The goons roared and lunged at Vihaan, swinging their rods wildly. But Vihaan was faster — precise, calm, lethal in his movements.
He caught the first attacker's wrist mid-air and twisted it, forcing him to drop his weapon with a painful yell. The second came from behind, but Vihaan spun and kicked him square in the chest, sending him crashing onto the gravel.
"Come on then!" Vihaan shouted, his eyes blazing. "You wanted trouble — you've found it!"
Three more charged at once, but Vihaan ducked, grabbed one by the collar, and slammed him against another. The third managed to graze Vihaan's arm with a blade — but Vihaan barely flinched. Instead, he disarmed him with a single blow and swept his legs with a clean kick.
From behind the bus, Yug pumped his fist into the air.
"Come on, Bhai! Show them what ACP Vihaan Kothari is made of!"
Gauri clapped her hands, half-cheering, half-anxious.
"That's my husband! You picked the wrong bus to mess with!"
The goons hesitated, fear creeping into their expressions as they realized the man before them wasn't ordinary.
"Still not enough?" Vihaan taunted, cracking his knuckles. "I've barely warmed up."
He dodged another punch, grabbed the man's arm, and flipped him over with military precision. Dust rose around them, the sound of groans echoing through the forest.
One of the remaining goons turned to flee — but Vihaan hurled the broken rod at his feet, stopping him cold.
"You leave without permission?" Vihaan's tone dropped low. "Not when I'm done teaching you the law."
Gauri grinned proudly. "Remind me never to argue with him," she whispered to Yug.
Yug chuckled. "Trust me, Bhabhi, even I'd surrender."
Within minutes, all eight goons lay defeated, moaning on the roadside. Vihaan stood tall, wiping a trace of blood from his lip.
"Call the local police," he told the driver firmly. "Tell them to come collect their trash."
As he turned, Gauri ran up and cupped his face. "Are you okay?"
He smiled softly. "I'm fine, Gauri. They just needed a little lesson."
Yug laughed, patting Vihaan's shoulder. "A little? You nearly sent them to the next life!"
The family burst into relieved laughter, the fear replaced with pride.
The family's relief vanished as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed again.
Vihaan turned sharply, scanning the dim road.
From the shadows of the forest, ten more men appeared — rough, broad-shouldered, and moving with eerie precision. Their blank, expressionless faces made the scene even more unsettling.
"Another group?" Yug muttered under his breath, disbelief in his tone.
Charvi clutched Gauri's arm nervously.
The new set of men spread out, circling the family and blocking the path back to the bus. The driver froze beside the vehicle, fear written across his face.
Vihaan's eyes narrowed. "Looks like someone planned this well."
He stepped forward, his stance calm but authoritative.
"Listen to me carefully," he said, his voice steady. "You're committing a serious offence under the Indian Penal Code—armed ambush and attempted robbery. Walk away now before I make sure each of you spends the next decade in prison."
The goons didn't respond. They just stared, breathing heavily.
"Looks like they don't care about the law Bhaiya," Yug whispered.
Vihaan tilted his head slightly, eyes cold. "Then they'll care about something else."
The first goon lunged — Vihaan dodged, grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back in one swift motion. The man screamed. Another came from behind, but Vihaan blocked him with a kick to the chest, sending him crashing into the gravel.
Yug joined in, picking up a fallen stick and swinging it to fend off another attacker. "Don't underestimate ACP Vihaan Kothari!" he shouted between breaths.
Gauri, though tense, tried to keep Charvi and Dadi safe behind her. "Stay close," she said softly, eyes darting between the men and Vihaan.
The fight grew rougher — fists, kicks, dust flying in the air. Vihaan's training took over; his moves were precise, his control unshaken.
He tackled two men at once, disarming one and knocking the other unconscious with a quick elbow jab.
The fight raged on. Dust rose from the roadside as Vihaan struck another attacker down, his movements sharp and precise.
But before he could turn, one of the goons lunged from behind—raising a metal rod to strike.
"Vihaan!" Gauri shouted.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward and landed a solid punch right across the goon's face.
The man stumbled backward, clutching his jaw in pain, clearly not expecting that from her.
Everyone froze for a second—even Vihaan.
He turned toward her, eyes wide in surprise.
Gauri flicked her hair confidently and said, "Don't look so shocked, Mr. ACP. I've got a black belt in karate."
Vihaan raised an eyebrow, half-impressed, half-amused. "Black belt, huh?"
Gauri crossed her arms, feigning pride. "Okay… fine, maybe not exactly a black belt—but I've seen enough action movies to know how to throw a punch!"
Despite the chaos, Vihaan couldn't help but chuckle. "Remind me never to argue with you again."
"Good," Gauri said, picking up a stick and standing beside him. "Now let's finish this together."
Side by side, they faced the remaining goons. Gauri's quick thinking and fiery energy matched Vihaan's precision and control.
Yug joined in too, shouting, "Now this is what I call family teamwork!"
Within minutes, the attackers were overpowered. Those still conscious scrambled away into the forest, terrified and defeated.
Vihaan finally turned to Gauri, eyes softening. "You were incredible."
Gauri smiled proudly. "Told you I can handle myself. Who needs backup when you have me?"
Yug teased from behind, "Remind me not to make bhabhi angry!"
The family laughed through their exhaustion, grateful to see everyone safe.
But far away, hidden in the dense forest, the Naashak watched silently from the mountain ridge, his mouth organ glinting faintly in the moonlight.
A smirk curved his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured. "So… that's the Jalpanchi."