✨ On the other side ✨

Abhimaan

Dad's words echoed in my mind like an unrelenting alarm, making it impossible to breathe. A crushing weight of self-loathing and regret pressed down on me, suffocating me in a world where I was my own worst enemy.

This isn't just a mistake. It's a sin. And my sin has placed her life in danger.

Samantha's life is on the line, and I am the one responsible for it. My team has been searching for her relentlessly, turning the city upside down, but deep down, I feel like this is my punishment. God has his way of making me pay for what I have done. Hours have slipped through my fingers, each second stretching into eternity, yet she remains missing.

She isn't at her father's house. She barely has any close acquaintances, and even if she did, we have already searched every possible location. The uncertainty gnaws at me, tearing me apart piece by piece. My heart is crumbling under the weight of fear, and for the first time in my life, I feel completely and utterly powerless.

I feel hollow, stripped of everything that once made me strong. My power, my wealth, none of it matters if I can't protect the one person who means everything to me. I have no idea where she is, no clue how she is holding up, and the only thing keeping me from losing my sanity is the desperate hope that she is safe. That she is still alive.

And now, I finally know the whole truth, the truth about Shaurya Raichand, my heart already shrinks.

Shaurya Raichand is Samanth's stepbrother. A predator who has been lurking in the shadows for years, hunting her like a stalker waiting for his unjustified revenge. The very thought of him laying a hand on her sends a cold dread through my veins.

Shaurya Raichand isn’t just a threat. He is one of the most powerful businessmen in the country and the ruler of the IT sector. I remember meeting him once, at our company’s launch party. Back then, he was nothing more than a distant acquaintance, just another face in a room full of business men. I had no idea he was Samantha’s stepbrother. No idea of the darkness he carried within him.

And now that I do, he has disappeared.

There isn’t a single trace of him anywhere. Even his company has been relocated, wiped from existence as if he never existed in the first place. No matter how many shares I buy to force him into the open, he stays one step ahead, slipping through my fingers like smoke.

I shuffled my hand through my hair, exhaling sharply as I glanced around my study. The room was a disaster, papers scattered across every surface, filled with reports, articles, anything that might help me connect the dots leading to Shaurya Raichand. But the more I searched, the more elusive he became.

I was engrossed in my own cloud of thoughts when the door swung open.

"Bro, look at this", Ruhaan strode into the room, his expression was tensed as he handed me a new piece of information. My heart pounded as I snatched it from his hands, praying that this was the lead I so desperately needed.

No matter how hard my team is searching for Samantha, I can’t just sit at home and wait for a miracle. Every passing second feels like a dagger to my chest, and I refuse to be a helpless spectator. I’m going to find her myself, even if it costs me my life.

And when everything is on the line, your best friend never fails to show up.

I skimmed through the scattered papers in front of me while Ruhaan continued, "Bro, Samantha has not left the city. We checked the footage from all the airports in the past few hours, there’s no sign of her."

His words sent a small wave of relief through me, but suspicion overtook my slightest hope. "You mean our team is being misled?", I asked, my brows twitching together.

"Of course. Samantha is still in Mumbai",  he confirmed and I exhaled heavily.

"She left her phone behind", I countered. "We can’t track her."

Ruhaan gestured for me to calm down as he turned his laptop screen towards me, "Watch this."

I leaned in, my eyes locking onto the footage playing on the screen. The grainy surveillance video showed a dimly lit side street. And then, there she was. Samantha.

My heart clenched at the sight of her, "There he is", Ruhaan muttered.

"Chasing Samantha. Just look at him", and my eyes fell on the man coming out of the car and moving towards Samantha while she stood there with no idea of his motives.

My jaw clenched, fury burning through my veins like wildfire. I watched as he followed her, his movements calculated, his presence became too suspicious. He had been hunting her for years, lurking in the shadows, waiting for his moment. And now, he has finally made his move.

I gritted my teeth, my fists tightening until my knuckles turned white, "I will kill him", I blurred out.

Ruhaan noticed the shift in my demeanor because he placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Save your anger for later, brother", he said.

"Right now, Samantha needs us. We have to get to her before he....", Ruhaan stopped in the middle while I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think clearly.

"There’s no way he can escape Mumbai", Ruhaan continued. "We have our most trusted men covering every exit. He can’t slip past them at every turn. That means we still have time."

