Chapter-18

Author's POV,

With their ice cream enjoyed, they gathered in the living room, each holding a bowl that held not just a sweet treat, but a moment of respite from their troubles. Pihu's smile was infectious as she savored each spoonful. "You know," she mused between bites, "it's these little things that keep us going, right?"

Shivani's agreement came with a wistful look in her eyes, a blend of contentment and yearning. "Absolutely. It's like a small escape from everything we've been through."

Shaurya leaned back in his chair, his eyes on Pihu and Shivani. "I'm glad I could bring a little bit of normalcy to your lives. You both deserve it."

The conversation took a serious turn as they reflected on their current circumstances.

Pihu's gratitude spilled out in words. "Thank you, Shaurya, and Shivani. I can't even imagine what would've happened if you and Shivani's dad hadn't helped me escape from his clutches. And Shivani, your unwavering support means the world to me."

Shaurya's reply was both sincere and modest. "You've heard it before that it's my duty. No need to thank me."

Shivani chimed in with her signature humor. "And as for me, just give me a little food from your delicious cooking, and I'll stick to you like a fevicol bond. And as for my dad, it his duty, so you don't need no need to thank him, just like Shaurya."

Laughter filled the room, casting aside momentary worries. "Well, you're the most adhesive friend one could have," Pihu teased, a twinkle in her eyes.

Shivani playfully rolled her eyes. "I told you, no need for thanks. You've got me as your personal bonding agent."

Pihu's expression turned serious, her voice carrying a heartfelt gratitude. "But if you both weren't there, I wouldn't have had the courage to escape. When Uncle told me about the escape plan, I was so scared. But Shivani, it was you who helped me conquer that fear. The day of our last exam, I was trembling with worry about getting caught as we left Mumbai city, planning our escape route from the college's back gate, and started our journey back to Varanasi. I didn't sleep for two days straight out of fear."

"Shaurya, your constant watch over our safety during our escape and helping us settle down here means so much. Also, for ensuring my family's safety and informing them about my current situation without catching the eyes of Rudra or his men."

Shaurya nodded, his gaze steady on Pihu. "I'm glad I could help. Oh, and I have to inform you both that your passports are almost ready. They will be ready in a few weeks. So, you can leave the country and go to America until the time Rudra forgets about you and stop searching, Pihu. And as for Shivani, you'll be clinging to her as always, right?"

Shivani chuckled. "Of course, Shaurya. You know I can't let my personal cook go too far." Pihu playfully smacked Shivani on the back of her head and said, "Bhukad."

Pihu smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Shaurya. This means a lot to us."

Shaurya's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Just doing my duty."

As they talked, a thought formed in Pihu's mind. She exchanged a knowing look with Shivani, and they both seemed to be on the same page. After all, they had been following Shaurya's instructions meticulously for a month now. It was time to take a small risk, maybe just a little venture outside, masked and cautious.

As Shaurya got up to leave, Pihu spoke up hesitantly, "Shaurya, we were thinking... since our passports are almost ready and it might still be a few weeks, maybe, just maybe, we could go out for a short while. We'll be careful, wear masks, and stay away from crowded places. It's just that we've been cooped up indoors for so long, and a little change of scenery would be nice."

Shaurya's brow furrowed with concern. "I understand your restlessness, but I can't risk your safety. My men are still keeping an eye out for any signs of Rudra's people. It's safer for you to stay indoors."

Pihu exchanged a determined look with Shivani and then turned back to Shaurya. "We promise to be extremely careful, Shaurya. We won't go far, and we'll be back soon. We're just going a little stir-crazy, and it's affecting our sanity."

Shivani chimed in with a playful grin, "Yeah, Shaurya, you don't want us to go insane, do you?"

Shaurya sighed, clearly torn between his concern for their safety and their genuine plea for a taste of freedom. After a moment of consideration, he relented, though not without a stern warning. "Fine, but only for a short while, and you stay close to the apartment. And if you sense anything unusual or suspicious, you return immediately. Understood?"

Pihu and Shivani both nodded enthusiastically, gratitude and excitement dancing in their eyes. With a hint of a smile, Shaurya headed for the door, saying, "Alright then, enjoy your short escape, but don't blame me if I have a lecture ready if anything goes wrong."

As the door closed behind Shaurya, Pihu and Shivani exchanged triumphant glances. They had managed to convince him, and now they were about to embark on a little adventure of their own, determined to make the most of their newfound freedom, even if it was just for a little while.

