Chapter 55

Author's Pov,

Claire glanced at Pihu, their eyes locking in a moment of silent communication. Pihu mouthed the word "Go" to Claire, her eyes pleading. Claire's hesitation was brief, her face reflecting the turmoil within her, but she knew Pihu was right. If she didn't make it to safety, the situation would only worsen.

Without further hesitation, Claire sprinted into the room, locking the door behind her. Pihu felt a mix of relief and despair as Claire disappeared from sight, knowing she had done the right thing but terrified of what was to come.

Inside the room, Claire moved quickly towards the closet. She pushed aside the clothes, revealing a hidden chamber at the back. She knew they wouldn't kill Pihu; if that were their intention, they would have done it by now. Her immediate task was to inform Laurent and Rudra. She also needed to contact her father to dispatch reinforcements to the mansion.

Her fingers trembled as she typed out urgent messages on the secure device hidden in the chamber. The sounds of chaos outside the room were a constant reminder of the danger they were in, but Claire's resolve remained firm. She would do whatever it took to protect Pihu and herself.

As Claire disappeared into the safe room, Gabriel approached Pihu from behind, his footsteps echoing ominously in the hallway. Pihu froze, her heart thumping against her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her hands tightened on the armrests of her wheelchair, her mind racing with fear and determination.

Gabriel's shadow loomed over her. "Mrs. Rathore, come. Someone wants to meet you," he said, his voice mocking and menacing. Pihu remained silent, her eyes wide and her breath shallow. She knew she had to stay calm, but the terror threatened to overwhelm her.

Two men appeared from the shadows, their expressions cold and detached. They grabbed Pihu roughly by her arms, lifting her from the wheelchair. She tried to struggle, but her weakened legs betrayed her, and her resistance was futile. The men began dragging her down the corridor, her body scraping against the floor.

As they reached the end of the corridor, Pihu's eyes widened in horror. The scene before her was gruesome. Bodies of maids and guards lay scattered, blood pooling around them. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the acrid smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils, making her stomach churn. She tried to steel herself, forcing her fear down as best she could, but the sight was overwhelming.

Her eyes fell on a man sitting casually on a couch, his features strikingly similar to Rudra's. However, his hair was streaked with grey, his beard full and tinged with silver, and his face lined with the wrinkles of age. His presence exuded a chilling calmness, a stark contrast to the chaos around him.

The men holding her threw her to the ground with full force, causing her knees to buckle and her back to flare up in pain. She winced, biting her lip to keep from crying out. The older man regarded her with a detached interest, his cold eyes assessing her.

"Well, well, look what we have here," the man said, his voice a gravelly echo of Rudra's. "You must be my daughter-in-law, Pihu." He leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "I'm Yashvardhan, Rudra's father."

Pihu's heart pounded as she stared at Yashvardhan, the man who had destroyed Rudra's life and now held her captive. She remembered Rudra's stories about his father—how cruel and ruthless he was. The realization that she was now in his clutches sent waves of fear and anger through her. Her eyes then shifted to Rudraansh, Yashvardhan's son, who was being dragged up from the basement. Rudraansh's condition was horrific; he had been tortured brutally, and his tongue had been cut out. Yashvardhan's expression hardened as he took in the sight of his son.

"So, you are the one who has captured my son's heart," Yashvardhan mused, his voice a chilling echo of Rudra's. "Interesting. I wonder how he will react when he finds out you're in my hands." He smiled coldly, leaning forward to inspect Pihu more closely.

Pihu glared back, refusing to show her fear. "Rudra will come for me," she said, her voice trembling but determined. "And when he does, you'll regret this."

Yashvardhan's smile widened. "Oh, I'm counting on it," he replied. "Let's see how far my son is willing to go for you." He motioned to his men, and they began to move, dragging Pihu along with them. Yashvardhan knew that fighting in Claire's mansion was not advantageous, so he decided to take Pihu to his territory where he had the upper hand.