Time.

That was the only thing standing between me and losing her forever.

I shot up from my seat, grabbing my blazer without a second thought, "Let’s go....", I ordered, my voice firmer than before.

Without wasting another second, we rushed out, heading straight for the car. The engine roared to life as we sped off into the night while my heart continued to pound out of my chest.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my mind consumed by only one thought, "I’m coming, Samantha."

Hold on, Samantha. Just a little longer.

You are my strong girl, and I swear, I won’t let anyone take you away from me.

___________________________________________

Samantha

A suffocating silence filled the room as I lay on the cold, dust covered floor, my body curled in on itself like a broken doll. My head throbbed violently, sending waves of pain crashing through my skull, and my limbs felt heavy as if they had been weighed down by chains I couldn't see.

The air around me was thick and stale, making it hard to breathe, and the darkness swallowed me whole, pressing against my skin.

'Where am I?', I thought.

I reached for my head, wincing as my fingers brushed against a tender spot. My vision was blurry, my mind foggy, but as I forced myself to sit up, reality hit me. A deep shiver crawled down my spine as I realised the truth, this wasn’t just any room. I wasn’t here by accident.

I was being held hostage.

The moment that realization set in, my heart pounded mercilessly out of my chest. Panic clawed at my throat, but before I could completely fall into its grasp, the flashbacks hit on me.

Flashback

"Mr. Raichand", I said as he stood before me, our eyes locking.

I had not expected to see him there. At first, I tried convincing myself that it was a coincidence, that the unease curling in my stomach was just my overactive mind playing on me. But the way he looked at me, the glint in his eyes, told me otherwise.

"Running somewhere, are we?", his voice was smooth, too smooth, and the way he arched his brow made an unexplainable fear coil inside me.

I had met Shaurya Raichand once before, at our product launch party. Even back then, something about him had unsettled me. His presence was suffocating, his aura too heavy, too consuming. I denied my unease as my overthinking, but standing before him now, I knew, it wasn’t in my head. And it wasn't just my overthinking.

That feeling hadn’t just returned, it intensified.

"Yeah… I’m just on my way", I had managed to lie, forcing my voice to stay even as I took a step back.

His smirk deepened as he took a step forward. "What if I help you out on your way, Samantha?"

Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run, "Thanks, I would rather go alone", I muttered.

But his voice darkened, "In fact...." he continued, his tone dripping with amusement.

"Where will you go after getting kicked out of your billionaire husband’s house?"

His words sliced through me like a knife and my fingers clenched into fists, my knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Did he just say that?

I refused to let him see how his words affected me, refused to acknowledge the way my heart twisted in my chest. I took another step back, forcing myself to keep my composure. "Following me this much isn’t good for you, Mr. Raichand."

"So, better stay away from me", and with that, I turned on my heels, desperate to run to God knows where. Just away from him.

But then I heard his laugh which sounded so dark, so cruel, that it sent chills racing down my spine. I quickened my pace, but his voice stopped me on my way already.

"Following you has finally led me to you, Samantha. And I don’t back off from the ones I have followed long enough."

I froze at my position after hearing his words, it just didn't let me to ignore what he was actually trying to say. I didn’t know what to say, what to think. All I knew was that something was very, very wrong and may be I needed to listen to it.

He took another step toward me, and I could feel his presence at my back, his warmth brushed the air around me, "Especially when the one I have been chasing all these years is my own family."

His voice was lower now, but more rougher than before. I could feel it more than I could hear it.

My breath caught in my throat as he leaned in just slightly. "Right, little sister?", his words sent a violent turmoil inside me, my body locking in its place.

And the more I tried to process his words, the more they suffocated me.

Little sister?

I spun around, my eyes searching his face for answers, for any sign that his words were some kind of joke in which I wasn't interested at all, "What do you mean?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he let out a slow breath, his smirk never left his face, it just made him look more cruel.

"Tumhe aise bhaagte hue dekh kar bahut sukoon mil raha hai, Samantha. Pata hai kyun?"

("It's giving me so much peace looking at you running away like this, do you know why is that so?")

My confusion deepened, but I had no words, no response. His eyes darkened as he took another step forward.

"Saalo pehle meri maa bhi aise hi bhaag rahi thi."

("Years ago, my mother was also running away like this")

A lump formed in my throat. My stomach twisted painfully, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t blink while he continued speaking, "Pata hai kiski wajah se?", his voice was softer now, but it held more venom than ever before.

