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Chapter 38 - 3 attempts 3 failure

FLASHBACK SEQUENCE: "3 ATTEMPTS. 3 FAILURES."

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ATTEMPT 1 – THE NEEDLE (HOSPITAL – NIGHT)

INT. ICU – DRUGS CABINET – NIGHT

Mishri, dressed as a visiting doctor, opens the medication locker.

She silently pulls out two vials — identical in color.

One is adrenaline.

The other… potassium chloride. Lethal.

She carefully swaps the labels.

Cold. Clinical.

CUT TO:

MAHI, exhausted after a 12-hour shift, walks in.

Mishri smiles gently.

MISHRI:

"I already prepped the dose for the patient in Bed 9. Just inject it."

MAHI:

(surprised)

"Oh — thanks."

Just as Mahi picks up the syringe —

AHAAN bursts into the ward.

Wearing civilian clothes. Slightly injured. Bleeding from his arm.

AHAAN:

"Dr. Mahi, I need help—now!"

Mahi drops the syringe instantly and rushes to him.

She never gives the fatal injection.

Mishri watches, jaw tight.

MISHRI (to herself):

"…Saved. Again."

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ATTEMPT 2 – THE STAIRCASE "ACCIDENT"

INT. HOSPITAL STAIRCASE – MIDNIGHT

Mahi climbs the narrow stairs with a stack of files in hand.

A shadow moves above her.

Mishri, in nurse scrubs, quietly unscrews the railing bolt at the top landing.

She plants water on the steps.

Slippery. Deadly.

Mahi reaches the top — foot just about to land where the water is—

Ahaan appears from the opposite corridor.

AHAAN (teasing):

"You always work this hard or just trying to impress someone?"

MAHI (laughing):

"Shut up."

She turns to face him — and misses the exact step that would've sent her tumbling down.

Mishri watches from above — again — her plan ruined.

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ATTEMPT 3 – THE CAR BOMB

EXT. PARKING LOT – EARLY MORNING

Mahi unlocks her car.

She opens the door, tosses her bag inside, and puts the key in the ignition.

The timer on the under-chassis bomb ticks:

00:07… 00:06…

Suddenly, a loud honk. Ahaan drives in and parks right beside her.

He jumps out.

AHAAN:

"You forgot your file, Dr. Genius."

She laughs, shuts off the ignition, and gets out to grab the folder.

Ahaan tosses it playfully onto her dashboard.

00:02… 00:01…

BOOM.

The car explodes.

Mahi screams as the impact knocks her backward into Ahaan's arms.

The parking lot bursts into flames.

Mahi looks at him in shock.

MAHI (shaking):

"Ahaan… if I had started that car…"

He hugs her tightly — eyes scanning the smoke, thinking:

AHAAN (to himself):

"That wasn't an accident."

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BACK TO PRESENT – INT. MISHRI'S APARTMENT – NIGHT

Mishri stands in front of a corkboard filled with:

Mahi's schedules

Photos

Blueprints

Failed plans.

She stares at it, breath heavy.

MISHRI (whispers, almost trembling):

"No matter how I plan it…

he always chooses her."

She rips one photo off — a picture of Ahaan and Mahi smiling together.

Her hands shake.

MISHRI (growling):

"I will not lose again."

She turns. The camera closes in on her bloodshot eyes.

This time — she's not coming with plans.

She's coming with war.

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