35.
Helicopters hover over Velqar, slicing through the sky like a warning of an approaching storm. The air feels heavy… as if something massive is about to be destroyed.
Zayran’s men are spread across the entire country not just Velqar. Every road, every border, every transport is being checked under his command.
And the reason behind this chaos…
Zayran’s feather is missing.
There is hardly any place left now. The entire country has come to know that Zayran Kaalver’s wife is missing.
It has been 8 hours and still there is not even a slight clue about where she is. And her husband… he has already turned everything upside down.
Almost everyone is praying that he gets his wife back because if he doesn’t no one knows what will happen next. The situation of the entire city is getting worse with every passing second.
“Don’t let any car or any vehicle pass without checking!” Grover shouts into the walkie-talkie, his voice sharp and restless as he walks back and forth, running a frustrated hand through his hair. His jaw is tight, his eyes filled with tension.
Laksh, Shaurya, Yuv and Om have been searching the entire city since last night, their eyes burning with exhaustion, their patience breaking but still not a single clue about Sita is found.
And her husband… he has not taken a single breath of peace till now. He stands in front of his car, his posture stiff, his shirt slightly crumpled, his eyes red yet dangerously focused.
His laptop is placed on the hood, the screen glowing against his tense face as his fingers move rapidly, trying again and again to track her location or the cab in which she was last seen before someone made her faint by spraying something on her face.
He looks calm… and his calmness is what makes his entire team, his entire gang, fear him to the point of death.
Because people don’t fear Zayran Kaalver when he is angry… anger is human. They fear him when he is calm… because that is when he stops being one.
He taps his fingers on the car bonnet impatiently, the sound sharp in the heavy silence as the cab’s location is being tracked. His eyes are literally dark, almost lifeless, yet burning from within.
And the way those eyes are desperately craving to see that one pair of eyes, the only ones that somehow calm him, is terrifying in itself.
Suddenly, the screen flashes with the tracked location. He snaps the laptop shut with force the sound echoing with urgency. Without wasting a second, he rushes inside the car and drops into the driver’s seat.
Grover doesn’t wait either, he quickly gets in beside his boss, his movements fast and alert. He pulls out his phone, searches the location on the screen and immediately shares it with all the men.
Zayran starts the car at full speed, the engine roaring as he drives towards the location without a second thought.
His grip on the steering wheel is tight, his knuckles turning white.
He doesn’t utter a single word. He doesn’t say anything to anyone…
and that silence is what scares everyone the most.
He has been silent from the moment her mother told him she is missing. Deep down, he is scared for her. He knows she is in danger because of him. And if something happens to her…
His jaw tightens painfully and his fists clench harder around the steering wheel, as if holding on to the last thread of control he has left.
He doesn’t care about any traffic signal nor about how his car almost crashes into trucks again and again. He doesn’t care. He is driving at full speed, his eyes fixed ahead.
The car screeches badly as it takes a sharp turn on the hilly road, the tires almost losing control but he still doesn’t slow down.
Before the car even stops completely, he pushes the door open and jumps out. His eyes move around in a hurry, scanning every corner like a predator searching for its prey.
He pulls out his gun, his hand shaking slightly not from weakness but from the storm building inside him. He runs from one place to another, his breath uneven, his chest rising and falling as he searches for her.
“Ma’am, where are you?” Grover shouts, his voice filled with worry as he looks around, his face clearly showing fear and tension.
Zayran’s steps suddenly stop. His eyes slowly fall downward. There… at the bottom of the hill… a cab lies crushed badly against the ground. It is completely wrecked, the metal twisted beyond recognition. And it is the same cab… the same one in which she was sitting.
Zayran closes his eyes, his teeth clenching hard as his jaw tightens painfully. For a second, everything inside him freezes.
Grover’s eyes widen as he sees the cab in that condition and fear rushes through him, the fear of losing his madam.
Zayran opens his eyes again and looks around the place, his gaze sharp and dangerous. And just then… his eyes catch a glimpse of a man running through the dark bushes.
“Catch him!” he orders loudly, his voice cold and deadly as he immediately runs after the man. His men don’t waste even a second, they start running behind their boss.
