KHEL

Chapter 1

"What the hell Swetlana!" Veer screamed at the woman in front of him. "Do you have any idea what you have done!"

"Relax Veer, no one found Komal's body! It's not a big deal anymore!" Swetlana shrugged, although there was a tiny hint of fear in her voice.

"You know how big of a deal this is! If she comes to know what you did, she will not leave you!" Veer warned her and Swetlana gulped slowly.

"She won't know because no one will tell her that it was me who kept Komal's corpse near the window! Tell me, will you tell her?" She asked him.

"If you think that I will tell her that to save myself then yes, I will tell her it was you." Veer shrugged.

Swetlana's face paled a little at the not-so-unexpected betrayal from her partner.

"You know her Swetlana, if anything goes anywhere against her plan, she will wreak havoc. Why do you do this stupidity every time! It's been years since you started this and still, you haven't learned a bit!" Veer sighed.

If his boss comes to know how they almost got caught today, that will be the end of them.

"Veer?" Annika's voice echoed suddenly from the hall and Veer looked at Swetlana with wide eyes. Before she could hide from her eyes, Annika had entered the room where they stood.

"Swetlana, what are you doing here?" She shouted with wide eyes.

Swetlana gulped and took a step back as Annika marched towards inside with rage in her eyes.

"Who?" She screamed at the top of her voice. "Who kept Komal's corpse in the damn outhouse?!" She screamed, looking at Veer, Swetlana, Monali and a few other men standing in the room. "I asked who did it!"

"I..I did." Veer gulped.

"Why? Why have I given you a two storey building? To decorate it with flowers? Or to dress up and play house?!" She shouted, anger laced in her voice.

"I am..am sorry." He gulped, looking down. "I couldn't find any other place to put her, so I-

"So you just put in the outhouse, for all to see? That too on top of the firewood, when you knew that firewood was needed for today's Lohri and someone may eventually see it? Oh my God, I have the most stupid people working for me!" Annika said to herself, shaking to herself. "And who the hell put her near the window, can I please ask?"

Veer looked at Swetlana and she shook with fear before replying.

"That was me..but Rudra was quick to bring all of you here and I didn't have the tim-

"Stop it! I am not paying you to make stupid excuses, do you get it? And you didn't answer me, what are you doing here? Hadn't I left the Oberoi Mansion in your hands?" Annika asked with crossed arms.

"Tia is..there and I just..thought you..may need me so-

"Tia? You have left Tia there? She's a moron for God's sake! And who told you to think? That's my job! Your job is to do what I say! Haven't you learned that in seven years?" Annika screamed yet again.

"I am sorry; I will go back there tonight itself!" Swetlana quickly said, her voice drying.

"Listen to me." Annika said with a calm but dangerous voice. "If my plan backfires because of any of you, because of your stupidity, over-confidence or over-thinking, I will make sure that you are punished for it. It took me nineteen years to reach here. I was twenty-two when I executed my plan. I was sixteen when I started forming my plan. I was ten when I saw my parents being murdered in front of my own eyes!"

"Annika beta, stay here, Mumma and Papa will be back soon, okay?" A man said to his ten year old daughter, who sat in the backseat of their car.

"Take care of your sisters, okay?" Her mother smiled and she nodded.

Saying so, her parents went inside a big building. Annika peeped out of the window to see a huge board hanging on the wall. Although it was night, there was a small bulb flickering near the board.

Kalyaani Mills

Annika sighed and sat back, looking at her two sisters sitting beside her. She was the eldest of the three, making her their Di. Annika loved her sisters to death and could do anything for their happiness and comfort. So when her baby sister, Chutki, suddenly started crying, Annika got concerned.

"Chutki, baby, what happened?" Annika asked, taking her sister in her lap.

"Di, I think she's hungry." Her middle sister said. "Her milk bottle is in Mumma's purse."

"Okay, you wait here, I will get it." Saying so, Annika stepped down the car and safely locked the door.

Walking inside the building, Annika gulped in fear. It was quite dark and being a kid, she was naturally afraid of dark places.

"Mumma?" She whispered, trying not to shout.

The silence was unbearable and Annika started to shake in fear. Where were her parents? As she moved further inside the building, she could hear faint voices coming from a room. Running towards the direction of the voice, she saw a door ajar.