Scarred Love - The IR Quartet Book 1

Chapter 3 - Lull Before the Storm

It was only Viman, Radha and Kabir who were still sitting at the table when Rudra came inside the room.

As he sat down on the chair, Firozi quickly served him the breakfast and went away.

Double black coffee with no sugar, super hard toast and poached egg sunny side up with no seasoning had been his breakfast for many years.

Radha looked at him and almost closed her eyes as she saw him taking a sip of the coffee along with a bite of the toast. Out of curiosity, she had once tasted his kind of breakfast and puked.

But for Rudra, it only took minutes to finish these tasteless things. He wiped his lips clean and picked up the car keys and mobile.

"Kabir, Viman, I want you guys in the office in 1 hour," he said in a commanding tone as he briskly strode towards his car.

Viman looked at his retreating taut back and realised this was just the lull before the storm.

**************

Business was as usual in SGH headquarters as Viman slipped into his cabin and picked up the mail from the table. As he was checking the letters, his desk phone rang and looking at the number he didn't need to second guess.

"Ya, Kabir?"

"I saw Mayank enter Bhaisa's cabin just now."

Mayank Goel, head of security had been with them since SGH had been founded. He was actually the best thing that had happened to the company but somewhere down the line, Viman did not like the man. Rudra had actually turned Mayank into more of an investigating officer than security. In the past 11 years, Mayank and his team had dug their hands into any kind of dirt that would help SGH to succeed. Although the major ground work was done by none other than Rudra still Mayank had been on his side always.

The man's loyalty sometimes scared Viman.

"Bhai, are you there?"

"Hmm!"

"I also saw Ram Singh," he heard Kabir add.

Suddenly Viman straightened in his chair and clutched the receiver as hard as he could.

"You saw who?"

"Ram Singh."

Viman's whole body tensed with alarm as things of the past zapped through his brain.

"I'll speak to you later," he said and disconnected the call.

Ram Singh's father Chandrapal Singh had been a bodyguard of the Sangawat family but that was a long time ago when they lived in Kesarigarh Basnag village in Rajasthan.

Actually, he was the one who had......

Stop it!

He clenched the armrest with effort trying to brush away the terrible images from his brain.

What is Ram Singh doing here now?

Quickly, he got up and strode out of his office towards Rudra's cabin.

****************

Rudra was looking at the pictures in front, his eyes burning with the emotions rising in him. He picked up one photograph and was about to light it on fire when the tap on the door interrupted him. He flicked his gaze towards Mayank and then back at the photo.

Just as Mayank opened the door, Viman stepped inside and saw Rudra striking a match. The next minute the picture in his hand went up in flames.

The anger and hostility on his face stopped Viman in his tracks and he could do nothing but stare.

Rudra held the picture and watched the flames slowly engulfing the image. As the fire charred it a slow devilish smile showed up on his face and gradually his jaw hardened as boiling rage took over.

Viman's eyes widened as he saw the fire reach his fingers but Rudra still held it tightly oblivious to his flesh burning.

"Rudra, let go," he said sternly as he brushed off the charred remains from his hands.

"What are you doing here?" Rudra bellowed his voice echoing through the cabin.

"I am here because I need to be here," Viman replied strongly standing erect in front of his brother.

"This is none of your business," Rudra said brushing him out of the way as he strode past him towards the sofa.

"Rudraveer Sangawat, whether you like it or not, it is my business wherever you are concerned."

"Get out!"

"No, I'll not. Whatever you have to discuss, you will do it in front of me."

Rudra's jaw hardened as he turned towards his brother. Breathing hard, he tried to control the anger rising in him but couldn't. His eyes steeled as he looked at Viman.

"Then, I'll make you."

"Try it, Rudra. I dare you, try it," Viman replied in a defiant tone.

There was no one in the Sangawat family other than Viman who could talk to him like this. And, in all these years Viman had understood one thing about Rudra; he listened to his head more than his heart. While sometimes he would become downright hostile and let out his anger but at times like these he would back down completely.

Viman stared back at him and saw his steely expression slowly normalising if you could call a tightened jaw and stony look normal.

***************

It was almost 8 at night when the Hummer entered the gates of Sangawat House. Rudra undid the seat belt with shaky hands and tried hard to breathe in as much air as he could.

But nothing helped.

He scrambled out of the car and banged the door shut. His mind kept on conjuring images that he did not want to see. He took the side alley and strode straightaway to the outhouse as fast as he could.

By the time he reached his bedroom, his body was shaking. He kicked his shoes off and then took off the tie. As he closed his eyes, he only saw burning flames. Panicked, he dragged his feet towards the drawers but failed.

He was again back there.

Everything around him was burning. He stretched his hand to reach them but fell down. He kicked hard as he felt someone dragging him off. But suddenly something hard hit on the side of his face and he saw blood splattering all around.

Rudra shook his head and instantly saw that gruesome laughing face standing behind the glass window of the balcony.

The figure kept laughing as he picked her up from the ground and placed his hand over her mouth.

Rudra's eyes widened with shock as he saw him slowly bringing the knife closer to her throat.

Come on, Rudra, save her; at least this time.

Copyright © Paromita Majumder. All Rights Reserved.

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