ENIGMA

Unraveled

But when she opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. Advik had only shot the front tire of the bike, the bullet embedding itself with a deafening pop.

Advik's voice cut through the chaos. "With just one word, I could send hundreds of bullets piercing through that little schoolboy. Is that what you want, Inaya? Should I give the order?"

The terror in her chest spiked, and she instinctively took a step toward her brother. He reached out, gripping her hand tightly, his fingers digging in almost painfully.

As Vikram entered the circle of guards surrounding them, he leaned in to whisper something in Advik's ear. Advik's gaze hardened as he listened, his jaw clenching. For a long, tense moment, he looked at Arnab, eyes cold and calculating, before he nodded for Vikram to play the recording. Inaya felt her pulse quicken, her heart pounding in confusion as she struggled against her brother's hold.

A crackling sound filled the air, followed by muffled voices.

"By around 12:30, I'll bring her," said a voice, chillingly casual.

"We'll do all the arrangements," another man replied.

A third voice chuckled darkly. "We'll have her for the night. By morning, we'll hand her over to them."

The first man laughed. "Yeah! We'll get our money-a lot of it. Should've demanded more; Inaya's worth more than this."

The third voice sneered. "Just hurry up. I'm dying to break her in."

Inaya froze, her breaths turning shallow, horrified at the reality unfolding around her. Advik signaled for Vikram to stop the recording, his expression unreadable as he turned his gaze onto Arnab. Inaya felt a sob build in her throat, whispering, "I... I don't believe this..."

Without warning, Advik's steely gaze locked onto Arnab, his tone lethal. "You thought you could play with my sister?" he hissed, taking a single menacing step forward. "Trading her as if she were property?" His hand shot out, seizing Arnab by the collar, pulling him close until their faces were mere inches apart. "Shall I put a price on your mother's head, Arnab?" His voice dropped to a low, dangerous murmur, each word laced with cold fury. "Because if I choose, no amount of money, no police, no court will save you from the consequences."

Arnab's face paled as Advik's grip tightened, his tone nothing short of terrifying, a promise of judgment as silent as it was absolute.

Vikram opened his mouth, his tone steady yet edged with contempt. "Sir, that's exactly why, when his own friend betrayed him, he forced her out of the house himself. He wanted to play this game on his own terms." Vikram's gaze flicked to Arnab, his voice hardening. "We interrogated his teammates-they told us everything."

Advik's hands clenched into fists as the words sank in. His fury was like a storm brewing, restrained yet fierce, his eyes flashing dangerously as he processed the betrayal and the sickening plan Arnab had orchestrated. The silence that followed was almost suffocating, the air thick with tension.

Without another word, Advik's gaze burned into Arnab, his voice dropping to a lethal calm. "You're nothing more than a traitor, a disgrace," he spat, barely containing the venom in his voice.

Advik spun to face Inaya, his face a mask of fury and betrayal. "This is what you wanted to believe, isn't it? Are you happy now?" His voice was sharp, filled with a pain she'd never heard from him before.

Inaya's lips trembled as she looked at Arnab, desperately searching for a denial. "Arnab... tell me they're wrong. Tell me this is a prank, Arnab, please?"

Arnab's silence was deafening, his head down, guilt painted across his face. Before he could even think to answer, Advik lunged forward, his fist crashing into Arnab's abdomen. Arnab doubled over with a strangled scream, gasping for breath.