Chapter Seventy Six.
Devraj drove his car into the driveway of a big suburban mansion..
He hit the brake and the car halted abrupt. He opened the door and stepped out, slamming the door shut behind him.
He began rolling the sleeves of his shirt up his forearms. He looked up at the mansion, a sneer contorting his jawline.
Clenching his fists, he stormed toward the entrance.
He slammed his fist against the door, the sound echoing.
The moment a startled maid opened it, Devraj shoved the door wide with a single push, brushing past her before she could even utter a word.
"Who on earth is that-" Rani's mom voice, abruptly cutting off mid sentence, when she saw Devraj.
His gaze locking onto the older woman adorned in a golden saree. She had been leisurely inspecting several jewelry sets arrayed on the glass table before her.
She furrowed in confusion, slowly rising to her feet.
"Devraj?" she called out, adjusting the drape of her saree. "This is certainly a rare and unexpected surprise to-"
"Where is Rani?" he calmly interrupted.
The woman looked at him keenly.
"My daughter? She is upstairs in her room. Is there a reason-"
"Call her out." Devraj demanded, his fists tightening further, the veins along his forearms bulging against his skin.
"W-What? Why on earth-"
"You share a long-standing personal relationship with my parents, Auntie, not with me." Devraj stated. "I am respectfully asking you to bring that witch down here, and I am exercising every ounce of my remaining patience to do so politely. Do not force me to retrieve her the hard way."
Realizing the immediate explosive danger standing in her living room, the woman offered a single, terrified nod to the maid waiting nearby. The maid bowed and literally hurried up the staircase to fetch Rani.
She stared at Devraj. Up close, the terrifying physical reality of his rage was overwhelming.
His jaw clenched and unclenched with enough force to crack bone, the muscles in his neck strained tight, and his arms were locked like iron bars, his knuckles pale.
He didn't just look angry, he looked feral.
What on earth did that foolish girl do to provoke him like this? she panicked internally, a cold sweat breaking out across her brow.
"D-Devraj..." she stammered, taking an step back cautiously "Did she... did Rani do something to upset you? I mean, surely she-"
Devraj slowly snapped his gaze toward her, and the lethality in his eyes instantly suffocated the words right in her throat.
She snapped her mouth shut.
"Oh my gosh! Devraj!"
Rani's voice called out. They both turned to see Rani walking down the staircase, a smile on her face. Actually she was blushing.
She hurried down the rest of the steps and straight toward him.
"Hi! I... I can't believe you actually came to see me!" She beamed.
Devraj's face contorted into a scowl.
Rani shot a quick, dismissive glance toward her mother's pale, terrified face, but she couldn't care less.
Devraj Singh Rathore was standing in her living room, and that was all that mattered.
"I was honestly so happy when-"
Devraj stepped forward and wrapped his massive hand around her throat.
Her mother gasped.
"What on earth-?!"
"You dare..." Devraj growled. "You fucking dare to hire a man to throw my woman into a filthy hellhole?!"
Rani's eyes dilated in horror as the air was instantly choked out of her lungs.
Her hands flew up, fingers clawing at his iron grip, but his arm didn't move a single biy. She couldn't breathe. Her vision began to blur.
"D-Devraj... please! I beg of you, let my daughter go!" her mother shrieked, dropping all pretense of high-society poise as she threw herself forward "Please! You're going to kill her!"
"And do you think Ira wouldn't have met an excruciating death because of your daughter's sick, twisted mind?" Devraj demanded, his grip tightening more around her throat. "I have warned you again and again... stay the fuck away from me, and stay far away from Ira!"
Rani was barely holding onto consciousness, her hands feebly tearing at his fingers as the world turned gray.
Just as her eyes began to roll back, Devraj abruptly released his grip.
Rani collapsed onto the floor gasping for air, coughing uncontrollably as her lungs burned.
Her mother instantly rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her shivering daughter.
Devraj looked down at the two of them with disgust. Slowly he squatted down to Rani's eye level.
