ch 47 Dark Night
the air was tensed in mansion,
Meera was crying madly saying, '' mera beta... ptaa nhi kessa hoga.. a.. ashiana.. vo.. ono ptaa nhi kis halat m honge.. mujhe.. mujhe bhut ghabrahat ho rhi h... pr.. prerna .. agar unhe kuch..—''.
(My.. son.. i don't know how's he is.. and Ashiana ohh god.. I ... m scared what if.. Pr rerna what if something—)
Prerna cuts her in between holding her by shoulder her own eyes tears saying,'' no.. no.. noth.. nothing will happen to them meera... you see them brothers they.. they will .. bring them back you see... and Aarav bhaiya you know him na.. he will burn whole world to find them..''
Meanwhile, Aarav's car sliced through the night headlights cutting sharp tunnels in the fog-draped highway.
His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, jaw locked, eyes fixed ahead like the road itself was an enemy he needed to destroy.
His Bluetooth buzzed once. Then again.
Kabir's voice came through first, hurried and tense. "Bhai... we got something. The location trace came back , outskirts of the old industrial zone. It's an abandoned underground facility. Used to belong to Ricci's men before we burned their trade routes."
Raghav cut in, his tone clipped, controlled. "And there's more. That whistle sound Ashiana mentioned we checked our old surveillance tapes. It's the same pattern used by Ricci's right-hand man. The psycho's alive, Aarav. He's the one guarding her."
Aarav's grip tightened, a muscle ticking in his temple. "How long before you reach?"
"Fifteen minutes," Aditya's voice came through, grim and heavy. "We'll rendezvous at the south entrance. But Aarav—"
"What?" Aarav snapped, impatience threading his voice.
Aditya hesitated, then said quietly, "The file we hacked from Ricci's server... it mentions her name. Ashiana Sharma. There's something bigger. They weren't just targeting her to get to us. They said she's 'the key.' We don't know what it means yet."
The words made Aarav's chest go still. For a second, the only sound in the car was the hum of the engine. Then he exhaled slowly, voice low and burning:
"I don't care what they call her. I just know she's mine. And I'm bringing her home."
He pressed the accelerator hard. The car roared ahead into the storm-dark night, every second slicing closer to the underground hell where she waited.
Then Aarav's jaw clenched tighter as the road blurred past.
Every turn of the wheel echoed the storm brewing inside him.
The Bluetooth still crackled faintly, Kabir's voice saying something about coordinates but Aarav wasn't really listening anymore.
His thoughts were a blur of her face, her laughter, her trembling voice the last time she'd whispered his name.
Ashiana...
He pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator, the engine growling like a beast unleashed. "They touched her," he muttered under his breath, voice low and dangerous. "They dared to take what's mine..."
His eyes darkened, a deadly calm settling over him the kind that came before a storm.
Raghav's voice came through again, more cautious this time. "Bhai, don't do anything reckless. Wait for us. We'll go in together."
Aarav's lips curved in a cold, sharp line. "I've waited enough."
He tapped his earpiece once, voice steady but laced with fire. "Kabir, Raghav, Aditya .. meet me at the south dock. No hesitation. No mercy. Anyone in our way dies."
He hung up, tossed the phone aside, and reached into the glove compartment.
The cold metal of his gun met his palm.
For a second, he closed his eyes the image of Ashiana tied, afraid, flashing before him then he opened them again, steel replacing the softness.
"Hold on, meri jaan," he whispered, voice deadly calm now. "Your monster's coming."
when the mask men left
I swallowed hard, the echo of their words still slicing through my mind like glass.
Purpose... fulfilled... No. I shook my head violently, forcing the thoughts out, pulling myself back to the only thing that mattered.
"Raj..." I whispered, glancing at him. His small face was pale, tear-streaked.
My heart clenched. "Shh... I'm here, baby. Don't panic, okay?" My fingers trembled as I worked at the knots, my wrists burning from the friction, but I didn't stop. The rope finally gave way with a snap.
I bent forward, freeing him too, his little arms falling around my neck the second he was loose.
"Good boy," I murmured, holding him tight against my chest. "Now listen to me, we have to be really quiet and really fast, okay? Just trust me."
I slipped off the chair, bare feet landing softly on the cold concrete. My pulse thundered in my ears.
The heavy metal door loomed in front of me and to my shock, it wasn't locked. The latch hung loose.
"Why..." I whispered, frowning. "Why would they leave it open?" Every instinct screamed trap, but there was no time.
I shifted Raj on my waist, crept to the doorway, and peeked out.
The corridor stretched ahead dim, silent, the single bulb flickering like it was about to die. Nothing moved.
No sound but the drip of water somewhere down the hall.
"Okay," I breathed, tightening my grip around Raj. "We go. Slow."
We took one step. Then another. My heart dared to hope—
—and then laughter shattered the silence behind us.
I froze, spinning around just as three men stepped out of the shadows. All armed. All smirking.
"Well, well," one of them drawled, his voice oily. "Look at that. The little bird thought she could fly."
The second man tilted his head mockingly. "So fragile. So weak."
The third leaned forward, eyes glinting cruelly beneath the flickering light. "Run if you can, girl. Let's see how far you get before we break your wings."
I swallowed hard, shifting my stance just enough to shield Raj behind me. "Let us go,"
Another guard snorted. "We know exactly who you are, sweetheart. The boss said not to kill you—yet. But a few bruises won't hurt, right?"
The first one reached out, fingers brushing my arm. That touch snapped something inside me. I jerked back, eyes flashing. "Don't. Touch. Me."
I backed up, heart hammering, and tied Raj to my body with my dupatta so he wouldn't get separated from me.
One guard lunged I kicked him hard between the legs. He doubled over with a stifled cry.
"Raj, baby, close your eyes, okay? Don't look."
He whimpered but nodded, clutching my neck tightly. My breath came ragged, fear and adrenaline mixing in my veins. The footsteps drew closer again, heavy and cruel.
"Come out, doll," one of them jeered. "Won't make it hurt if you behave."
I gritted my teeth, whispering to myself, "You messed with the wrong girl.
Another charged I swung my elbow into his ribs, the impact knocking the breath from him.
The third reached for me I dug my nails into his face and slammed him against the concrete wall.
They collapsed to the floor, groaning and clutching themselves. I straightened, breathing fast, and let a hard smirk pull at my lips.
"You don't know who you're dealing with," I said, voice low and dangerous.
Then I ran.
I stumbled through the dark jungle, branches slashing at my arms, breath ragged, clutching Raj tight against me. My legs burned, but I didn't stop—behind us, the guards' shouts echoed, boots pounding the wet earth.
Then—whizz—a metal rod flew out of the dark. It struck my head. Pain exploded; I jerked forward and crashed to the ground, the world spinning.
I pressed a trembling hand to my head, warm blood slicking my fingers, but even through the haze I tightened my hold on Raj.
I forced my eyes open, blinking hard. Then, with shaking hands, I untied the dupatta and freed him.
A faint smile tugged at my lips as my vision blurred. "Raj... we're a good team, aren't we?" I whispered, cupping his cheek.
"Now it's your turn, baby... run. Run as fast as you can. You're a true Malhotra blood... come on, run!"
Tears glimmered in his eyes, but he nodded and sprinted into the darkness, small feet thudding away.
I watched until his figure vanished into the jungle.
Then everything tilted, black creeping in at the edges of my sight and I fell, the forest swallowing me whole.