India Gate at night is beautiful. Thousands of lights. Families laughing. Couples walking. Street vendors selling ice cream.
Aarya sat on the grass, watching the crowd, waiting.
At 8 PM sharp, Aryan appeared. He sat next to her, not too close.
"Thank you for coming."
"I don't have many options right now."
"I know. Your parents died. Your uncle threatened you. You're alone."
"How do you know all this?"
Aryan pulled out his phone. Showed her photos.
"Karan Malhotra. Real name Karan Singh Rawat. Born 1969 in Dehradun. Joined army in 1984 but was thrown out after six months. Official records say 'disciplinary issues'. Real reason - he murdered a family."
Aarya nodded. "I know this part."
"What you don't know is who helped him disappear. Who gave him money, new identity, new life."
"Who?"
"Your father."
Aarya jerked back. "No. My father helped hide the bodies in 1984, but he wasn't—"
"He was. After the murder, Karan had nothing. Your father gave him money from his own savings. Ten lakh rupees in 1984. A fortune. That money became the foundation of Karan's business empire."
Aarya's head spun. "Why would my father do that? Karan was a murderer!"
"Because Karan was his brother. And your father made a choice - family over justice. He spent the rest of his life regretting it. That's why he wrote the diary. That's why he wanted you to find the truth. He wanted to confess before he died."
"But Karan killed him before he could."
"Yes. And your mother was next. But here's the thing - your mother's death wasn't Karan's doing."
"Then who?"
Aryan looked around. Lowered his voice.
"Remember the Sharma family's relatives? The husband's brother had a son. His name is Vikram Sharma. He was ten years old when his uncle, aunt, and cousin were murdered. He grew up obsessed with revenge."
"He killed my mother?"
"No. But he knows who did. And he's also looking for Karan. But he doesn't care who gets in his way. Not even you."
"Where is he now?"
"In Delhi. Watching. Waiting. And he's not alone."
Aarya felt cold despite the warm night.
"Seven days. Karan gave me seven days to leave."
"Then we have seven days to find Vikram, find the truth, and expose Karan before he silences you forever."
"How do we start?"
Aryan smiled. "We start with the only person still alive from 1984 who wasn't family. Captain Avinash Sharma."
"I already met him."
"You met him in the old age home. But you didn't ask him the right questions. Like - who was the fourth person that night?"
"Fourth person? Captain said three people - my father, Raghav, Karan."
"Captain lied. There was a fourth. Someone who arrived after the murders but before your father and Raghav. Someone who saw everything. Someone Karan has been paying for forty years to keep quiet."
"Who?"
"Captain Avinash Sharma himself."
Aarya's world tilted again.
"Captain was there?"
"Yes. And he's been hiding in that old age home not because he's helpless, but because Karan keeps him there. Safe. Protected. Silent. But now that you've met him, Karan knows. And Captain's life is in danger."
"We have to go back. Now."
They stood up. Ran toward the road.
Aarya's phone rang. Unknown number.
She answered.
A voice, old and weak. Captain.
"Beta... he knows... I told him everything... he's coming... run..."
The line went dead.