At this moment, Rajveer had a file in his hand. His facial expressions indicated that what he had found out was not normal.
After a few seconds of silence, Agastya said in an extremely calm voice, "Start."
Hearing this, Rajveer opened the file and began speaking, "Sitara Bhardwaj. Age eleven. 6th standard."
At his words, Agastya listened silently.
Rajveer continued, "Her father, Samrat Bhardwaj, was a businessman. And her mother, Radhika Bhardwaj, was a school teacher. But this is only half the truth, which the world knows. Those people had connections with the underworld in the past. Because of which, even after leaving the underworld, their enemies didn't spare them and got them into an accident."
Pausing for a few moments, he continued, "Just two weeks ago, on Sitara's birthday, both of them died in a car accident."
Hearing this, a slight coldness descended in Agastya's eyes.
Rajveer continued, "After their death, Sitara's uncle, Viren Bhardwaj, came to live in their house. From the outside, he looks like an ordinary man. But in reality, he is deeply immersed in gambling, alcohol, and illegal activities."
Agastya's finger tapping slowly stopped.
Rajveer turned to the next page of the file and said, "According to the neighbors, for the past two weeks, the sound of a child crying could often be heard from the house. She was also seen with injuries multiple times. But no one filed a complaint with the police."
This made the atmosphere of the room even heavier.
Agastya was now sitting completely still. But the silence in his eyes clearly indicated how dangerously his anger had risen from within.
Rajveer continued, "Viren Bhardwaj was earlier also suspected of being connected to a trafficking gang. And his connections with Raghuveer Bhatia have also been found."
Hearing this, Agastya's jawline tightened. Silence prevailed in the room for a few seconds.
Then Agastya asked slowly, "How much money did he sell Sitara for?"
His voice was so calm that the calmness itself seemed the most dangerous.
Rajveer answered, looking down, "Fifty lakhs."
The very next moment, Agastya slammed his fist on the table. The punch was so powerful that the glass kept on the table trembled and the glass table shattered.
Now only blood had risen in his eyes. In an extremely slow voice, he said, "He... put a price on a girl."
At his words, Rajveer remained silent. Because he knew what must be going on inside Agastya at this moment.
After a few moments, he controlled himself.
Then he raised his cold eyes and said, "Where is Viren Bhardwaj right now?"
Rajveer immediately replied, "He's run away, Boss. But our men are searching for him. It won't be long now."
At his words, Agastya leaned back in his chair. He slowly closed his eyes.
But just then, Rajveer suddenly fell silent. A slight hesitation had appeared on his face.
Agastya immediately looked at him. His sharp eyes had already read Rajveer's face.
He said, "Whatever you have to say, say it fully."
Rajveer was silent for a few seconds. Then he said softly, "One more thing has come to light, Boss."
Saying this, he paused for a few moments. Then, looking down, he said in a low voice,
"Boss, your father Surya Rajvansh and Sitara's father Samrat Bhardwaj knew each other very closely. After Sitara's birth, Samrat had decided to leave the underworld. That's why both of them had left this city. And those people had moved to London with Sitara."
"Perhaps you don't know, but when your father Surya Rajvansh passed away, they had come to the funeral and also met your mother. But you were in depression at that time. So you hadn't come out of your room. That's why you don't know them."
"Then those people had made a plan to stay here. And they started living here. But their enemies got wind of them being here."
"And another thing. They had stayed here for one more reason – to protect your Mom. Because they knew that your father had many enemies. So they had placed their men around your house, so that whenever your Mom went out, she wouldn't face any danger."
Hearing all this, Agastya was surprised. He said, "Then why didn't I know about this at that time?"
At his words, Rajveer said, "Boss, you were in depression. And at that time, you weren't in a state to protect yourself, let alone your mother. For your condition and to protect your mother, they had even said that you should come and stay with them. But your mother refused. Because she didn't want to leave your father's memories behind."
Heavy silence prevailed in the room for a few moments.
Rajveer stood silently in front, while Agastya, leaning back in his chair, seemed lost somewhere. For the first time, slight confusion was visible in his eyes.
After a few seconds, Agastya slowly opened his eyes and said in an extremely calm voice, "You may go, Rajveer."
Hearing this, Rajveer bowed his head slightly. "Yes, Boss."
Saying this, he kept the file on the table and left from there. As soon as the door closed, the entire office fell silent again.
