RAGHAV
I stepped out of the car, feeling the sun's warmth envelop me like a comforting embrace. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, not a cloud in sight, and the air was crisp and clear. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of summer. The light breeze carried the faint aroma of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass, adding to the serenity of the morning.
Today is an amazing day. And just like the day, my mood is also good. I stretched my arms, feeling the tension of the drive melt away. I looked at the warehouse in front of me and a smirk crept on my face. Rohan stood at the entrance of the warehouse, patiently waiting for me.
I walked inside the warehouse with Rohan tailing behind me. "She is inside the room," Rohan said. I gave him a curt nod and headed towards the room. As I entered the dark corridor, I asked Rohan, "Does Aakash know about it?"
"Yes, he is on his way," he replied. That's great. I have no intention of hurting Ananya; she is just a bait to get Aakash. Rohan seemed a bit nervous and silent as we made our way towards the room.
"Do you think that I will hurt her?" I asked.
"No, but..." he didn't complete the sentence, and I raised my eyebrow in question. He sighed and said, "Well, you will find out," and then he pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. My eyes widened in disbelief, not with the fact that I found Ananya tied to the chair, but because someone else was also there, which wasn't part of my plan. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw me. She gulped nervously.
"What is she doing here?" I whispered.
"She was there at the time of the kidnapping and was causing trouble. That's why our men brought her along," Rohan replied.
My eyes fell on Divya's swollen cheek, and I clenched my fist in anger. The thought of someone hurting her didn't sit well with me. Fury surged through me, and I made a mental note to deal with the man who had dared to harm her. Ananya's voice snapped me back to reality, forcing me to avert my eyes from Divya.
"Why the hell did you kidnap us?" Ananya demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.
"I only intended to kidnap you," I replied, pointing a finger at Divya. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"But why did you want to kidnap me?" Ananya pressed, her fear evident in her wide eyes.
"You really don't know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head, genuinely clueless. Aakash is a lucky man to have a woman like her, I thought.
"Will you stop talking in riddles and tell us why you kidnapped us?" Divya shouted, her voice filled with anger. Her eyes were blazing, and despite the situation, she looked strikingly beautiful in her fury.I smirked at her as I made my way closer, stopping just a few centimeters away.
"I didn't know you could shout, my little angel," I said, looking at her. Angel? Did I really call her that? She rolled her eyes in reply, which only fueled my anger. If it were another situation, I would have taught her a good lesson, but not now. Maybe later.
"You know that Aakash and I are divorced, so if you kidnapped me because of him, it's useless. Aakash won't come to save me," Ananya said.
I chuckled at her words. "You're so naive, Ananya. I must say, Aakash's acting skills are amazing." That guy is madly in love with her, and she thinks he doesn't care.
"Aakash is keeping a lot of secrets from you," I said, locking eyes with her. She was caught off guard.
"Look, Raghav, you wanted me, and I am here now, so please let Divya go," she pleaded, her eyes filled with desperation. Even in such a dangerous situation, she was thinking about someone else. Aakash is a lucky bastard.
"No, Ananya, I won't leave you here alone with these monsters," Divya said, making me seethe. Monster? She thinks I'm a monster? Then why not give her a little taste of what this monster can do?
I stormed towards her, pulling out my gun and pointing it directly at her. I lowered myself, bringing my face dangerously close to hers, and whispered, "I swear, if another word comes out of that pretty mouth, I won't think twice before putting a bullet between your eyes."
"So you think my mouth is pretty?" Divya said calmly, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. This is one of the many things I hate about her. She isn't scared of me at all. Anyone else in her position would be trembling in fear right now, but she is calm. She's not afraid of the gun I'm pointing at her, probably because she's used to it, given her friendship with Aakash and her family history. It's no shock she isn't scared of a gun.
I straightened and looked at Ananya, who appeared terrified, her eyes fixed on the gun in my hand.
