by MV Kasi
He didn’t tell Nina to let go of her past. Because he knew it was easier said than done. Instead, he offered her comfort, and then drew comfort from her.
That night, Gaurav came to a decision.
When the time came for him to leave the cabin, he would give Nina all the details of what her husband was caught doing, and keep her in a safe location, until either he or Suraj Bhupati got killed.
CHAPTER 43
Nina slowly stirred awake. She opened her eyes and lay still when she realized Gaurav was still asleep next to her.
She liked being the first one to wake up. Because she could listen to the soft, steady rhythm of his breathing and also watch him to her heart’s content..
Slowly, without disturbing him, she tried to turn around. But his arm tightened around her waist to stop any movement. Even in sleep, he held her close in a possessive way.
She smiled, staring out the window instead, where the first morning light was beginning to come in. She badly wished she could freeze this moment. She didn’t want to return to her world where she would be stepping into Nina Bhupati’s role even if it is for a brief while.
Her thoughts scattered when she felt him stir. She felt his warm breath before he kissed her on the sensitive spot where her neck met with her ear. A large palm cupped her breast possessively.
“Awake already?” his deep voice asked, causing her to shiver.
The shiver was her body’s response to his early morning voice which was even deeper and huskier than his usual tone. Each time she heard it, she associated it with the times she woke up to his kisses and deep murmurs as he made love to her.
“Not that early,” she responded. “We slept early last night.”
Last night she didn’t talk for long. Because she had reached the part of her life which she knew Gaurav wouldn’t like hearing—the part about how she met Suraj and married him.
So far, even though she had made a conscious effort to not mention Suraj, she knew she couldn’t shy away from telling Gaurav about that part of her life. She wanted to share everything with him.
And once Gaurav heard everything, he would know what type of person Suraj was. And then, they would find the truth about who was responsible for Gaurav’s sister’s murder and also the false allegations against Suraj.
Nina’s thoughts scattered once again when Gaurav rolled on top of her.
“You are thinking,” he said with a wicked smile. “That means I’m not doing a good job.”
She laughed softly, and then moaned, holding on to his shoulders as he ran his tongue on her breasts in a slow lazy way. He sucked hard on her nipples, making her gasp and making her core clench in need.
Meantime, his fingers began doing delicious things to her body. She knew he could sense her intense need for him.
“Gaurav,” she protested, when he kept her waiting deliberately, even though her body was screaming for him.
With a predatory smile, he slid up her body and kissed her. When he pushed her legs wide and settled his powerful body between them, she grabbed on to his shoulders once again. She raised her legs higher, and wrapped them around his hips, preparing for their joining. Her body thrummed in anticipation when she felt the tip of his arousal teasing her entrance.
He continued to kiss her deeply, his tongue showing her what he would soon do to her body.
Suddenly, he froze.
Even in the midst of a sexual haze, Nina could feel the palpable tension radiating from his body.
And then, she knew why. Her heart leaped inside her chest when she heard the sound of the bedroom door opening.
She whipped her head to the side, but Gaurav’s arm blocked her view of the door. All she could see were the legs of a man. But before she could panic completely, the man retreated and shut the bedroom door. She heard footsteps walking away and going up the stairs.
Nina’s heart was thundering in her chest. This time, it was with fear.
“Was that Vikram?” she asked in a panic.
Instead of a comforting answer, there was silence.
When she turned and look up at Gaurav’s face, everything in her froze. There was a rapid shift of expression in Gaurav’s face.
He no longer looked like the man she had spent the last six weeks with. There was no gentleness of a caring lover or the fierceness of a passionate lover. Right now, he looked like what he had been before.
Her captor.
He looked cold and emotionless. And alert.
“How do you know his name?” he asked, watching her face closely.
She tried to think of a way to turn the situation, but she couldn’t. There was no escape from answering him.
“I-I heard Khan calling his name when Vikram was choking me.”
Nina realized it too late that she had revealed she knew Khan’s name. Her breath sped up even more in panic.
Gaurav continued to watch her. She knew he could feel her heart thumping hard against his bare chest.
“It’s okay,” he said in a deep, soothing tone.
Unlike other times, his voice didn’t calm her panic
“I know Khan must have given his name to you,” he said.
Nina didn’t reply.
“What else did Khan say to you about me?” he asked in the same awfully quiet tone.
Along with panic Nina felt torn. She didn’t want Khan to get in trouble. How could she have a slip of her tongue?
“Please, it was my fault. I insisted and badgered Khan while he was sick and medicated. He didn’t want to—”
“Nina,” Gaurav cut her off. “Doesn’t matter how or under what circumstances he gave you the information. I just want to know what he told you. That’s all.”
He called you, Nina. Not Mrs. Bhupati. Which must be good.
“H-he didn’t tell me anything more.”
“Nina. Don’t lie to me.”
She knew Gaurav could read her. He knew her intimately in every way possible. Body and mind. She knew she couldn’t escape from the truth.
