Chapter- 48

Eshita entered the dark room cautiously, her eyes taking a few seconds to adjust to the lack of light. The moment her gaze fell on the figure curled up in the corner, her heart dropped.

“Ekta...” She rushed forward. The sight of her lying unconscious on the cold floor made panic surge through her veins. Her petite figure looked even smaller against the emptiness of the room, her face pale and exhausted.

“Ekta... Ekta...” Eshita tapped her cheek gently, “Ekta, get up...”

She looked around frantically. The man who had pushed her inside the room was already gone. A sudden wave of fear washed over her. With trembling hands, she hurried toward the small water pot placed in the other corner. The cracked plastic glass shook between her fingers as she filled it with water and rushed back.

She sprinkled water over Ekta’s face repeatedly, gently patting her cheeks. “Ekta... please wake up,” She whispered, her voice breaking.

Ekta twitched slightly. A soft gasp escaped her lips as her eyebrows furrowed. Slowly, painfully, her eyes opened. Her blurred vision focused on the cracked ceiling above her, the unfamiliar surroundings slowly returning to her memory.

“Thik hai tu?” Eshita asked immediately, worry evident in her voice.

Ekta frowned faintly, still disoriented. Her gaze shifted. The moment she realized Eshita was sitting beside her, her expression changed completely. She sat up abruptly and threw herself into Eshita’s arms.

“Di...” The single word broke her into sobs. Her fingers clutched tightly onto Eshita’s clothes as if letting go would make everything disappear again.

Eshita wrapped her arms around her instantly, rubbing her back gently. Her heart clenched at the sound of Ekta’s broken cries. “Shh... shant ho jaa, Ekta,” She mummbled. “Bas thodi der ki baat hai. Bhaiya aate hi honge. He will take us away from here...” She trailed off as Ekta pulled away.

“Bhaiya nhi aayenge.” Her voice trembled. She shook her head violently, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He... he killed them. Koi nhi aayega hume bachane... Aap... aap yahan se bhaag jao. Warna aap bhi us aadmi ka shikar ban jaogi. Meri- meri wajah se bhaiya aur dad ki jaan...”

“Chup.” Eshita immediately covered her mouth with her palm. “Ek aur galat baat kahi toh maar kahegi.” Her tone firmed. “Bhaiya aur dad theek hain. Teri wajah se unhe kuch nhi hua hai.”

Ekta stared at her helplessly, shaking her head. “Aap samajh nhi rahi... The news...”

“They are alive.” Eshita interjected sternly, she cupped Ekta’s face gently, forcing her to look at her, “Bhaiya theek hai. Dad bhi theek hai. Mera dil jaanta hai. I don’t care news kya bolti hai. Jab tak mera dil nhi maanta ki mera parivaar khatre mein hai main kisi ki baat par vishwas nhi karungi.”

Her tone softened. “Tujhe bhaiya par bharosa hai na?”

Ekta nodded immediately.

“Toh uss bharose ko itni aasani se tootne mat de. Bhaiya ne tujhe wada kiya tha na? Ki jis jis ne tere saath galat kiya hai, unhe saza milegi.” Her eyes hardened. “Just wait and watch. Har ek insaan jisne tujhe dard diya hai... They will pay for it. I trust my brother. You should trust your brother too.”

Ekta hugged her again, burying herself in Eshita’s warmth. She didn’t understand where Eshita got that courage from. How could her heart hold so much hope without even knowing what tomorrow would bring? Somewhere deep inside, even Ekta wanted to believe. She wanted to trust her instincts.

But Abhiraj’s cruelty didn’t allow her to think positively. She knew what he was capable of. She knew his obsession, his power, his ability to destroy anything that stood between him and what he wanted. He did whatever he desired without fear, without hesitation. And that terrified her more than anything else.

The door opened. Ekta flinched violently in Eshita’s embrace. The familiar scent of sandalwood reached her before she even saw him. Her entire body went rigid. Now that the fog in her mind had cleared, reality hit her with unbearable force.

He was alive. He had brought her back. Exactly like he promised. Subconsciously, she curled herself deeper into Eshita’s warmth, trying to hide from the nightmare standing before them. Her stomach twisted. Bile rose in her throat even at the thought of him coming closer. She wanted to run and disappear. She wanted Ekansh to be safe. She wanted him to find her, and her away from this place before the past swallowed her present whole again.

“Sister’s love and all...” Abhiraj murmured, a strange amusement playing on his lips as he casually leaned against the wall, lighting his cigar. The sound of a lighter clank echoed through the dark room.

