Chapter 4 :- Breaking point

THE DREAM

Chapter 4: Breaking Point

written by Kingson Das

The corridor leading to the washroom was eerily silent.

Rohit walked ahead, his steps slow but steady, his grip firm on the pistol in his hand. Behind him, Fatima followed, her hands still tied, her expression unreadable.

The chaos of the mall felt distant here.

No screams.

No gunfire.

Just silence.

Too much silence.

Rohit stopped near the washroom door and turned to look at her.

“Don’t try anything,” he said coldly.

Fatima didn’t respond immediately. She simply looked at him—calm, almost amused.

“I won’t,” she said softly.

Her voice didn’t match the situation.

That alone should have been enough of a warning.

But Rohit, despite everything, didn’t fully see the danger yet.

He gestured toward the door. “Go.”

Fatima stepped inside.

Rohit waited just outside, his mind still partly on the fight, partly on Aniket, and partly—

On her.

Something about her presence stayed in his head. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t anger.

It was something else.

Minutes passed.

Or maybe just seconds.

It felt longer.

Then—

The door opened.

Fatima stepped out slowly.

But this time, she wasn’t the same.

She moved closer to Rohit.

Too close.

Rohit frowned. “What are you—”

Before he could finish—

She leaned in.

For a brief second, it looked like she was about to kiss him.

And that moment—

That single moment of hesitation—

Was all she needed.

Her hands moved fast.

Faster than Rohit could react.

She grabbed his pistol.

Pulled it up.

And fired.

The shot echoed violently through the corridor.

Rohit’s body froze.

His eyes widened as he looked down slowly.

Blood spread across his chest.

For a moment, he didn’t understand what had just happened.

Then the pain hit.

He staggered back, his breathing turning uneven.

“Farhan…” he whispered weakly.

And then—

He collapsed.

The gunshot shattered the silence of the mall.

Farhan turned instantly.

Aniket, deep inside the corridor searching for Huzaifa, stopped in his tracks.

Both of them ran.

Fast.

When they reached the washroom corridor—

They saw it.

Rohit.

On the ground.

Blood everywhere.

And standing above him—

Fatima.

Holding the gun.

For a split second, time stopped.

Farhan’s eyes filled with shock.

“Rohit!” he shouted, rushing toward him.

But Aniket…

Didn’t move.

He stood there.

Frozen.

Staring.

At the blood.

At Rohit.

At the scene.

And then—

Something inside him broke.

Aniket’s breathing changed.

Slow.

Heavy.

Unstable.

The world around him started fading.

The sounds blurred.

Farhan’s voice…

The distant cries…

Even his own thoughts—

Everything became distant.

All he could see…

Was the blood.

Fresh.

Spreading.

Unstoppable.

His hands trembled.

His grip tightened.

And then—

Rage took over.

Fatima noticed the change instantly.

She raised the gun again.

But this time—

She was too late.

Aniket moved.

In a flash, he closed the distance between them.

Before she could react, he grabbed the weapon from her hands and stepped back.

His eyes…

Were no longer calm.

They were empty.

Cold.

Broken.

“Aniket—” Farhan tried to speak.

But Aniket didn’t hear him.

He raised the gun.

And fired.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

He didn’t stop.

Each shot echoed louder than the last.

Fatima fell instantly.

But Aniket kept firing.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Until the magazine was empty.

Silence followed.

But it wasn’t peace.

It was something darker.

Farhan stared at him in horror.

“Aniket… stop…”

But it was too late.

Aniket wasn’t there anymore.

Not fully.

He turned slowly.

And walked back toward the main hall.

Gun still in his hand.

Mind lost in something uncontrollable.

The people in the hall saw him coming.

At first, they thought it was over.

That they were safe.

But then—

They saw his face.

And fear returned.

Stronger than before.

Aniket raised the gun.

And fired.

Screams filled the air once again.

People ran.

Cried.

Fell.

Chaos returned—worse than before.

Farhan ran after him. “ANIKET! STOP!”

But Aniket didn’t listen.

Couldn’t listen.

The sound of gunfire drowned everything.

At the same time, deep inside the mall—

Aniket had completely forgotten about Huzaifa.

And Huzaifa—

Hadn’t forgotten about them.

But before he could act—

Farhan reached Aniket.

He grabbed him from behind, struggling to hold him back.

“Aniket! It’s over! STOP!”

Aniket struggled.

Fought.

Tried to break free.

But slowly—

Very slowly—

His strength faded.

His breathing slowed.

His vision cleared.

And reality came back.

The gun slipped from his hand.

He looked around.

At the bodies.

At the fear.

At what he had done.

His voice broke.

“What… what did I just do…?”

And then—

The sound of sirens filled the air.

Police.

They had arrived.

Within seconds, officers stormed inside, weapons raised.

“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”

But the situation was already out of control.

Aniket, still unstable, picked up the gun again.

And fired.

A few officers fell.

More chaos.

More shouting.

Farhan stepped in front of him.

“ENOUGH!”

That word—

That voice—

Finally broke through.

Aniket froze.

The gun slipped again.

And this time—

He didn’t pick it up.

The mall fell into a heavy silence.

Broken only by sirens.

And fear.

Farhan helped Rohit, who was still barely alive.

“We need to move,” he said urgently.

Aniket didn’t argue.

He couldn’t.

They knew what was coming next.

Police reinforcements.

Arrest.

End.

They ran.

Fast.

Through the broken mall.

Past shattered glass.

Past chaos.

Until they reached the showroom.

The vintage cars.

Still untouched.

Still waiting.

Without hesitation, they got into a 1969 Mustang.

The engine roared to life.

And within seconds—

They were gone.

As the car sped through the night, silence filled the inside.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Farhan finally spoke.

“All good now.”

Aniket looked at him, disbelief in his eyes.

“All good? We only took one car.”

Rohit, weak but alive, let out a faint smirk.

“The rest… were moved last night.”

Aniket frowned.

“What?”

Rohit looked at him.

“That’s why we came.”

A pause.

Then Aniket asked—

“Who planned all this?”

Rohit smiled.

“Me.”

Farhan leaned back, looking out at the city lights fading behind them.

“And the terrorists?”

He let out a quiet laugh.

“That was me.”

Silence.

Then—

All three of them laughed.

As the city disappeared behind them…

One question remained—

Was this chaos…

Just the beginning?

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