The Twisted Knots

39.

As I stepped into Shrestha's dimly lit apartment, a sense of anticipation hung in the air like a heavy cloak. Shrestha led me to the modest living room, where we settled on a worn-out couch, surrounded by the echoes of our hushed conversation.

"I went to the village," Shrestha began, her voice low and solemn, "to meet the friend of my mother, hoping to uncover some answers."

My heart quickened with anticipation as I listened intently, hanging on to her every word. Shrestha's eyes held a mixture of sadness and determination as she recounted her encounter with her mother's friend.

"She told me a story, Tara," Shrestha continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "A story that shattered everything I thought I knew."

I leaned forward, urging her to continue, my heart pounding in my chest. What had she discovered? What truth lay hidden beneath the layers of secrets and deception?

"She saw him," Shrestha whispered, her voice barely audible above the quiet hum of the room. "Rajveer, just a child at the time, playing near the factory. She saw him light the match, watched as the flames consumed everything in their path."

My breath caught in my throat as Shrestha's words sank in, the gravity of her revelation weighing heavy on my mind. Rajveer, the man I had once trusted implicitly, implicated in a crime so heinous, so unfathomable.

"But it was an accident," Shrestha continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "He didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. But two lives were lost that day, Tara. And Rajveer was the one responsible."

I felt a chill run down my spine as the enormity of her words settled over me like a suffocating blanket. How could this be? How could the man I thought I knew be capable of such a horrific act?

"And what's even more disturbing," Shrestha continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "is that he doesn't regret it. He feels no remorse for the lives he took, for the pain he caused."

My mind reeled with the implications of Shrestha's revelation, struggling to reconcile the image of the man I once knew with the reality of his actions. How could someone be so evil, so devoid of compassion?

Shrestha's eyes bore into mine, filled with a mixture of sorrow and determination. "He's dangerous, Tara," she warned, her voice tinged with urgency. "He's capable of anything, and we need to be careful."

I nodded in silent agreement, the weight of her words settling over me like a heavy burden. The man I had once trusted, the man I had once loved, was nothing more than a monster in disguise.

"How could he...?" I whispered, the words catching in my throat as I struggled to comprehend the sheer cruelty of Rajveer's intentions.

Shrestha's eyes held a mixture of sorrow and fear as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Rajveer will stop at nothing to protect his secrets," she said, her tone heavy with resignation. "If they discover that I have told you everything a, he'll come for me. And won't hesitate to silence anyone who stands in their way."

A shudder ran through me as the reality of Shrestha's predicament sank in, the weight of her fear pressing down on me like a leaden weight. "But why?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and horror. "Why would he go to such lengths to hide the truth?"

Shrestha's gaze faltered, a haunted look in her eyes as she spoke. "He's afraid," she said, her voice barely audible above the hushed tones of our conversation. "Afraid of what might happen if the truth were to come to light. Afraid of the consequences of his actions."

I swallowed hard, the bitter taste of fear lingering on my tongue as I struggled to process the enormity of Shrestha's revelation. "But we have to do something," I said, my voice tinged with urgency. "We can't just stand by and let him get away with this."

"Tara... Yash is in danger. Rajveer is after him now. After killing him, the whole Singhania group will be his."

No, this is cant be true.

As I stormed out of Shrestha's apartment, her warning echoing in my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that consumed me. Yash, my beloved, in danger? It was unthinkable. I had to do something, anything, to protect him.

With trembling hands, I reached for my phone, intent on calling Yash and warning him of the danger that lurked in the shadows. But before I could even dial his number, a black van screeched to a halt beside me, its menacing presence sending a shiver down my spine.

Before I could react, the door flew open, and a pair of strong arms seized me, their grip like iron as they dragged me inside. I tried to scream, to fight back, but their hands clamped over my mouth, stifling any sound that threatened to escape.In a desperate bid for freedom, I reached for my phone, only for it to be wrenched from my grasp and flung onto the deserted road below.

Panic coursed through me as I realized the gravity of my situation. There was no one here to hear my cries, no one to come to my rescue.As the van sped off into the night, the world around me began to blur and fade, darkness swallowing me whole as the sickly sweet scent of chloroform filled my lungs. I fought against the encroaching unconsciousness, my mind a whirlwind of fear and confusion, but it was a losing battle.With one final gasp for air, I succumbed to the darkness, my consciousness slipping away as the van disappeared into the night, leaving me alone in the clutches of the unknown.