("And do you know who was the reason?")

I instinctively stepped back, but he matched my movement, his presence was coming closer to me like a storm, "Tumhari maa ki ajah se."

("Because of your mother")

His words slammed into me like a hurricane, and my world tilted upside down. A sharp, unbearable pain settled in my chest, spreading through me like wildfire just by hearing about my mother.

This man, this predator, this dangerous human was claiming that our mothers were connected? That my mother was the reason for his mother’s pain?

I felt like I was drowning in a sea of unanswered questions but making it harder for me to breath. The weight of his words weren’t enough so his smirk returned, deeper than before.

"Meri maa?" I asked, my voice covered was covered in disbelief as I stared at him.

("My mother?")

Shaurya Raichand's expression was unreadable, but his eyes held a mixture of venom and pain. "My dad left my mother for your mother", he spat out.

Hearing those words was enough for me to shatter once again into pieces as he continued saying, "She stood by him when he had nothing. But the moment he tasted success, he abandoned her for your mother. And they didn’t just leave her. They destroyed her. They tormented her until she had nothing left, not even the will to live. She took her own life, Samantha."

"My mother died because of your mother...."

The words struck me to the core. I knew my mother had left my father for a wealthier man. But I never knew she had been the reason another woman lost everything, including her life. She had an affair with a married man? She not only destroyed our family, she wrecked another family too? Even Mr. Raichand's father forced her own wife to the hell? How can he do that?

The bundles of questions fall on my head, making it heavier than before, my chest tightened just with the weight of the trauma it holds for me.

I always knew my mother was selfish. But today, I realized she was a monster.

Mr. Raichand's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he continued spilling the beans in front of me, "And look how karma plays, Samantha. Years ago, my mother ran after a man who never truly loved her. But today…. you are the one running. Running away from a man who doesn’t trust you at all."

His gaze darkened when he threw the dirt of the truth right on my face. My heart became shallow by now just by the mention of the truth. The truth of my life, which Abhimaan threw at me.

I ignored every other thought that made me more weak. I faced Mr. Raichand's gaze as I felt my stomach drop as I watched him take a step closer. "My mother will finally rest in peace", he said with a venom in his voice.

His statement felt like a trigger warning to me as he kept taking steps into my direction while I followed the opposite steps.

"I will make sure you end your own life right in front of my eyes, Samantha. I will make you do that," he said with a hatred filled eyes.

His words sent ice cold fear rushing through my veins. My pulse pounded in my ears as my feet instinctively moved backward, but before I even realized it, I was already running. Running away from someone who was just there to make me pay for something I'm barely responsible for.

The air was thick with my terror, my heartbeat drowning out every other sound. But before I could get far enough, his hands were on me.

A harsh grip brushed onto my arms and a strangled cry escaped my lips as I thrashed against his hold.

"Please, Mr. Raichand. Please leave me. Please, mujhe jaane do. Meri koi galti nahi hai...", I almost begged him.

He remained unaffected as he kept dragging me towards his car, "I beg you to let me go, Mr. Raichand."

"You have to die, Samantha. I'm going to end the only bloodline your mother ever had", his voice was so harsh that it pierced through my skin.

My voice trembled, breaking under the weight of fear. But he remained unaffected, his grip tightening as I was just a rag doll for him.

"Bahut intezaar kiya hai maine iss din ka," he murmured darkly.

("I have waited so long for this day")

"I will make you hate yourself, Samantha. And when you take your own life, I will celebrate it. Even your husband will feel nothing but pity for you", his words slashed through me, deeper than any wound.

I struggled harder, my nails clawing at his grip, but Shaurya Raichand was relentless. I knew what he was capable of, I had only known him in a professional setting, yet I could imagine glimpses of his madness just by the way he sounded.

"I said leave me! Please.... I'm not your culprit, Mr. Raichand. Let me go, please....", my sobs turned into desperate screams, but my voice felt small against the horror I felt inside my chest. And it was the moment, my heart called out for Abhimaan.

He had always been my savior. But today, when I needed him the most, he was nowhere.

I didn’t know if it was my fault or not. But right now, none of it matters. I just needed him.

"Let me give you some rest first, Samantha. You are way too persistent....", he stopped on his way and I started taking heavy breaths.

