K A V Y A

The day slipped away in a blur, each ticking second tangled in the knot of my thoughts. His words from earlier—a surprise—kept echoing inside my head. What did he mean? Would he finally let me go? Could this nightmare end tonight?

My chest ached with longing. I missed my family more than words could hold. Maa’s voice, her warm touch, the smell of her cooking—everything felt like a distant dream.

I sat on the couch, waiting as Sakshi had instructed, nerves crawling under my skin. She had told me he wanted me ready before he returned.

Across from me, the guards stood stiff, their eyes locked on me like predators waiting for the right moment. Their unblinking stare made me shrink into myself, twisting the end of my dupatta between my fingers. Fear coiled in my stomach. I wanted to scream at them, but the guns slung across their shoulders. One wrong move, one loud word, and what if they killed me right here?

Then, his voice cut the air—sharp, commanding, like a blade against steel.

"Move your fucking eyes before I put bullets in your skull!!"

The words cracked through the silence, making me flinch hard. Instantly, the guards dropped their gaze, fear flashing across their faces. My heart thundered in my chest. He was here.

He strode toward me, steps heavy with dominance. Without so much as a word, his hand clamped around my wrist. The grip was iron, suffocating. My body jerked forward as he dragged me, his silence more frightening than his anger.

"W-What the hell!!" I cried out, my voice trembling, fighting against his crushing hold.

"Keep quiet, Verma" he muttered, low and sharp, as if he was scolding a child. His pace never slowed.

Before I could resist again, he shoved me into the backseat of a car, then slid in right after me. Keshav was already at the wheel. The engine growled to life.

My palms were sweaty. My throat felt dry. "W-Where... are we... going?" I whispered, each word trembling as the car lurched forward.

He leaned toward me suddenly, and instinctively, I pressed myself back against the seat. But he was faster. His arm wrapped around me, dragging me onto his lap as if I were nothing but a doll.

"Leave me!!" I snapped, thrashing, my chest tightening with panic. My fists pushed against him, desperate to create space.

"Shh..." His finger pressed against my lips, his voice dangerously soft. The closeness of him made my skin crawl.

"You will ruin the surprise, Verma" he whispered against my ear, his breath warm and unsettling.

Before I could scream, he pulled a folded handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around my eyes. Darkness swallowed me whole.

"Aah..." I gasped, my world cut away. "W-What..." My voice faltered when I felt his fingers tracing slowly, deliberately, along the side of my neck.

"D-Don’t... do this" I whispered, my chest rising and falling in fear. My hands shot out blindly, clawing for anything solid to hold. But he caught them, his grip firm, threading his fingers through mine to keep me still.

"Keep quiet" his whisper brushed against my ear, sending an unwilling shiver down my spine. I turned my head away and tried to shift away in his lap but his hand tightened around my waist, locking me against him. I couldn’t move.

"Verma..." His tone shifted, low and drawn out, almost savoring my name. It wasn’t just control—it was... enjoyment.

"P-Please..." I whispered, pleading, hoping he might show mercy.

"I am not doing anything. Just keep quiet till we reach the destination. No question, no moving, or I’ll kiss you right here" His finger pressed against my lips again, sealing the threat.

My body froze. The thought of him actually doing it was enough to silence me. I stayed still, rigid on his lap, my heart racing so fast it felt like it would burst.

The car rolled on. Even blindfolded, I could feel his gaze burning into me, crawling over my skin like fire. I wanted to vanish.

Finally, the car stopped. Relief and terror knotted together in my stomach. He lifted me effortlessly, cradling me in his arms. My hands, trembling, clutched around his neck.

Please don’t drop me. Please.

When he set me down, my legs stumbled backward until I hit something hard chest. Before I could form words, another hand yanked me forward.

"Aah!" I gasped, fear spiking through me.

"Mai hu, Verma" he whispered against my ear. His voice again—too close, too knowing.

The cloth slipped away from my eyes, and the blinding light stung until my vision adjusted.

