Sorry for being late, but it took long to write this part. Hope you all will like it.
Recap- Daksh takes Anika to a hotel. Shivay calls Ranveer to help. They reach the hotel and find their room empty.
“But sir,the guard has been standing there throughout. He did not see them coming out”
“It’s because your man has been guarding the door. They left from the window.”
Shivay turned towards the window at ACP’s words.
He went there and realised ACP was right.
“This is how your hotel’s security system work? Look at this, such an awesome way to escape.”
Shivay failed to keep any kind of calmness in his attitude. So close. So close.
ACP continued talking to the receptionist ” I want you to tell me all the possible ways from this lane.”
After the discussion they concluded that they must have went to the back of the hotel.
Backside meant near the basement Car parking.ACP understood that they must have left the hotel.
“Well planned!”
“What?” Om asked out of surprise with ACP’s sudden remark.
“It’s very well planned. Now I know why he took the risk to check in a hotel full of people. He knew somebody will recognise Anika and inform us. He knew we’ll be coming here. This is not a lead we recieved. This is a lead he wanted us to recieve. A mislead.”
Shivay couldn’t believe. He did not want to believe this. Since when did Daksh become so clever and so resourceful? It was hard to accept. They are missing out something, he knew Daksh is usually very predictable . Something as unpredictable as this is not his style.’What have you put yourself into Anika?’
“I need to see the CCTV footage of the basement parking lot.” ACP’s high pitched orders brought Shivay back to the reality.
CCTV footage came up with nothing suspicious in the parking lot.
Rudra, who was silent till now spoke up. Though he himself was uncertain but he tried to put in as much confidence in his voice as he could, he wanted everybody to take his words seriously… “Ranveer, when we got the lead about this hotel,we expected them to be in their room but they were not. Again,when we are getting the lead of hotel’s backside we are checking footage of parking lot which is the obvious thing to do. I really feel we are repeating the mistake of expecting the obvious…”
Om nodded in agreement and helped Rudra to explain his point”We should be expecting the unexpected and something which is not so obvious…”
“They haven’t yet left the hotel. She’s still here…”
Shivay said that in absolute lost manner as if his mind is present somewhere in the third world. He blinked and snapped himself back at reality…clearing his throat he spoke in that absolute SSO tone “…when we found the room empty and further realised that they headed towards the parking lot we immediately concluded that… that they have left. So if we have to expect the unexpected…”
“Check if the footage has been kept in a loop!!”ACP ordered to the guard who was checking footages.
“No sir it’s not. I’ve already checked.”
“Great. I want a blue print of the hotel and tell me about all the possible remote places of this hotel.”
This one was addressed to the recepptionist.
Though Ranveer was surprised by the fact that Oberoi brothers could come up with something like this, but then he knew what Anika meant to them,he did not delay to get on work.
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Anika slowly opened her eyes. She was suffering a really bad headache. The darkness which surrounded her made her doubt if she was still unconcious. Being Nyctophobic was doing nothing but making things worse. The fear of darkness was eating her up.She tried to pull her hands and hug herself but she couldn’t. The ropes felt like cutting down her wrist’s flesh.
She spoke to herself in mind….
No Anika, don’t let the phobia get high on you. Fight it. You have to.
God!!! Why am I feeling so weak? I can’t even keep my eyes open for long. How long it’s been since I ate or drank something to feel so weak? Days? But it doesn’t feel so long. Where am I?
God please do something…’
Then there fell light. Straight on her face. Someone was using a torch.Anika flinched. Maybe she begged for light but this was hurting her eyes.
She heard Daksh’s laugh.
ANIKA:
I couldn’t let myself give up. I tried to take advantage of the sudden light and make out my surroundings to know where I am. It felt stone cold beneath my bare feet and looking around I realised it was indeed stone. I realised there were many things arround me. Things which were not too far from me rather,very close. It smelt like adhesive and wood. Factory? A furniture factory? Or maybe something related to wood?
“What are you searching for Anika? Shivay is not here. He’ll never reach here.”
I felt too tired to reply. I chose to invest my energy on thinking a way out instead of arguing with him. The chair I was sitting on was thankfully comfortable. I looked down to check it more minutely. Why do I find this chair familiar? Am I somewhere where I have already been before. My mind was too tired to recollect the chair but I pushed myself harder to think.
Then it striked…I have indeed seen this chair before,today in the afternoon in our hotel room, infront of the…
What?!!! We are still inside the hotel? But we were out oh that place and near the parking lot. I thought…
My Goodness!! If I thought so, Shivaye will think the same.
How long have been Daksh planning this? It’s too organised. Too organised to be true for Daksh.
It felt like I was going under a treatment of surprises, becaue what happened next was surprising too.
A female voice…
“Stop playing games and kill her. I know this place is impossible to find but I have witnessed many impossible cases where Shivaye had saved her from”
Huh?? A lady? Who has witnessed us? It means she has known us since long… but who??
The light started coming closer to me. Daksh was walking towards me…
He was holding something in his other hand… A Knife?
I found my legs shivering. I tried to set myself free from the ropes, but the more I moved the more it dug deeper.
Daksh was standing right infront of me.
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ACP gave orders to his team while the three brothers were getting impatient. Shivay wanted to go and search the whole hotel himself but OmRu convinced him…
“Shivay we understand why you want to hurry,but we have been facing quite unusual and unexpected things since morning. We have no idea what’s coming up next and we just can’t jump into the matter. Ranveer is right, we do need a plan.”
“Any Questions?”
