Say Don't Go

XII. hijacked

— fasten your seatbelts for an engaging chapter :)

•

The flight to Paris was comfortable.

Sitting in the economy class, Mahi looked out of the small round window of the flight keenly.
Her Badi Maa sat right beside her, looking through her phone.
And her parents were at a seat away, in the row beside theirs, sitting together.

Anupamaa felt awkward coming here, but both Vanraj and Kavya had insisted.
Also, she had never visited a concert.

She looked to her side to find Kavya holding onto Vanraj's arm, resting her head on his shoulder.
He was looking down, lost.
Kavya sat by the window, smiling away in her own bliss.

She knew, yet again, he was trying to fix things with Kavya - make her feel loved.
But how much of a success that would be, was a matter of debate.
She had assumed that he had loved Kavya and made them marry, but as the days passed by, the more of misfits both of them seemed.
Their priorities were so different, that coming on a common ground was almost impossible.

Like Vanraj wanted to sit with Mahi but Kavya wished to sit with him.
Vanraj had nodded and accepted it, trying to be the "good husband".

Anupamaa knew it wouldn't last long.
And she hated to be here already.
Her instincts said something would go wrong.

Also, Kiara and her husband Venkatesh had joined them on this trip.
Kiara sat right behind her with Venky, skeptical about her presence.
She obviously knew the backstory of Kavya's failed marriage, and although she personally liked Anupamaa, her presence on a trip where Vanraj and Kavya could come together was not liked.

Vanraj sat in silence, feeling Kavya's breath on his shoulder.
Something just did not feel right.
Staring out of the window, in oblivion, his mind felt numb.
He turned to look at Mahi, but instead caught Anupamaa's eye.

She immediately looked away.

"Badi maa! See na that cloud looks like a unicorn!", Mahi chirped happily.
Anupamaa beamed at her.
Vanraj looked at them from afar, wishing he was cheering Mahi too.

"V..", Kavya said half asleep.
"Hmm."
"Everything will be fine, right?"
"Yeah.. obviously.", He said forcing a smile.
He definitely did not believe it.
Something told him, things would go wrong.

Just then five men stood up together from the passengers.

With guns.

"No one will move!", One of them said pulling out a bluetooth mic.
"This flight is hi-jacked."

Obviously.
Vanraj thought to himself as Kavya sat upright.
"Oh god.", She whispered to herself.
Vanraj's gaze immediately shifted to Mahi who abruptly fell silent.
He glanced at Anupamaa who silently reassured him with a nod.

She immediately put the seat belt around Mahi.

"No one will move!", One of the men said as they got out of their seats.
The air hostesses rushed to inform the cockpit.
One of the men pulled up his gun and shot.

Thankfully no one saw the visual, but they knew, the airhostess was no more.

"Now.", The man with the mic said, "No one will act smart. Otherwise.."