A white handkerchief appeared before my face, the unknowing scent invaded my senses before I could even react. I twisted, kicked, and fought with all my strength, but it was no use. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision when I took breaths of something that made me feel dizzy.

"Will Abhimaan come for me? Or will I die without even seeing him one last time?", the only thing which echoed inside my mind.

Flashback Ends

___________________________________________

Pain. Deep, searing pain.

Every muscle in my body screamed in agony, each bruise was a cruel reminder of what had happened. My arms ached as I rubbed the deep marks Shaurya had left behind. Shaurya Raichand, my step brother.

I didn’t know how long I had been locked in this room. The dim light barely revealed anything, but I could tell, it was an old, abandoned space. But it was more of a penthouse. The air was thick with dust, and the damp walls smelled of decay.

I dragged myself to my feet, my legs wobbling beneath me, 'C’mon, Samantha. No one is coming. You have to get out of here. Before he comes back.'

Swallowing the fear that threatened to consume me, I moved towards the door. The knob rattled under my grip, but it didn't budge. It was locked.

Frustration bubbled inside me, but I forced myself to stay calm. 'Think. You have to think', I started reminding myself as I continued trying to open the lock.

I tried long enough but it didn't work then an idea popped inside my head. My fingers trembled as I reached into my hair, pulling out two bobby pins.

I crouched near the lock, my breath was shallow as I carefully inserted the pins. Every second felt like an eternity. My hands shook from exhaustion, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

Then....

Click.

The sound felt so satisfying that it brought a soft smile across my lips. I did it. Now I really need to get out of here.

Carefully, I pushed the door open, peeking outside. There felt nothing other than silence. The long hallway stretched ahead, there were doors on either side, all appearing untouched and locked. The place felt abandoned, but I really needed to calm myself as I had to find a way to escape away before I get caught.

The place felt so empty that I even doubt my kidnapping, there were no kidnappers other than my so-called step brother. If that somehow brought relief to me. My heartbeat hammered against my ribs as I took slow, careful steps forward.

The hall opened into a vast, dimly lit space and as I guessed, it was a penthouse. My eyes roamed around, searching. The walls were covered with old paintings which felt so old and dusted by now, even the colours of it were faded. I started darting to the place and there I saw, the front gate. It was visible to me. It was right there and with more strides, I would be heading out.

My pulse quickened. I can do this. Just a few more steps, I won't look back. I won't stop. I won't freez. I won't come back here again. 'No, no. C'mon, Samantha, that's your freedom calling you.'

Even though I was restless and tired, a sigh of relief hung over my chest until I heard his voice, "Leaving already?"

I froze. I literally felt immovable and every urge to escape from this place faded away with the trembling fear.

A chill spread down my spine as my breath hitched in my throat and I slowly, turned around.

And there I saw, Shaurya Raichand standing a few feet away, a wicked smirk was curling on his lips. "Are you going to leave alone?", he voiced out.

The bruises he has given me and the fear of his dangerous threats has consumed my inner strength that every word felt shiver over my body.

"C'mon, Samantha. You are just being so selfish to leave alone. Aren't you going to take her with you?", he said and my heart already dropped it's beat.

I couldn't decipher his words until he stepped aside exposing me to the figure standing behind him. Her face was pale, her body trembling like a fragile leaf in the wind. Her wrists were bound, her eyes filled with pure terror and I didn't fail to notice the tears gathering around the corner of her eyes, "Amaira....", I felt my soul shattered looking at her.

"Bhabhi..." her voice cracked as tears streamed down her face.

"Amaira!" I rushed forward, pulling her into my arms. She was ice-cold, her frame too weak to even hold onto me properly as I took no time in untying her wrists.

"Bhabhi, please mujhe bacha lo..." Her whispered plea broke something inside me.

("Bhabhi, please save me....")

I held her tighter and shuffled her tangled hair, "I'm here, Amaira. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise", I tried pacifying her panicked self.

I turned around to face Shaurya, he was looking at us as if he was enjoying watching our helplessness.

"Stop crying, Amaira," he smirked back after moving closer to us. He tilted his head mockingly as I wrapped my arms around Amaira in a more protective way, "After all, we are family", he spoke and a flames of rage and fury erupted inside me.

He can't play with my family like this. I won't let him do this.

