Chapter- 49

The air inside the cell felt heavier than the walls surrounding them. Silence felt suffocating, as if carrying an unbearable amount of weight. The only sound that filled the room was of water dripping somewhere from the cracked ceiling.

Eshita sat against the cold wall, her knees pulled close to her chest. Her throat ached from the earlier electric current she had been subjected to; its lingering vibrations still stung painfully around her neck. However, more than the pain, her gaze remained fixed on Ekta.

The girl sat curled into herself, trying to become smaller or disappear into that corner altogether, staring at nothing in particular. Somewhere deep inside, Eshita had an idea of what Ekta was thinking, or maybe the memories that were haunting her, but she herself didn’t know how to reach out to her. She didn’t know how to pull someone out of a darkness she herself couldn’t fully understand. Even if the words of comfort lay bare at the tip of her tongue, they all felt too small for the kind of pain Ekta was carrying.

Eshita had always known what to do when problems arrived. Turn to the family. Even if they were the cause of it, she had been taught to fight, talk it out, and burst out if needed rather than suffer in silence.

But this was different. Ekta had been taught the same by Ekansh, but the girl was too kind to use that method to empty her system. In the end, her own mind became her biggest enemy, and for the first time Eshita felt helpless. She could fight a situation, but she didn’t know how to fight the battle someone was silently fighting within themselves.

Ekta stared at the cold floor blankly, her eyes fixed on a single point but her mind trapped in an endless loop of horrifying memories. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see her father getting beaten, staring at her with pleading eyes to save him, her brother getting shot dead right before her, while the pleas and gunshots continued to ring in her ears like a thunderclap that refused to fade away.

Did she regret the choice she made? The answer was a clear no.

Eshita didn’t deserve to die. Eshita wasn’t someone to be considered an option to trade. Eshita was her family, just like Ekansh once became. And if a situation like this arrived again, she would choose her again.

Still, amid it all, she felt like a part of her had died with her family. She still didn’t feel anger, hatred, or even like crying, just a small broken part of her that kept wishing things had been different.

The sixteen-year-old her could still see the shadow of her five-year-old self, with innocence and hope glazing the little girl’s eyes. Waiting to be loved by her father, waiting for him to see her with the same pride and smile he reserved for his son. The little her still kept searching for reasons behind his indifference, which her sixteen-year-old self was already aware of, yet she was still trying to deny them to protect herself. After all, defence was the best form of survival. She had read that somewhere once.

Accepting that her own family could hurt her was far more painful than accepting the hurt itself. And maybe that was why the guilt hurt so much. Because despite everything, a part of her still thought that if she had been a boy, maybe things would have been different.

The human heart was cruel. It knew the difference between making the right choice and living with its consequences, yet like a pathetic beggar, it still knocked on the doors where it had never been welcomed. Just like now, Ekta sat there, lost within herself, who didn’t know how to survive her emotions of finally being free and still feeling like she had lost everything when actually she hadn’t.

“Ekta?” Eshita called out softly, sitting down beside her.

Ekta stayed silent for a long moment before lifting her gaze slowly.

“Tum thik hai?” Eshita asked gently, searching her face for even the slightest crack.

Ekta stared at her before shrugging her shoulders. She didn’t know if she was or wasn’t.

“Abhi jo kuch der pehle hua... uske baare mein soch rahi ho?” Eshita asked carefully, not wanting to spook her.

Ekta’s fingers dug into her other hand. “I am fine,” she mumbled, looking away. She didn’t want Eshita to think that she regretted her decision or that it was some kind of obligation when the answer had come straight from her heart.

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” Eshita murmured quietly. She reached out, holding Ekta’s hand in hers. “Tum thik nhi ho mein jaanti hu. And that’s okay. But I hope you don’t feel guilty or blame yourself for the decisions you didn’t make.”

She held her gaze steadily. “Tumne wahi kiya jo zaruri tha. Tumne kisiko hurt nhi kiya. You just chose to be a human in front of monsters. And that’s your biggest strength... because staying kind in a cruel world takes far more courage than becoming cruel yourself. You chose to be yourself without losing your humanity and the values you uphold. And that’s the most beautiful kind of bravery.”

Like a warm embrace in the middle of a storm, Eshita’s words felt exactly like that to Ekta. That quiet conviction in them, wrapped with gentleness and unwavering acceptance, seeped into the cracks of her shattered heart little by little.

It didn’t erase the sense of guilt instantly, neither did it make the pain disappear, but for the first time since everything had fallen apart in her life, she felt like she had chosen what she wanted instead of what others expected from her, and strangely, despite the pain, she didn’t regret it.

The door slid open abruptly. A small packet of bread was carelessly thrown inside before it slammed shut again with a loud bang.

Ekta flinched violently, instinctively curling into Eshita’s side. Eshita’s grip tightened around her shoulders protectively, waiting until the echoes faded before lifting her gaze towards the packet lying a few feet away. After making sure no one else was entering, she cautiously walked over, picked it up and checked it briefly for anything suspicious. It was the sealed packet.

Returning to Ekta’s side, she sat down and held the packet out to her. “Eat it. Tumhe bhook lagi hogi na?”

