Note: Hi!

I'm back after more than a year with another Adaalat fanfic. A big thanks to all the reviewers on my previous story. I think Cutie Pari isn't active on the site anymore, but if she ever sees this, I'd like to tell her she's one of my favourite authors. She asked me to write something on Maut ka Chakravyush. I'll definitely try.

Vaishnavi: Thank you! You're right about whatever you said in the review—the chemistry brtween ACP-Abhijeet-Daya is what keeps me going back to CID. This particular story goes a little bit into what happens if KD and Varun had had a hint of what they really mean to each other. I'd like to write on Daya and Varun, too, someday, because I feel they are similar in a lot of ways—both grew up without parents, found family in the people they work with and are often involved in dangerous work.

Sneha: Thank you. I'm currently working on a story that, as you suggested, explores a bit of the friendship between KD and Abhijeet. It'll probably be something of a sequel to my previous story. I hope you like this one.

Pari Singhaniya: Thank you! This isn't quite the update to my previous story, but I'm working on it. I hope you like this one.

Chapter 1

KD has been aware for some time that all is not well between Shefali and Varun.

There's no change in Varun's cheerful demeanour, but KD hears the two fighting regularly on the phone. 'Regularly' is understating it—there are raised voices almost daily. KD doesn't eavesdrop, he doesn't even want to listen in, but the office is quiet enough and intimate enough that he can hear Varun's and, on days when it's particularly bad, Shefali's side of the conversation. It doesn't interfere with Varun's work—looking at him you'd be hard-pressed to even believe he's been in a fight—but KD's come to know his young assistant very well, and he can see when Varun's eyes lose some of their characteristic sparkle, when his sweet smile seems just a little forced, when his voice sounds quieter than usual.

Varun's never spoken to him about these fights, which appear to be taking turns for the worse. KD knows it's partly because they're about him. Shefali doesn't like him—he doesn't know why, he's never met the girl and Varun hasn't introduced her to any of them despite repeated requests—but he's gleaned this much from what he's overheard: Shefali thinks he overworks Varun, that he sends Varun headlong into danger and that he doesn't like her and doesn't approve of their relationship.

What he has done for Shefali to think so badly of him he doesn't know. He's never, to the best of his own knowledge, overworked Varun; if anything, he does his best to ensure Varun spends enough time with the people in his life. He doesn't want the vibrant young boy becoming another version of himself, estranged from family and unable to sustain any romantic relationship. He's also never knowingly put Varun in danger—all the times he's been kidnapped or wounded were accidents, accidents that left KD himself on edge for days though he tried not to show it (he's pretty sure Billie's noticed though she's never said anything about it). And he has nothing against Shefali—he doesn't know her, but if she makes Varun happy, that's enough for him. He doesn't need to know anything else.

KD comes to the office every morning and sees the grooves under Varun's eyes growing darker by the day. His face is losing some of it's cherubic chubbiness and he's going from forced smiles to smiling less and less. He's also pretty sure he's seen a couple of bruises near the boy's upper arms and his neck. He wonders if that's the reason Varun, usually so fond of his jackets and t-shirts with silly captions and cartoons on them, has taken to wearing full-sleeved shirts. There's something very disturbing about the entire affair that leaves KD extremely concerned.

The responsible thing to do here would be to talk to Varun, to ask him if there's something wrong and if KD can do something to help. Only KD can't bring himself to act. He wants to, but he doesn't know how to begin discussing a topic that Varun hasn't brought up by himself and that, by all accounts, he wishes to keep from his boss. Besides, if KD is being really honest with himself, he's afraid of the consequences of such a conversation. He knows he's at least partly the source of the problems, but he doesn't know what he would do if Varun actually said it to his face. What was worse, Varun might ask to leave, and KD really does not wish to go down that path. It's selfish, he knows, but it is what it is. He can no longer imagine his work, his office, his lifewithout Varun in it.

Varun's young, very young, he doesn't have parents and, given the amount of time he spends with him and Billie in the office even when he doesn't have to, is rather lonely. KD doesn't want to infringe, he's not even sure if Varun sees him as anything other than a very friendly boss, but if he can do something for him, bring him a little happiness, he'll do it—no matter the cost.

So KD does his best to look after the boy he's come to love as a son. He notices Varun skipping out on meals and takes him out for lunch (dinner is—pardon the pun—off the table, he presumably spends his evenings with Shefali or with other friends), he sees Varun looking like he hasn't slept well and gives him a couple of days off, he comes up with the silliest riddles he can think of when he can sense Varun is having a bad day. He also makes sure Varun knows he can come to him for anything, anytime. Varun doesn't say anything, but he looks happier and less stressed after their little interactions and it's all KD can ask for.

Until one day it's no longer enough.

It's around 8:30 in the evening. Billie's gone home and KD's working alone in the office. He's given Varun the day off and told him to go spend time with Shefali (Billie told him they'd had a massive fight when KD wasn't in the office the previous day, as a result of which Varun wasn't picking up any of her calls). He's just wondering whether to check up on the boy via text message when his phone rings.

It's Dave.

'You need to come here right now', he says before KD can get a word in, 'I'll text you the address. There's been an accident, and it's Varun and his girlfriend.'