chapter 66
The forest was too deep so silent that even the birds didn't dare to cross it. No sound of wind, no movement of leaves... just an eerie stillness that felt unnatural.
In the middle of that darkness stood a place walls rising high, hidden from the world, like it wasn't meant to be found.
Inside-
A man sat tied to a chair.
His head tilted slightly forward, blood dried near his lip, his hands bound tight. For a moment, there was no movement.
His fingers twitched.
Slowly, Rudra opened his eyes.
Sharp. Aware. Alive.
He looked around, taking in every detail the walls, the shadows, the silence.
"Who the hell did this?" he asked, his voice low, rough... but not weak.
A faint sound broke the silence.
Footsteps echoed not just one but many
The door creaked open.
Men walked in dressed in suits, tattoos visible beneath rolled sleeves, smoke curling in the air from the cigarette one of them held.
He stepped forward.
Calm. Smirking. Dangerous.
"Greetings... Rudra Singh Rajput," the man said, exhaling smoke slowly, like he had all the time in the world.
Rudra's eyes narrowed slightly as recognition hit.
"Alexander..." he said, his tone steady, like being tied to a chair didn't change anything.
A faint chuckle escaped Alexander.
"Good," he said. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't recognize me."
He took a step closer, stopping just in front of Rudra.
A smirk appeared on the man's face as he took a slow drag of his cigarette, exhaling it into the air between them.
"Finally," Alexander chuckled, stepping closer, "I've been wanting to meet the man who thinks he owns everything."
Rudra leaned back slightly against the chair, despite being tied, his presence still dominant.
"You went through all this trouble..." he said calmly, his eyes locking onto Alexander's, "just to say hello?"
A pause.
Then a faint, dangerous smile curved on his lips.
"Or are you scared to face me without tying me up?"
Alexander let out a dark, echoing laugh as he slowly circled Rudra, the sound filling the cold room like a warning.
He stopped in front of him, tilting his head, cigarette between his fingers, eyes filled with mockery. "Look at you, Rudra Singh Rajput... tied to a chair, bleeding... and still carrying that arrogance," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Tell me... where is your power now?" Without waiting, he threw a punch straight at Rudra's face.
The impact was sharp, blood immediately spilling from his lip, his head snapping to the side. For a moment, everything went silent.
Then slowly... Rudra lifted his head. A faint smirk formed on his lips despite the blood, despite the ropes, despite everything.
He let out a low breath, almost like a laugh. "Alexander..." he said calmly, his voice steady as if nothing had happened, "you didn't bring me here because I'm weak."
His eyes locked onto his, dark and unshaken. "You brought me here because you know only i can destroy you"
The air in the room shifted. Rudra leaned forward slightly, the ropes tightening against him, but his presence didn't break. "Look at you," he continued, his tone mocking now, "so many guards... hidden place... tied hands... and still..." he paused, his smirk deepening, "you're not enough."
Alexander's jaw clenched as he grabbed Rudra's collar, anger flashing in his eyes. But Rudra didn't flinch. Not even a second. "You should've killed me," he whispered, his voice low, dangerous, almost final. A pause. Then his eyes turned lethal. "Because now... you just invited your own end."
Alexander's grip tightened, his knuckles turning white as rage flickered uncontrollably in his eyes.
"You're always proud, Rudra..." he said, his voice no longer calm, but laced with something darker. "But this time... no one is coming to save you."
He leaned closer, almost growling now-
"You dared to bury my sister..." his jaw clenched hard, "I'll make sure you beg for death."
Silence.
Rudra laughed.
Like the threat meant nothing.
Alexander froze for a second.
Rudra slowly lifted his head, blood trailing down his lip, his eyes locking onto him with something far more dangerous than anger
Calm.
"She deserved it," Rudra said.
Each word precise.Unapologetic.Deadly.
The room went still.
Rudra leaned forward as much as the ropes allowed, his voice dropping into something darker, heavier.