Eshita pulled Ekta closer. The malice hidden behind his calm and casual tone scared her more than his anger ever could. She didn’t even want to imagine what Ekta was feeling right now, but her trembling figure revealed more than words ever could.

Gathering whatever courage she had left, Eshita looked back at him. “What do you want from us?” She asked firmly. “Yaha kyu leke aaye ho hume?”

Abhiraj raised an eyebrow, amused. “Bahar aate waqt dekha nhi kyu leke aaya hoon? Use your brain and you will get your answer.”

His gaze shifted toward Ekta. “For now... I want my butterfly to be a good girl. Get up and follow me.”

Ekta froze behind Eshita. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him. Following him meant surrendering to whatever twisted plan he had prepared. It meant stepping back into the nightmare she had run away from. Disgust and fear crawled through her veins.

“Vo tere saath kahi nhi jayegi.” Eshita’s voice cut through the room, her anger overpowering her fear. “Ek baar mere bhaiya ko aane do. Uske baad tere saath kya hoga woh dekhne mein mujhe maza ayega. People like you deserve to rot in hell.”

Abhiraj smiled. “I came from there only sweetheart. I was born in hell.”

He stepped closer. “And your brother... Well, it’s your delusion that he is alive. I would love to break that illusion.”

“Butterfly.” His voice turned sharp. “Get up.”

Ekta flinched. She knew that tone better than anyone. It wasn’t just anger. It was a warning. She knew what happened when his patience ended. Before he crossed another line, before he did something unpredictable, she had to do what he wanted. Quietly, she stepped away from Eshita, wiping the tears from her face.

Eshita immediately stood stopping Ekta as she tried to move past her. “You don’t have to listen to him. You don’t have to fear him. Main hoon na tere saath...”

The sharp sound of a gunshot silenced her instantly. The sudden noise echoed through the room, making both girls jump back in shock.

Ekta pulled Eshita behind her immediately, the shot had already landed dangerously close to her feet.

“Aap... aap thik ho?” Ekta stammered, quickly checking Eshita with frightened, worried eyes.

Eshita clenched her fingers tightly. Her breathing turned uneven as she tried to steady herself. She hated loud noises. The sound dragged her back to the fear and helplessness she always felt due to them but her family was always there to clam her down unlike this time.

Abhiraj chuckled darkly. “Now that you both are done... Ekta, follow me. Warna agli goli teri iss bhen ke dimaag mein hogi. Aur tu achhe se jaanti hai... I don’t miss my shots.”

Ekta stepped back from Eshita, her entire body frozen for a moment. Without a second thought she moved toward him. She winced in pain as he grabbed her arm in a painfully tight grip, his fingers digging into her skin. Her head lowered instantly, unable to meet his gaze. Her entire figure trembled in that familiar, dangerous hold.

She knew this fear, the control. She knew what he was capable of. She would die if she had to, but she wouldn’t put Eshita’s life at risk. She already had enough names, enough faces, enough bodies weighing on her conscience. She couldn’t add Eshita to that list.

“Take me with you,” Eshita muttered, composing her expression as much as she could.

The sound of the bullet still rang in her ears. She hated the fact that he had witnessed her flinch, but she couldn’t pretend to be fearless all over again. He was a dangerous man, and she couldn’t risk putting Ekta into more danger.

The best option was to plead, even if every instinct inside her screamed against it.

“And why do you think I will listen to you?” Abhiraj mocked. “Do you really have a death wish?”

Eshita met his gaze steadily. “I-I won’t do anything. Mein... mein wahi karungi jo tum chahte ho. Ekta ko kuch mat karo. Just take me with you.”

Abhiraj smiled faintly. “You should at least know how to beg because... here orders are only given by me.”

Eshita’s fist clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palm as she fought against the helplessness rising inside her. “Please... I-I beg you. Take me with you. Leave her...”

“Follow me,” Abhiraj interrupted coldly, grabbing Ekta and dragging her away roughly.

Eshita stumbled forward immediately, rushing to Ekta’s side and matching Abhiraj’s long strides.

Ekta was in pain. It was written all over her face. But she didn’t dare wince or struggle even once, and that alone revealed how much control Abhiraj held over her. Eshita had nothing except surrendering herself if she wanted to keep Ekta safe until she could contact Ekansh or till the time he reached them.

Ekta’s eyes widened the moment she entered the hall. Her father and brother stood there in a battered condition. Their lips were bleeding, their faces covered with bruises, their clothes torn and dirty. The sight made something inside her freeze. Who did that to them?

Before she could react, Abhiraj pushed her forward. Eshita quickly caught her, stopping her from falling. She bit her tongue to stop herself from cursing the bastard.