Unbeknownst to them, their seemingly innocent adventure would exact a heavy toll, jeopardizing the precious freedom they had managed to secure. Little did they anticipate that this escapade would set off a chain of events, akin to an approaching storm, seeking to upend their lives and cast them into a maelstrom of challenges. As they ventured out in search of a brief respite, they unwittingly paved the way for the storm to find its first clue, a hint of their whereabouts, and a chance to re-enter their lives with devastating consequences.

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In a dimly lit chamber in the heart of Mumbai, a chilling tableau of brutality unfolded. Rudra, consumed by his unrelenting obsession, stood before one of his guards, his fury manifested in every bone of his body. The guard, a hapless soul who had been entrusted with monitoring Pihu's every move, now found himself ensnared in a nightmare of unrelenting cruelty that had persisted for nearly a month.

The room reverberated with the sickening symphony of cruelty. Rudra's fists were like thunderbolts, each impact a vicious symphony of agony upon the guard's battered form. That man cries for mercy hung in the air, a desperate plea for respite from the unyielding agony.

Blood mingled with the sweat on the guard's bruised face, his features contorted in pain and fear. "Sir, please," he gasped, his voice a shattered echo, "we cannot endure this any longer. Just end it, end our suffering."

Rudra's eyes gleamed with a sinister light, a madman's delight in another's suffering. He leaned in, his voice dripping with venomous malevolence, "Oh, death shall come, my dear subordinate." He hissed,"But first, I shall paint a masterpiece of pain, a canvas of retribution for your failures." His words were punctuated with a malefic grin, as if he relished the horror he was about to unleash.

In the dimly lit basement, an inferno of anguish raged. The men who had once shared the grim duty of tracking Pihu now writhed in their own personal hells. Their bodies were a canvas of pain, a testament to Rudra's unbridled fury. Some were stripped of their legs, others had their tongues cruelly severed, while some were condemned to eternal darkness. Their meager provisions of food and water only arrived once, a calculated decision to prolong their agony and provide Rudra with an outlet for his rage until he could finally locate his Pearl.

Their eyes, once filled with arrogance and misplaced confidence, now reflected sheer terror. These windows into their souls conveyed the deep-seated fear of having catastrophically disappointed their master, a terror that gripped them with an unrelenting grasp.

Amidst the harrowing torment, a faint voice emerged from the depths of agony. The words trembled with a mix of desperation and hopelessness, "Sir, we did all we could. She vanished like smoke. We could not anticipate her movements."

Rudra's lips curved into a sadistic smile, his fingers caressing a sinister collection of instruments designed for torment. "Ah, but therein lies your mistake. My beloved Pearl may be elusive, yet you all are ensnared by the shackles of your own ineptitude. And as for RSR, incompetence is an unforgivable sin."

With a cruel nod, his henchmen approached, bringing implements of suffering that bespoke horrors beyond imagining. The room seemed to close in as terror swelled, the guards' eyes widening in dreadful realization of the torment that awaited them.

Rudra's voice was a chilling blade as he addressed his captives, his gaze gleaming with a perverse satisfaction. "You have failed me, every single one of you. And now, you shall taste the fruits of failure, sip the cup of torment that your incompetence has brewed. But do not despair. I will ensure that Pihu is a witness to your agony, a testament to the consequences of daring to defy me."

As the instruments of anguish were set into motion, the room underwent a nightmarish transformation. The wails of agony fused with the acrid scent of blood and despair, and Rudra orchestrated a macabre symphony of pain, a cruel crescendo intended to extract both information and sheer terror.

Amidst the torment, the guard's final plea emerged, the words a hoarse whisper of desperation, "Sir, just end it, please."

Rudra leaned in, his eyes twin abysses devoid of mercy or compassion. The corners of his lips curled into a twisted smile, a macabre reflection of his sinister intent. "End it?" he murmured, his voice dripping with a venomous sweetness, "Ah, but my dear subordinate, the end is a privilege reserved for the deserving." His words slithered like serpents, a caress of malevolence that sent shivers down the spines of even the most hardened souls.

A cruel amusement danced in his eyes as he continued, his tone a chilling whisper, Your suffering fuels my determination, a relentless drive that shall only be quenched when I hold my precious Pearl once more within my grasp. Pray, pray with all your shattered might that I locate her swiftly, for it is only then that the symphony of your agony will reach its final note." His words hung in the air like a curse, a promise of torment yet to come, a dire prophecy that shadowed the room and all those ensnared within its nightmare.

To be continued..........