Samyuktika and Ekansh stood facing each other, their voices raised in anger.
Samyuktika: "Tum mere saath dhokha kar rahe ho, Ekansh! Tumne mujhe bebasi mein daal diya!" (You're deceiving me, Ekansh! You've put me in a helpless situation!)
Ekansh: "Maine tumhein bachaaya hai, Samyuktika! Tum mere bina kuch nahin ho." (I've saved you, Samyuktika! You're nothing without me.)
Samyuktika: "Bachaaya? Tumne mujhse meri aazadi leli hai! Main tumhare saath nahin rehna chahti!" (Saved? You've made me lose my freedom! I don't want to stay with you!)
Ekansh: "Tum mere saath rehogi, Samyuktika. Tum mere liye hi banayi gayi ho." (You'll stay with me, Samyuktika. You were made for me alone.)
Their argument escalated, the air thickening with tension.
Samyuktika: "Agar main tumhare liye hi banayi gayi hoon, toh tum mere saath aisa kyun vyavhar karte ho?" (If I was made for you, why do you treat me like this?)
Ekansh's expression faltered. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came.
Samyuktika's eyes blazed with triumph.
Samyuktika: "Tumhein kuch bhi nahin aata jawab dena, na?" (You don't have any answer, do you?)
Ekansh's silence was deafening.
Samyuktika turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Ekansh standing alone, his face twisted in frustration.
As she exited, Samyuktika felt a surge of empowerment. She had finally confronted Ekansh, and he had no defense.
But as she reached her room, her heart sank. She knew this wasn't over. Ekansh would retaliate.
Samyuktika locked her door, her mind racing with thoughts of escape, of freedom.
What would Ekansh do next?
Would Samyuktika find a way out?
Ekansh paced in his room, his mind replaying the argument with Samyuktika.
"Why am I behaving like this?" he growled to himself. "I hate her, don't I?"
He stopped in front of the mirror, scowling at his reflection.
"She's my father's choice, a mere pawn in his game," Ekansh spat. "Why do I care how she feels?"
Memories of his father's words resurfaced: "Marry Samyuktika, secure the family's future."
Ekansh's jaw clenched.
"I'm doing this for the family, not for her," he reminded himself. "So why do I feel...?"
He trailed off, unwilling to acknowledge the emotions swirling within.
"Control," Ekansh muttered. "That's all this is about. Maintaining control."
He thought of Samyuktika's defiant words: "If I was made for you, why do you treat me like this?"
Ekansh sneered.
"She thinks she's clever, but she has no idea what's at stake."
His phone buzzed, breaking the silence.
Rohan's voice answered on the first ring.
"Ekansh, sir?"
"Rohan, I need you to keep a closer eye on Samyuktika," Ekansh ordered. "She's getting too comfortable, too confident."
"And what about the other matter, sir?" Rohan asked.
"Take care of it," Ekansh replied curtly. "I want no more surprises."
What was the "other matter" Ekansh referred to?
How would Samyuktika react to increased surveillance?
Samyuktika got up in the middle of the night.
As she walked into the dark kitchen, the cold tile floor beneath her bare feet sent a shiver through her body. She flipped the switch, and the sudden brightness made her squint. The empty water jug on the counter seemed to mock her.
Samyuktika opened the refrigerator, hoping to find a chilled bottle of water, but the shelves were almost bare. Ekansh's staff usually replenished supplies during the day, but now, in the dead of night, she was on her own.
Her thirst growing more unbearable, Samyuktika decided to check the water dispenser in the kitchen corner. She pressed the button, and the machine roared to life, spewing out a stream of cold water that filled her glass.
Samyuktika's heart skipped a beat as she froze, her eyes fixed on the gate. The voice was faint, barely audible, but unmistakable.
"Help..." it whispered again.
Her skin crawled with fear, and her mind raced with questions. Who was on the other side of the gate? And how did they get there?
The mansion's gates were always locked, and Ekansh's security team patrolled the grounds relentlessly.
Samyuktika's instincts screamed at her to return to her room, to pretend she hadn't heard anything. But her feet seemed rooted to the spot.
Suddenly, the voice called out again, more urgently this time.
"Please... help me..."
Samyuktika's fear began to give way to curiosity. She took a cautious step forward, her eyes scanning the gate and the darkness beyond.
"Who's there?" she whispered.
There was no response.
Samyuktika opened the gate that was already open.Samyuktika descended the stairs to the basement.
The basement was a stark contrast to the mansion's opulent luxury.
Dingy walls bore water stains, and flickering fluorescent lights cast eerie shadows. The air reeked of mold, decay, and desperation. Cobwebs clung to rusty pipes, and the concrete floor was stained with unknown substances.
A single, barred bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a dim, unsettling glow. In the corner, a rusty drain covered in grime seemed to lead to dark depths.
The cage, with its thick iron bars and heavy chains, looked like a relic from a bygone era. The surrounding shadows seemed to writhe and twist, as if alive.
Every inch of the basement screamed neglect, cruelty, and foreboding.
Samyuktika approached the cage cautiously, her heart racing. The man's weary eyes lifted, meeting hers.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man's gaze held a mix of desperation and hope. "My name is Kael," he replied, his voice hoarse from disuse.
Samyuktika's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you doing here, Kael?"
"Ekansh?"
Samyuktika's eyes widened in shock. "Why would he hold you captive?"
Kael's expression turned bitter. "I was investigating his business dealings. I got too close to the truth."
Samyuktika's mind reeled. Ekansh, the charming and influential host, had a dark secret.
"What truth?" she pressed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kael's eyes darted around the basement nervously. "I discovered Ekansh's involvement in illegal activities. Money laundering, extortion... He'll stop at nothing to protect his empire."
Suddenly, the footsteps grew louder, echoing from the stairs above.
Kael's voice dropped to a desperate whisper. "You have to get me out of here. Before he silences me forever."