𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐀 -: 𝓐 𝓣𝓪𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓮𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓼

|1.|

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"One crore rupees, and I guarantee your wife and child will stay safe!"

The chilling voice echoed through the dim, desolate godown, the air heavy with menace.

Reva Rathore sat bound to a chair, her eyes wide with terror. Her pregnant belly, swollen with twins, strained against her clothes. Every movement was a reminder of how vulnerable she was. The chains around her wrists clinked as she struggled against them.

A cold voice came through the kidnapper's phone. Rajeev Sharma, his assistant, was on the other end.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rajvansh is currently unavailable," said a polite but emotionless assistant.

The kidnapper's face twisted with disbelief. "Do you even know what's going on? I've kidnapped Aarav Rajvansh's wife! If you want her back alive, you'll-"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rajvansh is unavailable at this time."

The line went dead.

Reva's chest tightened, tears welling in her eyes. She slumped back against the cold metal chair, shaking her head in disbelief.

This can't be happening! He's the father of my children! Aarav loves me-he wouldn't just abandon us like this!

Her thoughts screamed in protest, but the reality of her situation was undeniable. Her lips trembled as she tried to make sense of it all, her breath coming in panicked gasps.

The kidnapper, a large man with a rough face, sneered. "Your husband doesn't give a damn about you." He raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, sending her tumbling sideways, her belly taking the brunt of the fall.

Pain shot through her body, and a cry escaped her lips, but she was helpless to do anything. She had been rendered mute months ago-her voice taken from her by the very people she thought she could trust.

Suddenly, her phone rang from across the room. The familiar ringtone filled the warehouse-it was Aarav's voice, singing her birthday song from their last celebration together. The sound, once a symbol of love, now felt like a cruel joke.

The kidnapper hurried to answer it. It was a video call. A smirk crept across his face as he angled the phone toward her, ready to demand the ransom. But before he could say anything, a woman's voice echoed through the speaker.

"I'm not Aarav."

Reva froze.

The face that appeared on the screen was stunning, ethereal even. It was Natasha D'Cruz, Aarav's childhood friend and... more, as Reva had always feared.

Natasha smiled sweetly. "Reva, darling. Aarav's in a very important meeting right now, working on a deal worth more than you can imagine. I'm sure you understand how vital this is to him. You wouldn't want to distract him from that, would you?"

Reva felt a cold shiver run down her spine, her tears flowing freely now. Was her life, her children's lives, really worth less than a business deal?

"I was at the family estate today," Natasha continued, her voice sickly sweet. "We've been preparing the nursery for Aarav's first child. The little one is due in a few months. We've picked out the perfect rooms-one blue, one pink-just in case."

Reva's heart skipped a beat. First child?

"But I'm carrying his children!" Reva wanted to scream, but the words couldn't escape her lips.

Natasha's eyes gleamed with something dark. "Aarav always wanted a daughter. He said if she looks like me, she'll be the most beautiful girl in the world."

Reva's stomach churned with pain, a sharp twist that left her gasping. She clutched her belly, trying to protect the life growing inside her. But Natasha's next words shattered her completely.

"Oh, Reva... did you really believe Aarav was the one with you that night?"

The blood drained from Reva's face. She shook her head in disbelief, her mind racing back to that fateful night-the night everything changed.

Natasha chuckled, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Aarav's been in love with me his whole life. He never touched you. But you? You were so desperate, so easy to manipulate. You slept with another man, and now you're pregnant with his child."

Reva's world collapsed around her. She shook her head frantically, trying to deny it, but Natasha's cruel laughter only grew louder.

"And the man you slept with... Krishiv Rajvansh. The criminal. Did you really think Aarav would ever want a child that came from his brother?"

Reva felt like she had been struck by lightning. Krishiv? She had never even spoken to him. How could this be possible?

"You're a pawn, Reva. Just another casualty in a game that was never yours to play," Natasha said, her voice soft and venomous. "But don't worry. Aarav and I will take good care of our family."

With that, Natasha ended the call, leaving Reva alone in the dark, her heart shattered.

The kidnapper kicked the phone across the floor, his face twisted in anger. "Your husband never cared about you. And you... you're nothing but a traitor to him, carrying the child of his greatest enemy."

He spat on the ground near her. "Rot here. I'm done."

As he walked away, Reva collapsed on the floor, her body wracked with pain. She clutched her belly, trying to protect her children as the world faded to black.

No one came for her. Not Aarav. Not until the darkness consumed her entirely.

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