I froze. My lips parted in shock.
"What..." My voice cracked.

In front of me stretched a deserted mela. Bright stalls, colorful lights, giant rides towering against the night sky—yet eerily empty. No laughter. No crowds. Just silence.

My eyes darted until they caught on something—soft, familiar. A penguin plushie hanging at a store. My throat tightened. Without thinking, I walked over, reached for it, and clutched it to my chest. My comfort. My habit. Without it, I could never sleep freely.

But then reality sank back in. I had no money. And he—he was the reason I was here at all. My pride stung at the thought of asking. Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not your caretaker. He’s your kidnapper.

Still, the words tumbled out softly, broken.
"C-Can... I... buy this?"

Can you buy this was silent

His eyes lingered on me, unreadable, dark. Then he gestured, and Keshav stepped forward, taking the plushie from my hands.

"Come with me" he ordered.

I followed, every step tightening the knot of fear in my stomach. Now, face-to-face, his gaze bored into mine. The silence stretched, suffocating.

"Let’s play a game, Verma" he said, lips curling into a smug smile.

My brows lifted. A game?

"You have 10 minutes to hide in this huge mela. If I wouldn’t be able to catch you, then you are free......"

The words hit me like lightning. Free? For the first time in days, hope sparked. My lips curved into a smile before I could stop it.

His eyes narrowed, scanning my face. Then he added, voice dipping low with warning, "But if I’ll catch you... then you have to do what I’ll ask you to"

The promise in his tone chilled me.

Still, I nodded. I had a chance. The mela stretched wide and endless. Ten minutes was all I needed.

"Deal?" he asked, his smirk unreadable.

"Okay" I whispered, determined. I would escape.

"Your time starts now"

Keshav’s timer beeped, and I ran.

My heart pounded as my feet carried me deeper into the mela. Empty stalls blurred past me. The silence was deafening, except for the hammering of my heart.

Just ten minutes. Just one safe place. And I’m free.

I ducked into a corner stall, pressed against the shadows. My breath came quick, but for a moment, I thought I might have done it. I couldn’t hear him. Maybe—just maybe—I was winning.

Then—

A whistle.

A soft, haunting tune. Familiar. Mocking.

It grew louder. Closer. My blood ran cold.

No, no, no. I bolted from the stall, running hard in the opposite direction. My heart pounded against my ribs. Panic drove my steps. I reached the rides, the looming giant wheel ahead. Perfect.

I slipped inside and pressed myself low against the seat, heart hammering. My chest rose and fell, a tiny flame of hope sparking again. Safe. I was safe. Home was waiting for me. Maa’s food. My Kathak classes. My freedom.

But then—

His voice cut through the night like a dagger.

"I still have 3 minutes."

_____________

V I K R A N T

I let her run inside the mela, my eyes following her every hurried step until she finally disappeared into the mela, swallowed by the flashing lights.

"Are you sure you can catch her?" Keshav asked, his voice low but laced with doubt as he glanced at me.

I smiled—dark, sharp, and certain. "Mai use yaha ky? Duniya ke kisi bhi kone mein pakad skta hu" I replied, my mind already working, already planning.

"Agar abhi nhi pakad paaya toh usko jane dena parega, Vikrant" he warned carefully, his eyes steady on me.

I looked back at him with an unamused expression, as if the thought itself was an insult.

"You think I will? I am doing this all to scare her" My voice was calm, but every word was dipped in iron. I looked ahead, still unmoving, still patient.

A minute passed. Then suddenly, I spoke.

"A month" I said. My voice cut through the silence, making Keshav turn toward me with surprise.

"Ek mahine ke andar wo khud mere seene se aake lag jayegi" I chuckled darkly, imagining the warmth of her body pressed against me. The thought was enough to curl my lips into something cruel.

After two minutes of deliberate stillness, I finally moved inside the mela. My pace was slow, deliberate—each step a promise that I knew exactly how this would end.

