Cruor (noun)
Bloodshed, Murder
♡♡
A fragment of imagination?
What bullshit was he believing? He was such an idiot to get swayed by a thought like that? He should have done better. He could have done something but here he was, powerless.
He analyzed things rationally, and always he did it but this time ignoring basic common sense was such a crude mistake he made. He paid more attention to facts, unaware that they were being manipulated. How more of a fool he could be? Trashing the contents from his desk down he tried releasing his anger.
The red beeping dot made bile rise to his throat, his fist was curled and his jaw ached seeing its location.
But more than anger, he felt fear. A tremor of fear crosses his heart feeling how helpless he is going to be. He was far away from her, she was there unguarded and away from him. His eyes betrayed and moisture threatened to leak out.
In a frenzy, he dialed the number of his pilot. He didn't have the time or patience to get things coordinated by Danish. He had to do it on his own.
"M...Mr. Malik"
"Samuel Get the jet ready. We have to reach India asap." He barked orders.
"What? I m...mean sir I'm not in town. I thought...."
"I don't care what you thought. Get somebody else to prepare it and get here in the next half an hour. I don't have time." RV cut him off impatiently.
"But S...Sir..."
"Get fucking work done Samuel"
RV resisted the urge to smash his phone, curling his fist he tried keeping himself away before causing more rampage.
"What the hell happened?!" Danish asked standing at the door sill. His eyes took in the mess he stood in between. Taking careful steps, he decided to tread further. "RV what's wrong?"
"We got fucking played. That's what has happened" RV clutched the roots of hairs. "That fucking Bastard played us. That fucker was lying to us from the very day we put him behind Naveen Adhikari. He was working for Naveen instead of us. Back-stabbing Ass-hole."
"How do you know that?" Danish winced at the flowing curses but inhaled cautiously, not liking where this was going.
RV turned his laptop screen towards the man, letting the machine almost fall with force. "Do you see this red dot?! I used our tracking software and fed Naveen into the database. This is his real-time location. He is in..."
"Mumbai" Danish completed with a gasp, his eyes studying the screen.
"He is in Mumbai for the last 17 hours but Jaydev kept lying to us on the face. He lied to me." He slammed on the wooden desk, making it shudder "He was never working for us but that bastard. He kept deceiving us about him and his acts, Check this"
He snatched the laptop away and clicked on a tab that lead to images.
"Bloody hell," Danish said wide eye. "This is Naveen? Then who was the man Jaydev made us believe he is?"
"A fucking doppelganger. His face matches Naveen, not his physique or hair. I believed the person in the footage was not Naveen because I saw this man and not Naveen Adhikari. I ruled out Mahira's words because of no proof." RV cursed himself for believing in this PI.
"I'm going to fuck this man up. He'll regret his whole life for deceiving us" Danish snarled.
"He invited hell on himself by double-crossing me, He fucking played RV Malik. He didn't know who RV Malik is, Now I'll show him what Satan looks like. I'll slaughter him into pieces when I get back there." RV gritted as a promise.
"He is a fool to underestimate us," Danish said grunting. His fingers scrolled the screen as he checked "Mahi is at Spesh. I think we should inform her. She needs to be vigilant."
"No" RV snapped, shaking his head as if the thought was revolting. "No. I don't want her to lose peace. She is going to be worried and I don't want anything to happen to her when I'm not with her. I'm going to deal with both bastards myself. Just let me touch India once."
"RV, she should know"
"No. She doesn't." RV stated with finality. "I need to pack, and so do you. We are leaving in less than an hour."
He left without hearing Danish say a word, Danish sighed and followed him out.
"Okay stop!" He tried halting a fast-paced Veer. "We'll deal with him together but you need to compose yourself. Nothing will go wrong, RV. Trust me " Danish assured.
RV stared at him, swallowing. "I can't imagine losing her, Danish. It kills me watching her in pain."
"Nothing will happen. Even if something does, Mahira will have someone to protect her. That's my promise to you." Danish said, his eyes ascertain and determined.
"I'll hold onto that." RV nodded exhaling.
The plane ride was full of fidgeting and restlessness. RV couldn't sit straight. His eyes stuck on his Laptop screen, The red dot kept moving and with every turn it made, the bile in RV's throat threatened to rise. His hold on the armrest tightened, knuckles white and eyes unblinking.
Danish nibbled on his lower lip. Seeing a restless and agitated RV was new and unnerving for him. He checked his phone, and he was trying to connect with his men, He had put them on Mahira's back but being in the air left no signal connectivity for him to get back and receive updates.
"RV?" He tested.
RV kept staring at the screen.
Danish gritted his teeth having enough. He slammed the laptop screen close and disposed of the machine on the far side, away from his reach.
"Do you have a death wish?" Black eyes snapped up glaring, ice-cold daggers which could have made any soul squirm.
"Not me but you seem to be making one" Danish stood his ground. "You need to stop RV. This worry is going to kill you."
