48| Real chaos.
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"Why are you in such a hurry... Father?"
The delicate but fierce voice tore through the silence in here, making tarun flinch and turn right away.
And the sight in front was almost impossible for him to witness, almost.
His daughter? His death.
Tara stood before him with the gun in her hands aiming at Tarun's head.
His eyes drowning in disbelief seeing his own daughter raising a gun at him.
"Princess?" His gaze softened, a mask forming over his face as he slowly moved his hand to bring his gun up.
"Don't" Tara warned, her eyes shifting from his gun to his face back and when he gripped his gun, Tara shot on his hand and the gun fell to the other side.
The silence here wasn't bearable, Tara curled herself in bed but her patience clearly had given up as she couldn't just stay at the same place being helpless and clueless anymore.
For a moment, she sat quiet.
As if gathering the courage to do what she wasn't supposed to.
Then, she got up and drew her eyes around the room and Lia's few words clicked in her mind-
"Ma'am please do not even think of getting out of here, because this room is the only safe place for you."
Tara never had an idea where she had been kept, that she was in her own grandfather's place... A place which was nothing but an illusion to deceive eyes, A virtual maze with mysteries buried in every corner of it.
"I can't sit like this anymore" She muttered under her breath, her eyes stopped at the door which was locked.
She walked to the door since it was the only way to enter or leave the room. She slightly pushed the door outwards but what happened the other second shook her to the core.
Now, there was no exit or entrance.
That door disappeared like it was never there.
Her eyes flicked wide, but then she stepped ahead and glared around-
Mirror upon mirrors, stretching in every direction like a shimmering labyrinth.
The next sight?
Her reflection multiplied instantly?- infinite versions of herself, All moving just a breath out of sync.
She turned left, then right... Each movement unanticipated and mirrored by ghosts that weren't quite hers.
Panic whispered at the edge of her mind.
She had never witnessed something like this in her life, the shapes moving behind the glass were just out of focus.
They weren't her, but the quiet deceivers.
The corridor stretching ahead was another trap, but she moved onto it. Because there was no way out and only the one who knows how to crack these mind games could get away from here.
"Aayansh" She whispered between those dry breaths, but then she gathered herself.
Her each step was echoing through the hallways, the silence went far more than consuming.
There were several paintings attached to the finely carved walls, Lively, Scary And fascinating.
But gradually, darkness started taking over the sight with each step she took.
A darkness so drowning that now, there was nothing in view.
She didn't stop, but grew careful.
And then some faint noises filled her ears, someone's movements?
"Anyone's here?" She urged, hoping for any response.
No response, but the noises went louder amongst this darkness.
Just when her feet twisted on something but before she could fall, she pulled the hard surface, came into contact with her hand and composed herself.
She let out a heavy breath and a dim glow splattered through the hallway, and the sight in front of her now was absolutely terrifying, absolutely.
It felt like she had stepped into her worst nightmare which had no ends, just brutality with every passing second.
Many dead bodies threw everywhere, dressed alike as these were Tarun's men.
And right now, Tara was present in that same corridor where a fight broke out between Tarun's men and Aariv, Braden and the others, just a few minutes ago.
Blood splattered on almost every corner of the area and bodies? Ripped with bullets like a fabric so miserably that it was impossible to recognise even the faces
Witnessing all this, she suddenly felt uneasiness in her chest and an urge to vomit.
"What the... Tara?" A woman's familiar voice made her freeze for a second.
She turned only to find Diya and Aariv standing a distance away from her, and both were wounded.
Concerned and desperate, both of them rushed to Tara who was coughing.
"Princess.." Aariv mumbled, panicking.
Tara lifted her gaze to them, disbelief and bewilderment crossing her gestures.
"You guys...?" She breathed, staring at them.
But diya interfered in urgency "This is not the time for question/answers" She turned to Tara, "You aren't safe here, and arsh-"
Tara's desperation rose hearing Arsh's name as diya added "Arsh is also here, but we don't know what's exactly happening. And we can't leave you alone, this place is not safe."
She handed her a gun "Tarun Jindal, your father, he's a madman. He killed your mother and now he's behind you-"
"My mom..?" Her words muffled with shock, pain and something she didn't realise.
"Hmm, he killed your mom Mrs. Iraa jindal, and he was blackmailing arsh to get to you" Diya exclaimed, her voice quick and laced with anticipation.
"See Tara, this is not the right time to explain anything" Diya added, "Just stay with us. Braden, luca and Tina are finding the way out and we have to look for arsh till then."
"Bro must be safe... right?" Panic surged in Tara, thinking about arsh.
"He is, obviously," Diya assured, and they made their way ahead.
Amongst all this, a round chamber pulsed with screens and switches which could be addressed as a heart of this maze... there was someone who watched, listened and pulled every string.
He moved like a whisper, ruled like a curse and the walls here?
They obeyed.
"SeCuRitY code broken, SeCuRity Code broken" The robotic voice echoed in the chamber and his dark blue orbs shifted to the screen, two room's security code was broken- one where Tara was, and the other of Darsh jindal.
