King

'Changed?'

His heart stopped beating as she fell in his arms unconscious. He didn't even waste a single second to lift her in his arms. He literally ran through the secret pathway towards his room.

The tension on his face was clearly visible while the paramedic checked her up. He stood far away from the bed she was lying on. "What has happened to her?" He interrogated coldly. The paramedic did some tests instantly before replying. "Her blood samples state that she had been drugged with a powerful drug to make her sleep for two years. The dosage was high, which made her body weak. The low nutritious diet made the situation even worse. Please give her nutritional food till the time she's normal." The paramedic replied and left before saying.

Siddharth made his way to her. For the first time in such a long time he got her clear vision. He sat near her unconscious figure holding her extra slim hand. His eyebrows creased as the cuff came into his vision. Immediately he removed them just to reveal the marks of shackles which looked way older to be done by the previous one. Same was present there on her neck and for his surprise on her ankle too. She was kept as a prisoner for all these years.

As he was adjusting her blanket the hem of her top lifted which revealed a brown skin of her body. But her skin was milky white then? He lifted her top a little to see the callous burnt and whip marks. What shocked him was the cut marks which were stitched. He pulled her top covering her body.

He stroked her hair with shaky hands, mere one stroke resulted in her hair sticking to his hand. A single tear slipped his eye seeing the cruelty. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Done to you I'll return them with interest. I promise you, love."

The latch of the door twisted announcing someone's arrival. Vaishnavi stepped in to see her sister's figure lying on the bed. "Avneet!" She ran to her in shock, earning his attention.

"What happened to her?" She asked as her unconsciousness triggered her. "She is weak, more than that." He thought of not telling her everything.

"No problem, as long as she is here nothing else matters. We'll take care of her," she said with a small smile on her face.

Siddharth's expression changed, "I don't want them to know about her," his protective voice spoke. Vaishnavi sighed, "Siddharth they are her-" he cut off her sternly, "I said no. Not until I get my hands on that bastard."

He looked at her one last time and then turned to Vaishnavi, "give her nutritious food as she wakes up." She stopped him as he was about to leave, "where are you going?" His steps halted, "to get my answers." He egressed out of the room.

________________

Siddharth entered the same cell which he visited half an hour ago. There he spotted Ankur and Rohini fighting with his soldiers on liberating them. Their fight stopped as they saw him entering. Now the whole attention shifted to him.

"Sir, you have taken her then leave us." He looked at the dumb creature before him who thinks that everything is happening as they want. "Sir, please leave us. What have we even done?"

"You don't even know what you have done," Siddharth stared at them blankly, "believing a maniac's words you acquired enmity with me." He chuckled evilly. "Enough of this drama," Ankur sighed frustratingly, "who are you? And what do you want?"

"Liberate us! We're not your slaves." Rohini shouted either. "Yes, you are! And why to leave you so early let me be hospitable a little." He gestured his men to beat him. Soon Ankur was lying on the floor blood flowin' out of his body like water. He smirked looking at Rohini's fear stricken face.

His phone rang flashing 'Di'. He turned on his heels to leave.

____________

Avneet:
I open my eyes only to hurt 'em by the powerful white light. I adjust my eyesight to the heavy light and push my eyelids up. My heart flutters as the acquainted interior of his room comes into my vision. That black walls and white chandelier up the ceiling adding up the glow. Wide glass window for the fresh air to enter, and a balcony beyond it for us to sit, just the two of us. My photo frames hanging on the wall as if the room belongs to me not him.

"You are up?" The voice brings me back to this world. I turn around my gaze to meet Di. She helps me to sit comfortably and pass me the soup. "Have this you'll feel better."

"Wish it could be hot chocolate!" I say dreaming. "Dramaqueen! Still not changed," she says, hugging me with tears in her eyes. "Afterall whose sister I am," I tease. "Better say whose daughter I am," she says only for me to frown.

"Leave it! Have this, look at yourself how weak you have grown." She says forcefully shoving the spoon in my mouth. I gulp it down quietly. "By the way, which hour of the day?" I ask. "Evening! Why so?" I shake my head. Impressive! Just a few hours and I am here.

Wait, am I actually here or dreaming? "Ahh.." Di screamed and I pinched her to clear out my confusion. "Why're you doing that?" I shake my head, "was making out whether I am dreaming or not?" I look up to her unbelievable face. "For that you pinched me?"

I nod, making an oh so innocent face. "Can't believe it! Well no actually I can believe it. You haven't changed a bit." I chuckle as she says it. "I'm happy that you're back." She cups my face. "C'mon di don't cry, I'm back na." I say as the tears again float in her eyes.

My attention shifts towards the door as the door knob twists. I see as he enters the room with the same aura he had long back then but with a disastrous version now. He's changed a lot from his behaviour to his appearance. The expressionless face and cold voice doesn't suit him at all, it is better for the King not the Siddharth everybody knows. How do I know about him being King? That's the story for another time.

Coming back to his appearance, the grown up hair, the tiny beard on his face, the tattoos littered all over his neck and hands doesn't match up to his personality. He never was fond of these things, even I've heard how difficult it was to have his mafia's tattoo on his body as he disliked 'em. And so I never anticipated him to have a tattoo of my name.

"Here, take this!" Di forwarded him a plate full of food when he approached us. My eyes travelled to the plate from him, so he hasn't eaten anything since morning. I sigh knowing his determination very well.

She leaves us in solitude. I take up the morsel to his mouth while he opens it with no argument consuming the bite. "Why didn't you have anything?" I ask sternly beckoning him to recline on the chair nearby. "Was engrossed in work," he says like a child got scolded by his mother. "Pertaining me?" He nods, consuming another morsel.

Both of us have our food in silence before he decides to break it. "Where did those scars come from?" I spare him a glance knowing he saw them. "Har khubsurat cheez mein daag hota hai, chand par bhi. Phir main kaise bedaag reh sakti thi." Those painful memories flash in front of my eyes. "And what do you expect them, to treat me like a Queen when I was kidnapped?" I sassily answer, flipping the mood like a bipolar.

"Still hasn't changed a bit. No one even has the guts to meet my eyes and she scolds me." He mutters the last part grumpily. It cracks a small smile on my face. "They wanted my signature on the papers to usurp my business," I say. "There is something more to it," I nod agreeing to his opinion.

I was contemplating about it before my eyes fell on the tattoo on his arm. It is a rose that forms by a bunch of letters like v, e, t, n, a & e. "Avneet!" The word escapes in whispers as the realisation hits me hard. He was immersed in these things like a broken lover. "Tattoos? Didn't that hurt?"

"Nothing hurts The Mafia King." He says, making me look at him perplexed at his answer. My eyes widen in shock and I gulp hard apprehending the hidden meaning of his words. "Yo-u kn-ow-?" I can hardly say a word that can be interpreted. First time ever in my life I am stuttering. "Yes I do." He says cutting me off in the midst of my question.

"You don't like people invading your privacy. So do I." I angrily utter. "But you know me being the godfather of Asian crime organisations." He says in his defence. He's right though. When I know his biggest secret he has the right to know my small one.

"Enough of all this! Now take a nap." He covers me up with a blanket after adjusting on the bed in a cozy position.