As they entered the room, they saw Prithvi tied with barbed wires piercing into his wrists. The smoke in the air was suffocating, and his condition was dire. His eyes were heavy, blood dripped from his left brow, and his breath was shallow. He looked mistreated and in pain, a pitiful sight.
"Oh my God, Prithvi Ji, what happened to you?" Preeta exclaimed, feigning shock, as an officer poured chilled water over him. Prithvi's eyes snapped open, and he cried out, "Preeta, Preeta Ji... please save me."
"How did you end up here? What happened?" Preeta asked, placing a hand over her heart in a show of sympathy.
"I don’t know. I was with Janki Aunty, and then I thought to catch some sleep, but they kidnapped me. Look at what they did to me. I’m injured all over," Prithvi sobbed, tears and snot running down his face.
"We must help him, right officers?" Preeta said, her eyes glistening with fake tears. "I knew you cared for me, Preeta Ji. I knew I meant something to you," Prithvi said with an ugly smile.
As Preeta and Neil listened to Prithvi, their disgust turned to rage. They knew they had to take matters into their own hands. They pretended to sympathize with Prithvi, promising to help him, but their intentions were far from noble.
"Begin," Neil commanded. Prithvi tilted his head, confusion is evident on his face, and then he screamed in agony as a sharp pain shot through his right leg. The officer, bored of his screams, silenced him by stuffing a cloth into his mouth, turning his screams into choked sobs. Through tear-filled eyes, he looked at Preeta, silently questioning what this torture was supposed to achieve.
Preeta, usually seen as a paragon of kindness, remained expressionless as she watched the officer inflict pain on Prithvi. "It's not so enjoyable when you're the one suffering, is it, Prithvi Ji?" she remarked coldly, each word cutting through the air.
Gasping for breath, he nodded slightly. "Let me make one thing clear: this is just the beginning. I will make you pay tenfold for what you've done to my family," she declared, grabbing his shirt firmly.
"Preeta Ji," Prithvi choked out, his voice raw and hoarse, "please save me. There's been a misunderstanding." But even in his plea, he continued to deceive.
"Tell me, Malhotra, where is Ms. Janki?" Neil inquired; his tone laced with amusement.
"Who are you?" Prithvi retorted, attempting to deflect.
"What makes you think you're worthy of questioning me, you scum?" Neil raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"Janki Aunty is in the hospital. I told you, Preeta Ji," Prithvi tried to manipulate the situation.
"Which hospital?" Neil pressed, leaving Prithvi speechless.
"Janki Aunty is conscious now, Prithvi Malhotra," Preeta interjected, causing Prithvi to freeze. His facade crumbled, and the truth lay bare before him. He remembered boasting to Janki about his crimes, now regretting every word.
In bear whispers, tinted with fear he asked again "You know everything," Prithvi stated, more resigned than questioning. "What are you planning?" he asked, struggling to speak. He felt utterly defeated. They had taken him to a secluded place and tied him up without mercy. The uniformed men were clearly trained, and he felt the walls closing in on him. He could see his end.
"You could have done anything, Malhotra—killed your enemy or tormented them—and it wouldn't have been my concern. But the moment you involved my family, it became personal," Preeta snarled at him.