“Look who is here to meet you Butterfly,” Abhiraj said with a twisted smile, taking his seat on the couch.

“Aapni beti se milna nhi chahte, Bhairav?” He questioned.

“You don’t greet bad omens bhai,” Samar mocked. “The girl is just a burden for him. After all she was never truly his daughter in his eyes.”

Ekta kept her gaze fixed on the floor. Words hurt. But for some reason, her tears stopped. Despite seeing her own father and brother standing before her in such a terrible condition, she couldn’t feel the same pain she thought she would. No anger, no sadness, neither a desperate urge to run toward them. Only emptiness. Had she finally become such a terrible daughter that she couldn’t even cry for her own family? She hated herself for feeling that way.

“Anyways...” Abhiraj leaned back calmly. “I bring you here to play a small game.” He looked at Ekta, “All you have to do is choose.”

Suddenly, Eshita screamed in pain. Her hand immediately grasped her throat as a sharp current shot through her body. The black metal around her neck tightened, sending unbearable waves of pain through her. Her breath turned uneven, her body trembling as she struggled against the invisible force controlling her.

“Di!” Ekta cried out in horror.

Eshita collapsed onto the floor, struggling like a wounded animal. Her screams echoed through the hall.

“Di...” Ekta sobbed as she watched Eshita desperately pull at the black metal around her neck.

She recognized it instantly. Her eyes moved back toward Abhiraj, whose gaze was already fixed on her. “Me-mein karungi Aap jo bo-bologe mein karungi Malik. Please... isse rok dijiye.” Her voice broke with desperation.

She remembered how, when girls refused to obey him, he used to punish them just to remind them who controlled their lives. She didn’t know when he had placed that device around Eshita’s neck, but she knew exactly what disaster it could cause. She had seen girls suffer through it before. She couldn’t watch Eshita go through the same thing.

Samar pressed a button, laughing coldly. “See? All her over-smartness disappeared in seconds.”

Eshita gasped loudly as the pain finally stopped. She coughed violently, saliva falling onto the white marble floor. Her entire body shook as she tried to breathe properly again. She felt humiliated, powerless, and pathetic. She hadn’t even realized when he had trapped her with that device until she felt it activate.

“The game is very simple,” Samar said calmly. He looked at Ekta. “Like Bhai said... You have to choose.”

He pointed toward the two sides. “Between your family and that bitch over there. Agar tune tere parivaar ko chuna toh teri pyaari bhen ka kya hoga vo toh tu dekh hi chuki hai. Aur agar tune teri bhen ko chuna toh tere parivaar ka kya hoga vo bhi tu dekh sakti hai.”

He leaned back. “Toh... Samay shuru hota hai ab.”

Ekta sat frozen. Her senses slowly faded, her mind refused to accept what was happening. How could she choose? How could she decide between two lives? Even if the answer seemed obvious, the better part of her heart refused to accept such a cruel choice.

She couldn’t abandon Eshita. But she couldn’t become like her own family. She couldn’t be the reason someone else suffered. The impossible choice stood before her, tearing her apart from within.

Eshita wasn’t just an option for her anymore. Ekansh and Virendra weren’t just an option for her. Earlier, when she heard the news of their deaths, she cried at the thought of losing her brother, but her heart also shattered at the loss of a father.

Virendra had proved through his understanding, his patience, and his actions that he accepted her as his daughter. When she thought it was only an obligation he was fulfilling for the sake of his children, he proved her wrong.

He was never a man of grand words or endless promises. But his silent understanding, his unconditional support, and the care he showed without expecting anything in return told a story of its own. Something she had never received from her own father.

So today, when she had to choose between a bond that connected her through blood and one that connected her through the heart, she already had the answer at the tip of her tongue. But the fear remained. Would her mother be happy with her decision? Would she herself be able to live in peace after choosing Eshita, a girl who was slowly becoming as important to her as Ekansh once had?

Her own emotions, guilt, love, and responsibility collided inside her, leaving her trapped between two impossible choices.

Eshita was in the same dilemma. She didn’t know what to tell Ekta. She couldn’t ask her to choose her family because that would mean pushing her toward the same people who had been the reason behind her suffering. However, she also couldn’t ask Ekta to choose her, because that would mean accepting the death of a father and son. Even if they deserved the consequences of their actions, their deaths would become a burden Ekta would carry for the rest of her life. A burden she would blame herself for.

Abhiraj’s intentions were becoming clearer to her slowly. The man didn’t believe in simple punishment. He believed in breaking a person piece by piece until they lost themselves completely. He wasn’t trying to make Ekta choose. He was trying to destroy her no matter what decision she made. And that was the terrifying reality she was finally beginning to understand.