As they forced Pihu into a car, her mind raced with thoughts of escape and survival. She had to stay strong. The men roughly shoved her into the backseat, and she struggled to catch her breath. The interior of the car smelled of leather and sweat, adding to her growing discomfort.

As the car sped through the streets, Pihu's thoughts returned to Rudra. She had to hold on. She had to believe that he would come for her. But until then, she had to survive.

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The crimson sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of angry red and despairing purple. Smoke billowed from the mansion's ruined shell, a grotesque mockery of the opulent home it once was. The acrid stench of burning wood and gunpowder hung heavy in the air, a constant reminder of the violence that had unfolded. As Rudra, Veer, and Laurent touched down in their helicopter, the ravaged scene hit them like a physical blow. Rudra's heart hammered a frantic tattoo against his ribs, a chilling premonition sending a wave of icy dread through him.

He didn't wait for the rotors to stop before throwing open the door and leaping out. Veer and Laurent were close behind, their faces grim as they surveyed the destruction. The ground was littered with the bodies of fallen guards and maids, their once vibrant uniforms now stained a dull crimson. Each corpse was a testament to the brutality of the attack, a chilling reminder of the lives lost. He sprinted towards the safe room, ignoring the debris crunching under his boots, his eyes scanning the scene for any sign of Pihu, of Claire.

Finally, they reached the safe room. Relief flooded Rudra as he saw the heavy metal door intact. But as they burst through, a chilling sight met his eyes. Claire lay sprawled unconscious on the cold floor, her face pale and drawn. Her swollen abdomen, stained crimson between her legs, sent a fresh wave of terror crashing over them.

"Claire!" Laurent roared, rushing to her side and scooping her up gently. His eyes widened as he saw the blood soaking through her white dress. Rudra's eyes, a stormy gray, held an unyielding resolve. "Get her to the hospital," he rasped, his voice tight with barely suppressed emotion.Laurent nodded grimly breaking out of his trance,sprinted out of the safe room, carrying Claire with a reverence reserved for the fragile.

With Claire gone, Rudra turned to Veer, his expression hardening. "We're going after them," he growled, a low rumble that sent shivers down Veer's spine. "Get our men ready. I won't let him take her."

Meanwhile, miles away, Yashvardhan's convoy snaked through the darkening countryside. A dozen black cars, sleek and menacing, formed a tight formation, with Yashvardhan's vehicle at the center, a metal fortress surrounded by his most loyal henchmen. In the backseat, Pihu was a trembling mess, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Every bump in the road, every sharp turn, sent a fresh wave of terror crashing over her. Yashvardhan, a predator savoring his prey's fear, cast her occasional glances, his lips curled into a cruel, predatory smile.

Then, without warning, the world exploded in a deafening roar. The first and last cars in the convoy were ripped apart in a fiery inferno, the force of the blasts sending shockwaves through the remaining vehicles. The convoy screeched to a halt, throwing Pihu forward as Yashvardhan's men scrambled out, guns drawn and faces etched with raw panic.

As the smoke began to clear, a figure emerged from the chaos. Rudra, his eyes blazing with a fury that rivaled the inferno behind him, strode forward, flanked by his men like a vengeful god leading his army. Helicopters hovered overhead, casting long shadows across the battlefield, their searchlights illuminating the scene like a macabre spotlight. Yashvardhan stared in disbelief, his carefully laid plans unraveling before his very eyes.

Yashvardhan, momentarily stunned, stared at Rudra, his smug expression replaced by confusion. "How... how did you know?" he stammered, his voice cracking.

"Don't underestimate me, Yashvardhan," Rudra bellowed, his voice a force of nature. "It's over. Let Pihu go."

Yashvardhan, a flicker of desperation flashing in his eyes, sneered. He stepped out of his car, dragging a screaming Pihu with him. A cold smile played on his lips as he pressed the gun against her temple. "Not so fast, Rudra," he taunted. "You think you can take me down that easily? I still have leverage."

