Chapter 10: Six

Rathore's VengeanceWords: 6987

Ekansh looked at his brother Arnav, who was drinking, and the anger on his face was sensible. Aavyan entered inside there with a hurry

Bhai, we have caught him Aavyan said in a hurry, Arnav's eye darkened, and he went towards the place where their underworld work took place.

Arnav rolled into the room, his men standing at attention as their boss made his entrance. He faced a man bound to a chair, who looked up with a weary sigh.

"What are you trying to do? Why did you bring me here?" the man asked, his voice tinged with fatigue. Arnav’s smirk was cold and unfeeling.

"The truth is, you know exactly why you’re here," Arnav said, his glare icy.

"I don’t know why you brought me here," the man replied, desperation evident. Arnav’s expression darkened.

"Don’t lie, Ram. I hate dishonesty," Arnav said, his feigned disappointment quickly replaced by a steely resolve.

"Where is the Shadow Dominion right now?" Arnav’s tone was chilling. Ram’s fear was palpable as sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," Ram stuttered. Arnav sighed, unimpressed.

"Perhaps we should consider torture," Arnav suggested coldly.

"I... I’m telling the truth! I don’t know them!" Ram pleaded, his fear intensifying. Arnav nodded and drew his gun, aiming it at Ram’s head, causing Ram to flinch.

"Are you mad? I don’t know them!" Ram shouted, a mix of fear and anger in his voice. Arnav pulled the trigger but halted, retracting the gun.

"This is getting dull," Arnav said with a tight-lipped expression, contemplating for a moment. Ram looked on, confused.

"There’s no fun in that," Arnav said, his lips pressed tight as he pondered. Ram looked on in confusion.

Arnav examined the array of weapons laid out before him, finally selecting a knife. Ram, familiar with Arnav’s reputation as the Devil of the Underworld, knew the extent of his cruelty.

"I know," Ram said with determination. Arnav raised an eyebrow and set the knife aside.

"That’s how business works. You’re quite the businessman," Arnav remarked, sitting back with satisfaction. Ram watched him intently.

"Where are the Shadow Dominion?" Arnav’s tone was icy, his eyes darkened. Ram sighed.

"They’ve gone abroad," Ram said, looking at Arnav. Arnav frowned.

"You can’t catch them now; it’s impossible," Ram said with a smirk. Arnav chuckled mockingly.

"We’ll see about that," Arnav replied.

"You’ve been pretending to be out of the mafia world, but you’ve been working behind the scenes all along, haven’t you?" Ram observed, raising an eyebrow. Arnav looked impressed.

"Finally, someone with a brain," Arnav said, admiration evident in his tone. Ram chuckled.

"You were the mafia leader then, and you still are. The other mafias were fools to think someone new had taken your place. You’ve been the Elite Shadow all this time, deceiving everyone. They thought you were out of the game," Ram said coldly. Arnav looked proud.

"I don’t think you’re a fool," Arnav said, nodding approvingly.

"Why do you want the Shadow Dominion? Just for a single diamond they took?" Ram asked, puzzled.

"It’s worth a lot. It’s about my world and my reputation. No one touches what’s mine because of my ego," Arnav said coldly, his pride evident. Ram nodded.

"You can’t do anything. Look at you, sitting in a wheelchair," Ram taunted. Arnav’s grip tightened on the chair handle, anger flaring.

"You’re a mafia leader in a wheelchair. What can you do? Just leave and rest," Ram said with disdain. "You can’t do anything. No one fears you."

The room fell silent. Arnav’s men exchanged uneasy glances, their boss’s anger palpable.

Arnav stared at Ram in silence, then looked away with a sigh, rolling his wheelchair back. Ram watched him, puzzled and frowning.

Suddenly, Arnav looked up with a devilish smirk and stood, causing Ram’s eyes to widen in shock.

Arnav casually slid his hands into his pockets, standing tall with a smug expression.

He walked towards Ram, who was struck by the sheer presence and power that still emanated from Arnav. His men placed another chair in front of him, and Arnav sat down, crossing his legs with an air of casual authority. His right elbow rested on the armrest while his left hand rested on the other.

Ram looked as if he had been struck by lightning. The mafia leader, whom everyone thought was incapable of walking, was now standing with an aura of power, his aura commanding respect and dread. The other mafias who thought they had succeeded in his absence would now face the full force of his authority. The other mafia, who had ruled thinking Arnav was out, would soon realise their mistake and would face his worth.

"They will fear me now, won’t they?" Arnav’s voice was cold, his smirk adding to his menacing allure.

"You can walk? From when?" Ram asked, astonished.

"You don’t need to know that. You’ll die from shock if you keep asking, and I don't yet want you to die" Arnav said, his eyes darkening.

"You will work for me from now on," Arnav declared with a serious expression. Ram, though shocked, nodded reluctantly, knowing he had no choice.

"Great. I’ll leave you now," Arnav said with a sigh, and then he left the room.

Arnav sat in his penthouse, a glass of whiskey in hand, his eyes fixed on the amber liquid. Ekansh, sitting across from him, watched with a frown, concern etched on his face.

"Bhai, you should be at the mansion right now," Ekansh said, leaning back on the sofa, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.

"I don’t want to go there," Arnav muttered, pouring himself another drink. The tension in the room thickened, and Ekansh sighed deeply.

"Bhai, you need to. Bhabhi might be waiting for you," Ekansh urged, setting his glass down as he tried to reason with his brother.

"I don’t want to scare her. She looks so naive," Arnav admitted with a weary sigh, fully aware of the anger simmering just beneath his surface. "If I go to the mansion now, I’ll just take it out my anger on her, and I don’t want that."

Ekansh studied Arnav for a moment, his expression cautious.

"Bhai, you don’t even like this marriage. So why did you agree?"

Arnav let out a bitter chuckle.

"I agreed because of Dad. He was so worried about my future, about who would take care of me," he explained, the weight of his obligation clear in his tone.

"But I really hate this bullshit,” he added, setting his glass down with a frustrated thud.

Ekansh chuckled at his brother’s disdain for marriage, knowing he was fortunate not to be entangled in such a mess-unlike his two brothers who were struggling.

"You’ll be in my place soon enough," Arnav mocked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Bhai, no one can make me agree to that idiotic thing. I’ll never make that mistake" Ekansh retorted with a smirk, his confidence unshaken. After some more conversation, Ekansh finally took his leave, leaving Arnav alone with his thoughts and the quiet solitude of his penthouse.