What happens when betrayal mars innocent hearts in love?
What happens when innocence is destroyed and a monster is created?
What happens when judgement is ruled by the burning feeling of retribution?
This is a Quartet (4 part book) and this one bein...
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Ishani's whole body froze for a second as she heard him. But then she relaxed knowing that he was joking. She turned around and looked at him standing at the main door. Smiling, she started to approach him but the heated look in his eyes and rigid stance stopped her.
"Rudra?"
"That would be Mr Sangawat for you."
This time she did not stop. Ignoring the warning signal in her mind, she picked up her feet and walked towards him.
Rudra watched her approaching him and felt every single cell in his body erupt with the anger that he had managed to suppress till now. But still, he did not stop her. As she came and stood in front of him, his mind signalled him to move away but he didn't.
Grabbing his arm, she looked at him pleadingly and said, "Please don't joke. Not about this and not now, please."
His eyes landed on her feet and then travelled up slowly. As his gaze settled on her panicked face a smile spread on his lips and he saw her instantly relaxing.
She tried to go near him but he just walked away from her.
"I never joke, Ms Raijdas."
Ishani kept staring at him as he sat down on one of the couches and the moment he did that the room filled with numerous men all clad in black suits.
A man wearing a white kurta and pyjama came inside the room and stood next to him.
"Virani, you have all the papers?"
"Yes, Hukum!"
"Good! Now, Ms Raijdas you must be wondering what this is all about. Let me enlighten you."
Saying this Rudra flicked his gaze at Ram who instantly pulled a string and a curtain started to open.
As the curtain slipped from its confines inch by inch, her eyes started to widen. And when it was fully opened, her irides gaped with disbelief.
The wall had a huge life-size picture of the Sangawat family; all four of them.
Her vision started to glaze as it settled on Veera's face. All the memories of the past started to flood her mind and she staggered back.
"What's the meaning of all this?" Thakur Baldev Raijdas, Ishani's grandfather asked.
And the moment he heard him, the demons inside screamed with animosity but he somehow managed to calm them.
"Ms Raijdas, I believe you know these people?" he asked getting up from the couch and going near her.
She just nodded and collapsed on the nearest chair.
The look on her face was enough to drive him mad but he still controlled himself for he wanted to hear the silent howls that would have the power to crumble her mind forever.
"Who are they, Ms Raijdas?"
"Rudra, please," she pleaded suppressing an anguished sob.
But the pleading cry did nothing but rile him more.
"I asked you a question and I expect an answer."
However, she kept silent for the air in her lungs was slowly constricting. The fogginess in front of her eyes was increasing every minute as the pain of the past gradually started to grip her brain. She could hear her family scuffling verbally with the guards but somehow it did not register. All she could do was to stare at the image in front.
Rudra kept looking at her waiting to hear the words that he had waited so long for but her shaking figure and trembling lips was evidence enough that she was incapable of speech. He was about to grab her when suddenly he heard his security trying to stop members of the Raijdas family from leaving the room.
He flicked his gaze at Ram and Manna and instantly they barricaded the door. But somehow that was not enough. Rajneesh picked up one of the chairs and raised it high in the air. He was about to throw it towards Manna when fingers clasped around his neck tightly.
"Keep the chair down before I plaster your brain on the wall," Rudra warned tightening his fingers more and slowly turning Rajneesh towards him.
Rajneesh looked at him and tried to back off but couldn't as Rudra's fingers held him where he was.
"Let go of my son," Ratan Raijdas said as he came charging towards him.
Rudra's eyes flicked at him and he stopped as the smouldering intensity in them scared him.
Letting Rajneesh go, he shoved him towards his security and then turned towards the rest of the room.
"Nobody leaves this room. Ram, bar every door," he commanded menacingly and then shifted his gaze back to Ishani.
Ishani was still sitting in the same position as he had left her staring at the image in front. Her eyes were fixed on the boy in the picture who had been her biggest joy and support in her childhood. As her mind reminded her of the truth, she started to close her eyes but suddenly Rudra's voice cut through the thoughts.
"Ms Raijdas I asked you a question. Who are these people?"
But she kept silent for she did not have the strength to answer. She stood up from the chair and started to turn away as she no longer had the strength to face him.
"When I said nobody leaves this room I meant you too Ms Raijdas," she heard him say and instantly felt his warm breath on her shoulder.
As she turned towards him, she looked at his face and eyes for some familiarity but failed.
"Who are you?"
An evil smile spread on his face and he stepped near her. But she backed off however he did not stop. Suddenly her back collided with the wall and she halted. The scared look on her face was triumph enough for him but his inner beast wanted more.
It was out for blood.
"Who are these people Ms Raijdas?" he asked again but got no reply.
Grabbing her arm roughly, he pulled her towards him and clutched her chin tightly in his fingers.
"ANSWER ME!" his command bellowed with rage in the room.
"Vee-Veera and his fam-family," she stammered.
"Where are they?"
"They are de-dead," she stammered again.
"All of them?"
This time Ishani just nodded closing her eyes. Tears of loss and regret started to fall and she felt him grip his chin more tightly than before.
Rudra lowered his head towards her right ear and whispered—
