**Next morning, Singhania house**

Raj Singhania leaned back in his chair, slowly lighting his cigar with the flicker of a lighter. The rich smoke curled upward as he studied his son.

"So... you mean it was all Balwinder’s doing?" he asked calmly.

On the opposite side of the table, Rohit sat with a stoic face and calm voice. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Yes," Rohit said, holding his gaze. "If not for him, we wouldn’t have gotten Akhil out. I was just there."

Raj studied him the way a man studies a card he suspects is marked. Then he opened a drawer and fanned several newspapers across the desk.

"Three days," Raj said. "You took three days to find your friend, and the whole world turned upside down. How about you take a look? Just the cover pages are enough."

Rohit frowned and scanned the headlines.

The Times of India highlighted the arrest of Moninder Sisodia, which had amplified the liquor scam case against the current Delhi government. The opposition was heavily armed up, and the mood of the upcoming election had clearly shifted in their favor.

Another paper covered the recent MLA resort burning incident, where a new video confession had surfaced from criminals identified as scions of influential families — all students of the same Genesis School.

The latest news was about the major arrests in Mori Gate and the crackdown on suspicious pimps and freeing of forced sex workers in GB Road.

Every headline had something in common — gang wars, mafia, and women trafficking scandals. Everything whose cause was Rohit, yet none proved his existence.

Rohit leaned back. "I don’t see what any of this has to do with me."

Raj flicked the ash from his cigar into the tray and gestured at the newspapers.

"You’re reading the noise.. Not the pattern. Turn to today’s first page."

Rohit did.

This time, his eyes paused.

Jayesh Mittal. Dead.

There was an article about Jayesh , the scion and leading heir of the Mittal household , who was shot dead brutally on the road.

The report detailed it as a late-night incident where he was caught in crossfire during a mafia clash. No survivors from his side. No clarity. Just speculation and aftermath.

Raj watched him closely, the faint curl of cigar smoke drifting between them.

"Mittal called me four days ago," he said calmly. "He told me everything—that his son was behind Akhil’s kidnapping. He asked me to stay out of it."

Rohit’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You knew... and still didn’t intervene?"

Raj let out a quiet chuckle, though there was no amusement in his eyes.

"I told you to stay out of it," he replied. "You chose otherwise." He tapped the ash off his cigar. "This wasn’t fear. It was business. A direct move against them at that point would have escalated things unnecessarily."

His gaze sharpened.

"But now? Mittal’s son is dead. Everyone connected to that kidnapping is either arrested... or in the morgue. Even my best man, Balwinder is lying unconscious in hospital..."

He leaned back slightly, letting the words settle.

"And you’re sitting here without a scratch... Tell me, Rohit... does that make sense to you?"

Rohit’s brows drew together just enough to sell confusion.

"So me taking care of it all alone would make any sense?" Rohit asked, looking genuinely confused. "I’m a high schooler, Dad. Not some trained warlord."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but firm.

"Yes, I reached out to some bad people. Yes, I made connections. But they were already in conflict. I didn’t start any of this. I was just... caught in the middle of it."

The silence stretched between them — heavy, tense, and filled with unspoken questions.

"Balwinder stopped reporting to me the moment you checked into the Hyatt," Raj said finally, his voice quieter and deliberate. "I also know what happened at the MLA resort.." an amused spark flickered in his eyes. " That was... impressive."

"But trust me, the Mittals won’t stay silent." Raj leaned forward, tapping his fingers slowly and deliberately on the desk. "Their business group may be small, but their presence in Delhi is bigger than ours. They won’t let this go easily. If they get even a single lead, they will come after you."

He locked eyes with Rohit.

"So.. I am asking you directly, son, because I want to protect you. Not to punish you. Are you involved?"

"No," Rohit shook his head as he blatantly lied. "I was only a messenger in this case. The gang war was their internal matter and had been brewing long before I got involved. In fact, they attacked us when we were in Raju’s base, and Balwinder ended up getting injured in the crossfire. Thanks to his bravery in saving the gang leader, they paid us back by rescuing Akhil. That’s the whole story."

Raj Singhania stared at Rohit for a long moment, searching for any sign of deception in his eyes. Then he leaned back in his chair.

"If you say so, then I believe you," he said finally. "I will handle the Mittals myself."

He waved his hand dismissively. "You’re dismissed."

The air in the room eased—but only slightly.

"Actually." Rohit didn’t move. "I have a proposal."

Raj raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Raju Plumber." Rohit kept his voice measured. "He’s going to need legal support. The kind that doesn’t come cheap. From what I saw, he operates on a simple code — he values favors returned. He helped get Akhil out because Balwinder saved his life. A man like that, if he feels that debt is honoured properly, stays loyal."

Raj considered this for a moment, then extinguished his cigar in the ashtray.

"You are right, but it will be a little tricky. Political parties have started playing games on this. If we try to help him out, that would deteriorate our relationship with the current Delhi government. Business doesn’t run without political backing. You have to understand that."

Rohit smirked. "Then let’s change ships. The BAP party favors me for helping them against the MLA resort case. I am ready to bet that in the next elections, the AJP party will be losing. This way we won’t need to worry about antagonizing the mafia and politics."

Raj laughed. "It feels really refreshing for you to think that deep, Rohit. I am proud to have adopted you as my son. But it’s still not enough. Check the last page."

Rohit turned to the last page. There was an article about Suraj Rajput — one of Ahmed’s gang loyalists and a triad surviving leader — taking a vow to kill Raju when he leaves prison.

Before Rohit could add anything, Raj continued, "I don’t blame you. You are still at the age when you have to see the world. Still, you have earned my praise and deserve my reward. So tell me, what do you want?"

Rohit asked after thinking for a while, "Your gun?"

Raj broke into laughter again. He took out the empty gun holster and handed it to him."Talk with Pathak. He’ll handle the license transfer."

He walked around the table and patted Rohit’s shoulder.

"Come, my son. I’m in a really good mood today. I have something to announce."