of his cold coffee. His thoughts tangled, twisted.
She's in pain. She's not fine.
His mind wandered back to those ROXX boxes again. That strange unease clawed at him.
Something is off… what if she's stuck in something she doesn't even know she's a part of?
His gaze sharpened.
"Brian Pharma factory."
Without wasting a second, he got up, walked out, stepped into his car, and started the engine.
---
Long Drive – 6:30 PM
Five hours.
Not a single stop. Not a single thought that wasn't Sonal or ROXX.
The highway stretched endlessly under the night sky. His headlights cut through the dark, but inside his heart, things were dimmer than ever.
He reached the same location as last time, only this time… he wasn't a stranger peeking through glass.
He was a storm waiting to break.
---
Surveillance Begins
The factory wasn't fully operational. Construction still hummed in the background. Workers were winding up. Lights flickered across scaffolds and machinery.
At 8 PM, the guards had changed shifts. Now new men stood, faces half-hidden under caps, shoulders firm, eyes robotic.
Arjun watched it all. Quiet. Sharp. Patient.
But nothing happened.
No trucks. No boxes. No anomalies.
12:00 AM.
1:00 AM.
Still… nothing.
His fingers tapped on the steering wheel restlessly.
By 4:00 AM, fatigue caught up with him. His eyes blurred. His breath slowed. And the weight of silence finally pulled him into sleep.
---
6:00 AM – Disappointment
Morning sun seeped in through the windshield.
Arjun opened his eyes, stiff and frustrated. The factory still looked the same. Still no signs of what he was hoping for… or fearing.
He sighed, started the car, and drove toward a hotel nearby.
---
Hotel Room – 6:45 AM
He handed his card, booked an executive room, took a hot shower, and dropped into bed.
But peace didn't come.
Even beneath soft sheets, questions stabbed him from within.
Why ROXX? What's their real game?
Is Brian just another ambitious pharma tycoon… or something more sinister?
His eyes finally closed… but his mind never rested.
---
Phone Call – 11:32 AM
His phone buzzed.
Arjun groaned and picked it up without checking.
"Where are you, bro?" Ravi's voice crackled with curiosity.
"Went to Goa… grandfather's place near Satara. Just needed some air," Arjun lied instinctively.
"Oh, okay. Cool, but tell me next time, man. I got worried."
"Yeah. My bad," Arjun replied, his tone low, heavy.
He cut the call and stared at the ceiling.
---
Next Day – Grandfather's House, Near Satara
The house hadn't changed much.
Old brick walls. Wooden pillars. The faint smell of herbs and soil.
He stood in the hallway, eyes fixated on the wall of photographs.
His mother, in her saree, smiling.
His father, standing proud in his police uniform.
His grandparents, holding him as a toddler.
Everyone… gone.
Only their shadows lingered in these frames.
His throat tightened.
He was alone. Again.
He walked to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whisky.
Two ice cubes clinked into the glass.
He sat on the porch, overlooking the quiet farmland bathed in orange evening light.
It reminded him of school days—when his world was smaller, safer.
But now, even sunsets carried questions.
He looked at his phone screen.
No messages.
No calls.
No Sonal.
He sighed and took a sip.
The warmth didn't reach his heart.
---
And then… a thought struck him like lightning.
What if Sonal wasn't just staying silent?
What if she was protecting him?
What if… there's more to her silence than rejection?
And worse… what if Brian already knew what Arjun was digging into?
Was she keeping him away for his own safety?
His eyes sharpened again. A storm was building inside him.
But this time… it wasn't confusion.
It was resolve.
Something was wrong.
And he wouldn't stop until he pulled every secret out of the shadows.
---
The war wasn't over. It had just begun.
To be continued…