(At midnight, Jeevika awakens to find Rekha struggling to breathe. Racing against time, she searches for medicine, only to find the bottle empty. When the gatekeeper refuses to let anyone leave, Jeevika bravely runs to the shop herself, buys the medicine, and returns to save Rekha. Just as relief sets in, a jeep appears, and Jeevika is kidnapped. Inside, she fights back against her captor, but a police jeep intercepts them. The officer shoots the assailants, rescuing her. Later, Abhay Singh reflects on the courtroom, where Gumna was released without proof, and ensures Jeevika’s safety at Aanandi’s Women’s Shelter. Going forward)
A New Threat
Jeevika shivered as she sat on the edge of the bed in the women’s shelter, haunted by memories she could not escape. The images of that night—the man’s cruel hands, her screams echoing in the dark, and the sharp crack of the inspector’s gun—looped endlessly in her mind. Even after the chaos had ended, her body still trembled at the thought of what could have happened.
Suddenly, her phone rang. The ringtone, cheerful and familiar, cut through the shadows of her fear. Jeevika scrambled to answer it.
“Hello?” Her voice trembled slightly but carried hope.
“Jeevika, it’s me,” came Yash’s voice, warm and steady on the other end.
A smile broke across her face, lighting up her exhausted features. “Yash! Really? You’re coming to take me? I knew it! Yes, I’ve packed my bag.” She couldn’t hide her excitement. Her heart beat faster—not with fear this time, but with anticipation.
“Jeevika, my love…” he whispered gently. Just then, Damini, a kind-hearted woman in her mid-forties who had taken care of the girls at the shelter, stepped into the room with a teasing grin. “What? Your husband is coming to pick you up? And now, he doesn’t care about dowry?”
Jeevika laughed, her nervous tension softening into confidence. “He knows now—he made a grave mistake. Now, we’ll live the happiest life.”
Ratna, another shelter elder, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “May the situation be as you hope, my child.”
Jeevika hugged both women tightly. “Yes, of course, Kaki. Thank you for everything.” She finished packing her small bag, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Everyone knew she was leaving the shelter soon—but deep down, even she wasn’t sure what the future held.
---
Outside, Yash waited patiently at the entrance. All eyes turned toward him as Jeevika approached. Without a word, he lifted her bag with ease, took her hand in his, and spoke softly, “Let’s go.”
Jeevika waved to everyone inside, her smile shy but full of hope. She slid into the car beside Yash, still processing the whirlwind of emotions—the relief, the excitement, and a trace of lingering fear.
Halfway down the road, she glanced out the window. “This… this isn’t the way to our home,” she said hesitantly.
Yash’s lips curled into a small, confident smile. “I bought a new house,” he said simply.
A spark of delight lit Jeevika’s eyes. “Really?”
After a short drive, the car stopped in front of a sprawling mansion, its gates towering and ornate. Jeevika gasped. “Wow! You bought such a big house?”
The grandeur of the mansion should have filled her with comfort, but Yash’s face was tense, his hands gripping the steering wheel, and a flicker of panic passed across his eyes. Jeevika noticed it but dismissed it for the moment, too dazzled by the sight of their new beginning.
---
The moment they reached the gates, chaos erupted. A goon suddenly leapt from the shadows, yanking Jeevika by the hair. His face was twisted with fury. “She’s the reason our Gumna is dead!” he snarled.
Jeevika screamed, struggling violently. “Let me go! I didn’t kill anybody! Please, let me go!”
Her eyes darted desperately toward Yash. “Yash, save me! I did nothing!”
But Yash only raised his hands in a pleading gesture. “Let me go. Do whatever you want with her,” he said, his voice calm but chilling.
Jeevika froze in shock. “What the hell are you saying? I’m your wife! Just believe me—I did nothing!”
“Sorry… honey,” Yash muttered, his tone almost cold. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the mansion, leaving her at the mercy of the goons.
Desperate, she tried to follow, but they blocked her path, tightening their grip on her arms. Tears streamed down her face. “Please… let me go,” she sobbed.
From the shadows, an old man stepped forward. His face was wrinkled but cruelly sharp, eyes glinting like steel. “Do you want to live?” he asked quietly.
Still crying, Jeevika nodded, her body trembling. “Yes.”
The old man smiled thinly, a chilling, calculated expression. “Then there’s a condition for your freedom.”
Jeevika’s heart pounded as she looked up at him. “What… what do you want from me?”
“You will give a statement… that Inspector Abhay shot two men right in front of you,” he said slowly, savoring each word.
Jeevika’s voice shook, her body stiffening. “Who… inspector? Nobody shot anybody in front of me!”
The old man’s smile thinned to a cruel line. “Really, darling? Then you’re of no use to us.” He raised a gun, pressing the cold metal against her temple.
Jeevika’s mind raced. That inspector had saved her life, had stopped her from being violated. How could she ever betray him with a false statement?
The metal pressed harder against her skin. Her breath hitched, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
And then—BANG!
The sound split the night.
...
1. Will Jeevika survive this terrifying ordeal, or is she trapped in a nightmare with no escape?
2. Can she stay loyal to Inspector Abhay and the truth, even when her life is on the line?
3. Why did Yash betray her at the most critical moment, and what does it mean for her future?
Want to know what happens next? Keep reading "Courage of Heart...”