Zayran runs faster, his steps heavy. The man is none other than the cab driver, who is now trying to escape after seeing Zayran.
A gunshot echoes in the air. Grover shoots the man in the leg, the bullet piercing through it. The man cries out in pain and falls hard onto the ground.
Before he can even move, Zayran reaches him. He grabs his hair harshly and pulls him up, his grip merciless, his eyes burning with something far more dangerous than anger.
“Ahhhhhh!” the man screams, crying as his voice echoes through the dark night, making birds fly out of their nests in fear.
“Where is my wife?” Zayran’s deep voice cuts through the air, making the man’s voice die in his throat. His tone is dark, filled with raw rage that sends chills down the spine.
“I… d...don’t know…” the man cries, struggling to free himself from Zayran’s grip but the grip only tightens, making his scalp burn in pain.
“Leave me, bastard!” he shouts, his voice shaking as he tries again to escape from Zayran’s hold.
“I asked… where is my wife?” Zayran repeats, his voice even more dangerous this time. He drags the man roughly towards a tree.
“I’ll not tell you!” the man shouts, glaring at Zayran with whatever strength he has left.
Hearing this, Zayran tilts his head slightly, his expression turning eerily calm.
The next second, he bangs the man’s head hard against the thick tree trunk. A sickening sound echoes.
When he pulls the man’s head back, his face is already covered in blood. His nose bone is badly broken, blood dripping down as he cries in unbearable pain.
“I… killed her!” the man shouts, even in that condition, his voice trembling yet loud enough to be heard.
“I… bang… asked… bang… where… bang… my… bang… wife… bang… is!” Zayran asks, his voice breaking into dark rage as he slams the man’s head against the tree trunk with every word.
Each hit is so powerful that the tree shakes from the force. His words, mixed with those brutal hits, make the moment even more terrifying.
The man’s skull cracks under the repeated blows and within moments, his body goes lifeless in Zayran’s hands.
Zayran throws him away without a second thought, his body flying towards the cliff before falling down hard, right beside the crushed cab.
“Why did you kill him?” Laksh asks, running towards Zayran, breathing heavily. His chest rises and falls rapidly as his siblings rush behind him, their steps slowing when their eyes fall on the horrifying scene in front of them.
“He didn’t know anything” Zayran says shortly, his voice emotionless.
Without stopping, he takes long, firm steps towards his car and gets inside again. Grover doesn’t wait for a second. He quickly gets in beside Zayran and within moments, the car speeds away from there.
“It’s all our fault… we shouldn’t have let her go alone” Yuv says, his eyes moist as he runs a frustrated hand through his hair. His voice shakes with guilt. Om and Shaurya nod silently, their faces showing the same pain and helplessness.
“Don’t waste time on this now. Let’s go and search somewhere else” Laksh says firmly, forcing himself to stay focused as he runs towards his car.
They all nod and quickly get into their cars, spreading out once again across the city.
The sun is about to rise… but still, no one knows where she is.
—————
Sita is lying on the cold floor of a locked room. Her hands are tied tightly along with her legs. Her face is covered with her messy hair and she looks pale and lifeless.
The soft moonlight falls on her face through a small glass window, giving the room a faint glow. The room is completely silent… not a single sound can be heard.
She stirs slightly and her eyes slowly open. She shifts, lying on her back and a painful hiss leaves her mouth as a sharp pain shoots through her back, the same pain she got when they threw her onto the hard floor.
She takes a few deep breaths and opens her eyes fully, her lashes fluttering weakly. Her mind tries to process where she is. For a moment, she thinks she is dreaming… that this is not real. She tries to lift her hand to touch her heavy head but suddenly she feels something tight around her wrists.
“W…what is this…” she whispers to herself, her voice barely audible as her eyes fall on the rope tied around her wrists. Slowly… everything starts coming back to her.
Despite the pain in her back, she jerks up and sits down, her breathing getting uneven. She looks around the place but only darkness surrounds her. Fear rushes through her veins as she curls into herself, pulling her knees closer.
“Kanha…” she calls softly, her voice trembling. Her eyes start to fill with tears and fear grips her tightly as different terrifying thoughts begin to form in her mind.