“H-he told me why you wanted to kill Suraj. And he told me you were an investigative reporter. He also told me the circumstances of your sister’s and mother’s deaths.”
He was watching her face closely. “Why do I want to kill your husband?” he asked.
“B-because you think he ordered your sister’s murder.”
Nina thought he would get upset with her choice of wording which hinted that Suraj might not have been responsible. But he didn’t seem upset. “Why? Why did your husband order that kill?” he asked instead.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Khan wouldn’t tell me anything beyond that. Whatever he told me was to make me feel secure while I’m kept captive. H-he just wanted to say you won’t harm me because you weren’t a criminal.”
Her heart sped up when his body shifted subtly. They both were still naked and he was lying on top of her in between her legs. She could still feel the tip of his hard arousal against her entrance. One little thrust, he would be inside her. But unlike the last few weeks, when his body made her feel secure or aroused, the same body she had kissed every inch and made love to in every possible way, only intimidated her now.
Her breath came out in panicked gasps.
He continued to watch her, and she felt him brush the back of his fingers on her cheek. “Am I scaring you?” he asked softly.
She stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face. She had rained kisses on that face and traced her tongue on his laugh lines. But now, it only reminded her of the time he threatened to rape and torture her to send those videos to Suraj.
“Yes,” she whispered truthfully.
He didn’t say anything. He bent his head and kissed her on her lips gently. She tried to control her flinch, but couldn’t. He must have felt it, too, because he raised his head immediately.
He slowly rolled away from her, but she lay frozen on the bed, watching him.
He sighed. “Nina, I was honest with you,” he said. “You know I’m a w
anted man. I’ve told you I’ve done things which might lead to my death or my arrest.”
Some of her fear melted and she was about to say that wasn’t why he scared her, but his next sentence killed her words instantly.
“I changed my decision on what has to be done next, Nina. It’s not how I wanted it until this morning, but under no circumstances can I risk Khan’s or Vikram’s safety for my personal revenge.” He looked at her in regret. “I can’t risk you trying to stop me from killing your husband.”
Her throat froze in fear and she watched him as he pulled up his shorts before stepping out of the room.
CHAPTER 44
“Why are you here without calling me first?”
Vikram was pacing outside the cabin. When he saw Gaurav, he stopped. “I didn’t want to call you because my phone might be tapped.”
Gaurav frowned. “What happened?”
“Someone linked Rohan’s and the goons murders together.”
“I see.”
“It’s only a matter of time, Gaurav. I want you to leave this place and go far away.”
“I can’t. Unless I kill Suraj Bhupati, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You can get him later, too, Gaurav. First just leave while I take care of Nina Bhupati.”
Everything inside Gaurav came to a standstill. “What do you mean?”
“You know she has to die if you have to carry out your remaining mission.”
“I told you already—”
“That was before you started fucking her. It’s obvious she’s just using her body to trap you, so you’ll let her go.”
Gaurav felt his temper rise at Vikram’s usage of crude words when talking about Nina.
“She’s my responsibility now. She won’t compromise my mission.”
“The hell she won’t. The moment she’ll get a chance, she’ll run back to her husband and have you arrested and eventually killed. And you know damn well that even after killing Suraj Bhupati you can still lead a normal life if you kill his wife who is the only witness.”
“No. She stays alive. And I won’t have us arguing about this fact once again.”
Before Vikram could say anything, they were distracted by the sound of footsteps on the dry leaves.
Nina was running away from the cabin.
CHAPTER 45
Escape.
That one thought dominated Nina’s mind as she ran through the forest. Thorns and stones poked through her bare feet, but she did not slow down.
“Nina, stop!” a man’s deep, commanding voice shouted from a distance.
On instinct, her mind was prepared to listen to his order. Just like she had been listening to over the past three months—during her captivity.
That same deep voice had also soothed her sometimes, frightened her sometimes, and the rest of the time… made her yearn. Her heart thumped even harder in her chest as she controlled her overwhelming mixed feelings and kept running.
The heavy footsteps continued behind her. “Nina. I said, stop!” There was anger and betrayal in Gaurav’s voice.
Nina shook away the feelings of guilt. She had to escape. She owed her loyalty and love to Suraj. He was her husband, and they had been married for ten years.
Then what about Gaurav? Don’t you owe him anything? And what about to yourself?
Her chest tightened at the thought of never having to see Gaurav again.
But he was her captor. He had snatched her from the life she had known, and took her to hell and back with him. But somehow, along the way, in the three months she had known him, he had also showed her things that she otherwise would have never experienced in her life. Things that made her feel alive.
No! I need to get back to Suraj.
A shot went off, resonating loud in the quiet forest. The next instant, Nina felt a sharp object piercing her arm. She gasped as she felt a blinding pain that threatened to paralyze her entire body.
Determined, she still forged ahead. She kept running through the dense trees.
Another shot went off. This time, it hit her in the shoulder. Her body flinched hard before she fell on the ground with the impact.
