Her Abductor – 9th Chapter

“I asked you a question.”
“And that is?” Samiksha questioned him back.
“I think you are hell-bent on irritating me.”
“And why would you think this way?”
Karan sensed a mystery in her tone. Wiping sweat with a towel, he eyed her curiously.
“Only I am allowed to roam like this freely here or everyone?”
“You think this is a hotel where abducted people are kept in separate rooms or what?”

Samiksha shrugged. “How will I know that?”
“Go back to your room, now.”
Samiksha continued looking at him.
“What?”
“Nothing. Bye. Good night.”
Waving her hand, she left glancing at the bushes and trees sideways.

“What happened?” Sandra questioned an agitated Karan the following day.
“Did you tell anything to her?”
“Whom?”
“Samiksha.”
“I did not get you.”
“She was behaving strangely just now.”
“She came to see you? Now?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”

“That a music lover cannot hurt anyone.

Some statement of this sort.”
“Ohh. We were talking casually.”
“And what all did you say to her?”
A phone call saved Sandra from his fury. As soon as he started talking on his phone, she left the room.

She decided to approach Samiksha and ask her what had happened exactly.
“Karan was upset this morning. What did you say to him, Samiksha? And when did you meet him?”
“Um, last night. When he was imposing his frustration on the poor boxing bag.”
Sandra continued staring at Samiksha.
“Samiksha, I don’t understand one thing. Till yesterday, you hated him so much. And it’s obvious why. Then what happened all of a sudden? You went to meet him and even had a conversation. Isn’t it strange?”

Samiksha thought for a while before speaking.

She knew very well that Karan’s mother would get upset if she knew her identity. She was unsure how Sandra would react to the revelation of the truth—that it was Samiksha who had left Karan amused and alone two years ago.
“I went to him because his frustration reached me right here. Just out of humanity, I went to talk to him.”
“But you spoke about his love for music then. Why?”
“I thought he might remember his real passion and …”
“And? You thought he would transform overnight. Samiksha, his past haunts him. First, that girl just left his life without a proper goodbye. She did not even bother to give him her phone number. He had fallen in love with her, Samiksha.”

The last sentence of their conversation surprised Samiksha, though she did have an intuition of it. Sandra left the room upset. As Samiksha pondered what to do, she thought of meeting him again. Without a thought, she came out of her room and started walking towards the same room where she first met him after being brought there.

While walking along the corridors, she overheard Karan’s conversation on the phone.
“So we settle for half of her property? That’s okay, then. I will call her parents today and ask for the money.”
After a while, he continued, “As soon as they transfer money, I shall release her.” He disconnected the phone and turned back. Samiksha looked at him with the same anger she felt when brought there.

“Great, Mr. Karan.

How easily you decide on the abduction money and put the family of the abducted ones into trauma. I am glad I did not give you my number. Associating with you would never have given me happiness. You should learn something from people like Roshan. Right now, he is my parents’ only support. He might have been so upset when I went missing and …”
Karan broke into laughter. Annoying Samiksha to the highest limits, he sat on a substantial blue velvet lounge chair.

“I have never seen a person like you. So rude and heartless. Money is all that matters to you, and nothing else. Good that you don’t have any siblings.”
“Quiet.” Karan stood up at once, pointing his index finger towards her. He pinned her on the wall, grabbing her arms with his strong masculine fingers.
“What do you think of yourself? A smart, intelligent girl who knows everything about this world? Wake up. People are not what they seem. Everyone wears a mask.”

“I don’t need life lessons from you, Karan. Soon, I am going to get married to my fiance, who loves me so much.”
“How much?”
“What?”
“How much?”
“He can give up his life for me.”

“Then why are you still here? I mean, he did not make any attempts to search you? Hasn’t he filed a police complaint yet?”
“He has done all of it, Karan. My heart knows that.”
“Alright then. Talk to him right now. Ask him.”
Karan opened a locker and removed Samiksha’s phone. He dialled Roshan’s number and handed over it to her.
Samiksha was unsure why he did all this, but considering it a golden opportunity, she waited for Roshan to pick up the phone.
“Hello. Samiksha, is it you?” Roshan asked her curiously.

“Roshan. It’s me. How are mom and dad?”

“Where are you?”
Before she could answer, Karan gestured her to ask the relevant questions.
“Roshan, you have informed the Police that I am missing, right?”
“No, baby. How can I? It can put your life in danger.”
“What? But it’s been 5 days today. “
“I know, dear. Tell me, are they demanding money? Just don’t panic, okay? We will hand over the money and bring you back.”
Samiksha was at a loss for words. Karan snatched the phone and disconnected it.

“Now what? Your caring fiance hasn’t even bothered to lodge a complaint until now.” As she tried to walk away, he grabbed her arm again and made her sit in the chair.
“We have abducted you on the instructions of someone you know, closely.”
Highly strung, Samiksha started fidgeting with her fingers. She avoided thinking, as everyone close to her flashed before her eyes. Giving up too soon with weary eyes, she questioned him.
“Who?”
“Firstly, I am not interested in playing games, as you did two years ago. I am an abductor who draws money, that’s it.”

“Who told you to abduct me?” Samiksha knew deep inside that he wouldn’t lie.

“Your fiance, Roshan.”

To be continued/-

https://blogbyhema.com/2023/10/26/the-fairy-tale-love-story/