CHHAVI'S POV
I couldn't hear a single word Drishye was saying on the ride back to his place. His voice was just drowning in the background. A whirlwind of thoughts rushed to my mind. My entire body trembled as if an earthquake was ripping through me and my clothes clung to my damp skin, soaked in sweat despite the biting cold of Dehradun.
My daughter.
I couldn't let anything happen to her.
If something happened to her...
The thought made my stomach churn, constricting my chest as if my ribs were closing in on my heart. I gripped my hands together tightly, digging my nails into my palms. The fear was too strong, too suffocating.
"Miss Rosy!"
My haze broke when I heard his up toned voice.
"Please don't loose yourself."
"I don't want her d-"
I whispered under my breath, barely audible as if saying it aloud would somehow jinx it.
"No, no. She'll be fine. Trust me."
He kept giving me reassurance while driving the car.
The very idea of losing her was enough to make my knees weak and blur my vision with unshed tears.
I needed to think. I needed to figure out where Vinesh had taken her.
Back to Lucknow? That hellhole where I'd lost so much of myself?
Away from me?
My stomach churned.
My mind raced through every possibility but it was hard to focus with the noise of my heart pounding in my ears. Aahana, my baby girl- how scared must she be right now? Tears pricked my eyes but I blinked them away. I couldn't afford to break down now.
"Rose, please..."
Drishye's voice broke through the haze for a moment. He glanced at me, concerned. I could see him fasten the speed of the vehicle, dialing numbers on his cellphone.
"Yea...yeah..."
"Please unlock your phone and unblock Vinesh Joshi's phone number."
"He'll...he'll blackmail me."
"I know, love. But, that's how we can trace him, right?"
I kept staring at him. I couldn't help but obey him even though i was petrified. My fingers shook while I searched for my cellphone in my bag.
"I'll not let anything happen to her. I promise."
But I couldn't reply. My throat felt dry. I couldn't even meet his eyes for long.
My gaze shifted to the road stretching endlessly ahead of us and I took out the phone and unlocked it.
"I've asked my team to let him resurface. That's how we can know his intentions and act accordingly."
I had no idea how long it took to reach his place. It felt like both an eternity and a blink. My thoughts were such a tangled mess but Aahana's face was constantly flashing in my mind.
I could not focus on the screen and it took me a good couple of minutes to do the simple task of unblocking that filthy man.
After unblocking him, all I did was stare at the screen anticipating a call or a text message from him.
As soon as the gate to his house came into view, I barely waited for the car to come to a stop. My hand reached for the door handle, ready to bolt out just at that moment without a second thought.
But before I could even open the door, his grip tightened around my arm, firmly but not harshly.
I turned to look at him, my breath coming in short and ragged bursts. The tears on my waterline were ready to shed any moment now. His dark eyes bore into mine and he gave me a gentle nod as if asking me to pull myself together. But how could I? My entire world felt like it was crumbling under my feet? And I? I don't know what to do!
As soon as he slammed the brakes, I hurled myself out of the car. My feet hit the ground and twisted but hell I cared.
I tried to run through the stoned pathway leading to the entrance door even though all I could was limp. I barely made it a few steps when I felt him slide a hand below my thighs and encircle another around my waist to lift me up in a bridal style.
I gasped for a moment and yelled, squirming in his embrace, begging him to let me go.
"Let me go, Drishye!"
My panic spilled out in the open but he didn't give a damn. He kept marching towards the door while I wiggled in his embrace.
"What you're doing right now is absolutely vague, Rose. Do you understand? You'll only make it worse for her and yourself if you keep this up."
"You don't understand! Sh-"
"I do understand." He said quietly. "I understand how much she means to you. And, I also understand you'll be lifeless without her. Hence, I can't let anything happen to her. Not a single scratch"
I stopped struggling, my chest rose and fell with uneven breaths. My gaze locked on his, the red veins in his bloodshot eyes darkened as he kept striding ahead.
"She's my responsibility, Rose. I'll bring her home. And, he'll regret for touching her."
The promise in his voice made me feel terrified for a second. It didn't sound like random, it sounded like the end of the world.
I stared at him with my tears spilling down my cheeks, break free and I broke down into a hard sob. I felt the faintest glimmer of reassurance in his words. My throat burned and the ache in my chest intensified with each passing second.
He pushed the door open with his foot and carried me inside effortlessly, as if I were a leaf. The moment we were under the roof of his home, he set me down gently on the couch and straightened my slightly disheveled clothes before standing back.
I turned my head to the side, trying to catch my breath but got absolutely startled.
Standing near the fireplace was Noor. But not the Noor I was used to seeing. She wasn't wearing her usual pair of shirt and trousers with her hair collected into a neat bun but as someone as if she was a part of an action movie.
Her sleek, long hair was slicked into a high ponytail highlighting more of her edgy jawline. Her eyes looked so predatory with the kohled waterline while her lips looked like they're drenched in blood. I felt my tailbone crawl.
She was wearing a very mechanical outfit- skin tight leggings, a thick turtle neck pullover underneath a utility vest with multiple compartments along with combat boots that looked worn-in but strong. A small knife was strapped to her thigh and a gun holster was secured around her hip. All black.
