Everything was going as planned. I just hoped that today would be the end of it all. More than anything, I wanted Aradhya to be free from her past. I was in my study, pretending to be buried in work to show the world how hurt I was, how I wasn't stepping out, blah blah... all according to the plan.
A sudden knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called, and Abhimanyu entered, holding an envelope.
"Look at this," he said, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Feels like we've hit the jackpot."
I frowned, taking the envelope from his hand. As I skimmed through the contents, a slow, wicked smile spread across my face.
"This is it. Tell our IT department to track her phone and get her call logs too."
Abhimanyu nodded and left the room just as my phone rang. Seeing Cheshtha’s name flash on the screen, I picked up, my tone clipped. "What do you want?"
"Well, hello to you too," she replied sarcastically.
"Why did you call me?"
"Just letting you know we’re executing the plan between 2 to 4 at night."
I hummed in acknowledgment. "Alright. Bye." And with that, she hung up.
Sighing, I opened my laptop and launched Telegram, deciding to video call Aradhya. After two rings, she picked up. She was in the living room, surrounded by decorations, wearing my T-shirt with a pair of lowers. "What are you doing Rose "
"Oh, you know reyansh... I was getting bored, so I decided to make this penthouse feel more like our second home." I nodded, smiling softly.
"Rose," I called out, noticing something off.
She looked up at me with a smile. "You know, Reyansh I --"
Just then, a sudden noise interrupted her. My instincts kicked in immediately. "What happened?" I asked, concern clear in my voice.
She hesitated for a moment before responding. "Nothing, Reyansh just birds. I'll call you later. Bye, Reyansh."
And with that, the call abruptly ended, leaving me uneasy.
Flashback:-
" call me Ansh only, call me Reyansh when it's serious "
Flashback ends:-
My eyes widened in realization. "Fuck. Fuck! Something’s wrong!" I bolted from the study, grabbing my phone and dialing Vinay.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Something's wrong. Someone’s at the penthouse with Aradhya."
"I'll be there," he responded immediately. I rushed downstairs, calling out, "Abhimanyu! Vardhan!" They appeared instantly, worry written on their faces.
"What's wrong, Bhai?" Abhimanyu asked.
"Something happened. Someone’s at the penthouse. Aradhya’s in danger. Abhimanyu, come with me. Vardhan, inform everyone and alert the police."
Abhimanyu didn’t waste a second, just gave me a sharp nod and bolted after me. Vardhan, already dialing the police, barely managed a nod before we were out the door.
We didn’t walk — we ran. My legs moved on pure adrenaline, fear clawing at my mind. We jumped into our cars like maniacs, tires screeching against the pavement as we tore out of the driveway.
Abhimanyu and I drove like madmen, pushing the engines to their limits. Signals? Rules? None of that mattered. All I could think of was Aradhya — her safety. The thought of her in danger made my heart feel like it was being squeezed by a vice.
I glanced to the side and saw Abhimanyu’s jaw clenched, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. I knew he was scared too, not just for Aradhya but because she was more than just his Bhabhi — she was family. Vardhan’s car followed right behind us, cutting through traffic with the same reckless abandon, driven by that same fear.
My pulse pounded like a war drum, and my thoughts kept racing through every possible worst-case scenario. What if we were too late? What if — no, I couldn’t think like that. I had to believe she’d be okay. She had to be.
The city blurred around me, neon lights streaking past like ghosts as I sped through red lights and sharp turns. People yelled and honked, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t afford to care. The drive to the penthouse felt like an eternity, every second dragging on as dread gnawed at my gut.
When we finally screeched to a halt outside the building, I barely registered the sound of tires skidding before we bolted out of the cars. My legs felt numb, but I pushed through, sprinting to the elevator with Abhimanyu and Vardhan right behind me. I jabbed the button like it was my lifeline, over and over, as if pressing it faster would somehow make the elevator arrive sooner.
Come on! Come on! I kept praying under my breath, fighting the urge to rip the metal doors open with my bare hands. When the elevator finally dinged, we crowded in, and I slammed the button for the penthouse. The ride up was suffocating, and I felt dread wrapping around my throat and squeezing tight. No one spoke, but I could feel the same terror vibrating off Abhimanyu and Vardhan.
All I could do was pray. Pray that when those doors opened, Aradhya would be standing there safe and unharmed. Pray that whatever danger had found her, we hadn’t arrived too late.
When the elevator finally opened, we burst out into the penthouse, scanning the room like maniacs. It was way too quiet — only our footsteps cut through the silence. My heart dropped when I saw the mess in the living room. Shattered glass everywhere, furniture flipped over, and that suffocating feeling that something terrible had happened.
She was gone.
Panic clawed at me, but I forced myself to focus. We couldn’t waste time. I pulled out my phone, dialling the authorities with shaky hands. We gave them every bit of information we could think of — anything that might help. My mind was racing a mile a minute with question? Did she get away? Did they got her? where is she?
Desperation took over as we tore through the penthouse, searching for anything that might give us a clue. Every second felt like an eternity, and the fear just kept growing stronger.
Finally, the sound of sirens cut through the tense silence, and I felt a tiny bit of relief. At least help was here. We quickly filled the officers in, giving them every detail we could think of while trying to keep it together. Their professionalism gave me a shred of hope — maybe they’d be able to figure this out.
An officer approached me with an urgent tone. "Mr. Bhardwaj, might there be any item in Aradhya's possession that could assist us in locating her? Specifically, anything equipped with GPS or a tracking device?"
My mind flashed to the ring I gave her. "There’s a GPS in her ring, but... she stopped wearing it whenever she wore her mangalsutra. I don’t know if she’s got it on right now," I admitted, trying to hold back the frustration boiling inside me.
The officer gave me a quick nod and jotted down the info. I just clenched my fists, fighting the fear clawing at me. Losing her wasn’t an option — not now, not ever.
The officer nodded, noting it down. My stomach twisted with anxiety. I couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.
Warning ⚠️
I was tied to a chair, the rough rope digging into my wrists, cutting off circulation until my hands felt numb and useless. A tight blindfold was wrapped around my eyes, so tight it felt like it was part of my skin. I could feel warm blood trickling from a cut on my forehead, sliding down my cheek and pooling at the edge of my mouth. The metallic taste mixed with the gritty dirt from the floor where I had been dragged. My legs were tied at the ankles, and the rope cut in so deep I knew there’d be bruises — if I survived long enough to worry about them.
Every breath I took burned my throat, and my lungs strained against the tightness coiled around my ribs. I tried to move, but pain shot through my body like a jolt of electricity, forcing a muffled groan to escape through the rag shoved between my teeth. My jaw throbbed from the pressure, and I swallowed back the urge to gag, knowing it would only make things worse.
Footsteps echoed around me — slow and heavy, the kind that made my stomach twist in dread. I bit down harder on the rag, trying not to let them hear how scared I was. The footsteps got closer, the sound scraping against my nerves, and I couldn’t stop the way my body trembled.
The footsteps stopped, and I froze, every muscle going tense as something cold and sharp pressed against my throat — a knife, its blade just barely cutting into my skin. I held my breath, terrified that even the smallest movement would make it worse.
Suddenly, the blindfold was yanked off, taking a few strands of hair with it. Harsh light burned my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust. My vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, I finally saw — the person standing right in front of me.
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