“H…how did I came here… and why that driver…?” she whispers to herself, her voice trembling.
She starts pulling her wrist out of the rope, the rough fibers cutting into her skin. She tries hard not to cry but her vision blurs as tears fill her eyes… and slowly, they begin to fall down her cheeks.
“Kanha… where am I?” she asks softly, her voice breaking as she tries harder to free her hands.
Her body shakes uncontrollably, more tears falling as fear takes over her completely. She brings her tied hands closer to her legs and struggles to open the knot around her ankles.
Her fingers tremble, her breaths uneven but after trying again and again, she finally succeeds. The rope loosens and she throws it aside with weak hands.
Now she focuses on her wrists. She pulls them back again and again, ignoring the burning pain, until finally the rope loosens enough for her to slip her hands out. But at a cost.
Her skin is torn and her wrists are bleeding badly. Deep scratches mark her soft skin. She slowly pushes herself up from the ground.
“Ahh…” she hisses, clutching her back as the pain shoots through her body. Tears fall harder now, uncontrollable.
“Kanhaaa…” she cries, trying to hold herself together.
Her mouth stays slightly open as she takes deep, shaky breaths. She can’t even move properly… walking feels impossible.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps comes from outside the door. Her eyes widen in fear. Quickly, she drags herself behind the door, her movements slow but desperate as she tries her best not to make any sound.
She tightly holds the rope in her hand, pressing her lips together to stop herself from crying out. She is in the worst condition of her life.
Her mind is still trying to understand what is happening but she can’t think clearly. Everything feels confusing and terrifying. But one thing is clear in her mind…She has to save herself.
The door opens slowly and light falls inside the dark room from behind it. A man covered in black steps inside, a gun held firmly in his hand. His eyes scan the room carefully, searching but he doesn’t find her.
He is about to turn around but before he can even react, she moves. Sita rushes forward and wraps the rope tightly around his neck, pulling it with all the strength she has, choking him.
His eyes widen in shock as he struggles, his hand instantly raising the gun towards her, ready to shoot but before he can, she bites his hand hard.
He screams at the top of his lungs, the pain making him lose control and the gun slips from his hand, falling to the floor.
She doesn’t think twice. She quickly grabs the gun, stepping back as the man falls to the ground, coughing badly, trying to catch his breath.
She points the gun at him. Her hands shake badly, her grip unsteady… but suddenly, the voice of her husband echoes in her ears.
She takes a slow, deep breath… and pulls the trigger.
The bullet hits his leg. He screams in pain, glaring at her with rage but she doesn’t stop to look at him again. She turns and runs out of the room, her steps unsteady but fast. She quickly locks the door from outside, trapping him inside.
Her heart races wildly inside her chest, beating so loudly that she can hear it in her ears. Tears blur her vision.
She looks around the place and starts running in the direction where she thinks she can find an exit. The place looks well-maintained, everything is clean and silent.
She doesn’t know it…But right now, many eyes are watching her.
She quickly takes another direction, her steps fast and uneven… but suddenly, she stops.
A few men appear out of nowhere, pointing their guns straight at her. Her eyes widen in fear as she takes a step back. Her stomach twists painfully and her grip on the gun tightens, though her hands are still shaking. She slowly moves back, her breaths getting heavier.
“Come with us” one of the men says coldly, his gun aimed directly at her head. She freezes for a second and gulps hard, her throat dry.
“Move!” he shouts loudly, pushing her towards a room.
She stumbles forward, her lips trembling badly as she tries to keep herself from falling. With weak steps, she walks inside the room.
The moment she enters, her eyes widen in shock. Several dangerous-looking men are sitting on a long couch, drinks and cigarettes in their hands. Smoke fills the air, making the room feel even more suffocating.
All their eyes are fixed on her… dark, sharp and filled with something that makes her skin crawl.
She freezes in her place. For a moment, she just stands there, wishing she could disappear from this place… from those dirty gazes that make her feel exposed and unsafe.
Somewhere deep inside, she feels it… they are connected to her husband.
“W…why am I here?” she asks slowly, her voice trembling as her eyes move from one face to another, trying to recognize someone.