Ekta shook her head immediately. “Aap khao... aapne bhi subah se kuch nhi khaya. Mujhe bhook nhi hai....”

“Mujhe bhi bhook nhi hai.” Both of them spoke in unison. As if mocking their stubbornness, both their stomachs growled loudly in protest at the sudden silence.

Eshita let out a helpless sigh. Opening the packet, she tore the bread into two uneven pieces before deliberately handing one to Ekta while keeping the half for herself. She couldn’t afford to let either of them faint. Even a little food was enough to keep them going for now.

Ekta quietly broke her own piece into two and tried to pass half of it back. She had noticed exactly what Eshita had done. “Aap khao... mujhe aadat hai...” Her words died midway as Eshita stuffed the bread right back into her mouth.

“Yeh jo bhi kharab aadatein hai na teri...” Eshita’s tone turned firm. “Once we are out of this junky place I will personally make sure bhaiya tujhe roz dus parathe khilaye, teen plate dal-chawal khilaye aur haan... roz doo glass meethi lassi. Extra sugar ke saath.”

Ekta choked on the bread, coughing lightly blinking at her in utter disbelief. “Aap pagal ho gayi ho? Ek din mein sumo pehelwan banana hai kya mujhe?”

Eshita rolled her eyes while gently rubbing her back. “Whatever it is... I don’t care. Aaj kal ki ladkiyon ko dekha hai? Kitna khati hain... kitni farmaishye karti hain. Aur tu hai ki good... cute little sister ki image leke baithi hai. I will make you like me. Bhaiya aur dad ko dono ka khoon dono mill krr piyenge.”

A tiny faint smile tugged at the corner of Ekta’s lips despite herself. Arguing with the great Eshita Seghal was clearly hazardous to one’s health. Even Virendra and Ekansh eventually surrendered in front of her. She didn’t stand a chance. Quietly, she finished the bread.

“Aapne mujhse beach par ek sawal poocha tha... kya aap uska jawab nhi sunna chahti?” She asked hesitantly.

“Nhi.” Eshita answered without missing a beat. “Eshita Seghal haq wahan maangti hai jahan uske rishte kacche ho. Log anjan ho. Tera aur mera rishta ab sirf dosti ka nhi... behno wala hai. And we aren’t strangers either. So... Deal with me from now on.”

“Because I saved you?” Ekta asked uncertainly.

“Because I want to!” Eshita corrected firmly, meeting her gaze.

Before Eshita could understand what was happening, Ekta slowly lay down, resting her head in her lap like a tired child seeking warmth, safety and a place where she no longer had to stay guarded.

Eshita’s hand rose on its own, gently running through her hair the same way her mother used to soothe her after every nightmare.

It was only the second time she had comforted Ekta. Yet this time felt completely different from the first. The first had been out of concern for a girl she couldn’t bear to see suffer. This one came naturally from heart, as though somewhere along the way, without either of them realizing it, Ekta had become her little sister a long ago.

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Where on one side solace became the fragile thread of hope, outside, the darkness grew thicker with every passing hour. The moon disappeared behind the endless black canvas of the sky, and even the stars seemed to have hidden themselves, as though refusing to witness the nightmare unfolding beneath them.

Ekansh drove from one deserted location to another without stopping, searching every abandoned warehouse, farmhouse, isolated bungalow and forgotten road they could think of, only to return empty-handed each time.

Every lead ended in disappointment, every clue dissolved into nothing. Hours slipped away mercilessly, yet there wasn’t a single sign of the girls. The silence from the other end of the phone, the constant uncertainty were slowly becoming unbearable. With every passing minute, the fear that he were running out of time settled heavier in his chest, but giving up wasn’t an option. Not while his sisters were still out there waiting for him to find them.

He parked his car a few metres away from the abandoned house, the engine falling silent as the eerie stillness of the place settled around them. Vikram and Rajeev pulled up right behind him, stepping out.

The house stood isolated at the end of a broken dirt road, swallowed by overgrown wild grass and towering trees. Its white walls now stained with damp patches and peeling paint, cracks running through the structure like old scars. Several windowpanes lay shattered, while the rusted iron gate hung crooked on a single hinge, creaking every now and then as the cold wind passed through it Dry leaves crunched beneath their boots as they walked cautiously through the overgrown path. Every step echoed in the unsettling silence surrounding the abandoned estate.

Ekansh’s gaze swept across the property before settling on the dark entrance. An hour ago, one of his informants had informed him that Samar and Abhiraj had been spotted near this very property almost a week ago, just days before everything spiralled out of control. Eventually, after an entire day of chasing dead ends, broken leads, this was the only place left worth searching.

“I don’t think anyone is here.” Vikram muttered, looking around carefully.

Ekansh sighed, pushing the half-broken wooden door open. “I know... but we need to find something. Anything. One clue is enough to tell us where they went next.”

“Hopefully we will reach that bastard soon.” Rajeev gritted out, his torch scanning every corner.

“Did you get anything from the investors... or anyone who knew both the brothers before they entered politics?” Ekansh asked without taking his eyes off the hallway ahead.

