What Should have Stayed Buried
706 Words
Chapter 8 — The Truth That Burned Everything
The city outside moved like nothing had changed.
Cars passed.
People lived.
Time continued.
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But inside Armaan Malhotra’s world—
Something had shifted.
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The call from his cousin refused to leave his mind.
It lingered.
Persistent.
Unsettling.
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Alive.
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The word echoed again.
And again.
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For fifteen years, that possibility had never existed.
It had been buried—
Along with everything else.
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And yet now—
It refused to stay buried.
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Armaan sat in his office, the file in front of him untouched.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
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Finally—
He made the call.
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“I need everything,” he said, his voice calm, controlled. “No assumptions. No missing details. I want the full truth.”
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There was no hesitation from the other side.
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The investigation began.
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Days passed.
But not peacefully.
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For the first time in years—
Armaan felt something unfamiliar.
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Restlessness.
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Work no longer distracted him.
Silence no longer comforted him.
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Because every thought led back to one question—
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What if he’s alive?
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When the file finally arrived—
It didn’t feel like relief.
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It felt like a warning.
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Armaan opened it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
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A different name.
A different identity.
A completely different life.
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But the photograph—
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His fingers tightened slightly.
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There was no mistaking it.
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Time had changed him.
Sharpened his features.
Added years to his face.
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But it was him.
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Alive.
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For a brief moment—
Everything else disappeared.
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Then came the next question—
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If he’s alive…
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Then what really happened that night?
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Armaan’s jaw tightened.
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He turned the page.
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Details filled the file.
Education.
Business.
Success.
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A life built far away from everything he had left behind.
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And then—
The last section.
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Additional findings.
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His eyes slowed.
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No verified evidence linking the incident to Aarohi Sharma’s family.
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The words didn’t make sense.
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He read them again.
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More carefully.
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Possible internal involvement cannot be ruled out.
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Internal.
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The meaning settled slowly.
Then all at once.
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“No…”
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For the first time—
Doubt replaced certainty.
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And with it—
Something heavier followed.
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Memory.
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A quiet girl.
Standing in silence.
Enduring everything without protest.
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Aarohi.
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He had called it weakness.
Indifference.
Guilt.
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But what if—
It wasn’t?
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His grip on the file tightened.
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If this was true—
If even a part of it was true—
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Then everything he had done…
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Every word.
Every action.
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Was built on a lie.
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Armaan stood abruptly.
The chair behind him scraping loudly against the floor.
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There was only one place to go.
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His family estate.
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The drive began immediately.
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The road stretched endlessly ahead, illuminated by passing lights that blurred as his thoughts spiraled.
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Fifteen years.
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Fifteen years of hatred.
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Fifteen years of blaming the wrong people.
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And Aarohi—
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His grip tightened on the steering wheel.
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He pushed the thought away.
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Not now.
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The estate gates appeared in the distance.
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Closer.
Closer.
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And then—
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A sudden flash of light.
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Too bright.
Too fast.
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A truck.
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Coming straight toward him.
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Instinct took over.
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A sharp turn—
Tires screeching—
Metal colliding—
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Impact.
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The world shattered.
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Sound disappeared.
Replaced by something heavy.
Something consuming.
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Fire.
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It spread quickly.
Relentless.
Uncontrollable.
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Flames engulfed everything.
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And within minutes—
There was nothing left to recognize.
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By the time help arrived—
It was too late.
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No body was found.
No identity confirmed.
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Only ashes remained.
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And a truth—
That had surfaced too late.
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Somewhere far away—
Unaware of everything—
Aarohi Sharma walked forward with her life.
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And in another part of the world—
A man who should have been dead…
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Was about to return.
- Writer
