EX @ WORK ✔️✔️

Chapter 4.

"I respect your decision Annika and I won't keep you tied in this relation if you don't want to but never forget that I am just a call away. I'll always be your friend." 

"I told you to never forget that Annika but I guess you don't even consider me as your friend." He said and she shook her head.

"It's not like that." He wiped her tears. "It's okay." He got up and took his previous place. 

"Continue Annika." Aditya said and before Annika could continue, Mallika interrupted.

"Did you realize that you have said this for the umpteenth time, Aditya?" Mallika said to lighten up the mood and she was quite successful too in making everyone chuckle. Annika gulped down the whole glass of water kept on the table before speaking.

"I got so scared after that that I didn't come out of my room, neither did I tell Mallika anything. The next day passed and I was still in my room giving Mallika an excuse. I never thought something like this would happen with me. The next day, I got a phone call from an unknown number in the afternoon."

" 'A girl like you got scared of me . . . I didn't imagine that. Well, sitting in your house like a coward won't help. I'll get you when I'll want to. And I am not a man to force myself on you, you'll come to me by yourself.' He was speaking and anger was building inside of me. How dare he think that I'll be his . . . never mind."

" 'I am not a coward and let's see what can you do. I am not scared of you. Do whatever you want to.' I shouted on the phone and cut the call."

"I got up from the bed and started getting ready to go the office. The whole remaining day, neither did I face him nor did I receive any calls from him. I thought he got scared of me, so absurd of me to think like that. When I reached home late at night, I received some pictures, my pictures, entering my house from the same number. I climbed down the stairs and looked outside but couldn't spot anyone. When I entered my room, I received yet another picture of me looking around. I decided to ignore it and slept switching off my phone."

"The next day, at my work, every hour, I received pictures of me, working. It was irritating me a lot, yet, I decided to ignore but my level of ignorance faded when I received pictures of Mallika working. It angered me so much. Rishabh Sinha, whatever he had, he had with me, why was he dragging Mallika in it?"

" I dialed his number 'What the hell is your problem? I told you that I don't want to be the one you want me to be. Doesn't your mind have a little space for this to absorb or is it full with dirt? What you are doing is beyond limit. Leave me alone or else, I'll complain against you to cops' "

" 'Why so angry? What did I even do? I asked you to spend a night with me. You denied and then everything is happening. If you'll agree, nothing like this will happen. Trust me. And cops?' He started laughing. 'Do what pleases you baby.' He cut the call and I sit on the bed running my hands in my hair. Why was it happening to me."

"I had my train to Amritsar the next day and I decided to file a complaint against him. I was going to Amritsar for 3 days with my colleagues for arranging an event. The train was to leave at noon and I was at the police station at 9 in the morning. I tried ignoring a lot but Rishabh Sinha crossed the limits."

" 'I want to file a complain.' I clearly remember the name of the officer who wrote my complaint. He was a creep, a total creep. His name was Agastya Patra and he was chewing a paan. I could barely understand what was he saying."

(Paan (from Sanskrit parṇa meaning "leaf") is a preparation combining betel leaf with areca nut widely consumed throughout Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is chewed for its stimulant and psychoactive effects. After chewing it is either spat out or swallowed.)

" 'What complaint madam?' He asked. 'There is a guy who has been behind me from the past 8 days.' I told him and he wrote it down. 'Name?' He asked. 'Rishabh Sinha'. As soon as I told him, he got attentive and sat upright."

" 'Your complaint is filed. We'll see what we could do. Leave your number and I'll call you.' He literally stammered and I walked out writing my number."

"Mallika can I get a glass of water please." Annika asked her and she nodded before getting up. Annika rubbed her temples with her fingers followed by her eyes. Mallika gave her the glass of water which she gulped down. Meanwhile, Aditya received a text and tension lines appeared on his forehead. 

"Shivaay, see this." He showed the text to Shivaay and tension lines appeared on his forehead too.

"What happened guys?" Mallika asked.

"The hearing is rescheduled. It's now the day after tomorrow and not after 3 days." Aditya told.

"We have tomorrow. It's more than enough." Shivaay assured seeing Annika getting tensed. "What happened next Annika?" He asked and she nodded.

"I was heading towards the railway station in a cab and a car came in front of the cab. The same two men came out of it. This time, I ran out of the cab but they were fast enough to catch me. They pushed me into their car, I was surprised why the cab driver didn't do anything but later learned he was involved with them and that auto driver too. Rishabh Sinha wasn't in the car but another man whom I later learned to be Rahul Rao, he's a dear friend of Rishabh Sinha. He blindfolded me with a piece of cloth and tied my hands at my back."

"I didn't know where they were taking me. The car stopped and I guess Rahul Roy grabbed and and took me somewhere. I remember being in a lift, then a flight of stairs. He tied me to a chair and then injected something in my hand which made me unconscious."

"When I opened my eyes, my whole body ached like hell, as if someone has beaten me a lot. I was still tied on a chair and there was sunlight coming from some hole in the ceiling. I was still tied but not blindfolded. I sat there for hours, shouting but there was no one. I was thirsty. The day ended and the night began. The door opened and Rishabh Sinha entered with Rahul Roy, they both were smoking."

" 'I won't force you now too. See, how pathetic condition you are in. Just agree once.'  Rishabh Sinha said and I shook my head before speaking. 'Never!' He laughed and motioned Rahul Roy who made me drink water."

" 'You'll be beaten like this until you won't agree. There'll be a lot of bruises on your body. Now, yes or no?' He asked and I replied. 'Never' "

"He rolled his eyes and motioned Rahul Roy again. He injected me and I fainted. When I opened my eyes, the pain was back and it was day time. Rishbh Sinha came again and questioned same and my answer was the same."

"When I came here in a devastated state, the night before, Rahul Roy was standing there. I, somehow managed to open my hands and legs and hit the iron rod on his head. He fell down holding his head, he was in pain and the humanity in me didn't let me go leaving him alone there, his head was bleeding badly. I took his head in my hands and tied my scarf there and ran from there. The sun came up until I found my way to home." 

TO BE CONTINUED

How are you liking the book so far??