Rajeev shook his head in frustration. “Nothing useful. Whoever knew them is either dead, missing, or too terrified to speak. They wiped out their past better than professionals. It’s as if Abhiraj Rajvansh and Samar Singhania were born the day they stepped into the public eye.”

“They didn’t just erase records...” Vikram added quietly. “They erased people. But without getting their hands dirty.”

Silence settled between them. Each room they entered looked emptier than the last. Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor. Thick layers of dust covered everything untouched for months. Cobwebs stretched from one corner to another while the damp smell of mould lingered heavily in the air.

Rajeev pushed open another door. The three of them stopped at the threshold. Inside an old wooden chair stood in the centre. Frayed ropes still hung loosely from its arms. Empty beer bottles were scattered across the floor. Cigarette butts lay crushed beneath dried mud. A steel plate rested in one corner with stale pieces of bread hardened like stone.

Rajeev’s jaw clenched. “Someone was kept here.”

Vikram slowly walked around the chair. His fingers brushed against the broken rope. “Could it be Eshita or ekta?”

Ekansh shook his head, looking around. “No. If they had been kept here they would have keft something behind. A clue... or a sign for me to reach them.”

He swept the torch carefully across the room, “There is nothing like that.”

Rajeev and Vikram agreed. Even if they didn’t know much about Ekta yet, they knew Eshita very well. The girl was way smarter than she showed. Like Ekansh said, she would’ve left behind some kind of evidence without a doubt.

Rajeev exhaled sharply. “It’s like we are always one step behind him.”

“And that’s exactly how he wants it.” Ekansh’s eyes hardened. “He isn’t hiding... he’s leading us wherever he wants. So that we can get trapped in the web he laid.”

His phone buzzed abruptly, cutting through the tension. He frowned, noticing a video sent from an unknown number. A strange sense of dread settled deep in his chest as he tapped on it.

Eshita’s painful scream filled the silent abandoned house, cutting through the air like a knife.

Ekansh’s hand shook as he watched Eshita struggle, clutching at the metal collar around her neck, her screams increasing with every passing second. Ekta’s father and brother stood in the lavish room. Samar and Abhiraj sat comfortably on the couch while Ekta desperately tried to help Eshita. The mess visible to him was enough to tell him they were being mentally and physically tortured.

The screaming stopped. Eshita coughed violently, gasping for air.

“All you have to do is choose... Between that bitch over there... or your family.” Samar’s voice dripped with amusement, making Ekansh’s blood run cold.

His grip tightened around the phone until his knuckles turned white. Before he could even breathe properly, the screen changed.

Ekta stood wrapped in Eshita’s embrace, her back facing the camera. The gunshot rang through the video. The screen went blank.

“ESHITA!” Ekansh shouted, panic flashing across his face as he instinctively took a step forward.

The video ended. He immediately dialled the number, but the call failed before it could even connect. A second later, his phone chimed again.

Your sister made her choice. And the other one paid the price. Soon it will be your turn.

Ekansh froze, his eyes remaining fixed on the screen for a long moment. Despite what he saw, his instinct screamed no. He knew Eshita was alive. He knew Ekta would never choose her family who had inflicted so much pain on her. He trusted both his sisters enough to know this video was nothing more than a carefully edited lie.

But trust didn’t erase fear. Because behind that lie was a truth he couldn’t ignore. Both of them were trapped with a psychopath, a man who wasn’t trying to kill them immediately but to break them slowly. And that was more terrifying than death itself.

“Send me the video and number.” Rajeev said with growing urgency. “I will find out where it came from.”

“We can see Abhiraj and Samar’s faces. Now we can go to the police and take legal action.” Vikram said hopefully, “We will reach the girls soon.”

Ekansh nodded, opening his phone to forward the number, but froze. The video had disappeared from his phone. So did the message. The number vanished from the screen as if it had never existed in the first place.

“What happened?” Rajeev asked, noticing the shocked expression on his face.

“The video... the message... there’s nothing.” Ekansh looked at them, stunned.

“What are you saying?” Vikram grabbed his phone, going through it again and again, “How is this possible?”

“You don’t know about ghost messaging systems?” Rajeev asked, running his fingers through his hair. “The man used a self-destructing encrypted service. Once the receiver opens it... it automatically deletes itself without leaving any digital trace. No traces. No evidence. No police complaint.”

They couldn’t believe the man was so meticulously prepared. They had truly underestimated Abhiraj.

Before Ekansh could react, his phone chimed again.

How is your father doing Ekansh Seghal? Tell him my Hello!

Ekansh’s eyes widened. He ran towards the exit hurriedly, panick filling in his senses. The entire situation taking a dramatic turn as a horrifying realization crashed into him. If Abhiraj knew about his father... then that meant he wasn’t just watching the girls anymore. He was watching them too.

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Thanks for reading!!!

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Basically, I know the kind of horrors girls go through in such situations if they are held by people like Abhiraj and Samar. I have read many novels, and even if we consider real-life situations, they are worse.

I chose a very sensitive topic to write about for the first time, but ending it easily will lessen the essence of the story.

However, I am not brave enough to write something I am not comfortable with, and there are many minor readers too, so I will try to put down what I feel is at least readable.

 

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