27. Basement

Vyom Rajput's Pov

I stood frozen in shock as the kidnapper revealed himself to be none other than my father, Rana Pratap Rajput, the King of Mayapur.

His face was twisted in a scowl, his eyes blazing with fury.

"So, you're the one who's been behind all this," I spat, trying to keep my voice steady.My father took a step closer to me, his voice dripping with venom. "You're the one who's been causing all the trouble, Vyom. Your careless lifestyle has damaged our family's reputation beyond repair. You're a disappointment to me, to our family, and to our kingdom."

I felt a surge of anger and resentment towards my father. "You kicked me out of the family," I reminded him, my voice shaking with emotion. "You disowned me, and now you're complaining about my lifestyle?"My father's expression didn't change, but his voice took on a slightly softer tone. "You still have my blood in you, Vyom. The royal blood of the Rajput. You have a duty to uphold our family's honor and reputation."

I laughed, a bitter, mocking sound. "You're talking about honor and reputation? You, who kicked out your own son because he didn't fit into your narrow-minded, outdated ideas of what a prince should be?"My father's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. "How dare you," he growled. "I did what I had to do to protect our family's reputation. And now, I'm going to do what I have to do to restore it."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized what my father was planning. "What do you want from me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.My father's smile was cold and calculating. "I want you to come back to Mayapur with me. I want you to take your rightful place as the prince of our kingdom. And I want you to marry the woman I've chosen for you."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "No," I said, my voice firm. "I'll never go back to Mayapur. I'll never marry some woman you've chosen for me. And I'll never be the prince you want me to be."

My father's face turned red with rage, and for a moment, I thought he was going to strike me. But then, he seemed to regain control of himself, and a cold, calculating smile spread across his face."We'll see about that," he said, his voice dripping with menace.

My father's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with malice. " I never knew my only heir could be this stupid, You're making a big mistake, Vyom," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "You're going to regret not doing what I say. And you know why? Because I have something that you care about. Something that will make you do exactly what I want."

He paused, letting the tension build. "Vikram, your so-called lover." he said, his voice low and menacing. "Yes, I know all about your little relationship with the great Vikram Rajvansh. And I know that you'll do anything to protect him."

I felt a chill run down my spine as my father's words hit home. He knew about Vikram and me. He knew about our relationship. And he was using it against me.I tried to stay calm, but I could feel my heart racing with fear. What would my father do to Vikram? Would he hurt him? Would he use him as leverage to get to me?

But before I could even process my thoughts, Rithvik stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger. "You don't need to worry, Vyom," he said, his voice firm. "Vikram is one of the best in the Rajvansh empire. He's not someone to be trifled with."My father sneered at Rithvik. "And who are you to defend Vikram Rajvansh?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

Rithvik stood tall, his eyes never leaving my father's face. "I'm someone who knows the truth about the Rajvansh empire," he said, his voice steady. "I know that they're not just any ordinary business family. They're part of the dark mafia, and people like you can't do anything about them."

My father's face turned red with rage, but Rithvik just smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You see, mr. Rajput," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The Rajvansh empire is not something to be underestimated. They're powerful, they're ruthless, and they'll stop at nothing to protect their own."

"Now, Vyom is one of their own. and if you dared to harm him, rajvanshs will come at you with twice of force." I felt a surge of gratitude towards Rithvik. He was standing up for me, for Vikram, and for the Rajvansh empire. And he was doing it with style and confidence.

My father, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode. His face was red, his eyes were bulging, and his fists were clenched. But Rithvik just stood there, calm and collected, like he was enjoying the show.

My father's face was still red with rage, but as he looked at Rithvik, I could see a glimmer of calculation in his eyes. He knew that he couldn't take on the Rajvansh empire, not when they had people like Rithvik who were willing to stand up for them."Fine," my father spat, his voice dripping with venom. "If I couldn't kill Vikram, then I'll let you and Vikram be together. I swear on my kingdom, on my honor, on my family's reputation. I will not stand in your way."I felt a surge of shock at my father's words. Was he really giving up? Was he really willing to let me be with Vikram?But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that made my blood run cold. I saw a glimmer of hatred, of resentment, of anger. My father wasn't giving up, not really. He was just biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Rithvik seemed to sense it too, because he took a step forward, his eyes never leaving my father's face. "I'm watching you, Rana Pratap," he said, his voice low and menacing. My father's face twisted in a snarl, but he said nothing. He just turned and walked away, leaving Rithvik and me standing there, wondering what he was planning next.As we watched him go, Rithvik turned to me and said, "We need to get out of here, Vyom. We need to get back to Vikram and make sure he's safe."I nodded, my heart still racing with fear. I knew that my father wasn't going to give up easily, and I knew that we had to be prepared for anything.

But as we turned to leave, I felt a sense of panic rising up inside me as I realized that we were trapped. The door was locked from the outside, and there was no way for us to escape. We were stuck in this basement, with no ventilation and no way out.I started to feel claustrophobic, my breath coming in short gasps. I hated confined spaces, and being in a basement with no way out was my worst nightmare.

And to make matters worse, I had just seen my father again. The man who had rejected me, who had thrown me out of our family's kingdom. Seeing him again had brought back all the painful memories, all the feelings of rejection and abandonment.I felt like I was going to pass out, my vision blurring at the edges. Rithvik grabbed my arm, holding me upright. "Vyom, stay with me," he said, his voice calm and steady. "We'll get out of here, I promise."

But I couldn't shake off the feeling of panic. I was trapped, with no way out. And I was stuck with the memories of my father's rejection, memories that I thought I had long buried.I felt like I was going to lose my mind, the walls closing in on me. I was trapped, and I didn't know how to escape.Rithvik tried to calm me down, but I could feel myself slipping away. I was back in my nightmares, back in the dark, confined spaces that I hated so much.I was trapped, and I didn't know how to get out.

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~to be continued...