CHECKMATE

Chapter 21

Anjali blinked and opened her eyes. She gasped and stood up from the cold dusty ground and looked around.

"Where am I!" She gasped in horror. Her heart was thudding loudly and she was slowly escalating into panic. "Which place is this....? How did I...Oh no!"

"Yes I'm agitated. Meet me at Havamahal before I jump down the jharoka." She barked over the phone.

"But...but...listen...it's..."

But before Pratap could even say anything in response, her phone went dead.

"Aargh...." She groaned in frustration and continued walking towards Havamahal.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp yank and someone dragged her into van. Before she could scream, she felt her nose and mouth clamped. In sheer claustrophobia, she lost consciousness.

"Who abducted me..." She wondered aloud and groped around in the darkness. "Oh god... I'm sacred...." She whimpered and tried to find her way in the darkness with outstretched arms.

~

"Nahargahr...at this time!" Exclaimed Siddharth over the phone. "Something's fishy!"

"Exactly." Snapped Pratap who's eyes were pinned on the road ahead. "Do me a favour, you and Shiv join me, I've proceeded ahead!"

"Yes...cool." Said Siddharth over the phone and the line went dead once more.

"Anjali Shekhawat....you've really gone too far this time." Growled Pratap under his breath as he slammed the accelerator.

Reaching the empty, dark and desolate fort, he got off the car and looked around.

"Now where the hell is she?" He snarled in irritation. "ANJALI." He called aloud and her name echoed through the fort.

Dashing inside he called once more, "Anjali..." He groaned once more in irritation. "Where is this idiot!"

"ANJALI..." He shouted once more and entered deeper into the fort. "Stupid girl...if she wanted to meet me why call me here? Are there no restaurants in Jaipur that she has call me to a bloody ruined fort. ANJALI...WHERE THE HELL..."

"AAAAAAGH....."

The shrill loud scream made Pratap run towards the direction of the sound. At once Anjali came running out like she had seen a ghost and bumped into him.

Looking up at him she was overwhelmed with relief and hugged him tightly. "Thank you...thank you...."

Pratap gritted his teeth and pushed her away by her shoulder shouting, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHY DID YOU CALL ME HERE?" 

"Bats...a bat...flew right over my face. I swear...I got scared...so..."

"All of this nonsense you should have thought before changing the location right?" Growled Pratap glaring at her.

"Changing the location?" She exclaimed frowning at him. "Pratap, I didn't change the location! I don't even know where I am!"

"Are you drunk?" He scolded once more. "How on earth do you not know where the hell you are! Anjali everything has its limits and you are crossing it."