chapter 4

"Boss, car is ready."

The man stood there in a sharp suit, a pistol hidden neatly under his coat, specs resting on his face as he looked at Dharam.

Dharam was sitting on a chair, looking outside at the view from his office. Calm, like always.

But his thoughts weren't.

For once, it wasn't about work. Not the office. Not the port.

Her.

The woman he had married.

Mira.

Her words kept repeating in his head.

Should I kill her? The thought came cold and direct. Then she won't be a problem. No one would even know where she went. They could say it was an accident. Mumbai was big enough to swallow anyone. Not like she had any family who would question it.

A sharp exhale left him.

"No..." he muttered under his breath.

That would create more problems. His mother would never allow it. And he still needed a child... at least for now, that wasn't an option.

Raghav watched him carefully. His boss, the man who was always calm, always unreadable, looked... distracted.

"Is there a threat, sir?" Raghav asked.

Dharam turned his head slightly, looking at him. "No," he said. "Just my wife."

He stood up, fixing his cuff. "Let's go."

Raghav nodded and followed him out.

"Which port shall we clear next for... the new goods?" he asked, glancing at the tablet as they both sat in the car and the driver started moving.

"Port," Dharam said shortly, taking out his phone. "And clear the back house too."

His fingers moved quickly over the screen.

Somewhere else-

Vihaan's phone pinged.

He was sitting with the door closed, a movie playing in front of him, though his attention was clearly elsewhere as he worked on a file.

The moment he read the message, he sighed.

Get on Port 4.

"Who will look after her?" Vihaan typed back.

Another message came almost immediately.

He didn't reply again.

Just closed the file, put it into his bag, and stood up.

"Bhabhi," he called out as he walked into the hall, looking around.

Mira was sitting there, watching TV.

She looked at him. "What happened?"

"We are going out," he said. "Get up."

"Out? Where?" she asked. "He said I can't go anywhere."

Her eyes went back to the TV as she pulled a pillow onto her lap, settling into it like she wasn't moving.

A clear sign she wasn't going anywhere. Defiance... and maybe anger.

Vihaan's jaw clenched. He was younger than her, but not naive. Not like her. Being a mafia brother wasn't easy, especially when you were second in command. You learned to read people, to understand what they were thinking just by their face, and Mira... she wasn't hiding anything. Whatever she felt, it showed.

He took a deep breath, trying to stay patient. He didn't hate her, but right now she was becoming a problem. One he couldn't eliminate, because she was his brother's wife... even if she was still in the dark.

He walked over and sat at the corner of the bed. "Bhai won't know," he said. "He's busy in the office, and you'll get bored here."

His eyes shifted to the TV as if he wasn't trying too hard.

"We can go out... watch a movie, or go to the beach if you want. Or a restaurant. It's been long since you've been anywhere, right?" he said, then turned his head to look at her. Even though her eyes were still on the TV, he knew she was listening.

"When will we come back?" she asked.

"Before bhai comes," he said. "It'll be quick. You can have some fun."

Mira thought for a moment, her fingers lightly pressing into the pillow on her lap, then she spoke. "Fine... if you answer me one thing."

Vihaan's eyes narrowed slightly. "What?"

"I didn't see any helper coming here," she said. "And if he stays in the office all day, how is this house so clean? It's too clean... for someone who's busy all the time."

Vihaan froze for a second.

She was observant.

More than they had thought.

And that could become a problem.

"Actually," he said after a pause, keeping his voice steady, "bhai had called service cleaners. They clean the house properly. When I told him we were coming, he hired them."

Mira's eyes narrowed slightly. "Cleaners..." she repeated, thinking it through. It made sense. After a second, she nodded and took a small breath.

Vihaan noticed it immediately.

Her doubt had eased.

"Let's go now," he said. "Or we'll be late. Get ready."

"Ready?" Mira said, standing up. "I only brought sarees, and I don't think it's right to wear sarees to the beach or a movie."

