𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 - 𝐀𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞

12. Monster

VIKRANT'S POV

Looking at Jaanvi, seeing her safe and healthy, a wave of relief washed over me. Her presence, breathing steady and unharmed, eased the tightness in my chest. My eyes traced the calm rise and fall of her chest, each breath reassuring me that she was truly here, alive. A deep sigh escaped my lips.

As I stared at her, my moment of quiet reflection was interrupted by a firm knock on the door, drawing all of our attention toward it.

The door creaked open to reveal the police inspector, accompanied by a few officers, their presence commanding the room with a sense of authority. He had come to continue the investigation into the case.

However, I knew it was a formality. The ones responsible for the kidnapping were already in my grasp, caught before they could slip away. Except for the real mastermind, the one pulling the strings from the shadows. But I was close, so close to finally catching him.

The inspector's gaze swept across the room until his eyes settled on me. He approached, leaning in to whisper, "I need to ask her some questions." I remained silent, holding his gaze, unsure of what to say. He leaned in again, his tone more urgent this time. "Please, I have to ask or else I'll lose my job."

I turned my attention toward her, trying to read her expression. Her face remained cold, composed, showing no signs of distress. Only then did I give the inspector a small nod, allowing him to proceed.

He approached Jaanvi carefully, standing beside her bed, his voice steady yet soft. "Miss Jaanvi, can you share your point of view regarding the kidnapping?" he asked.

The room fell into an eerie silence, as if even the air had paused, waiting for her response. Jaanvi remained still, her eyes distant, as if she was reliving every moment in her mind. A part of me yearned to know what had truly happened to her.

She took a deep breath, the sound filling the quiet room. And then, she began to speak.

"After attending all my classes, I was at the bus stop waiting to go home. My bus wasn’t due for a while, so I waited... until I noticed a teenage girl walking nearby." She paused, her brows furrowing slightly  "There was something off. A van seemed to be following her, moving too slowly, too deliberately. I didn’t think much of it at first, but then she turned down a narrow road, and the van followed her."

She took another breath, steadying herself before continuing, “I followed her into that narrow road and saw a man stepping out of the van, wearing a black mask. His face was completely hidden. From behind, he tried to grab the girl. My heart raced. I didn’t know what to do at first, but I immediately called the police, giving them the details and location. They assured me they would arrive in 10 minutes, but things were escalating fast.”

Her voice wavered as she went on, “The situation was getting worse by the second. The girl was terrified, and I knew I couldn’t just stand there waiting for help. So, without thinking twice, I decided to intervene, to at least stall him until the police arrived.”

“But then, they caught me too,” she said, her voice lowering. “Ananya showed up, and we tried to defend ourselves, but it was no use. Suddenly, multiple vans pulled up, and they took us. One of the men sprayed something in my face, and everything went black.”

She paused, recalling the moment. “When I woke up, I was in a dark room. Ananya was there too, along with the teenage girl. We were tied up, but we weren’t alone. A group of small girls, crying in the corner, were sitting nearby. They weren’t tied up, so we assumed they were victims like us.”

Her breath quickened as she continued. “We asked them for help, and they untied our hands. That’s when we fought back. When one of the men came into the room, we overpowered him and managed to escape. The corridor outside was nearly empty, just a few unconscious men lying on the floor. But then, right before I could even comprehend what was happening, I saw Vikrant standing there…”