Samyuktika's eyes locked onto Kael's, determination burning within. "I'll help you," she whispered.
Kael's gaze flickered with hope. "The password... it's 'Nalini Rai.'"
Samyuktika nodded, rushing to the cage's control panel. She entered the password, and the lock disengaged with a metallic clang.
The cage door swung open, and Kael burst out, his eyes blazing with urgency. "Come on!" he shouted.
But instead of helping Samyuktika, Kael pushed her aside, sending her crashing to the concrete floor with a thud. Her head struck the ground, and a searing pain shot through her temple.
As she struggled to sit up, warm blood trickled down her face, staining her hands.
Kael didn't look back, sprinting up the stairs with reckless abandon.
Samyuktika's vision blurred, but she heard Ekansh's enraged roar echoing through the basement.
"Samyuktika! You foolish girl!" Ekansh thundered, rushing down the stairs. "You helped that bastard escape!"
Ekansh's face twisted with fury, his eyes blazing with a malevolent intensity.
"Why?" he spat, grasping Samyuktika's arm, his grip like a vice. "You have no idea what you've just unleashed."
Samyuktika winced, pain and confusion swirling in her mind.
"What have I done?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Ekansh's smile was sinister. "You've sealed your fate, Samyuktika. And Kael's."
Ekansh's eyes flashed with cruelty. "Your punishment, Samyuktika, is to spend a day in this basement, without food or water. Let the darkness teach you obedience."
Samyuktika's eyes widened in terror. "No, please... I'm scared of the dark."
Ekansh's smile twisted. "Fear is a wonderful teacher. Perhaps next time, you'll think twice before betraying me."
With a flourish, Ekansh locked the basement door, plunging Samyuktika into darkness.
Samyuktika's breath came in ragged gasps. The darkness suffocated her, making her skin crawl.
"Ekansh, please..." she whispered, pounding on the door.
Only silence replied.
As minutes ticked by, the shadows seemed to grow, twisting into sinister forms that watched her every move.
Samyuktika's mind raced, panic setting in.
Why had Kael betrayed her?
What secrets had he uncovered?
And what would Ekansh do next?
The darkness closed in, an oppressive weight that crushed her.
Samyuktika's screams were lost in the darkness, echoing off the cold walls.
As Samyuktika stood in the darkness, dust motes danced around her, aggravating her allergies.
She sneezed repeatedly, her nose itching and eyes watering.
"Achoo! Oh God..." she whimpered, her voice muffled by the thick walls.
The dust-coated air clung to her skin, making her cough.
Her throat parched and scratchy, Samyuktika longed for a glass of water.
But Ekansh had ensured she'd have none.
Panic and despair wrestled with her.
How would she survive a whole day in this dank, dusty prison?
Her sneezes echoed off the walls, mingling with desperate tears.
As the darkness and dust conspired against her, Samyuktika slid to the floor.
Her body shook with sobs, her mind racing with fears.
What if Ekansh never let her out?
What if Kael's secrets destroyed her?
And what if she couldn't escape this living nightmare?
The dust and darkness closed in, suffocating her.
Samyuktika's cries faded into exhausted silence.
Time lost meaning in the darkness.
.
.
.
Ekansh paced in his lavish study, his face twisted in rage.
"Find Kael, no matter what it takes," he growled to his henchman, Vijay. "I want him dead or alive, but I want him."
Vijay nodded, his expression grim. "We'll leave no stone unturned, sir."
Ekansh's anger boiled over. "And what about Samyuktika? She's been a thorn in my side since day one."
Vijay nodded, his face a mask of obedience.
Ekansh's thoughts seethed with resentment. Samyuktika's defiance had caught him off guard.
How dare she help Kael escape?
Didn't she know the consequences of crossing him?
Ekansh's fury simmered, awaiting its next victim.
"Find out who else Kael has contacted," Ekansh ordered. "I want to know every detail."
Vijay bowed. "Consider it done, sir."
As Vijay left, Ekansh's gaze fell on a photo of Samyuktika.
His expression twisted into a snarl.
"You'll regret betraying me, Samyuktika."
His phone buzzed, breaking the silence.
Ekansh answered, his voice dripping with venom.
"Speak."
The voice on the other end hesitated before speaking.
"Sir, we've tracked Kael's location. He's heading to the old warehouse district."
Ekansh's eyes flashed with determination.
"Get the team ready. We'll finish this tonight."
Samyuktika's body shook with sobs, her face wet with tears.
"Why did I help him?" she wailed, cursing her own foolishness.
In the darkness, her thoughts tormented her.
Kael's deceitful eyes and charming smile flashed in her mind.
She had trusted him, and he had betrayed her.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she slapped her forehead, regret consuming her.
Why had she believed Kael's lies?
Why had she risked everything for a stranger?
The consequences of her actions closed in around her.
Ekansh's wrath, the darkness, and the dust choking her.
Samyuktika's cries echoed off the cold walls.
Her throat burned from screaming, her eyes swollen from tears.
In the darkness, she was lost, alone, and frightened.
Time dragged on, each minute an eternity.
When would Ekansh's mercy end?
Would she ever escape this living nightmare?
As despair wrapped its dark arms around her, Samyuktika's sobs faded into exhausted silence.
In the darkness, she waited, trapped and helpless.
Samyuktika's vision blurred, her head spinning.
The dust swirled around her, choking her.
She struggled to breathe, her lungs constricting.
Suddenly, her legs gave way.
Samyuktika collapsed, her body crumpling to the floor.
The darkness closed in, a suffocating shroud.
Her world went black.
.
.
.
Ekansh's eyes locked onto Kael, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"There's nowhere to hide, Kael," Ekansh sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
Kael's eyes darted around, desperate for an escape.
But Vijay and Rihaan flanked Ekansh, blocking all avenues.
"You've been a thorn in my side for far too long," Ekansh spat, his fists clenched.
Kael's face paled as Ekansh approached him.
"No... please," Kael begged, backing away.
Ekansh's laughter sent chills down Kael's spine.
"You should have thought of that before you crossed me," Ekansh snarled.
With a swift motion, Ekansh signaled Vijay.
Vijay pinned Kael to the ground.
Ekansh's eyes blazed with fury.
"You're finished, Kael."
And with that, Ekansh's vengeance began.