scene:
Hospital Treatment Room, Evening.
Mahi is gently bandaging Ahaan's arm after another sudden injury from "falling down stairs" — at least, that's what he told her. The truth… is darker. Ahaan is seated on the edge of the cot. Mahi kneels beside him, focused. The atmosphere is quiet, tender.
---
"Does it still hurt?" Mahi asked softly, gently pressing the cotton onto the stitched gash on Ahaan's forearm.
Ahaan winced a little, then gave her a lopsided grin. "Only when you press it like I'm being punished."
She looked up with a slight smile, her eyes playful. "Maybe you are. You don't listen. You disappear. You show up bleeding. Who knows what else you hide?"
He didn't reply to that. Just watched her.
Her hands worked with practiced care, but her face was close to his. Too close.
For a second, the tension between them melted into something warmer — fragile, honest.
"You know," she whispered, not looking up, "if you just told me what you're really running from… maybe I could help."
Ahaan stared at her — eyes soft, but voice quiet.
"I'm not used to help."
She finally looked up, meeting his gaze. "Maybe it's time you learn."
Just as the moment lingered — his phone buzzed.
He pulled it from his pocket and stepped back instinctively.
"Give me a sec," he said, answering the call and turning away slightly.
A distorted voice crackled on the line.
"Ahaan. He's here. The man you've been tracking — the one tied to stole females information.
Ahaan's entire body went still. "What?"
"He's inside the hospital. Care & Love International. World-renowned. He's moving like a ghost. Getting close to someone. Possibly medical staff."
Ahaan's eyes widened. His gaze flicked over his shoulder — at Mahi.
"God," he muttered. "I just got here today..."
The voice continued: "He's already collecting sensitive data. He's not here for long. If you want to stop him — it has to be now."
Ahaan clenched his jaw. "Understood."
The call ended.
He turned back, quickly hiding the storm in his eyes.
Mahi looked at him curiously. "Everything okay?"
Ahaan forced a smile. "Yeah. Just work. Nothing to worry about."
But inside, his mind raced.
He was in the right place.
And so was the threat.
He couldn't leave. Not while Julika — his assistant, the only person who knew his real identity — was still unconscious in the ICU.
But he couldn't sit still either. That man was close. Somewhere in these halls. Watching. Waiting.
And Mahi… might be in his path.
Ahaan pulled on his jacket. "Mahi, I'll be right back."
"Where are you going now?" she frowned.
He offered a quick smile. "To get coffee."
She stared at him for a second longer, sensing something off.
But he was already gone.
And the hunt had begun.
Scene Setting:
Hospital Terrace Café, Night.
The sky above is deep indigo, stars hidden behind thin clouds. The city hums softly below. Mahi sits at a small round table, exhausted after her long shift. She stretches her arms and leans back, eyes closed.
Then — footsteps.
---
"Mahi."
She opened her eyes to see Ahaan, dressed casually for once, holding two steaming paper cups.
"Peace offering," he said with a smirk, handing one to her.
She raised a brow. "For what?"
"For vanishing earlier. I figured coffee might buy back some trust."
She took it, wrapping her fingers around the warm cup. "Hmm. Depends on how good it is."
Ahaan sat down across from her, sighing dramatically. "Okay, I confess — it's vending machine trash. But the company? Top-tier."
She chuckled, shaking her head. "You really think highly of yourself."
"Only when you're tired enough not to argue."
She smiled, finally letting the tension in her shoulders melt. The caffeine warmed her, but Ahaan's presence did something else — steadied her. Calmed her. Made her forget, for a moment, all the chaos that lived in the walls of this hospital.
"So," she asked, casually sipping, "what do you actually do?"
Flashback Scene
(Plays in Ahaan's mind while he's sitting with Mahi, drinking coffee and smiling — but his mind is elsewhere, remembering how it all started just a few nights ago...)
---
Two nights ago.
1:37 AM.
Surveillance Room – Care & Love International Hospital.
Ahaan stood behind a distracted junior technician, pretending to be on his phone. But his sharp eyes scanned the live footage on the screens — corridors, labs, storage, ICU, and a small corner behind the HR department.
There.
A tall man in scrubs, head down, walked into the data access room. Alone. No ID badge visible. And that room? Only three people were authorized to enter.
Ahaan's eyes narrowed.
He leaned in and zoomed the footage.
The man turned his face slightly toward the camera for a split second — enough to catch the reflection of a microchip scanner in his hand. Custom tech.
Not a hospital employee.
Definitely not here to help anyone.
Ahaan slipped out of the surveillance room quietly.
---
2:04 AM.
Hospital Archives — Restricted Zone.
The door creaked open. Ahaan entered like a shadow. Silent. Cold. Focused.
The intruder was standing in front of a console, downloading encrypted staff data into a black USB stick.
Staff photos. Personal numbers. Security IDs. Mahi's name was on the screen.
Ahaan's blood turned ice.
Before the man could react, Ahaan slammed him into the wall, disarming him in one smooth motion.
"Didn't expect a Finance Ministry officer here, did you?" Ahaan whispered coldly.
The man smirked, panting. "You're no finance guy…"
Ahaan pressed a hidden switch on his belt — sending a silent pulse to Jam the USB transfer. The screen froze. Data corrupted. Useless now.
"Who sent you?" Ahaan growled, pressing the man's face into the wall.
The man laughed. "You think it matters? Your girl's already in the file."
Ahaan's fist clenched.
Then—he cuffed the intruder, shoved a rag in his mouth, and dragged him quietly through the staff elevator…
---
2:27 AM.
Basement Holding Room.
Ahaan tied him to the chair. Blood on his cheek. Wrists bruised.
He stared at the man in silence. Breathing hard.
"You picked the wrong hospital," Ahaan said coldly.
The man chuckled. "Wrong? No. We picked it because of her."
Flash forward
He hesitated for a beat. Then smiled smoothly. "I work with the Finance Ministry. Numbers, policies, boring meetings, you know… spreadsheets that can kill a person."
Mahi raised an eyebrow. "You? You don't look like the spreadsheet type."
He leaned forward, playful. "Why? Because I'm too charming?"
"Because you have a bullet scar and mysterious eyes," she replied bluntly.
Ahaan grinned. "Wow. Observant. I'll have to be more careful."
She blinked. "With what?"
"Everything," he said, his gaze holding hers just a little too long.
The silence stretched for a second. Comfortable. Magnetic.
Then she cleared her throat and looked away, pretending to focus on her coffee.
"You're trouble, Sahad."
He leaned back, smug. "Good trouble, though. The kind that brings you coffee after a 12-hour shift."
She smiled again — this time softer.
"You know," she said, staring at the sky, "it's weird how easily I talk to you. Like I've known you longer than I have."
Ahaan looked at her quietly.
Longer than you know, Mahi.
Much longer.
But all he said was, "Maybe it's because we met at the wrong time… but the right place."
Her eyes met his again, curious, surprised by the line.
He shrugged, sipping his coffee. "Don't worry. That one's free. I only flirt when I know the person needs it."
She laughed — actually laughed. And for a moment, the weight of the hospital, the cases, the chaos… all disappeared.
Just two people.
One lie.
And something that felt dangerously like peace