The room fell eerily silent, save for the soft hum of machinery, now back to its usual rhythm. Naina’s heart raced as she stared at the deactivated bomb, the countdown frozen at zero. Sweat dripped from her brow, but a wave of relief washed over her. They had done it. The facility wasn’t going to explode.

But the battle wasn’t over. Not yet.

Naina turned to Rajveer, her breath still shallow. “We’ve stopped it... but Lala...”

Rajveer gave her a tight nod, his face hard. “Lala won’t give up that easily. We need to find him before he does more damage.” His words were cold, but Naina could see the weight of the situation in his eyes. He wasn’t just fighting for survival now. He was fighting for everything they’d worked for, everything they had lost.

Naina’s mind raced. Lala Gehlot—the man who had manipulated and used them, who had twisted the truth and destroyed lives—was still out there. They had to catch him. They had to stop him for good.

“We need to move. Now.” Naina snapped, her voice steady despite the chaos still swirling in her head. “Let’s go.”

Rajveer didn’t need to be told twice. He was already on his feet, moving toward the door. The team had been holding off the remaining enemy forces, but they couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Lala had the advantage for too long, but now it was their turn.

As they ran through the corridors, the familiar sounds of combat echoed in the background—gunfire, shouts, and the unmistakable noise of boots pounding against the floor. But Naina’s focus remained sharp. They were so close to ending this. They couldn’t afford to falter now.

“Naina! Rajveer!” Yudi’s voice cut through the chaos. He and the rest of the team were waiting ahead, their faces grim. “We’ve got the reinforcements in place. But Lala’s not going down without a fight. He’s barricaded himself in the old barracks.”

Naina nodded, her jaw clenched. “We’ll deal with him. Stay alert. Don’t let your guard down.”

They quickly made their way toward the barracks, every step feeling like the calm before the storm. They knew what was coming. Lala would fight until his last breath. But this time, they were ready.

As they approached the building, Naina’s heart raced. She could already feel the danger in the air. They couldn’t afford to be careless. They had come too far to let him slip away now.

The doors to the barracks were locked, barricaded from the inside. Naina quickly surveyed the area. There were windows on the second floor, but getting up there wasn’t going to be easy. “We’ll have to break in.”

Rajveer stepped forward, his voice steady. “I’ll cover you.”

Naina nodded, and the two of them quickly worked together to break down the door. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the hallway, but they didn’t stop. They couldn’t. Time was running out.

Finally, with a loud crash, the door gave way. They rushed inside, weapons drawn, scanning the dark interior. The barracks were eerily quiet, but Naina knew better than to trust the silence. Lala was close. And he was dangerous.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the shadows. “You think you’ve won?” Lala’s voice dripped with venom. “This is far from over.”

Before anyone could react, the lights flickered, and a loud explosion shook the room. Naina ducked instinctively, her heart pounding as dust and debris filled the air. The blast had been a diversion—Lala was trying to escape.

“Move! He’s getting away!” Naina shouted, rushing through the smoke-filled room. Rajveer was right behind her, his eyes scanning every corner for any sign of Lala.

The building was in chaos, alarms blaring as Lala’s last-ditch attempt to evade capture began. But Naina wasn’t about to let him win. She had already lost too much, and she wasn’t going to let her brother’s name be tarnished by a man like him.

As they ran through the corridors, they saw Lala up ahead, rounding a corner. Without a word, Rajveer charged ahead, moving faster than Naina could keep up. “Rajveer, wait!” she called, but he was already gone, determined to end this once and for all.

Naina pushed herself harder, catching up just as Rajveer reached Lala. The two men locked eyes, and Naina could feel the tension between them.

“You’re done, Lala.” Rajveer’s voice was low and dangerous, filled with the promise of retribution.

Lala’s eyes narrowed as he backed away, but he didn’t surrender. Instead, he pulled out a gun, aiming it at Rajveer. “You think I’ll go down that easily?”

Before he could pull the trigger, Rajveer lunged, knocking the gun from Lala’s hand. The two men collided, grappling with each other on the floor. It was raw, brutal—both men fighting for their lives, for everything they had lost.

Naina didn’t hesitate. She moved forward, grabbing Lala by the arm and twisting it behind his back, forcing him into submission. “It’s over, Lala,” she said, her voice cold with resolve. “You’re finished.”

Lala sneered, but there was a trace of fear in his eyes. “You think you’ve won? You’re just a pawn in a bigger game.”

Before Naina could respond, the sound of approaching sirens filled the air. The reinforcements had arrived. It was over.

---

A few hours later...

The facility had been secured, and Lala was in custody. Naina, Rajveer, and the rest of their team stood outside, watching as the authorities took him away in handcuffs. The weight of the past few days was finally lifting, but Naina still couldn’t shake the feeling that they had narrowly escaped disaster.

As she stood next to Rajveer, she finally let herself relax, her shoulders sagging in relief. “It’s over,” she whispered.

Rajveer glanced at her, his eyes softening. “It is.”

Naina smiled, but it was bittersweet. So much had been lost. So much had been gained. They had survived. But the scars would remain. For both of them.

“What now?” she asked quietly.

Rajveer’s lips curled into a small smile. “Now, we rebuild. And we make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

As the sun set over the horizon, Naina knew that their journey was far from over. But for the first time in what felt like forever, she had hope. They had won. And that was all that mattered.

---

To be continued...