"So you want me to do what? I'm already..." His words trailed, breathing filling the void of words.
"There is someone who'll be there for her. You need to trust him." Danish gave in. "Please."
"Who is he? I trust no one for her." RV whispered.
"This time try trusting. He won't let you down."
RV slumped back massaging his temples. He couldn't sit just like that. He needs to feel productive.
"How much more? I need to see her alright." He murmured.
"Can you try sleeping? It's still 14 hours more." Danish suggested leaning forward.
"No" He sat straight. "Give me my laptop back. I'll do my stress buster."
"You want to code now? You're not in your right mind, There'll be more errors than actual codes" Danish tried joking.
RV rolled his eyes. "Shut up. Get back to work or Sleep but another word and I'll throw you down without a parachute. It'll be the best adventure ever Omani."
Danish snorted, slumping on his seat, glancing again at his phone, no signal. He sighed.
The moment the seat belt sign was off, jumped up from his seat, he didn't wait for the crew to stand and open the door.
He was halfway pushing the doors open the crew came and arranged for him to descend. He was half-running, half-walking out of the tarmac. Danish followed him as fast as he could.
"RV wait" Danish was rasping with all the running.
"I can't. You can wait and take time but I'm rushing. I need to see her." RV shot behind his shoulder.
Danish swallowed, dreading the part where he will have to tell him what had happened.
It was already Morning in India, a whole 21 hours of flight and no sleep had made RV develop a massive headache which he ignored.
"Come on Danish" he urged.
The private area of the airport was hustling but the checkout formalities were fast-forwarded seeing RV was in a hurry. He even requested airport officials, the first time for RV Malik but he didn't care.
"The Westlake Hospital," Danish said in the car.
"What?" RV blanched, his stomach dropped and the pounding in his head made him almost see black.
"I.... I'll tell you about it all but promise me you won't lose cool" Danish gulped
"You told me to fucking trust you" RV hissed with a blank face.
"Raj....I...It was too late" Danish bit the insides of his gums.
"H...how late?" his voice faltered. "I...Ira, Is she...."
"He tricked her into coming home, He caught her in the moment...."
"Stop talking" he commanded.
"What?"
"Not. A. Word" RV stated shaking his head. His shivering fingers tightened into a fist. Eyes clenched shut. The pain he felt was heart-wrenching. He couldn't breathe, the space was suffocating him but he kept hold.
She had to be okay.
She had to be fine. She promised she'll take care of herself. She wouldn't break her promise, right?
He won't leave her if she breaks it. He'll chase her back to life if he had to. She'll be fit and fine, waiting for him.
Tires screeched and he bolted out. The hospital reception was chaos. The running of nurses and spot boys made him queasy. He stood leaning against the wooden reception desk.
"Ira....Mahira Malik. Where is she?"
He couldn't be weak. He was never weak. He was fucking Rajveer Malik. One of the strongest men in the world.
He can't fall weak.
"Room No. 27. Seventh floor" She passed him an empathetic smile that he never waited for.
He was in a blur. Whatever happened around him didn't make sense until the ping of the elevator made him shake. Everything turned back to vision. The lemon color walls closed into him as he walked further. He met some worried unknown faces on waiting chairs, families of patients he assumed. He kept walking forward until he found him, leaning against the steel chair he sat with eyes closed.
The blood on his plain t-shirt made his knees give up.
"Raj" the grey eyes opened.
Indraneel, his best friend.
He rasped for air, back supported by the wall behind. "Ira?"
He glanced towards the door with the number 27 and back at him. "She's out of danger."
He slipped down, relief coursing out in form of tears.
"Hey!" He sat infront of him. "Rajveer, she's out of danger man. The surgery wasn't big. Her shoulder will be healed in three weeks tops and the concussion isn't concerning, All others are minor injuries. She'll be fit and fine in no time."
"How? You are here, how?"
"Danish." He fed him "I was already in Mumbai. He asked me to check on her. When I reached your building, A man named Apoorva Sehgal was already there questioning the watchman. That Ass-hat called her and narrated a fake tale about some smoke from your place but according to him Mahira never made it there. I was looking around when I heard her scream. In the alley, he kept her captive."
RV shook his head. "It's all because of me. I should have told her. Hell.... I shouldn't have left her. It's all my goddamn fault."
Indraneel scoffed "Yeah! Your fault now like every sappy love story, Leave and never show your face back to her. Trust me this will be the perfect ending then I'll hire someone to write a sequel for you two. What say? बेवकूफ" (Idiot)
"What's up with you? Why so much dramatics?" RV questioned scowling.
"Oh don't ask." He groaned "Do you know who this V is? A friend of your wife ate my ear off with her words and 100 kg daily soap. Thank God the nurse kicked her out before I came back from the cafeteria. Can you believe it? I went away for 15 minutes and this girl came and irritated the nurses out of their minds, so much that they had to kick her off the campus."
RV stared at him, forgetting about the events. Indraneel so worked up was a first.