And then… her gaze stops. A familiar face. “Y…you…” she says, her eyes widening even more as she looks at Manas, who is sitting there casually, girls around him, a drink in his hand.
“Nice to see you, beautiful lady” Manas says, his eyes moving from her head to toe in a shameless way, making the others laugh loudly. Sita glares at him, her eyes burning with anger despite the fear inside her.
“Why did you all kidnap me?” she asks slowly, gritting her teeth, her voice low but filled with strength.
“We want nothing from you… we just want your husband to come and surrender in front of us” one of the men says coldly.
Sita looks at him in pure shock. And then… despite the fear, the pain and the tears in her eyes, a dry chuckle leaves her lips.
“He… and surrender?” she says, letting out a slow laugh, making everyone in the room glare at her.
Manas suddenly stands up from his place, anger flashing in his eyes. “Bitch, don’t laugh! He’ll come and...” Manas starts shouting but before he can complete his sentence.....
A gunshot echoes. The bullet pierces through his shoulder. His eyes widen in shock as he looks towards Sita…who has just shot him.
No matter what happens, she will never let anyone disrespect her. No matter the situation, as long as she can stand for herself… she will. And right now, she proves exactly that.
The guards immediately grab the gun from her hand and hold her arms tightly from behind. She hisses in pain as they twist her hands badly, forcing her to stay still.
“I’ll kill you in front of your husband… just wait and watch!” Fernandes shouts loudly, holding his son’s injured shoulder.
Sita takes a deep breath, trying to control her tears as the pain in her body keeps increasing.
“He is not a coward like you all. He doesn’t kneel in front of anyone… people like you fall to your knees without even being asked!” Sita shouts loudly, her voice filled with anger, her words hitting their ego hard.
“Kill this slut!” one of the men shouts, throwing a glass towards her.
The glass hits her forehead hard. She loses her balance and falls back. The glass breaks as it hits her, shards scattering on the ground. Blood immediately starts flowing from her forehead, sliding down her face.
“Don’t kill her so easily… just beat her” another man says, glaring at her.
Before she can even understand what is happening, the women sitting beside those mafia men stand up and walk towards her. Sita lies on the floor, trying to keep her eyes open, her vision blurring.
One of them grabs her hair harshly and forces her to stand up.
“Leave me!” she shouts, struggling to free herself but the girl tightens her grip on Sita’s hair and suddenly kicks her hard in the stomach.
“Ahhhhh!” Sita screams at the top of her lungs, the pain tearing through her body.
She falls hard onto the ground, clutching her stomach, her body curling in pain as everyone in the room laughs at her condition.
Another girl pulls her up again from the floor and kicks her hard on her face. Sita falls again, hitting the ground heavily.
She coughs out blood, her tears falling even more as her body trembles. The pain is unbearable… far worse than anything she has ever imagined she would feel.
She looks at those girls’ faces, trying to get up, trying to fight back… but her condition is getting worse with every second. And in this moment, she doesn’t remember her Kanha… she remembers her husband.
“W…where are you…” she whispers slowly to herself, lying on the ground.
Every tear that falls from her eyes brings happiness to the faces of the people in the room. She feels like she is going to die. She doesn’t have the energy to move anymore.
“Where is your husband? Is he scared of us now?” one of them says, laughing loudly before throwing a drink on her.
The liquid splashes on her face and she closes her eyes tightly in disgust.
She cries nonstop… but now she is not praying to Kanha for help. She is praying for her husband to come.
She just wants to see him… just once. She just wants to look into his eyes because she knows that if he is with her, no one will dare to even raise their voice at her… let alone hurt her.
“She is not even strong enough to bear two or three kicks” a girl says, laughing as she kicks Sita again.
Sita closes her eyes in pain, her body trembling weakly. Everyone laughs at her condition.
Slowly, they all move back to their seats, still laughing and taunting her… taunting her husband.
She tries to keep her eyes open but it is getting harder with every passing second. Her vision blurs, her head spins badly. Somewhere deep inside, she understands… they have given her some drug or something. She is not able to think properly anymore.