Her entire outfit and her steeled expression just accentuated her height. She stood with her legs apart, hands clasped behind her back and I couldn't look into her eyes. She looked deadly.
"Xysha is ready with the jet. Boss has raided the entire school. All clear. But Krisha is not traceable yet."
Her voice sliced through the air like a razor.
"Either you trace Krisha or she's dead."
Drishye announced calmly without taking a second to reflect on what she said and for the first time, I felt the lethality behind his voice. It shivered my spine.
He walked to the wall near the kitchen to fetch a first-aid kit, the sound of his boots piercing the uncomfortable and strained silence.
"Veda is on it, RD."
Noor answered, her voice wavering just a bit.
"She better be fast, Noor. Otherwise, all five of you are facing consequences. Coz, this is very personal."
He snapped his neck audibly, the sound making my skin crawl. Marching towards me with the wooden kit in his hand, he crouched in front of me and began applying ointment to my swollen ankle
"I...I'm not that hurt."
I whispered softly, clearly inaudible. I was terrified- not just by the situation but by the man in front of me.
He didn't respond, continuing to wrap the bandage tightly around my foot.
"We're trying our best, RD."
Noor added in a pressured voice as she reached someone on a telecom gadget I had never seen her use before.
Drishye looked up briefly while massaging my ankle over the wrapped bandage. I kept bobbing my head from him to Noor.
"Noor. Your team promised me delivery not loopholes. This is your best I assume?"
I could see a hint of fright in Noor eyes. Her shoulders stiffening as she stood straighter. She is mostly someone who knows what to do but this time, she didn't seem confident enough.
"What is happening?"
I blurted out, jumping slightly on the couch. But Drishye's firm grip on my ankle locked my movements.
Giving my foot the last stroke, he stood up, towering over me. Placing a hand on my cheek, he brushed away a stray tear, using his thumb. I saw his eyes soften momentarily and he gave me a soft smile.
"Trust me, Miss Rosy."
He tenderly cooed me.
I nodded hesitantly. My eye lashes were wet and cheeks were moist.
"Please save my child. He is evil."
Drishye smirked faintly, his gaze hardening again.
"I'm more evil, Miss Rosy."
His words sent a cold chill through me.
There was no deception in his statements. His whole attitude has shifted. This is a part of him that I have never seen. Not in the past few months or ever. To me, he was always very kind and gentle and a little flirty.
It seems so different today. And I'm getting even more frightened as I gaze into his eyes.
He turned back to Noor, his demeanor completely shifting back to command mode.
"Did you do what I'd asked?"
"Yes. Chhavi's belonging have been packed and have been sent away. A-"
"Chhavi?!"
Drishye cut her off, raising an eyebrow.
"Under Madam's orders, RD."
Noor clarified.
"Yes. I asked her to call me by my name..."
I interjected, clearing it out while he gave me a curt nod. Noor certainly is scared of Drishye. I could see it on her face.
"Let's head on."
He said and before I could decipher, I was in the air again.
"Drishye!"
I yelled, clutching at his shoulders.
He ignored my protests and carried me out to the jeep. Noor followed close behind.
He settled me in his jeep and tucked the seatbelt while I looked at him perplexed.
"Where are we going?"
"To Lucknow."
He said while walking to the other side of the jeep while Noor settled behind us.
"You're sure she's there?"
I asked when he settled himself down and roared the engine.
"Our sources say so."
He replied simply, starting the engine.
"What're your sources? Who're your sources?!"
I demanded, frustration boiling over.
"Patience, Miss Rosy. When the time is right, you will receive the answers to your questions."
I was unable to comprehend anything that was happening, who was informing him of her whereabouts or anything else he had been thinking about.
"Chhavi, if you receive even a single text from any suspicious source, let me know immediately."
Noor said and I nodded, obeying her.
As we went to an unknown destination, I continued to steal looks at him and my phone. I could only put my trust in him. He repeatedly dialed numbers and inquired about 'status.' Likewise, Noor kept someone named 'Veda' on call behind us, constantly relaying updates to Drishye.
All I could do was stare at them like a dumb. Yes. Like a dumb!
I kept locking and unlocking my phone every alternate second. Neither did I recieve a text nor a call.
And, my anxiety got the best of me. I felt short of breathe and my feet and fingers kept growing colder. But I didn't let Drishye know about my uneasiness. I knew that if he gets a hint, his focus will shift to me without a second thought.
We drove for what felt like some twenty- minutes or so, until we reached a barren stretch of land. In the distance, I saw what looked like runways- an airstrip, maybe?
The jeep kept heading towards a secluded area and halted metres away from a jet.
The jeep halted near a sleek, private jet.
And then I saw her.
Standing there, dressed in a crème overcoat and brown leather boots, her hands stuffed casually into her pockets, was Sister Jade Wilson. Her curly, blonde hair which I don't remember getting a glimpse of, all this month, was dancing under the decree of the strong wind.
"Was-wasn't she the nun?!"
I abruptly shouted.
"She and nun?"
Drishye chuckled darkly.
I gawked at him, completely dumbfounded.
"Welcome to my universe, Miss Rosy."
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||SPOILER||
"Misha, my love, pull the trigger."