Chapter 11

The Vow

The cigarette burned out between his fingers, but the fire inside Veeresh only grew stronger.

He got back into the car and locked the doors.

For a moment, he closed his eyes.

Akash’s face flashed in his mind.

Bruised.

Weak.

Smiling faintly.

Take care of my wife…

The memory hit harder now.

Veeresh opened his eyes and picked up his phone.

There was only one person he trusted for work that required silence and efficiency.

He sent Poornima’s photograph — the last clear image from the railway footage.

Within seconds, he dialed the number.

The call connected.

“I need full details about her. Every possible lead. Railway exits, auto stands, lodges, hospitals, temples, CCTV beyond station limits.”

A pause.

“How urgent?” the man on the other side asked.

“Two hours,” Veeresh replied.

Silence.

Then a firm response. “Understood.”

Veeresh ended the call and leaned back in the seat.

Two hours.

For the first time since she disappeared, he felt movement.

Action.

Control.

“She will come with me,” he muttered to himself. “I don’t care what people say.”

Society.

Reputation.

Rumors.

None of it mattered anymore.

He had promised a dying man.

And Veeresh Raisinghania never broke a promise.

He remembered the ICU room again — the faint beeping sound, Akash’s weak grip, the trust in his eyes despite rivalry.

I trust you, Veeresh.

That trust now felt heavier than any empire he owned.

This wasn’t about charity.

This wasn’t about guilt.

This was about responsibility.

If the world refused to stand with her, he would.

If her own parents rejected her, he would not.

If society questioned her character, he would silence it.

His phone lay still on the dashboard.

Every passing minute felt longer than the last month.

But this time, he wasn’t helpless.

He was hunting.

And whoever or whatever stood between him and Poornima—

Would regret it.

One line:
This time, Veeresh wasn’t searching for her as a promise — he was claiming her as his responsibility.