Terrorized By Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 32: I Know Who You Are

When Mahima opened her eyes, she was lying on a hard bed inside a dark house. It was a bed that reminded her of the days with Rani Aunty and her childhood friend Aditya. She remembered her early days with Dev too... after all, they too had slept on a bed like this one, inside a hut like this one.

"Where am I?" she murmured, and reached up to her face to grab her shawl, but it was nowhere near her.

She sat up with a start and looked around the dark room. Nobody was there. Getting up immediately, she found her shawl by an armchair. She picked it up and wrapped it around her face. Then she opened the door slightly to see if the coast was clear and if she was able to sneak out.

She heard hushed voices outside.

"Are you sure?" the elderly lady from earlier said in a quiet voice to a dark figure in front of her.

"Positive," the man replied.

He had a deep voice, and Mahima could make out that he was tall and had a muscular body.

"But we don't even know," the woman said. "It isn't right."

"It is right. Trust me," the man said. "You don't know. You don't know what happens these days."

"Okay... you speak to her then," the lady said. "If she says no, then I can't take your guarantee. I trust you son, but I won't stand up for something that is not right."

Mahima didn't understand what was happening, but she was having a very uncanny feeling that the conversation was about her. She waited for the voices to die down, and finally, the heavy footsteps approached the cabin and she watched as the tall man approached the hut that she was staying in.

She breathed sharply and pressed her back against the wall, terrified that he had come here to turn her in to the terrorists.

They had seen her face after all. She must have passed out and her shawl must have revealed her. This man must know her identity, so he was telling his mom that they ought to turn her in. Maybe her mom was old, so she didn't watch the news. That made her hesitant. Yes, that must be it.

Mahima waited for the door to open, and finally, the man entered the hut and flicked on a light on a small lighter. He held the light up to the wall, where her shadow became illuminated.

"So you are Mahima," the man's voice said.

He had a chiseled face structure, and he was very handsome. He had a muscular build and dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She wondered if he was born with such light hair and eyes. His mom had grey hair so it was hard to tell whether he caught the gene from her, but remembering back to the Aunty, Mahima recalled that even she had light eyes.

"Who are you?" Mahima asked him breathlessly.

"I know who you are," the man replied. "You are Mahima Ashtikar. Daughter of the President."

"You'll turn me in?" Mahima asked.

"You're supposed to be dead," the man responded.

"I... I'm not who you're seeking," Mahima replied.

The man smiled at her.

"Sweetheart, I'm not a fool. I work for your father. I came back to this village on holiday today because my family is here. I only found out that a girl was passed out... when I saw your face, I knew who you were right away," he explained. "Why aren't you at home with your father?"

He worked for her father? Then he must know how Dev was. Dev worked for her father too!

"Dev Gupta... how is he?" Mahima asked.

The man looked blank.

"Dev Gupta?" he repeated. "Who is he?"

"He's one of you!" Mahima said urgently.

"There is no Dev Gupta on our team," the man replied.

It was like a strong current hit her body and she couldn't help it as she collapsed to her knees on the ground.