As she lay there trembling and desperate for oxygen, his hand clamped around her jaw, a bruising grip that forced her head back to meet his gaze.
"Don't die on me just yet." Devraj whispered terrifying smirk stretching across his face, that sent a shiver straight down her spine.
"I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of how thoroughly I am going to ruin your entire existence, Rani."
"Why... why her?!" Rani struggled to rasp out, "She came out of nowhere and took the spot that was supposed to be mine!"
Devraj's face contorted into revulsion..
"Who on earth ever gave you the delusion that I would glance your way?" he sneered. "I have always despised your very presence, but I exercised restraint for the sake of long-standing family ties. But this time... you pushed me way too far."
"Please, Devraj! I beg of you, forgive her!" her mother pleaded, clutching his arm desperately.
He didn't even bother turning his head toward her. His gaze still remained locked entirely on Rani as his lips curved into a chillingly beautiful smile.
"I can't do that, Auntie." Devraj murmured softly "Ira suffered. She was terrified and bleeding... so Rani will suffer in equal measure. And do you want to know the best part?"
He leaned in closer to Rani's ear. "I am going to destroy you using the exact same path you chose to ruin my Ira, by using Samar."
Rani's eyes widened..
"No... no!" Rani gasped, as she scrambled backward across the floor, her trembling hand clutching her bruised neck.
"What's the matter, Rani? You don't enjoy the taste of your own cruel medicine?" Devraj smirked down at her, rising to his full towering height.
"Devraj... please. Listen to the desperate pleadings of an elder-"
"Your daughter!" Devraj's voice suddenly detonated that silenced her mother instantly. "Your sick, twisted daughter orchestrated a hit to have my Ira dragged straight into the brutal world of human trafficking! She intended for her to be violated, tortured, and murdered!"
The mother's eyes widened in shock. She slowly turned her head, staring at Rani in horrified disbelief.
"So, your daughter will endure that exact fate instead." Devraj stated flatly.
"W-What...?" the mother stammered, her voice shaking.
"Rani will take Ira's place in that very ring."
Devraj outlined calmly, "She will spend her days satisfying men, subjected to the exact torture she scripted for my woman. And once I am entirely satisfied that she is broken and tainted beyond repair, I will have her permanently locked away in an asylum. It is simple math, really...
an eye for an eye."
his lips curving into a merciless smile again.
"No! No, please! Devraj, I'm so sorry!" Rani shrieked, scrambling forward on her hands and knees, desperately crawling toward his shoes to beg.
Before she could reach him, the front doors swung open.
The sound of high heels echoed, as a group entered the living area, a striking woman leading two massive, stoic men.
Her commanding aura and heavy makeup instantly marked her as a high-tier madam running the city's most ruthless underground brothel.
"Mr. Rathore..." the woman greeted, her voice devoid of emotion as she bowed her head respectfully.
"That's her." Devraj said, pointing a single, careless finger down at Rani, who froze mid-crawl.
Rani's breath hitched, her body shaking.
The madam offered a curt gesture to the two men behind her. Without a word, the men stepped forward, easily hauling Rani up by her arms as she began to scream.
"No! No... Maa! Maa, help me!" Rani cried, thrashing desperately against the tight grips of the two men, but her struggles were useless as they relentlessly hauled her out. The madam followed.
"This is an atrocity-" her mother began.
Devraj slowly turned his head..
"Tell me, Auntie... how many total assets does your family currently hold across India and Nepal?" he growled.
The color instantly drained from the woman's face.
"W-What...?"
"Your daughter is merely receiving her customized punishment for a vile crime."
Devraj stated coldly, stepping toward her.
"But if you or your pathetic husband entertain even the slightest thought of interfering with her sentence..."
He paused. "...I will personally ensure this entire country becomes a living hell for you both."
"All of this..." the mother stammered, "All of this... over one woman?"
Devraj closed the remaining distance between them, a smile never leaving his face. He leaned down slightly.
"Do you truly want to test how much further I am willing to go?" he whispered, his smile widening. "Try touching even a single strand of hair on her head, and find out."
