Unwanted [COMPLETED]

Chapter 40

That was the moment a picture formed in my head of Rishabh carrying an unconscious Aastha inside the house.

I told Manik to send the addresses of all the properties that Rishabh owned to Samrat so he could give it to the police and get those places searched too along with this house.

After all, it was only my hunch that the man who that neighbor talked to was Rishabh. 

I didn’t want to fully rely on that hunch and not search the other places. That is not the risk I can afford to take when Aastha’s life is on the line.

Climbing down from the car, my heart starts racing as soon as I see an ambulance pulling up in front of the house.

Before I can even start dwelling on the thought of something happening to Aastha, I see Samrat rushing out of the house.

“Nandini,” he pants as he reaches closer to me. “Aastha is...inside....Rishabh....”

“Rishabh what, Samrat?” Manik asks, and I also look at Samrat questioningly, my heart pounding furiously against my chest.

Samrat takes a moment to catch his breath, before starting to speak again.

“Rishabh is keeping Aastha hostage, Manik. He says he will let her go only if we give him Nandini and let him walk out of here with her.”

“What the hell? How the fuck can he still be in a position to demand anything? Why aren’t the police doing anything?” Manik asks, his voice angry.

“He is currently in there, pointing gun at Aastha’s forehead,” Samrat says, his voice hoarse. “Her condition is already fragile. The way she looks....”

Samrat trails off, his voice choking at the end.

My eyes also well up as I look at Samrat’s distraught face.

I can’t even imagine what condition Aastha must be in right now.

Rishabh had whipped her after finding out that I ran out of the room.

And she has been with that monster since he was able to escape from that house. He must have beaten her more, punished her more for letting me run away.

“I will go in. I will tell him to release Aastha and take me,” I tell Samrat. 

My insides quiver at the prospect of coming face to face again with that man, but I know I need to do this.

I can’t let Aastha down after what she did for me.

“No,” Manik says, holding my hand to stop me as I start walking inside the house. “You will do no such thing, Nandini. I won’t let you do it.”

I take his hands off mine, my eyes softening when he pleadingly shakes his head. “I know you are worried for me, Manik.

“And I won’t lie to you. I also feel scared. But I need to do this for Aastha. I can’t let anything happen to her, Manik. She saved me from Rishabh last night, and now, it is my turn to save her.

“Besides, you are here, and the police is here too. For now, all we need to focus on is to get Aastha out of this house and to the ambulance, so she can get the medical treatment that she needs right now.

“Once that happens, we will figure out a way to not let Rishabh run away from here with me. Ok?” I say to Manik.

“But, Nandini, what if—”

“Please, Manik. I need to do this. You know that too.”

He reluctantly nods. Then, stepping closer to me, he cups my face. “Please, be careful.”