"You look scared," I couldn't help but remark. She should have been used to seeing guns by now. Why did she look so frightened?
"You're still scared of guns even after marrying Aakash?" I asked, and her eyes widened in shock, then confusion.
"Stop this, Raghav," Divya said nervously, as if trying to hide something. Suspicion flickered in my mind, and it only took a few seconds to connect the dots. My eyes widened in realization.
"That's interesting!" I said, my curiosity piqued.
"You don't know who Aakash really is?" I asked.
"What do you mean by that?" Ananya demanded. I smirked. This was more interesting than I had imagined.
"This is going to be so interesting," I chuckled.
"So you don't know that your lovely husband is actually a mafia boss?" I said with a smirk. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Aakash had been hiding a lot from her.
"You're lying! Aakash is not part of the mafia!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.
"You're right. Aakash is not part of the mafia..." I intentionally trailed off, watching as she sighed in relief. Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived.
"Because he is the mafia king," I finished. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. For an instant, I felt a pang of guilt, but quickly dismissed it. This was Aakash's problem for keeping secrets, and Ananya's for trusting him so blindly.
"Please, Ananya, don't cry. It's not good for your health. At least think about your babies," Divya said, her words shocking me. Ananya is pregnant?
"She's pregnant?" I asked, stunned.
"Don't tell me you didn't know," Divya shouted.
"No," I replied, glancing at Rohan, who looked as confused as I felt. If I had known she was pregnant, I would have found another way to hurt Aakash. Dragging her into this mess was never my intention.
My whole plan was going upside down. But it was too late to change course now. Once Aakash arrived, I would let Ananya go. I never intended to hurt her. Divya was glaring at me, anger flashing in her eyes. Despite the situation, she looked infuriatingly cute.
Then the door burst open, and the room filled with men in black. Aakash arrived quicker than I had expected. Well, I wasn't complaining. Now I could play with him a bit. I turned around and found him standing at the entrance, breathing heavily. I smirked.
I walked quickly to Ananya, untied her, and pulled her to her feet. Clasping both her hands in my right hand, I pressed the gun to her forehead with my left. I had no intention of killing her-I just wanted Aakash to experience the fear and uncertainty he had caused me.
"Please, Raghav, leave her. She is innocent. If you have problems with me, then deal with me," Aakash pleaded. He looked terrified-probably the first time I'd seen him so scared.
"You're right, she is innocent. Her only mistake was marrying a bastard like you," I shouted, tightening my grip on her. Ananya looked utterly terrified.
"Raghav, let's talk," Aakash said.
I chuckled. "Aren't you quite late for talking?" I replied sarcastically.
Aakash was desperate. He feared for his wife and unborn child's life. I wasn't interested in him, though-I wanted his father. His father was behind my misery, and I knew he would come to save his son and grandchild. I just needed to be patient and play with Aakash's mind.
But then something unexpected happened. One second I was holding Ananya, and the next I was crashing to the floor. I landed with a thud, and that wasn't the worst part-I fell with someone on top of me.
I groaned in pain and frustration, opening my eyes to see Divya on top of me. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw the anger on my face. One day, I would definitely kill her. She was a troublemaker who created chaos wherever she went. She tried to get up, but I tightened my grip on her. She groaned in pain, her doe-like eyes meeting mine. For a split second, my eyes softened, but then I remembered her sabotage.
"I will kill you," I roared, pushing her away and standing up.
"Raghav, please, keep Divya and Ananya out of this. They're innocent," Aakash pleaded.
"You're right. I should kill you," I said angrily, my voice trembling with fury.
"Raghav, listen to me, please," Aakash tried again.
"I don't want to hear anything. Because of your family, I lost everything!" I shouted, clenching my fists in anger.
"I'm sorry," Aakash said, his voice full of regret.
"What are you sorry for? Are you sorry that while you were enjoying your life with your family, I was left alone to deal with my nightmares? You have a loving family, but I was all alone in this cruel world!" I shouted, the words pouring out of me. I closed my eyes for a second to regain control over my emotions, but they were overwhelming me.
