KABIR’S POV

The clock had just struck 1:00 AM.

Laughter echoed through the villa, glasses clinked, music thumped against the marble floors, and Shanaya’s smile—God, that smile—hadn’t faded even once all evening. Her eyes sparkled like they held a universe in them, and all I wanted was to live in that world she’d created tonight, with just her and me.

I had just pulled her into another dance when it happened.

BOOM.

A deafening explosion shook the entire villa.

The glass windows shattered, the chandelier above us trembled violently before crashing to the ground in pieces. People screamed. Music stopped. Smoke began to fill the air as alarms blared and confusion turned into sheer panic.

“What the—” I didn’t even finish my sentence before I pulled Shanaya into me and shielded her body with mine, my instincts kicking in like muscle memory.

Gunfire.

Loud. Ruthless. Close.

“Get down!” Kartik shouted as he pulled out his gun from under his blazer, Ranveer and Rohit following suit like clockwork. Even Shreya, dressed in an elegant gown, had a weapon strapped under her thigh.

Veer grabbed the mic stand and used it as a bat to knock down the first man who stormed in wearing a black mask and vest. There were too many.

My voice was hoarse as I barked orders to my men, “Clear the rooms! Get everyone out—NOW!”

“Shanaya, go with Kartik,” I told her firmly. Her wide eyes were filled with fear, but she nodded and turned—

Only for the crowd to swallow her.

People pushed and shoved, trying to get away from the chaos. Smoke made it nearly impossible to see. I tried to follow her, but someone slammed into me and I lost sight of her completely.

No. No. No.

I shoved people aside, screaming her name. “SHANAYA!” But she was gone. Gone into the blur of smoke and madness.

I looked around and saw Kartik and Veer dragging people to the exits. “Did you see her?” I yelled.

Kartik shook his head, pale. “She was right behind me! Where the f*ck did she go?!”

I felt my chest tighten. “Check the rooms. All of them!”

The gunfire outside faded. Sirens now. Red and blue lights flickering on the edges of the villa. My men were everywhere, helping guests escape, fighting the last of the attackers. We managed to force the remaining intruders out—but the villa was wrecked.

I ran back in, searching room after room. My eyes scanned for anything—her earrings, her perfume bottle, her dress hem—anything.

But,

then the power came back.

Everything went still.

My heart dropped.

“Where’s Isha?” Shreya’s voice cut through the silence.

A heavy pause.

“She was with Shanaya last,” Rohit said, his voice barely a whisper.

They were both gone.

Gone.

The villa went silent as realization sank in.

I looked at Kartik. His eyes said what I was already feeling.

“She’s taken,” he said grimly. “So is Isha.”

I froze. Just for a second.

Then the rage hit.

I pulled out my phone and dialed. “Get every fucking man we have. I want the hacker, the tracker, the snipers—everyone. Meet me at the warehouse.”

“Boss—” one of my guards began.

“I SAID NOW!” I roared.

This wasn’t just an attack. This wasn’t random.

They took her. On her birthday. From a party I planned. While she smiled like I was her entire world.

And I wasn’t there to protect her.

I’d tear the fucking city apart if I had to. I’d burn every street. I’d bleed anyone who dared touch her.

Because no one—no one—takes what’s mine and walks away alive.

--

The warehouse was already alive with chaos when I arrived.

Floodlights bathed the concrete floors in a harsh, blinding white. Dozens of men in black were scattered across the compound—armed, focused, silent. The air was heavy with the smell of metal, smoke, and anticipation.

I didn’t even wait for the car to stop before I threw the door open and walked straight in.

I wasn’t Kabir Singhania anymore.

I was the man they feared. The man who turned wars into history lessons. The man who didn’t blink before ending someone’s bloodline.

And they’d taken my girl.

As I stepped inside, the temperature dropped—not physically, but in tension. The moment they saw me, the conversations ceased. Everyone stood taller. Eyes shifted toward me like prey sensing a predator.

“Report,” I snapped.

Sameer was already at the giant screen. “We’ve pulled CCTV footage from the villa, but the attackers disabled most of the cameras just before the explosion. Whoever did this—they planned it down to the last breath.”

“Pattern?” I barked.

“Military precision. Looks like someone leaked the villa’s security layout. There’s no other explanation.”

My jaw clenched.

I looked at the tracker team. “Did you get Isha’s phone location?”

“We did,” said Yash, our tech lead. “It pinged five minutes ago near the old docks—Zone 47.”

I walked up to him and stared him dead in the eye. “You have exactly fifteen minutes to give me a name, a vehicle, and a f*cking face.”

He nodded, working faster.

“Get in touch with Vansh,” I ordered. “And bring the Kapoors and Shergills in. If they’re involved, I’ll end them too.”

I saw Kartik pacing near the weapons table, his face tight with guilt. He looked up when I came close.

“She was right behind me, Kabir,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “I should’ve turned around. I should’ve held her hand—”

I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

“You were supposed to protect her,” I growled.

“I know!” he shouted, furious at himself. “And I f*cking failed.”

The silence that followed was thick. I let go of him, stepping back. Both of us were breathing hard.

“I’ll find her,” I muttered. “Even if I have to leave a trail of bodies from here to hell.”

A voice cut in from the back. “Sir. We found something.”

Everyone turned.

It was Ahaan, one of my newer intel guys. He held up a black USB drive. “Found this dropped near the back exit of the villa. No label. No prints.”

I took it and shoved it into the side of the laptop. The screen blinked to life. A single file loaded—no name. No timestamp.

I clicked it.

The video played.

Shanaya.

Blindfolded. Tied to a chair. Her lips trembling but silent. Isha beside her, blood on her temple, glaring at the camera like she’d burn it.

Then a masked man entered the frame.

A voice distorted by a filter.

“She shouldn’t have stepped into your world, Kabir.

You took something from us.

Now, we take her.”

The video ended.

The room was so silent I could hear my own pulse thundering in my ears.

“Pull every resource. Hack into every camera between the villa and the docks,” I said, voice cold as ice. “Get satellite feeds. I don’t care if it’s illegal. I want to know which direction they breathed in when they left.”

Kartik stepped forward, more steady now. “We’ll get them back.”

I looked up.

And my voice dropped to a growl.

“No. We won’t get them back. I will.

And I’ll make sure they wish they never knew her name.”

My world had always been dark.

But tonight—tonight, they gave me a reason to burn in it.

-----

AUTHOR'S NOTE :

This chapter changes everything.

From the glimmering magic of fairy lights and laughter to the cold silence of fear and loss—this is the moment where love meets fire, and safety is stripped away. Writing this part broke me a little, because Shanaya and Kabir weren’t supposed to be separated. Not like this.

But stories don’t grow in comfort.

They grow in chaos.

And now… the war begins.

Hold your breath.

The darkness is here.

And he’s coming for what’s his.

– With all my love,

   Vrinda

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