More Than Meets the Eye (An Ishqbaaz FF) ||✔||

10.

The loud, booming voice caught their attention and what they saw shocked them. Veer was choke-holding Svetlana with a knife to her neck.

"Omkara! Recorder chhodo!" Veer ordered.

"Omkara nahi!" Svetlana shouted.

Om looked between Veer and Svetlana, eyes wide.

"Recorder chhodo warna..." Veer nicked the side of her neck, causing her to wince, "iska khoon tere haathon par hoga."

Omkara froze seeing blood at the edge of the knife. He started to put the recorder down.

"Omkara no! Meri taraf dekho, look at me. Iski baaton mein mat aana. Don't drop i..AAH!"

Veer pressed the fresh cut on her neck, making her shriek. She gritted her teeth but spoke through the stinging pain. "Yeh recording hi ek tareeka hain hazaron families ko justice dilane ka. Mere baare mein mat socho, just don't leave the recorder Omkara."

"Omkara!" Veer roared, tightening his hold on Svetlana.

Omkara couldn't understand what to do but when he looked at Svetlana, she pointed to her side with her eyes. He looked through the corner of his eyes and understood she was pointing at Shivaay. He looked at Shivaay and when the latter made eye-contact, Om eyed the recorder to which Shivaay nodded. Omkara began to bend but instead of placing the recorder at the ground, tossed it to Shivaay. Shivaay was about catch it when...

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

The loud, shrill cry made him flinch, causing the recorder to drop at his feet. He looked at the source and his blood went cold at what he saw.

Veer had plunged the knife in between Svetlana's neck and shoulder. The lightest movement of the knife caused blood to gush out of the wound.

"Shivaay!" Veer called out. "Agar tu ne yeh recorder uthaya toh..." Veer twisted the knife in her neck.

"AAAAAHHHAAAANNNNAAAAHHHH!" Svetlana screamed on top of her voice and thrashed her arms and legs, anything that would stop the pain. But to no avail.

"....Toh iski arthi bhi saath mein uthayega." Veer threatened. "Abhi yeh choora iski gardan mein hain. Agar galti se artery par lag gaya, toh khel khattam."

"Veer chhod do Svetlana ko." Shivaay ordered.

"Toh haath upar kar aur peechhe hat. Sab ke sab." Veer countered and the Oberois resentfully complied. Veer then took the knife out of Svetlana's neck, causing her to gasp heavily.

"Anika," Veer called out, grabbing her attention. "Tum yaheen khadi rahi raho."

Anika stood rooted at her spot and glanced at Shivaay, who was being pushed back by the goons. She then looked back at Veer, who had a sinister look on his face.

"Is recording se tera baap aur sasuraal wale, dono nirdosh saabit ho jaayenge. Is liye... tujhe is recorder ko todna hoga."

Anika was shocked. Svetlana shook her head but Veer tightened his hold, choking her.
"Ani...ka n...nahi.." Svetlana uttered with her wavering voice.

"Veer! Veer, chhod do Svetlana ko. Please, please chhod do use. Please." Anika pleaded, only to receive lustful smirk.

Veer spoke in an overly sweet voice, "Anika, tumhe apne dushmano se bhi kitni humdardi hain. Tumhari isi adaa par toh main fida ho gaya tha."

"MERI BIWI KE BAARE MEIN BOLNE KI TERI HIMMAT KAISE HUI!" Shivaay roared and charged towards him but before he could inch any closer, Veer took the knife and dragged it across the previous wound, widening it. Svetlana cried out in pain.

"Nahi!' Anika screamed.

"Shivaay ko bolo peeche hate!" Veer ordered.

"Teri..." Shivaay raised a fist but Anika held him back.

"Shivaay, please, please ruk jaayiye. Main.. main baat kar rahi hoon na Veer se." Anika looked towards Veer. "Koi kuch nahi karega, koi aage nahi aayega. Ab please Svetlana ko chhod do."