"Fine, you have problems with me. Then deal with me. Let Ananya and Divya go," Aakash insisted. Despite my threats, I had no real intention of hurting Ananya or Aakash. My real target was his father, and I had hoped he would show up.
As if on cue, a deep, hoarse voice filled the room. "Leave my children, Raghav. I am your culprit."
I turned and found the man of my misery standing before me, the source of all my suffering. My breath caught in my throat, and the room seemed to close in around us. This was the man I had been waiting for, the one I wanted to confront.
My hands ached to strangle him to death, but I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I wouldn't give him an easy death. I would torture him, make him beg for death, but still, he wouldn't be granted that release.
"Dad?" Aakash whispered, confused.
"You bloody murderer... you killed my mom!" I shouted, unable to control my emotions anymore.
But he didn't say anything, just chuckled in reply. Nitin Malhotra is a difficult man. After all, he was the mafia king who ruled the underworld with an iron fist. Destroying him wouldn't be easy. That's why I used his one and only son to lure him here, and it worked. Now he was right in front of me. There was a time when we were family, but that was before he took everything from me and left me to die.
"You really think I killed your mother, Raghav?" he asked, sounding almost sad. I looked at him angrily. After everything, he had the audacity to act like a victim.
"You think I killed my own little sister?" he said, his voice laden with sorrow. I chuckled darkly, the sound filling the room. I steadily walked towards him and looked directly into his eyes.
"Yes, I saw you standing beside my mom's dead body with a gun in your hand," I said, my voice hard.
"Did you see me shooting her?" he asked. I clenched my fists in anger. This man was really getting on my nerves, but the pain and agony in his eyes told a different story, one I didn't want to believe. I took a deep breath and replied, "No, I didn't, but Dad said you killed her."
"And you trusted him blindly without trying to find out the truth," he said. No, I didn't. I had proof, the proof that my not-so-loving father showed me. But still, I decided to play dumb. Maybe I would get some new information.
"What do you mean by that? If you didn't kill Mom, then who did?" I demanded, my voice shaking.
"Aren't you quite late to ask this question?" he replied sarcastically. I kept my mouth shut, feeling a mix of anger and confusion.
"Why don't you go and ask your father? Instead of finding the truth, you were busy plotting against us," he shouted angrily.
"Who killed my mom?" I asked again, my patience wearing thin.
"Your bastard father," he yelled. I clenched my fists in anger.
What a liar! After everything he did, now he was blaming it on my father. Well, my father wasn't a saint, but he wouldn't kill his own wife and unborn child. Would he? Doubt crept into my mind.
"But why? How?" I whispered, the words barely audible.
"Your father wanted to kill my whole family and take the position of Mafia king. But your mom found out about it and tried to stop him. In the struggle, he shot her. Both your mom and her unborn child died. When I found out, I came to save her, but I was too late... too late to see her alive," he said as tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he fell to the ground, sobbing. The man who once stood as strong as a pillar was now on his knees, weeping like a child. I couldn't help but question everything I believed. Did he really lie to me?
"She fulfilled her duty as a sister, but I failed to be an elder brother," he sobbed.
"If you knew the truth, then why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked, my voice cracking.
"Because I didn't want to hurt you. You lost your mother, and if you found out that your father killed her, it would have broken you. But now, looking back, I think I should have told you the truth," he replied. I chuckled bitterly. What a coward! And he expects me to believe him now? Why?
"You kept such a big secret from me and left me with the monster who tortured me," I yelled angrily. If Nitin didn't kill my mother and knew it was my father, then why the hell did he leave me with that monster? My father was a real monster. I closed my eyes as memories replayed like a relentless, cruel film. The way he used to torture me... The only thing keeping me alive was the thought of revenge. But now, it seemed I had been living in darkness this whole time.
Believing that man wasn't the right decision, but what do you expect from an eleven-year-old boy?