A low whistle left my lips, a tune I knew she would recognize. A knowing, taunting sound. She would hear it, and her instinct would tell her to run. That was what I wanted.

And then—movement. Quick, desperate.

As expected.

Run, Kavya Verma. Run for your dear life.

I followed the sound of her footsteps, moving quietly until the rides came into view. She slipped inside one of the seats, her back facing me. I walked in her direction.

A smirk tugged at my lips. Pulling out my phone, I messaged Keshav with practiced ease. Then, without a sound, I lowered myself onto a seat behind her, watching her slender back from the shadows. I let the silence stretch, let her nerves fray.

Finally, I broke it.
"I still have three minutes"

She flinched violently, her body stiffening before she whipped around. Her eyes widened, pupils blown with shock and terror. She scrambled to her feet, ready to run, but the ferris wheel jolted to life, trapping her.

"Scared, Verma?" I asked smoothly, savoring her fear like a fine wine.

"You... stop the ride" she demanded, her voice trembling. But the wheel picked up speed instead, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, and I caught her wrist, pulling her down firmly into my lap.

Her fearful eyes locked onto mine. "Abhi toh maja ana shuru hua h" I murmured, brushing strands of hair away from her face with the back of my hand. She clutched at my shirt with desperate fists as the ride sped up even more.

"Mujhe... dar lag rha h" she whispered, eyes squeezed shut, her face pale and fragile.

"Tsk tsk... mai hu na" I said softly, tilting her chin upward. But she refused to open her eyes, clinging to me as if her life depended on it.

Then, with a jolt, the ride froze midair. Suspended in the sky. She blinked her eyes open, her chest heaving as she tried to step away from me—only to realize she couldn’t escape. Not here. Not now.

Her gaze found mine.

"Let me make you clear about something, Verma" I said, rising to my full height, towering over her in the cramped space. She tilted her chin up, trembling, but meeting my stare.

"Tum mujhse dur nhi bhag skti. Na hi mai bhagne dunga" My words fell like chains around her.

"Tum gunde ho. Bohot bade wale" she said, her voice breaking. "Kuch bhi ho jaye. Mai bhagungi!!"

"Mai bhagne nhi dunga" I repeated, my fingers tracing the sharp line of her jaw. She flinched violently, jerking away from my touch.

"Ky kar loge tum!!" she snapped, her voice cracking with both fear and defiance.

"Mar dunga" I whispered dangerously, leaning close enough that my breath touched her skin. "Dono ko"

Her face went blank. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "T-Tum... pagal..ho."

"Bohot bada wala" I muttered, gripping her wrist and yanking her toward me. My boots edged dangerously close to the side of the ferris wheel’s platform. Her eyes widened in terror.

"Hum dono gir jayenge" she gasped, her voice trembling as she glanced at the dizzying drop below.

"Bolo Verma. Ab bhagogi?" I murmured into her ear, my tone slow, menacing.

"Please..." she choked out, her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill.

"Jawab do Verma" I said again, this time my voice sharp and merciless. "Bhagogi?"

She shook her head, silent tears spilling down her cheeks. I reached up, brushing them away with surprising gentleness.

"Good girl" I said finally, dragging us both away from the edge.

I sank back onto the seat and pulled her onto my lap. Her body was rigid, her eyes empty. The ride began moving again, but she remained still—blank, hollow. Probably questioning her very existence.

A cruel smile spread across my lips. Exactly as I had planned.

When the ride stopped and the world steadied again, I lifted her into my arms and stepped off. She didn’t resist. She didn’t say a word. She was still caught in shock, in fear—just the way I wanted.

We walked to the car. I slid into the backseat with her still in my lap. No need to blindfold her anymore. Her mind was already caged.

By the time we reached the house, she had fallen asleep in my arms, exhaustion and terror pulling her under.

I carried her inside gently, laying her down on the bed. I wrapped her limp hands around the plushie she held at the mela, a cruel mockery of comfort.

"Have a good night, Verma" I whispered with a smile, then turned and walked out, locking the door behind me.