𝐀𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚 : 𝐸𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠

~🥀 The Hunt begins 🥀~

💗

It was 8 PM, the usual dinner time at the palace. Meera, as always, headed to Haseena’s room to call her down. She knocked softly at first, then louder when no response came. Finally, she pushed the door open, only to find the room empty.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. Haseena had never left her room without notice before. Thinking she might be in the library, Meera hurried down the hallway, her steps echoing in the grand silence of the mansion.

The library, too, was empty. Panic began to creep into Meera’s chest as she realized something was wrong. She rushed to the shift chief, her voice trembling.

"Madam  Malik... woh nahi mil rahi hain!"

The shift chief froze, the gravity of her words sinking in immediately. "Kya? Aapne saari jagah dekha?"

"Haan! Room, library, har jagah... unka koi pata nahi hai!" Meera’s voice cracked as fear overtook her.

The shift chief didn’t waste a moment. He called for the guards, and a frantic search began. Every corner of the mansion was combed, every door checked, but there was no sign of Haseena. The guards worked quickly, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads despite the cold December night.

The chief ordered the CCTV footage to be checked. As they rewound the tape, the scene unfolded before them—Haseena slipping out during the guard shift change. The moment the realization hit, the air in the control room grew heavier.

The chief rubbed his temple, his voice shaky. "Hum sab barbaad ho jayenge. Rana sa ko pata chal gaya toh—"

Meera interrupted, her face pale. "Hum abhi kya karenge? Agar unhone sun liya ki hone wali Rani sa yahan nahi hain toh—"

“Rani sa!” The words sent a chill through the room. Everyone knew Anubhav’s obsession with her. She wasn’t just a captive; she was his queen, his everything. And they had let her escape.

Unable to bear the weight of the situation, Meera finally called Rajveer, her hands shaking as she dialed his number. Rajveer, standing a few feet away from Anubhav at a grand business party, answered swiftly.

"Rajveer, Madam Malik... woh chali gayi. Woh palace se bhaag gayi hai!"

The words hit him like a thunderclap. "Kya? Tum kya keh rahi ho, Meera? Yeh kaise ho sakta hai?"

"Hum CCTV dekh chuke hain. Woh guard shift ke waqt bhaag gayi. Ab hum unka pata nahi laga paa rahe!"

Rajveer’s eyes darted toward Anubhav, who was engrossed in a conversation with a prominent businessman. The tension on Rajveer’s face didn’t go unnoticed by Anubhav, who shot him a questioning glance.

"Sab theek hai, Rajveer?"

Rajveer forced a nod, his throat dry. "Haan, Sir. Bas ek urgent call tha."

But Anubhav wasn’t convinced. His sharp instincts caught the unease in Rajveer’s demeanor. "Rajveer, kya baat hai? Batao hame."

Rajveer hesitated, his mind racing. He knew there was no hiding this from Anubhav, but delivering the news felt like signing his own death warrant.

"Sir... woh... Madam Malik palace mein nahi hain."

Anubhav’s expression darkened instantly. His hand, mid-gesture, froze. "Kya kaha tumne?"

Rajveer's hands trembled as he relayed the news. "Sir... woh palace se bhaag gayi hain."

Anubhav’s fist clenched tightly at his side, the veins in his hand straining under the pressure. His eyes darkened, a cold, menacing gleam settling in them. His lips curled into a cruel smirk, devoid of warmth. “She thinks she can run from me?” he murmured, his voice low and chilling, each word laced with quiet fury.