The rest of the day passed smoothly for everyone else.

Rohit spent most of it with Akhil and the others, playing games and laughing as if nothing unusual had happened. But Kavita was nowhere near as fortunate.

No matter what she did, her mind kept circling back to that afternoon — the oil-slick hands, the overwhelming pleasure, the shameful way her body had betrayed her. The memories haunted her relentlessly.

While serving lunch. While trying to rest in her room. Even while pretending to watch television.

By evening, she found herself sitting alone in the living room, staring blankly at the screen. The program played on, but none of it registered.

"Auntie?"

The familiar voice made her body tense instantly. A rush of heat and guilt flooded her chest.

She looked up.

Rohit stood a few steps away, wearing an easy, innocent smile.

"What are you watching?" he asked casually.

"Oh... nothing important," she murmured, quickly averting her eyes.

He walked over and settled on the adjacent sofa, close enough that she could feel his presence. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The television murmured uselessly in the background.

Finally, Rohit glanced at her, his voice soft but knowing.

"You’re still thinking about earlier, aren’t you?"

Kavita’s heart jolted.

She looked away quickly, fingers twisting in her lap.

The silence that followed felt suffocating.

For a long moment, she didn’t answer.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"How can I not?" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I’m old enough to be your mother, Rohit. I... I let you touch me like that. I allowed it. I should have stopped you the moment things went too far, but I didn’t. What kind of woman does that make me?"

Her voice cracked. "I’ve always seen you as family. Like my own son. And yet I... I behaved like some desperate, shameless woman. If anyone ever finds out, they’ll look at me with disgust. I’ll be nothing but a cheap, immoral woman in their eyes."

Rohit shifted closer on the sofa, his expression calm and patient. He didn’t interrupt her. He simply listened, letting her pour out the guilt that had been eating at her all day.

When she finally fell silent, he spoke gently.

"Auntie... nothing has changed. You are still the same Aunt Kavita, I’ve always respected. The same woman who took care of me when I was hurt, who showed me kindness when no one else did. What happened today doesn’t erase any of that."

Kavita shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "But it was wrong. I’m married. I have a son your age. How could I let myself... lose control like that?"

Rohit reached out and gently placed his hand over hers. His touch was warm, reassuring, nothing like the heated one from earlier.

"It wasn’t about losing control," he said softly. "Your body was in pain. I only did what I believed was necessary to help you. The tension had built up for too long. I never once looked at you with disrespect. Not then. Not now."

Kavita stared at their joined hands, her lower lip trembling. "Still... it’s a sin. What we did... it goes against everything I believe in."

Rohit gave her a small, understanding smile.

"Sin isn’t about accidents or moments of weakness, Auntie. Real sin is when someone deliberately betrays their own values every single day. You didn’t do that. You’re a good woman who has always tried her best — for her family, for her husband, for her son. One moment of human vulnerability doesn’t make you a bad person. It just makes you... human."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "We all carry flaws. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and move forward without punishing yourself forever."

Kavita remained quiet for a long time, absorbing his words. Slowly, the heavy weight on her chest seemed to lighten just a little. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked at him properly for the first time since the conversation began.

"You’ve grown up so much, Rohit," she said, her voice soft and slightly amazed. A faint, genuine smile touched her lips. "The boy I knew has become such a mature, understanding young man. Whoever becomes your wife... she will be a very lucky woman."

Rohit returned her smile, but there was a subtle glint in his eyes. He stood up slowly, still holding her gaze.

"That’s for the future, Aunt." He paused at the doorway, turning back to look at her. "But what about you? Are you still that lucky?"

The question hung in the air, light yet loaded with meaning. Before Kavita could respond, he gave her one last gentle smile.

"Don’t worry," he added quietly. "Your secret will remain safe with me. Always."

With that, he walked away, leaving Kavita alone in the living room. Her heart was still racing, but the crushing guilt had eased into something far more complicated — confusion, lingering shame, and a strange, warm spark she didn’t dare name.

***

Before returning home, Rohit decided to stop by the hospital.

Earlier, he had received a notification that Balwindar had finally regained consciousness.

The visit to Akhil’s house had not yielded the concrete information he had hoped for. No major dirt on Kamalnath. No immediate weakness he could exploit. Yet Rohit wasn’t disappointed.

Something far more valuable had shifted.

The invisible wall Kavita had maintained around herself for years no longer felt impenetrable. No grand secrets had been shared. No explicit promises made. But a boundary that once seemed absolute now carried its first, delicate crack.

For now, that was more than enough.

As for Kamalnath...

Rohit’s eyes hardened.

That man had chosen the wrong side long ago. People like him rarely fell because of money — wealth could always be rebuilt. Power could be clawed back. Even reputation could be salvaged with time and connections.

But ’trust’?

Trust was far more fragile.