“Itna soach kya rahi hai... Bhai hu mein Tera.” Suraj spat angrily, “Tu humare sath asa kregi? Hume chod ke unn bhar walo ka sath chhati hai? Dekh lena yeh log bhi tere sath wahi krenge jo humne kiya. Ek na ek din yeh bhi tujhe bech denge tera bhooj nhi utha payenge. Phir kya kregi? Isse aacha mera humara sath de shayad tujhe hum aapna bhi le.”

Ekta stared at her father waiting for him to defend himself or atleast acknowledge his mistakes, apologise or maybe explain something she wanted to hear any justification of his actions, any kind of valid explanation, hoping that the four year old her who craved for her father’s love and attention would finally get the answer she had been waiting for years.

“Tere jaise beti bhagwan ne mujhe di he kyu uske liye mein aapni kismat ko aaj bhi kosta hu.” Bhairav spat, meeting Ekta’s eyes with disgust swirling in them, “Agar tujhe tere paida hote he maar diya hota toh aaj mujhe yeh din he nhi dekhna padta. Teri jasie aulad se accha toh beaulad hona hai.”

He looked away angrily, “Na jaane kis jaman ka paap hai jo teri maa ne tujhe jaman diya. Kudh toh maar gayi peeche ek kalank chod ke gayi meri zindagi main. Jitni baar peecha chodne ki koshish ki utni baar mere maathe pad gaya vo kala dhabba hai tu. Itna sabh hone ke baad bhi tujhe samay chaiye yeh soachne ke liye ki tujhe hume ya uss do kaudi ki ladki mein se kisi ek ko chunna hai? Zindagi mein ek baar toh aapne pariwar ke kaam aa jaa...”

“Ayi thi.” Ekta muttered quietly meeting his gaze, “Jb paanch saal ki thi. Aur aapko aapke bete ya beti mein se kisi ek ko chunna tha. Tb aapne aapne bete ko chuna. Uske baad mere sath kya hua kisi ne pata krne ki koshish nhi ki. Kisi ne mujhe bachane ki koshish nhi ki. Mujhe yeh kha gaya ki mujhe wahi karna chaiye jo mere pariwar ke liye sahi hai. Mujhe aap logo ko taklif nhi deni chaiye. Isliye chaar saal tk aapne sath vo sabh kuch bardasht kiya jiska matalab tk nhi pta tha.”

She took a shaky breath, “Haar ek hath ko aapne jisma prr rangta mehsus karna. Har vo ek gali suna jiska matlab mujhe pta bhi nhi. Chaar diwaro mai meri cheeke sune wala koi nhi tha. Na he mujhe aapni he cheeko se baachne wala. Itne saal chup bhi thi toh sirf aapne pariwar ke liye. Kudh se ghin bhi ayi toh aapne pariwar ko kabhi dosh nhi diya. Yeh soach krr ki mene he kuch galat kiya hoga. Mere he koi galati hogi jo mujhe pyaar ke badle nafrat milli...”

“Lekin ab... Aaj mein aapne aapko unn sabhi ilzamo se azad krti hu...” She wiped away the tears from her face harshly, rising to her feet and helping Eshita up.

She looked at Abhiraj in the eyes. For the first time since childhood, and in that present moment. Till now she was always too scared of those amber orbs, but today she didn’t let herself drown in that kind of fear.

Her grip tightened on Eshita’s hand ever so slightly, as if to gather her strength,  “Aap inn logo ke sath jo karna chahte hai kar sakte hai.”

Abhiraj stared at her for a long moment. One click of his finger. Once again the fire of the gun rang in the hall.

Suraj dropped dead on the floor, his lifeless body falling without a sound.

The room went silent.

Bhairav gasped. He tried to reach out to his son but was pulled back and thrashed badly by Abhiraj’s bodyguards, his desperate cries echoing through the hall as he watched everything falling apart.

“Ekta... Ekta beta... mujhe maaf krr de... Ahhhhhh....” Bhairav screamed in pain, “Beta aapne baba ke sath asa mat kar. Maaf krr de mujhe. Mein... Mein wahi krunga jo-jo tu chahti hai. Mein tera khyal...” He trailed off as the punch landed on his jaw.

One after another. He didn’t get time to plead or complete his sentence as the guards increased the pace and pressure, making every apology and every regret come too late.

Eshita tried to block Ekta’s eyes with her palm. However, Ekta pulled her hand down, staring at the scene with eyes devoid of any emotions. Her father’s screams echoed in her ears. Her brother’s body oozing blood where he was shot.

