WICKETS AND WIDGETS

Worst In Me

The narrative is about to take a thrilling turn as we delve into suspense and mystery for a while.

After what felt like an eternity of tense silence, Aditya's smile grew wider, almost unnaturally so. His eyes gleamed with a hint of something darker as he leaned in slightly, his voice dripping with sinister amusement. "What do I want?" he echoed, his tone sending a chill down my spine. "I want to see just how far you're willing to go. How much are you willing to sacrifice for the truth?"

"Listen, if you're after money, then you'll have to turn to these two," I pointed at Raghav and Kabir, "because I'm broke. Can't offer you anything there," I said with a casual shrug.

"Money? That's so cliché," he smirked. "I want something more... intense. Something that gives me pleasure and you, pain."

"Whoa, hold up," I interjected, raising my hands in defense. "That's a pretty terrible way to describe a sex toy."

He scrunched his nose in disapproval. "Who raised you?" he asked, before taking a deep breath and speaking calmly a few moments later. He chuckled softly and continued, "Well, it's not too complicated. I just need a small favor from you. I need you to retrieve something for me—a valuable item that was stolen from me recently."

Aditya's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he waited for our response. The tension in the room was palpable, each of us considering the potential consequences of accepting his offer.

"You're a twisted freak, you know that?" I glared at him, my voice edged with anger. "What makes you think we can't get the information we need without your sick games? There are plenty of other sources out there."

Aditya's laughter echoed in the quiet room, sending chills down my spine. "You can certainly try," he said, his smile chillingly confident. "But what if I told you that you'll eventually come crawling back to me?" He removed his glasses, revealing a calculating gaze. "I'm not just a minor character in this story. I'm deeply intertwined in it. What if I told you that, on someone's orders, I've been slowly poisoning Sana?"

I was stunned, unable to process the sudden turn of events. Aditya lay on the floor, blood seeping from his mouth, while Kabir stood over him, fists clenched and covered in blood.

"Kabir, stop!" I rushed to intervene, panic rising in my chest. "He's not worth it."

Aditya sat up, wiping the blood from his mouth with a grin that sent shivers down my spine. "Impressive punch, Kabir. That one really got me." He chuckled, the sound mixing with the metallic tang of blood in the air. "But don't worry, Shortcake," he said to me, "I haven't actually poisoned your friend. It was just a ploy to get your attention. However, I do have some crucial information that you might find interesting."

I stared at him in disgust, unable to comprehend the depth of his deceit. "Are you even a psychiatrist?" I asked, my voice trembling with anger and revulsion.

Aditya shrugged nonchalantly, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "Psychiatry is just a cover," he admitted. "I'm actually a full-time businessman. I deal in truths and lies, and I'm also a part-time hitman." His words hung in the air, filling the room with a chilling sense of danger.

I glanced anxiously at Kabir, his expression inscrutable as he stared down at Aditya. Turning to Raghav, I saw the confusion mirrored in his eyes. He mouthed, "What's with the silence?" I shrugged helplessly, mouthing back, "I have no idea."

Returning my attention to Aditya, who was still smiling, I knelt down to his level. "Enough games," I said firmly, my voice tinged with anger. "Just tell us what you want, straight and clear. No more spinning webs like a damn spider."