COLLUSION: THE WEB OF COFFINED TRUTHS (PART1)

January 14, 2021

Seven Hills Hospital

9:00 AM

VANSH'S POV :

"Alright, Mr. Raisinghania, you're fine now. You're discharged!" Dr. Dixit announced after a week of keeping me locked in this sterile white room. It felt like nothing less than White Room torture. I sighed as Dr. Big Mouth—also known as Arya Trivedi—began changing my bandages and unhooking the saline tubes. My brother, as usual, was staring at her like she was the only person in the room.

"So… take care of yourself, take your medicines on time, and make sure to change your bandages regularly," she advised.

"Okay," I agreed.

"And next time, don't try to play Robin Hood by following a stranger in the middle of the night, thinking you can help," she mocked.

I shot her a glare as she continued repeating the fake story Arav had made up in a minute.

"You'll get robbed, stabbed, and left to burn in an abandoned warehouse!" she added dramatically.

She wasn't entirely wrong—the robbery, stabbing, and burning had happened. But it wasn't just some random robbery. It was something that could shake my name in the underworld. A rare blue diamond—The Blue Moon of Josephine—had been stolen from us in the middle of a deal. That bastard Chang had cheated us. Rehansh was already furious and hunting him down. And once I got my hands on him, I swore he'd regret the day he ever betrayed The Mafia Kings.

Snap. Snap.

"Already daydreaming about freedom, Vansh?" Arya teased, laughing.

My brother joined in, chuckling along with her. He always did, even when the joke wasn't funny. I shot him a look that said, What exactly is so funny?

I mean, laughing was fine. But hysterical laughter for no reason? That was a sign of a mental disorder. Then again, I should've remembered—my brother was hopelessly in love with Dr. Big Mouth.

"I just want to go. Now!" I snapped, ignoring her completely.

I had no idea how I was going to live in my own mansion if my brother ended up marrying this woman.

Finally, after a week in the hospital, I was back home. Daadi welcomed me with a tight hug before scolding me for leaving the country without informing her.

God, being part of the Mafia is hard sometimes.

The worst part? Having a family that worried way too much. Keeping secrets became nearly impossible. But somehow, we'd managed all these years—and we intended to keep it that way for the rest of our lives.

I headed straight to my room, ready to get back to business. But Daadi had other plans. She insisted I take a day off, claiming I was overworking myself.

To hell with rest!

I needed to find that bastard who stole my diamonds.

Vansh's POV Ends

The Hotel Belmont, Hyderabad

1:00 PM

"So, what have you called us here for?" the man asked.

"Sir… I wanted to inform you that the girl is dead," the investigator reported.

"What? How?" the woman asked, stunned.

"Ma'am, the girl was kidnapped at 13 and was never found. After seven years, the police declared her dead. Her missing case was closed just three years ago, so it's a waste—"

"YOU are a waste!" the man cut him off, his voice laced with fury. "You call yourself a private investigator? Do you think I hired you to tell me what I already know?"

"But, sir—"

"No explanations!" the man spat. "I gave you a simple task—find the girl! I provided her name, former address, her parents' names—everything you needed. And yet—"

The woman beside him burned with rage. "You said you'd find her in one week. It's been fourteen days, and you still have nothing?"

"Sir, ma'am, it's been ten years since she was kidnapped. Even her parents and the police never found any trace of her. How am I supposed to—"

"I don't care," the man cut him off coldly. "The police only declared her dead because it's been over seven years. But she's not actually dead. That's why I want you to retrieve the past case files and begin an investigation on the prime suspects!"

"Sir, it's not that easy. This was a high-profile case, and it was closed just three years ago—"

"You'll get as much money as you need," the man said, his voice dangerously low. "But I want answers. You have one month. Next time we meet, you better have something."

With that, he stormed off, the woman following closely behind.

VR Mansion

Vansh's Room – 4:00 PM

"Hey, you okay, Ansh?" Rehansh asked, walking in with a plate of food.

"You tell me," I scoffed. "After locking me in this room for the past seven hours to do nothing but sleep—which I've been doing for the past seven days—and forcing me to take those bitter medicines, do you really think I'm okay? I'm far from okay!"

"I get it, but you need rest. Arya advised—"

"Arya, Arya, Arya. When are you going to stop chanting her name like a mantra?" I rolled my eyes.

"Who's Arya?" a voice interrupted from the doorway.

"Arhaan! You should knock before entering and not eavesdrop on conversations," Rehansh scolded.

"But you're not exactly strangers, so—" he trailed off, seeing our raised eyebrows. "Sorry, Bhai," he mumbled, scratching his neck awkwardly.

"How are you, Vansh Bhai?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm okay, Arhaan. How was your trip to Miami?"

"I was having fun until my dear brother rudely interrupted me. And then I had to come running here," Arhaan complained, earning a smack on the head from Rehansh.

"You were called here for work," Rehansh reminded him.

"What work?"

"Find all the warehouses owned by Chang, get their blueprints, and locate his current whereabouts. He's gone underground."

"Got it, Boss!" Arhaan mock-saluted before turning to leave. But he stopped mid-step.

"Wait—who's Arya? You still haven't told me!"

"Your future sister-in-law," I smirked.

"What?! Rehan Bhai, you never told me! Oh-ho, love is in the air, huh? Do you have her picture? Maybe her Instagram ID?" he grinned.

His smile faltered when he saw Rehansh's glare.

"I-I mean, just to follow her… not for any other reason… haha…" He awkwardly chuckled before dashing out of the room.

Unknown Location – 8:30 PM

"So this is Arhaan Raisinghania?"

"Yes, Boss. He just returned from Miami," the man confirmed.

The boss chuckled darkly. "Let's rough him up a bit. Consider it a… welcome gift."

The room erupted with laughter, but the boss raised a hand, silencing them.

"Not yet," he said, eyes gleaming with something far more sinister. "I'll tell you when the time is right."

His lips curled into a smirk as he stared at Arhaan's photo.

"Because this? This is the perfect opportunity for revenge."

The tension is rising, secrets are unraveling, and danger lurks closer. What's the truth behind the missing girl? What revenge is brewing in the shadows? And will Arhaan walk into a trap he never saw coming?

To be continued…