Athavan kept staring at Dhiviya intently. "Why are you crying? You didn't do anything wrong, right? Why should you be scared for no reason? As long as you are fine, that is all that matters to me," he said, his tone unwavering.
"But… but… this happened when the car was with me," Dhiviya tried to explain, her voice trembling.
"Even if it was your fault, so what? It's just a car. I'll buy you a new one. Why do you care so much about a car?" Athavan questioned again.
Dhiviya was speechless. She didn't know how to respond. Everyone around was taken aback by his words. "Such big words," they thought. His statement and his beggar-like appearance didn't match at all.
Only now did everyone realize that Athavan hadn't even glanced at the damaged car. From the moment he stepped out of Guna's Kancil, his focus had only been on Dhiviya. It was like she was the only thing in his world. Finally, he turned to Shankar.
"Who are you?" Athavan asked.
Shankar suddenly felt nervous. He was just a friend trying to help. It was common knowledge that men from traditional villages were often protective of their wives and had a strong sense of pride. His instincts told him that Athavan was an alpha male.
"I work with your wife," Shankar tried to explain.
Athavan frowned, realizing he had phrased his question poorly. He quickly corrected himself. "I know. I meant—what is your name?"
"Oh! My name is Shankar," Shankar quickly introduced himself.
Without giving him time to respond further, Athavan asked again, "Why did the policeman slap you?"
Shankar felt embarrassed. Getting slapped in public wasn't something to be proud of. He hesitated but eventually explained the entire incident, including how rude Officer Sabri and the carefree officer had been.
Athavan nodded, processing everything. Only then did he finally turn to look at the car. With a single glance at the extent of the damage, he could tell it was a total loss.
"It must have been a truck, may be Rorobin. Judging by the spread of the debris and the angle of the damage, it rammed the car at least three or four times. Someone is either warning you… or punishing you," he said, shifting his gaze to Dhiviya. "Did you get into an argument with anyone recently?"
Dhiviya remained silent, her mind spiraling. Athavan took note but didn't push further. His eyes drifted toward the building's CCTV cameras, and with a few quick glances, he noticed subtle signs—red lights off, lenses dusty.
Prathap, the security guard, was watching nervously. He could barely swallow. The way Athavan observed everything—it was unnerving.
Athavan turned to him sharply. "You. Since when has the CCTV been out of service? Has it been a long time… or just before the incident?"
Prathap jumped. "It was to… today, sir. I… think… I think it malfunctioned just before the incident."
"You think, huh?" Athavan chuckled coldly, his eyes never leaving Prathap's. "If I find out that you were involved in this… or covering for someone… I'll make sure you regret living."
Prathap's knees buckled. Overwhelmed, he fainted due to a spike in his blood pressure. His colleagues rushed over, lifting him to safety.
"High blood pressure," Athavan said, checking his pulse calmly. "He'll be fine after resting. He's not directly involved. But… he knows something."
Punitha and Shankar were speechless. Athavan had turned what should have been chaos into controlled order. Everything about him—his confidence, his precision, his authority—was unsettling. Who was this man really?
Just then, Athavan reached into his dhoti and pulled out a sleek, black phone.
"Which police station should we go to?" he asked Shankar.
"Good Hope District. It falls under their jurisdiction," Shankar replied.
Athavan dialed a number, not even looking at the screen.
"Supreme Commander, at your command," a voice answered immediately.
"I need a lawyer and a high-ranking police officer to assist me at Good Hope District Police Station in fifteen minutes. Someone is targeting my wife," Athavan said, his voice deadly calm.
Ragavan, the man on the other end, froze. The moment the words "targeting my wife" left Athavan's mouth, he knew someone had made a very big mistake.
"Understood, Supreme Commander. I will send Rank 6 Officer Drona Singh to assist you. Should I come as well?"
"No need. Just tell him to say what he should… and not say what he shouldn't."
With that, Athavan ended the call.
He turned back to Shankar. "Come with us to the police station. We'll need your witness statement."
Punitha and Shankar exchanged glances. Neither of them knew what they were getting into, but neither of them could say no.
Vasanthan and Guna instinctively followed Athavan. Dhiviya, now calmer, was still lost in the whirlwind of emotions. She could not forget his words: "Even if it was your fault, so what? I will buy you a new one."
That wasn't just a statement. It was a shield—a message that said, "Why are you afraid when I am standing behind you?"
Both cars slowly pulled into the Good Hope District police station. The tension was high, but Athavan looked as relaxed as ever. As they stepped out, Athavan paused.
"Let's wait a moment. I've called someone to assist."
The group looked around, skeptical. Who could possibly help now? This was not a situation for ordinary help.
Just then, a sleek black Mercedes-Benz glided into the parking lot and stopped right at the entrance. The door opened, and out stepped a tall, well-groomed man in a designer suit and gold-rimmed glasses.
Shankar squinted. His jaw dropped.
"Hey… hey, that's Drona Singh!"
Gasps followed.
"That's Walaysia's most expensive lawyer!" Guna exclaimed. "He's a legal legend. No one gets him unless it's a matter of national importance."
"I want his autograph…" Guna mumbled, starstruck.
"Autograph? Sure. I'll get it for you," Athavan said nonchalantly.
He raised his voice. It was calm—but thunderous.
"Drona Singh! Here. Come here!"
The commanding tone sliced through the noise. Everyone in the parking lot froze. Drona Singh, usually swarmed with politicians and billionaires, turned instantly and walked straight toward Athavan.
Dhiviya's family stood frozen. Their jaws nearly dropped.
Everyone was panicking!
The End.