“Cheers… we are going to take our revenge on him” they say, raising their glasses right in front of her and clinking them together before drinking.
Their laughter echoes in the room. Her eyes slowly close…And she loses consciousness.
“But what if he does something none of us imagined?” one of the men says, his voice filled with fear as he looks at Sita’s condition.
The others gulp slowly, exchanging uneasy glances but none of them admit their fear out loud.
“He can’t do anything!” Fernandes shouts angrily at the man, his voice loud and filled with irritation.
The others slowly nod their heads, though their eyes still drift back to Sita, uncertainty clear on their faces.
“He is Zayran Kaalver… we shouldn’t underestimate him” the man says again, his tone more serious this time, making a few of them nod in agreement.
“But we have his wife. And if he tries to do anything…” Fernandes says, his lips curling into a cruel smile “we will kill his wife in front of his eyes”
The room falls into a tense silence as their gazes shift back to Sita.
—————
Zayran races the car down the road, moving from one place to another, searching every corner of the city.
His condition is getting worse with every passing second. He is not weak… he is in that dangerous state where he himself doesn’t know what he will do if he doesn’t find his wife soon.
His fingers keep rubbing his chest again and again, as if trying to calm the unbearable pain rising inside him. But it only gets worse. His breathing is uneven, heavy, almost suffocating.
He suddenly stops the car in front of a warehouse where he thinks she could be. The tyres screech loudly against the road. He pushes the door open and runs out in a hurry.
His men quickly follow behind him, fear clearly visible on their faces, fear not of the situation but of him. Right now, he looks more dangerous than anything.
He runs inside, searching from one corner to another like a madman, his eyes scanning every inch with desperation. His hands clench into tight fists, his jaw locked, his entire body trembling with restless anger and fear.
“Boss, madam is not here” Grover says after they search the entire warehouse.
Zayran stops. His steps freeze for a moment. Then without saying a word, he walks out of the place. Each step feels heavy, as if his body has lost all its strength. He reaches the car and leans against it, his head slightly tilted back. Right now, his body feels lifeless… empty.
He closes his eyes, trying to control himself, trying to hold everything inside. But today… he can’t. His control is slipping.
His eyes slowly turn moist, the storm inside him finally breaking. And before he even realizes it, a tear escapes his eye and falls onto his palm. The same hand she held.
He stares at it, frozen. This is the last thing he ever thought he would do. This tear… it comes from the unbearable pain crushing his chest.
Suddenly, his phone rings, pulling him out of his thoughts. His eyes snap open. He quickly takes it out and places it against his ear.
“Didn’t find your wife?” Fernandes’ voice comes from the other side. In an instant, Zayran’s eyes turn red.
“Where is she?” he asks slowly, his voice low and deadly, the kind of voice that can send shivers down anyone’s body.
“Don’t worry… she is with us and we have taken good care of her” Fernandes says, chuckling darkly, while the others on his side laugh along with him.
“Don’t you trust us? Here… talk to her” Fernandes adds and Zayran’s breath stops for a moment.
Sita cries silently, her body shaking slightly because of the pain she is feeling. Fernandes walks towards her and forwards the phone near her face.
“Talk to your husband” he says, kicking her lightly to wake her up properly. A sharp hiss leaves her lips as pain shoots through her body.
Every breath she takes is clearly heard by her husband on the other side.
Sita’s teary eyes slowly move towards the phone and more tears slip down her cheeks. She wants to shout at him… she wants to tell him to come fast… but she doesn’t have any strength left in her body.
“C… come fast” she whispers weakly, her voice breaking completely.
Just these two words… along with her painful hiss… shake something deep inside him, something that should never have been awakened.
Before she can say anything else, Fernandes pulls the phone away.
“You have half an hour. Find where your wife is… or else we will end her life” he says coldly and cuts the call. He then walks back towards where everyone is sitting.
“He’ll never find where she is” he adds with a laugh, completely unaware of what is coming for them.
And now, things are about to turn in a way none of them have imagined. Not a single soul can guess what is going to happen next. No one… not even Zayran himself knows what he is going to do.
But her voice… her pain… has changed something inside him, something that should have never changed.