"After what she did to my family..." he continued, his jaw tightening, "I didn't bury her for revenge."
A pause.
His gaze turned lethal.
"I buried her... to end her."
Alexander's breath hitched, rage exploding inside him.
But Rudra wasn't done.
"You think this is pain?" he added quietly, almost mocking. "You haven't even seen what I'm capable of when it becomes personal."
A faint smirk returned to his lips.
"You're angry because she was your sister," he said. "I destroyed her because she was a monster."
The words landed like a blow.
Rudra tilted his head slightly, eyes never leaving his.
"And now..." he whispered, voice dangerously calm, "you brought me here thinking you're the hunter."
A pause.
Then-
His eyes darkened completely.
"But you forgot one thing, Alexander."
"Even when I'm tied..." he said slowly, "I'm still the one people fear."
The air shifted.Because this wasn't a threat anymore.It was a promise.
Alexander's anger finally snapped.
With a furious expression, he pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at Rudra's head.
"I'll kill you, bastard!!" he shouted, his finger tightening on the trigger.
The guards around them instantly went still.
The entire room fell silent.
But Rudra.. didn't blink not even flinched
He simply looked at Alexander with no expression on his face, as if the gun aimed at his head meant absolutely nothing.
His eyes were cold.
That only made Alexander angrier.
His breathing turned heavier, rage burning in his eyes as his hand trembled slightly from fury.
Then suddenly-
"Easy, man."
A calm voice interrupted.
Everyone's eyes turned toward the entrance.
The door slowly opened.
And another man walked in.
Dressed in a sharp black suit, his hands in his pockets, his steps slow and confident.
His presence alone shifted the atmosphere.
Alexander glanced at him, still breathing hard with anger.
The man looked at the gun, then at Rudra tied to the chair.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"Well..." he said casually, his voice smooth and dangerous, "this doesn't look like a business meeting anymore."
Rudra slowly lifted his gaze toward the man.
Alexander slowly lowered his gun, though the rage in his eyes still burned like fire. He stepped back and looked toward the man who had just entered, a crooked smile forming on his lips.
"Welcome, Karan..." he said darkly.
Then his smile widened.
"Or should I say... Abhishek?"
A cold laugh escaped him, echoing through the room.
Rudra's gaze shifted between them, his expression unreadable, but his eyes sharpened. He watched every movement carefully, every word sinking in.
Alexander slid the gun back into his waistband and dusted off his coat as if nothing had happened.
"I was just teaching him a little lesson," he said casually, glancing at Rudra with mock amusement.
Abhishek let out a faint chuckle and walked further inside, his polished shoes clicking against the floor. His eyes landed on Rudra, and for a moment he simply stared as if admiring a dangerous animal locked in chains.
Then he smirked.
"You still don't understand, do you?" Abhishek said, his voice smooth and calm, but laced with poison. "No matter what we do to him..."
He stepped closer.
"No matter how much blood you draw..."
He crouched slightly in front of Rudra, staring directly into his eyes.
"No matter how much pain you give him..."
A pause.
His smirk darkened.
"Nothing can break this man."
The room fell silent.
Abhishek slowly stood back up and adjusted his cuffs.
"You don't destroy men like Rudra Singh Rajput with bullets," he said coldly.
"You don't break monsters by spilling their blood."
He turned toward Alexander, his eyes turning darker.
"You break them," he whispered, "by touching what they would burn the world to protect."
Rudra's jaw clenched instantly.
A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes.
Abhishek noticed.
And smiled.
"There..." he murmured, almost amused. "That look."
He stepped closer again, lowering his voice.
"That's the only way to kill a king..."
A pause.
His lips curved cruelly.
"Destroy his queen."
The air in the room turned deadly.
And Rudra, Looked like he wanted to kill someone with his bare hands.
For a second everything went silent.
Then suddenly, Rudra laughed.
A deep, dark laugh echoed through the entire place, bouncing off the walls like something straight out of a nightmare.