Everything was happening in front of her eyes, it should have broken her apart, but the numbness was the only thing she could feel. She had cried enough. She had begged enough. And now there was nothing left inside her except emptiness.

✨✨✨

Hours passed by, but there was still no clue about where the girls were. The sudden disappearance of Samar didn’t create much suspicion because the entire city was still mourning Abhiraj. The news channels had quickly shifted their narrative from the character assassination of the girl to the state crying for its leader’s death.  Everywhere people were talking about Abhiraj’s sacrifice, his “good deeds,” and his tragic death.

Ekansh stared at the computer screen in front of him, his eyes fixed on the blinking location marker. Samar’s phone last location was outside Mumbai, near the Mumbai-Pune crossing highway, before the signal completely disappeared.

The possibilities were limited.  The CCTV footage from the highway showed him following the same route until a certain point. After that, his car disappeared from every camera feed, as if it had never existed. No further visuals, no clear direction, nothing. Either he had entered an area where there was no network coverage, or he had intentionally turned off the device and changed his route.

There was a possibility that he had switched vehicles or taken one of the multiple roads branching out from there. The problem was that from that point onward, the highway divided into several routes, leading towards different towns, isolated areas, and private properties. And every passing minute was making it harder to trace him with another dead end.

“We can divide into three groups and search the possible areas,” Ekansh said, tapping on the screen. His voice remained controlled, but the agitation underneath was impossible to miss.

“If Samar travelled from this route there are only a few places where he could have disappeared without attracting attention. Vikram will go towards the old industrial side because there are abandoned properties there. It is isolated and if someone wanted to hide people that would be the easiest place.”

He looked at Rajeev. “You will go towards the outskirts near the highway. There are multiple farmhouses and private properties there. Samar might have used one of them.”

His finger moved towards another marked location. “I will search this area.”

Rajeev frowned. “That’s too dangerous. If you go alone and he is actually there... you know what kind of person we are dealing with. We don’t know how many men he has what kind of weapons he has or what trap he might have prepared.”

“Do we have a choice?” Ekansh’s jaw tightened. “Whatever area we are going to search is dangerous. We don’t have police support. We don’t have any official backup because according to the world Abhiraj Rajvansh is a great warrior and Samar Singhania is a great lawyer who stands for justice. The more we delay the more time they get to move somewhere else or... Disappear.” He mumbled the last part queilty. Allowing himself to even think of that made him anxious.

“We cannot let fear decide our next step.” Virendra said calmly, “Let’s put our emotions aside and think rationally before we take any step.”

Ekansh looked away.

Virendra understood his son’s panic. After knowing the truth about Ekta, after finally putting a face to the nightmare she had spent years running from, neither he nor Ekansh could stop imagining the worst possibilities. The girl who would flinch at a raised voice. The girl who struggled to speak about her own pain. The girl who spent years convincing herself that she was responsible for everything that happened to her.

What was happening to her now? That thought alone alone shook them to the core. The daughters of their house were missing in the grasp of a man who is far more than dangerous. The reality of the situation wasn’t lost on either of them But rushing blindly into danger would not save Ekta or Eshita. It could only put them in risk and they couldn’t afford that.

“First, we need more information,” Ekansh said composing his emotions.

His father was right. He knew that. But knowing and accepting were two different things. He couldn’t switch off the fear inside him. He couldn’t stop imagining Ekta alone somewhere, facing the man who had already destroyed years of her life once. And now he has taken her again. Until he saw both his sisters with his own eyes, safe, alive, and unharmed, he knew peace would remain impossible.

“For now we need not just locations. We need patterns.” He continued calmly, “Let’s find every property connected to Abhiraj, Samar, or anyone close to them. Check financial records, old cases, land ownership, anything suspicious.”

“A person like Abhiraj won’t disappear without leaving a trail behind.” Virendra shared his thoughts, “He had power. Money. Connections. But he also had an obsession. Someone like him won’t keep the girls hidden somewhere random. He would choose a place where he feels in control.”

Ekansh looked at him, “You mean somewhere connected to his past?”

Virendra nodded.

Rajeev pointed towards the screen. “We know Ekta escaped from him years ago. If he spent years searching for her there is a possibility he kept something prepared for the day he found her again.”

“We start with the information we have,” Ekansh said firmly. “Lets not search randomly. Create a pattern, narrow the locations, and then move.”

The four of them picked up their car keys and left in search of the girls, determined to bring them back safely.

At the end of the day, they weren’t fighting to prove a point, expose a scandal, or win a battle of reputation. They were fighting a monster who had hidden behind a mask of power, respect, and false righteousness for years.

When power collides with power, it can either destroy everything in its path... Or become the force that finally brings the truth into the light.

 ✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

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