Serene Hope Hospital – Archive Room, 1:38 AM
Vashti wasn't supposed to be here.
The file she was holding wasn't supposed to exist.
But there it was, in her trembling hands—stamped with bold red ink:
"CLASSIFIED – DR. VIVEK DHIMAN."
Her father's name.
---
She remembered what Armaan had told her that afternoon:
> "You want answers? Start with your father. You'll find more than you bargained for."
She thought he was bluffing. But something inside her—some buried instinct—had pulled her here.
Now her entire body was frozen, flipping through pages that didn't feel real.
---
"Dr. Vivek Dhiman—former neurosurgeon at Serene Hope Hospital."
"Linked to a major embezzlement investigation and unauthorized neurological trials. Disappeared before court hearings."
"Status: Missing."
Her knees nearly gave out.
Her father… missing?
Not abroad?
Not "relocated for work" like her mother always said?
Then came the worst line.
"Final reviewer: Dr. Satvik Ramesh (Dr. R)"
The man haunting her every move… had a history with her father.
---
Meanwhile...
Shabd stared at the security footage from the neuro lab's server room.
He didn't breathe as he zoomed in on the frame.
A man in a white coat. Slim. Confident stride.
But the limp—slight, but unmistakable—gave it away.
Dr. Satvik Ramesh.
Board of Directors. Neurosurgery's oldest puppet master.
Also known as Dr. R.
He'd broken into Vashti's locker two weeks ago.
Which meant everything—from the photos to the warnings—had been personal.
And intentional.
---
Vashti's Apartment – 2:30 AM
She walked in like a ghost.
Shabd didn't ask if she was okay. He just opened his arms.
And for once, she didn't fight it. She collapsed into his chest, silent tears soaking his shirt.
Then she whispered: "My father was never who I thought he was."
And he whispered back: "Neither was Dr. R."
---
They sat down and laid everything out.
The file.
The footage.
The pain.
The puzzle.
And finally, the conclusion neither wanted to say aloud:
"Dr. R wants to erase the Dhiman name… permanently.