Kalaba Kadhala | Part 1

Chapter 27

Anushka felt her body tense, every instinct screaming for her to run, but there was nowhere to go. "You're deranged. Let me go, Praveen!" she shouted again, her voice wavering as a fresh surge of panic rushed in.

"Oh, I can't let you go just yet, darling," he said, his voice almost melodic but full of menace. "I need to convince you of the benefits of our union. You're too valuable to lose, and besides..." He stepped back, giving her a moment to catch her breath, "We can take our time getting to know each other, can't we?"

The implications in his words pressed down on her like a weight. Anushka's heart raced, and a cold fear gripped her. He was toying with her, enjoying her discomfort. This was more than just a kidnapping; it was a game to him.

"Trust me, Anushka," he said, looking at her with those unsettling eyes. "You're going to want to reconsider my offer."

With clenched hands and a heart that pounded loudly in her chest, she swallowed hard, her resilience fighting against the overwhelming fear. "You'll never get what you want from me, Praveen," she declared with every ounce of strength she could muster. "Not now, not ever."

Chuckling darkly, he leaned back against the wall, evidently entertained. "We'll see about that," he whispered, his demeanor shifting slightly as he turned towards the door. "But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."

As the door slammed shut behind him, leaving Anushka in the suffocating silence, she felt a new emotion washing over her—defiance ignited in her chest. She would find a way to escape. She had to.

___

As the sun dipped behind the skyline, casting a crimson hue across the sprawling the village of Vedagiri, a sense of foreboding enveloped the air. In a dimly lit room of a decrepit abandoned warehouse, Naidu sat at a battered wooden table, the silence only broken by the distant sounds of the crickets at night. He grinned ferociously as he dialled a number on his cheap flip phone, fully aware that this call would send shockwaves through Anushka's family.

"Am I speaking to Deva?" His voice was dripping with mockery.

"What do you want?" Deva's voice emerged from the other end, deep and gravelly, laced with a tension that could snap at any moment as he immediately recognised the person on the call.

"So, sir already knows its me." he purred, relishing the name like a fine wine. "I have something that belongs to you."

"What do you mean?" Deva's voice hardened. "If you think you can shake me down—"

"No, it's not about money," interrupted Naidu, his grin widening. "It's your precious daughter, Anushka. I've kidnapped her, and she's very much in my custody now."

Deva's heart raced, memories of Anushka's bright laughter echoing through their home now fading into panic. She had always been the jewel of the family, a beacon of light amidst the darkness that surrounded them.

"Where is she?" Deva's voice was cold, the controlled fury palpable. His grip tightened around his phone as he felt a familiar sense of danger enveloping his family.

"That's for you to figure out. But I will say this. She will only return if you're willing to play the game..."

As the call ended, the weight of those words hung heavily in the air. Deva immediately turned to Arjun and Aditya, who had been lingering in the shadows, their expressions grave. They could feel the storm brewing; their beloved sister was in peril, and they were determined to shield her, no matter the cost.

"There's a message," Deva replied, his voice steady despite his rising fury. "Naidu claims he has Anushka. He wants a deal... and he's not the kind of man to make idle threats."