Shades of our Love

Forbidden

Annika woke up tied, gagged and blindfolded. Her throat was dried up. She knew whatever S.S.O had done had turned all tables around and put her on the hot seat. For the first time in her life she was afraid. Not only the darkness but the mere smell of this place irked her. "Let me go...let me go!" She wanted to shout, but all that came out was a muffled noise. She started to panic. She could here someone singing at a distance. Was it a woman? a man? a child? she could not tell. It was faint at first, and then the eerie voice approached her. It was a high pitched voice that was almost haunting, singing a folklore lullaby. Someone or something was soon standing beside her, hovering around her chair.  "Why did you bring me here? please tell me what do you want?" , Annika pleaded. The singing voice transformed into a cackle of laughter. "Please....what is all this? Let me go!" Annika was shaking, feeling the eeriness of the presence around her. The spectral figure, kept floating around her nimbly as if it was a spirit, something that was inhumane. It's long fingers twirled the edges of Annika's long tresses and the hair at the back of her neck stood up when it finally spoke. Annika realised that it was a woman!

" Annika Shivaay Singh Oberoi" The voice cackled again. " So you are now the owner of the Oberoi empire! You must be something so special for him to forget his purpose in life!" She sounded disappointed.

"What? what do you mean?" Annika was confused.

"Oops did I spoil the surprise for you my dear! Maybe it was a gift from your beloved husband?" The mysterious voice took a condescending tone. " Shivaay Singh Oberoi,  just transferred all his assets to you! You are the boss now!"

"WHAT?" Annika couldn't believe what she was hearing. So this is why she was here. That selfish asshole! How S.S.O continuously used her as mere bait vexed her.

"Oh dear a gift is something that you should always receive gracefully!" she smacked her lips.

" Who are you?" Annika asked again.

" We are all mere soldiers my dear child...all soldiers!" She started humming that annoying tune of hers again.

"You are a soldier for whom? Why did you kidnap me? Who made you do it?"

"Well not really anyone...I am more of a general you see for the organisation!" She laughed out loud and removed Annika's blind folds. Annika gasped at the site of her. She was a tall woman, with a lean figure in a white Kurti. Her nails were well manicured, and were painted in ruby red. Her face was covered with a fencing mask and her voluminous Maine was let loose giving her a rather bizarre look.  Annika looked into her eyes through the mesh, and they reflected in green almost serpent like.

"What do you mean? Are you the one behind the attack at the mansion? Are you the reason Shivaay almost died?" Annika infuriated recalling the time he was bleeding to death, fighting for his life.

" I'll be frank with you it hasn't been easy all these years for me either. It's all a complicated business my child! The moment someone strays, you have to bring them in line! If not it creates a domino effect. Everything will keep tumbling down, one after the other. Now I don't care for that! I nip it off the bud from the start. Oberoi family has always been my problem child! First that idiotic Shakti acted up...and then Shivaay! All this time I had a soft spot for him! He was a poor poor child....poor little millionaire orphan...I had to let them raise that little lamb, until it is time to be slaughtered. It broke my heart when time came to sacrifice him!" The woman laughed manically.