"So you didn't meet her?"
"Oh yeah, all my good work paid off and I didn't see her," Inder stated smugly, patting RV's shoulder. "She's fine. Mahira is too strong than she shows off for."
"The strongest of all" RV said proudly, straightening and standing up. "I need to see Ira before anything. You should go and change."
"Oh, I will. Can't push all the attention away because of blood on me" he winked.
RV inhaled and exhaled a few times before he could enter inside.
His eyes burned to see her sleeping in a hospital gown, wrapped in bandages and crepe. Her forehead was covered with gauze which had a blood spot on it. His heart ached to see her swollen face, a purplish bruise on her cheek, and a busted lip. She looked pale and fragile on the big hospital bed.
His fingers laced with hers as if in reflex her hold tightened around his, and a tear dropped down. He took the metal chair, kissing her fingers he led himself to regret his decisions.
"I'm so sorry Dove. I'm so sorry." He touched her face lightly, feeling his heart produce molten lava instead of blood in his view. "He'll pay for everything god-damn thing, even for thinking about you."
His head leaned against her palm, and feeling her near him made his head pound a little less, and his eyes closed on their own accord.
The nurse entered, making his head jerk up, he blinked a few sometimes to throw blurriness away. Following was a young woman in shrubs.
"Good Afternoon" She greeted with a small smile. Her eyes took in his hold on her, his eyes and now dry cheeks. "You are?"
"Her husband" he muttered.
"Hello, Mr. Malik. I'm Radhika Kaur, the case doctor." She introduced, eyes leaving him and reading her vitals.
"How is she? Why is she not up yet?" He asked acknowledging with a little nod.
"She's under sedatives. We're keeping her on IVs and sedatives to avoid her blood being infected and being hurt by rusted iron. Her concussion is mild but her wounds are deep. Her left shoulder is dislocated. We have also found finger marks on her nape and throat..."
"That fucker" he hissed, feeling hatred pulling up his rage.
"I'll need you to step out till I examine her." The doctor requested and his eyelids clutched shut. He was yet to ask about that man.
He nodded, stepping out he caught Danish and Inder in a discussion, Inder in a new set of clothes.
"Where's that fucking excuse of a man?" He demanded.
Inder averted his eyes "Who are you talking about?"
RV pulled him by his collar "Don't fake Inder, I have known you for a long time now. Tell me where Naveen is. I'll end him with my bare hands."
"Look, man! I'm sorry. I was just protecting Mahi from that fuck-tart. I knew you'll like to deal with him but that moron, he lunged at me so I..."
"You what?"
"I shot him, point blank" He confessed without hesitation. RV's hold loosened "He was just a waste of air and space, I did a favor to humanity."
"You killed him? He was a bloody politician" Danish reminded.
"And you know who I am. He disrespected a woman and his only punishment was death according to my laws " Inder stated with authority rolling off him. "His existence already vanished, No one will ever know if Naveen Adhikari ever stepped into that locality."
RV grunted in disappointment. "You should have waited for me."
"Yeah! I should have. Foreplay would hurt him a little more. Sorry mate. Next time" He failed in consoling and apologizing.
Danish sighed, RV was still mad at him and he deserved it. He was the one who failed to keep her safe when he took the work on his head. "Look, I'm sorry."
"Doesn't matter. You informed him so it's fine" RV chipped.
Sensing brooding air, Inder tried breaking it.
"But I'm not sorry for what I'm gonna do next" He announced.
Two pairs of eyes frowned, one fluttering shut with a punch to the guts.
"What the fuck?" RV toned down his voice feeling the crowd.
"It's my congratulations on having a baby"
RV gasped, eyes wide. Brain stopped working, he blinked a few times and shook his head chuckling "Not possible. The doctor never mentioned Ira being pregnant."
"Yes. She's not pregnant" Inder stated smirking "But you are a father. A baby, RV"
Danish scowled.
"What? I haven't been with anyone so stop looking like that, Danish. I swear." RV justified seeing his inner Hulk coming to the surface.
"Oh poor him. He's married" Inder snorted.
"You...Ass-hole" RV glared.
"But I'm not lying, You're a father. Don't tell me you forgot about that adorable pup you have. He is being discharged"
RV blanked, His mind flashing Jim-jam. "What happened to him?"
"Mahira held him unconscious when I found her. She seemed to be saving him from him who-should-not-be-talked-about-ever-again." Inder gestured behind them, A nurse holding the little body.
RV took steps robotically forward, his arms taking in the puppy, His eyes misted seeing his leg and forehead bruised.
The puppy whined against him, his little eyes taking in the face. His head cuddled near him.
"I'm here now baby, I'm here" RV pecked his forehead lovingly, His jaw tightened, and black eyes glistened with the hunger for blood, power, and revenge. "Interest to visit Kolkata?" He voiced.
Danish cocked a brow "For what?"
"Some favors I need to return" He shrugged not explaining further.
Hush! Can't talk now.