Chapter Eighty Five.

Chapter Eighty Five.
Veda gave her father a long, tight hug, wrapping her arms around him as if she could somehow bottle up the warmth of home. When he finally pulled back, his hands still lingered on her arms, eyes misty with silent emotions he didn’t say aloud.

Meera giggled from the side and immediately stepped in for her own hug.
"You stay safe, okay? And show them in that IT that Veda Ahuja has arrived." she teased, her eyes twinkling as she playfully nudged her sister.

Veda laughed, a real laugh. One that actually reached her eyes.
"Oh, don’t worry," she said, smirking. "They’ll never forget me."

Meera smiled, her arms tightening briefly around her.
"I’ll miss you, Di…" Veda whispered, voice softening. Their father stood beside them quietly, watching his daughters with a nostalgic smile stretched across his face.

"Don’t forget to get a new phone and call us." he said gently, breaking the moment.
Veda pulled away from Meera and turned to him, nodding.
"I will, Papa. I promise."

After the final hugs, and a thousand backward glances, Veda finally stepped onto the train. She stood by the door and waved one last time, her smile wide but her eyes…

Meera reached for her father’s arm, holding it tightly as they watched the train slowly begin to move.

"She’ll be okay, Papa," Meera said quietly, almost to reassure herself. "It’s her dream, remember? And… you know the other reason too."
Her voice dropped on the last part.

Her father exhaled heavily, nodding once.
"I know, beta.." he murmured. "I just… pray she’s no longer afraid."

They stood in silence, eyes locked on the train until it vanished into the distance. Then Meera gently tugged on his arm.

"Let’s go home, Papa."

He nodded, and together they turned around and walked away.

◇◇◇

A few hours later…

Varun’s eyes flickered across the lecture hall. Searching.

His gaze halted on Veda’s usual seat , empty. Samaira sat there alone, scrolling through her phone like nothing was out of place.

But to Varun... everything was wrong.

At first, he tried to convince himself she was simply at home, like the last time she skipped college.

But that excuse wasn’t sticking today. A strange chill crept into his chest, gnawing at his calm.

He tapped his phone, expecting the usual report from the man he’d assigned to watch her house — the shadow she never knew existed. But there was nothing. No message. No call. Not even a whisper.

That silence... was loud.

Still, he clung to the idea that maybe, just maybe, she was home. That thought was the only thing keeping his spiraling mind intact.

Minutes bled into an hour.
Then two.
Then more.

Classes ended. Students scattered. The sun dipped lower, dragging the day to a reluctant close, but there was still no sign of her.

Varun walked out of the college, his movements stiffen. His face was unreadable, but the grip on his car keys screamed fury.

Sliding into his car, he yanked his phone out and immediately dialed.

The line barely rang before the voice on the other end picked up, tense, uncertain.

"Any updates yet..Did she step out? Anything?" Varun asked, his tone dark and biting.

The man stammered, clearly shaken.
"N-no sir. Nothing. I haven’t seen Miss Veda since morning."

Varun’s jaw tightened. His grip on the steering wheel turned white-knuckled.

He ended the call without another word and immediately tracked her phone location.

Still at home.

He exhaled sharply.

"She’s home.." he muttered. "Still in the house. That’s… good."

But something didn’t sit right.

His brows furrowed deeper.
"Did she skip college because of what I said yesterday? Because I asked her for help?" he wondered aloud, his mind racing.

But then he shook his head, hard.

No. This wasn’t like her.

His pulse spiked. His mind refused to settle.

Something was not right.
And he could feel it deep in his bones.

Without wasting another second, Varun slammed his foot on the pedal, tires screeching as he tore through the street like a man possessed.

♤♤♤

Late at Night…

The train screeched to a slow halt, metal grinding against metal as it finally stopped at the quiet, station.

Veda stood, her heart pounding with a mixture of nerves and exhilaration. Clutching the handles of her two roller luggages, she took a careful step off the train.

The platform was dimly lit, nearly deserted except for a handful of sleepy travelers dragging their bags along.

A soft, cold breeze kissed her skin, lifting strands of her hair from her face. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

For the first time in a long time... she could breathe.

There was no shadow watching her, no heavy gaze following her every move. No cold shiver crawling up her spine. Just silence. Just freedom.

She exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging on her lips.

I'm okay. I'm finally okay...

Her hand instinctively reached for her pocket, wanting to call her father, but she remembered.

She’d left her phone behind at home. Deliberately. She didn’t want to be traced.

Not even accidentally. No digital trail. Nothing that could lead him to her.

She gave a small determined grin and whispered to herself, “First thing tomorrow, buy a new phone.”

"Excuse me."

The sudden voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned sharply to see a middle-aged man standing a few feet away from her.

His frame was tall, slightly hunched from age, his skin weathered with fine wrinkles, but his build was still strong for a man his age.

His eyes, however, held warmth. Cautious, but not threatening.

"Hi…" she said slowly, her hand tightening around her suitcase handle.

"Are you Veda?" the man asked, stepping a little closer. "Veda Ahuja?"

Veda's body stiffened. Her brows furrowed and she instinctively took a small step back, her heart suddenly picking up again.

"And you are…?" she asked carefully, her tone guarded.

The man blinked, then chuckled softly as though he wasn’t surprised by her reaction.

"You're just as your father described, sharp and cautious." he said with a friendly nod. "My name is Yusuf. Your father told me about you. He said you’d be arriving tonight and might need someone to help you get settled."

Veda didn't move. Her gut still didn’t fully trust him.

Sensing her hesitance, Yusuf reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Here. Let me call him.." he said, already dialing. The screen lit up with her father’s name.

The call connected after a few rings.

“Yes, Yusuf?” her father's voice came through, slightly muffled but unmistakably him. “Have you seen her? Is she okay?”

Yusuf stretched the phone out to her with a reassuring smile.

"Here. You can talk to him yourself."

Veda took the phone quickly.

"Papa?" Her voice came out in a soft breath.

“Oh, thank God.” her father said, a heavy sigh of relief filling the line. “Princess, you're safe. That's Yusuf with you, okay? I sent him to help take you to the apartment. He’s a good man, trust him.”

Veda's shoulders relaxed. Her eyes softened. “Okay, Papa.”