"Toh recorder todo. Todo is recorder ko!" Veer yelled, making Anika flinch. She at looked Shivaay, Pinky, Shakti, Tej, Jahnvi, Om, Rudra and Svetlana then at Veer and Roop. 

Anika sniffled, "Mujhe please maaf kar dena." 

She crushed the recorder under her feet.

"I'm sorry."

Stomp.

"I'm so sorry."

Stomp. 

The recorder was gone. The proof was gone.

Shivaay caught Anika in his arms before her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor, crying in guilt. OmRu stood by them and tried to console them. Veer loosened his hold on Svetlana seeing her slump at the destroyed evidence. Roop looked at the S.O.s holding their heads and getting tearful. Spinning the end of her dupatta, she walked towards Svetlana and shook her head in fake dismay. 

"Tch tch tch. Bahot bura hua, mujhe..mujhe sach mein tu bahot achhi lagti thi."

Roop stroked her chin but Svetlana turned her head away. 

Roop continued, "Tu kaafi sakht haddi hain. Itni phooti kismat hone ke baawajood teri himmat nahi tooti. Pehle tera baap chal basa, teri maa gham aur gusse mein doob gayi, teri chhoti behen Tia ki zimmedari tere _naazuk kandhon_ par pad gayi, teri chhutki Saumya ko tujhse chheen kar teri mausi ke ghar bhej diya. Aur phir khushi ki kiran ugi thi, woh bhi ast ho gayi. Tera pyaar, tera pati, Kartik tha na uska naam? Woh bhi bhagwaan ko pyaara ho gaya, teri bachhi ke saath."

"Don't you dare! Naam mat lo meri family ka! Naam mat lo mere pat..." Svetlana stopped mid-sentence, glaring at Tej. 

Roop followed her gaze and faked shock. "Svetlana, tu ne inhe hi nahi bataya? Kamaal hain, tera inse itna purana rishta hain. Tu toh inke woh thaihri na, woh... Pinky parjaayiji, aap kya kehti thi? Haan, aapki "half-jethani" aur Jahnvi parjaayiji ki "full sautan"."

"Roop, humare past ko beech mein lane ki zaroorat nahi hain. Tum evidence mitana chahti aur woh ho chuka hain. Svetlana ko chhod do ab." Tej said with angry glare.

Roop snickered, "Waah veerji, badi chinta aur pyaar aa raha hain apni rakhail par!"

"APNI HADH MEIN RAHO ROOP!" Tej roared and raised his hand but Om immediately sprang in action and held him back.

"Mr Oberoi, kya kar rahe hain aap? Yeh aapko bhadkane ki koshish kar rahi hain aur aap bhadak rahe hain. Shaant ho jaayiye, please." Om explained and held Tej back. 

"Arey, main galat kya keh rahi hoon? Apne aakhri waqt insaan ko dil mein raaz daba ke nahi rakhne chahiye." Roop said while fiddling with her hair. "Aur waise bhi Tej Veerji aur Jahnvi parjaayiji itne bewakoof toh hain nahi ko woh samjhenge Svetlana unki zindag mein, unki shaadi ke beech, unke baccho ko unse door karne naam, daulat aur shauhrat ke liye aayi hogi." She said the last sentence sarcastically as that is exactly what the Oberois believed.

"What nonsense! Kya bake jaa rahi ho?" Jahnvi rebuked her.

"Roop, shut up! Shut up! Just shut up!" Svetlana thrashed and shook her body to get out of Veer's hold, to stop Roop from continuing. But with each attempt, Veer's grip was getting tighter and her energy lower. Roop shook her head and let out a pitiful laugh at her attempts.

"Svetlana ke maksad ki asli wajah hain... uska pati, Inspector Kartik Dixt, uski 1 saal ki beti Anaisha aur 15 saal pehli hui dono ki beyhadh dukh-daayi maut." Roop revealed.