Part Four.

Mrs. Sengar paced the length of the room, wringing her hands as a deep frown marred her face.

Worry pressed heavily on her chest, suffocating her, her thoughts a chaotic storm.

The soft creak of the door opening barely registered in her mind, but when a familiar presence filled the room, she turned sharply.

Her husband stood at the threshold, his dark, dead eyes locking onto her distressed face.

His brows furrowed slightly. "What’s troubling you, Love?"

The deep rumble of his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Even after all these years, he still carried that same commanding presence—calm, unreadable, yet terrifying in its control.

She exhaled shakily as he strode toward her. The moment he reached her, his firm hands grasped her arms, guiding her toward the bed.

He sat first, pulling her down, very close beside him, and she instinctively leaned into him, finding comfort in the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Varun is getting worse every day." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her husband said nothing, only listening, his face as unreadable as ever.

"I don’t know how to help him." she continued, her voice breaking slightly. "I—I met the girl today."

At that, his fingers twitched slightly against her back.

"And?" His voice remained even.

Mrs. Sengar sighed, closing her eyes briefly as shame washed over her.

"She’s just a child." she admitted, shaking her head. "So young, so innocent. I even offered her money… Just so she could be friends with him, or at least come in here so if he sees her close or just spend time...maybe, calm him down, I thought... maybe....I’d be helping him. But I only feel ashamed now. I feel helpless."

Her husband remained silent, his hand moving in slow, absent circles along her back.

"Say something." she pleaded softly.

He exhaled through his nose, a quiet but weighty sound. "I’ll handle it."

She stiffened, immediately pulling back from his embrace. Her eyes searched his, panic creeping into her expression.

"No, no—I don’t want you to do anything." she said quickly.

His gaze darkened, and the air in the room grew heavier. "He’s stressing you out." he said, his voice colder this time. "And no one stresses out my love" His tone was eerily calm, but the weight behind his words was anything but.

"Not even my own son."

Mrs. Sengar’s heart dropped. "Please.." she whispered, reaching for his hands. "You love him too. He’s our son. Whatever you’re thinking, don’t act on it. Don’t be harsh with him. I beg you."

His jaw clenched slightly. Then, after a moment, he exhaled and pulled her back into his embrace, his large hands holding her close and tighter.

"Fine..." he murmured, his lips brushing against her hair. "I’ll go easy on him. If that’s what you want."

She searched his eyes, looking for sincerity, and after a tense moment, she slowly nodded.

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead before standing up.

"You need rest." he said, his voice soft this time, "I hate seeing you like this."

Mrs. Sengar hesitated but nodded again.

He gave her one last lingering look before walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

The moment he stepped into the dimly lit hallway, his expression hardened, the softness he had shown his wife vanishing like smoke in the wind.

His lips pressed into a thin line, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

His eyes darkened.

Then, without another word, he walked away.

♤♤♤

"What? Are you serious? Mrs. Sengar stopped you? because she wants you to teach her son?" Daniel's voice was filled with disbelief as he stared at the massive Sengar mansion towering in the distance.

Veda nodded, taking a crisp bite of the apple Daniel had handed her earlier.

"Yeah. I don't really care what she wanted, but the way she acted-it was strange. Honestly, it freaked me out a little."

"Weird doesn't even begin to describe it." Daniel muttered, narrowing his eyes at the house.

His expression turned uneasy, and for a moment, it seemed like he could feel the weight of an unseen gaze from one of the windows.

"Let's just forget about it, okay? I don't want to think about her or whatever she's trying to do." Veda shrugged, brushing the topic aside.

"Anyway, let's get back to studying. I want to finish this assessment before it gets dark."

Daniel sighed, reluctantly nodding. "Fine, fine. But seriously, just... be careful, okay?"

Veda arched an eyebrow at his warning but didn't say anything.

They resumed their studies, the atmosphere slowly relaxing as they worked through their assignments.

Occasionally, Daniel would glance toward the Sengar house, that odd sense of being watched gnawing at the back of his mind, but he shook it off each time.

After two hours of focused work, Veda began packing her things.

"I should head home now, its getting late now." she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Daniel stood and stretched. "Alright, let me escort you."

Daniel walked her to the next street. Veda smiled and waved goodbye, walking down the familiar path toward her neighborhood.

Daniel lingered near by, watching her until she was out of sight before turning back toward his own street again.

Just as he passed by the towering gates of the Sengar mansion, something unexpected happened.

A tall figure stepped out from the shadows, blocking Daniel's path.

Daniel froze, startled by the sudden appearance. "Uh... can I help you?"