That thought frustrated him more than anything else.
Hello babe." Just then, Kabir entered the room. A member of the cooking staff followed him, pushing a food trolley. He left the trolley behind and exited the room. Vedant glared at Kabir angrily and then turned his face away. Kabir's smile grew even wider.
"Try not to flash that fake smile in front of me. Sometimes I feel like slitting your lips with a blade."
"Oh! Then how would I kiss anyone, man? You've already sliced through my heart. Don't go for the lips. What will happen to my lovers?"
Seeing Vedant's chest heaving with rage, Kabir chuckled lightly.
"So much anger just for a kidnapping? I haven't even done anything to you yet."
"For that, even seven lifetimes wouldn't be enough."
"Who's dreaming of seven lifetimes? Who even knows if they exist? If I get just one night with you, that's equal to seven lifetimes."
"I'll kill you."
"You already have, baby."
Kabir's words made Vedant even more furious. Only he knew how he had stopped the flow of his own blood to contain his rage. Meanwhile, Kabir's smile refused to fade.
"Ah! Come on, let's drop the anger and have breakfast. Today I want to eat with you. You know, you're lucky for me. Boring speeches drain my energy, so I want to suck some energy out of you."
He pulled the trolley closer to the sofa and stood beside Vedant. Vedant immediately stepped back. Kabir smiled and tried to hold Vedant's hand, but Vedant wasn't unaware of his intentions. He quickly jerked his hand away.
"How dare you touch me."
Kabir took a deep breath.
"Look Vedant, there's no point in getting angry over food. You came in the middle of my work, not the other way around. If it had been someone else in your place, they'd have vanished from this earth by now. But I'm keeping you safe—be grateful."
"Oh! So I should be thankful for being kidnapped by you?"
"No, for being kept alive. I'm really getting late now. Eat your food, and I'll deal with the rest of your tantrums in the evening. I rarely get angry, so I'm ready to tolerate all your moods."
"I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want to eat your food either. I'd rather eat poison than this."
"Okay!! I didn't want to force you, but now you've left me no choice. You sent your Mishti away to Himachal for her studies, right? Do you want to become a struggle for her?"
Vedant looked at Kabir with wide eyes. Kabir's smile remained intact.
"Keep my sister out of all this, understood Mr. Kabir Sinha?"
This time Vedant stood up and grabbed Kabir's collar. Kabir gave a broad smile and raised his hands slightly.
"I'll stay away if you behave lovingly with me. Like a good obedient child."
Kabir kept looking into his eyes. Vedant stared back, asking himself how Kabir's eyes could hold such innocence while he was such a monster inside.
"Shall we start eating?"
Vedant let go of Kabir's collar abruptly and sat down on the sofa.
It was two in the morning. Since morning, Rishi hadn't seen the Writer even once. His food had been brought by a staff member, but that person had appeared like a ghost and vanished just as eerily. He hadn't spoken a single word to Rishi. Somewhere deep down, Rishi had begun to suspect that the Writer was playing some kind of game—or perhaps hiding a dark secret. Sleep had abandoned his eyes, and now fear was creeping in. He just needed to get out of there somehow, so he could rescue Vedant and ensure his mother's safety.
He quietly peeked out through the door. A heavy silence blanketed the outside, as if the farmhouse had turned into a haunted mansion. The darkness outside was just as thick as before. Rishi's throat went dry. His courage was faltering, but this was the only way out. He gripped his phone tightly in his hand—it felt like a life-or-death decision. He had a knife tucked into his pocket, one he had borrowed from the mute staff member in the morning to cut fruit. And then, he stepped out of the room.
Every step he took was measured and chilling. His movements felt like they could shake the earth. His breathing was so intense that it sounded to him like the roar of a jet plane. He crept forward, sticking close to the wall. The only light came from the moonlight filtering through the windows, which gave him just enough visibility to move.
With slow, deliberate steps, he finally crossed the corridor and reached the hall downstairs. The hall was pitch dark. It was impossible to see anything. But Rishi could make out a window directly ahead. He had to get to that window. Like a blind man, he groped his way forward, drawn toward it. But he could feel it—shadows trailing behind him. His breath paused for a moment. Sweat was pouring down his forehead like a stream.
Rishi slowly turned around, but there was only darkness. Still, he felt as though eyes were watching him from within that darkness. At last, stumbling and staggering, he reached the window. He looked outside, where the rear side of the farmhouse was visible. But what shocked him was that the window was open. Why? Why was Rishi being held captive here, yet there was no security? And most importantly—where was the Writer tonight? Where was the staff that usually appeared during the day?
Why were the lights always off at night, even though the place had every modern luxury? Rishi's mind was flooded with questions, but he knew he had to escape. He put a brake on all his thoughts and climbed onto the window. He jumped out—and landed in the wet soil below, covered in mud.
"Ah! Did it rain here?" he muttered to himself in frustration. Steadying himself, he stood up and looked around. As terrifying as it had been inside, the scene outside was even more horrifying. Though the moonlight bathed the area, the silence was so profound that it didn't even feel like a forest—it felt like another planet, one where no trace of humanity existed.
"Rishi, my boy, tonight you'll either die or survive. You're stepping out at your own risk," he whispered to himself for comfort and turned on the flashlight on his phone. The path ahead was clear, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw the towering walls. The gate looked so strange and ominous that he didn't have the courage to approach it. As he scanned the area, he noticed a tree branch drooping over the wall. He ran toward it and quickly climbed up. Eventually, he managed to reach the other side of the wall, near the tree.
He glanced back at the farmhouse. He thought of taking a few photos of it. But as soon as he turned on his phone's camera, Rishi's eyes widened in shock. Strange shadowy figures stood at every window of the farmhouse, all staring directly at him. His breath caught in his throat. He quickly climbed down from the tree and began running across the wet, slippery path. He didn't know where he was going—he just knew he had to run. And he kept running, running, until the path ended.
He was lost. In the middle of a cursed, terrifying forest. The trees looked like monsters ready to devour him. The moon seemed to have never visited this place. It felt like there had never been any paths here. And now, not even the sound of a single leaf moving could be heard. Rishi was gasping for breath. Fear was pounding against his skull. The place felt like it was spinning around him.
He swung his phone's flashlight in every direction. The trees seemed to be laughing at him like ghosts. There was no wind, no light—yet it felt like something unseen was there. As if countless shadows were watching only him. As if they wanted to devour him alive. Rishi began trembling with fear. A strange, faint rustling sound reached his ears. The flashlight on his phone suddenly went out. Rishi banged the phone desperately.
The shadows seemed to be closing in. He heard a whisper behind his ear. Rishi spun around instantly. His body began to shake violently.
"W-w-who's there? Who are you? What do you want?" Rishi screamed. The whispering grew louder, as if many people were murmuring among themselves.
"Who the hell are you, man? What do you want from me?" Rishi shouted again. Now it felt like something was dragging itself rapidly toward him. He covered his ears and collapsed to the ground. He was trembling. His phone had slipped from his hand. Tears streamed down his face, and suddenly, he collapsed—like a lifeless body lying in the corner.