𝐀𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚 : 𝐸𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠

~🥀 Locked Away 🥀~

💗

Instead, there was a soft knock, and a voice called from the other side, "Malik Madam, aapke liye khana le aaye hain."

Relief washed over her, but it was short-lived. She hesitated, unsure whether to respond.

"Darwaza kholiye, Malik Madam," the voice said again, polite yet firm.

Haseena stood, her legs shaky as she approached the door. Her fingers hovered over the latch, doubt clouding her mind. What if opening the door led to something worse?

After a moment's hesitation, she unlocked the door and opened it slightly, enough to see a young maid standing there with a tray. The maid smiled nervously, her eyes lowered.

"Aapka nashta, Malik Madam," she said, holding the tray out.

Haseena took the tray silently, her gaze darting past the maid to the dimly lit hallway. There was no sign of Anubhav. Suppressing her rising anxiety, she placed the tray on the table just beside the door and turned away.

---

Haseena stared at the tray of food, her appetite gone. The whirlwind of confusion and fear left no room for hunger. Crossing her arms tightly, she tried to make sense of her situation.

The maid, still standing outside, hesitated before speaking again. "Malik Madam, yeh Rana sa ka adesh hai ki aapka khayal rakha jaye. Agar aapne kuch nahi khaya, toh mujhe kaam se nikaal diya jayega."

Haseena glanced at the young girl. Her tone held no malice, only fear and concern. Sighing, Haseena softened slightly and gestured for the maid to enter.

"Aap andar aaiye," she said softly, her voice tinged with caution and kindness.

The maid hesitated but stepped inside, bowing her head respectfully. She clasped her hands nervously, avoiding Haseena's gaze.

"Aapka naam kya hai?" Haseena asked gently, sensing the girl's unease.

"Meera, Malik Madam," the maid replied quietly.

Haseena nodded, offering a small smile to ease the tension. "Meera, yeh jagah kya hai? Aur... woh Rana sa? Yeh sab kya hai?"

Meera glanced toward the door, lowering her voice as if sharing a forbidden secret. "Yeh unka mahal hai, Malik Madam. Yeh Patliputr ke sabse alag mahalo mein se ek hai. Yahaan sirf hum aur Rajveer ji aa sakte hain."

Haseena's brow furrowed. "Matlab yahaan aur koi nahi aata?"

Meera shook her head quickly. "Nahi, Malik Madam. Yeh Rana sa ka private mahal hai. Unhone apne parivaar tak ko yahaan aane ki anumati nahi di."

A chill ran down Haseena's spine. The isolation of the place felt suffocating. "Woh kaise insaan hain?" she asked hesitantly.

Meera hesitated before replying cautiously, "Rana sa bahut samajhdaar aur shaktishaali hain. Unka asar bahut gehra hai. Woh dominant aur kabhi-kabhi daravne lagte hain, lekin unhone jo bhi kiya hai, soch-samajh kar kiya hai."

Haseena swallowed hard. "Mere saath yeh sab kyun?"

Meera's expression grew uncertain. "Yeh toh hum nahi jaante, yahaan keval hame or Rajveer ji ko aane ki anumati h ,Malik Madam. Lekin unhone kaha hai ki aapka poora dhyan rakha jaye."

Haseena's voice dropped to a whisper. "Rajveer ji kaun hain?"

"Rajveer ji Rana sa ke ang rakshak aur sabse kareeb insaan hain," Meera explained.

The weight of Meera's words settled heavily on Haseena. Her unease deepened.

She glanced at the tray again but made no move to eat. "Main baad mein kha lungi, Meera," she said, her voice calm but distant.