Chaotic Relations

Chapter 42

Guys, I know that I am very, very late in uploading the chapter and am so sorry for it. I can really feel all your glares through the screen. The thing is that the keyboard of my laptop is not working. Even now, as I type this, I am using my father's laptop, and I'm doing it while he is not here.

Chapters 43-50 are already uploaded on Scrollstack. If you want, you can check them out. The link is on my profile.

Enjoy Reading!!

Ruhanika awoke with a start, her head pounding. The room was dimly lit, moonlight filtering through heavy curtains that swayed gently in the breeze. For a moment, disorientation clouded her mind as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. This wasn't her bedroom at the palace. The memories came rushing back—the mall, the men grabbing her, Smita Aunty struggling against her captors, the sharp sting of something being pressed against her neck, then darkness.

She tried to move, only to discover her wrists were bound to the arms of a wooden chair. The rope was tight enough to prevent escape but not so tight as to cut off circulation—whoever had tied her knew what they were doing. A professional.

"Koi hai?" she called out, her voice sounding smaller than she intended. Is anyone there?

Only silence answered her. Ruhanika took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm. Panicking wouldn't help her situation. She needed to assess her surroundings, look for any potential means of escape or way to contact her family.

The room appeared to be part of a once-luxurious hotel suite. Expensive but neglected furniture filled the space, a fine layer of dust covering most surfaces. Through the window, she could see the moonlight reflecting off a large body of water—a lake, she guessed—not far from the building.

"Hoshiyaar ladki," a voice suddenly spoke from the shadows, causing Ruhanika to jolt in surprise. Smart girl. "Already analyzing your environment, looking for escape routes."

A figure stepped into the dim light—a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit that seemed at odds with the abandoned setting. Despite never having met him before, Ruhanika recognized him immediately from family photographs and the hushed conversations she'd overheard.

"Mahendra Kapoor," she said, her heterochromatic eyes meeting his dark ones without flinching.

The man smiled, a gesture that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm flattered that the Agnihotris still speak of me. Did your father and brothers paint me as the villain in their stories?"

"They didn't have to," Ruhanika replied, keeping her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins. "Your actions speak for themselves."

Mahendra chuckled, pulling up a chair to sit directly across from her. "So much like your father—that same self-righteousness, that same certainty that you're on the right side of history." He leaned forward, studying her face intently. "But you have your mother's fire."

"What do you want from me?" Ruhanika demanded, refusing to show weakness. "If it's ransom, my family will pay whatever you ask. There's no need for all this drama."

"Drama?" Mahendra repeated, sounding genuinely amused. "Is that what you think this is? Oh, beta, if I wanted money, there are far easier ways to get it than kidnapping an Agnihotri princess." He stood up and began pacing the room, his expensive shoes clicking against the marble floor. "No, this isn't about money. This is about justice. About balancing the scales after decades of injustice."