God, no! No! I can’t fail. I have to get back to Suraj.
With great effort, she tried to get up. But she couldn’t. She tried to grab onto a hard root of a tree and crawl through the forest floor.
But before even she could move, rough yet gentle arms held her in a firm grip and turned her.
“Nina!”
She tried to look at him. But her vision was beginning to blur and darken at the corners. “Please…” she said in a weak, fading voice. “Don’t… hurt… him…”
And then, with every ounce of the remaining energy, she slowly raised her hand and held it to the cheek of her captor. She felt the familiar shape of his face. Her fingers touched his cheekbones, his nose, his heavy stubble, and his firm yet soft mouth.
“Gaurav…” she whispered.
“Nina,” he agonizingly whispered into her palm.
I love you. The words remained unsaid from her while her hand slackened and fell to the ground. Soon, darkness took over completely.
“WHY THE HELL did you shoot!” Gaurav shouted as he frantically carried Nina’s limp body into the house.
“She was escaping, Gaurav.”
“So what? I told you to hold off the fire after your first shot!”
“I didn’t hear you.”
Gaurav didn’t believe him. Vikram was like his brother, but Gaurav wanted to kill him right then. But first, he needed to save Nina’s life.
“Get me the first-aid kit and some clean hot water. Hurry up!”
Gaurav placed Nina on the bed before cutting off her bloodied shirt from her body. He then cleaned and disinfected the bullet wounds.
Nina’s skin had paled considerably, and she was lying completely still. She barely flinched when he took the disinfected knife and cut her flesh to dig out a bullet from her shoulder. The other bullet had passed through.
He dressed the wounds before putting fresh pair of clothes on top of her.
Vikram was standing silently near the bedroom door. “What do you think is going to happen, Gaurav?” Vikram asked after a while. “You know damn well that by the end of our mission, you’ll have no choice. You are just delaying the inevitable. Let her die. Only then will you be able to live.”
“No!” Gaurav shouted. “She’s going to live. I will not let her die.”
“Gaurav…”
Gaurav looked at his closest friend and confidante. “I love her. If she dies, then there’s no point in me wanting to live either.”
Vikram stared at him in shock. “What kind of madness has gotten into you, Gaurav? She’s married! And to your enemy who was responsible for the deaths of not only your mother and sister… but also your brother!”
Gaurav closed his eyes. “I know.”
CHAPTER 46
Suraj Bhupati was in middle of an argument with his father and two of his business partners when he kept receiving a persistent call. “What?” he snapped in uncharacteristic impatience.
“Sir… Madam has been found.”
“Where?” Suraj asked urgently.
“The police found her outside the city limits. She’s been shot multiple times. She’s currently in the hospital.”
The investigative officer gave him the details. “Stay next to her. Don’t allow anyone apart from the medical team near her. I’m on my way.”
Suraj hung up the phone and began walking out of the room.
His father followed behind him. “Why would the kidnapper leave her?”
Suraj didn’t answer.
“I know she’s possibly barren. But get that woman tested to see if she’s carrying a brat inside her after these three months of—”
“That’s enough, father,” Suraj’s cold voice interrupted.
“Suraj, that man held your wife for ninety days. I saw the video he sent to you. If she’s alive for all these months, what’s to
say she willingly—”
“I said that’s enough!” Suraj roared. “Nina is my wife, and you will show her the respect she deserves. Whatever happened to her, or what she did or did not do during her captivity, is not her fault. She must have done whatever she had to in order to survive.”
Suraj didn’t wait for his father’s answer. He rushed to his car and went to be with his wife.
CHAPTER 47
Nina woke up to a headache. A head-splitting kind of headache. The pain was too much.
“Mrs. Bhupati, can you hear me?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
She tried to open her eyes, and look towards the direction of the voice, but the throbbing in her head intensified. Without moving her head, she opened her eyes slowly. She kept blinking at the light coming from above. When her eyes remained sensitive to the bright light, she closed them again.
But before that, she caught a flash of the tall ceiling with white paint. Combined with the smell of antiseptic in the air, she knew she was in a hospital. “Why… what…” Her mouth was too dry and with each word, the pain in her head further intensified.
“Have some water,” the voice gently instructed.
She felt someone put a straw to her mouth. She began to sip greedily, taking as many big gulps as she could. When she was done, her mouth slackened and she tried to give in to her tiredness.
Her entire body ached as though it was one big bruise.
“Mrs. Bhupati, do you remember what happened?”
“No,” she croaked out. “What happened?”
There was a pause.
“You were kidnapped, Mrs. Bhupati. You were missing for ninety days.”
“Kidnapped?” Nina repeated blankly. Her mind was absolutely blank. Her entire head still throbbed so much that she couldn’t form a coherent thought.
“Yes.”
“I don’t remember,” Nina whispered. Her voice came out weak, and she felt the pain reducing along with the feeling of drowsiness.
There was another pause.