It clearly meant that either someone entered the said places, or left.
His gaze turned colder.
Here Tarun reached the room where he had caged darsh, unaware that arsh was following him closely behind.
Arsh followed Tarun's step quietly, making sure he didn't realise of arsh's presence.
"Tara, I'm your father... put the gun down princess" Tarun murmured, his voice convincing but Tara didn't react.
Diya and Aariv were hidden outside this chamber as per Tara's command, ready with their guns and their eyes remained on her.
"I've waited to see you, my only child for so long" He added and hatred coursed through Tara.
"How? After killing my mom? Now you want to kill me?" His eyes widened hearing her venom filled words, sudden realisation settling that she knew what he was hiding.
The moment he took a step towards her, a hard voice cracked the empty space "Don't you fucking dare to come near her."
Tara turned her head to that voice's side where arsh stood, just a few steps away from her.
A heavenly satisfaction gleamed in her honey brown orbs after seeing her brother after so long.
While Tarun's eyes darkened.
"So you've manipulated my daughter against me?" He spilled, his jaw clenching.
Ignoring him, arsh reached Tara and leaving everything, she hugged him with all her strength... just like a lost child finally found her solace.
Arsh wrapped his arms around her securely, kissing her hair as he whispered "Princess..."
But then his eyes snapped from tarun to the other side on the couch where Kiaan and Dr. Raj's dead bodies had been laid like trash...
He knew Kiaan wasn't the real son of tarun, he was connected to him somehow.
But who killed these both?
Who was playing with everyone present here?
And how did that person know the things no one hadn't even imagined?
The diamonds? About Darsh being alive and caged? The trap of this villa?
Between all this mess, there was only one god... or a Devil?
Arsh's gaze froze the moment he saw the man lying in bed like a living corpse.
"Bade papa" He muttered under his breath and stilled for a moment until he heard a gunshot.
"Diya, Aariv" Arsh growled in urgency when his gaze met theirs who had just entered "Take him away from here"
He motioned towards darsh.
They followed his command right away.
"Princess" he looked at Tara who was still in his arms, not willing to leave him even for a second "You have to go out from here..."
"I won't leave without you" She hissed, and arsh realised something.
They were at a gunpoint.
For a moment, everyone froze.
"Get her aside" Tarun barked, a cold warning.
Arsh detached from Tara and pulled her behind him, as Tarun's aim was him. Meanwhile, Tara silently handed him the gun she carried from behind.
But they couldn't move, not when Tara was in a sensitive condition.
"Move away, Tara" Arsh commanded slowly, his other hand pushing towards the trigger of his gun from behind and his fierce gaze glued to tarun.
Tara took steps away from him slowly when diya noticed something.
The edge of the direction Tara was heading hadn't an end... another eye illusion?
And... The Man heading to tara.
But before Diya could react, Tara stepped onto it and a scream left her mouth as her feet twisted.
She didn't fall, but scooped in someone's strong arms which held her so firm, like from here, there was no escape for her.
"Aayansh.." A slow whisper left Tara's lips, her eyes darted to Aayansh who was holding her close to his chest as she clutched the fabric of his shirt.
His eyes were calm but cold, carrying a complaint and something which was more dangerous than anything.
Like a volcano holding its calm, but at the edge to destruction.
Tara wasn't supposed to be here, but she risked her life and not only hers, the life connected to hers too.
Tarun and arsh's eyes shifted to them instantaneously.
While arsh?
This time they being together didn't hurt him, because the love in Tara's eyes for this man... his ENEMY, wasn't quite hidden anymore.
But then-
Arsh's eyes travelled to tarun who was about to shoot at aayansh, there was no time to think mindfully, to decide even... just death.
Arsh, who was just a few steps away from Aayansh Tara, ran towards them immediately and the next second, two gunshots tore through the silence.
First bullet was of Aayansh, who shot at tarun's arm and made him fall back with his gun and the second was from tarun's gun.
Tara turned to look at arsh who was already looking at her, but her eyes flicked wide as she saw the blood splattered the marble floor just behind him.
?-Dripping down from his body.
The second bullet ripped arsh's back?- Brutally.
For a few seconds, silence consumed everything like a haunting nightmare.
Then?
"Bro..." Tara panicked, rushing towards him and diya, Aariv too ran towards them.
Panic surged, voices muffled and blood?
Blood was still about to spill.
??
The ward boys and medical staff carried arsh on the stretcher towards the emergency ward.
He wasn't completely unconscious, but the excessive blood loss made it worse.
Diya, Aariv and Braden stood just outside the ward where diya was a mess, her sobs echoed while Aariv and Braden was themselves devastated.
Diya kept staring inside, her eyes not even blinking as slowly a fear crossed her heart.
Fear of losing the love of her life?
"Arsh..." Her lips trembled with vulnerability, just when she felt a consoling hand on her shoulder.
She wasn't weak, she had learnt how to fight her battles by her own but at this moment, her inner self gave up.
