𝐀𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚 : 𝐸𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠

~🥀 Cunning Game 🥀~

💗

As the dinner concluded, Anubhav rose from his chair with his usual commanding grace. His sharp eyes never left Haseena, who still sat quietly, her mind whirling with thoughts of escape. She had barely touched her plate, her appetite completely overshadowed by the suffocating tension between them.

“Meera,” he called, his tone sharp yet controlled. The maid appeared instantly, bowing slightly. “Aap Haseena ji ko unke kamre tak le jayiye aur unka dhyan rakhiye. Koi bhi zarurat ho, hame turant bataiye.”

“Ji, Rana sa,” Meera replied, her voice trembling as she nodded.

Haseena stood reluctantly, her movements slow and deliberate. Her gaze flickered toward Anubhav, her lips pressing into a thin line as she held back her words. She wanted to say something—to demand answers, to fight—but the weight of his presence kept her silent.

As she began to follow Meera, Anubhav’s voice stopped her mid-step. “Aur ek baat,” he said, his tone casual but laced with warning. “Agar aapke mann mein bhagne ka vichar fir se aaye, toh yaad rakhiye ki yeh mahal sirf ek raja ka nahi, ek shikari ka bhi hai.”

Haseena froze. His words struck her like a blow, her breath hitching in her throat. Turning slightly, she saw the faintest smirk on his lips—a dangerous, knowing curve that made her skin crawl.

Not trusting herself to respond, Haseena swallowed hard and turned away, following Meera up the grand staircase.

---

Back in her room, Haseena paced the marble floor, her bare feet cold against the smooth surface. The flickering flames of the lanterns cast long, eerie shadows across the walls. Her mind raced as she replayed his words.

“Shikari,” she murmured bitterly, clenching her fists. “Kya ham sirf ek shikar hain unke liye?”

Meera entered quietly, carrying a fresh set of clothes for the night. Placing them neatly on the bed, she hesitated before speaking. “Malik Madam, aapko aaram karna chahiye. Rana sa ne kaha hai ki aapki sehat ka dhyan rakhna zaruri hai.”

“Unse kaho ki ham unki fikr nahi chahte,” Haseena snapped, surprising even herself with the sharpness of her tone. She instantly regretted it, softening as she looked at Meera’s startled expression. “Hume maaf kijiye, Meera. Hamara matlab yeh nahi tha...”

Meera shook her head quickly. “Koi baat nahi, Malik Madam. Hum samajhte hain.”

Haseena sighed deeply, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of her dupatta as she sank onto the edge of the bed. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind. “Meera, sach-sach batao... kya hamse pehle bhi koi ladki yahan aayi hai?”

Her question lingered in the air, filled with doubt and worry. She couldn’t stop thinking that maybe she was here just for Anubhav’s amusement—a passing interest for someone as powerful as him. The thought that she might be just another temporary part of his life troubled her deeply.

She hesitated but pressed on, her voice dropping to a whisper, “Aise log... unke liye ladkiyan toh bas ek shauk hoti hain, hai na?”

Meera, standing nearby, frowned in confusion. The innocence in her wide eyes was a stark contrast to the turmoil in Haseena’s. “Mujhe kuch nahi pata, Malik Madam. Hum khud yahan pehli baar aaye hain, wo bhi sirf aapki khatirdari ke liye.”

Haseena’s gaze fell to the floor, her doubt persisting. Meera’s response wasn’t entirely reassuring. If anything, it added to the mystery. Why was she, a simple girl from a small town, chosen to be at the center of a world that was so foreign and intimidating?