Captain Avinash woke up the next evening.
Aarya and Aryan were allowed in for five minutes. No more.
Captain looked pale. Old. Broken.
"Beta, listen carefully. I don't have much time. They'll come again."
"Who is the fourth person, Captain?"
"The person who arrived after the murders but before your father. The person who helped Karan clean up. The person who has been protecting him all these years."
"Who?"
Captain took a shaky breath.
"Your mother's brother."
Aarya frowned. "My mother was an only child. The Sharma family had only one daughter - my mother. No son."
"The Sharma family had only one daughter. But your mother's family - the family she was born into - they had a son. A younger brother. He was three years old when his sister married into the Sharma family."
"I don't understand."
"Your mother's real name was not Sudha. It was Gauri. Gauri Mishra. She was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh. Her parents married her to the Sharma family in Dehradun. When the murders happened, her brother was ten years old. He grew up hearing about his sister's family being killed. He grew up hating Karan. But then something changed."
"What changed?"
"He found out his sister was alive. Found out she had married into the killer's family. Found out she was waiting for revenge. And he made a choice."
"What choice?"
"He contacted Karan. Offered him a deal. He would keep quiet about what he knew. He would even help Karan. In exchange, Karan would make him rich."
Aarya's mouth fell open.
"Her own brother? He betrayed his sister?"
"Yes. He's been Karan's partner for thirty years. He's the reason Karan succeeded. He's the reason your mother's revenge failed. He's the reason your parents are dead."
"His name. Tell me his name."
Captain's voice was barely a whisper.
"Vikram Mishra. But he doesn't use that name anymore. He calls himself..."
The door burst open. Men in black. Guns.
Aryan jumped up. "Run, Aarya!"
Chaos. Shouting. Aryan fighting one man. Another grabbing Aarya.
She screamed. Kicked. Bit.
Then a gunshot.
Everyone froze.
Captain Avinash had a gun in his weak hand. Shot into the ceiling.
"Let her go. Or the next one goes in your head."
The men looked at each other. Then at the door.
Another man walked in.
Fifty years old. Expensive clothes. Familiar face.
He looked at Aarya and smiled.
"Hello, niece. I'm your uncle. Your real uncle."
Aarya stared at him.
Karan Malhotra.
No. Not Karan. Someone else. Someone who looked like Karan. Same eyes. Same smile. Same evil.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Vikram Mishra. Your mother's brother. But you know me as... Aryan's boss. The man who sent him to find you."
Aarya turned to Aryan. Aryan looked at the floor.
"Traitor."
"I'm sorry, Aarya. He owns me. He's owned me since I was born."
Vikram laughed. "Poor boy. His father worked for me too. Until he got ideas about exposing me. Had to kill him. But I kept the son. Useful to have a journalist who does what you tell him."
Aarya felt sick. The whole thing was a trap. From the beginning.
"Take her."
The men grabbed her. Dragged her out.
Last thing she saw was Captain Avinash, bleeding again, reaching toward her with a weak hand.
And Aryan, crying, not meeting her eyes.