"He'll be alright" A voice reached her ears but she didn't react, she didn't want to.
Tina and luca, there was no clue of them.
(Kya matlab saath mein bhaag gye?)
Tara wasn't adviced to stay here due to pregnancy, she was in the other section.
Tear streaming down her cheeks and panic inside her was no less, her legs felt so weak that she couldn't even stand on her feet.
Her body almost trembled and heart shuddered further as her gaze dropped to her palms, her dress where arsh's blood drops froze... fresh.
She was lost, her mind went numb as arsh's face was all she remembered at this moment.
While she was herself on a stretcher.
"I n..need to see him" She tried to get up, just when a assistant doctor reached her.
Tara somehow stood up as that doctor held her, pressing "Ma'am please calm down."
"How is my... my brother?" Her voice cracked with immense pain.
"He has lost excessive blood, so we're arranging it, he'd be fine, please calm down" She said.
"Mine a-and his blood group is same, take my blood" She urged, her lips still quivering.
She took a step ahead just when Aayansh pulled her back to his chest, scooping her trembling frame into him as he ordered the doctor "Blood has been arranged, go and check."
She nodded and left from there.
For a few moments, Tara kept sobbing in his arms.
Then, Aayansh pulled away and took her tear soaked face in his palms as she broke out again "Aayansh... I- I can't see him like.. this, unhe kuch nahi hoga na? I'll di-"
Aayansh seized her trembling lips with his finger, shutting her up as he said "Kuch nahi hoga, you trust me, Right?"
She blinked at him with teary eyes and nodded, he pressed a kiss against her forehead and held her closer.
Just when a sharp, twisting pain knifed through her abdomen.
She gasped, then a deep groan left her lips and she clutched her stomach as her body tensed with the sudden shift.
Aayansh pulled away, staring at her face carefully as he asked "What happened?"
"It... it's hurting, so... much" She cried out, her voice barely coming out of her throat.
Aayansh immediately lifted her and laid her on the stretcher as he ordered the nurses stood aside "Send the doctors dammit."
Tara panicked as the pain grew unbearable and she gripped Aayansh's hand tighter, mumbling "aah...yansh, I- I can't take this.. this pain... I can't lose our... b-baby"
Tear welled down her eyes with those words as she moved her head with uneasiness.
Aayansh leaned closer to her face as he kissed her hand, comforting "Don't panic jaan, nothing will happen."
Just then two gynaecologists arrived there, one was checking Tara's pulse/blood pressure and the other turned on the sonography machine.
Her groan grew heavier as the doctor examined her, while Aayansh stayed close to her throughout.
"She's having internal bleeding... I guess" Doctor Emerine frost, the senior doctor uttered in urgency and Aayansh's eyes snapped to her.
But before he could react, Tara gripped his tricep as she groaned "I- I can't bear this... pain"
Half an hour passed, leaning against the wall with his head resting on it, Aayansh was standing outside Tara's ward.
He was still-too still-his fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white as if he was holding himself just for a while more.
His eyes were close, face calm- so calm that it was scary... so scary- it was going to end with something worse than brutality.
"Sir, d-doctor is calling you inside" A ward-in charge's voice reached him.
Aayansh exhaled sharply, then walked inside the ward and his eyes directly fell on Tara.
She was unconscious, her face pale- almost like a lifeless doll.
He came near her, his eyes not shifting anywhere... away from her.
"She was distressed" Dr. Frost uttered, "But both her and your babies are fine."
Her one word caught aayansh's attention as he looked at her with a slight frown.
"Babies?" He pressed, his voice desperate.
"Yeah, she's carrying twins" Dr. Frost added, and Aayansh turned his gaze back to Tara.
"Leave" He ordered the doctor in his usual tone, his eyes still fixed at Tara's face as he took her hand in his and sat beside her.
Dr. Frost acknowledged immediately and left the ward.
For a moment, he quietly stared at her with an unreadable gaze, but his gaze held something deeper- unsaid and intense.
Then, he leaned closer and placed a kiss on her stomach.
Just when a notification rang his phone and something in him shifted.
And when he checked it, his gaze turned darker with an unspoken ruin... as if the devil inside him just woke up for worse.
It wasn't anger, it was a demonistic hunger.
Far more worse than cruel.
?
Dubai's streets flashed in streaks of light in the cold glow of moon and darkness.
An ordinary car cut through an exit ramp, trying to escape something which was lethal... and an End.
Tarun sat inside it, speeding the car towards a direction and somewhere he had an idea about his end, but clueless how it was going to be.
He ran from there, thinking he could save his life.
Everything seemed normal, until his gaze fell on the black car behind his. For a moment, he couldn't grab, but then he pushed his foot on the accelerator and increased the speed.
In the car behind him, sat aayansh whose bloodshot red eyes were noticing each moment of tarun, his nerves were taut- an indication that his anger was not in his own control.
But he didn't increase the speed, as if he's letting tarun struggle to preserve his last breaths.