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chapter-40

His hand slid downward, tracing her jaw, his fingers lingering on her neck.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to thrash.

But her body was sinking again-dragged under by whatever drug they had used on her.

Still... she managed to twitch, to jolt in panic at the touch.

He paused.

Smiled.

Then pulled his hand back like a curtain closing on a sick performance.

"Tch," he clicked his tongue. "Still such a sensitive little thing."

He turned back to the men and barked coldly, "You know what to do."

"Yes, sir," one of them said, adjusting his hold on her limp form.

"We leave in ten. Get everything prepared to move."

With that, his footsteps retreated, fading into the gravel.

One of the masked men grunted and said under his breath, "He's scarier than ever."

The other just nodded and carried on, as if this was just routine.

As if Naina wasn't a human being in their hands-but a task, a transaction.

They carried her out of sight, into what looked like the entrance of an jet. The only witness to her abduction was the moon, cloaked behind clouds.

Naina's mind, still foggy, clung to a single fading thought before darkness took her again.

"Aarav... please... find me..."

On the other side-

The engine screeched to a halt outside the Hotel Imperial Elites. Aarav barely waited for the valet. He jumped out of the car, the keys still in ignition, and stormed into the grand lobby. His sherwani now rumpled from the drive, his jaw locked, and eyes blazing with fury.

He walked straight to the reception desk and demanded in a clipped, icy tone, "Kaushal Sood. What's his room number?"

The receptionist, startled by the intensity in his voice, quickly typed into the system. "I-I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Kaushal checked out about 20 minutes ago."

Aarav's breath hitched.

He was twenty minutes late.

Just then, his phone buzzed violently in his pocket.

Choti Maa.

His chest tightened.

"Ji, Choti Maa," he answered, trying to steady his breath even though every nerve in his body was fraying.

Her voice on the other end was anything but calm. It was breathless. Panicked. "Beta... beta we can't find Naina anywhere!"

His world tilted.

He blinked. "W-what?"

"We searched for her everywhere! Every room, every corridor. And-" her voice trembled, "-in one of the side hallways near the exit... we found decorations scattered on the floor. Tables overturned. Like... like someone struggled."

Aarav's mouth went dry. His fingers turned white around the phone.

Choti Maa's voice cracked, "Beta, I think someone took Naina."

The world stopped spinning.

His ears buzzed.

All he could feel was the blood draining from his face, replaced by the cold, paralyzing weight of dread.