"Mr. Raichand, please let us go", my voice was firm, but there was a desperate plea placed within it. I tried acting as polite as I could because I cannot afford to risk Amaira's life at any cost.

His smirk deepened, "Oh, Samantha. I see how much you love your dear sister-in-law. Why don’t you leave and let her stay with me? I promise I’ll take good care of her."

The more I wanted to turn off the building volcano inside me, Shaurya Raichand was disgusting me with every words he threw on us. Rage ignited within me as I just wanted to blurt it out, right on his face.

"You disgust me," I spat out in anger.

His expression darkened slightly, but I wasn’t done as I continued speaking, "Do you really think this revenge will bring peace to your mother?"

Trust me, I tried holding it back. But this is it. He has already tested enough of my patience.

His jaw clenched, his knuckles turned white at my words, "How dare you talk about my mother?", he growled back, taking out the gun from his blazer's pocket .

I covered Amaira but held my ground as I moved ahead being a shield in front of her, "Because the truth hurts, doesn’t it, Mr. Raichand? You think destroying my family will bring her peace? You think this will make her happy? I doubt that."

Shaurya’s eyes flickered in something hesitation so, I pushed it further, "She was a woman who gave everything to your father, and he broke her. But instead of healing, you chose to keep your pain alive. You chose to make others bleed for your wounds."

His grip on his gun tightened, "Well played, Samantha," he said, his voice colder than ice. "But this isn’t going to work for me."

"I’m not trying anything, Mr. Raichand. I’m just trying to stop you from doing something you’ll regret forever."

Within a moment, I saw something in his gaze and that was a conflict. But then, his expression hardened back to his old one, "Shut up, or I’ll kill you both", it was more like a warning making me tremble for a moment.

"If you’re nothing like your mother, then prove me, Samantha....", the smirk appeared again on his face while I twitched my eyebrows at him.

"What do you mean?", I asked slowly.

He held the trigger of his gun and I widened my eyes in shock, "One of you has to die today, Samantha. But prove me wrong by making a right decision", he stated firmly.

"Choose who is going to die today, Samantha. You or your little Amaira", he smiled devilishly when I felt Amaira's grip on my arms tightened.

My heart pounded out of my chest as he cleared his throat, "I'm waiting for your answer, Samantha. I will make a countdown. Answer me or I will kill you both", his voice became firmer enough to send shivers across my veins.

"Five....".

I took deeper breaths and closed my eyes. And once again, Abhimaan took over my vision even when there was nothing but darkness in front of me. I couldn't think of anything else other than him. His eyes, his smile, his laughs, his tease, his bossy vibe, his cute tantrums and what not? Within those fractions of seconds, I had every flashback of Abhimaan Malhotra.

"Four....",

Fisting the hem of my dress tighter, I suppressed every emotions flowing inside me. This life is not how I imagined it but never be ungrateful, that's what Dad has taught me. I'm grateful that I met Abhimaan and he gave me a family, I never knew existed. So, I just want to take all of it with me. Not here, but to a better place.

"Three...."

Where I could keep my values on peak and my feelings with pride. Because no matter how badly I wanted Abhimaan to trust me, I cannot blame him either. He has his own reasons to hate me and I cannot challenge God's plans.

"Two...."

I wish I could ever confess how badly I love this man. No matter how many reasons he has given me to hate him, I just keep falling for him harder. And even today, there is a part of me who craves to be in his arms again but as I said, God's plans hits different. So, I'm taking this life with me and the love this family has given me. And for them, I'm going to make a right decision today. I'm not letting my past take away something from Malhotras. I'm not going to destroy their happy family because family is everything and not everyone is lucky enough.

And maybe, it's the only chance I can see my Dad again. I can really meet him, hug him and tell him how badly I missed him. But on the other side of the world.

"Onneee...."

"Kill me, Mr. Raichand. And let Amaira go....", I faced him with nothing but serious emotions in my eyes as I pulled away Amaira's hold from my arms.

Looking at her teary eyes, I nodded at her for the last time as I cupped her cheeks, "Tell your brother that I loved him with everything I ever had. And I will always love him", I said with an unbreakable voice.

Holding my tears back, I made her turn around in the direction of the gate as I said firmly, "Run, Aamira. Just run and don't look back", and with everything I was holding back, I turned around to face Mr. Raichand as I stood straight in front of his gunpoint.

___________________________________________

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