"Shards of the Heart" part II

 "Where is Arya?"

"Um... Arya! I don't know what you're talking about?"

"In the investigation, traces of the same drug found in Tresa village were also found at Arya's house. I don't want to know anything else; I only want Arya, and I want her safe and sound."

Drishya was standing tense in a small, cluttered house, accompanied by a man. Anger was evident in Drishya's eyes as he repeatedly questioned the man about Arya.

"Mr. Mittal, I honestly don't know what you're talking about," the man replied, fear evident in his voice."

Drishya, now red-faced with anger and tension, grabbed the man by his collar. "You are my friend, that's why I helped you. But if anything happens to Arya because of that strange village, I won't spare you," Drishya's brown eyes turned terrifyingly fierce with rage.

"M...Mr. Mittal, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, and I'll never engage in actions that hurt you. But if you don't trust me, you can do whatever you want to. with me," tears replaced fear in the man's eyes.

Drishya's grip tightened around the man's collar. Then, releasing it, he said, 'I've lost Arya once before. I can't afford to lose her again," choking with emotions as tears streamed down his face.

Lost in emotions, when Drishya began to collapse to the ground, the man hurriedly rushed to catch and support him.

"Mr. Mittal, I can never forget what you've done for me. Don't worry, Miss Arya will be absolutely safe. I will assist you in finding her."

Seven years ago...

It was Drishya's first day at college. His intelligence and charming demeanor quickly made him the 'star boy' of the college within just a few days. On the other hand, there was Ritsu—a boy, average in both intelligence and looks.

Once, when some senior boys were troubling Ritsu, Drishya impulsively stepped in without a second thought. Although Drishya and Ritsu lost that fight after getting solid kicks from those seniors, this incident led to them becoming steadfast friends.

However, due to certain reasons, Ritsu had to drop out of studies midway. Despite Drishya's efforts to stop him, Ritsu disappeared from college without a word to Drishya.

A few months ago, Ritsu returned and urgently sought Drishya's help. Seeing his old friend in such a state, Drishya couldn't turn him away and promised to assist without a second thought.

Ritsu came from a remote village where the government's aid was inaccessible due to certain reasons. The villagers were suffering from various illnesses, including Ritsu's own family. He wanted to provide medical treatment for his family, but due to financial constraints, they were unable to leave the village.

Ritsu's proposal to Drishya was simple – in exchange for arranging free medical treatment in his village, Ritsu would offer his ancestral land to Drishya's AD group. To support his friend, Drishya organized a medical camp in Tresa village through his company but refused to accept Ritsu's land as repayment.

However, the dire condition of the people in Teresa village shook Drishya deeply. Despite this, solely for the sake of his friend, he fulfilled his promise without questioning the villagers' circumstances.

Yet, just a day after the camp concluded, Arya disappeared mysteriously, and the discovery of the same drug found in the village at Arya's house raised suspicions in Drishya's mind, pointing towards that very village.

A result of these events, Drishya found himself unable to restrain from connecting Ritsu to these occurrences.

Consumed with worry for Arya, Drishya's heart was breaking, prompting him to make the decision to return to that strange, ominous Teresa village once again.

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