Meant To Be

CHAPTER - 24

I silently prayed, my heart pounding in my chest, begging for a miracle, but I could feel the unyielding grip of the chains that bound me. Despite my desperate attempts, they were too strong, too tight.

"Rajeev, please, kill me, but don't harm her. I beg you," I pleaded, my voice raw with desperation.

Rajeev turned toward Meera, his eyes cold and calculating. "Should I, Meera?" he asked, his words laced with a twisted curiosity.

Meera's response was venomous. "Do whatever you want," she spat, fury radiating from her every word.

I remembered the cruel words she had once spoken to me, how she had said she didn't care whether I lived or died. I had hurt her so deeply, but those words hadn't come from my heart. They were the result of my pain, my confusion, and my pride. But now, they haunted me.

Rajeev smirked, the expression of a man who thought himself invincible. "Hmm... But first, I need you to meet a few people," he said, gesturing to one of his bodyguards. He ordered them to bring them out, and I felt a chill crawl down my spine.

"You killed my brother, Arjun. I warned you. There will be consequences," I growled, my voice trembling with both anger and sorrow.

Several of his men appeared, each one dragging a figure covered in cloth. "Remove the cover," Rajeev ordered, his tone casual, as if the life of my family were nothing more than a game to him.

The covers were pulled away, and I saw them-my family, standing before me like victims in a twisted show. First, I saw Rahul, his face ashen, eyes wide with disbelief. Then, my heart wrenched as I saw Chacha and Chachi, their expressions filled with terror. Finally, there was Shruthi, standing lifelessly, her body stiff and her eyes empty of hope.

Rahul, Chacha, and Chachi were strapped with bombs-time bombs set to explode in thirty minutes. My heart cracked in two. This wasn't just about me anymore. This was about my family, my loved ones.

Shruthi was tied, but there was something in her eyes-a silent scream for help that mirrored my own rage. The anger in me boiled, consuming every thought. My fists clenched, and I could feel my body shaking with the need to protect them.

"YOU WANT ME? THEN KILL ME! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT LEAVE MY FAMILY OUT OF THIS!" I screamed, my voice hoarse, raw with anguish.

Rajeev laughed, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Aww, you're going to die soon, but look at my pets. They're going to have a feast tonight," he mocked, his words cutting deeper than any weapon.

My gaze fell on Meera, whose mouth was taped shut, her eyes wide with fear. I could see the terror in them, but it wasn't just for herself-it was for all of us. This was my fault. I had dragged her into this nightmare.

I looked back at Chachi, whose body trembled with uncontrollable sobs, and at Chacha, who was trying his best to stay strong, though his tears betrayed his helplessness. Rahul's eyes were filled with rage, red from the fury that coursed through him. And Shruthi-she was standing there, her soul lost in the sea of despair.

Rajeev stood in front of me, his gaze cold and calculated, while my family stood to his right, like pawns on a chessboard. Behind him, the dark silhouette of a helicopter loomed, and Meera was tied to it, a lifeless doll in his hands.

I saw Meera struggling, her body slowly inching toward freedom. My heart sank, and I gave her a look, pleading with her to stop, but she was stubborn, her will stronger than mine. The chains on my wrists loosened slightly, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't move.

Rahul's eyes locked onto me, and I saw the realization flicker in his gaze-he knew. Meera had noticed too, and in a flash of movement, she broke free and rushed toward Rajeev. But one of his bodyguards shot at her. The bullet barely grazed her, but it missed its mark, and she kept running.