Shivay heard ACP asking his team and when the team had none,he turned towards the Oberoi brothers. No words were required, eyes spoke legions.
Soon they were all heading towards their destination…
—————————
ANIKA:
Daksh kept the knife close to my throat. Too close.
“So Anika or should I call Mrs. Shivaye Singh Oberoi?
What a player you are, I must say… from having no surname at all to being an Oberoi. Well played Anika.”
I found myself sweating in an annoying rate. I was feeling so drowsy that I was scared ,I might mistakenly lean towards his knife out of tireness!! My body started shaking.
This is it.
It’s all over.
Then suddenly out of nowhere light filled the room. I closed my eyes out of reflex. Daksh was standing close enough to me that I could feel his body go rigid. It’s not part of his plan? If it’s not then what….
“Anika…!!”
Careful about the knife I turned towards the voice. A voice I couldn’t go wrong with.
“Shiva…?” How weak I am? I couldn’t even complete his name. What’s wrong with me? Shivay started walking towards me when I felt the knife inching closer to me.
“Don’t. Do not step forward”
This was Daksh.
“Daksh mamu??” I saw Ranveer putting down his gun which he was pointing towards him till now.
“Everybody guns down.” He ordered his troop and repeated it when the officers hesitated.
“What are you doing ACP?”
Omkara’s voice startled me. What is he doing here?And Is that Rudra beside him? My God!! Uhhh!!
“You did not tell me Daksh mamu was involved in this!!
You guys really think I’ll go against my own mamu for your stupid bhabhi?”
Daksh laughed at that.His features loosened a bit and I found the knife moving away from my throat.
“Oh poor Shivay! I did not expect you to be so dumb. You got Ranveer to arrest me? Seriously?”
“Where have you been mamu? Mom got so worried about you.”
Daksh and Ranveer walked towards each other. “And I also wanted to tell you something…” They were about to hug each other when Ranveer twisted Daksh’s hand and turned his body which made him kneel down.
“…. that you are under arrest!!”
Ranveer did not waste anytime neither did his officers. Soon Daksh was handcuffed. I was so engrossed and surprised by Ranveer’s action that I did not notice ShivOmRu freeing me from the ropes.
Shivay hugged me. My body ached but still it felt good.
He released me and then looked at Daksh bitterly.
“This is exactly why I’ve brought Ranveer to arrest you. I knew…I knew you’ll threaten to kill or hurt Anika and won’t let anybody come near you or her, just like the way you threatened last time to speed up the fllow of the water. Ranveer was the only one who could make you feel as if there’s no need of threatening because he already supports you…and you easily fell in the trap.”
I had no power to speak, still I spoke loud enough for Shivay to notice…
“A lady…” I pointed to the direction from where I felt the voice had come…
“You?” asked Shivay out of shock.I already knew it has to be someone familiar
Rudra helped me to get up of the chair. I stood there leaning on Rudra and took a clear view of the lady…
Mrs. Kapoor??
“I hope you do realise ma’am that for being a part of kidnapping and attempt to murder you’ll be arrested too” Ranveer walked towards her with the handcuff.
She looked angrily at Daksh “This was one of the best plans I had made till date and you… you ruined it all. I told you… I told you not to play games and make it fast. I told you Shivay will…”
She sighed with disgust and didn’t complete the sentence. Either because she did not want to give Shivay a complimennt or else she had realised there was no use now.
“You were right Mrs. Kapoor, the game was not over then ’cause it’s over now!!”
As usual the ending dialogue always has to belong to the great Shivay Singh Oberoi.
Throughout this time I craved to see him. Here he was, to my rescue yet again. No matter how weak my eyes felt they’ll never be tired to take him in. He was still wearing his white kurta which he wears to bed. He didn’t change since the last time. Although he was in a mess,he looked handsome, maybe more than ever…
Way back to the mansion a lot had to be asked and answered.
Omkara offered to drive the car for he knew Anika and Shivay needed each other. They both sat together in the backseat. Anika was leaning her head on Shivay’s shoulder and he had his arm wrapped around her.
“I don’t know why I am feeling so weak. I can’t keep my eyes open and…”
“You have been drugged bhabhi!”
Anika gasped at Om’s words but she knew it made sense.
This time Rudra was speaking
“Your body must be aching too. It was such a small space!!”
“Huh??!!” Omkara explained again “You were taken to the store room of the hotel in a small shoe case. God knows how they had made you fit in!!”
“But how do you all know that?”
“CCTV footage. We firstly didn’t notice because Daksh had changed into a hotel employee’s dress, but when we specifically searched for the footage of the camera placed infront of the store room, that’s when we noticed him.”
Rudra explained in a go and finally stopped to breathe.
Anika throughout was listening,but didn’t put her head up from Shivay’s shoulder.
“Why Anika?” Shivay finally spoke..
“Why did you do that? Why did you leave me? Us? I told you not to… I told you I’ll make everything right but still you took it all upon yourself? Why? ”
The pain in Shivay’s voice made her flinch. She saw this coming and she knew she had to answer this… but not now… they had already wasted a lot of time thinking and facing the problems. Anika did not answer. She knew Shivay was looking down at her. She clenched his kurta and pulled herself closer to him. He automatically tightened his hold on her, helping her to come closer.
Omkara noticed the change in Anika’s body language through the rearview mirror “Shivay, I think this is not the right time. She needs rest.”
Shivay nodded and brushed her hair away from her face.
Precap- Shivay asks Anika again about the reason. What will Anika say? How will Shivay react to that? Stay tuned to know more…