• Chained •

1

Shivaay opened his eyes. Yet, he couldn't see anything. There was darkness around him. Confused with it, he tried to rub his eyes but for the life of him, he couldn't raise his hands. He realized that someone had tied his hands behind his back. He was also awkwardly lying on the floor, straight on his chest. He tried to move but even his legs were tied. 

Panic set in his stomach and spread to his chest. What was happening? What this one of Rudra and Annika's pranks? He yelled. Or tried. Because his voice came out muffled. Was he gagged? Shivaay felt terrified. Really, where was he and what was happening? 

He tried to remember what had happened last and all he could remember was that he was in his car along with Khanna, going to the airport. He was supposed to attend a conference in Delhi. He was checking his emails on the iPad. Then somehow, the tyre of their car had burst. He remembered Khanna looking at it. But after that, he was blank. He had no recollection of what happened after that. This couldn't be a prank. This seemed serious.  

Agitated and scared to his bones, Shivaay scrambled to get up from the cold floor. He tried to turn his body in various ways but he just couldn't get up. He grunted and kept trying. He wasn't that weak. But it was difficult to work with the tied limbs. 

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Shivaay went completely still. And before he could even register the fact that there was someone else, Shivaay was slapped straight across his face. 

"Stop struggling you asshole!" someone screamed. 

Even though his cheek was stinging with pain and his ears were ringing because of the harsh slap, Shivaay could tell that it was an unusual voice. It felt like it was automated. It couldn't be a human's voice. Perhaps, it was just his dream? 

Before the blinding pain in his jaw could subside, Shivaay was roughly picked up from the floor. He knew from the way he was being handled that there were many people. Someone opened his hands and Shivaay knew that it was his only window. Whatever little strength he had remaining in his body, he mustered it all. He tried to push them away and run from there. He even toppled someone from the yelp he could hear. But the next moment, someone grabbed him by his hair and shoulders and pushed him into a chair like he was a sack of onions and not a human. He was pinned down and they tied his hands to the chair handles. Then he felt like they tied a rope around his chest too. 

Frustrated, Shivaay shook the chair. No one could treat him like this. He was Shivaay Singh Oberoi for Pete's sake. How could anyone do this and get away with it? 

The intensity of his screaming only increased. He was going to burn down the entire city. 

But then, he could hear his voice and his wild screaming. Baffled at how that had happened, he figured that someone had removed his mouth gag. 

"Why did you stop?" the strange voice chided him. "Scream. Scream till you can scream no more. No one is here to listen to it."

Shivaay was impulsive but not unreasonable. He knew that the plausible thing was that no one really could hear him. And if that was the case, there was no need to spend his remaining energy. He took deep, calm breaths to relax. He needed to understand what had happened to him. Grinding his teeth, he asked, "Where the fuck am I?" 

"Oh nowhere!" the voice laughed. "Somewhere. And if we take account of the advertisement world, then everywhere."  

"Shut up!" Shivaay snarled. "Tell me what have you done with me or else I will kill you!" 

The voice laughed again. "Feisty. Aren't you, Shivaay Singh Oberoi? But that attitude does not suit someone who has been kidnapped." 

Shivaay's bones went cold. He stammered. "Kid...kidnapped?" 

"Yes..." the voice answered. "We picked you up from your car this morning. Don't you remember getting knocked out on the backseat?" 

"What the fuck? You are lying!" Shivaay tried to get up from the chair and charge at him. He couldn't get kidnapped. He had two security cars with him. How was this possible? 

"Suit yourself and don't believe me. It won't change the truth though!" the voice chuckled. 

Shivaay took a moment to understand the gravity of the situation. He was definitely kidnapped. He didn't exactly know by whom but someone had managed to break his security cover and take him away. His heart thudded. Did his family know? By now, they must be knowing. 

"Leave me!" Shivaay shouted involuntarily as he thought of his brothers and wife. "Let me go! What do you even want from me? I can give you anything!" 

The voice chuckled. Then Shivaay felt someone prise his mouth open. When he fought it, someone slapped him across his face again. And once more. And a few more. Taken aback by the back-to-back assault, Shivaay didn't really understand when the person put three pills in his mouth and made him drink water. Then he was gagged with the cloth again. 

"Now," the voice said. "We can discuss all this later. It was a long day for me today. I am sure you are tired too. So rest now. Just in case you are wondering, those pills were your regular medication. Don't be afraid. I won't kill you this soon. Good night."