Once doubt seeped into a household, it spread like poison in water. A husband would begin questioning his wife. A wife would question her husband. Children would notice the tension they were never meant to see. Slowly, the entire foundation would rot from within.

Reputation. Authority. Family. Trust.

These were the true pillars holding up men like Kamalnath.

And Rohit intended to shake every single one of them until the structure collapsed under its own weight.

Whether Kavita eventually became a willing ally, a useful source of information, or simply another fracture in Kamalnath’s life remained to be seen. Either way, the game had already moved forward in his favor.

Pushing the thought aside, Rohit refocused on the more immediate matter.

Balwindar.

The man had survived.

And survivors always carried answers.

Rohit entered the hospital ward with Robin close behind him. Balwindar lay propped up against the pillows, his massive frame looking strangely diminished. Heavy bandages covered his chest, while a maze of tubes and monitors surrounded him, their steady beeping the only sound in the room.

The once-imposing man appeared older now, worn down by pain and exhaustion.

Yet the moment their eyes met, visible relief washed over Balwindar’s face.

"Young Master..." he rasped weakly.

Rohit pulled a chair closer and sat beside the bed. A faint, almost playful smile touched his lips.

"Looks like death wasn’t interested in you yet."

Balwindar managed a weak smile, though pain still lingered across his features.

"Young Master... I won’t be able to help you as per our agreement. Forgive me..."

Rohit immediately raised a finger to his lips.

"Shhh."

His tone softened.

"You’re breathing. That alone is helping me."

Balwindar fell silent.

"Get well first. Three months of waiting isn’t a big deal for me." Rohit leaned back casually. "And know this—all our previous achievements are being credited to your name. Robin will explain the details."

"But I—"

Rohit interrupted him again.

"And needless to say, your gold is still waiting for you."

Balwindar blinked.

Rohit’s smile widened slightly.

"Fifty million rupees worth. Still stacked and untouched."

For a moment, Balwindar simply stared.

He hadn’t expected that.

Most employers abandoned injured men the moment they stopped being useful. Many would have replaced him already and written off the promised reward as a loss.

Yet Rohit had done neither.

Tears slowly gathered in Balwindar’s eyes.

His voice trembled.

"Thank you."

Rohit merely nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

After a brief pause, he rose from his chair.

"Robin, update him on everything."

Robin immediately understood.

"Yes, sir."

Leaving them behind, Rohit stepped out into the corridor.

He took out his phone to check on pending updates.

A series of notifications flashed across the screen.

Director Sharma had transferred the promised tax-free reward money for assiting the busting of victor’s gang. .

An additional one billion rupees, part of his share’s money from transfering his family holding to Raj had also been credited.

There was even a formal invitation from the bank requesting an account upgrade.

A faint smile appeared on Rohit’s lips.

Money was never the objective.

But it certainly made objectives easier.

A few minutes later, Robin exited the room.

"Sir, we’re done."

Rohit nodded.

"Good. Any updates from today’s meetings?"

Robin straightened.

"Both meetings were successful, exactly as you predicted. However, Raju had a request."

Rohit’s brows furrowed.

"What request?"

Robin replied, "He wants assistance recruiting boys for Chetan’s protection operations. He also wants help reviving the arms deal that got suspended after his arrest. And he requested funding so they can restart their expansion before returning our gold money."

Rohit chuckled.

Protection money.

A pleasant term for extortion.

Business owners paid to ensure their operations remained uninterrupted within certain territories.

The amusing part was that Raju still intended to take his own cut from the arrangement before anyone else got paid.

A truly shameless partner.

Rohit smirked.

"I think it’s time we expand our group."

Robin looked surprised.

"Sir?"

"We’ll do it in two phases."

Rohit’s voice became calm and methodical.

"First, I want a smaller but capable team under your command. Reliable people capable of handling sensitive assignments directly for me."

Robin listened attentively.

"Second, I want a larger pool of ordinary boys looking for money. Errand runners. Street-level manpower. People who can be loaned to Raju’s group when needed and called back when we have our own requirements."

Understanding slowly dawned on Robin’s face.

Rohit reached into his bag and placed five gold biscuits to Robin’s hand.

Robin’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Sir?"

"One is yours," Rohit said casually.

He gestured toward the remaining four. "The rest is for recruitment and maintaining the team. Use it properly."

Robin quickly pocketed his share, the faint jealousy he had felt earlier completely vanishing. Watching Balwindar receive rewards even while lying in a hospital bed had stung for a moment. That feeling was long gone now.

For a college engineering student, the amount Rohit had just handed over so effortlessly was absurd. More importantly, Robin already knew exactly who to approach — who was reliable, who was desperate, and who could be easily bought.

"Understood, sir." A wide grin spread across his face. "It will be done."

Rohit nodded.

"Good."