Treat You Better

Chapter 33

Radhika slowly stirred awake to find herself in an unfamiliar surrounding. She tried to scream but her voice didn't leave her throat as a gag was shoved into her mouth. She tried to move but her limbs were also tied to a chair .
Stricken by panic she struggled around, causing her chair to topple sideways. She groaned in discomfort as her body landed on a pile of gunny bags and ropes.
A couple of hours later, she heard footsteps approaching her, but she was too tired to even look up. The person straightened her chair and removed her gag and splashed some water onto her exhausted face.
Gasping and spluttering, she regains her full consciousness and she comes face to face with the man who had promised her a wonderful life.
'Amit?', she wheezes.
He silently gathers her face in his palms stares intently into her eyes.
'Amit, what am I doing here? Untie me. Let me go,  please.', she spits out the words pleadingly.
'Of course I will untie you and then you and me can live together forever', he says with a manic gleam in his eyes tightening his grip around her face.
'Amit, you are not making any sense. What is it that you want? Money?  I can get you money. Please just let me go.'
'I want you.', Amit said slowly as if he was explaining difficult mathematical problem.
'No. I don't want to have anything to do with you. And I was clear the first time. Amit I am married and I am pregnant.', Radhika said tears streaming down his eyes.
'But, he is in love with Revathy. Why do you want to spend your life with a man who doesn't love you or want you in his life?', Amit asked feigning curiosity.
'He is a changed man Now.'
'Really?', Amit asks almost mockingly.
'Yes. And he would not let you get away with this stunt you have pulled.'
Amit started laughing maniacally and suddenly swung his hand across her cheek.
'You bitch! Do you think your knight in shining armour will ever bother looking for you? He will be happy that he finally got rid of you.', he said with finality.
His slap had stung her but his words hurt her even more. Suddenly, he appeared before her collecting her face again in his palms.
'I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I will never hurt you again but you should also promise me that you will never mention your ex-husband in front of me ever again.'
'Ex-husband? I am carrying his child. How many times do I say this before it gets through your thick skull? Please let me go, I am begging you.', she cried.
'Why do you want to leave me? I will give you all that you desire and you would want for nothing. I promise you. You will forget that Raghu in a matter of days and you wold only want my presence in your life.', he said in a crazed state.
'No. I don't want to be with you. Please untie my hands. Please.', she said her lips trembling with fear.
He just  sat across her staring and grinning at her like a Cheshire cat.

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

Raghu had rushed back home to find his grief stricken family waiting for him. His father in law had collapsed into an armchair while his mother in law was crying out loudly beating her chests.
His sister quietly thrusted a note into his hands. He unfolded the paper and read,
'I am tired of living this misery ridden life with Raghu. I am leaving with my boyfriend to live the life I deserve.
-Radhika'
He couldn't believe his eyes. Their relationship had improved drastically in the past few days, that he had genuinely hoped their relationship would survive. He looked at the paper again. Something about the handwriting was quite familiar. He went into his room and retrieved a bunch of envelopes and strew it all onto his work desk. He compared all the letters with Radhika's note. Confirming his suspicions, he walked back into the living room and went straight to his father in law.
'Uncle, isn't this Radhika's ex-fiance?', Raghu asked holding out the police portrait of the mystery man who bought the post card.
'Yes. This is Amit. What happened? Do you know where Radhika is?', Radhika's father asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
'No. I don't. But you might be able to help. Do you have Amit's phone number?'
'Yes, I think so. I might have saved it in my contacts list.', Radhika's father said, fishing his mobile phone out of his pocket.
'Can you text the number to me?'

Soon, he got to work. After calling in for multiple favours, he finally found what he was looking from an old team mate at the cyber cell.
'Sir, the number is not currently active but the number was turned on in the victinity of a radio tower located in an industrial area.', the technician had informed him.
'Can you please send across the coordinates of the location?', Raghu asked sighing a breath of relief.
'Of course, sir. Give me a sec.', the technician replied earnestly.
Once Raghu received the coordinates of the location, he had a hunch of where to find Radhika.
He was sure Radhika had not eloped and even if she had eloped, he needed some answers.

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

Radhika cried and cried but no one heard her cries. She was trapped with a very psychotic Amit who refused to leave her side. She hurled profanities and curses at him but he remained unmoved and inflicted mild injuries on her body without any sympathy for her condition.
As he was pressing down the butt of a cigarette on the inside of her palm, she heard the door being broken down. But Amit was also quick. He pulled out his gun and moved behind Radhika.
Radhika was too exhausted to look up but a familiar perfume wafted towards her nose causing her relief. But her happiness was short lived as she sensed the nose of Amit's gun poking her temple.
'Don't take even one more step forward. Otherwise I shoot her.', Amit threatened.
Raghu tucked away his gun in it's holster and raised his hands in surrender. But his face expressed only one emotion.Fury.
'It was you all along. Why were you pretending to be Revathy?', Raghu asked wary of his answer.
Amit laughed his signature laugh and said, ' I wanted to have some fun with you. You took away the thing that mattered to me the most.'
Shaking his head, at his mentally deranged responses, Raghu decided to try his luck once more.
'Where is Revathy?'
Amit stared at him for a long time before saying,
'She is dead.'