"I am sorry. I swear I had no idea he was feeding you lies and torturing you. I just wanted you to have a family," Nitin said, tears in his eyes.
"I don't believe you," I yelled angrily.
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. It's the truth. Why don't you go and ask your father about it?" Aakash said.
At that moment, I heard someone clapping, filling me with immense frustration. Who the hell has the audacity to clap at such a serious situation?
"I must say, tears came to my eyes after hearing such a sad story," someone spoke. The voice was familiar, a harbinger of nightmares and destruction. I looked ahead and saw him walking towards us. He was a monster in human form. I clenched my fists in anger.
It had been quite a while since I saw him-my lovely father. It wasn't that we were in constant contact; he usually called, but we never met in person. Since I moved to New York, I had cut ties with him. It was him who would reach out to me.
"Finally, you found out the truth, my little boy," he said with a smirk.
"You really killed my mother and my unborn sister?" I asked. So this is what betrayal feels like. I had no one to blame but myself for trusting the wrong man.
What an irony. I had been with my mother's murderer this whole time, plotting with him to destroy my cousin brother. I had tried to kill my uncle, who was innocent and had loved me a lot.
"You're just like your mother, an emotional fool. It wasn't my intention to kill her, but she came between my plans, so I needed to kill her," he said casually, as if it were no big deal. As soon as those words left his mouth, I launched at him, throwing a punch at his face. I lost count of how many times I hit him, and he only laughed, which fueled my anger even more.
Uncle Nitin pulled me away from him. My eyes were darkened with rage, and my knuckles were bloody, but my anger wasn't satisfied. It would be satisfied once I killed him, once my hands were painted with his blood.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Anger wouldn't give me a solution. I needed to think rationally. My father stood up and pulled out his gun, pointing it at me. I quickly slipped my hand into my pocket to pull out my gun. Usually, I felt the cold metal when I reached inside, but this time, I felt nothing. My pocket was empty.
I realized the gun had slipped from my grasp when I fell to the ground.
"I told you to destroy the Malhotras, and you can't even do that. You're useless to me now," he said coldly.
"You would kill your own son?" I asked, buying myself time. I needed to think quickly or else he would kill me. It wasn't that I was afraid to die, but I wouldn't die before avenging my mother's death. I definitely wouldn't die at the hands of her murderer.
"If I can kill my wife and unborn child, then killing you is no big deal," he replied casually, unlocking the safety of his gun. The room fell into pin-drop silence. I could hear my own heartbeat, racing as he took aim. His finger tightened on the trigger. Before I could react, he pulled it. In reflex, I closed my eyes.
BANG.
My heart pounded. Every second felt like an eternity. So this is what the last moment of your life feels like. Then, I felt a push. It wasn't strong enough to knock me down, but it forced my eyes open, revealing a scene beyond my imagination.
"Aaghhh..." Divya groaned in pain, about to collapse. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her to my chest. Her breathing was heavy. I felt something cold and wet on my hand. Blood. Not mine, but hers.
Divya had pushed me out of the way, taking the bullet meant for me. She cried out in pain as I carefully lowered her to the ground. Her eyelids fluttered, her consciousness slipping away, and she was bleeding heavily.
I gently pulled her closer, checking her wound. Her head lolled onto my shoulder, her breath fanning my face. I caressed her cheek, unable to find words.
"Divya, stay awake. Everything will be fine," I muttered. She hummed in response. Ananya quickly knelt beside us, pressing her hands against the wound to staunch the bleeding.
"Place your hand here tightly," she instructed. I gulped nervously but did as she said, applying pressure. Divya yelped in pain, but I knew I had to control the bleeding.
No one had ever cared for me. No one had ever bothered to look at me, let alone save my life. Everyone used me for what they wanted and then left me to die. But she put her life in danger to save me. Something no one had ever done for me.
Isn't she an angel descended from heaven just for me?
Hey my lovely readers,
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