Second Chance: A Dark Tale of Urban India-Chapter 104: Going to police station

**After 15 minutes, living room, dining table**

The air at the dining table was thick with the aftershock of the bombshell Raj and Rohit had just dropped. Everyone sat in a stunned, heavy silence.

Ragini, seated beside Kalyani, was the first to protest.

"It makes no sense.. look at him injured and you allowed him to do as he wishes"

Raj Singhania sat at the head of the table, completely unfazed. He took a slow sip of his tea and replied calmly, "There comes a time when a man must choose his side. Rohit has reached that age and made his choice. As his father, I will respect it."

Ragini looked helplessly at Kalyani, silently urging her to speak up.

Kalyani shifted uncomfortably. "Yes... Bhai Sahab, please reconsider."

Raj was adamant, taking a sip. "No, my decision is final."

Arya, who was listening from upstairs, still in a bathrobe, joined in. "Wait... Dad, I have some say in this."

She descended the stairs and took a seat at the table. "Even though I want to believe in him, this time Mom is right. At least send someone with him — not just a bodyguard, but a family member."

Rohit was genuinely surprised by Arya taking his side. Was she really growing a soft corner for him, or was it just a figure of speech to protest, against her father?

Vijay, enjoying his tea and pancakes, quietly chuckled while his eyes roamed over Arya’s long legs and the subtle cleavage peeking from her bathrobe. Free morning drama at its best.

Raj furrowed his brows. "You want to accompany him?"

"No, she can’t," Ragini sharply cut in.

After some more bickering, it became clear why Ragini was so against it: she was supposed to leave for her maternal home the very next day. She needed Arya to look after the house, and she wouldn’t be at peace knowing Rohit was out there alone.

Raj set his cup down with a definitive clack. "Kalyani, you handle it. Hemant is already waiting for me at the office."

The pressure instantly shifted to Kalyani. She knew what it implied for her and her husband. She could have sent Tanuj to keep an eye on Rohit and check on him, but that idiot hadn’t returned home since last night.

Just then, Aisha came yawning from upstairs. She took a seat and greeted everyone.

The maid immediately moved forward to serve her breakfast.

Kalyani didn’t waste a second. "Aisha, you must go."

The poor girl froze, a piece of toast halfway to her mouth. "Where, Mom?"

***

Rohit stepped out of the mansion alone, a backpack slung over one shoulder.

He noticed a familiar BMW parked near the fountain. He slipped one Bluetooth earbud into his ear and approached the car.

Once inside, he checked the time — 10:15 AM. While waiting, he decided to get updates from Lisa. Some prior arrangements still needed to be made.

Shortly after, Balwindar arrived and slid into the driver’s seat, buckling his seatbelt. "We’re ready to roll, Young Master. Is anyone else joining us?"

Rohit glanced back at the doors of the main house. "Yes. Give it a few more minutes."

Balwindar nodded, then seemed to remember something. He turned around in his seat, his expression uncharacteristically stiff. "Young Master, the weapon. Please give it to me. Carrying it into a police station would be... detrimental."

Rohit handed it over without protest. Something didn’t feel right.

He noticed that Balwindar, unlike his usual calm self, looked visibly stressed. His fingers kept tapping the steering wheel and his legs were shaking — clear signs of anxiety or over thought. For a high-security professional, these traits were very uncommon.

"Everything alright, Balwindar?" Rohit asked casually, leaning forward. "How have you been lately?"

Balwindar forced a tight smile into the mirror. "All good, Young Master. Do you need something?"

Rohit tilted his head. "You look quite stressed. Is everything okay at home? I’m worried about your family."

Balwindar sighed and turned around. "I’m sorry, sir. It’s just... it’s not a good day. But don’t worry, my personal life won’t interfere. I will keep you safe."

"I know you will," Rohit said gently. "But I’m asking as a friend. Sometimes just saying the problem out loud helps you find the solution."

Balwindar considered it for a moment, then spoke. "Since you’re asking, I won’t hide it. My sister... she cleared the UPSC Prelims for the IAS. She’s brilliant, sir. But now, these ’middlemen’ are demanding fifteen lakhs. They’re threatening to scrub her name from the list and replace her with someone from the reservation quota if we don’t pay."

Rohit frowned. "What nonsense? If you clear the exam, you should get selected. That must be a scam."

Balwindar gave a helpless sigh. "No, sir. Reservation doesn’t work that way. Lower castes get special cutoff privileges for government jobs. Even if we generals score well, we often get pushed aside to make space for them. These invigilators act as middlemen — they demand 15 lakhs or they’ll remove my sister’s name and give the seat to someone lower in the list using quota."

Rohit frowned. "Even for IAS? One of the top jobs in the country? And no one fights back?"

Balwindar shook his head bitterly. "This reservation system is a curse, Young Master. It’s there in almost every government department. Talent gets trashed everywhere... except maybe the Army and ISRO. Even that might not last with the current politics. Merit has no chance against bribes and quotas anymore."

Rohit nodded silently. He was getting a clear picture of why India, despite having so much talent, was still lagging behind. No wonder the brightest minds were leaving the country.

Then an idea struck him.

"Hey, what’s your salary?"

From the conversation that followed, Rohit learned that professionals like Balwindar earned only 50k to 70k per month which was quite exploitative compared to other countries. Even with overtime and side gigs, the amount rarely touched six figures.

Still, it was manageable with a loan. However, Balwindar was hesitant because he had to support three sisters and arrange their dowries for marriage.

Rohit offered his own money as an interest-free loan. Balwindar initially declined, but after some persuasion, and seeing his own desperate need — he finally agreed.

’Perfect. Now you’ll feel indebted and become more reliable,’ Rohit smirked internally. ’I bet even my old man won’t get critical updates from you anymore... at least not without me knowing.’

"Give me your phone," Rohit said shamelessly. "I’ll transfer it through QR code. You might get multiple notifications."

Balwindar looked conflicted — sharing his personal phone was strictly prohibited. But seeing the Young Master being so helpful and kind, he handed it over. "Here, Young Master."

Rohit felt gleeful. While transferring the funds, he quietly hacked the phone.

’Good. If you ever dare cross me, I’ll kill you myself.’

Just then, a notification from Lisa popped up in his ear

[Sir, look at this intercepted message from Inspector Neerav’s phone.]

Rohit glanced down at his phone.

[Singhania sahab: My son will come soon with my niece. Make sure to detain them for the whole day. Then only release them. No media leak.]

[Pandey: Sure sir, no worries. I will keep them safe and comfortable like home.]

’Fucking bastard... playing a double game,’ Rohit cursed inwardly.

A few minutes later, Aisha finally arrived. She was carrying a much larger backpack, as if going on a mountain trek, and threw it into the car’s trunk. She gave Rohit an annoyed look and took the seat beside him.

"We are leaving," Balwindar announced.

Aisha took out her iPhone and started scrolling. Then a message came:

[Cousin bastard: Come near me, take my arm.. 😈] The devil emogi stated his intentions without naming.

She shot Rohit an irritated glance.

Rohit asked innocently, "What?"

With a disgusted huff, she dragged herself across the leather seat, pinning his arm against her body. She leaned her breasts onto his shoulder, closing her eyes in a staged sleep.

"Wake me when we’re there," she snapped in a bossy tone that didn’t hide her humiliation.

Rohit shrugged. He didn’t remove his hand and quietly enjoyed the soft, warm sensation.

From the rear-view mirror, Balwindar couldn’t help but chuckle. "Lucky guy" he thought, ’What a close-knit family.’

The irony was thick. If only he knew what Rohit was really doing...