Rudra's eyes, locked on Pihu's tear-streaked face, held a silent promise of safety. "Your leverage means nothing, Yashvardhan," he countered, his voice a steely whisper. "You won't leave here alive."

The scene became a tense standoff, the air thick with the threat of violence. Yashvardhan's grip tightened on Pihu, his eyes glinting with a dangerous madness. "You don't have the guts to shoot me while I'm holding her," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "You can't do anything, just like you couldn't when I killed your mother and your so called sister!"

Rudra's jaw tightened, but his resolve remained unshaken. "You're wrong," he said softly. "I don't need to shoot you to take you down."

With a hand signal so swift it seemed like a twitch, Veer coordinated their hidden snipers. Shots cracked through the air with deadly precision, taking down Yashvardhan's men one by one. The surprised yells of Yashvardhan's goons were cut short, replaced by the deafening symphony of gunfire that erupted into a chaotic ballet of violence. Rudra used the momentary distraction to his advantage. He lunged forward, a predator closing in on its prey. In a flash, he disarmed Yashvardhan, the gun clattering uselessly to the ground. With his other arm, he yanked Pihu behind the relative safety of a nearby car, shielding her fragile form with his own body.

The air turned thick with the acrid tang of gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood. Shouts and screams echoed through the battlefield, a horrifying chorus to the relentless gunfire. Rudra's men, vastly outnumbering Yashvardhan's dwindling forces, fought with a controlled fury. Each shot was a calculated takedown, a grim counterpoint to the desperate, erratic blasts from Yashvardhan's side.

Veer, a whirlwind of focused rage, dueled with Gabriel. Their movements were a blur of deadly grace, each blow a testament to years of honed skill. But Rudra's eyes were locked on only one target – Yashvardhan.

Yashvardhan, sensing the tide turning against him, a flicker of desperation flashing in his eyes, lunged for an escape. But Rudra was faster. In a heartbeat, he was on Yashvardhan, tackling him to the ground with a force that knocked the wind out of both of them. He pinned Yashvardhan down, his grip like a vise, his face a mask of cold fury.

"This is for Ayana!" Rudra roared, his voice a guttural primal scream. With each word, a fist connected with Yashvardhan's face, the sound of bone meeting flesh a sickening counterpoint to his roar. Blood streamed down Yashvardhan's face, but a twisted, almost gleeful smile played on his lips.

"This is for my mother!" Another blow landed, the sickening crack echoing through the already chaotic scene. A primal fury burned in Rudra's eyes, his face contorted in a mask of rage and grief.

"And this," he spat, his voice laced with a deadly calm that sent shivers down Pihu's spine, "This is for Pihu." Each punch was a controlled explosion of years of pent-up rage and despair. He rained down blow after blow, his movements a whirlwind of vengeance.

Yashvardhan coughed up blood, a broken, bloody laugh escaping his lips. "You're no better than me, Rudra," he rasped, his voice thick with venom and a hint of deranged satisfaction. "You've become the monster you hunt."

Rudra met his gaze, his own eyes burning with a cold fire that held no mercy. "I'm nothing like you," he said, his voice a low growl that promised retribution. "And you will pay for everything you've done." The words were a vow, etched in steel.

With a final, bone-jarring blow, Rudra subdued Yashvardhan. He stood panting, his chest heaving, the violence momentarily draining the fire from his eyes, leaving behind a chilling emptiness. "Take them away," he rasped, his voice hoarse with exertion. "Make sure they enjoy their stay in the deepest, darkest cell you can find."

His men swarmed forward, hauling Yashvardhan and his remaining goons away. As they were dragged off, Yashvardhan cast them a final, venomous look.

As his men moved to secure the remaining hostiles, Rudra turned to Pihu. His face, etched with the harsh lines of violence moments before, softened instantly with a deep concern that washed away the remnants of rage. He knelt before her, his movements gentle despite the chaos swirling around them.

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TBC