Vihaan nodded. "Then let's go to the mall first. We can shop."

"No," she said instantly. "I can't wear jeans or tops at home. It'll be a waste of money."

"Don't worry about money," Vihaan replied.

But she was already walking toward the closet.

"He earns money by working all day... let's not waste it," she said as she opened it, scanning through the clothes before pulling out a hoodie. She looked at it, then at him. "I'll wear this."

And before he could say anything, she walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Vihaan stood there, stunned. What had gotten into her? She hadn't even spoken properly for months, and now... how was she suddenly this bold? Was it Mumbai air or something else?

Mira walked out wearing an oversized hoodie and a pajama, which suspiciously looked like it was made from one of her suits she had brought, but it didn't look bad. It suited her well. "Let's go," she said simply.

"You're wearing bhai's hoodie. He will get angry," Vihaan said.

"And who will tell him?" Mira asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned to him. "You told me yourself he isn't going to know we went out. So if you tell him, first of all he won't believe it, and second..." she paused, a tiny smirk forming on her lips, "...you won't tell him."

She turned and walked out.

Vihaan stayed there for a second, genuinely shocked. For the first time, he wondered if he and his brother had been wrong about her.

They were in the movie theatre now. Mira sat quietly, watching the screen, clearly interested in the film. Vihaan had taken a seat behind her, saying the one beside her wasn't available, which was true.

But about twenty minutes into the movie, Mira turned slightly to look back.

Vihaan was gone.

She took out her phone, typed a message to someone, then put it aside and faced the screen again. The movie continued playing in front of her, but her focus wasn't the same.

Her chest felt heavy.

Guilt settling in once again.

Mira watched half of the movie before she quietly stood up and walked out of the theatre. The sound of the film faded behind her as she stepped into the brighter, louder space of the mall. She took out her phone and called Vihaan. "Where are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "You left me alone..."

Vihaan was already at the port. He cursed under his breath when he saw her name flashing on the screen and quickly answered. "Bhabhi... you watch the movie," he said. "I had some urgent work. I'll come when it ends. I'll pick you up."

"But I don't know anything here. What if I get lost?" she asked.

"No, you won't. Just stay there," he said more firmly. "I'll be there when the movie ends. Meet me at the ticket counter."

Mira's fingers tightened slightly around the phone. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then softly, "Okay." The call ended. She took a slow breath, and instead of going back inside, she walked out of the theatre... and then out of the mall.

Vihaan sat on a chair at Port 4, his eyes scanning the dark stretch of water ahead. The air smelled of salt and metal, heavy with the quiet tension of night operations. "They're late," he muttered. One of the men standing nearby, Shiv, straightened slightly, loyalty visible in the way he carried himself. "Must be some issue. I'll check," he said, turning to leave. Vihaan glanced at his watch. There was still time. Everything had been planned. He had done exactly what Dharam asked-leave Mira at the theatre so she wouldn't interfere, wouldn't wander. She didn't know the city. She wouldn't go anywhere.

"Vihaan-" Shiv's voice cut through his thoughts. Vihaan looked up. Shiv's expression had changed, grim. "Our boat... it met with an accident," he said. "It sank." For a second, Vihaan didn't react. Then he stood up abruptly. "What?"

"It had the chemical consignment," Shiv continued, his voice tight. "Worth crores."

Vihaan's jaw clenched. "Do you know what will happen if bhai finds out?" he snapped. "He'll kill both of us."

"I don't know what to do," Shiv said. "We lost everything."

"Find out how it happened," Vihaan barked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I want every detail. Before morning." Shiv nodded quickly and moved away. Vihaan turned, walking a few steps away from the others as he pulled out his phone. For a second, he just stared at the screen. Then he called Dharam.

And somewhere far from the port, Mira stepped onto the road outside the mall. Alone. Free. Exactly where she wanted to be.

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