Everyone in the room looked at him.
Alexander frowned.
Abhishek narrowed his eyes.
But Rudra kept laughing, blood on his lips, tied to a chair yet somehow still looking like the most dangerous man there.
Slowly, his laughter stopped.
He lifted his head. And smiled.
"Well..." he said quietly, his voice carrying deadly amusement. "Very well..."
His eyes moved between the two men.
"You both are truly fools."
Alexander's expression darkened immediately.
Rudra leaned forward slightly despite the ropes.
"If you mess with me..." he said, his voice dropping lower, darker, each word sharper than the last, "I'll drag you both to hell myself."
The room went cold.
Then his eyes hardened completely.
"But messing with my wife..." he whispered.
A pause.
His smirk widened.
"That..." he muttered, shaking his head slowly, "is the kind of mistake no man ever gets to repeat."
Rudra's gaze turned murderous.
"You think I'm dangerous now?" he asked softly.
His smile vanished.
"Touch her..." he said, his voice now nothing but pure venom, "and I'll show you what a real monster looks like."
Even the guards shifted uncomfortably.
Because in that moment-
No one saw a tied man.
They saw death itself staring back at them.
Rudra's eyes shifted slowly toward Abhishek, his smirk growing darker.
"And you, Abhishek..." he said, his voice low, almost amused. "You know my wife, don't you?"
Abhishek's jaw tightened.
Rudra laughed softly.
"Then you should know better than anyone what kind of woman she is."
He leaned forward as much as the ropes allowed, blood still staining his lips, yet his voice remained calm deadly calm.
"Remember ...that " he whispered. "Your own brother betrayed her..."
A pause.
"And she cut him into one hundred and seven pieces."
The room went still.
Alexander's expression faltered.
Abhishek's eyes darkened.
Rudra smiled wider, almost proudly.
"That..." he said, his gaze gleaming with dangerous admiration, "was merely her revenge for betrayal."
He tilted his head.
"So imagine..." his tone dropped lower, colder, "what happens when someone touches what she loves."
Silence.
His smile vanished.
"And trust me..." Rudra muttered, voice now sharp as a blade, "when my wife becomes angry-"
He looked directly into Abhishek's eyes.
"Not even God himself will be able to save you from her."
The words settled like death in the room.
Rudra leaned back against the chair, still smiling.
"So go ahead," he whispered mockingly. "Try touching her."
A pause.
"I dare you."
"You bastard!!" Alexander roared, rage completely taking over him. "Even tied up like this, you still dare to talk to me like that?!"
Without holding back, he punched Rudra again.
Hard.
Rudra's head snapped to the side, fresh blood spilling from his lip.
Alexander grabbed his collar violently, breathing heavily with fury.
"No one is coming for you," he hissed. "No one will save you."
He leaned closer, his eyes wild.
"No one even knows your location."
Silence.
For a moment-
Rudra stayed still.
Then slowly...
He turned his face back.
Blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
He licked the blood from his lips.
Then smiled.
A slow...Terrifying smile.
Alexander frowned.
Rudra chuckled under his breath.
"My wife..." he said softly, almost proudly.
His eyes gleamed with dark confidence.
"She is coming."
The room went silent.
Alexander laughed mockingly. "You're delusional-"
"No," Rudra cut him off, his voice suddenly dropping lower.
Sharper.
Deadlier.
"You don't understand."
He leaned forward against the ropes, eyes burning into Alexander's.
"I am not smiling because I have hope."
A pause.
His grin widened.
"I'm smiling because the moment she walks through that door..."
His voice turned almost into a whisper.
"You will all wish I had killed you first."
Even the guards stiffened.
Alexander's confidence faltered for the first time.
Rudra kept smiling.
"She's not coming here to save me," he said darkly.
"She's coming..."
A pause.
"To bury every last one of you."
Alexander burst into laughter, the sound loud and mocking as he stared at Rudra with disbelief. "Oh my, Rudra... aren't you ashamed?" he sneered, shaking his head.