Thedarkness lurking behind his eyes was so terrifying that she instinctively took two shuddering steps back.
"Have a wonderful day ahead, Auntie. Oh and my regards to your husband." Devraj said politely.
he turned and walked out of the mansion.
Left completely alone, Rani's mother clutched her head, her chest heaving as she panted for air in a state of complete emotional collapse.
"That foolish, arrogant girl!" she cried out in a helpless rage. "I warned her! I warned her to stay away from him!"
Devraj stepped out and walked toward his car, pulling out his ringing phone just as he reached the driver's side door. He tapped the screen and brought it to his ear.
"Did you take care of the situation?" Advik's voice drifted through the speaker.
"An eye for an eye." Devraj responded flatly, popping the car door open and sliding into the driver's seat.
On the other end, Advik paused.
"Wait... Devraj, are you seriously going to throw her straight into a human trafficking ring?"
"Going to?" Devraj chuckled darkly as he pressed the engine start button.. "I am fairly certain she is already being introduced to her first customer."
He threw the car into gear and drove off the driveway. Through the line, Advik let out an amused, dark chuckle of his own.
"I had to ask, where did you find that Madam that runs the underground brothel?" Devraj asked speeding down the road.
"Just a connection of my own."
"Asshole."
"Right. Well, on another note... RV just informed me about Kunal ending up in the hospital. He had to be taken directly from of Ira's family home. Were you aware of that?"
"Yes." Devraj answered, his grip tightening against the steering wheel.
"Are you holding up alright?" Advik asked, detecting the sudden spike in tension.
Devraj offered no response, his eyes fixed on the open road as he pushed the speed even higher.
"Are you seriously giving me the silent treatment right now?" Advik pressed.
Again, total silence met his question.
"Fine, suit yourself." Advik sighed. "Though it seems Ira is currently down here at the hospital to see him."
Devraj's foot instantly slammed onto the brake, the tires screeching, as the car jerked to a sudden halt.
"What did you just say? Ira is there?!" Devraj entire body stiffening into stone.
Advik immediately burst into laughter.
"You fucker! Damn, you are so fucked!"
Devraj's brow contorted into a scowl at his friend's merciless teasing.
"Fuck you, Advik."
"No thanks, brother, I strictly prefer women." Advik said back in a playful arrogance.
Devraj's face twisted in revulsion.
"I will be at the hospital in twenty minutes with Ira."
He hung up, restarted his car and drove off.
~??~?~??~
Ira sat on the edge of her bed as she stared blankly at the wall, lost deep in thought.
Her phone began to vibrate against the mattress. She glanced down at the screen and swiped to accept the call and brought the phone to her ear.
"Meri jaan.."
"Hey, Devraj." she responded.
"We can head over to the hospital now if you-"
"There's no need, Devraj. I have zero interest in going to see him." Ira interrupted.
Devraj paused on the other end, his ears immediately picking up on the coldness laced throughout her quiet tone.
"M-Meri jaan-" he began, hesitantly.
"I will come see you at your villa instead, Devraj." she stated firmly. "We need to talk."
On the other side of the line, sitting in his car, Devraj swallowed.
"Okay... do you want me to come pick you up myself?"
"You already have a permanent watchdog attached to my shadow, Devraj." she pointed out, rolling her eyes playfully even as her voice remained deadpan.
"RV can bring me."
Devraj chuckled breathlessly, he was.. nervous.
"Am I... am I in trouble, meri jaan? Because I suddenly can't shake the feeling that I am in deep shit."
"You will find out soon enough when I get there." she said.
"You sound genuinely scary right now, meri jaan." he admitted, a grin tugging at his lips despite his heart rate.
Ira rolled her eyes once more, a soft warmth blossoming in her chest.
"I'll see you tonight, Devraj."
Before he could offer another sweet plea, she disconnected the call.
She lowered the phone to her lap, gazing down at the screen, an irresistible smile broke across her lips.
"Silly man." she murmured to herself, gently shaking her head..