Agastya remained seated in his place. His cold eyes were fixed on the city spread out beyond the glass window. Every word Rajveer had said was running through his mind again and again.
Samrat Bhardwaj. Surya Rajvansh. Their friendship. And Sitara.
After a few moments, Agastya slowly leaned his head back and said to himself in a very low voice, "Looks like Dad and Mr. Bhardwaj... there was still so much left to learn."
For the first time, a slight depth had descended in his eyes.
He had always seen his father only as a powerful man. But today, for the first time, he was realizing that some relationships are bigger than guns and power.
For a few seconds, he sat silently.
Then suddenly, a slight thought descended in his eyes.
He thought to himself, But how will I talk to Mom about this?
He slowly placed his fingers on the table, then said to himself, Perhaps not now. The time for that will also come. Then we'll talk.
Saying this, he slowly closed his eyes.
But at this moment, only one face was revolving in his mind – Sitara's.
Rajvansh Mansion.
Today, Sitara had spent the entire day with Savitri. Sometimes both sat together watching cartoons, sometimes they ate ice cream, and sometimes the whole room echoed with laughter over little things.
And perhaps, after years, a child's innocent laughter was heard in that mansion.
After dinner at night, Sitara was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as she clung to Savitri.
At this moment, she was in Savitri's room, curled up in her arms, in a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Agastya returned to the mansion late at night.
As soon as he entered, the servant standing there immediately bowed and said, "Baba."
At his words, Agastya took off his black coat and asked in a calm voice, "Did Mom and Sitara have dinner?"
At his words, the servant immediately replied, "Yes, Baba, both have had their dinner."
Hearing this, Agastya nodded slightly and said, "Alright. Send my food to my room."
"Yes, Baba."
Saying this, the servant left from there. Agastya also moved toward the stairs.
Actually, before going to his room, he was going to his mother's room to see her. He had thought that later he would also see Sitara.
But as soon as he gently opened the door of Savitri's room, his steps stopped right there.
In the soft yellow light of the room, a very peaceful scene lay before him.
On the bed, Savitri was lying down, and Sitara was fast asleep, clinging tightly to her.
Sitara's small face was pressed against Savitri's chest. Her small fingers were still holding onto Savitri's saree even in sleep, as if afraid that if she let go, everything would disappear.
And Savitri, too, had her arms wrapped around her even in sleep.
Perhaps the whole day of fun and love had put Sitara to sleep peacefully for the first time.
But Agastya's gaze was fixed only on his mother at this moment.
He stood near the door, silently watching them.
Today, after many years, he had seen his mother sleeping peacefully.
On her face today, there wasn't the pain that was always there. Today, there wasn't loneliness, but a peace. And this peace had come after Sitara's arrival.
Thinking this, the coldness in Agastya's eyes softened slightly.
He stood there for a few moments, watching them. Then he very slowly entered the room, so as not to disturb their sleep.
He silently went to his room.
After watching his mother and Sitara sleeping like that for a while, Agastya slowly came out of the room.
He very carefully closed the door, so as not to wake them.
The entire Rajvansh Mansion was immersed in deep silence at this moment. The soft yellow lights on the walls made the silence even calmer.
Agastya walked with slow steps toward his room.
As soon as he reached his room, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his black shirt and went straight to the balcony.
As soon as he stepped out, a gust of cold wind hit his face.
He placed both hands on the railing and silently started looking at the sky.
Today, there was no moon in the sky. Only deep darkness, and amidst that darkness, shining stars scattered far and wide. Agastya's cold eyes fixed on those stars. For a few moments, he just kept looking at them.
And then suddenly, Sitara's innocent voice echoed in his mind – "I won't call you Agastya anymore. I'll call you Savior."
That little girl's face came before his eyes again. Scared eyes, but still somewhere, a small spark remained in them. Agastya's gaze went back to those shining stars in the sky.
And just then, a thought came to his mind. "Sitara – a star that shines differently, even when it's alone."
Saying this, he slowly closed his eyes.
For some reason, for the first time, someone's pain was sinking deep into him. That child just wouldn't leave his mind.
Her injuries, her fear, and her calling him "Savior" with such innocence.
Everything kept revolving in his mind again and again. After a few seconds, Agastya slowly opened his eyes.
In his cold eyes at this moment, there was a strange kind of silence.
And behind that silence, something had begun to change. Very slowly, but in an extremely dangerous way.
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