"The great mafia god... being protected by a woman?" He laughed again, cruelty dripping from his voice. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
But Rudra only looked at him and chuckled softly, blood still staining his lips, his eyes calm and filled with pride rather than embarrassment.
"Ashamed?" he repeated, almost amused by the thought. Then he slowly lifted his head and stared directly into Alexander's eyes. "Praising my woman is my duty," he said, his voice steady and powerful.
"Standing behind her is my pride. Letting her lead is my style."
The room slowly fell silent.
Rudra's smirk deepened as his voice dropped lower, carrying even more weight.
"I kneel in front of her..." he said without even the slightest hesitation, "because she is not just my wife.
" He paused, his gaze sharpening. "She is the goddess I bow to.
"
Even Alexander's mocking smile faded slightly.
Rudra leaned forward despite the ropes, his voice turning colder.
"You mock me for loving her openly..."
He smiled darkly.
"But weak men fear powerful women."
Another pause.
"Real kings..." he whispered, his eyes burning into Alexander's soul, "build thrones beside them."
-------
On the other side, Ishni stood in the dimly lit room, surrounded by Vipul and a few trusted men. The air felt heavy, charged with urgency and something far more dangerous her silent rage.
"Did you track his location?" Ishni asked, her voice calm but sharp enough to cut through the tension.
"Yes, ma'am," Vipul replied without hesitation. "It's in the forest. Remote area... looks like they're hiding there."
For a brief moment, silence fell. Ishni lowered her gaze, processing every detail, every possibility then slowly lifted her eyes, now burning with determination.
"Good," she said, her tone turning cold, almost lethal. "Then get everything ready."
The men exchanged glances, sensing the storm about to unfold.
"We're not just going after them..." Ishni stepped forward, her presence commanding the entire room. ..."we're going to sue them, destroy them, and make sure they regret ever crossing us."
Her fingers curled slightly as if already holding their fate in her hands.
"Prepare everyone," she added, looking straight at Vipul. "Today we don't just fight... we end this."
The men moved swiftly, urgency taking over every second as weapons were checked and plans were locked into place. No one spoke unnecessarily this wasn't just another mission, it was war.
After a while, the door creaked open.
Ishni stepped out.
She wasn't just walking, she carried authority in every step, power radiating from her presence. Her expression was unreadable, cold and composed, but her eyes... they held a storm no one dared to question. The men instantly fell in line behind her, following like shadows bound to her command.
No one walked ahead of her. No one even tried.
She reached the chopper, the blades already beginning to hum against the tense silence.
Without a word, she stepped inside and took her seat.
Then, with a single sharp gesture of her hand-
She signaled to move.
The engine roared louder, blades slicing through the darkness as the chopper lifted off the ground. Beneath her, the world grew smaller.
After a while, the chopper descended near the outskirts of the forest, the dense trees swallowing the light as if guarding whatever lay within.
"Ma'am... this looks very deep," Vipul said, glancing outside, uneasiness flickering in his eyes.
Ishni didn't respond immediately. She simply observed the thickness of the trees, the eerie silence, the kind of place where secrets were buried and never found.
Then she gave a small nod.
"Land a few meters away from the center," she instructed calmly.
The chopper touched down, the blades slowing as the night grew heavier around them.
Ishni stepped out first.
Her eyes scanned every direction, sharp and calculating. The men gathered around, waiting for her next command.
She turned to them, her presence alone enough to straighten their spines.
"Vipul and I will go inside," she said firmly. "The rest of you stay here. Stay alert."
They listened without a sound.
"As the network won't work properly in there, don't rely on calls," she continued, her tone precise and commanding. "We'll update you whenever possible."
A brief pause.
"And be prepared," she added, her gaze hardening. "Anything can happen."
No one questioned her.
No one dared to.
With that, she turned, and without waiting another second, began walking toward the dark, unforgiving forest, Vipul right behind her.